deep sockets typically not cut full depth?

[cheechi]

Sorry if this has been asked I searched but maybe not knowing the right wording, I'm not finding a clear answer.

If you have a deep socket, is it typical that the 6 or 12pt pattern isn't cut all the way down in it? I was looking at some Williams I might pick up and they only go in about 1" or so. Now, it could just be that I'm not used to working with higher end sockets. Most of my USA ones are shallow, my deeps are Kobalt Taiwan and are 12pt. I can't say that it has always been automotive, but I have found the deeper 'cut' useful when situations that needed a deep socket also needed the nut or bolt to go further in than it looks like this would have allowed.

I have a go-through socket set when that's needed but I kind of feel that utility for a deep socket would be lost on a set like this. So I guess, school me on higher end deep sockets?

 

[DTB]

Most Danaher/Apex sockets have the deeper broaching I believe. The Snap on's I've got are not broached deep. Helps when starting a nut onto a bolt.

 

[cheechi]

So basically it's going to vary from one manufacturer to another. That makes sense. I guess the Danaher part also makes sense, I bet most of the newer sockets I've used have been one of their 10000 brands.

 

[signcrafter]

The shallow broach is so you can put a nut in the socket and start it on a bolt with out it pushing all the way to the bottom of the socket.

 

[John in OH]

Good question, cheechi!! I've often wondered myself why some were broached deeper than others and if there was a general preference as to what degree of broaching was best.

Hope you get a lot more responses!

 

[Wakefield]

Some deep Wright sockets have hex broaching that goes deep but I don't know if all of them are like that (no nut stop).
Something that the tool companies should inform of in their descriptions of the sockets.

Weird--looking at mine--Wright 1/2" drive deep 5/8" has broaching down about an inch (more than some) Wright 1/2" drive deep 11/16" is broached down almost to drive end

another observation-the Wright 17mm. deep 1/2" drive impact socket has shallow broach-the very next 18mm. socket is broached almost full length-catalog shows that up to 17mm. ones are shallow,18 and up much deeper
17 mm. socket will not fully swallow the wrench head of a lug bolt I picked up in the street-not so good if you are dealing with an overtorqued situation
also the issue that some shallow broached deep sockets might have smaller holes above the broach that won't accept an "acorn" while another socket might have a bigger hole that will accept the acorn as in certain lug nuts

 

[Sam'sAutoParts]

The SK I have are not broached deep, but the NAPA/Evercraft I have are, as well as the Craftsman, all impact.
-Sam

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

Most Danaher/Apex sockets have the deeper broaching I believe. The Snap on's I've got are not broached deep. Helps when starting a nut onto a bolt.

Yeah, shallow broach is generally better as the round bore deeper beyond that is just clearance for the threads of the bolt you are putting a nut onto.
If you happen to use the deep socket to start a bolt which is shorter than the socket itself in a tight space overhead situation where you can't hold the bolt with your fingers, then the bolt will slide back inside a full broached socket too far.....that's how I learned to appreciate a shallow broach....

 

[jeremy v]

There are pros and cons of both, and most have already been mentioned by others. One other positive related to shallow broached deep sockets is that the socket wall is thicker until the hex at the very end so the deep socket is going to be stronger and less likely to split assuming all other factors are equal. It will have strength more closely comparable to a shallow socket.

 

[akasephiroth]

My gear wrench set is cut all the way down but my Husky is not....My napa Flip sockets are also cut only about a inch before going round.

 

[McRae]

One advantage with the deeper broach, is if you're spannering (wrenching for you yanks) on stuff that has k-nuts on them, i.e airplanes or racecars. The round bore on SnapOn for instance isn't big enough to work in that situation, I need to have deep broached sockets also, just because of that.

 

[Nortonscustom]

Some deep Wright sockets have hex broaching that goes deep but I don't know if all of them are like that (no nut stop).
Something that the tool companies should inform of in their descriptions of the sockets.

Almost all tool companies do in their catalogs, it's usually referred to as "wrench depth".

I almost never use my SO deepwell sockets because of the shallow broach. Use my Armstrong deep sockets pretty much exclusively these days. It all depends on what you're working on.

 

[TJJP77]

Deep broaching is also useful on various Bosch diesel glow plugs - the Snap-On sockets simply won't work in some cases.

 

[John in OH]

Well, it now appears that having only two sets of deep sockets ( 6 pt & 12 pt) per drive size is no longer adequate!! Now, we all need sets of 6 pt and 12 pt deep sockets in both partial and full broach!! Time to buy more socket racks!!

