How Customer Input Sparked the Creation of Wright Tool’s Railroad Ratchet

Great product ideas often come from the people who use tools every day. The Wright railroad ratchet is one of those examples, a tool born directly from a customer’s challenge and refined through engineering expertise.

Started with a Customer Problem

Years ago, a railroad company brought forward a safety concern. Their crews were routinely using cheater bars on standard-size ratchets to generate enough torque for railroad fasteners, a practice their safety team flagged as unsafe and non-compliant. They needed a ratchet with significantly more leverage and built as one continuous piece.

Wright took on the challenge of designing a railroad ratchet to meet their customers’ needs.

Developing a Longer, Stronger Solution

Since the head design already had exceptional strength, the team forged the ratchet head onto a much longer bar to create what would become one of the longest one-piece ratchets Wright has ever produced. Today’s railroad ratchet measures approximately 42 inches, nearly double the length of Wright’s standard large-drive ratchets.

Though the concept was straightforward, forging and handling a nearly four-foot bar required careful consideration for both production processes and operator safety. Because the design was an extension of an existing product, Wright could prototype and test it in a much shorter timeframe than a completely new tool.

Tested to Exceed Expectations

Before going into the field, the extended ratchet went through Wright’s full quality and torque-testing process. It needed to be safe, consistent and strong enough for demanding railroad applications.

During testing, the team uncovered something interesting: Wright’s 3/4" and 1" drive ratchets are stronger than the equivalent breaker bars in those sizes, which is uncommon in the industry.

This gives customers confidence that the longer handle ratchet could safely handle the torque loads previously achieved only through cheater bars.

The ratchets were then tested to ensure long-term reliability and to meet and often exceeded ASME torque standards by more than double.

Designed for the Rail Industry, Used Everywhere

Although the railroad ratchet originated from a railroad customer request, its usefulness quickly expanded into broader industrial applications where additional leverage is critical.

Alongside the ratchet itself, Wright also produces a range of sockets used throughout the railroad industry.

One-Piece Construction: A Key Advantage

A major differentiator for Wright’s railroad ratchet is not just the 42-inch length but the one-piece design. Many competitor models are two-piece systems, which can introduce safety risks or potential failure points, especially under high torque.

Wright’s continuous, one-piece forged ratchets offer:

• Greater strength
• Better durability
• Safer operation in demanding environments

A Reflection of Wright’s Approach to Custom Solutions

The railroad ratchet is a strong example of Wright’s responsiveness and American-made craftsmanship. Because Wright designs, forges and assembles its tools under one roof in Barberton, Ohio, Wright can move quickly from evaluating customer requests to prototyping and delivering field-ready solutions.

This combination of hands-on customer collaboration, in-house manufacturing and Made-in-USA quality allows Wright to listen and deliver specialized, high-performance tools that keep critical industries moving.