Recommendation on quality Impact swivel joints

[nbpt100]

Title says it all for 1/2 drive impact. I have some cheaper ones I got at the autoparts store and it seems you loose a lot of the impact from deflection and slop in the joint. I know you will loose some with any. Every adaptor you use on the impact you loose some impact. But some must be stiffer and transfer more than others. I am sure there are trade offs between angle, overall size and materials. Comments from those with direct experience please. Thanks.

 

[NOEYEZ]

SNAPON only......They are the safest and most durable.....but they are expensive.....
I tried every other mfg swivel made, except China, Taiwan and Pakistan......and I used a IR231 impact with 125 psi at the gun......Never broke a Snapon...I can't make the same statement for other mfg's. I won't trust any other brand....PERIOD! Ever see one of these explode? THe old style Snapon did and it killed the tech......that was over 30 years ago....After the lawsuit, Snapon totally re-designed there impact swivels......

 

[Buckaroo5]

I have this Grey Pneumatics set which are well built and served me well. They are not sloppy but you do lose some uumph.....

Grey Pneumatic 13 Piece 1/2" Drive Standard Length Universal Set 1313UM

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www.ohiopowertool.com

 

[nbpt100]

I have this Grey Pneumatics set which are well built and served me well. They are not sloppy but you do lose some uumph.....

Grey Pneumatic 13 Piece 1/2" Drive Standard Length Universal Set 1313UM

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www.ohiopowertool.com

Thanks, I was thinking of a swivel with out the socket built in, rather than the Duo as they call it. However, you got me thinking that is the best way to go. You eliminate one more piece which adds length and another sorce of lost impact energy. More efficient transfer of power.
I have never heard anything negative about Grey.

I have noticed almost no body advertises the max angle you can get.
Snap On says 30 degrees on their single Swivel joint. I know you loose efficiency as the angle increases but on the other hand you open up possibilities.

 

[IMStuner]

Depends on your budget and how often you use them. I have a set from Sunex and it's been great but I'm a weekend warrior. My father had Snap-On and Sunex when he was a mechanic and but served him well. You are paying for a premium price for Snap-On and they will slop and become loose over time just like others. I will say the Snap-On swivel seems to be a little slimmer.

https://sunextools.com/products/12-dr-12-pt-15-pc-metric-universal-impact-socket-set/

 

[dnschmidt]

ASTRO, best price and really good quality an an Iron-clad warrantee.

 

[AirMech#406]

TTY did a whole video on this. If you have not all ready, check it out!

 

[Maxcustody]

I just got the Capri ones. I haven’t used them yet but they seem like very good quality and craftsmanship.

 

[Xcursion88]

Any thread that has asked for tool recommendations starting out or opinions on "must have" items I've always said. Impact swivel sockets are must have items first and foremost.
Being in the middle of the rust belt I rely on 1/2" drive stuff.
90 percent of tine I'm armed with an electric stubby gun and swivel impact sockets.
I have both Snap-on and MAC.
To your specific question of which one is best for transferring torque...

I've no idea and that's extremely hard to quantify an actual torque transfer or rather which one loses the least amount of torque.

I can tell you this much.... I only used Snap-on for a long time but I picked up a genuine MAC set a few months ago because im my world clearance is everything. MAC is much shorter than Snap-on. That little bit of difference can mean get on fastener or not at times.
Now, I only grab the MAC swivels because of the shorter size and my odds of not enough clearance all but went away.

You'll never rid the need for a ratchet or wrench completely but armed with a stubby gun, some short swivel sockets and maybe an extension or not, you can get nearly all tasks accomplished without needing anything else.

BUT...torque loss can still happen at times.
Just did a Silverado that someone went king kong style tightening caliper brackets. No swivel could remove those so I had to run a regular shallow impact straight off the anvil of a big electric gun.

Cost...
It's not very close. Snap-on is definitely the most expensive at around a cool grand for their metric set which is 10-24mm, includes 16mm (not used much) , but it skips on 20mm (no big deal), skips on 22mm (big deal)

MAC set is 13mm-24mm, skipping 16mm(not used much), 20mm (who cares),
but includes 21, 22 and 24mm which is a big deal. SO skips 22mm as I mentioned.

Both are USA

Cost......
Snap-on

Snap-on Store

shop.snapon.com

MAC

9-PC. 1/2" Drive Metric Impact Universal Socket Set - 6-PT.

