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Loading...Four 12V 3/8-inch cordless ratchets - the $59.99 ProStormer, the $99.99 Earthquake XT from Harbor Freight, the $162 Milwaukee M12 starter kit and the $189 Makita - went through the same set of measurements. Each was weighed whole and then end-for-end to work out how much of its mass sits over the head, sound was read at 24 inches from the ratchet, head profiles were measured with calipers, and no-load speed was recorded top and bottom. Maximum torque came off an electronic torque adapter on a welded test rig, sustained pull was measured by counting how many turns each tool could give an engine crankshaft against 4.3 ft-lb of resistance in 30 seconds, and real-world speed by timing 28 lug nuts. Batteries were run flat, timed on the charger, then timed again running free.
Advertised numbers were close to useless. The ProStormer beat its 230 RPM claim at 319 and the Earthquake beat its 170 RPM claim at 256, while the Makita, rated at 800 RPM, measured 361. Torque claims fared no better: the Earthquake is sold on 60 ft-lb and produced 32.8. The one number that predicted anything was battery capacity - the Milwaukee kit's 4 Ah packs gave it 71 minutes of run time against 27.9 for the Earthquake, and combined with the fastest lug-nut speed that works out to roughly four times as much work per charge.
Best Overall
The $162 Pick
Purchased for: $162
Made In: China
A $162 starter kit with two 4 Ah M12 batteries and a charger, claimed at 35 ft-lb, 0-250 RPM and 1.5 lb in a 10-3/4 inch body. It measured 490 no-load RPM, close to double the claim and the highest in the test, and it also holds the lowest controllable speed at 15 RPM. The head is the most compact here at 31.12 mm front to back and 29.66 mm side to side, weight balance is a near-even 47/53, and it has a trigger lockout and a work light. It spun 28 lug nuts in 1 minute 22 seconds and ran 71 minutes 20 seconds without a load.
Highest no-load speed at 490 RPM, the lowest controllable speed at 15 RPM, the most compact head at 31.12 mm front to back, the fastest lug nuts at 2.93 seconds each, and 71 minutes 20 seconds of run time from its 4 Ah pack - roughly 1,457 lug nuts on a single charge.
Runner-up
The $189 Pick
Purchased for: $189
Made In: China
The most expensive ratchet in the test at $189, with a head that takes both 3/8-inch and 1/4-inch drives, a trigger lock, a work light with the widest spread of the four, and a body that can be worked by hand as a plain ratchet with the battery removed. It is the quietest at 80 decibels and the most evenly balanced at 50/50, tied for the most torque at 32.8 ft-lb, and turned in the most rotations under a sustained load at 104. Measured no-load speed was 361 RPM against an advertised 800, and its 2 Ah battery charges fastest at 61 minutes 29 seconds. The tool shuts itself off after a minute of continuous running.
The quietest at 80 decibels and the only perfectly balanced tool at 50/50, tied for the most torque at 32.8 ft-lb, and first under sustained load with 104 crankshaft rotations in 30 seconds. It also charges fastest, at 61 minutes 29 seconds.
Best Value
The $59.99 Pick
Purchased for: $59.99
Made In: China
The least expensive ratchet here at $59.99, and the only one that ships with a second battery plus a set of sockets. Claimed figures are a 2,000 mAh 12V pack, 1.85 lb, 30 ft-lb and 230 RPM; measured, it is the lightest tool in the test at 843 g, runs 319 no-load RPM, and puts 56% of its weight on the head end. It has the quickest trigger response of the four and produced 18.6 ft-lb of torque, with 49 minutes 40 seconds of no-load run time on a full charge. There is no trigger lockout and no work light.
A third of the price of the Makita and the lightest tool here at 843 g, with the quickest trigger response, 319 no-load RPM against a 230 RPM claim, and 49 minutes 40 seconds of run time - second only to the Milwaukee's 4 Ah kit. Torque is the trade-off at 18.6 ft-lb.
