Impact swivel (universal joint) adapters

[Ign]

Need more impact swivel adapters

So, this shouldn't be this hard, and I've searched. 90% of threads are about swivel sockets, but I just want the adapters, ie female one end, male on the other

I've got a set of SK's from nearly 20 years ago. I didn't realize how good they are until I just ordered up a cheap set and realized the new imports are HUGE.

I just got more confused poking around SnapOn's site - from what I can tell, for socket retention they offer a pin, a "locking ball" and a ball. Anything locking seems to have a letter at the end of the part number. Can anyone shed light on the various Snappy offerings? For instance what is an IP80D with a "lock button" vs an IP800???? Then on eBay I see something like an IPF80 which clearly has a pin for socket retention.

ANYWAY, criteria as follows:
1. adapters, not swivel sockets
2. friction ball for socket retention
3. smallest OD possible
4. cost is no object
5. I need 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2" drive

Right now I'm all over the map from more SK (but will they be as good as my 20-year-old units?) to Williams to Sunex to a tool truck brand. Help!

Honestly not sure I care about pinned vs pinless, unless it helps reduce OD

 

[Ign]

Also right now my 1/2" SK is 1-1/4" OD
My 3/8" SK is 1" OD
My Proto 1/4" is 5/8" OD

All measured with calipers and numbers above good within .008", I just simplified to fractions.

If anyone actually has the units they want to recommend and can measure the OD, all the better!

I actually find it mildly frustrating none of the manufacturers give numbers for diameter.

 

[mbshop]

No measurements. But i had two, 3/8 and 1/2 in drive. Not huge. They were both snap on from the 70s. Both had locking pins.

 

[MattT]

I just got more confused poking around SnapOn's site - from what I can tell, for socket retention they offer a pin, a "locking ball" and a ball. Anything locking seems to have a letter at the end of the part number. Can anyone shed light on the various Snappy offerings? For instance what is an IP80D with a "lock button" vs an IP800???? Then on eBay I see something like an IPF80 which clearly has a pin for socket retention.

80 is locking pin AKA button. 800 friction ball. A letter suffix on the end of the part # is some kind of revision but shouldn't affect the socket retaining method.

Just checked diameters in a paper catalog and they're the same as the ones you listed for your existing S-K & Proto.

 

[jimmyin3D]

I think the Matco offerings have a smaller OD then the Snap On and are also pinless. 1/4 AUP2BB, 3/8 BUP2PB, 1/2 CUP2BD. Or if you want it for cheaper Craftsman USA 3/8 and 1/2 are the same as the Matco.

 

[CafeTools]

Craftsman has new painless swivel joint adapters at Lowe's. They look almost the same as matcos.

 

[Ign]

So a Snappy "locking button" is the same as a pin, ie you've gotta use a scratch awl or similar in the hole of the socket to release?

MattT, thank you for your time -- the diameters you referenced were for present-day SnapOn I'm assuming?

 

[jpaw]

Just a word of caution on the pinless ones, at extreme angles they can pop apart when really hammering on them. But they don't break the way that the pin type do.
As long as you don't lose the pieces you can reassemble them.
Grey Pneumatic is a good low cost option. They stand up to the same abuse as my truck brands. I use them as backups due to the difficulty of getting them warranted.

 

[Ign]

I think the Matco offerings have a smaller OD then the Snap On and are also pinless. 1/4 AUP2BB, 3/8 BUP2PB, 1/2 CUP2BD. Or if you want it for cheaper Craftsman USA 3/8 and 1/2 are the same as the Matco.

So in 3/8 I stumbled upon the BUP2BB which says "retention mechanism" is a ball. On the bright side it states OD is 15/16! so that's good.

The BUP2PB states retention mechanism is a pin.

I'm assuming they're otherwise identical and both pinless in the swivel?

 

[Ign]

Just a word of caution on the pinless ones, at extreme angles they can pop apart when really hammering on them. But they don't break the way that the pin type do.
As long as you don't lose the pieces you can reassemble them.
Grey Pneumatic is a good low cost option. They stand up to the same abuse as my truck brands. I use them as backups due to the difficulty of getting them warranted.

I've never been disappointed in anything GP - thanks for throwing another contender in the ring and muddying the waters even more

Seriously, Matco's website specifically talks about a 30 day satisfaction guarantee or similar and so I'll likely order one or two and see how they measure up.

I tried finding the Cman versions but was a bit confused. The one US pinless one I found on eBay looked HUGE and had some weird rings around it, which the Matcos don't. And really I'm just so over dealing with Sears, sears.com or even Craftsman in general

I do have a Matco truck semi-locally, seems I spot him every 6 months LOL

 

[Crabman]

Right now I'm all over the map from more SK (but will they be as good as my 20-year-old units?)

Since you have been really happy with the units you have, maybe you can find some good used ones on ebay?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SK-Hand-To...902408?hash=item4b64b183c8:g:S6wAAOSwJfFc4lBL

Good luck finding what suits you.

Bruce

 

[Ign]

Since you have been really happy with the units you have, maybe you can find some good used ones on ebay?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SK-Hand-To...902408?hash=item4b64b183c8:g:S6wAAOSwJfFc4lBL

Good luck finding what suits you.

Bruce

I can find the exact part numbers of my old SK still today, and from photos they LOOK the same, but SK has been through the ringer and I'm not sure the new ones would be identical. I mean I do hear what you're saying about used but this feels like something best purchased new given the abuse they can see.....kinda like cycling chamois

Anyway, there's still plenty of times my present SK's are just BARELY too big so if I can find something as good and smaller I'm all in!

Even 1/16" on diameter doesn't seem like much but thats ~30 thou a side and that can be a mile in tight quarters with interference.

