craftsman 12 point

[kossuth]

Honestly for 1/2"drive 12pt is more useful. When using a breaker bar alot of times you cant get a 6pt to fit. Their is also a thread on here that 12pt grips the same spots as 6pts. Alot of bolts inside of engines are 12pt aswell and they also work on square plugs.
I have no 6pt deep chrome sockets in 1/2"dr in my box because i have no room and 12pt is far more useful

And personally I'll argue that. There is no way that a 12 point socket has as much surface contact on a 6 point fastener as a 6 point socket would. I've seen it time and time again wrenching on my own vehicles. Granted a 12 point will work 95% of the time, but in my experience when you run into that 5% of the time, it wrecks your day because now you have to fight with a rounded off fastener. Your arguement about breaker bars is quite relevent though, but in all honesty that's what long handled expensive ratchets are for IMO. Ratchets like this give you about as much leverage as breaker bar.

 

[Dieselbutterfly]

in louisville they still have nos us made,but it is running out fast with the holidays

 

[plinker]

The bigger the socket size the more surface area is contacted but I still prefer 6pt over 12pt given the option. I have had 6pt socket make a contact mark in the same place as a 6pt in this regard. More or less when you get to 15/16 and bigger it almost get to be a moot point, especially with the "flank drive" style cut out everybody has.

Most older S-K 1/2 drive sets had 12 point sockets except for 7/16, 1/2 & 9/16. Those were 6pt.

I will use a 12pt with a breaker bar is I need to "clock" the socket when a 6pt dont work.

 

[03protege]

And personally I'll argue that. There is no way that a 12 point socket has as much surface contact on a 6 point fastener as a 6 point socket would. I've seen it time and time again wrenching on my own vehicles. Granted a 12 point will work 95% of the time, but in my experience when you run into that 5% of the time, it wrecks your day because now you have to fight with a rounded off fastener. Your arguement about breaker bars is quite relevent though, but in all honesty that's what long handled expensive ratchets are for IMO. Ratchets like this give you about as much leverage as breaker bar.

Not everyone can drop that kind of coin on a ratchet though, especially on one that will be used in place of a cheap breaker bar.

I have 12pt sockets in 1/2" drive that I plan on keeping even after I get my 6pt sets completed just for use on my breaker bar.

If I could justify the cost I would agree your method is most preferred. I am sure if I wrenched for a living I would have that very same setup.

 

[camarotoolman]

C-man sockets are dirt cheap on feebay, I'd buy used ones, you can always turn them in for new.

 

[ibedayank]

Links on a few LONG ratchets

24.25 inch long 1/2 drive ratchet
http://www.lowes.com/pd_337328-22328-85875_4294707908__?productId=3381192&Ns=p_product_avg_rating|1&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_avg_rating%7C1&facetInfo=
18 inch long 3/8s drive ratchet
http://www.lowes.com/pd_337323-22328-85864_4294707908__?productId=3381184&Ns=p_product_avg_rating|1


http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/NTESearch?storeId=6970&Ntt=long%2Bhandle%2Bratchet

Here are some other options for the cheapskates/ frugal members

 

[dsmnickk90]

Links on a few LONG ratchets

24.25 inch long 1/2 drive ratchet
http://www.lowes.com/pd_337328-22328-85875_4294707908__?productId=3381192&Ns=p_product_avg_rating|1&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_avg_rating%7C1&facetInfo=
18 inch long 3/8s drive ratchet
http://www.lowes.com/pd_337323-22328-85864_4294707908__?productId=3381184&Ns=p_product_avg_rating|1


http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/NTESearch?storeId=6970&Ntt=long%2Bhandle%2Bratchet

Here are some other options for the cheapskates/ frugal members

Can those ratchets take the amount of torque you would put on a 24" breaker bar though? If your really pullin on a 24" bar your easily putting over 400ft/lbs of that head.

 

[plinker]

Can those ratchets take the amount of torque you would put on a 24" breaker bar though? If your really pullin on a 24" bar your easily putting over 400ft/lbs of that head.

Just my opinion on this, if you have to pull that hard on a 1/2 drive tool you need to move up to 3/4 drive. I just have an image of a breaker bar snapping in mid pull.

I have had the oppourtunity to go flying when using a 3/4 torque wrench on loader bearing bolts (360 ft lb) because my 3/4 to 1/2 adapter sheared off. Lucky thing I was in a dump box of sorts otherwise I probably would have gotten hurt pretty good.

 

[dsmnickk90]

Just my opinion on this, if you have to pull that hard on a 1/2 drive tool you need to move up to 3/4 drive. I just have an image of a breaker bar snapping in mid pull.

I have had the oppourtunity to go flying when using a 3/4 torque wrench on loader bearing bolts (360 ft lb) because my 3/4 to 1/2 adapter sheared off. Lucky thing I was in a dump box of sorts otherwise I probably would have gotten hurt pretty good.

Its really not that hard to put that much force of a 24" bar. It just takes a 200lbs guy to put his weight on it. Or even at 300ft/lbs how do the ratchet heads hold up along with the flex joint. The Bars flex it would take a lot to break them. The drive end on breaker bars shear first and I just think the gear or teeth the a ratchet or the flex head will fail way before the drive end itself.