Are Mid-depth Sockets Useful??

[CutterFarms]

If I like a tool or the idea of a tool I usually just buy it and wait till a situation where I needed it for that job. Otherwise you are out searching for a tool in the middle of a job and I hate to have to do that.

 

[R-Savage]

I'm thinking of a 3/8 drive intermediate socket set in metric. I can see how they would be very useful.

 

[wafrederick]

Yes.I have a set and the 18mm has come in handy when removing bellhousing bolts from the top in Chrysler Concordes and Dodge Intrepids.A deep socket does not fit in the area very well and the shallow,not enough to get over the stud part.

 

[Pipe]

Hell when I start working on any car, my metric 3/8 semi deep set is right next to me. I just prefer it to save knuckles and after using them for so long, I almost never need a real deep socket.

 

[M6erfan]

thinking about this more, I cant remember ever seeing european tool makers offering mid length sockets. Hazet, Facom, Stahwille, etc. I've never seen any. Is this more of an asian/american phenomenon?

Maybe they're out there, but I cant find 'em...

 

[stage20]

to all the people that dont need them, or dont have a use for them or never whatever.....buy a set and i bet you use them.


mine are well used. newer gm stuff i use my mids all the time.
i dont have a metric set yet, but i have a set of SAE mid deep wobble impacts and i use the hell out of them.

 

[BK13]

thinking about this more, I cant remember ever seeing european tool makers offering mid length sockets. Hazet, Facom, Stahwille, etc. I've never seen any. Is this more of an asian/american phenomenon?

Maybe they're out there, but I cant find 'em...

One of them, maybe Stahlwille, has about two or three sizes, if I recall correctly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[oldwino]

I'm not one to buy tools (especially "speciality sets") unless/until I need them. Too much $$$ and too much storage space required. That said I have 3-4 mid-depth sockets bought for a particular use. Easy for me as I drive past my snappy man on the way home every day

 

[dnschmidt]

They are more useful than you might think. Sometimes short is too short and deep is too deep. A perfect example is removing the rear struts on a Pontiac Grand Prix. Short sockets will not clear the studs, deep sockets hit the top of the truck. Mid-length work perfectly. What I did in this case was cut down a deep socket to make it into a mid-length socket using a cut off wheel. So, in effect, I made a special tool to solve my problem. Mid-lengths were not available at that time but I've bought a set since and I'm glad that I did.

 

[blown94conv]

I tend to grab the Mid's first. Always seem to work where I need them.

 

[Al Borland]

Once you have them, you will wonder why you didn't get them sooner.
Most of my semi-deeps are SK "deep" sockets and they are great for knuckle clearance without as much sideways wobble/tilt/torque-arm as a full deep socket.
As others already said, if I need a full deepwell, I'm probably grabbing 1/2" anyway (Probably impact, go big or stay home!)

 

[John in OH]

This thread is great. I've always wondered what the attraction is to mid length sockets, good points all around.

Did I mention Frank's is having a sale on those 1/4" Ko-kens?...

Ya got a link to that set??

 

[M6erfan]

Ya got a link to that set??

http://www.frankstools.com/ko16psedesos.html

 

[BDT/NWMN]

For jobs where they are not too long, or not too short; they are just right.

The main reason I have socket sets of various brands and lengths is My attempt to have sockets to stay in between those too long and too short sizes

 

[MW.]

Anybody know if the Gearwrench mid depth set is deep broached or not?

 

[rcupp]

I always said the same thing that I don't need them, well...
Snappy had a sale on them a few years ago like a buy one get one free or cheap or something like that and I have been using the **** out of them since. I do heavy truck/equipment work as well as Sprinter and I use them all the time!
If you have studs with nuts they are the cats ***!

 

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

Yes, i have found instances where i have needed a longer socket than shallow or instances where i needed a deep socket plus extension because extension and shallow wouldn't fit and it was too long. Bring in the extension and mid-length socket and you're perfect.

 

[jumbojak]

I find them useful for disassembly work. A full deep socket has too much play where it's not needed for clearance while the mid-depth is easy to keep lined up properly and still avoid scraping your knuckles. Plus, you can store the nuts in the socket as you go to sped things up a little bit if they're broached to the full depth. Just keep them in the socket until it fills up and dump three at once into the tray. So long as you aren't worried about dropping the nuts where you'd lose them it's useful to do.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

You guys talked me into trying some mid depth sockets. I picked up a Gearwrench set in 1/4 and 3/8.
Can't say I grab them all the time or that I couldn't live without them, but they certainly can be useful.

 

[Ctkelly]

I'm going to check out the napa set, I want mine broached deep for the work I do. Been itching to pull the trigger on a Mac 14pc set which I may end up doing. Kinda wish tools delivered had a set from Williams.

Reserved online to pick up at my store for the Napa set, price changes to 32.40. Not a bad price still, I want it for the 17 it's advertised at.

 

[BK13]

thinking about this more, I cant remember ever seeing european tool makers offering mid length sockets. Hazet, Facom, Stahwille, etc. I've never seen any. Is this more of an asian/american phenomenon?

Maybe they're out there, but I cant find 'em...

I THINK these are what I was thinking of.... SAE even.

http://www.stahlwille-online.de/ind...hid=&scmd=pdetail&pcid=2616&cid=2618&pid=2701