Again, I'm really surprised more people aren't talking about and geeking out on the OD of these adapters. It's very important. Maybe most people just buy swivel sockets instead, and that's ok, just not what I want

 

[Wood_Guy]

Need more impact swivel adapters

So, this shouldn't be this hard, and I've searched. 90% of threads are about swivel sockets, but I just want the adapters, ie female one end, male on the other

I've got a set of SK's from nearly 20 years ago. I didn't realize how good they are until I just ordered up a cheap set and realized the new imports are HUGE.

I just got more confused poking around SnapOn's site - from what I can tell, for socket retention they offer a pin, a "locking ball" and a ball. Anything locking seems to have a letter at the end of the part number. Can anyone shed light on the various Snappy offerings? For instance what is an IP80D with a "lock button" vs an IP800???? Then on eBay I see something like an IPF80 which clearly has a pin for socket retention.

ANYWAY, criteria as follows:
1. adapters, not swivel sockets
2. friction ball for socket retention
3. smallest OD possible
4. cost is no object
5. I need 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2" drive

Right now I'm all over the map from more SK (but will they be as good as my 20-year-old units?) to Williams to Sunex to a tool truck brand. Help!

Honestly not sure I care about pinned vs pinless, unless it helps reduce OD

Just measured mine with my Starrett:

OD on Snap-on IPF800 (ball retention) is 1.018 inches (3/8)
OD on Snap-on IP800 (ball retention) is 1.250 inches (1/2)

Don't do anything with 1/4" impacts, so I don't own the 1/4"

 

[Ign]

Just measured mine with my Starrett:

OD on Snap-on IPF800 (ball retention) is 1.018 inches
OD on Snap-on IP800 (ball retention) is 1.250 inches

Don't do anything with 1/4" impacts, so I don't own the 1/4"

Thank you for taking the time!

 

[dsimatt]

So in 3/8 I stumbled upon the BUP2BB which says "retention mechanism" is a ball. On the bright side it states OD is 15/16! so that's good.

The BUP2PB states retention mechanism is a pin.

I'm assuming they're otherwise identical and both pinless in the swivel?

I have matco swivel sockets and universal, think of a 4 spline ball that's held in by a snap ring, I really like them over the pin type and only had a few issues over the years.

 

[Wood_Guy]

Thank you for taking the time!

No problem. Let me know how that compares overall. I'm super curious.

 

[Farmall450]

I'm in a simliar bolt, besides 1/4 snappy I just have adapters instead of any swivel sockets. Mine are Craftsman USA across the board; I also have an identical Allen USA impact.

 

[CafeTools]

There are two different sets of Craftsman swivels. One is pinless and more expensive.

 

[gatlibs]

Current SK is 1/4": .72", 3/8": .91", & 1/2": 1.13 on page 78 of the 2018 catalog.

 

[Ign]

There are two different sets of Craftsman swivels. One is pinless and more expensive.

Is it just that simple though? Here's the 3pc "pinless" set....it looks like GW to me, and it does not look like Matco's pics....and by Sears' own admission in this link it is "made in Asia"
https://www.sears.com/craftsman-3pc-pinless-impact-universal-joint-adapter-set/p-00957569000P

Then there's this on eBay, clearly says US but is ginormous and also does not look like Matco's

 

[Ign]

Current SK is 1/4": .72", 3/8": .91", & 1/2": 1.13 on page 78 of the 2018 catalog.

Ok if true the 1/4 is huge while both the 3/8 and 1/2 have shrunk compared to what I have which is the 33990 and 34990 (again, ~20 years old)

I will say I bought those two SK part numbers above off an indy tool truck nearly 20 years ago and I remember even then they blew through a hundred dollar bill. Granted an indy guy has to have some decent markup, but they've paid for themselves time and again and are still going. I guess that's buy once, cry once!

 

[Ign]

Current SK is 1/4": .72", 3/8": .91", & 1/2": 1.13 on page 78 of the 2018 catalog.

I was skeptical of SK's numbers here and got to thinking they may be giving OD of the primary body and not the ring. I checked mine and sure as **** I was right. So my original numbers in post #2 are correct if you measure the ring, which of course is very important because that's the part that always hits as evidenced by the marks and scrapes on mine

 

[gatlibs]

I was skeptical of SK's numbers here and got to thinking they may be giving OD of the primary body and not the ring. I checked mine and sure as **** I was right. So my original numbers in post #2 are correct if you measure the ring, which of course is very important because that's the part that always hits as evidenced by the marks and scrapes on mine

You are correct. I checked the catalog and it measures at the base where the socket connects to the driving anvil and only there for diameter.

 

[454ragtop]

I have an extra SK 32990 and 33990 sitting here in front of me if you're interested.

 

[Ign]

I just gotta say - Matco's website is pretty horrendous. Search is nearly worthless as something like "impact swivel" will give you all results for EITHER word.

In addition some of these things are listed as Univ Imp so "universal" or "impact" is meaningless.

Thankfully the correct Matco part #'s were spoon fed to me here, so thank you for that!

Also you get all the way to the very last page after putting in an Amex number and the little Amex logo even appears, then it says "card type not accepted" when you go to finalize. It could have told me that 2 PAGES prior.

Their web guy must also double as a warehouse stocker

 

[Ign]

Received my Matcos today!

Basically, they're all the same OD as what I had, or slightly better.

However I mentioned in Post 9 the Matco website states the 3/8" BUP2BB is 15/16". No. It's .974" and in no world is that 15/16; if anything it's 1" (my existing SK 3/8" was actually 1.010")

(Yeah, I'm a machinist so we say "nine thirty-seven and a half")....and nine thirty-seven and a half is NOT nine seventy-four

The 1/4" Matco AUP2BB is .622" and the 1/2" CUP2BD is 1.242" (my existing SK 1/2" was actually 1.260")