Mac-Drive™ design contacts flats of the fastener instead of corners—helps to remove fasteners with rounded edges, and prevent rounded edges from forming .Universal design provides a 30° working angle ideal for situtaions where straight on access to fastener is limited .Made from high-grade...

www.mactools.com

Good luck

I have both and use both.

 

[infinite97]

Any thread that has asked for tool recommendations starting out or opinions on "must have" items I've always said. Impact swivel sockets are must have items first and foremost.
Being in the middle of the rust belt I rely on 1/2" drive stuff.
90 percent of tine I'm armed with an electric stubby gun and swivel impact sockets.
I have both Snap-on and MAC.
To your specific question of which one is best for transferring torque...

I've no idea and that's extremely hard to quantify an actual torque transfer or rather which one loses the least amount of torque.

I can tell you this much.... I only used Snap-on for a long time but I picked up a genuine MAC set a few months ago because im my world clearance is everything. MAC is much shorter than Snap-on. That little bit of difference can mean get on fastener or not at times.
Now, I only grab the MAC swivels because of the shorter size and my odds of not enough clearance all but went away.

You'll never rid the need for a ratchet or wrench completely but armed with a stubby gun, some short swivel sockets and maybe an extension or not, you can get nearly all tasks accomplished without needing anything else.

BUT...torque loss can still happen at times.
Just did a Silverado that someone went king kong style tightening caliper brackets. No swivel could remove those so I had to run a regular shallow impact straight off the anvil of a big electric gun.

Cost...
It's not very close. Snap-on is definitely the most expensive at around a cool grand for their metric set which is 10-24mm, includes 16mm (not used much) , but it skips on 20mm (no big deal), skips on 22mm (big deal)

MAC set is 13mm-24mm, skipping 16mm(not used much), 20mm (who cares),
but includes 21, 22 and 24mm which is a big deal. SO skips 22mm as I mentioned.

Both are USA

Cost......
Snap-on

Snap-on Store

shop.snapon.com

MAC

9-PC. 1/2" Drive Metric Impact Universal Socket Set - 6-PT.

Mac-Drive™ design contacts flats of the fastener instead of corners—helps to remove fasteners with rounded edges, and prevent rounded edges from forming .Universal design provides a 30° working angle ideal for situtaions where straight on access to fastener is limited .Made from high-grade...

www.mactools.com

Good luck

I have both and use both.

I definitely didn’t pay a grand for my snap on set - maybe a grand for sae and metric…

Edit: yeah, that’s a way bigger set than is necessary. No one needs a 1/2” drive 10mm socket. Buy the smaller set and also buy a 3/8” drive set with the leftover money.

 

[infinite97]

I paid extra for snap-on but I’m field service and can’t afford to have something fail.

My 15/16” and 1 1/8” are getting hammered from use, the ball ends inside are getting pretty thin. I’ll be warranting them soon.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

You are just asking about the swivels themselves if I read this correctly, not the ones that are socket swivels. Socket swivels when I wrenched, I had the Craftsman pinless, but the regular swivels at the time, were not pinless yet.
What we did to help keep slop down, or stiffen up the old ones, was to wrap them in heat shrink tubing. You could add several layers for a lot more stiffness, but the more layers the less flex. One layer of thicker heat shrink was what we used on 90% of them. There were a couple sizes we tended to use for specific jobs and liked more layers on those (didn't need as extreme an angle).

 

[nbpt100]

That TTY video was very interesting. I like the pinless design. The 6 lobe pinless design seems like it should be a more robust design. Tekton did the best in the pinless version but still did not beat one of the pinned type for torque transfer efficiency. Go figure. Although from what I can gleen from the test, the anlge was just held by hand and likely had a lot of human variation from test to test. Efficiency drops as the angle increases.
The Tekton does not have swivel sockets in 1/2" drive from what I can determine from their website. For about $12 for their 1/2" swivel adaptor seems like a great value for its performance. Did much better than the GW at about 1/2 the cost.

Too bad he did not test Astro or Grey.

 

[Professional Tool User]

For safety reasons, swivel impacts are one area where you do not want to cheap out. All the other reasons are secondary. If you are trying to save money, you can buy the universal joint only. The only impact universal joint that I can recommend for heavy use is my pinned Proto one. My former co-workers all use the pinned Snap on one. As for the made in Taiwan options they look promising, especially the six lobe pinless design. I have yet to beat on the Astro set I bought.

