12pt deep sockets?...you use em?

[90zcar]

Just wanted to get a general consensus from some people if you ever use 12pt deep metric sockets and what 12pt fastners do you use them for.
I have a set of 3/8" drive metric and SAE 12pt shallows and I honestly don't recall the last time I used them so I don't know if I ever really would need deep 12pt's
Only reason I'm asking is a guy I know said he would sell me this 12pt deep metric 3/8" drive craftsman USA set for $20 and it goes in size from 10mm-22mm. Think it only skips 20mm.



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[neuralsnafu]

I don't use em much. I prefer 6 pt

 

[defektes]

I never use my 12 pts, only on 12 pt fasteners, but at that price it does not hurt to have spares!

 

[Buckgnarly]

For 20?!?....who cares! Better to have and never need, than need and never have!

 

[rednotch]

you can buy the sae and metric 12ps set for under 20 if you have a sears outlet near you

it skips 11mm and goes from 10-19 still old usa sets

 

[wild cowboy]

the only place I trust 12 point not to round off fasteners is on really large sizes like 1-1/2" and bigger.

shallow vs. deep doesn't really enter into it

 

[beatcad]

3/8 i only have 6pt metric & sae and a extra set of sae 12pt shallow just in case and for 12pt bots.
i'm pretty sure 90% of my 1/2 sockets are 12pt.

at 20 bucks you cant go wrong.

 

[LXCam]

I use them all the time for ARP hardware. But other then those I stick with 6 pointers. If you don't want to buy them, I will .

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

If you don't live in the rust belt, 12pt should be fine. All my 12pt are shallow as I've never personally come across a 12pt nut, only 12pt bolt heads. My 1/2 deep MM sockets are 12pt (cheap Craftsman USA), but I rarely need deep 1/2" drive. The whole 6pt vs 12pt thing is blown out of proportion.

 

[cheechi]

I would buy that set for $20 if they look like they were manufactured properly.

Most of the common Taiwan socket sets have 6 pt shallow / 12 pt deeps for all 3 drive sizes, Kobalt, Husky, Blue Point/Williams, etc. Some do have the 1/2" shallows as 12pt. So I have some experience with 12pt deeps. I don't love them though I have not been through any kind of catastrophic problems with them.

 

[goodysgotacuda]

I only use 12pt if I don't have another option.

 

[Buckgnarly]

The whole 6pt vs 12pt thing is blown out of proportion.

Yeah, if you live in AZ!. Seriously, jealous of you guys in the SW, 6pt is WAY better up here.....unless they are 12pt bolts.

 

[neuralsnafu]

I take that back, I do use a 12pt 'deep' socket, but its like 36mm and its a 12pt nut for the rear axles of my car...

 

[Leadberry]

12 pt comes in handy if you have a bolt in a tight spot and need to put a breaker bar on it. I just ran into this situation yesterday with a motor mount. I haven't had any problems using 12 pt sockets on 17mm and up fasteners that aren't rusted too bad, though I still prefer 6 pt.

 

[BFHtime]

Before I purchased a set of 6 point mm 1/2" drive set of sockets, I got a good deal on a 12 point mm 1/2" set 10-32. I used these on 6 point nuts and bolts and never had a problem. I do go for the 6 points first usually. My 6 points only go up to 24mm, 25mm and up get the 12 point sockets. Even in the smaller sizes they fit pretty well, but usually would be using 3/8. My 6 points only go down to 12mm. When I have had to use a 10mm 1/2 drive, I used the 12 point. I would be cautious with already chewed up fasteners, but sometimes a 12 point works great on something already mangled, so the situation dictates.

 

[cheechi]

When I have had to use a 10mm 1/2 drive

I'd like to know more about this.

 

[djb2]

12 pt comes in handy if you have a bolt in a tight spot and need to put a breaker bar on it. I just ran into this situation yesterday with a motor mount. I haven't had any problems using 12 pt sockets on 17mm and up fasteners that aren't rusted too bad, though I still prefer 6 pt.

Get a breaker bar with a slightly rotated square drive. Even the Harbor Freight bar has this feature. Flipping the bar to the other side gets a different angle.
Even without that feature you get a different angle offset by rotating the socket 90 degrees on the square drive.

 

[90zcar]

I guess the main question I should of asked is how often do you run into a 12mm bit that is on a long stud


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[DJAMiller]

Most of my 1/2 drive stuff is 12 point SK that I got for a steal, I use them all the time on 6 point fasteners, I've never had a problem. I think the whole thing is blown out of proportion.

 

[Buckgnarly]

Most of my 1/2 drive stuff is 12 point SK that I got for a steal, I use them all the time on 6 point fasteners, I've never had a problem. I think the whole thing is blown out of proportion.

Refer to post #12.....

 

[JarheadBoom]

Yep... but I'm a helicopter mechanic, and I deal with 12pt fasteners (both nuts and bolts) many times a day.

 

[67King]

I use a deep 14mm 12 point on Porsche 944 con rods. Don't need deep, but I generally prefer a deep to a shallow and extension. That is the only place I recall having ever used them. And sadly, those &^*%ing rod bearings are consumable items, so they get changed out more than my gear oil (note American engineers >> German engineers...../rant).

 

[expfcwintergreen]

I was looking for 6 pt. metric chrome deep sockets in 1/2 inch drive on the Wright Tool site; they only have 12 pt. I have noticed that Wright tends to have a better selection of SAE tools, maybe because they think of themselves as an industrial tool supplier rather than automotive.

I will probably get Williams or maybe Snap-on since I need very few sizes.

 

[Buckgnarly]

Yep... but I'm a helicopter mechanic, and I deal with 12pt fasteners (both nuts and bolts) many times a day.

