"I want my maintenance to go more smoothly." "Bolts tucked away deep inside drive me mad..."
When you do your own motorcycle maintenance, one thing you can't avoid is frustration with your tools. Especially for jobs in the cramped, hard-to-see places typical of motorcycles, such as around the engine or inside the cowling, the tool you use makes a big difference to how efficiently you work.
So this time I'm introducing the TONE swivel ratchet handle RH3VHW.
Here are the two reasons I like this ratchet so much.
Two reasons I recommend the TONE RH3VHW
These are the two features I find so useful:
- Push-release: sockets come on and off reliably, even with oily hands
- Swivel head: reaches into tight spots and lets you spin bolts quickly
Let's look at how these help in real work.
No more stuck sockets: one-push socket release for smoother work
When you work on a bike, your hands get slippery with oil and grease. I think many of you have had a socket you wanted to change that just wouldn't come off because your fingers kept slipping. Yanking it and banging your hand on a part is a painful, all-too-common DIY mistake.
With the RH3VHW's push-release mechanism, this frustration is much reduced.
- [Benefit 1] Sockets come off instantly, even with oily hands Just press the button on the head and the socket comes off. No extra force needed.
- [Benefit 2] Sockets don't get left behind The socket stays locked unless you press the button, so it is much less likely to be left stuck on a bolt deep in a tight spot.
"It comes off only when you want it to, and stays on when you don't." That peace of mind keeps your work flowing.
Press the push button on the head to release the socket.
This photo is staged, but the socket does come off when you press the button.
The photo above shows the button not pressed. A steel ball sticks out of the square drive and holds the socket.
When you press the button, the steel ball retracts and a round pin pushes out to eject the socket. That is how the socket comes off.
Two jobs in one? The swivel head lets you both spin bolts quickly and tighten them
The other big feature is the swivel head, which rotates through 180 degrees. It helps in the tangled spaces typical of motorcycles.
Its biggest feature is that you can use the ratchet like a screwdriver.
- Fast spinning: once a bolt is loose, stand the head upright and turn the handle, and you can spin the bolt out as quickly as with a screwdriver. No need to keep swinging the ratchet back and forth, so the job goes faster.
- Easier to reach tight gaps: even where the frame or cables are in the way, changing the head angle makes it easier to reach the bolt.
- One tool does it all: from spinning a bolt quickly to final tightening with the head laid flat, you don't need to change tools.
The speed of a screwdriver and the torque of a ratchet in one tool. This versatility is why the RH3VHW is the ratchet I reach for most in my toolbox.
The photo above shows it used as a normal ratchet. Turning the LOCK/FREE dial on the right of the head fixes the head angle.
This is the head position for using it like a screwdriver.
I find this feature very handy, and it is the tool I like to use.
Summary: the RH3VHW for better maintenance
I feel that just changing your tools makes working on your bike easier and more reliable.
- Safety (sockets don't fall off)
- Speed (fast spinning with the swivel head)
The TONE RH3VHW gives you both. I can recommend it whether you are just getting serious about DIY or are unhappy with your current ratchet.
Bonus: a feature I don't use much
The RH3VHW has a hexagon on the handle so you can apply high torque.
As in the photo above, you can use a 12 mm spanner (wrench) on it to apply high torque while using it like a screwdriver.
I also used this ratchet when stripping a spare starter motor for my XR250 BAJA: