Metric wrench/socket sizes--UNPOPULAR

[Schurkey]

Inspired, in part by wanting to add-on to my as-yet-unshipped SK DAY Epstein's order, I'm looking to pick up some metric crowfeet in addition to the metric sets I already ordered.

SK is pretty good for including all of the sizes they manufacture in their sets. This has me wondering: Do you folks have any need for 7mm, 9mm, 11mm, or 16mm sockets or wrenches?

I don't think I ever had a need for a 7, 9, 11, or 16 mm socket or wrench in the entire time I've been dicking with cars, bikes, and sundry other broken ****. I was peeved at first, when I figured out that Honda used 12 and 14 mm sockets/wrenches, while GM preferred 13 and 15 mm sockets/wrenches.

At this point, I can't justify ordering an entire set when three or more of the sizes included will never get used.

 

[jakemac]

But .......... How will you suffer seeing an empty spot on a Hanson holder if you don't have EVERY size in your box ?

 

[boiler7904]

You know that as soon as you skip a size, you'll tear into some oddball piece of **** and need that size. Just get them all and avoid the frustration later on.

 

[GTA Matt]

Nearly everything in a gm interior is 7mm, ford and gm use a lot of 11mm and a lot of cars use 16mm or 5/8 fasteners. 9mm, not so much,

 

[rtole]

While those sizes are not real common, they are used. Seems mostly on gm. The 7 is many interior fasteners. The 11 is gm driveshaft bolts. 16 is a common dodge drain plug.

 

[SASORacing]

its usually cheaper to buy a full set, also it will drive my OCD crazy by having missing sizes.

 

[wild cowboy]

9mm almost never get used
11mm is rare to get used outside of European stuff
7mm is definitely seen on American cars
and previously dead 16mm is becoming more common on ALL cars, especially new ones! (as is 18mm)

 

[92integra]

9 and 11mm on bleeders for brakes on bmw's and 16 is the common size on euro's instead of 17... ford likes 16mm as well

 

[rtole]

I have some 9mm on my harley vrod

 

[devoncoolman]

9mm is uncommon. 7mm interior fasteners on most domestics. 11mm ford really is proud of their 11mm fasteners. 16mm drain plugs really common. My duramax has a 16mm drain plug. 18mm gm uses alot. Save your self major frustration and buy whole sets dont piece meal ur sockets. If skipping a size makes you feel warm and fuzzy them skip 9mm. Ive been turning wrenches professionally for a long a$$ time on everything from power equipment up to class 8 tractors and heavy equipment an all my 9mm wrenches and sockets look brand new.

 

[SMKS]

9mm almost never get used

Actually, it's used on a lot of rides.

 

[LB-1911]

Joe Mamma said.........

I wouldn't skip any sizes. You might feel bad paying for all of them now. But you'll be really angry if you need one later and don't have it.

Joe Mamma

Least used metric wrench sizes
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1748794#post1748794

 

[Beerman]

I've worked on (mostly) Honda and Nissan and I've used just about every metric size from 7 thru 19 EXCEPT 16mm.

This thread comes up here from time-to-time and by all accounts, 16mm is common in European vehicles. FWIW.


Beerman

 

[Gmonkee]

Over time I've used them all. I prefer full range up to 19mm just because of past needs. After that I let them get spotty.

 

[CJM8515]

Ive never found a use for 20mm, everything else Ive used at least once.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

SK, ProTo. Wright, Snap-On and other tool companies; in all their wisdom; would not manufacture tools that nobody needs... Maybe a certain size will remain unused in your toolbox; but as others have experienced; There is a need for them all... There isn't a person on this forum who has worked on every piece of equipment that was ever built; so individual tool needs will vary.

 

[plinker]

7mm is pretty common, 11mm I use often enough. My 1/4 set stops at 15mm, but I have used 16mm on various things. Quite common anymore, along with 18mm.

20mm get's used once in a while GM filters and Mack used it on an injector somewhere (one of the guys at work need a 20mm wrench).

9mm I have only used once on a Dodge brake line fitting.

 

[AndrewV]

As most said above.
And quite a few vehicles have 16mm/(5/8) drain plugs. Oil/trans.

