Too many sockets, part II.

[TimDaToolMan]

So I put all my 1/2 sockets on rails today.

Then I noticed something.

In the 1/2 drive, I have 7/16, 1/2, and 9/16.

I don't recall ever using those small of sockets on a big ol' 1/2 ratchet.

In fact, most bolts that small are easily moved with 3/8 ratchet. If not, I get a 1/2 breaker, and a 1/2 to 3/8 adapter.

So is there any need to have this big of socket?

 

[rusty65]

I actually use 1/2 on my 1/2 drive ratchet fairly often. I actually reach for my 1/2 set first if I see any rust at all so i think it's a good thing for a 1/2 set to cover all the basics.

 

[toolstools]

I think I even have 7/16 in 1/2 drive maybe even 3/8. I know I have 10mm.

 

[Super Sport]

Just fyi, 1/2 breakers with a reducer adapter often lead to busted knuckles. Of course, unlikely on a bolt the sizes you mentioned. It is a good idea to get a 3/8 breaker bar.

It is unlikely you will use those sockets, but you never know. I often see sizes like that as a convenience thing. If I grab my 1/2" rail and go work on something, I have some extra sizes available for bolts I may run into. This way I don't have to grab both my 1/2 and 3/8 rails and carry them to my car or whatever I am working on.

 

[Conductor562]

I tried to capitalize on the duplicate sizes by going 12 point for 1/2" and 6 point for 3/8" drive. That way I have both in just about each size except for 1-1/16, 1-1/8, and 1-1/4 in SAE and over 24mm. Worked out good actually. Fasteners that big aren't likely to round anyway.

 

[Armstrong1720]

Yes you will use it someday. On rusty bolts you better keep them. I use 9/16 in a 1/2 with a big breaker bar to adjust brakes on my semi trailer

 

[TimDaToolMan]

Another question, my current set goes up to 7/8 inch on 1/2 drive. What large should I go for cars?

 

[Conductor562]

Another question, my current set goes up to 7/8 inch on 1/2 drive. What large should I go for cars?

I'd go to at least 1-1/4 / 28mm. You may occasionally run into something over that (most likely metric), but it will be rare.

Get a set of Hanson trays and fill them up. They go up to 1" in 3/8" Drive and 1/2" Drive starts at 3/8" it's great if you're doubling up to have a 6 and 12 pt. in each size, but otherwise it's a little odd I suppose. 1/2" metric starts at 10mm and only goes to 27 but 3/8" goes all the way to 20mm and down to as little as 6mm...strange

 

[Armstrong1720]

My old dodge lug nuts are 11/8 I agree with conductor i would go up to 11/4 at least

 

[TimDaToolMan]

Looks like I'm gonna need 3 rails for 1/2

All of my 1/2 sockets I have now fit exact one one rail. Need another for deep, and another for larger sockets.

 

[billymade]

You will probably run into large sizes; they typically, are axle sockets, crank bolts, suspension mounting bolts, drive train fasteners, etc. For the bigger stuff; they sell impact rated axle deep sockets individually or kits in blow molded plastic cases... purchased at good prices from import tool places like HF. Here is a example:

http://www.harborfreight.com/7-piec...eel-drive-axle-lock-nut-socket-set-66988.html

Again, it depends on what you are working; certain import cars, full size trucks etc. require specialty sockets, so if you aren't going to work on them all the time... you could just purchase them as needed. What kind of things are you working on and how deep are you going to go? As you start doing things such as suspension work, clutch jobs, transmission swaps, drive train work etc. the bigger sockets tend to end up being needed.

 

[Armstrong1720]

Yep i bought crapsman 1/2 deep metric set and never really looked at the set. I bought them several years ago. Now when im really needing them they only go to 17 mm ! So i bought a set of williams that goes to 36 mm So study your sizes !

 

[toolstools]

What is it your planning to do with all these tools? For a dyier I don't see the need to have ever size in 1/2 deep. When i used cman sockets rails the held 3/8 - 1 1/4. The only sockets i didnt have in between was the /32 sockets and 1 3/16. Hansen trays, or at least the ones have from kobalt do 1/8-5/8 & 4-15 in 1/4 drive with the only .5 size being 4.5, 1/4-1" & 6-20(?) In 3/8, 9-27 skipping 26 & 3/8-1 1/4 skipping 1 3/16 in 1/2

 

[SlowPoke-Canada]

I'm still trying to figure out where to put my 1/2"dr 8mm deep impact socket. It looks like an orphan sitting beside my Hanson-style socket trays.

