Dewalt brand impact sockets?

[Jeremy77]

I've got a cordless 18v Li Ion Dewalt impact driver that came in a combo set that i bought a couple of years ago. I rarely have need of an impact around the house so had yet to buy a set of sockets for it and had just used a regular socket the times it had been used (yes, I know this is wrong and potentially hazardous). I was in Lowes the other day and they had the 3/8" 10 pc. Dewalt deep impact socket set for $28 so I went ahead and picked it up. They were cheaper than the standard length Kobalt set and were made in Taiwan as opposed to PRC so that was a big plus in my book. I've searched the forums here and can't seem to find any real info on them. Does anyone out there own them and/or have any information on their durability, quality etc. They wont be used daily or in a professional environment and will probably get as much use driving lag bolts on carpentry jobs as mechanical work. One thing that concerns me a bit is that the impact has a 1/4" chuck and an adapter is used to step up to 3/8" or 1/2" sockets. This just seems like a weak/fail spot in my opinion but I guess it's more related to the driver as opposed to the sockets. I also noticed that Dewalt only makes them in SAE. Not a huge problem as I'm not a fanboy of any one particular brand so if I find that I need the metrics, there's a lot of other options out there. It was just odd to me but I suppose they are marketed more towards the construction industry rather than automotive work. Thanks.

 

[KnurledNut]

i got a set when they first came out years ago.
They have a thin wall. So they might not hold up well to high torque impacts.
For use with your impact driver, they will do fine.
They did seem to wear fairly quick.
The issue ive had with using socket adaptors with impact drivers, is the hex corners of the adaptor begins to "pein" over. And it gets stuck in the impact. And then youre beating it on something to get it out.

 

[94EG8]

I have a set, I use them a fair bit, mostly for small engine repair, sometimes on a cordless impact similar to what you have (mine's an 18v Hitachi Li-on), sometimes on a 3/8 drive air impact. I haven't broken any yet and I've had them for 5 years.

 

[Jeremy77]

Appreciate the replies and info. I realize that for the price I paid, they aren't a premium impact set (nor did I expect them to be) but it seems that from what I'm hearing that they'll be more than adequate for my limited use. Thanks once more, Garage Journal and the members here never fail when it comes to helpful advice. Also, if I were to look into purchasing a basic metric set similar to the Dewalts, for occasional use around the house/shop, any recommendations out there as to a particular brand?

 

[kctyphoon]

Appreciate the replies and info. I realize that for the price I paid, they aren't a premium impact set (nor did I expect them to be) but it seems that from what I'm hearing that they'll be more than adequate for my limited use. Thanks once more, Garage Journal and the members here never fail when it comes to helpful advice. Also, if I were to look into purchasing a basic metric set similar to the Dewalts, for occasional use around the house/shop, any recommendations out there as to a particular brand?

for 3/8" impact stuff i went with Tekton that i bought off amazon.. cheap, decent quality finish, and they work great. i also like that you can get them with their own cases for storage.. i bought both SAE and Metric deep and shallow sets.. for the money you cant beat them and they dont skip sizes.. another cheaper(?) option is harbor freight, but no case, and some sets skip sizes.. if you wanted to step up to soemthing better Sunex is probably a good brand..

honestly i bought all mine from swap meets and amazon.. the cheapest impact socket sets you can find will still last a lifetime.. its basically something you cant **** up.. i have harbor freight ones at work, tekton, husky, and old porter cable sockets at home.. they have all worked flawlessly for the little ive used them..

i wanted a 1/4" impact set for work- i went on amazon and found the cheapest set i could.. maybe $20?? they get used all the time on small hardware and no issues yet.. Chicago Pneumatic was the brand ..

 

[Jeremy77]

Thanks KC, I'll have to take a look at those Tektons. Ive got several different tools from them and for the most part have been really satisfied.

 

[anndel]

I've got Ingersol Rand Deep Impact metric sockets and Tekton Deep Impact SAE. Both are excellent brands and still works no matter how much I abuse them.

 

[kblee27]

I used a 1/4" hex to 3/8" adaptor for a long time to replace car batteries. Nothing has broken yet, although the torque used is not big.

I found something from Makita, but I've since moved to 3/8" drive tool.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ECMC0EG/?tag=atomicindus08-20

For Tekton sockets, you have to watch out for the "unlabelled" Tekton, but printed Made in Taiwan on the socket itself. They seemed to have poorer quality.

I've this set and the 10mm wore out a bit fast.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000K2IG36/?tag=atomicindus08-20

This would have a "better" set arguably
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000K2IKPA/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Bennylava]

Maybe a bit off topic, but what do you guys think about dewalt tools in general? Personally, they've never given me a problem.

 

[Jeremy77]

Used their drills (cordless and corded) and sawzalls for years and never been disappointed. I prefer Makita for their circular saws though. Cant speak to their line of hand tools as I've not used them but many members on here seem to give them favorable reviews.