Choosing yours
More than any various other tool, a ratchet will last you an eternity. Quality ratchets could be serviced inexpensively and so should never degrade. Sockets happen to be interchangeable because they’re all standard. Choose the ideal ratchet you are 
able, even if you get inexpensive sockets to start with.
Socket release
Sockets will be held onto the ratchet utilizing a bit of spring-loaded ball privately of the Ratchets Wheel square drive. After applying a whole lot of force, I’ve quite often found sockets get stuck on the travel and the only path to get them off is usually to hammer the ratchet on the floor or even grasp it in a vice. Top quality ratchets add a button on the trunk which easily pushes off the socket if you are ready to release it.
1/4 in . – Used for smaller sockets and precision work. Useful for dismantling individual parts on the bench.
3/8 inch – The middle sized, and in my opinion, most useful size for basic use on an automobile. A 3/8″ drive can drive sockets of all sizes. It is big enough to apply quite a lot of force, but not really too big to fit into tight spaces
1/2 inches – 1/2″ sockets are usually utilized for nuts and bolts from around 10mm and up. A 1/2″ travel socket can apply enough push to undo all nuts on a car.
There are also 3/4″ and 1″ ratchets but these are being used on trucks, tanks and commercial machinery.
Tooth count
Inside a ratchet there exists a toothed wheel which lets it freely rotate as you tighten the nut. Each click you hear can be a tooth moving the ratchet. The more teeth there are, the significantly less movement is necessary on the returning stroke. A ratchet with 75 teeth will work considerably faster than a 32-tooth ratchet. Making excessive tooth-counts requires quality engineering and production, so as a general guide the better top quality tools will have an increased tooth count.
Drive sizes
socket-drive-sizes
All ratchets accept sockets by using a square travel and mostly there are 3 sizes of drive. Everywhere in the universe these sizes are given in inches – even when the sockets are metric.