Just curious "SAE or "American"

[nbpt100]

Back in the 90's I worked in a company that designed and build printing equipment. Most of the machines use SAE threaded fasteners but Metric were starting to be used on newer designs.

Most of the people in the shop would call SAE threaded fasteners "American". I have not herd that term used much before or after that employment. I have Usually heard them refereed to as SAE, English, or fractional.

Last week I was in an auto parts store and the clerk was helping me find a metric oil drain plug in some bins and he said......"Oh that bin is all American". It brought back some memories.

What do you routinely call SAE fasteners?

 

[ZRX61]

In the UK they're usually called "AF"... for Across Flats.


Here ya go:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/gds/Understa...BA-and-metric-tools-/10000000003499809/g.html

 

[tthornto]

I've always referred to SAE as Standard, I'm guessing different industries and different regions all have their own word for it.

 

[nbpt100]

I've always referred to SAE as Standard, I'm guessing different industries and different regions all have their own word for it.

I have heard that too. But not for some time.....It should be in the poll. Thanks.

 

[DFB]

Haha myself haven't used the word "American" in years.

SAE or standard thread is how I describe those fractional headed fasteners nowdays as opposes to metric.

Just looked in my older 2000 Sears Craftsman catalog...its either standard or metric when it came to your choices

With Harbor Freight catalog its SAE or Metric

 

[EOC_Jason]

Usually SAE, but sometimes I'll say fractional or standard.

 

[RedSS454]

There are two types of countries in this world: 1) ones use metric and 2) the one who put a man on the moon.


I’ve always referred to it as “SAE/Standard”.

 

[2ltime]

My older uncles would call them 'American', but dealing with Metric on modern American cars, I think it lost it's distinction. I now say SAE and metric, but really I say the size more then anything.

 

[bwringer]

Usually SAE or "inch" or "&^%$#@! inch ^%$#!@ farm machinery bull&^%$#"

Within metric, I wish more people were aware of the distinctions; JIS (used by Asian manufacturers) and DIN (Euro) or SAE (US) metric all have various maddening differences that are important to be aware of when working with various machinery.

< rant >

And of course the US and Euro manufacturers just LOOOOVE to invent new wacky totally unneeded fastener types, not to mention violating their own standards willy-nilly. Plus you often get stuff like a German or Japanese transmission inhabiting a vehicle from a different part of the world, and it's madness, sheer madness I tell ya...

Since we're on the subject, I cannot fathom why proper JIS hardware is, in the year 2019, so %$#ing hard to find in the US of damn A. I mean, Toyota and Honda have been best-sellers hereabouts for decades. And there are more than a few Mazda, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, etc. vehicles running around. But for some reason not one hardware store in ten stocks, for example, M10x1.25 flange head bolts.

When you enter a hardware store, 90% of the fasteners on display are shining untouched rows of inch ****. The 10% or less of bins featuring metric fasteners are desperately pawed-through and often empty. They really seem to prefer dusting neat bins of fasteners no one needs over selling and restocking the stuff almost all our machines need.

< /rant >

Ahh, I do feel a bit better. Nothing like venting one's spleen.

 

[fasteddie]

Usually SAE or "inch" or "&^%$#@! inch ^%$#!@ farm machinery bull&^%$#"
When you enter a hardware store, 90% of the fasteners on display are shining untouched rows of inch ****. The 10% or less of bins featuring metric fasteners are desperately pawed-through and often empty. They really seem to prefer dusting neat bins of fasteners no one needs over selling and restocking the stuff almost all our machines need.

And if you are lucky enough to find your size you can bet it won't be the hardness grade you need.

 

[sberry]

I should have said,,, inches.

 

[FIVE_LITER]

Always standard for me.

 

[Mr. T]

Just curious &quot;SAE or &quot;American&quot;

Within metric, I wish more people were aware of the distinctions; JIS (used by Asian manufacturers) and DIN (Euro) or SAE (US) metric all have various maddening differences that are important to be aware of when working with various machinery.

DIN is not the European standard. That would be ISO or EN. Pretty much everything I run into that is specifically referencing DIN was made in Germany or the German regions of Switzerland.

On a side note, having learned and mostly used DIN wiring diagrams, anytime I run into one that is “American” I absolutely hate it.

 

[larry_g]

I mean, Toyota and Honda have been best-sellers hereabouts for decades. And there are more than a few Mazda, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, etc. vehicles running around. But for some reason not one hardware store in ten stocks, for example, M10x1.25 flange head bolts.

