Sae, what's the point?

buffalobill · Mar 12, 2017

I don't currently own any old vehicles, my Sae stuff collects dust. I keep noticing guys selling off Sae sets in the classified section. With my rides being an fj cruiser, BMW 330ci, and a Polaris rzr, can I cut the Sae loose and get away with it? Has this bitten anyone in the ***, and they have to go out and buy another set of Sae wrenches?

M6erfan · Mar 12, 2017

I wonder the same....Aside from the odd mower repair my SAE collects dust.

Of course as soon as I sell mine off I'll come across some vintage American muscle car iron I just have to have...

gdocktor3 · Mar 12, 2017

I guess you can keep only the SAE wrenches that metric doesn't fit, but selling off all your SAE will surely bite you in the *** one day. Most likely during an emergency and you're sitting there thinking "man, I really wish I still had that 7/16" wrench."

Sugarfryz · Mar 12, 2017

Every now and then you need it, some aftermarket parts have sae bolts. Honestly 99.9% of the time metric will be just fine. Comes into place rarely when a rusted bolt that was metric an sae now fits better

Jeremy77 · Mar 12, 2017

I work in industrial maintenance and SAE is about 95% of all that we use. It still has it's place just not in the world of most auto mechanics.

md21722 · Mar 12, 2017

I use SAE on a lot of equipment and even automotive tools.

Pullers, ball joint presses, and things like that are typically SAE.

Compressed air fittings are all SAE unless you're using European types.

I would only sell them if you won't be mad at yourself for having to re-purchase them if you need to.

white91formula · Mar 12, 2017

If you already own it and all its doing is sitting in a drawer i dont see anypoint of dumping it. For what youll get for it compared to the hassle youll have if you need it later. Id jst keep it unless you had a significant monetary investment youre looking to get back.

vavet · Mar 12, 2017

Household stuff is generally still SAE. Plumbing for sure. Usually you can get away with adjustable, but just keep it.

buffalobill · Mar 12, 2017

Since I'm just working on personal stuff, I was looking at repurposing the space they take up, and getting some other tools I might use more.

DetroitDIESEL444 · Mar 12, 2017

I work at a park system with 500+ vehicles and 1200+ pieces of equipment ranging from small passenger ferries and law enforcement boats, to dozers, cars, trucks, vans, and everything in between. We use both religiously, and i mainly repair medium straight trucks and use SAE primarily on the body and MM on the engines and transmissions. Keep it.

vjquan · Mar 12, 2017

For automotive work, SAE are useless now. For me, they only see use in household applications or low budget bicycles.

LXCam · Mar 12, 2017

And you call yourself an American?! Where's you pride son, show some damn pride in our heritage and go buy a 55 Chevy man so those tools don't go to waste. :lol:

Hell my sae stuff is out on a 3:1 average. There's no way I could even consider it.

jdlong · Mar 12, 2017

I too rarely use them anymore and there is no need for me to repeat the reasons above to keep your SAE. If anything, drop them in a tote and store them somewhere.

dr_clyde · Mar 12, 2017

I see this question often. This board must not work on much other than cars, and new ones at that.

I have tractors, boats, machine tools, a house, and a whole other litany of stuff that use SAE fasteners. That is not including my work, which is in an industrial environment, easily 50/50 metric and SAE.

Keep the tools. They will be useful in the future for at least another few decades.

toolenthusiast · Mar 12, 2017

Do you own a lawnmower? They're SAE...

matt_i · Mar 12, 2017

Its hard to believe the slight gain from selling a set of SAE tools, at a used-price-point is positively offset by ever getting into a situation where you don't have the right tool and must now buy a duplicate of what you had, in emergency mode, but now at new prices....

As mentioned anything industrial power-transmission related which uses inch-sized shafting is going to take SAE fasteners.

md21722 · Mar 12, 2017

buffalobill said:
Since I'm just working on personal stuff, I was looking at repurposing the space they take up, and getting some other tools I might use more.

Consider putting them in a box and taping the box shut. Put a label on the box that says "get rid of if still sealed on 3/12/2021".

Over time our interests shift and move and sometimes we end up coming back to needing things we haven't used in a few years. I sold some SAE stuff back in 2011 and by 2014 I had to buy some of it back and then some.

buffalobill · Mar 12, 2017

LXCam said:
And you call yourself an American?! Where's you pride son, show some damn pride in our heritage and go buy a 55 Chevy man so those tools don't go to waste.

