1/4 impact universals

[mountain_man]

My matco guy has a promo going on some 3/8 swivel impact sockets where you get a 1/4 swivel impact set free. I am wondering who uses 1/4 impact swivels and where they shine in automotive use.

Thanks

 

[Rlfd213]

I use them. I have both the impact and chrome and honestly the chromes kind of ****. The impacts work well with impacts or hand tools.

 

[Sterff]

I have a set of Sunex metric and S&K sae. I use them a lot in small spaces. I actually use them more than my 3/8 drive. Id agree that the chrome ones are no good. They bind up a lot.

 

[[email protected]]

I have the 1/4 pinless impact sockets and use them all the time. Mostly with hand ratchets. They are much better universals then the chrome type.

 

[Richard Cranium]

I have 1/4 impact sockets, and chrome universal sockets, but I don't have any impact universal sockets.

 

[bcradio]

I use the 1/4 impact swivels way more than the chrome 1/4 swivels. They are stiffer and don't flop around as much when used with hand tools and are excellent with power tools (which is mainly where i use them)

 

[Wamsutta]

I use them. I have both the impact and chrome and honestly the chromes kind of ****. The impacts work well with impacts or hand tools.

Which brand of chromes do you have and why do they ****? Very curious.

 

[Vbtech]

I have the 1/4 impact swivels. I swore they would be useless as 1/4 impact anything sounds just dumb. But after using them I found many of uses for them. I mainly use them for tight areas where a regular 1/4 swivel would bind up.

 

[Finky198]

Do you find the impacts have more fitment issues then the chrome?

Or is it the range of the swivel design that make them more useful?

I have 1/4, 3/8 chrome in partial sets and full set of 3/8 impact universals. I've thought about 1/4, 1/2 impact univ but held off for 1/2 drive a quality impact swivel adapter works fine but not so much in the smaller drives...

 

[Rlfd213]

Wasamatta I have MAC chrome swivels and snap on impacts. I do occasionally use the chromes because they do serve a purpose. They just don't perform as well as the impacts do.

 

[ssdave]

I feel that the chrome work as well, within the same limitations as the impact. The impact don't flex as much, so they don't bind. If you use the chromes within the same range of motion, they work as well. If you bend them the full range of motion they provide, they bind and don't move as smoothly.

 

[Dan_s_young]

I have some select sizes of both the impact swivels and chrome swivel 1/4" (snap-on). One application that comes to mind is 8mm driveshaft fasteners on some jeeps, you should see how much time is saved using a 1/4" 8mm impact swivel socket... The chrome sockets are amazing for very tight work, they can bind up, but only at extreme angles. They both serve a purpose and both have many applications that pop up. If your a professional mechanic it's worth it, if you don't work flat rate you can get by without them.

 

[pi_guy]

I have both sets and chrome in 6 and 12 point for over 35 years.
I swear by the 1/4 flex chromes they have bailed me out for years. The SO ones anyway, have tried the others and they do not compare.
I rarely use impacts as I want to feel the force needed to remove or replace a fastener, as I work mostly with small sizes often in cramped and tight locations.