 

[Brownsfan]

My craftsmans are deep. I remember my old Snappy guy giving me the short broach demo on the truck. I looked at him and said. If I was starting a nut I wouldn't be using a deep socket. And I have another question. Are the USA craftsman sockets exact duplicates to Armstrong? I ask because they seem to have similar broach and finish. I know they were made by Apex(danaher) or whoever but are they EXACT?

 

[shockwave]

I have been looking into this for awhile and noticed that armstrong/matco will have deep broached sockets. But snap on and cornwell will both have short broaches.

I had to buy a deep 8mm 1/4 from ace hardware that had a deep broach and thin to fit on fuel pressure regulator bolt on sprinter van that my snap on or cornwell both could not fit

 

[nicksnothereman]

Sorry if this has been asked I searched but maybe not knowing the right wording, I'm not finding a clear answer.

If you have a deep socket, is it typical that the 6 or 12pt pattern isn't cut all the way down in it? I was looking at some Williams I might pick up and they only go in about 1" or so. Now, it could just be that I'm not used to working with higher end sockets. Most of my USA ones are shallow, my deeps are Kobalt Taiwan and are 12pt. I can't say that it has always been automotive, but I have found the deeper 'cut' useful when situations that needed a deep socket also needed the nut or bolt to go further in than it looks like this would have allowed.

I have a go-through socket set when that's needed but I kind of feel that utility for a deep socket would be lost on a set like this. So I guess, school me on higher end deep sockets?

It's to maintain structural integrity (drive side?). That would be my guess. Saves money on warranty replacement (if applicable).

 

[2oolhound]

Well, it now appears that having only two sets of deep sockets ( 6 pt & 12 pt) per drive size is no longer adequate!! Now, we all need sets of 6 pt and 12 pt deep sockets in both partial and full broach!! Time to buy more socket racks!!

Some of the cylinder head fasteners on my motorcycle have long studs that poke up through the head. There is a hole wide enough to get a socket down through the fins onto a nut to thread on these studs. A deep socket that was broached too deep wouldn't hold the nut down on top of the stud as it would bottom out on the base of the cylinder head leaving the nut teetering on top of the stud. Maybe it would catch but then maybe it would cross thread too or just sit there and not engage. You could start the nut with a shallow socket and switch to the deep once the stud started sticking up through the nut forcing the shallow socket off but a deep socket does it it all if not broached too deep. These studs are long to account for compression of the valve springs and in some cases the cylinders and heads are alloys requiring deep threads.

I would think this is typical of most situations that require deep sockets although in a situation as above but where the motor was in the frame and there was not sufficient room to get a deep socket fitted to a ratchet in place you would have to drop the socket in the hole and then set the ratchet in place. As the nut worked it's way up it would force a shallow broached socket up till the ratchet hit the frame or other space limiting obstruction where a deeply broached socket would allow the nut to keep rising up and off the threads instead of forcing everything upwards.

Guess you're right John, gotta get more racks.

 

[MattPersman]

Deep broaching is also useful on various Bosch diesel glow plugs - the Snap-On sockets simply won't work in some cases.

+1 I keep a crappy lonely craftsman 8mm deep in my cart for glow plugs.

 

[volleyball]

Well, it now appears that having only two sets of deep sockets ( 6 pt & 12 pt) per drive size is no longer adequate!! Now, we all need sets of 6 pt and 12 pt deep sockets in both partial and full broach!! Time to buy more socket racks!!

No you don't. Say no to shallow depth. You can just use the shallow socket to start the bolt or nut and then switch to the deep one.
I don't buy the nut broach idea. All you need is a tiny lip, not the thick metal that doesn't allow the bolt to fit

 

[davethorik]

my sk 3/8 deep sockets have shallow broaching. i have one International Harvester (made by wright) 3/8 drive 7/8 deep socket and it is broached to the bottom. I was curious about this too

 

[cgv69]

This is a funny one for me. While in theory I would like my deep sockets to be fully broached, I've noticed that most aren't.

I can image certain situations where it could be an issue but in reality, It's never been an issue for me. Then again, I'm not a professional wrench turner.

 

[Mr Ratchet]

I prefer the fully broached deep walls. On those, you can just shove an O ring in the end to keep the nut from going too deep if needed when starting the threading process. My pass through sockets with an extension would also work really well for the above situation.

With the shallow broaching, if you need the nut to deeper in the socket for clearance reasons you're out of luck.

