Spent 2 hours on a starter swap yesterday and now I get the hype around those compact Milwaukee ratchets

I've been using a regular ratchet and breaker bar for like 8 years on everything. Buddy let me borrow his Milwaukee M12 stubby impact last week for a starter on a 2014 F-150. Got the top bolt out in 15 seconds flat where I usually spend 10 minutes cursing. Ordered my own that night after seeing the difference. Has anyone else had one tool completely change how you approach a job?

2 comments

2 Comments

zara_allen11h ago

Got a 3/8 M12 Fuel ratchet last year and now I basically refuse to use a manual ratchet unless I absolutely have to. Made the mistake of telling my dad about it and he borrowed it for a week, now I'm buying him his own for Christmas. The real kicker is how stupid I feel for fighting with breaker bars for 15 years when this thing exists. My only regret is not buying one sooner and having to listen to my old man brag about how fast he did his brake job.

leebrown10h ago

15 years with a breaker bar? Man, that stings. I did ten before I got smart, and I still feel like an idiot every time I think about it. Now I'll loan someone my actual truck before I'll let them borrow my M12 ratchet. Your dad is never going to give you a break about the brake job, that's just how it works with dads and tools.