 

[Armstrong1720]

I'm still trying to figure out where to put my 1/2"dr 8mm deep impact socket. It looks like an orphan sitting beside my Hanson-style socket trays.

8mm in 1/2 ? I bet it does look like an orpan !!!!

 

[Conductor562]

Has anyone ever actually needed a 1-3/16 socket? I haven't, but surely there must be something out there that takes one.

 

[toolstools]

Same thing for 1/8. Lol or /32 in 1/2 drive. I had a 1 3/16 socket. Gave it to my brother to put in his work tool box. Don't think he's had a use for it in 6 months or so. A lot of socket sizes are really pointless. /16 or 1mm up or down isn't going to make a difference in torque or fit. Yet, theres a size for nearly every increase it seems

 

[Canadian Charlie]

You can never have enough sockets, the more the merrier

 

[Gmonkee]

Caterpilar backhoes use 1-3/16" bolts on the rear axle mounts, Case on the lugnuts of the rear wheels.

I have 1/2 sockets from 10mm / 3/8" to 1", 3/8" drive runs 1/4" to 7/8". The fullest range I was able to find shoved in the tins in the work bags. I do not need bigger than 1" in that 1/2" set.

A DIY type weekend warrior has lesser or greater needs depending on the car or truck he works on. I have what works for me on my job, and it works well.

There is no set quantity or range that would apply to all that use sockets.
I gave a small built up 1/2" set to a friend for his work truck. It has 5 sockets and a ratchet. There are two he has never used on his job in it.
Others fill 7 Hansen trays with every style and type possible and use 10% of that stuff in their lifetime. Nothing wrong in wanting it and it makes for a hell of an estate sale item.

Experience will tell you what you need to do what you do. The guys on a forum can guide you to a starting point for the younger guys out there but never a definitive answer.

 

[Conductor562]

Caterpilar backhoes use 1-3/16" bolts on the rear axle mounts, Case on the lugnuts of the rear wheels.

I have 1/2 sockets from 10mm / 3/8" to 1", 3/8" drive runs 1/4" to 7/8". The fullest range I was able to find shoved in the tins in the work bags.

A DIY type weekend warrior has lesser or greater needs depending on the car or truck he works on. I have what works for me on my job, and it works well.

There is no set quantity or range that would apply to all that use sockets.
I gave a small built up 1/2" set to a friend that for his work truck. It has 5 sockets and a ratchet. There are two he has never used on his job in it.
Others fill 7 Hansen trays with every style and type possible and use 10% of that stuff in their lifetime. Nothing wrong in wanting it and it makes for a hell of an estate sale item.

Experience will tell you what you need to do what you do. The guys on a forum can guide you to a starting point for the younger guys out there but never a definitive answer.

That's my hope. When I die I want the kids to say " Jesus H. Christ, what are we going to do with all these damn tools?"

 

[Bull]

Another question, my current set goes up to 7/8 inch on 1/2 drive. What large should I go for cars?

I need a 1-5/16 socket for the nut that holds my steering box shaft to the linkage on my GM products.

 

[Armstrong1720]

Theres a bolt on back of my kenworth thats a 2 1/4 what the hell ? Lol.

 

[plinker]

If you think you have too many, you do not have enough.

Theres a bolt on back of my kenworth thats a 2 1/4 what the hell ? Lol.

I use a 3-1/8 pretty often. 2" bolts will do that.

 

[soulstryke]

Sometimes a bolt will piss you off enough to get the bigger ratchet.....in which u usually bust it off out of spite and create more work for yourself ..... some fasteners are a real b***h ><

 

[Thunderbisciut]

I like my sets smaller with some overlap.

That being said, how about 26, 27, and 28mm? My impact sets came with 26 and 27mm which I've never used before. I did add a 30 and 32mm since I do use those. Just wondering if the others are used on anything, or if I can sell them off.

 

[Hammell]

1 3/16, (30mm). track pad bolts on various heavy equipment, and hydrolic filler cap on Cat hoes.

 

[egnorant]

I use a 1/2" drive 1/2" impact socket for removing the head bolts on my ******. Inch and a quarter does the axles and flywheel nuts for the lawnmower is 1 3/16".

