Socket choices
- Thread starter Rogers954
- Start date
Yeah, I only buy sockets with knurl ring and preferably half satin finish and full length stepped shouldering as way better usability .
They much the same as carlyle but for way less .
About best design/rail set easy source low cost sockets you can get currently .
just pulled the trigger on that 22963 24 piece metric 3/8 set of deeps and shallows on amazon, got the last set they had (must be a sign) Ill let you know my impression once they show up on the 18th. Thanks for bringing these to my attention if they are quality then I will definitely look at adding to this set.
Let us know what you think. That is the best socket design out of all the ones you were looking at. I'm curious how the fit/finish is.
TwoInch
Well-known member
I wouldn't worry about chrome sockets at all in 1/2" drive. Just start with impacts, cheaper and easier to find in 6pt. Although in 1/2" drive, imo, 12pts are absolutely just fine. 12pts are fine in a box end wrench, and in sizes above 16mm or so, just fine ina socket.
Grey Pneumatic impact set are affordable and great sockets. And pull double duty.
For budget chrome sockets, I go gearwrench. Taiwan made, cheap as dirt. Good looking and performing.
Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk
Grey Pneumatic impact set are affordable and great sockets. And pull double duty.
For budget chrome sockets, I go gearwrench. Taiwan made, cheap as dirt. Good looking and performing.
Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk
^ gearwrench sockets mainly china in current sets.
The old style gearwrench with deeper broaching and full length shouldering was best you could get at low cost and easy purchase online or in store but not any more .
Only thing I like about current gearwrench is the large size marking and surprised others not used the concept !
You can get 6pt in chromes easily and cheaply in no skip sets .
The old style gearwrench with deeper broaching and full length shouldering was best you could get at low cost and easy purchase online or in store but not any more .
Only thing I like about current gearwrench is the large size marking and surprised others not used the concept !
You can get 6pt in chromes easily and cheaply in no skip sets .
I purchases master sets from Sunex for my Taiwan impact sockets, so far they work great. Everything cost me $360 for likely every size I’ll ever need. In standard and deep, and the 3/8 set came with universals in both standard and metric. I see plenty of professional auto mechanics with Sunex impact sockets in their box. Here are the 3 sets I got, but I purchased off eBay with 15% off coupons and paid less.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MPQ8784/?tag=atomicindus08-20
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MPQ88RY/?tag=atomicindus08-20
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LNH7728/?tag=atomicindus08-20
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MPQ8784/?tag=atomicindus08-20
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MPQ88RY/?tag=atomicindus08-20
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LNH7728/?tag=atomicindus08-20
I have given some thought to this for a while now, 1/2 isn’t usually my first size to grab which i would think would probably be about 80% of us and mechanics in general, when working on most things cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles, toys in general i think that 3/8 is probably used 80-90% of the time granted if I’m going to work on the the suspension on my truck then yes I’m grabbing 1/2 because i know those parts are torqued down and i need heavyier Tool’s to get the job done.
That being said i would usually rather have chrome sockets over impact, for me it’s mostly about the easy of cleaning after messy jobs, with chrome just wipe it with a rag and your done with impact you may have to spray them down if you got oil on them to get them somewhat clean. Now being that i said i use 3/8 for 80/90 percent of my jobs i think i could get onboard with not having chrome 1/2 sockets as they wouldn’t be used all the time only when needed.
Yeh 3/8 used the most followed by 1/4 if you got good 1/4 tools .
1/2 still handy in chrome but is the one you could probably get away with in impact if that line of thought or minimalism works for you .
Chromes and impacts are so cheap these days not much reason not to have both .
Not biggest fan of sunex, bit overpriced and I prefer crv impacts over crmo .
I found oem sockets decent broaching fit and finish fair, chrome seems durable, would prefer top half polished but for the price rail/tray/foam holder socket only sets can not complain for nice usable design and no size skips . It better usable socket sets than some bigger brands at 4x the cost .
Totally disposable at the online prices yet still professional usable ...
My favourite sockets are premier or carlyle (infar sockets) straight knurl band and the premier bottom half satin chrome and top half polished chrome most nice, carlyle are all polished, I got 3/8 semi deeps in carlyle .
You will find the cross hatch knurl little harder clean than the straight knurl but the satin is a soft satin not a cheap course dry type .
1/2 still handy in chrome but is the one you could probably get away with in impact if that line of thought or minimalism works for you .
Chromes and impacts are so cheap these days not much reason not to have both .
Not biggest fan of sunex, bit overpriced and I prefer crv impacts over crmo .
I found oem sockets decent broaching fit and finish fair, chrome seems durable, would prefer top half polished but for the price rail/tray/foam holder socket only sets can not complain for nice usable design and no size skips . It better usable socket sets than some bigger brands at 4x the cost .
Totally disposable at the online prices yet still professional usable ...