 

[wvrailroader]

Almost every damned fastener in a Ford Expedition dash is a 7mm. After spending a whole day changing a heater core in one, I know that for a fact.

 

[ephotrod]

A 7mm wrench is used on a yj clutch slave cylinder bleeder. A 16mm is used frequently on newer GM bellhousing bolts.

 

[dnschmidt]

I would like to point out that what you think is an 11mm bolt is actually a 7/16". For many years GM used both metric and SAE interchangeably on their cars. I have a 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix that has a bunch of metric and an bunch of SAE fasteners. The 3800 (one of the best engines ever made that should still be in production) uses many SAE fasteners. Upper and lower intake manifolds as an example. Just because an 8mm will fit doesn't mean it really is an 8mm fastener. Very likely on an American car from the 1990's it's a legacy 5/16". The same is true for the water pump bolts. I'm pretty sure these are 3/8"

 

[autoxvaliant]

7mm is pretty common, 11mm I use often enough. My 1/4 set stops at 15mm, but I have used 16mm on various things. Quite common anymore, along with 18mm.

20mm get's used once in a while GM filters and Mack used it on an injector somewhere (one of the guys at work need a 20mm wrench).

9mm I have only used once on a Dodge brake line fitting.

On the E7 think the EUP fuel line to nozzle was 20mm at the head. The newer replacement line is 19mm though

 

[nanofrog]

What about some of the larger metrics, say 23mm and larger that would be missing in some sets?

 

[Conductor562]

I don't know if I've ever used a 9mm. I used an 11mm today for the nut on an Autocraft brand universal battery terminal. They're usually 10mm, but this one was 11.

 

[John in OH]

IIRC, my old VW had quite a few 11mm fasteners.

 

[Schurkey]

Wow...I didn't expect this many replies this quickly! Impressive.

But .......... How will you suffer seeing an empty spot on a Hanson holder if you don't have EVERY size in your box ?

That's easy. I won't own a Hansen socket holder. I really liked the plastic rail/peg socket organizer system I got from Mac years ago; and which was hatefully revamped into a plastic rail/clip system sold by Snap-On. The clips hold onto the socket better than they hold onto the rail. My old and wonderful Mac peg system has "Protoco" molded into the side; I've looked all over to find more--including the on-line Proto catalog--and have been unsuccessful.

You know that as soon as you skip a size, you'll tear into some oddball piece of **** and need that size. Just get them all and avoid the frustration later on.

Naw...after close to forty years of wrenching (some of that professionally), I can't remember ever using the 11mm wrench I got as part of a set...and never needing a 9mm...and I do remember twenty-five years ago that a Ford had a damned 16mm something-or-other and that a 5/8 worked well enough...No, I don't need to be burdened with buying more of those low- or no-use items.

Nearly everything in a gm interior is 7mm, ford and gm use a lot of 11mm and a lot of cars use 16mm or 5/8 fasteners. 9mm, not so much,

I have a 7mm 1/4 drive socket; along with a 7mm wrench from an ancient Craftsman set. Now that you've mentioned it, I do remember using the 7mm socket on my truck dashboard.

its usually cheaper to buy a full set, also it will drive my OCD crazy by having missing sizes.

If I buy SK, I'm $30 cheaper on the flare-nut crowfeet by omitting the three oddballs; and I can also omit the 18mm as I have it--I needed it for GM power steering hoses. That 18 is the only metric crowfoot I own.

Least used metric wrench sizes
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1748794#post1748794

Thanks for that. Sorry to have started a new, duplicate thread.

 

[purplezr2]

I don't know if I've ever used a 9mm. I used an 11mm today for the nut on an Autocraft brand universal battery terminal. They're usually 10mm, but this one was 11.

Sure it wasn't 7/16 I would expect them to be sae.


16th is common on VAG products. They use 9mm a few places. I belive they use 7 mm hose clamps too.

 

[toolslut6.0]

[QUOTE =Beerman;4321736]I've worked on (mostly) Honda and Nissan and I've used just about every metric size from 7 thru 19 EXCEPT 16mm.

This thread comes up here from time-to-time and by all accounts, 16mm is common in European vehicles. FWIW.


