vibblueser
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2012
- Messages
- 405
Give them to Eric O at South Main Auto and let him be the ultimate guinea pig. That man deals with more corrosion than most people on this board could imagine.
snap-on new flank drive xtra
- Thread starter hautpot
- Start date
anndel
Well-known member
or being rounded off by an adjustable wrench like most I'ved seen
Buckgnarly
Well-known member
What are you guys paying for them....I got offered 50 bucks for the trade in with set prices of 258 and 268 IIRC..... little too rich unless these are that good for corroded ****.
Wamsutta
Well-known member
It would be almost impossible for me to round off a nut with an adjustable wrench because of the way I use one. I take all the slack out by tightening the jaws down on the nut before every turn.
Strouty
Well-known member
Did he really say "the steel feels the same"......seriously you have got to be kidding me.
WWheeler
Well-known member
Not even close to the same thing
Buddy you gotta stop drinking the Snap-on kool-aid. It's the same idea—just grab the fastener closer toward the middle.
Wamsutta
Well-known member
I think you're probably correct. All the adjustables I've ever tried were either Craftsman, Proto, or Klein.
Its completely different. The metrinch are more of a matco non slip/spline style where theres a node in the center of the flat that is supposed to grab onto the flat as opposed to the corners.
The new snap on is tapered like their spark plug sockets, and depending on how worn the fastener is, you tap it down onto the damaged bolt and it grabs like a normal socket with a tighter tolerance.
Not being a fanboy, it's a unique design.
Buddy you gotta stop being a snapon hater.
The new snap on is tapered like their spark plug sockets, and depending on how worn the fastener is, you tap it down onto the damaged bolt and it grabs like a normal socket with a tighter tolerance.
Not being a fanboy, it's a unique design.
Buddy you gotta stop being a snapon hater.
WWheeler
Well-known member
I don't think I'm drinking any koolaid to say that they don't look close to similar to me.
Your Metrinch video (0:15)
Snap-on Flank Drive Extra (1:45)
Attachments
azchrisf
Well-known member
Not surprising they introduced these just now, with the advent of Astro's Flankbite wrenches and sockets becoming more popular and the well-known Turbo sockets. Plus the downslide in tools division sales growth.
One or the other have always done the job for me. I just can't fathom paying that much for a few sockets with a few grooves and taper cut into them...but I would be curious how they compare.
One or the other have always done the job for me. I just can't fathom paying that much for a few sockets with a few grooves and taper cut into them...but I would be curious how they compare.
WittHay
Well-known member
I think the taper type Flank Drive Plus is a good idea. Stronger than the twist sockets. A fancier version of hammering the next size down mm socket on if you are working on SAE or vise versa if working on metric fasteners.
For me, tough fasteners are either made of soft metal that rounds easy or good quality fasteners that are rusted or corroded. The latter type usually involves heat to remove. Both cases you need a tight fitting socket
Don't know, if I would want a complete set or sets at theses prices though. Probably would get a few common sizes
For me, tough fasteners are either made of soft metal that rounds easy or good quality fasteners that are rusted or corroded. The latter type usually involves heat to remove. Both cases you need a tight fitting socket
Don't know, if I would want a complete set or sets at theses prices though. Probably would get a few common sizes
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Wamsutta
Well-known member
+1 to that. They're expensive as gold but at least they're something tangible that I can physically touch with my hands.
Compare that to the sky high cost of insurance for the house and car, electricity bill, natural gas bill, city utility bill, and the internet bill, I'm getting a better deal with Snap-on.
xin
Well-known member
PLUS the fact, they will spend $5 on a energy drink DAILY 2X or more. They smoke (I do not - don't have a problem with people who do) but that money is going up in SMOKE. People who buy alcohol it is MONEY being sent down the DRAIN.
I got lots of Snapon tools bought long time ago off the TOOL TRUCK. I can say they have saved me THOUSANDS in the fact I can fix my own stuff plus and working in the Kawi/Yamaha shop paid my bills.
Finky198
Well-known member
It's Wamsutta...all of his adjustables are Snap-on
I laugh cause all but one of mine are snappy and the other is a diamond
They were a garage sale find otherwise I would never have bought them...
I will attest that they very rarely slip loosen or round anything, esp the big Snap on one having teeth... but my partners new Craftsman replacement and China no name ones they round off stuff like it’s their job....
Interesting sockets pretty cool idea,
but to pricey for my taste especially for limited use.
Wamsutta
Well-known member
My sentiments exactly. Cool idea and it's cool that they're available, but I don't need them. I don't find rounded off bolts that often.
Finky198
Well-known member
I do, but there plenty of other options in this sector of tools...
That is part of it. They needed a new patent on a socket design. They also need to keep making new stuff to peddle to the people who already have a nearly complete set.
techieman33
Well-known member
He did some more real worldish testing on the sockets.