 

[Zewnten]

Proto, $40. Locking pin so the socket won't pop off when you slip off the bolt or nut. Use it almost every day and it shows hardly any wear after 6 months. Snap On's new stuff, and I'm pretty sure old stuff, is all soft and feorms easy with use.

 

[Xcursion88]

I definitely didn’t pay a grand for my snap on set - maybe a grand for sae and metric…

Edit: yeah, that’s a way bigger set than is necessary. No one needs a 1/2” drive 10mm socket. Buy the smaller set and also buy a 3/8” drive set with the leftover money.

Then you either bought them ages ago or your Snap on rep won't be around long....or you got a buy one get one deal but I doubt on swivel sockets. Stranger things have happened though.

One thing SO does very well and is very strict about is MAP.
It's a business model that's been very successful for a very long time. One that protects their dealers from being undercut by other dealers and or the factory itself.

 

[KnurledNut]

Williams 4-140B

 

[Professional Tool User]

Then you either bought them ages ago or your Snap on rep won't be around long....or you got a buy one get one deal but I doubt on swivel sockets. Stranger things have happened though.

One thing SO does very well and is very strict about is MAP.
It's a business model that's been very successful for a very long time. One that protects their dealers from being undercut by other dealers and or the factory itself.

Dealers still undercut each other if haggling is involved despite the flyer prices. Some are willing to go lower than others. One of my former co workers who spends a lot on the tool truck had a friend who worked at a shop served by a neighbouring Snap on dealer. That friend was apparently able to get a much better deal on a tool box. It's only the shop lists assigned to each dealer that prevent them from really undercutting each other. And then there's the used market which prices Snap on tools closer to their true market value.

 

[MooseCustomMotors]

If you are just talking about the adaptor, or even the sockets really I like the Matco ones. The Optitorque USA ones, not the ADV. The ADV ones are decent if you’re on a budget. I also have and have used Mac and Snap On. The Snap On would probably be my second favorite.

 

[Xcursion88]

Dealers still undercut each other if haggling is involved despite the flyer prices. Some are willing to go lower than others. One of my former co workers who spends a lot on the tool truck had a friend who worked at a shop served by a neighbouring Snap on dealer. That friend was apparently able to get a much better deal on a tool box. It's only the shop lists assigned to each dealer that prevent them from really undercutting each other. And then there's the used market which prices Snap on tools closer to their true market value.

A friend of a cousin third removed of an uncle.....

Whatever...lol..

On a tool box... traded? Dented? NOS and needing to rid of it...many variables with boxes.

Used... doesn't mean anything...anyone can sell whatever they want for however much used.


New....let's say on the subject at hand...swivel sockets....dealers must abide by the MAP or they won't be a dealer very long.

Snap-on dealers are in most places and it won't take long for word to get out of undercutting pricing.
Snap-on does NOT tolerate that.

It's a business model that's worked for a century for them

 

[purplezr2]

I have had craftsman and Matco with the pinless design. I like the Matco pinless design, I believe they have them in a cheaper brand under the same umbrella of companies, but maybe I'm thinking of it wrong.

 

[Professional Tool User]

A friend of a cousin third removed of an uncle.....

Whatever...lol..

On a tool box... traded? Dented? NOS and needing to rid of it...many variables with boxes.

Used... doesn't mean anything...anyone can sell whatever they want for however much used.


New....let's say on the subject at hand...swivel sockets....dealers must abide by the MAP or they won't be a dealer very long.

Snap-on dealers are in most places and it won't take long for word to get out of undercutting pricing.
Snap-on does NOT tolerate that.

What I am trying to say is that there are a lot of human and market dynamics involved when it comes to shopping on the Snap on truck. It isn't like going to a big box store where everyone pays the same sticker price. The dealer customer relationship and negotiations can result in discounts. Used Snap on tools are as good as new ones provided you know a Snap on guy who will warranty them. MAPs and price floors are not the same thing. High spending customers do have the leverage to get a bit of a discount at least every now and then. As for swivel impact MAPs, the Snap on guy at a previous shop I worked at had a discount bin full of them on his truck. That goes to show even Snap on sometimes has surplus inventory that it is trying to get rid of at significantly below list prices.

 

[nbpt100]

Does anyone have any insight into the Capri swivel impact sockets? I found this on line but no info on if they are pin style or the pinless?