As for too many sockets, I may have hit that point.
Lets talk 1/4" drive...Having just filled (with exceptions) 2 sets of Kobalt trays with Snap_On and Craftsman shallow and deep, metric and standard I could do another Snap_on shallow and 4 more Craftsman shallow AND 2 more Craftsman deep.
Other full shallow sets (still in 1/4") Thorsen, Husky, SK and most of a Williams. 2 Sets of 8 point sockets (Williams), about 1/2 a 32 ounce cup of other "Made in USA" name brand sockets...Proto, Wright, Krautner, throw in 2 Stanley sets and then we get to the Malaysia, India, Taiwan, Japan and unknown origin sockets.

Wait! I forgot about the "Benchtop" drawer that appeared that I filled with 4 sets of Craftsman and Snap-On mix 1/4" sockets..6 point and 12 point metric and standard.

I had 3 of those plastic cases that I filled with some of the better looking overseas sockets and I still have between 6 and 15 of each size left over!!!

And what is with the 13/32, 15/32 and 17/32 sockets? They fit nowhere and am not sure I have ever used them.

Add the "and a half" metrics...4.5, 5.5, 6.5 and even 7.5mm.

Handful of hex drives, 4 or 5 of those plastic case things with the cheap ratchet screwdriver in them and I still have about a 32 ounce cup of **** metrics and standard sockets.

I am about 1/2 through 1/4" deep socket sorting and fear the ones with screrwdriver bits, allen, Torx, bit holders and the ones with no markings whatsoever.

Yes, I feel I have too many sockets.

Bruce

 

[Thunderbisciut]

Yeah, I have a few 15/32 sockets in my for sale bin. Products of a time gone by. I have a real old socket set, and you should see the unusual sizes in there

 

[lowbucktruck]

I use a 1/2" drive 1/2" impact socket for removing the head bolts on my ******. Inch and a quarter does the axles and flywheel nuts for the lawnmower is 1 3/16".

As for too many sockets, I may have hit that point.

I had 3 of those plastic cases that I filled with some of the better looking overseas sockets and I still have between 6 and 15 of each size left over!!!
Handful of hex drives, 4 or 5 of those plastic case things with the cheap ratchet screwdriver in them and I still have about a 32 ounce cup of **** metrics and standard sockets.

I am about 1/2 through 1/4" deep socket sorting and fear the ones with screrwdriver bits, allen, Torx, bit holders and the ones with no markings whatsoever.

Yes, I feel I have too many sockets.

Bruce

Geez... you should take some of the orphan sockets and build up a couple of mix-match socket sets to give to friends/family! I gave some of my oddball sockets to my nephew (got him a new toolbox, so I had to fill it), and barely made a dent in my tool pile. I needed an extra 3/8-inch drive socket set for a project recently, so I filled a socket rail from my spares box. Nice to have that stash of extra sockets when needed.
Maybe we should start a socket swap thread! Get some socket trades going!

 

[egnorant]

Luckily I have a nephew that is building his tool collection. I just hope he brings his truck and not the VW.

Bruce

 

[dazcapri]

I like my sets smaller with some overlap.

That being said, how about 26, 27, and 28mm? My impact sets came with 26 and 27mm which I've never used before. I did add a 30 and 32mm since I do use those. Just wondering if the others are used on anything, or if I can sell them off.

I think Landrover wheel nuts are 27mm

 

[rick carpenter]

Here's my miserly strategy to replace my collection of **** sockets. I first bought a set of std sae/metric 3/8" 6pts (I'm at work, so maybe 5/16-7/8" and 8-18mm?) figuring that will take care of most uses. Then I bought a set of deep sae/metric 1/4" 6pts up to 1/2" and up to 12mm. I'm buying std metric 1/2" 12pts in sizes that my car needs as I need them, and I'm buying swivels and extensions as I scrounge pocket change. I'll have some overlap in sizes but not too much.

 

[sberry]

There is no set quantity or range that would apply to all that use sockets.
I gave a small built up 1/2" set to a friend for his work truck. It has 5 sockets and a ratchet. There are two he has never used on his job in it.
Others fill 7 Hansen trays with every style and type possible and use 10% of that stuff in their lifetime. Nothing wrong in wanting it and it makes for a hell of an estate sale item

This is probably pretty accurate.

 

[Haveblue]

1 3/16 (30mm) also needed for injectors on gms 6.5 liter diesel engines. Evercraft makes a cheap six point oil sender socket that size.