My favourite sockets are premier or carlyle (infar sockets) straight knurl band and the premier bottom half satin chrome and top half polished chrome most nice, carlyle are all polished, I got 3/8 semi deeps in carlyle .
You will find the cross hatch knurl little harder clean than the straight knurl but the satin is a soft satin not a cheap course dry type .
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GrayFlattop
Well-known member
I'd say that largely depends on your budget
The OEM sockets are a steal in terms of apparent quality.
Proto is going to be more money (but not horrible if you buy from Zoro with a 20 or 25% off coupon code). 12 point Protos are superb.
You might want to buy the OEMs for now and save up for Proto or SO. Honestly my deep -V- Craftsman sockets from the 70's have been great. I think I only split one or two of them over the decades.
It comes down to the price point you are comfortable with and if your plan is to buy sockets once, or if you are willing to buy a less expensive set now - upgrading later. Nothing wrong with that plan.
The OEM sockets are a steal in terms of apparent quality.
Proto is going to be more money (but not horrible if you buy from Zoro with a 20 or 25% off coupon code). 12 point Protos are superb.
You might want to buy the OEMs for now and save up for Proto or SO. Honestly my deep -V- Craftsman sockets from the 70's have been great. I think I only split one or two of them over the decades.
It comes down to the price point you are comfortable with and if your plan is to buy sockets once, or if you are willing to buy a less expensive set now - upgrading later. Nothing wrong with that plan.
BigBoreFan
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2010
- Messages
- 311
I have older Craftsman USA, Carlyle, TopTul, SK, Gedore, and a few OEMTool, all chrome. I work on motorcycles mainly, not a pro, barely a DIYer. you all would call me a tool polisher for sure. But I have a healthy self-esteem, so I can handle it.
I find I reach for the Toptuls and the OEMs the most. If I had it to do over, I think I would not buy the SKs or the Gedores. I'd buy the Carlyle in the mid-depth when they are on sell, they are a little pricey.
It's a shame Dennis quit selling Toptul. He had some great prices on that stuff.
I find I reach for the Toptuls and the OEMs the most. If I had it to do over, I think I would not buy the SKs or the Gedores. I'd buy the Carlyle in the mid-depth when they are on sell, they are a little pricey.
It's a shame Dennis quit selling Toptul. He had some great prices on that stuff.
^^ Not really price but design, I wouldn't buy snapon sockets regardless of cost as don't like design . most US sockets same, I much prefer the german/japan/taiwan style and infar sets I had for 25yrs use in daily autoshop hold up fine, oemtools I had 2 years and been faultless, they get some use on air tools too, mainly kuani reactionless ratchet without issue .
Why upgrade it if perform great and not broken or worn out ... A diy guy with a budget like OP would be silly spending out large bucks for something as simple as sockets . Some things make sense tool truck but sockets ain't one of them ...
Why upgrade it if perform great and not broken or worn out ... A diy guy with a budget like OP would be silly spending out large bucks for something as simple as sockets . Some things make sense tool truck but sockets ain't one of them ...
+1 toptul does some superb stuff
Carlyle ratchets and sockets pro grade proper decent and napa deliver to my shop 6 days a week, you can get same sockets in premier brand half the price but they don't do the semi deeps, I got carlyle on sale, still little pricey but I really like the socket design as way nicer use and better clearance over standard US design .
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Why? They have the same ho hum design as everyone else USA. Save up and get some Hazet sockets if you really want the best. Or Ko-ken Zeal if you need a lower profile.
If you need the tooltruck service, then yeah, go with S-o. But the OP is a home gamer. I have some ProTo sockets, and I find zero advantage over any other decent socket...
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Reasons like these are exactly why I posted the question, I'm a DIY guy never really planning to make a living off my tools, but that doesn't mean I don't want something of quality. I am a firm believer in the buy once cry once mentality often times if you pay a little more for a quality tool you are going to see the return in years of worry free performance. Having said that though I agree with the above statements when you start talking about simple hand tools there's a level of "reliably gets the job done tools" and "at this price point it better get the job done 100% of the time". Often times I have a hard time picking the cheaper options hell I think all of us would like to be able to have the best whatever brand we deem as such, but the reality for a lot of people is we just need good tools that are affordable and get the job done not necessarily that we need the best. I don't usually care to much about the origin of where tools come from because at the end of the day all I really care about is does it do its job? Yes then it doesn't really bother me where it came from. I've worked for the air force as a weapons system mechanic for the last 17+ years and 99% of the hand tools we use are bought at insanely over priced contracts though snap-on. Are they quality tools you bet your *** they are because let me tell you about 80% of these kids coming in straight out of high school haven't ever even used tools and most of them could care less about taking care of them especially when they didn't have to pay for them so we (airfoce) are hard as hell on tools and they get abused all the time. So yes I know that top brands are quality but at this point in my life I am just in need of more tools to get work at home done quickly and efficiently.
mudflap
Well-known member
Some of the kids coming to the City garage out of Tech Schools have Husky sockets.. They fit good, they take a beating...and are dirt cheap.. Much as the old timers give them **** about them..kinda hard to do that, and make sense...