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Capri-Tools-11-Piece-1-2-in-Drive-Universal-Impact-Socket-Set-13-24mm-Metric/1002328780

 

[nbpt100]

I have had craftsman and Matco with the pinless design. I like the Matco pinless design, I believe they have them in a cheaper brand under the same umbrella of companies, but maybe I'm thinking of it wrong.

I was trying to think who that cheaper brand under Matco may be. Fortive now ownes Matco. It may have been when Danaher owned them Pre 2016.

This link is a few years old but it does not show any other type of brand under Fortive that would carry such an item. However things can change fast.

Tool Brands: Who Owns What? A Guide to Corporate Affiliations

Which company owns which tool brands? Our guide shows which of your favorite tool brands are actually owned by other companies.

toolguyd.com

 

[Bockscar]

I got some a few months ago... blackhawk from Proto

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

My favorites are the Snap-on they are very durable and quality but of course if you aren’t a professional they may not be the best bang for your buck. SK is what I keep at home for stuff they are really good not sure if the quality is still the same though for them.

 

[nbpt100]

My favorites are the Snap-on they are very durable and quality but of course if you aren’t a professional they may not be the best bang for your buck. SK is what I keep at home for stuff they are really good not sure if the quality is still the same though for them.

Sk is a great USA brand. I know some are questioning what is going on with them now. I looked at them and they are about $600. That is too rich for my non pro budget.

I am leaning to the Capri if they are pinless.

I also found this Astro set that is pinless.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JBINE7W/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Xcursion88]

What I am trying to say is that there are a lot of human and market dynamics involved when it comes to shopping on the Snap on truck. It isn't like going to a big box store where everyone pays the same sticker price. The dealer customer relationship and negotiations can result in discounts. Used Snap on tools are as good as new ones provided you know a Snap on guy who will warranty them. MAPs and price floors are not the same thing. High spending customers do have the leverage to get a bit of a discount at least every now and then. As for swivel impact MAPs, the Snap on guy at a previous shop I worked at had a discount bin full of them on his truck. That goes to show even Snap on sometimes has surplus inventory that it is trying to get rid of at significantly below list prices.

I've already noted such but again...You're talking things that aren't the normal brand new item.
They run deals and get trades or packaging changes or...or...
"Trade in your _____ and get one of these "

All that stuff is irrelevant to my point. A poster said they didn't pay almost a grand for that meteic set and said maybe for both SAE abd Metric they paid that much.
My response was either they bought them in Vietnam era or something else...

But to say they got this...

Snap-on Store

shop.snapon.com

And

Snap-on Store

shop.snapon.com

Both of them for less than a grand just isn't true.

Used? Maybe...
Incomplete sets...? Maybe

Brand new off the truck no Snap-on dealer is cutting a thousand dollars off of both.

Again...not if they wish to be a dealer long term.

Trust me I know all the buddy relationship stuff with these guys. I own a shop and the money we spend is ridiculous one could say...

But not so much friendly that we get a half off discount on an item like those.

Truth be told that's probably the cost of those items to the dealer. Around a 100% profit

 

[KnurledNut]

I was trying to think who that cheaper brand under Matco may be. Fortive now ownes Matco. It may have been when Danaher owned them Pre 2016.

...

 

[Mr_B]

I've already noted such but again...You're talking things that aren't the normal brand new item.
They run deals and get trades or packaging changes or...or...
"Trade in your _____ and get one of these "

All that stuff is irrelevant to my point. A poster said they didn't pay almost a grand for that meteic set and said maybe for both SAE abd Metric they paid that much.
My response was either they bought them in Vietnam era or something else...

But to say they got this...

Snap-on Store

shop.snapon.com

And

Snap-on Store

shop.snapon.com

Both of them for less than a grand just isn't true.

Used? Maybe...
Incomplete sets...? Maybe

Brand new off the truck no Snap-on dealer is cutting a thousand dollars off of both.

Again...not if they wish to be a dealer long term.

Trust me I know all the buddy relationship stuff with these guys. I own a shop and the money we spend is ridiculous one could say...

But not so much friendly that we get a half off discount on an item like those.

Truth be told that's probably the cost of those items to the dealer. Around a 100% profit

The online prices are not even MAP price let alone non advertised pricing, I or no one I know paid close to 80 bucks each for a snapon 1/2" drive swivel impact socket ...

