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Thanks for the recommendation!

I'd like to round out my socket collection with a nice palm ratchet, and the MAC 3/8" XR1 GL seems like it would fit the bill nicely. But I would definitely want to clean the internals of any used ratchet I buy, and I haven't been able to find out if this ratchet can be disassembled for...

Thanks for the advice. I, too, live in the rust belt. Had to remove a hub assembly from a steering knuckle recently and it was so rusted that my 3/8" breaker bar almost wasn't enough.

I actually just bought a set of 6pt and 12pt combination wrenches. That was my last purchase before realizing I had blown through my paycheck. I got 6mm - 20mm. I'm going to hold off on the ratcheting ones as I see them as a convenience that I can't quite afford at the moment. When I do get...

That's one thing I'm learning from the post - that it really depends on what you're doing. And what I'm usually doing is working on my car. I'm sure my tool box will grow organically as I do more and more jobs. But for now, I'm feeling comfortable in my choice to start with 3/8.

Wow, that's amazing to hear. What a testament to the new gen ratchets.

Thanks for the tips. I do already have a short 3/8" ratchet. It's a used MAC Tools XR1 that I recently found. But I don't think I have anything nearly as long as that Proto XL. I assume that they've done what they can to increase the force it can take on the anvil. As someone was saying...

Thank you for the recommendation. I had heard about Ridgid once before, but I had since forgotten about them. Okay, I think you guys are swaying my opinion :)

That's fair. I suppose there's a time and place for every different type of tool.

Wow. Thank you very much for the detailed feedback. Your second bullet point was eye-opening. It's great to have an idea of the ballpark failure point for these types of tools. And I don't think I could ever achieve that force in most situations without a cheater pipe, so as long as I keep...

My general problem with cordless tools is that they're not built to last and the manufacturers stop producing the batteries (or change to a differently shaped battery for their next line of tools) so you're left with inferior aftermarket batteries if the tool actually does outlast the battery...

I hadn't even considered impact sockets yet. I don't have an air compressor so I just assumed I'd be doing all my work by hand. But when I start to fill in the 1/2" drive set, I'll have to decide if I'm going to continue with hand tools or jump to air tools. Thanks for bringing that to my...

A lot of good stuff here. Thanks for sharing. I wouldn't have thought that breaker bars would get broken so much. But I guess you're doing it right if you're protecting the ratchets which are more expensive. Since I've already filled out my 3/8" drive set, I'll probably end up in the same...

Thanks for the insight. I didn't realize that 1/2" drive used to be the go-to drive size. I guess it makes sense to use the larger drive where possible. Less chance of damaging your tools.

Thanks, I'm glad to hear that. I was going to get some 1/4" sockets next just because they're cheaper than 1/2".

I'm a weekend warrior who is slowly building his socket collection, and I started with 3/8" drive since that's what I use the most when working on my car. Some day, I'll bite the bullet and get a nice 1/2" drive socket set, but I've spent all the money I can for now so it'll have to wait a bit...

That would be interesting if I find some France ones. But it sounds like I should expect them to be USA. Thanks for the feedback, folks.

Great. Thanks. Sounds like if I buy used ones, I should be fine then.

When looking for used SK sockets, I'm wondering if I have to look for anything in particular if I want to only buy American made ones. Were they ever made anywhere else? Is there anything else to keep in mind when buying used SK sockets, as far as quality goes? Thanks in advance.

Are all SK sockets made in the USA? Or have they started producing any overseas? I'd like to keep my socket set USA made. So if I can't be sure about the newer SK sockets, I may opt for Armstrong. EDIT: Answered in another thread...