3/4" or 1" Drive

[thertel]

I've got a complete 1/4 and 3/8 metric and SAE set and my 1/2 drive goes to 1-1/2 in SAE and 36mm in metric. I'm starting to dabble in heavy truck/farm equipment and am trying to decide if I should get 3/4" drive tools or just skip it and move to 1". Mainly I'd hate to get a 3/4 set and then wind up needing stuff in 1" down the road due to the large overlap in sizes. Any thoughts? Am I overlooking something important.

Thanks,

Tom

 

[ocloc24]

I did heavy equipment for a while and I went 3/4 drive. 1" is just so so expensive. Plus it was easier as I already had 3/4" gun, ratchet, and breaker bar. I also had a 1" gun and usually just stepped down to 3/4" from that. You can always just get the big one off sizes as you need them, it's definitely not cost effective to get a complete 1" set.

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[Sycan]

I did heavy equipment for a while and I went 3/4 drive. 1" is just so so expensive. Plus it was easier as I already had 3/4" gun, ratchet, and breaker bar. I also had a 1" gun and usually just stepped down to 3/4" from that. You can always just get the big one off sizes as you need them, it's definitely not cost effective to get a complete 1" set.

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Agree with him, I am currently running a service truck working on equipment and big trucks. My air-cat 3/4 impact is rated for 1600 ft/lbs I believe, and I have 3/4 sockets up to maybe 2 1/2" then they jump up to 1" drive and I use an adapter

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[Musicinabottle]

Nother vote for 3/4 drive. 3/4 is powerful expensive, 1 inch is rabid expensive.

 

[AngryBeaver]

I use 3/4" on my service truck up to 2-7/8". have a 4' ratchet. don't use the impact much out in the field, but I've never had a "need" for 1" I do have a few sockets that are 1" I've picked up at pawn shops and what not, and have just gotten adapters to go up or down if needed

as others have stated, 3/4" is affordable. 1" is retarded.

 

[thertel]

I appreciate the input. As a follow on question, should I just get the 3/4 in impact rated sockets as opposed to standard chrome?

 

[AngryBeaver]

Ive been using OLD craftsman, Mac, Proto, bonney 3/4 non impact with an impact for years. most of the time though, its my 4' ratchet to break them loose. like I said, I don't use the impact much unless I'm at the shop and then its normally still 1/2"

Impact sockets are generally thicker and a few of my sockets that are metric are impacts. its caused some clearance issues in the past on equipment..

food for thought, your milage may vary

 

[WittHay]

Working on farm equipment, you don't need 1" drive. You actually need 3/4 drive on fasteners smaller than you think, if the equipment has been sitting outside for years.

The chrome 3/4" drive 12-point sockets give more clearance on smaller fasteners than the 6-point impact sockets.

The trouble with trucks is taking off the wheels, do some research on google, you tube, whatever. Some guys take them off with 1/2" impacts, or 3/4" ratchets with cheater pipes or torque multipliers. Tire shops use 1" drive impacts

 

[sk farmer]

i agree with most. 3/4 is just so much more common and economical to buy. i have a large assortment of standard and metric 3/4 drive stuff in hand and impact sockets. the only time i have issues is when removing large truck and tractor tires. i picked up a 1 inch impact and use a reducer with 3/4 impact sockets. no issues so far.

 

[AngryBeaver]

yeah, basically the only thing I use the 3/4 impact for is for semi wheels. everything else in 3/4 is by hand. I find myself using bigger wrenches on equipment more than sockets for hyd lines and fittings. most non semi and tractor stuff doesn't need 1"

I used to have a tq wrench I only used it with a 6' pipe for using a torque multiplier on a 400hp diesel forestry mower with a 4' diameter stump cutter wheel belt. the tq spec was 680ft lbs and the multipler was 4:1.

that's the only time I've ever used or had the need for a 1" drive anything. those tools look cool to show your buddies but are about useless for most practical work

 

[sberry]

I make it without inch.

 

[fatfillup]

I am in the 3/4 camp also. I sell to a lot to truck and equipment mechanics and almost none buy 1 inch drive.

 

[ken w.]

I'm going to agree with the 3/4". I stopped working on anything bigger than C-60 dump trucks and I really could get by with 1/2". I've never broken a 3/4" socket using it on an impact or breaker bar with pipe. If it wont move than it's time for some heat. If I need 1" drive on a piece of equipment I'm not working on it.