 

[Mr_B]

Sk is a great USA brand. I know some are questioning what is going on with them now. I looked at them and they are about $600. That is too rich for my non pro budget.

I am leaning to the Capri if they are pinless.

I also found this Astro set that is pinless.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JBINE7W/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Why you so set on pinless, I tend to find pinned seem work ot best long run .
for pinless the Astro set a pretty good choice .

 

[nbpt100]

I took Dennis's advice and went with the Astro Pneumatic set. I have no doubt the Snappy and SK are superior but I can not justify paying another $500 or more for something i will use occasionally. Thanks for all of the inputs.

MrB: From what I have been reading they say the pinless are more robust. Your experience may be to the contrary. IDK.

 

[Xcursion88]

The online prices are not even MAP price let alone non advertised pricing, I or no one I know paid close to 80 bucks each for a snapon 1/2" drive swivel impact socket ...

So you're saying you got a full set that I listed for around $500....?

By all means please introduce me to your Snap-on dealer.
PM me his number. I'd love to buy from him.

 

[infinite97]

Then you either bought them ages ago or your Snap on rep won't be around long....or you got a buy one get one deal but I doubt on swivel sockets. Stranger things have happened though.

One thing SO does very well and is very strict about is MAP.
It's a business model that's been very successful for a very long time. One that protects their dealers from being undercut by other dealers and or the factory itself.

Uh, no, as I said, you bought the massive set that includes a ton of unnecessary sizes. I didn’t.

Snap-on Store

shop.snapon.com

 

[nbpt100]

Just got my Astro nano-swivel set. It comes with a nice quality alum. rail. Very large markings that are easy to see. I oiled the swivels and am ready to use them. It goes from 12mm to 24mm with only 20 and 23 skipped. I have never used either of those sizes in my life. Having said that I may now encounter one. Right? Obviously, I can not comment much more until I use them but so far they seem like a great value.

Thanks.

 

[BarrelRoll]

I've been beating on a GP one for 2 years in the mining industry and it's survived well when my coworker's SK has exploded. If/ when it explodes I'll replace it with snapon. The warranty is super easy and their stuff is very durable. Anything I've broken I've started to replace with snapon, you can usually buy snapon once or something else twice though you usually don't end up replacing the snapon.

Swivel sockets are nice though some times you need a different depth than you have in a swivel or to use a hex or torx bit which is where having the stand alone swivel shines.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

Just got my Astro nano-swivel set. It comes with a nice quality alum. rail. Very large markings that are easy to see. I oiled the swivels and am ready to use them. It goes from 12mm to 24mm with only 20 and 23 skipped. I have never used either of those sizes in my life. Having said that I may now encounter one. Right? Obviously, I can not comment much more until I use them but so far they seem like a great value.

Thanks.

You're not likely to ever need 20 or 23mm.

I've needed 20mm once on a Jaguar fuel filter banjo bolt and 23mm twice on Mazda ball joint nuts. Both just standard sockets. I'm sure the set will serve you well.

 

[Handyandy23]

Just got my Astro nano-swivel set. It comes with a nice quality alum. rail. Very large markings that are easy to see. I oiled the swivels and am ready to use them. It goes from 12mm to 24mm with only 20 and 23 skipped. I have never used either of those sizes in my life. Having said that I may now encounter one. Right? Obviously, I can not comment much more until I use them but so far they seem like a great value.

Thanks.

You'll be happy with the Astro, I have a set and they have worked well for me. Nice blend of quality and affordability.

Their customer service is also top notch. They have a rep on the forum here (@Astro_Pneumatic_Tools) that has helped me out more than once on things he had no obligation to do, like when I lost one socket from my Nano set, or finding extra accessories and bits I couldn't find a place to order online.

 

[tak1313]

Torque Test Channel did a vid on testing impact swivels. Not sure if it meets your needs, but being Torque Test Channel, their objective was to see which swivel had the least amount of torque LOSS versus durability, but it did play into their testing if I recall.

I don't remember the exact ones, but it included pinned and pinless swivels. I THINK the end winner was a Sunex pinned swivel, but not sure, and don't have access to YT right now.

 

[39CAMC]

Back in the day (1990-ish) when I worked at commercial tire stores doing alignments and one needed a good 1/2 swivel for getting at pesty strut to spindle bolts, MAC was better than SO. I had two of the MAC's so in case I broke one, I had another to last until the next week when I saw the MAC guy.

I still have those two and use them quite often.

DaveW