Check out these related product tests
| Name | Purchased for ($) | Link | Made In | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ProStormer | $59.99 | Search on Amazon | China | |
The least expensive ratchet here at $59.99, and the only one that ships with a second battery plus a set of sockets. Claimed figures are a 2,000 mAh 12V pack, 1.85 lb, 30 ft-lb and 230 RPM; measured, it is the lightest tool in the test at 843 g, runs 319 no-load RPM, and puts 56% of its weight on the head end. It has the quickest trigger response of the four and produced 18.6 ft-lb of torque, with 49 minutes 40 seconds of no-load run time on a full charge. There is no trigger lockout and no work light. | ||||
| Earthquake XT | $99.99 | Search on Amazon | China | |
Harbor Freight's 12V ratchet, claimed at 60 ft-lb and 0-170 RPM with a variable-speed paddle, an electronic brake and a compact head. It tied for the most measured torque in the test at 32.8 ft-lb and has by far the best brake, stopping almost instantly where the others coast. Everything else runs against it: 1,352 g makes it the heaviest by more than 250 g, 62% of that weight sits on the head, its head is the largest here at 43.28 mm front to back, and it is the loudest at 86 decibels. The 2 Ah battery takes 91 minutes 35 seconds to charge and lasts 27.9 minutes. | ||||
| Milwaukee M12 | $162.00 | Search on Amazon | China | |
A $162 starter kit with two 4 Ah M12 batteries and a charger, claimed at 35 ft-lb, 0-250 RPM and 1.5 lb in a 10-3/4 inch body. It measured 490 no-load RPM, close to double the claim and the highest in the test, and it also holds the lowest controllable speed at 15 RPM. The head is the most compact here at 31.12 mm front to back and 29.66 mm side to side, weight balance is a near-even 47/53, and it has a trigger lockout and a work light. It spun 28 lug nuts in 1 minute 22 seconds and ran 71 minutes 20 seconds without a load. | ||||
| Makita | $189.00 | Search on Amazon | China | |
The most expensive ratchet in the test at $189, with a head that takes both 3/8-inch and 1/4-inch drives, a trigger lock, a work light with the widest spread of the four, and a body that can be worked by hand as a plain ratchet with the battery removed. It is the quietest at 80 decibels and the most evenly balanced at 50/50, tied for the most torque at 32.8 ft-lb, and turned in the most rotations under a sustained load at 104. Measured no-load speed was 361 RPM against an advertised 800, and its 2 Ah battery charges fastest at 61 minutes 29 seconds. The tool shuts itself off after a minute of continuous running. | ||||
Lower is better
Every price here is for a kit with at least one battery and a charger, so the figures are directly comparable: the ProStormer adds a second battery and a socket set, the Milwaukee is the M12 starter kit with two 4 Ah packs, and the Makita includes a bag. The spread is 3.2x from top to bottom, and it does not track performance in a straight line - the $189 Makita and the $99.99 Earthquake tied for the most torque, while the $162 Milwaukee beat both on speed, run time and head size.