When you enter a hardware store, 90% of the fasteners on display are shining untouched rows of inch ****.

When I want automotive hardware I go to the auto parts houses who cater to auto centric buyers. For household hardware then to the hardware store. Just remember that there are a lot of fasteners used outside the automotive world.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Stuey]

SAE, inch, imperial.

 

[StreetGLi]

In Canada most say imperial or standard. I've never heard it referred to as American. Often.. what the fk is this? But never American.

Sent from my LG-H873 using Tapatalk

 

[SpeedwayRyan]

Standard vs. metric here. I occasionally say SAE, never "American."

 

[californiaHank]

Pretty much no-one who lives or works outside the US would call it 'standard' or 'SAE'.
I'd probably call it 'inch' or 'Imperial', depending on who I was talking to.

 

[trackwelder]

Standard

 

[Red 17]

Inch/foot/mile = Imperial, as in the British Empire.

I just read book on "...Empire..." and the author talked about thread standardization being a big deal during and after WWII.

People who think inches are "American" and Metric is "foreign" or Japanese need to read up a bit. The metric system came out of France. You remember France, those chaps that supported the US whilst we pried the boot of the English from out throats.....You know, the English with their inches and miles and stuff....

 

[MushCreek]

Inch. Here in Sacolina, it's called 'Murican. Metric is still widely believed to be a Communist plot.

 

[DFB]

Inch. Here in Sacolina, it's called 'Murican. Metric is still widely believed to be a Communist plot.

 

[J.C.]

Imperial here for me in Oz... ditto everyone locally I talk to.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Another "Standard" name user here.

 

[bwringer]

DIN is not the European standard. That would be ISO or EN. Pretty much everything I run into that is specifically referencing DIN was made in Germany or the German regions of Switzerland.

On a side note, having learned and mostly used DIN wiring diagrams, anytime I run into one that is “American” I absolutely hate it.

Thanks for the added info. Almost all the Euro stuff I've seen has been German, so I likely mentally extended DIN to the entire continent.

The vast majority of the cars and motorcycles I work on are Japanese, so I'm most familiar with JIS.


I've only worked on one Buell motorcycle. Talk about a random hodgepodge of hardware. If you're not familiar with these, Buell used (mostly) Harley engines in their own chassis, so for any given fastener, it was a tossup which drawer you would need to pull your tools from. Very cleverly engineered bikes; just confusing.

 

[rburke65]

Standard for me!

 

[ManOnTheCouch]

Standard

 

[johnnyradiant]

Being Canadian it is Imperial, sometimes inches, but I don't recall ever American.

It's too bad that the imperial people couldn't have all gotten together on the fluid stuff. Inches are inches but for the life of me I can't figure out why gallons couldn't be gallons.

I may not have liked being told I had to 'learn' French in school but the metric system is nice to work with IF you aren't trying to marry it up with Imperial/American systems. My head still primary works in 'inches' but kilometers per hour or Celsius work pretty seamlessly in my noggin.

I like (read loathe) metricized fasteners - imperial threads but metric heads. Those have to be the absolute dumbest thing going and laziest way to move from one system to the other because they are neither.

 

[hammerhead611]

Standard

 

[ttpete]

SAE is the old term for the fine thread series. It's now UNF.

USS is the old term for the coarse thread series. It's now UNC.

The Unified system came about when the UK changed from the Whitworth series and adopted ours, and we both agreed on specifications.

 

[Buickspec6231]

I've always referred to SAE as Standard, I'm guessing different industries and different regions all have their own word for it.

Agree to this. For around these parts it is either Standard or Metric.

 

[sberry]

Inches is one,,, I think the other is millimetric.

 

[kbs2244]

And a furlong is how many meters?

 

[Moose97]

Standard.

Probably should have been in the poll.

 

[fsae0607]

I say "standard".

 

[Farmall450]

I should have said,,, inches.

That or standard

 

[fasteddie]

I had to think for a moment about what I call it. What I realized is when talking about the actual fasteners I say "inch", it's just faster to say. When I'm talking about wrenches I say SAE.

 

[nadogail]

It was SAE, USS, or Metric when
I was growing up. Later I learned about BSC (British Standard Cycle).

 

[PelicanPines]

Imperial

 

[ZRX61]

There are two types of countries in this world: 1) ones use metric and 2) the one who put a man on the moon.

Three words:


Lockheed Mars Lander...