Chrome Vanadium Impact Sockets? (specifically Tekton's)

[Madjik Man]

Sorry, I tried searching but didn't see anything relevant...

I'm a DIYer and big Tekton fan because they typically find that balance of quality and pricing for me. Plus the customer service is impeccable.

That said I already own the old version of Tekton's 1/2" shallow and deep drive impacts. The super cheap ($30ish) sets back in the day. But they have skipped sizes.

The other day when I was using one for the first time in a long time, I noticed that these impact sockets are Cr-V. A little shocked because I always thought impacts should be Cr-Mo.

Then I get an email from Tekton today about their 1/2" sockets having some overstock sale. So wanting a set of impacts without skips I checked it out. But they're still making their impacts out of Cr-V, with the exception of the larger ones which are Cr-Mo.

I don't get it.

Now granted, Tekton's website is perfection so they add a lot of information... including two types of Cr-V composition?

Again as a DIYer I'm not nerfing on sockets hard every day but if I'm going to buy an set of impact sockets I'd like for them to be strong and flexible enough for when I do have to go hard on them.

 

[Outahere]

Chromium-Molybdenum or Chromium-Vanadium Steel? | TEKTON

Chromium-molybdenum (also called chrome molybdenum, chrome moly, or Cr-Mo) and chromium-vanadium (also called chrome vanadium or Cr-V) are names for two families of steel alloys used in hand tool manufacturing. Which one is better? When properly manufactured and heat treated, they are chemically...

www.tekton.com

Chromium-molybdenum and chromium-vanadium produced with equal care and hardened to similar levels have highly similar mechanical properties. In fact, they are almost chemically identical, the main difference being far less than 0.5% by weight in the form of molybdenum or vanadium. Therefore, we cannot say that either chromium-molybdenum or chromium-vanadium is better. Either Cr-Mo or Cr-V is an excellent choice for all normal uses of wrenches, hand-driven sockets, impact sockets, ratchets, and other similar tools. The metallurgical difference between Cr-Mo and Cr-V is insignificant in these applications. Instead, the consistency of the material, the tool geometry, the hardness to which it is heated, and the design and implementation of the manufacturing process control the differences in hand tool quality.

Sometimes Cr-Mo tools cost more than Cr-V tools and tool users want to know the reason. The difference in cost is not typically because one steel is better than the other. Because of the similar intrinsic performance capabilities of Cr-Mo and Cr-V, the higher cost of Cr-Mo tools appears to be a marketing practice that’s hard to justify through science. Perceptions become self-fulfilling as tool users sometimes expect to see certain alloys on certain tools. Supply chains build up around these perceptions and that can make one steel alloy far more cost-effective than another for a particular product.

At Tekton, we use, among other things, alloys from both the chromium-molybdenum and chromium-vanadium families to make our tools. Once supply chains are established across an industry, it can be most efficient not to vary steel types within those supply chains. For example, in our US supply chains, 4140 chromium-molybdenum is most readily available in the rolled sheet form we require to make our angle head wrenches and 8650 nickel chromium-molybdenum is most readily available for making our screwdrivers. For similar reasons, some of our hand-drive and impact sockets made in Taiwan use a 4140 Cr-Mo alloy and others use a 50BV30 Cr-V alloy. In all these cases, the alloys meet all performance specifications, and the choice comes down to supply chain dynamics and cost.

The manufacturing method can also affect our material selection. For example, the variation on chromium-vanadium called 50BV30 contains boron and works better for some tools forged in a cold state. The addition of boron allows the steel to be soft for cold forging and then, after forging, highly hardenable through heat treating.

 

[Madjik Man]

Chromium-Molybdenum or Chromium-Vanadium Steel? | TEKTON

Chromium-molybdenum (also called chrome molybdenum, chrome moly, or Cr-Mo) and chromium-vanadium (also called chrome vanadium or Cr-V) are names for two families of steel alloys used in hand tool manufacturing. Which one is better? When properly manufactured and heat treated, they are chemically...

www.tekton.com

I remember reading that blog. Again, I really like Tekton and trust them but they will blog whatever helps sell their products.

I don't know if I just got caught up in the marketing blitz of Cr-Mo but I've always had it in my head that it is not as brittle, more flexible and thus better for impact related jobs.

But if Cr-V and Cr-Mo have the same properties if produced properly, then...

 

[boom_bap]

I'd speculate it is a way to save production cost.

Personally I'd go with Sunex or Grey for impacts, maybe Capri if you need those stubby ones.

I've only used Sunex and so far they're great.

 

[Madjik Man]

I'd speculate it is a way to save production cost.

Personally I'd go with Sunex or Grey for impacts, maybe Capri if you need those stubby ones.

