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Pipe plug / 4 point sockets

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md21722

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I am looking for a Made in U.S.A. set of pipe plug / 4 point sockets up to 5/8" for both male and female pipe plugs. Does anyone have any links that I can look up? I'm tried looking at Wright, Williams, and Proto catalogs and didn't see what I was looking for. Maybe I'm calling it by the wrong thing. I would prefer impact especially for the larger sizes. I know Snap On and SK make these in chrome at least up to smaller sizes. The impact ones from GP/Sunex/Matco are all Made in Taiwan as far as I know. For example, I have a 5/8" female pipe plug on an air tank that I would like to remove. Thanks.
 
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four.cycle

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not a clue where you'd find four-points anymore, unless you really dig through some "vintage" ads... but I have NOT seen any on Ebay lately... four-points go way back - 1930s and 1940s.

best options I can think of at the moment:

Wards 7-piece "Powr-Kraft" 1/2" drive 8-point SAE socket set
3/8" - 3/4"
$40 + $6 shipping OBO - "buy now" deal
http://www.ebay.com/itm/181985741035?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

* my best guess would be those "Powr-Kraft" sockets were manufactured by Thorsen. *

==

Craftsman 10-piece 3/8" and 1/2" drive 8-point socket set
sockets only.
all =V=
matched set. nice shape.
$20 + $6.20 shipping right now. 1 bids now. auction ends Monday 01/11
http://www.ebay.com/itm/111866456489?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
 
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chrisnazzy

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No experience with this style socket but lots with Sunex. I also value USA tools but that Sunex 2841 set would be a very nice option. Sunex is made of Cr-Mo instead of the cheaper Cr-V and the quality is outstanding. I have 3/8 and 1/2 master impact sets from Sunex and I'm sure a ton of GJ members will concur, Sunex is hard to beat in value and quality.....also lifetime warranty. Hope this helps.
 
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four.cycle

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OH! sorry.. I didn't know you meant square MALE sockets! sorry!

not a clue!

I can say that I've seen many positive reviews here on "Sunex" (and I've only been here a couple months.)
 
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Buckgnarly

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Old Matco is US, I picked up a set of male impacts on EBay a while back.
 
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Mohawk Dave

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I have the Snap on ones. Male and female.

But if I started over, Sunex would be the one I'd go with.

I sure as hell wouldn't spend SK prices when you could get snappy on ebay for the same. (But I don't like SK, so I'm super biased)

EDIT: ****, I guess the Snappys only go to 3/8. In that case, I will be buying the larger Sunex set to supplement.
 
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SantaAna12

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I have a couple Protos that I used for removing lags. Zoros and a coupon might work.
 
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454ragtop

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For a 1 shot deal on a 5/8 plug, might get away with a couple of small pieces of 1/8" steel and a 1/2" ratchet or breaker bar.
HTH, Jim
 
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shanny19

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For a one shot deal on a 5/8 recess you could also find an old 1/2 drive to 5/8 drive adapter.
 
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carcajou

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Proto 8 point sockets are available from Blackrock tools at a very good price. I ordered the ones i was missing from them last month.
 
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rhandwor

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For 7/16,1/2 and 5/8 I would look for a used wright 10 point sockets. Real close to a four point. I've probably put close to 100 foot pound on a 7/16 steel drain plug. I use 1/2 drive 8 point sockets but have a couple wright 10 point sockets. Made to fit a six point nut or 4 point nut. They used to be common on farm machinery.
Otherwise look for used 3/8 drive pipe plug sockets on ebay. Buy sizes you use first then fill in other sizes. A Craftsman 8 point set 1/4 thru 1/2 is around $10.00 shipped. this gives most coverage as you fill in.
 
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chrisnazzy

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Thanks for clearing that up for me. Always nice to find new ways to ensure the money I'm spending on tools is spent wisely.
 
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four.cycle

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^ yeah... you can use a 12" crescent for a hammer too.

4-sided (square) nuts are designed to be taken off/put on with eight point sockets.
old-school - they used to make four point (square) sockets, but those are fairly uncommon today.
aka: "right tool for the job"

we had this discussion in another thread recently.
 
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metaldad

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four.cycle said:
^ yeah... you can use a 12" crescent for a hammer too.

4-sided (square) nuts are designed to be taken off/put on with eight point sockets.
old-school - they used to make four point (square) sockets, but those are fairly uncommon today.
aka: "right tool for the job"

we had this discussion in another thread recently.
Click to expand...
the only 4 point ones i have seen, are (3) small sizes, on mc master's site.
the largest, 9/32, i use for some rising stem refrigeration valves. Made by USA Williams.
other two sizes are 3/16 & 1/4
 
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rhandwor

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SantaAna12 said:
Why would 10 point be better than 8?
Click to expand...
Take a 1/2 extension and get a 1/2 six point nut. Lay it on the end of the 1/2 extension.
With the flat sides on two sides of the extension the 10 point would look like this I have a Sunex 17mm 4 point female socket which is made this way. 've never failed to get a pipe plug out with an 8 point socket. As most automotive pipe plugs are steel. If doing cast iron the 10 point would have more metal but as the socket turnsits the ends which do most of the holding.
If searching ebay search pipe plug,8 point sockets or Wright 10 point. Wright had a patent on the 10 point design.
 
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RedBKM

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I have a set of Craftsman 8 point from eBay that work great. Older tractors are covered in square hardware and I use them weekly.

I recently needed a really large one for a plug on my Farmall. $40 and up online but welded one up in a few minutes. It is 1-1/4" I think.

IMG_20150913_205032434_zpsycjeucx2.jpg
 
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four.cycle

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metaldad said:
"...the only 4 point ones i have seen..."
Click to expand...

real old-time stuff. as noted above: old tractors. old machines. square nuts all over the place.
I picked up an old socket set off CL for a buddy of mine a couple years ago. old stuff. Wright/Williams/Proto/P&C - a veritable smorgasbord. a few 12-points, several six-points, a mess of 8-points, and a full array of 1/2" drive shallow four point (square) sockets.

"What the hell am I supposed to do with these?"
"You'll see. Just set them aside, and remember where you put them."
"Okay."

took him about a year to call me one night about 2 am to say "thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!"
got his *** out of a jam on a piece of tracked equipment when nothing else would get ahold of it.

just very uncommon, because they just don't use a hell of a lot of square nuts anymore.
 
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