Hell my sae stuff is out on a 3:1 average. There's no way I could even consider it.

Lol, born and raised around flint mich, that pride is long lost. Just got rid of my 2500hd last year, too much free exercise pushing it.

Citation · Mar 12, 2017

I don't use SAE that much since most of what I'll work on are cars. However, lot's of things still haven't made the switch. It often has to do with how long the life cycle is for a product. For example, the engines in a C-130 were designed in the 1950s. I'm guessing those Alison turboprops are still SAE. I worked for a surgical robotics company. All the hardware was SAE. I would also believe that many industrial applications are SAE, especially when dealing with older US made hardware.

T45 · Mar 12, 2017

buffalobill said:
I don't currently own any old vehicles, my Sae stuff collects dust. I keep noticing guys selling off Sae sets in the classified section. With my rides being an fj cruiser, BMW 330ci, and a Polaris rzr, can I cut the Sae loose and get away with it? Has this bitten anyone in the ***, and they have to go out and buy another set of Sae wrenches?

Yep, I just added SAE over the last year...The expensive stuff for me was needing tap/die, rethreaders, bits sockets, and all of that. It added alot of space as well as expense. A basic socket or wrench set is not that hard to keep around.

More of a judgement call is if you need duplicates or variations of wrenches and sockets--ie, beyond just simple coverage of each size with one wrench or socket. I try to keep the product focus more limited with SAE...with metric it seems you cannot have enough choices.

Most of my SAE needs are not hard to reach applications, tho.

T45 · Mar 12, 2017

Citation said:
I'm guessing those Alison turboprops are still SAE. I worked for a surgical robotics company. All the hardware was SAE. I would also believe that many industrial applications are SAE, especially when dealing with older US made hardware.

yep, entire industries are still SAE ... so once you cross paths with one

mudflap · Mar 12, 2017

I think JD and MD have the best idea...If you really never use them toss them in a tool bag to get them out of your box... I still use SAE all the time.. County equipment..

Zeeman · Mar 12, 2017

I guess I'm always working on something that is not metric: Harley, small engines, power tools, to name a few. I would not dare get rid of mine.

pstemari · Mar 12, 2017

I probably use inch tooling 75-80% of the time: most machine tools, wood working tools, plumbing, electronics, that's all inch.

Metric: car, bike, most of the new metal lathe, horizontal band saw.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

SuperCat · Mar 12, 2017

I own a mid-90's Ford, which happens to be mostly metric. I always have SAE tools on hand to compare the fit on the fastener if it feels a little loose. I figure saving myself the grief of rounding a fastener is worth the extra time. Since I don't work on vehicles for a living, I'm not fast anyway, but I don't screw stuff up either. My vote is keep the SAE tools, and take the extra time to use the tool that fits best. In the end it will save time and your sanity.

mudflap · Mar 12, 2017

SuperCat said:
I own a mid-90's Ford, which happens to be mostly metric. I always have SAE tools on hand to compare the fit on the fastener if it feels a little loose. I figure saving myself the grief of rounding a fastener is worth the extra time. Since I don't work on vehicles for a living, I'm not fast anyway, but I don't screw stuff up either. My vote is keep the SAE tools, and take the extra time to use the tool that fits best. In the end it will save time and your sanity.

Good point...I know 14mm is a better 9/16, and 19mm is a better 3/4...but what have you found that is the other way around..? Where the SAE fits better on a metric fastener..

MikeF2316 · Mar 12, 2017

jdlong said:
I too rarely use them anymore and there is no need for me to repeat the reasons above to keep your SAE. If anything, drop them in a tote and store them somewhere.

I agree with this. Oxy-fuel stuff uses SAE. Pretty much any pipe thread application is still SAE. Plus even in Canada, SAE fasteners are more common, have better selection of sizes and types that metric when you go to buy them.