I've only used Sunex and so far they're great.

My 3/8s are Sunex. And I have some Astro Pneumatic which I haven't used yet.

Again, I don't put these through the ringer like professionals do.

But the thing that allures me to Tekton is any issue, any time, their customer service is incredible. I haven't had to use Sunex's customer service or warranty so I have no experience with it.

Also the Tekton 1/2" set is now half the price of the Sunex set.

 

[Buckgnarly]

Impacts are the sockets you can go cheap on (inexpensive), I would not worry about the material. Tekton has been FANTASTIC support for our school boxes, their stuff has held up pretty good even with the animals I teach.

 

[Madjik Man]

Impacts are the sockets you can go cheap on (inexpensive), I would not worry about the material. Tekton has been FANTASTIC support for our school boxes, their stuff has held up pretty good even with the animals I teach.

Just for clarification... are your animals using their impacts? lol

I'll probably order the Tekton. Aside from the cost savings I also like to spend my money supporting companies I like and appreciate.

 

[Buckgnarly]

Just for clarification... are your animals using their impacts? lol

I'll probably order the Tekton. Aside from the cost savings I also like to spend my money supporting companies I like and appreciate.

The hand tools and chromes are 100% Tekton, we do have the 3/8 and 1/2 boxed impact kits, but we still mainly use the Carlyle impacts I inherited with the program. So no, not nearly as much impact use as the chrome and other hand tools. But you really can't go wrong with any decent name brand impacts I think. They all wear out and/or break in time, and Tekton warranty is second to none in my experience.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

Does anyone have some of each to compare?
What I used to see was Cr-v sockets tended to be thicker then Cr_mo sockets. Not a problem in most cases, and I was not the only mechanic to keep some of the HF Cr-v sockets around for those times one has to make/modify something. Thinner was why I tended to prefer Cr-mo, but that may have just been the metal mix that HF used, it needed the thickness.

 

[bw77]

I bought a set of 3/8 deep metric Tekton CR-V impact sockets about 3 years ago.
Light DIY use only, good sockets, except that the size markings on frequently used
sockets have worn out.

I wonder if other brands are marked better.

 

[CallumRD1]

I bought a set of 3/8 deep metric Tekton CR-V impact sockets about 3 years ago.
DIY use only, good sockets, except that the size markings on frequently used
sockets have worn out.

I wonder if other brands are marked better.

Tekton's newer impact sockets have both laser and stamped size markings.

 

[toddmorr]

Kinda cooled on tekton now that their pricing has gone up so much over the last couple years. But boy their website is topnotch.... That info on metal types is really helpful, I don't see that kind of info on any other OEM not even the Japanese guys, who are also quite good

 

[Mr_B]

I don't think they see a mega cost saving using crv if they doing the heat treatment to a high standard and roll stamping along with laser etching isn't penny pinching choices .
Out of varying brands including MAC in daily use crv of good design and manufacture impact sockets coo taiwan holding out better or no worse than all popular brands of crmo .
Lot of big brands gone soft on impact sockets purely for heat treatment manufacture ease/tolerance and limit liability risk .

 

[Steve_P]

Probably 100 threads on this.

They could say they were cr-mo and you'd be happy and never know the difference. Cr-mo and Cr-V really don't have any real meaning in the engineering world because they're not specific alloys. Yes, I understand that in the US, Cr-Mo is understood to be 4130, 4140... or 4340, but is there any legal requirement on this versus advertising terminology?

What exactly is Cr-V? Meaning one specific alloy that you can tie back to a data sheet stating the material composition range? If Cr-Mo can't be applied to any one alloy, can Cr-V be? I'm guessing no. Because real engineering drawings state the specific alloy for composition, and not Cr-Mo, Cr-V......

Many years ago I cracked a HF Cr-V marked socket by using the starter to remove a Honda balancer bolt. It cracked on one of the internal hex points. It did not explode or do anything different than any other socket would when it failed.

 

[M635_Guy]

Everything on their site makes perfect sense. Adding complexity in the form of different material composition along the range of sizes likely costs them money. Definitely not a cost-savings in any case. Especially in a non-professional environment, I'd trust Tekton entirely.

(I have Sunex, and been very happy with them, too)

 

[Zewnten]

Never seen a difference between the two. Both have held up the same in a professional heavy duty setting.

 

[ike]

You could buy a set of both Sunex and Tekton impact sockets for way less than an education in metallurgy. The real world experience would probably be more educational than the scientific one for the application of busting rusty nuts and bolts with impact wrenches.

 

[Madjik Man]

Never seen a difference between the two. Both have held up the same in a professional heavy duty setting.

Thank you for your feedback. I appreciate it.