Appreciation post: the old Snap-On ratchet that finally gave up on me

I had a Snap-On F720 ratchet I bought used back in 2011, used it almost every day for 13 years. Finally last Tuesday I was wrestling a stubborn caliper bracket bolt on a 2015 F-150 and the guts just grenaded inside (teeth stripped smooth). I called up my local Snap-On dealer in Akron and he swapped the rebuild kit in 5 minutes for free, no questions asked. Has anyone else had a tool last way longer than you expected it to before breaking?

2 comments

2 Comments

brian3031mo ago

That F720 is a workhorse for sure. I had a similar one from the late 90s that finally locked up on a rusty suspension bolt a few years ago. The internals just crumbled into dust when I cracked it open. But like you said, a rebuild kit later and it was back in action. Its crazy how long those things hold up with just basic care.

the_kevin1mo ago

Used to think those old impacts were basically disposable, that you just ran em till they died and bought a new one. Then I dug a 90s era IR out of a buddy's junk pile, everything was seized up and the casing was cracked. Threw a cheap rebuild kit at it just to see what would happen, and that thing has been running strong for two years now on my home workbench. It's not as powerful as a modern brushless gun but it just keeps going. Changed my whole view on tossing old tools.