9/16" 1/2" drive Socket Contact Points

I'm back with yet another post showing the contact points of sockets. In this case I'm showing 9/16" 1/2" drive sockets. I have some 3/8" drive sockets that'll come in another post in a couple of weeks. The 9/16" nuts were obtained from McMaster-Carr. The sockets are a mix of a few new but mostly used. I wish I had all new sockets but some of these aren't made anymore. Most of the sockets are mine but the first eight are from board members.

You could call this the "Stuff You'd Find at a Garage sale or Flea Market" collection. Most of the sockets here, that are mine, came from my local flea markets.

Beelsr and Lwlobo were the members who loaned me sockets in this test. Thanks guys!!! No give aways with this one folks.

***I'm assuming all the sockets are USED!***

I tried a new technique for photographing the sockets on numbers 2+. I thought it came out better than the previous methods. Some of the sockets are pretty dark one the inside and made getting the walls tough. Sockets 7 and 16 are impacts I believe. If you have approximate dates on any of these sockets please let me know. If there is no Country of Origin in the description it was made in the USA.

Here's the lineup of sockets:
1. Metrinch 12pt 14mm & 9/16" loaned by Lwlobo


2. Metrinch Lobed 14mm & 9/16" No COO loaned by Lwlobo


3. Craftsman =V= 12 pt loaned by Beelsr


4. Craftsman Laser Print 6 pt loaned by Beelsr


5. Proto Pro 5418 12 pt loaned by Beelsr


6. Armstrong ST1218 12 pt loaned by Beelsr


7. Cornwell 23 12 pt loaned by Beelsr


8. Harbor Freight Spline COO Taiwan loaned by Beelsr


9. Collins Tool 12 pt COO Taiwan


10. Fleet 1018 12 pt


11. Stanley Pro 86-46412 12 pt


12. Husky CT-1218 12 pt


13. Wright 4118 date code T 12 pt


14. Hornet 84218 12 pt


15. OTC 118 12 pt


16. Cornwell B-3218 6 pt


17. Wizard H2660 12 pt


18. SK 40118 6 pt


19. Proto Pro 5418 12 pt


20. Challenger 1618H 6 pt


21. Kobalt 12 pt

Here are the pictures of the socket's imprints on the nuts. These nuts are Grade 5 and from McMaster-Carr. The part number is 95462A031. Dykem layout fluid was used. Each test nut was torqued to 30 ft-lbs using a Harbor Freight 1/2" torque wrench which is the standrd dry torque of 3/8"-16 bolts. The test apparatus is a bolt with several nuts on it, a washer, and the test nut. The test apparatus was held by my Prentiss vise like in the 13mm thread.

Each test nut was torqued three times with the socket in a different orientation each time. This was done to give an average pattern from each socket. The test nut was then removed by loosening the nut below the washer to avoid any more imprints on the test nuts.

1. Metrinch 12pt 14mm & 9/16" loaned by Lwlobo


2. Metrinch Lobed 14mm & 9/16" loaned by Lwlobo
Remember how in the 13mm thread this style socket didn't leave much of a trace? Well, this one has been used and the coating inside started flaking off. When it flakes off you get this...


3. Craftsman =V= 12 pt loaned by Beelsr


4. Craftsman Laser Print 6 pt loaned by Beelsr


5. Proto Pro 5418 12 pt loaned by Beelsr


6. Armstrong ST1218 12 pt loaned by Beelsr


7. Cornwell 23 12 pt loaned by Beelsr


8. Harbor Freight Taiwan Spline loaned by Beelsr


9. Collins Tool 12 pt


10. Fleet 1018 12 pt


11. Stanley Pro 86-46412 12 pt


12. Husky CT-1218 12 pt


13. Wright 4118 date code T 12 pt


14. Hornet 84218 12 pt


15. OTC 118 12 pt


16. Cornwell B-3218 6 pt


17. Wizard H2660 12 pt


18. SK 40118 6 pt


19. Proto Pro 5418 12 pt


20. Challenger 1618H 6 pt


21. Kobalt 12 pt



I'll admit to being pretty surprised by a lot of these sockets. I initially thought "No radiused corners. So, most all of these are going to contact on the corners." After completeing the tests though a lot of them don't. They bear on the faces right next to or going up to the corners. I'm not sure what to think about that. Any ideas?

As always, if you have comments or questions let me know.

Enjoy,

David

I am most surprised by the "Noname Taiwan". No pushing on the corners. After your last test I went out and purchased some Mentrich sockets. They seemed to have great contact points. This time around they look to be contacting at a decent point again. On your next test it would be get if you could try some 6pt Nepros. I would like to see how they compare to the others. Maybe a high-end test where you try, Snap On, Stahlwille, Hazet, Nepros, Koken and a few others. Wishful thinking

Anyway thanks for providing this great service to GJ!

EDIT: PS thanks to Beelsr for donating/loaning and helping this happen..

about damn time you got this done...

the no-name splines are HF.

the 12 pointers seem to go for the edges....

beelsr said:

about damn time you got this done...

the no-name splines are HF.

the 12 pointers seem to go for the edges....

Click to expand...

Bah, if I posted all these in a week what would I post next month?

I've updated the name to show HF.

Yeah, they go for the corners but some imprint wider than I'd have expected.

Any other comments? Usually I get at least two pages out of these!

DavidB said:

I'll admit to being pretty surprised by a lot of these sockets. I initially thought "No radiused corners. So, most all of these are going to contact on the corners." After completeing the tests though a lot of them don't. They bear on the faces right next to or going up to the corners. I'm not sure what to think about that. Any ideas?

As always, if you have comments or questions let me know.

Enjoy,

David

Click to expand...

Perhaps because the test subject (the nut) is brand new? Perhaps the result would be different if you engaged a fastener that's been abused / rounded?


Nepros has been tested to be the most fastener-friendly socket (leaving little to no marring on the fastener after a load test) for both 6pt and 12pt sockets over all major name brands available from around the world.