Beerman[/QUOTE]

Common on caterpillar equipment. And A lot of equipmet

 

[KDonkey]

Do you folks have any need for 7mm, 9mm, 11mm, or 16mm sockets or wrenches?

I don't think I ever had a need for a 7, 9, 11, or 16 mm socket or wrench in the entire time I've been dicking with cars, bikes, and sundry other broken ****. I was peeved at first, when I figured out that Honda used 12 and 14 mm sockets/wrenches, while GM preferred 13 and 15 mm sockets/wrenches.

At this point, I can't justify ordering an entire set when three or more of the sizes included will never get used.

I have some BMW's and a Volvo and the popular screw heads go 8-10-13-16-18

I have a Toyota too and the popular screw heads go 8-10-12-14-17

I think the difference is DIN vs. JIS specifications, with Japan favoring the smaller screw head

Also have to keep 21-22-24-27-30-32-36, and I used a 41 on the Volvo this year

I have marks on my 7, 9, 11 wrenches but I can't tell you what I've used them on.

I am VERY HAPPY that my SK sets didn't skip sizes. I have the long combo wrenches 6-24mm, the stubby combo wrench set, 1/2 impact sockets up to 36mm, and all the G-pro XXL spline ratcheting wrenches.

 

[dawg69]

I can say I use 7mm quite a bit especially on interior fasteners. In fact I had to find a couple of replacement 7mm SO sockets recently for some that I had lost since I needed them often enough.

As for 9mm, I can't think of a time I've ever used one. It's funny this came up as I was recently going through a set of Craftsman combo wrenches I had and found it odd that it had a 9mm but no 11 or 12.

I can recall many instances of using both 11 and 16, but the fasteners could have very well been 7/16 and 5/8.

 

[ricepudding]

Arctic cat likes 9mm on their snowmobile electrical parts, along with their plastics tie downs. Kawasaki likes 11mm on their bikes.

 

[Boiler]

While truck brands sets offer little to no price break, craftsman and SK usually offer a solid break to get the whole set. If you're buying SK, it's almost a no brainer.

 

[Conductor562]

Sure it wasn't 7/16 I would expect them to be sae.

It very well could have been, I only had a metric set with me, and 11mm fit like a glove.

 

[nicksnothereman]

Inspired, in part by wanting to add-on to my as-yet-unshipped SK DAY Epstein's order, I'm looking to pick up some metric crowfeet in addition to the metric sets I already ordered.

SK is pretty good for including all of the sizes they manufacture in their sets. This has me wondering: Do you folks have any need for 7mm, 9mm, 11mm, or 16mm sockets or wrenches?

I don't think I ever had a need for a 7, 9, 11, or 16 mm socket or wrench in the entire time I've been dicking with cars, bikes, and sundry other broken ****. I was peeved at first, when I figured out that Honda used 12 and 14 mm sockets/wrenches, while GM preferred 13 and 15 mm sockets/wrenches.

At this point, I can't justify ordering an entire set when three or more of the sizes included will never get used.

In crowfoot? Hahahahahaha no. Sockets? Always something stupid comes up with me...usually not car related though and can't say I keep track. I'm sure I have at least the 9 11 and 16 in some form of socket. Wrench...probably the same I might have the 7 in some form of wrench.

 

[wild cowboy]

the only place I have needed 20mm stuff is on GM air conditioning (such as Chevy trucks), and it gets used there a lot!

 

[crazytrain]

I use 7 MM all the time a lot of worm clamps are 7 MM. I even bought a 7 MM ratcheting wrench for them in tight spots where a socket won't fit. I rarely use 9 MM or 11 MM but I have them because you never know when you will need them. It really ***** to get into a job and not have the right tool to continue.

 

[Ruger_556]

I've used every metric size I have up to 32 mm...

edit: I have a 33 mm for lug nuts

 

[Adam.C]

OP
Recommend you read the thread in my signature line on socket sizes.

 

[wild cowboy]

OP
Recommend you read the thread in my signature line on socket sizes.

Yes! - Adam.C's Changing Socket Sizes post is the definitive work on the whole subject of what socket sizes are used then, now and in the future, and why!

 

[Schurkey]

OP
Recommend you read the thread in my signature line on socket sizes.

Read, appreciated, and added-to. Thanks.