 

[xurusaibobx]

my craftsmen old school USA deep impacts were deep broached which comes in handy all the time.

but i also have kobalt pass thru socket set that comes in handy as well.

sadly matco impacts are not deep broached

 

[BK13]

Well, it now appears that having only two sets of deep sockets ( 6 pt & 12 pt) per drive size is no longer adequate!! Now, we all need sets of 6 pt and 12 pt deep sockets in both partial and full broach!! Time to buy more socket racks!!

Good, I was looking for an excuse to buy more sockets...

 

[wafrederick]

I keep a Craftsman 3/4 deepwell socket around for coolant tempature sensors,a Mac and Snap On 3/4 deepwell socket does not go down all the way.

 

[William Payne]

For me personally the only times I have felt a need for a deep socket is when a have a long stud/bolt or the nut or bolt is down a hold. I can imagine a shallow broach may come in handy

 

[cheechi]

OK thanks for all the help I think I have a better idea in mind of what I want.

What decent (not truck brand, too expensive) currently available sockets have full broaching? Williams do not. GW do not for the deeps, but do for the mid length.

 

[Farmall450]

Most Danaher/Apex sockets have the deeper broaching I believe. The Snap on's I've got are not broached deep. Helps when starting a nut onto a bolt.

Agreed. My dad was saying that's why he bought cman back when he was younger, and didn't have 12 sets of everything.

Cman still is, I noticed my cman industrial deeps are like 3/4s deep but round all the way down, very nice IMO.

 

[Farmall450]

No you don't. Say no to shallow depth. You can just use the shallow socket to start the bolt or nut and then switch to the deep one.
I don't buy the nut broach idea. All you need is a tiny lip, not the thick metal that doesn't allow the bolt to fit

Or couldn't you just start it by hand?

 

[John in OH]

What decent (not truck brand, too expensive) currently available sockets have full broaching? Williams do not. GW do not for the deeps, but do for the mid length.

Wright Tool (http://www.wrighttool.com/online_catalog.asp) makes an excellent line of tools and their sockets are deeply broached. For instance, a couple of examples:

3/8" drive, 6-pt., 3/4" deep socket: Socket length 2-5/16"; broach depth 1-23/32" Part No. 3524

or

1/2" drive, 6-pt., 7/8" deep socket: Socket length 3-3/64"; broach depth 2-9/32" Part No. 4528

Wright is more expensive than Cman, but much cheaper than SnapOn or other truck brands. Made in USA (Barberton, OH).

 

[tbaggz]

+1 for full broach.I stack nuts inside when I need a shallow broach(hardly ever).but I get to choose my depth, with a shallow broach you are limited.2cents worth..

 

[Wakefield]

A little more of broach depth-I tried my found BMW(?) lug Bolt with several sockets. All of these sockets are shallow broached but some are shallower than others.
Old Bonney Shallow Impact-pass Wright Shallow Impact-pass Nepros Chrome Deep-pass Ko-Ken special Lug socket with plastic cover-pass

Older Sunnex Shallow Impact-fail S*K Chrome Shallow-fail Wright Deep Impact-fail
By Fail I mean that the hex of the lug bolt did not go all of the way into the socket-the lug bolt hex is a little taller than a normal 17 mm. nut (All these are 17 mm. and 1/2" drive)
they might all work but these lug bolts I understand sometimes get horribly overtorqued with air guns at tire stores and the bolt is thicker than lug studs I have seen-Can't just snap the stud off with monkey arm like the Olds I used to have

Interesting to me that the Wright Deep Impact has shallower broach than the Wright Shallow (Regular?) Impact

 

[wafrederick]

The Snap On 9/16 deepwell socket is great for the small block Chevrolet waterpump bolts,starting them.

 

[jerseykat1]

I have a set of craftsman 12 point deep sockets that are broached all the way through. 3/8" drive. The deeper broach is good for suspension components that have locking fasteners such as sway bar links as they are often 8mm or 10mm on the studs so you want as much bit as you can get. Don't use Snap-on sockets for this job they will round out your 8mm or 10mm hexed stud tip.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

 

[MikeF2316]

With a full broach impact socket you can take 3 wheel nuts off without having to unload the socket. Saves you a good 5 seconds per wheel.

 

[drink]

I just took a picture of my Armstrong 3/8" drive deep metric socket next to a couple of Craftsman and Armstrong 1/2" drive standard depth sockets. My other thread was comparing sockets also.