Now I have another tool to add to the want list!Uh oh, this thread is going to dip into my wallet.
What the general recommendation on the package (sets) to get?
Ya ya ya whatever.... I seriously doubt the "some of their competitors" comment. There is just no way that brands such as Facom, Beta, Hazet Stahlwille, Proto et al have a less accurate fit than SO. Some fly by night tool maker who sells 3/8 socket sets for less than $10; maybe then I would agree with that statement.
BTW - better get back to mixing some in the kitchen because your Kool Aid pitcher is empty
Damn! You beat me to it!
Those are the things to use on rounded fasteners. I don't get the 6 point/12 point argument when considering old or rusted fasteners. Either they grip or they don't. I guess some will feel more confident with the 6 point on a rust fastener... but the interior points of a 12 point contact the flats of a fastener too. I just don't see how either 6 or 12 can round a fastener now that just about every socket contacts a fastener on teh flats instead of the corners...
That said, I still reach for my 6 points first - mostly because I like them.
No problem! If everyone will go back and delete their quotes of my posts, I'll go back and delete all of my posts; it'll be like I was never here.
What does that mean?
To see the complete write up look up "socket wrench" (Which by the way was invented and patented in 1863).Direct quote from the Wikipedia.....sums it up pretty well IMO.
" 6-point vs 12-point
Modern nuts and bolt heads are made with hexagonal gripping surfaces and as such limit the number of positions a wrench can adopt when placed over them. Sockets are produced in 6-point (hexagonal) and 12-point (double-hexagonal) configurations. When working in a confined area with limited turning space, 12-point sockets double the number of starting positions. 6-point sockets, however, offer a better grip on fittings and are less likely to slip and round off the corners with continued use and are generally preferred for damaged nuts and bolts. Simply stated: 12-point sockets are faster, six-point sockets are more secure. The majority of good quality "homeowner" socket sets come with 12-point sockets, which are perfectly adequate for almost all uses. Professional mechanics will generally prefer the 6-points sockets."
Direct quote from the Wikipedia.....sums it up pretty well IMO.
" 6-point vs 12-point
Modern nuts and bolt heads are made with hexagonal gripping surfaces and as such limit the number of positions a wrench can adopt when placed over them. Sockets are produced in 6-point (hexagonal) and 12-point (double-hexagonal) configurations. When working in a confined area with limited turning space, 12-point sockets double the number of starting positions. 6-point sockets, however, offer a better grip on fittings and are less likely to slip and round off the corners with continued use and are generally preferred for damaged nuts and bolts. Simply stated: 12-point sockets are faster, six-point sockets are more secure. The majority of good quality "homeowner" socket sets come with 12-point sockets, which are perfectly adequate for almost all uses. Professional mechanics will generally prefer the 6-points sockets."