Foot-pounds measured on an electronic torque adapter
The Earthquake XT and the Makita tied for the lead at 32.8 ft-lb, with the Milwaukee M12 close behind at 29.9 and the ProStormer a distant fourth at 18.6. The Milwaukee's figure is the notable one, since it is geared for far higher speed and is much the smaller tool. Advertised ratings bear little relation to any of this - the Earthquake is sold on 60 ft-lb and the Makita and Milwaukee on 35.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Earthquake XT | 32.80 |
| 2 | Makita | 32.80 |
| 3 | Milwaukee M12 | 29.90 |
| 4 | ProStormer | 18.60 |
Crankshaft rotations in 30 seconds against 4.3 ft-lb of resistance
Turning an engine over against a constant 4.3 ft-lb load is a far better guide to loosening a rusted fastener than a peak torque reading, and it splits the field in two. The Makita edged the Milwaukee M12 by three rotations, 104 to 101, after starting quicker and then easing off around the 17-second mark; the Milwaukee held its pace throughout. The Earthquake XT was quick early but quit at 23 seconds and would not restart, finishing on 57, and the ProStormer was slowed heavily by the load at 38.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Makita | 104 |
| 2 | Milwaukee M12 | 101 |
| 3 | Earthquake XT | 57 |
| 4 | ProStormer | 38 |
Maximum rotations per minute with nothing on the drive
The Milwaukee M12 came out on top at 490 RPM, followed by the Makita at 361, the ProStormer at 319 and the Earthquake XT at 256. Two of the four beat what is printed on the box - the ProStormer is rated 230 RPM and the Earthquake 170 - while the Makita is advertised at 800 RPM and measured 361. The Milwaukee is rated 0-250 and effectively doubled it.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milwaukee M12 | 490 |
| 2 | Makita | 361 |
| 3 | ProStormer | 319 |
| 4 | Earthquake XT | 256 |
Lowest steady rotations per minute at part throttle
Low-speed control decides whether a ratchet can start a fastener without cross-threading it. The Milwaukee M12 holds the finest control at 15 RPM, less than half the Makita's 39, with the Earthquake XT's variable-speed paddle in between at 30 RPM. That the Milwaukee also spins fastest at 490 RPM gives it much the widest usable range of the group.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milwaukee M12 | 15 |
| 2 | Earthquake XT | 30 |
| 3 | Makita | 39 |
Seconds per lug nut, averaged over 28 lug nuts
The Milwaukee M12 spun all 28 lug nuts on in 1 minute 22 seconds, an average of 2.93 seconds each, with the Makita 5 seconds behind over the full run at 3.11 seconds per nut. The ProStormer took 1 minute 52 seconds for a flat 4 seconds each, and the Earthquake XT 2 minutes 9 seconds at 4.61 - nearly a minute slower than the Milwaukee across the set, with noticeably more vibration.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milwaukee M12 | 2.93 |
| 2 | Makita | 3.11 |
| 3 | ProStormer | 4 |
| 4 | Earthquake XT | 4.61 |
Minutes of continuous free running from a full charge
The Milwaukee M12 ran for 71 minutes 20 seconds, which its 4 Ah pack makes something of a foregone conclusion, but the ProStormer's 49 minutes 40 seconds from a 2,000 mAh battery is the surprise - roughly 19 minutes more than the Makita on the same nominal capacity. The Earthquake XT is last at 27.9 minutes, pairing the shortest run time in the test with the longest charge time. All four tools were hot after half an hour of continuous running, though not damagingly so.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milwaukee M12 | 71.33 |
| 2 | ProStormer | 49.67 |
| 3 | Makita | 30.30 |
| 4 | Earthquake XT | 27.90 |
Minutes to charge a fully drained battery
The Makita's 2 Ah pack was first back at 61 minutes 29 seconds, with the ProStormer at 74 minutes. The Milwaukee M12 sits third at 79 minutes 30 seconds, but it is filling a 4 Ah battery - twice the capacity of the other three - so that figure is the strongest performance here rather than the third best. The Earthquake XT took by far the longest at 91 minutes 35 seconds for the same 2 Ah as the Makita.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Makita | 61.48 |
| 2 | ProStormer | 74 |
| 3 | Milwaukee M12 | 79.50 |
| 4 | Earthquake XT | 91.58 |
Lug nuts installed on a single charge, from measured run time and lug-nut speed
Speed and battery life compound, and this is where they land. Assuming well-lubricated threads and perfect conditions, the Milwaukee M12 gets through around 1,457 lug nuts per charge, the ProStormer 745, the Makita 585 and the Earthquake XT 364 - a four-fold gap between first and last. The practical consequence is that the Earthquake battery goes on the charger far more often than the others, which is likely to shorten its life.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milwaukee M12 | 1457 |
