Working in confined areas is easier with evolution of cordless tools. Pulling behind a cabinet or under a dashboard is no longer a struggle for juice. The ratchet, however, still clings to the wall.
It’s a familiar problem for both professional and DIYers. When will we see a cordless ratchet from DeWalt? That’s important, because cordless tools provide freedom.
No more looking for a wall outlet. But ratchets is precise machine as well. High torque.
Fast turns. And the tool itself has to stands up to heavy use without snapping socket or stripping teeth. That’s no easy balance of power and portability.
It is not just about slapping a battery in handle. Mechanics depend on feel and function every day, and DeWalt have to get it right. First, DeWalt is already dominant on the cordless front.
Why DeWalt Cordless Ratchet Remains Elusive
The Need for a Cordless Ratchet
Drills and impact drivers fills shop/garage shelves. In fact, their drill are staples in garages everywhere. A ratchet was always missing piece given the demands in the market.
Some folks really like the brute force of corded ratchets for those big job. And others want more speed out of their cordless. DeWalt pays attention to this stuff.
I can’t imagine them releasing something that doesn’t fly off the shelves, if they didn’t see an opportunity here, they wouldn’t release it. Maybe they were just waiting on the technology. We’ve had some whispers in this direction before.
Some smaller brand have attempted cordless ratchets with mixed result. Early versions didn’t always has gears that engaged smoothy. There was something about the feel of the ratchet as it click into place.
You know you’re right there, you know how hard you’re squeezing. That’s not something an electric motor do well. So they’re taking their time with it.
And with a company like DeWalt, it’s all about getting it right rather than getting it out there fast. Flopping the ball would tarnish their image. This is long play for them.
When it works, it’s because they waited. The battery technology is also advancing at a brisk pace. Today’s lithium ion batteries has significantly higher output while being much smaller in size.
Engineering Challenges and Heat Management
That means they can be design for even tighter spaces like an engine bay. But it isn’t all about size. One of the main drawbacks are heat.
Continuous use on a motor produces waste energy and heat. Excess heat shuts down tools or causes damage to inner workings. A ratchet may run for hours when used on assembly job.
There are definitely some engineering challenges here. Before DeWalt puts out a viable tool it needs to overcome them. However, there are ways to get around this today.
Workarounds and Current Alternatives
There’s a socket adapter you can buy that goes on your cordless drill and acts like a ratchet. It is not ideal. But if you’re in a bind it’ll do the trick.
For plenty of people it will be good enough. And that makes the urgency for a dedicated tool lower. That doesn’t mean though, we won’t miss having one.
Having something made just for task at hand does have its conveniences. Your hand fits around a dedicated ratchet more comfortabley. It can rotate more quicker.
Market Expectations and Future Release
Something tells me the market is about to be disrupted. Change is coming. Maybe not tomorrow though.
A Cordless Ratchet from Dewalt? Well, probably. The shift toward complete cordless systems has been happening, and it’s no longer something that can be ignored.
Their customer want it. And their competition could get there more faster than them. The only question is when, not if.
In the meantime, do you make do or do you think your system now works well enough? If all you’re doing is tightening a few lug nuts once in a while, maybe you don’t really care when they arrive. However, if you build engine every day, you’ll feel the pain until they finally release one.
Watch for new product announcements. You may see the yellow box with a battery sooner then you realize. You should of looked for it.
It might be availible soon.