Well congrats on your OEM socket purchase. I've never owned them but several members here do and I havent heard anything bad about them, I expect they'll get the job done just fine.
Delivery guy just dropped these off so i gave them a look over and heres my opinion so far,
Holder is a nice blow molded case, actually does a pretty good job keeping them in place i held it in my hand and gave it some good shakes and had minimal socket movement, put it in my tool box drawer and had to slam it way harder than i ever would and 2 sockets moved out of place so its a pretty nice piece even though i probably wont use it, after i pickup my new harbor freight 5 drawer Im planning on getting Hansen trays so thats where these are probably going to go.
Fit and finish on these is really nice, i am probably one of the few that actually really likes satin finishes on tools more than chrome in fact when I have the cash i plan to buy the Wright grip sets in both mectric and sae and i will be buying the satin finish to me there easy to clean and have better grip that chrome imo. Now as you can see from the pictures hopefully these were not perfect theres a few sockets probably about 6-8 with some scratches in them, its not a big deal to me i personally dont really care if there perfect. This was only on the outside as far as i could tell the broaching on all of them was perfect and i didnt find a single socket with any kind of deformity or problems on the inside.
The knurling on the exteriors is really nice, its smooth on every socket couldnt find any sharp edges to them, but deffinelty enough that i feel even with greasy hands its going to be perfect for spinning the socket after the nut/bolt is broke. This was the main selling point to me other than price.
The broaching is about mid depth on all the deep wells except for the 8/9mm hofully you can see that in the pictures. Its pretty much the same on the shallows until about 8-13 which is a little bit closer to the top but not much.
Its late and getting cold here and i messed with my truck all day and got my **** kicked so i havent had a chance to put them on a nut yet to see how the fit is but hoeslty Im sure there going to be fine, Tommorw i plan to use them so Ill give some more feed back. As far as what i can see right now Im happy with my purchase and as long as them have positive engagement on fasteners i will probably definitely be adding a 1/4 as well as some 1/2. Thanks to all the members who suggested these to me.
Holder is a nice blow molded case, actually does a pretty good job keeping them in place i held it in my hand and gave it some good shakes and had minimal socket movement, put it in my tool box drawer and had to slam it way harder than i ever would and 2 sockets moved out of place so its a pretty nice piece even though i probably wont use it, after i pickup my new harbor freight 5 drawer Im planning on getting Hansen trays so thats where these are probably going to go.
Fit and finish on these is really nice, i am probably one of the few that actually really likes satin finishes on tools more than chrome in fact when I have the cash i plan to buy the Wright grip sets in both mectric and sae and i will be buying the satin finish to me there easy to clean and have better grip that chrome imo. Now as you can see from the pictures hopefully these were not perfect theres a few sockets probably about 6-8 with some scratches in them, its not a big deal to me i personally dont really care if there perfect. This was only on the outside as far as i could tell the broaching on all of them was perfect and i didnt find a single socket with any kind of deformity or problems on the inside.
The knurling on the exteriors is really nice, its smooth on every socket couldnt find any sharp edges to them, but deffinelty enough that i feel even with greasy hands its going to be perfect for spinning the socket after the nut/bolt is broke. This was the main selling point to me other than price.
The broaching is about mid depth on all the deep wells except for the 8/9mm hofully you can see that in the pictures. Its pretty much the same on the shallows until about 8-13 which is a little bit closer to the top but not much.
Its late and getting cold here and i messed with my truck all day and got my **** kicked so i havent had a chance to put them on a nut yet to see how the fit is but hoeslty Im sure there going to be fine, Tommorw i plan to use them so Ill give some more feed back. As far as what i can see right now Im happy with my purchase and as long as them have positive engagement on fasteners i will probably definitely be adding a 1/4 as well as some 1/2. Thanks to all the members who suggested these to me.
Attachments
They above average for the costing, carlyle is more prestine outer finish but you pay a lot more for no real usability benefit .
I quite like that tray, can't stand hansen trays
You not alone on satin
Stop being a chrome queen and get them all scuffed and oily
Glad you happy with purchase ...
I quite like that tray, can't stand hansen trays
You not alone on satin
Stop being a chrome queen and get them all scuffed and oily
Glad you happy with purchase ...
nelstomlinson
Well-known member
I believe Wright has 1/2" drive 6 point deep chrome sockets. I'm very happy with my Wright sockets. I still have a preference for 6 point, even though it's not as big a deal as it used to be.
TwoInch
Well-known member
All the gearwrench sockets I have looked at recently have still been taiwan. All wrenches have been China.
I actually just bought a new set of 12pt deep 3/8s that are taiwan.
If they tossed the sockets to China too, that's a shame.
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I'm under the impressions a few tools or kits may be made in China, but I keep getting Taiwan stuff and glad to see I'm not the only one.