| 2 | ProStormer | 745 |
| 3 | Makita | 585 |
| 4 | Earthquake XT | 364 |
Decibels measured 24 inches from the ratchet head
The Makita is the quietest of the four at 80 decibels, with the ProStormer and the Milwaukee M12 effectively tied at 81. The Earthquake XT is the outlier at 86 decibels, which on a logarithmic scale is a clearly audible step up rather than the marginal difference the numbers suggest.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Makita | 80 |
| 2 | ProStormer | 81 |
| 3 | Milwaukee M12 | 81 |
| 4 | Earthquake XT | 86 |
Grams, tool with battery fitted
The ProStormer is much the lightest at 843 g, or 1 lb 13.7 oz, against a claim of 1.85 lb. The Makita and the Milwaukee M12 are within 17 g of each other at 1,066 and 1,083 g. The Earthquake XT is the heavy one at 1,352 g, just under 3 lb, and that extra weight is felt more than the numbers imply because so much of it sits out over the head.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ProStormer | 843 |
| 2 | Makita | 1066 |
| 3 | Milwaukee M12 | 1083 |
| 4 | Earthquake XT | 1352 |
Percent of total tool weight carried on the ratchet head end - 50% is a perfectly even balance
Balance determines how much of the tool's mass has to be supported at arm's length in an engine bay. The Makita is exactly even at 50/50 and the Milwaukee M12 is almost as good at 47/53, both of them sitting comfortably in the hand. The ProStormer's 56/44 is more head-heavy, but at 843 g there is little weight to shift. The Earthquake XT is the problem case: 62% of the heaviest tool in the test is over the head, and the combination is what makes it feel so different from the other three.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milwaukee M12 | 47 |
| 2 | Makita | 50 |
| 3 | ProStormer | 56 |
| 4 | Earthquake XT | 62 |
Millimetres front to back
Head size is what decides whether a cordless ratchet reaches the fastener at all. The Milwaukee M12 has the most compact head in the test at 31.12 mm front to back and 29.66 mm side to side, with the ProStormer next at 36.91 mm. The Earthquake XT is sold on a compact head design and measured the largest of the four at 43.28 mm front to back and 40.3 mm across.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milwaukee M12 | 31.12 |
| 2 | ProStormer | 36.91 |
| 3 | Makita | 39.35 |
| 4 | Earthquake XT | 43.28 |
The Milwaukee M12 takes this comparison. It spins fastest at 490 no-load RPM against a 250 RPM rating, holds the steadiest low speed at 15 RPM, has the smallest head at 31.12 mm front to back, and put 28 lug nuts on in 1 minute 22 seconds for an average of 2.93 seconds each - the quickest in the test. Its 4 Ah starter-kit battery ran 71 minutes 20 seconds free and still charged in 79 minutes 30 seconds, and on those numbers it handles roughly 1,457 lug nuts on a charge, close to twice the ProStormer and four times the Earthquake XT. It gave up only two things: 29.9 ft-lb of torque, third in the group, and 101 rotations under sustained load, three short of the Makita.
The Makita is the close runner-up and wins on refinement. It is the quietest at 80 decibels, the only tool with a perfect 50/50 balance, tied for the most torque at 32.8 ft-lb, first under sustained load at 104 rotations, and the fastest to charge at 61 minutes 29 seconds. It also takes 1/4-inch as well as 3/8-inch drive, has the best work light of the four, and can be swung by hand as a conventional ratchet with the battery out. The catch is the 2 Ah battery: 30.3 minutes of run time and around 585 lug nuts per charge, and a measured 361 RPM against an advertised 800.
For light-duty or occasional work the $59.99 ProStormer is the value pick and does more than its price suggests - 843 g, the quickest trigger response of the four, 319 RPM against a 230 RPM claim, 49 minutes 40 seconds of run time, and a spare battery and sockets in the box - with 18.6 ft-lb of torque as the clear limit. The $99.99 Earthquake XT has the best brake in the group and tied for the most torque at 32.8 ft-lb, but the battery is where it comes apart: the longest charge at 91 minutes 35 seconds, the shortest run at 27.9 minutes, a stall at 23 seconds under sustained load, and roughly 364 lug nuts per charge, which means many more charge cycles for the same amount of work. All four handled loosening lug nuts by hand at breakaway torques of 77.4 and 77.6 ft-lb without damage, so the choice comes down to speed, reach and battery rather than durability.