65k10 · Mar 12, 2017

I do maintenance and repair on our farm's equipment. It's a mix of old and more recent. Metric is getting more common, but I still find myself using SAE more than metric. I'd say keep what SAE you have and stick it away in the event you run into it.

smokeyburb · Mar 12, 2017

In a pinch I've used 6- or 12-point SAE wrenches (or sockets) to remove torx head fasteners. Can't justify buying a torx socket set for one-off repairs.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

T45 · Mar 12, 2017

mudflap said:
Good point...I know 14mm is a better 9/16, and 19mm is a better 3/4...but what have you found that is the other way around..? Where the SAE fits better on a metric fastener..

8, 16, 24, 32mm are all more sug on SAE equivalents

(all multiples of 5/16 vs 8mm)

27 vs 1 1/16 is a perfect fitment swap

1/2 is more snug on 13mm, when the 13mm is limit spec small or rounded.

YMMV of course as toleraces of particular wrenches and fasters may not always work.

The ones that are close but not quite iMHO are 17 vs 11/16 and 13/16 vs 21, they are best avoided mixing up...same also for 10mm vs 3/8 and 5 or 6 mil for 7/32...round off city...or plain don't fit

1961MGA · Mar 12, 2017

I work as an industrial electrician and millwright. We use both, but it's always frustrating when someone retaps a metric thread with sae or vice versa.

BIG BACCHUS · Mar 12, 2017

Citation said:
I don't use SAE that much since most of what I'll work on are cars. However, lot's of things still haven't made the switch. It often has to do with how long the life cycle is for a product. For example, the engines in a C-130 were designed in the 1950s. I'm guessing those Alison turboprops are still SAE. I worked for a surgical robotics company. All the hardware was SAE. I would also believe that many industrial applications are SAE, especially when dealing with older US made hardware.

Pretty much everything in the aircraft industry is SAE except for maybe foreign manufacturers. (But I've been told Airbus has some SAE, as well.)

Yarpo · Mar 12, 2017

Firetrucks are almost all SAE stuff, so In the odd event you become an EVT, you'd be screwed

That said I run into a handful of SAE stuff on one of my older cars (2002) and you never know what projects you might tackle for friends or family. Always good to have the tools around in my opinion

buffalobill · Mar 12, 2017

Yarpo said:
Firetrucks are almost all SAE stuff, so In the odd event you become an EVT, you'd be screwed

That said I run into a handful of SAE stuff on one of my older cars (2002) and you never know what projects you might tackle for friends or family. Always good to have the tools around in my opinion

Your ride is a bmw 2002?

94_C/1500 · Mar 12, 2017

I own and work older stuff. I wouldn't care if SAE was 100% obesolete I'd keep them. How many guys collect those old odd drive size tools, or those really odd old SAE sizes? I own a '75, '82, '94, and '03 model vehicles. Except for the '03, my vehicles have SAE. My '94 has both so that's lots of fun. I know the US is getting away from its own measurement system but you'd be crazy to give up your SAE stuff, even if you only do dealership work. People still bring older cars in. It will be a very odd world when the seasoned mechanic with his big box overflowing of tools needs to borrow a 1/2 inch wrench. Or when SAE is tucked away in shop toolroom marked as a speciality tool.

jeeper46 · Mar 12, 2017

you'llllllllll beeeeee sorryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!

dbabicky · Mar 12, 2017

I could never get rid of my SAE tools. I have 2 older tractors, a 1975 Jeep J-10 pick-up, and too many pieces of older equipment.

Jim C. · Mar 12, 2017

I'm into mid 1960s Corvettes and pre 1960 Delta machinery, so SAE is a must. Not only will I keep all my SAE tools, I'll likely keep adding more SAE tools to my collection. I guess it all depends on what you work on.

Jim C.

Ign · Mar 12, 2017

This Craftsman mid chest came w 1/4-20 hardware to anchor it to the lower cabinet. Purchased new a few months ago.

1-2-3 blocks: tapped 3/8-16
2-4-6 blocks: tapped 5/8-11
common vertical mill toe clamps: 1/2-13
common vertical mill drawbars: 7/16-20 thread and require a 3/4" wrench

They're your tools though, do whatever you want. Good luck.

Ign · Mar 12, 2017

smokeyburb said:
In a pinch I've used 6- or 12-point SAE wrenches (or sockets) to remove torx head fasteners. Can't justify buying a torx socket set for one-off repairs.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

Burrito? E-torx I guess?

Sae, what's the point?

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

ALLIANCE MEMBER

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member