Okay, so let’s keep this Type Study moving. There are a few things to mention regarding the Type 11 Craftsman Teardrop Ratchets. First, you may have noticed that the ¼” drive has returned. The last change to the ¼” drive occurred back at Type 9 and did not change until Type 11. Also take a close look at the socket posts on all three sizes. You should notice that the protruding pin is no longer present and the quick release (QR) mechanism is totally enclosed within the socket post itself. My initial reaction to the enclosed socket post lead me to think it was a step taken to keep crud out of the QR mechanism and prevent jamming/malfunctions. I also thought the design change may have been the reason the model/part numbers changed on all three drive sizes and the small letter “patent pending” stamp returned to the handle. It seemed like a reasonable assessment, however, as I stated earlier, changes were made to both Teardrop and RHFT ratchets as a result of some legal wrangling engaged in by Sears to avoid a suit from QR inventor, Pete Roberts. Again, more on this can be found in the RHFT study.
The Type 11 ratchets will be that last time the model numbers change…… that is for the ½” and 3/8” drive sizes. The ¼” drive will have one more model number change at Type 14. Also, the Type 9 ratchets were the last to have oil holes…… again that is for the ½” and 3/8” drive sizes. Notice how the ¼” drive below still has the oil hole while that particular feature was eliminated from the ½” and 3/8” drives at Type 10. The ¼” drive will retain the oil hole feature through Type 13.
The Type 11 ratchets depicted below were not available for very long. Based on what I’ve seen in terms of their availability, I’d say they are less common than several of the other Types from the 1980s and early 1990s. The same goes for the Type 12 ratchets that I’ll feature next. Here’s my benchmark. After a little digging into some old family records, I was able to determine that during August, 1983, my dad bought me a set of Craftsman tools. The set came with all three ratchet drive sizes (1/2”, 3/8”, ¼”). Those ratchets, which I still have and use frequently, are what I have classified as Type 13 versions. Although my Type 13 ratchets may have been produced and were probably available at Sears stores prior to August, 1983, it’s the earliest date I can point to in terms of knowing for sure that Type 13 ratchets were in circulation. Also, without having taken an official count over the last three years, it’s still my impression that I see a lot more Type 13 ratchets in all three drive sizes, than I see of Type 11 and Type 12 ratchets. Here are the Type 11 nomenclature lines:
Type 11: March 1981 – 1982 (+/-), Small Letter Pat. Pending, TD, NonOH, LL, QR, FA, -V-, 44985
(represents ½” drive size)
Type 11: March 1981 – 1982 (+/-), Small Letter Pat. Pending, TD, NonOH, LL, QR, FA, -V-, 43784
(represents 3/8” drive size)
Type 11: March 1981 – 1982 (+/-), Small Letter Pat. Pending, TD, OH, LL, QR, FA, -V-, 43185
(represents ¼” drive size)
Notice that my ending date for all three drive sizes is “1982 (+/-)” I qualified the ending date with (+/-) because I don’t really know for sure when the Type 11 ratchets came to an end. Like I said earlier, the Type 11 and Type 12 examples are not as common as the Type 13 ratchets. I can only say that the Type 11 and Type 12 ratchets had a combined lifespan that ran between March, 1981, and approximately August, 1983. That’s a little over two years give or take. It’s for those reasons that DadsTools supports combining the Type 11 and Type 12 ratchets into one Type with two “Patent Pending” variations. While I have a lot of respect for his opinion, I decided to keep the Type 11 and Type 12 ratchets separate even though it forces me to be a little less precise when it comes to their respective timelines. It goes back to the most basic goal of creating this Type Study….. I want anyone to be able to look at their ratchet, scroll though the Type pictures, find their ratchet and determine when the ratchet was manufactured/available. When you look at the stamps on the handles of the Type 11 and Type 12 ratchets, even though they both display the same information, they look significantly different from each other. I think they’d be easier to find if kept separate.
Jim C.