Harley#356
Active member
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2010
- Messages
- 42
I'm trying to find an ultra-compact/light-weight rachet/socket set. This is one of those where best/strongest/biggest isn't the prime decision driver. I need small/compact/light. The less tools the better for this case.
I'm an engineer, and I've got a few trips into the field coming up (aka on the ship) where it's helpful to have a few basic tools, but it's 12 hour days, tight spaces, and if you set something nice down and walk away for 30 seconds it's gone forever lol, so it either needs to stay in your hand, in your pocket, or in your bag. I've got a small backpack that fits 5 bottles of water in the bottom section, and a few handtools in the top section. It quickly gets heavy fast, so the less tools the better.
I could just get a 1/4" ratchet and a sleeve with half dozen SAE 1/4" drive sockets and it'd be plenty, but I am an engineer so I do like cool gadget tools lol. But not gimmick tools that are impractical or non-ergonomic. Needs to be actually useable and useful.
Doesn't need to be super heavy-duty, it's not breaking loose big azz 3/4 bolts with a 1/2" impact torqued to 100 ft lbs. It's opening up enclosures and cabinets mostly with small hardware thats just tight enough not to crack open by hand, to chase fibers and controls wiring, etc..
I found this Kobalt one, but it's somewhat big at almost a foot long because it's those stupid xtreme access sockets. I'd love to find something like this with normal 1/4" drive sockets but more compact. I only need SAE, and like 3/16, 1/2", 9/16", 5/8" covers basically everything. If this thing were 6 or 8" long instead of a foot long it'd be perfect. Those xtreme access ones just make it the size of a 1/2" ratchet to do the job of 1/4" sockets. Too much bulk for the bang.
Something like this would be more ideal if it fit 4 or 5 1/4" drive sockets in its handle instead of a bunch of screwdriver tips
I've got a 6 way screwdriver to cover big/small phillips/flat, I don't want a 20 piece tool like above with a socket to fit a phillips bit to have something fall apart in a cabinet lol. Simple is key.
And I've got these cool quad-box 4 way gear wrenches that each wrench has 4 sizes and it's ratcheting, so I only need to carry 2 wrenches in place of 8
If I can't find anything I'll probably just get a small 1/4" drive SAE sleeve like the above one has, and an ABS ratchet from Harbor Freight. I got the 3/8" drive ABS ratchet a while back since it was marked down dirt cheap, and it's actually way stronger than you'd think a plastic ratchet would be lol, but it's feather light which fits the bill for carrying in a bag all day. Like I said the fasteners I'm working with are just holding enclosure doors shut, not holding huge stuff under high torque.
This stuff actually makes a good "emergency kit" to keep in your truck too without having to lug a 40 lb tool kit around, it'd all fit in your glove box and weigh 2 lbs lol.
Thanks for any suggestions!
I'm an engineer, and I've got a few trips into the field coming up (aka on the ship) where it's helpful to have a few basic tools, but it's 12 hour days, tight spaces, and if you set something nice down and walk away for 30 seconds it's gone forever lol, so it either needs to stay in your hand, in your pocket, or in your bag. I've got a small backpack that fits 5 bottles of water in the bottom section, and a few handtools in the top section. It quickly gets heavy fast, so the less tools the better.
I could just get a 1/4" ratchet and a sleeve with half dozen SAE 1/4" drive sockets and it'd be plenty, but I am an engineer so I do like cool gadget tools lol. But not gimmick tools that are impractical or non-ergonomic. Needs to be actually useable and useful.
Doesn't need to be super heavy-duty, it's not breaking loose big azz 3/4 bolts with a 1/2" impact torqued to 100 ft lbs. It's opening up enclosures and cabinets mostly with small hardware thats just tight enough not to crack open by hand, to chase fibers and controls wiring, etc..
I found this Kobalt one, but it's somewhat big at almost a foot long because it's those stupid xtreme access sockets. I'd love to find something like this with normal 1/4" drive sockets but more compact. I only need SAE, and like 3/16, 1/2", 9/16", 5/8" covers basically everything. If this thing were 6 or 8" long instead of a foot long it'd be perfect. Those xtreme access ones just make it the size of a 1/2" ratchet to do the job of 1/4" sockets. Too much bulk for the bang.
Something like this would be more ideal if it fit 4 or 5 1/4" drive sockets in its handle instead of a bunch of screwdriver tips
I've got a 6 way screwdriver to cover big/small phillips/flat, I don't want a 20 piece tool like above with a socket to fit a phillips bit to have something fall apart in a cabinet lol. Simple is key.
And I've got these cool quad-box 4 way gear wrenches that each wrench has 4 sizes and it's ratcheting, so I only need to carry 2 wrenches in place of 8
If I can't find anything I'll probably just get a small 1/4" drive SAE sleeve like the above one has, and an ABS ratchet from Harbor Freight. I got the 3/8" drive ABS ratchet a while back since it was marked down dirt cheap, and it's actually way stronger than you'd think a plastic ratchet would be lol, but it's feather light which fits the bill for carrying in a bag all day. Like I said the fasteners I'm working with are just holding enclosure doors shut, not holding huge stuff under high torque.
This stuff actually makes a good "emergency kit" to keep in your truck too without having to lug a 40 lb tool kit around, it'd all fit in your glove box and weigh 2 lbs lol.
Thanks for any suggestions!
haha that was too obvious for me to think of myself, I may just do that!
. Hell man . You could get std, metrics, deep 12 and 6 points. Look like Mr. T ! ( Mr. Tool)
I'm well aware my requirements and preferences are limiting my options, thats why I started a thread to see what else is out there because it's a very narrow field to choose from. Ask professionals what they are using? I am the professional for this case, right now I've got a bag that can be lighter, with tools that can be more compact, with solutions that probably exist out there but it's a niche set of requirements making the options limited. Not talking about a yacht with easy access on/off to get other tools out of a vehicle, or even more room to walk around, or places to leave stuff sitting. Not talking about a motorcycle with a compartment to hold small tools for very infrequent use. I'm talking about aircraft carriers and spending 12+ hours a day going from end to end and top to bottom around the ship, with not always an option to even be able to get on shore to grab other tools, and having to always keep everything on me or it'll disappear, and continually having to go in and out of enclosures. That all drives a very specific requirement set for minimal light weight compact tools that still are somewhat ergonomic/functional. My crazy needs aren't just out of the sky. 