I never see 12pt nuts, that is the one obvious use for deep 12pt sockets. Is that an aviation thing?

 

[expfcwintergreen]

Yep... but I'm a helicopter mechanic, and I deal with 12pt fasteners (both nuts and bolts) many times a day.

==========

What is the reason for using 12 point fasteners on planes and helicopters?

 

[Kirbot]

12 point head bolts come to mind. I've been wanting to pick up a small set of 12 point 1/2 drive deeps just for that reason.


Normally I use 6 point sockets on 6 point fasteners. But I don't worry about it past 5/8" or so. I've never rounded off anything that big.

 

[Mastermind]

Toyota exhaust nuts the other day were 12 pt. glad I had some deep impacts. Got them mainly for head bolts on foreign cars. And the good old ford driveshaft bolts , arp bolts and studs. Also they sometimes get used on corroded and rounded nuts. Honda exhaust is a common one around me, they start life as 14 mm 6 pt nuts, had to pound on a 11 mm 12 pt on them before.

 

[JAKE-THE-TOOL-MAN]

Yup, on fords and 12 point fasteners

 

[Jim C.]

I have occasionally over the years, but I'd use 6 pointers when possible. The deep sockets in my first set of tools were 12 pointers so I have used them. They can be handy.

Jim C.

 

[stevekantercool]

I use 12pt and 6pt, std and met, deep and shallow, all the time. What I use depends on the application.

 

[nicksnothereman]

Just wanted to get a general consensus from some people if you ever use 12pt deep metric sockets and what 12pt fastners do you use them for.
I have a set of 3/8" drive metric and SAE 12pt shallows and I honestly don't recall the last time I used them so I don't know if I ever really would need deep 12pt's
Only reason I'm asking is a guy I know said he would sell me this 12pt deep metric 3/8" drive craftsman USA set for $20 and it goes in size from 10mm-22mm. Think it only skips 20mm.



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Deep I don't think I've bothered. I got a decent amount of stuff can't say that I'd actively look for 12 point in anything; just the way I work. Different strokes for different folks.

If you like 12 point 20 bucks ain't gonna break you.

I was surprised and disappointed that the recent taiwanese 1/2" sets at lowe's (kobalt) were 12 point (to my recollection). I lol'd the other sets are 6 point.

 

[JarheadBoom]

I never see 12pt nuts, that is the one obvious use for deep 12pt sockets. Is that an aviation thing?

==========

What is the reason for using 12 point fasteners on planes and helicopters?

Yep, aviation thing. Here's an example: NAS1804-8 nut; and here's an interesting cutaway photo of a few varieties of aviation hardware:

For a given bolt/stud major diameter, a 12pt nut has less material, so it's lighter. Not by much, of course, but when you multiply the weight savings by hundreds (sometimes thousands) of fasteners in a large aircraft, the pounds start to add up.
Also, the smaller diameter of the 12pt allows for [slightly] easier access to get a tool on it, in a cramped aircraft compartment.
They're also (usually) of much higher-strength materials, and MUCH MORE expensive than most of their 6pt relatives...

 

[90zcar]

Deep I don't think I've bothered. I got a decent amount of stuff can't say that I'd actively look for 12 point in anything; just the way I work. Different strokes for different folks.



If you like 12 point 20 bucks ain't gonna break you.



I was surprised and disappointed that the recent taiwanese 1/2" sets at lowe's (kobalt) were 12 point (to my recollection). I lol'd the other sets are 6 point.

Sorry maybe you could re-phrase that as it's hard for me to understand what you're saying


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[90zcar]

So I'm starting to believe I'm pretty much never going to use them just as I was kind of suspecting


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[Leaky88]

I'd buy them. HOWEVER, I always start with 6pt. Leaky

 

[wild cowboy]

Toyota exhaust nuts the other day were 12 pt.

what size nuts are these when new?

and what model & year?

 

[BK13]

Up until I bought impacts early this year, all I had was 12 point in my 1/2" drive stuff. Not that my 1/2" stuff gets used much...

 

[dnschmidt]

This question always amuses me, although I DO live in Arizona. Nobody gets all hot and bothered about 12pt wrenches, which are 98% of the market and which we all have and use everyday, normally without incident. Yet, 12pt sockets are the instruments of the devil. Why is that? Do none of you folks that live in the rust belt use box wrenches or ratcheting box wrenches? There are so many threads on here about those that it seems to me that most of you must. Isn't this incongruous with such venom directed at 12 pt. sockets. If 12pt is OK for your wrenches why is so bad for your sockets?

Wild Cowboy, I think you can go 12pt with modern flank drive for any bolt 3/4" or bigger without concern anywhere. Rusty smaller sizes your point could be valid but by the time you get to 19mm the 12 point sockets are grabbing a large amount of the bolt particularly with flank drive. I am originally from Pittsburgh so I know A LOT about rusty bolts (and Kroil) but I think for anything 19mm and above the case is vastly overstated.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I do not own ANY 12 point sockets !

I have yet to run into any 12 point nuts or bolts.

 

[mrjaw14]

I like to bust things loose with a breaker bar if it's a stuck fastener. I have modern 12pt sockets that drive the flats not the corners. Sometimes you can't get the breaker bar in the right spot for good leverage with a 6pt. I try 6pt first, and then break out the 12 pt if I need a different angle on it. Never had an issue with a modern 12pt socket

Also, all of my 1/2" deeps seem to be 12 pt. Have a hard time finding 6pt deep 1/2 that aren't impact...which I also have.

For $20, I'd buy it. less than a tank of gas for most people. Better to have it and not needed it than need it and not have it