Strouty
Well-known member
The more I think about it, the worse these sockets sound. Even the turbo sockets can ****, when you have a tapered socket, it really only contacts a small portion of the bolt/nut and that is where the problem is. The flank bite has a much better grip and it is uniform so it contacts whatever is left of the hex evenly. I am willing to bet that these sockets will be discontinued before too long as they have no real use.
Just my skeptical assumption based on past years of manufacturing experience as an engineer.
Snap on has produced millions of sockets with the flank drive forging dies. When they wear the inner hex die gets smaller. They can probably rework them some with welding and machining to get back up to size. Eventually you can’t get them back up to the propper size so they become trash.
Once the management/profit focused executives see the size of the new tooling budget, they task the marketing/sales and engineering team to find a way to lengthen the life of the old “scrap” dies. They grind them a few thousandths under. This makes a smaller hex in the socket, so they give them a fancy name and new marketing. Viola, new “precision” sockets and a use for hundreds of thousands of dollars in scrap dies.
Again just my skepticism against the MBA profit at all costs people running companies these days.
Snap on has produced millions of sockets with the flank drive forging dies. When they wear the inner hex die gets smaller. They can probably rework them some with welding and machining to get back up to size. Eventually you can’t get them back up to the propper size so they become trash.
Once the management/profit focused executives see the size of the new tooling budget, they task the marketing/sales and engineering team to find a way to lengthen the life of the old “scrap” dies. They grind them a few thousandths under. This makes a smaller hex in the socket, so they give them a fancy name and new marketing. Viola, new “precision” sockets and a use for hundreds of thousands of dollars in scrap dies.
Again just my skepticism against the MBA profit at all costs people running companies these days.
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Interesting theory except snap on machines out the inside of every single socket, they're not forged
Ah see I've only seen this video where they say its machined down to the exact tolerance. Nvm
If they just put flank bite teeth in them like MAC Precision I bet they'd work fine in that test. Even if they revise them I still wouldn't touch them though. Rounded to me is rusted to hell so far too much of the original metal is gone.
xin
Well-known member
If the metal is soft - none of these sockets will work as it will just continue to round.
Wamsutta
Well-known member
They're cold forged though aren't they?
Strouty
Well-known member
My driver forges them by hand.
According to that video yes. Cold is the best way to forge, it's just usually only feasible on small parts where the forging loads are low.
I totally drink the snap on kool-aid. I've got a snap on box with 90% snap on tools in it. But these sockets just stink of "marketing" and desperation to get completely outfitted techs back on the truck to buy something.
I think this is at least half the problem. Garbage ‘grade 8’ fasteners that would fail any reasonable QA test yet are found in everything manufactured less than about 20 years ago.
Bingo. Snap-on has some awesome stuff and it is clear their forging and tempering processes create more durable tools than most. It has to be getting hard to innovate sockets and spanners though. Someday something will surprise me but for driving hex fasteners with metal to metal contact I think we’ve just about mastered the concept.
Pretty lame excuse blaming the fasteners when its obvious this is more of just a lazy money grab by Snap-On. The vast majority of automotive fasteners are grade 5 equivalent with a galvy or zinc coating so even "garbage grade 8" should be fine. Fresh fasteners rounded over is also about as kind of a scenario as you can them. Simple fact is these sockets are pretty dumb.
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Looks like a complete fail for the S-O F'drive Xtra.
I will say though that S-O almost got the redesign right in the ergonomic dept. Nice that the new sockets are undercut a little (not much, but hey, it's an improvement), the size markings are larger, but they totally missed the chance to put some usable knurling on the bottom ring.
I wonder if a Metrinch socket would have pulled those nuts off?
Real world stuff there are thoudands of types of the same size fastener depending on wear and abuse to who spec'ed what when it was built. Or who didn't care less about specs or tool choices in fixing it.
Lab testing with prepared damaged fasteners is merely a good start. Getting them in the field into indy shops where any POS may be pushed in could offer a very wide range of messed up to test on.
Grade 8 on most things would be a treat for me. I get all manner of useless fasteners in and try to replace with better from the bucket if we have them. Because it will be back sooner or later.
Farmers would be the acid test. They got the full load of old mixed up whatever worked to keep it going.
Lab testing with prepared damaged fasteners is merely a good start. Getting them in the field into indy shops where any POS may be pushed in could offer a very wide range of messed up to test on.
Grade 8 on most things would be a treat for me. I get all manner of useless fasteners in and try to replace with better from the bucket if we have them. Because it will be back sooner or later.
Farmers would be the acid test. They got the full load of old mixed up whatever worked to keep it going.
anndel
Well-known member
I'm still not convinced with all these You Tube videos with machined ground bolts though Joel of the Snap-on Tool review did one with a real rounded head. We need more techs from the rust belt area with real world experiences to chime in. For now I'll keep and still use my flank drive sockets.