The ProMAXX ProRatchet, No. PPR5250, a multi-purpose 1/4" air ratchet for drilling, driving and more, delivers 500 rpm and 50 ft/lbs of torque. The 1/4" drive ProRatchet, along with the ProChuck drill adapter accessory, essentially turn this air ratchet into a small angle drill suitable for reaching limited access areas. The ProMAXX ProGard (No. PPG5250) snaps right over the top of the ProRatchet, allowing the use of a small pry bar to make drilling faster and easier.
The review
Using the ProMAXX ProRatchet to break loose fasteners and spin them out with the 500 rpm speed saved time for the technicians using it, according to Eric Moore, owner of DeMary Truck in Columbus, Ohio. “The higher rpm sure spin the fasteners out quick,” he says.
Moore liked that the tool made jobs easier. “The impact feature and the higher rpm make the ProMAXX ProRatchet a quick replacement for any other ratchet in your toolbox,” he notes.
His technicians used the ProRatchet for just about everything that warranted a 1/4” drive. While Moore operates a medium duty truck shop, he confirmed the ProRatchet was used for many interior jobs or for light duty vehicle applications. “A few examples included interior removal and repair on the Mitsubishi-Fuso line, replacing intake gaskets on a 2010 Chevy Impala, valve cover gaskets on a 2010 F150 and repairing the shifter interlock solenoid on a 2006 Chevy Malibu.
Moore has also used another tool manufacturer’s 1/4” impact ratchet, which has similar functions and features. He noted that the ProMAXX ProRatchet has a different body design, but both are very much alike when in use.
“The ProRatchet is very simple to use,” Moore says. “It has the same paddle control countless other air ratchets have.”
The ProRatchet came packaged in a cardboard box with company branding. It included the ProGard, which slips over the ratchet head and allows leverage to be applied in tight areas to keep the ratchet on the fastener. The tool required minimal setup: just a few drops of lubricating oil, which was supplied, and the proper fitting to match Moore’s shop setup.
Moore commented that they did have a few instances where the ProRatchet head was moving without any trigger application. They determined that this was because of their shop’s pressure line of 165 psi. “We put a pigtail together with a regulator and set it at about 110 psi. That took care of the issue,” he says. He suggested that having a built-in regulator would be a good improvement, since most shops are running 125 psi or higher and do not regulate their outlets.
Overall, Moore was impressed by the ProRatchet’s high rpm speed and ability to save technicians time whenever it was used. “No one had anything bad to say about the ProRatchet—only good things,” Moore says.
