Socket size number etching alignment all over the place

[YesIHaveAHammer]

Just got these Beta 910As. Apparently it's normal that the numbers are not in alignment with any side of the drive hole, so when stored on a rail the numbers face all over the place rather than all perpendicularly outwards.

Won't be much of an inconvenience but now I've noticed it I think it's going to annoy me every time I look at them.

Also more of an opinion but I think they're upside down too.

What have you got, and do they align?

 

[Wrench97]

Can't see the side in my socket drawer I just look at the top to see the size.

 

[Steve_P]

That's normal as they're rolled on. The only sockets I have with sizes aligned with the drive flats are the ones with laser etching.

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

According to Beta they are laser etched.

 

[ecotec]

If you put them onto a Hansen tray, they numbers will be right side up.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

Turn the 8mm and 17mm 90 degrees on the holder.

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

This photo, with the numbers all aligned, gives a better impression:

 

[Leon bee]

I guess I just got used to where can't ever see the number on any of my metric sockets anyway.

 

[Samuel D]

Don’t think I have any sockets with size markings aligned with one side of the drive square.

As Leaflessshadetree suggests, turn each socket so that the most important piece of info is visible – so with the 17 mm, for example, you need to see the 7, not the 1, because you will never mistake a 17 mm socket for a 27 mm or 7 mm. Though now that I look more closely at your photo, maybe you can already see the 7 clearly. You can certainly see the 8 of the 8 mm socket, since it’s at the end.

 

[Retired dozer fixer]

What does it matter? Did buy these sockets to look at or to use? Seems nobody does a decent job of marking sizes anymore. That’s why they make those trays with the pegs with the sizes marked on them

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

As Leaflessshadetree suggests, turn each socket so that the most important piece of info is visible – so with the 17 mm, for example, you need to see the 7, not the 1, because you will never mistake a 17 mm socket for a 27 mm or 7 mm. Though now that I look more closely at your photo, maybe you can already see the 7 clearly. You can certainly see the 8 of the 8 mm socket, since it’s at the end.

Yep I've got them as best possible already, and it's fairly obvious by eyeballing anyway and checking what sizes are either side.

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

What does it matter? Did buy these sockets to look at or to use? Seems nobody does a decent job of marking sizes anymore. That’s why they make those trays with the pegs with the sizes marked on them

Why should it not be better? Why should is be ok for anybody to not do a decent job of marking sizes?

Whatever it is, socket markings or else, I'm a believer in making at least a cursory effort to make things straight, aligned, consistent. When I look at these sockets, I see someone who didn't think, or didn't care, or decided it wasn't worth the effort because customers wouldn't care.

I am keeping them, to be clear. To be used of course.

 

[bwringer]

I have a Capri set of 3/8" impact sockets where the markings are aligned. So on the socket rail they look nice (you know, in case Martha Stewart drops by the garage for inspection) and I can see what I'm grabbing before I start grabbing.

So yeah, I agree alignment is a very nice thing to have, and I wish more manufacturers paid attention to this.

On my chrome sockets it matters less because I can pretty much grab the correct socket without looking, and since I use them so much more I know immediately if I grab the wrong one.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

Why should it not be better? Why should is be ok for anybody to not do a decent job of marking sizes?

Whatever it is, socket markings or else, I'm a believer in making at least a cursory effort to make things straight, aligned, consistent. When I look at these sockets, I see someone who didn't think, or didn't care, or decided it wasn't worth the effort because customers wouldn't care.

I am keeping them, to be clear. To be used of course.

Most of us wouldn't be willing to pay the extra manufacturing cost.
The manufacturers would be willing to charge more, but probably wouldn't use the extra to support actually doing it.
It's been a long time since I saw a socket stamped deep and large enough to read anyway.

 

[Leon bee]

Yes, my whole life squinting at sockets any time I need an uncommon size. Or most any damn metric. My normal sockets, and even my Whitworth, you get to where you can just look at em and tell. Unless it's a long walk to the toolbox, then I might grab a wrong one.

 

[Squankum]

Just got these Beta 910As. Apparently it's normal that the numbers are not in alignment with any side of the drive hole, so when stored on a rail the numbers face all over the place rather than all perpendicularly outwards.

Won't be much of an inconvenience but now I've noticed it I think it's going to annoy me every time I look at them.

Also more of an opinion but I think they're upside down too.

What have you got, and do they align?

This is interesting -- never crossed my mind! My first thought is, "I bet the Japanese couldn't conceive of doing that." I've got my first set of Japanese sockets arriving tomorrow, so we'll see.

 

[Samuel D]

My first thought is, "I bet the Japanese couldn't conceive of doing that." I've got my first set of Japanese sockets arriving tomorrow, so we'll see.

I hope they’re not Ko-ken. The size markings on my Ko-ken sockets, regular and Z-series, are not aligned to anything. I’ve even got sockets in a set with a mix of stamped and laser-engraved size markings (the stamped sizes are much easier to see).

 

[Squankum]

Okay, got my Koken set. I'm just happy they're all visible. It's a fluke I'm even keeping them on a rail. Normally my sockets live on "Hansen" type peg racks and the sockets markings don't mean much for retrieval.

 

[Samuel D]

Is that exactly how they came on the rail, Squankum?

Each time I’ve got a rail of Ko-ken sockets (so only twice), they were optimally rotated on the rail for the sizes to be visible from one side. Like yours in the photo.

Which I found interesting, given Ko-ken’s lack of attention to aligning the size stampings to the square hole (the topic of this thread).

 

[Leon bee]

I have a set of 3/8" drive Koken Whitworth/ British Standard sockets, they are superb tools. I have to say that in all the years I've been using them, never once has it occurred to me to ponder where and how the size stampings are.

 

[liliysdad]

I have to say that in all the years I've been using them, never once has it occurred to me to ponder where and how the size stampings are.

It is an odd thing to worry about, isn’t it?

 

[Madjik Man]

This photo, with the numbers all aligned, gives a better impression:

All my Kokens are like that too.

 

[finn]

What does it matter? Did buy these sockets to look at or to use? Seems nobody does a decent job of marking sizes anymore. That’s why they make those trays with the pegs with the sizes marked on them

This.

My trays have the size molded in and painted white. I think they’re either Gearwrench or maybe even Husk.

I wouldn’t even think of aligning isockets in a tray.

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

It is an odd thing to worry about, isn’t it?

Nobody's worried, just noticing and thinking. It's ok for some of us to and others not.

Next to a rail of impact sockets with all the sizes painted in bold white and aligned, the difference stands out enough to be noticed. I'm not really going to be annoyed every time I look at them - that was said in jest.

I appreciate details on any manufactured product, the thought and effort that goes into things, and what reasons there may be (e.g. functional, manufacturing) for things to be the way they are.

 

[Mr_B]

It would be an easy improvement for manufacture to align markings to a drive square flat .
For sure little more effort but seems they like bleeping on about all features they add to a socket it be good if they covered some simple basics .
For the price BETA charges for Taiwan sockets they should be able to improve marking alignment with no retail cost increase ...
Did expect Japan Koken be spot on with this as very much a Japan type fastidious detail .
I used rails and only used rails for over 30 years and often wondered why no main manufacturer/brand picked this details as part of marking improvement, (bigger/bolder marking and aligned better .

 

[Samuel D]

Do new brands with modern marketing and Taiwanese manufacturing, such as ICON or Tekton, align the size markings to the square?