 

[RedneckWelder]

Re: 3/4" or 1" Drive

I don't deal in trucks or ag but you do need some 1" stuff for heavy equipment. Usually it's for undercarriage or cutting edges or similar. Sometimes for hyd cylinder nuts (many are torqued way beyond what a 1" gun will do tho) For most else you can get by with a good strong 3/4", so I'd reserve buying a 1" for when you need it, or you come across a screaming deal on a 1" gun

If you run into something 3/4 won't budge you can heat it cherry red with a torch let it cool and take it out with a 1/2 gun (usually). You will have to replace the fastener in this case.






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[John in OH]

I do quite a bit of work on farm equipment and have sets of 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, and 3/4. On VERY rare occasions I've found a use for 1" drive, but could never justify its cost vs. needed use. My compromise was to buy a 1" breaker bar, an 8" long 1" drive extension, and half-a-dozen very common size 1" drive sockets. I use the breaker bar only to break loose then switch to 3/4" ratchet and sockets from that point on. No need for a complete set of 1" drive ..... way over-kill.

 

[Rileysan]

Another vote for 3/4" drive. On the rare occasion I've needed a bigger size, I bought a 3/4" to 1" adapter to use on the two, 1" drive sockets I needed to buy over the past 20 years.

Brian

 

[B_Bimmer]

Both, obviously, all you guys are out of the garage journal club.


In all seriousness inch drive can be had crazy cheap if you keep your eyes open just because everyone goes with 3/4". Having the right size for the inch gun results in it hitting harder.

 

[sberry]

I can see scoring a screaming deal on an inch gun, get a socket or 2 you need. You probably don't need every size they ever invented for it. I got an inch breaker bar with adapter stuck on it I have used on occasion working on oil wells and before I had a hot 3/4 gun. Most people are not working on pumping units.
If you are just entering and fiddling then its different than outfitting a busy shop where time could be big money. If I was going to start over would get a China flea mkt set and replace the ratchet and add a big breaker bar. I would see how far that got me before I tossed big money at it.

 

[Tennessee Cattleman]

Wright makes a heavy duty breaker bar in 3/4", called a Bull Bar, the name fits it well. I use it with mostly china-made sockets and sometimes a Wright extension on farm equipment.

 

[sberry]

Yup. Fixing a few things is different than a tire shop. I ran across a tight bolt the other day, didn't even have to really hammer on it with a bigger tool. I need 3/4 once in a while to knock something apart.

 

[sberry]

I should sell a plumbing job to a local tire store. Their air and water are a super drag for the lack of a few pieces of equipment and piping across the shop. They had a guy changing a tractor tire using air from a V8 pickup cause they don't have enough hose to reach shop air on that side of the building. Its a good store but the utility execution is pitiful.

 

[bob15]

3/4" for farm equipment is all you need. The multi-piece Snap On ratchet & breaker bar set-up is very nice way to go. Look for used sockets.

 

[Finky198]

Yup 3/4 drive stuff for 95% of the big jobs we do. We have 3/4 drive chrome and impacts. In 1" inch drive we only have a 1/2 dozen or so sockets and very rarely do we brake them out they are all impacts...

 

[JohnDeere1]

I bought my 3/4 Wright socket set from a pawn shop for $100 sae and metric up to 2 1/2 and 85mm it don't have the the small sizes under 30 or 32mm or 1 1/4? Not sure on sizes as ivy never needed it and never will the ratchet is huge my father gave me a NOS BlackHawk USA 3/4 breaker bar I've never used it neither. I'm only a home gamer the sockets are like new still I may end up selling it all for more room if anyone remembers my tool box tour they know my box is beyond crammed.

 

[plinker]

The one exception to having 1" drive would be having to use a larger socket then what is available in 3/4 drive. I have a 3-1/8" 1" drive socket I used regularly with the log loaders I worked on. An adapter to go from 3/4 to 1" worked fine for the application.

 

[thertel]

So I decided on the 3/4" and put out some feelers with buddies and had some luck. Scored a UTC USA made 18" t-handle and a 36" snappie handle with breaker bar head. It cost me lunch and and few hours of my time this evening doing repairs on an old timers septic system while talking about his younger days. Outflow pump and float switch died of seal failure, so we drove into town, grabbed a new pump with replaceable cord and float all integrated into one unit, grabbed some Mighty Fine for supper, and got it installed and made sure everything pumped out.

Good times.

Many thanks for the advice everyone, you definitely got me set straight.

 

[Finky198]

Good deal I have the 1/2" snap on 36" bar and a 3/4 adapter it's an excellent tool. Enjoy

 

[d.mcfarland]

I've got a brand new SK ratchet for sale in the link below if you are interested.

For automotive use I have never had the need to use it over the lat year so no reason to keep it.