Is it normal for a brand new ratchet to feel gritty when you switch direction?

That gritty feel in the switch is almost always leftover machining debris or lapping compound from the factory. They grind those internals with an abrasive paste and even after cleaning at the plant, a little grit stays behind and works its way into the selector. It's really common on new ratchets, not just the expensive ones. Mine did the same thing for the first few weeks and now it flips like new. What I'd do is put a drop of light oil on the lever, flip it back and forth a bunch of times, then wipe off what comes out. Repeat a few times over a week or two. You can also flush it with a spray of contact cleaner or brake cleaner to wash the grit out, but then re-oil it right after beacuse you'll strip the grease out of the head too. Do not go blasting it while the head is pointed at your face, and keep the cleaner off your skin since it dries everything out.

Don't take the head apart yourself. Those heads are pressed and pinned in a way that's easy to mess up, and honestly you don't need to. The truck guy will handle any warranty issue for free, and a gritty selector on a brand new tool absolutely counts. Even if it smooths out on its own, mention it next time he stops by. Snap-On also has that lifetime warranty on hand tools, so you're covered either way. One thing worth knowing: the 80-tooth mechanism needs less swing arc to engage, so it'll feel diferent from your old coarse-tooth ratchet anyway. Slightly lighter pawl engagement is normal, but gritty is not. Gritty means debris, smooth but light means you're just feeling the finer gear.

So no, you're not overthinking it, but it's not a defect either. A little oil, some working of the lever, and if it doesn't clean up in a couple weeks, let the dealer sort it. That's what the price actually buys you, the guy in the truck making it right.

Been wrenching since beforethese modern sealed heads were a thing. My old boss made us tear down every new ratchet on the bench the first week, punch out the retainer, wash the guts in solvent, then pack it with grease by hand. Learned more about how they work doing that than any catalog ever taught me. Wouldn't suggest it on a modern one though, they ain't built to come apart the same way and the dealer takes care of it now anyway.

That oil trick the other feller described is the same thing we did in the field when a teardown wasn't practical. Flip the lever a few dozen times, wipe, repeat. One thing to watch: if it smooths out but starts clicking loose under load down the road, that's a warranty item, not an oiling item. Save your receipt even though you prolly don't need it.

Mine did the same thing years ago and I just ignored it, honestly. Few drops of oil, flipped the lever a bunch while watching TV, wiped it down, and forgot about it. Still smooth as anything five years later and it's never been back apart. These things get used hard and they just keep going. Also congrats on the purchase, that's a tool you'll have for life. What size did you go with? The little ones are so handy for tight spots, I ended up buying a second one not long after the first.

Update: tried the few drops of oil and flipping the lever a bunch like the third reply said, and it does shift smoother now. But there's still a faint gritty catch in the switch when I go slow. So I'm leaning toward pulling the head apart like the old-timer described. Does popping the retainer actually void the warranty with these, or is the lifetime coverage still good after a teardown?