Do you still use SAE much ?

[AndrewV]

Nonsense. SAE is due to specialized hardware set up by the first country to produce aircraft in volume. The good ole USA.
That same old tooling still produces all of that that unique hardware.
Heavy machinery too., The USA still rules that roost although Kubota and others are coming up close and may overtake Cat and Deere.
That all remains to be seen.
SAE will never die.It will always be necessary to have the tools even 1/2 century from now.Sure. They might wind up dusty in the closet but you'll always need them on occasion.
The finest nuts, bolts,drills, taps and dies are still USA and "mostly" SAE.
That too will probably change over time.

Your right on the origins of aircraft using sae. But it's a world standard at this point.
Where did i say it will die?

I'm a tech in an indy shop. Had a 65 falcon come in for control arms. What do you think i used? Not metric.

But any real debate over this subject is mute really. Sae, and Metric have corisponding sizes.
And on a relativly new subaru, all the hose clamps i came across were sae. So yes, it's far from dead.

 

[FOCUS.FREAK]

On school busses it's mostly sae.

-Jordan

 

[Bruce57]

Yes. I work at an equipment manufacturer. We use s.a.e. fasteners on our equipment. I only use metric when repairing CNC machines.

 

[BK13]

I mostly work on my CJ Jeep, mostly (mostly! Grrr.) SAE.

I work on my '01 F150 and the GF's '01 Expedition. An annoying mix of SAE and metric. The front calipers on her truck had metric hex bolts on one side, regular SAE bolts on the other. WTF?

She just bought a Volvo, her middle son has a Maxima, youngest son has a Pathfinder. I expect all metric when I work on them. (Note to self, need to pick up more mm combo wrenches...)

 

[paramud]

In my line of work all I do is spec out SAE bolts. Food processing equipment. At home all I use is metric including my Ford Ranger.

 

[stearn786]

I work at a new car dealer so it's almost all metric for me. Only time I use SAE is for my own projects like lawnmowers and chainsaws. Top drawer of my KRL is all metric sockets; SAE is in the bottom drawer.

 

[Jwych]

I work as a semi trailer mechanic and the only thing i use metric for is the 33mm socket to take off the tires, otherwise everything else is SAE

 

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Use SAE all day in the construction field. Pipe fitter.

 

[Deadsquiggles]

Judging by some of these answers, I need to stop buying multiples of SAE stuff I have and start buying metric.

 

[eddie_fl]

Everyday at work. Our equipment we use is strictly SAE but on occasion I have to use Metric but that's really in a blue moon. Metric gets used alot more at home.

 

[toolmutt]

'Bout 50:50 for me.

 

[CoryZ]

Home DIY--all the time. Was just working on the snow blower today and it's SAE.

 

[Jim C.]

All the time.... I used a couple SAE wrenches today to remove a motor from a 1948 Delta Unisaw. Most of my projects involve using SAE tools. My SAE collection of wrenches and sockets greatly out numbers my metric collection by a 5:1 ratio.

Jim C.

 

[gagreen]

Just out of curiosity, what is the rational for the aircraft industry sticking with SAE?

Is SAE used on Airbus products? How about Rolls Royce engines?

The rationale is not only we were the first to mass produce, it is all about hardware production standards set for aerospace. We cannot use fasteners that aren't an or ms. I've never found a metric with as strict or easily cross referenced to an an or ms standard.

China does not use sae on their aircraft, and anyone who has had the pleasure of putting a cj-6 together knows the headache it causes. Replacement hardware is a crapshoot as there is no easily accessible source of quality metric hardware.

Rolls royce is sae. Airbus is sae where it counts. Although there are a growing number of component manufacturers using metric sized fasteners but there will never be a trade wide swap. It wouldn't make sense to unstandardize a field that is extremely standardized already.

 

[AlwaysFixingSomething]

I can't remember the last time i used an SAE anything. All my vehicles I owned over the past 20 years are GM and they use all metric. 99% of the fastener sizes are 8,10,13,14 and 15 mm.

 

[Zeroek]

I use my SAE stuff for the brake lathe and taking off wheels. But if it involves 19mm or smaller I usually end up using metric. Use a 7/8" wrench a lot on alignments.

 

[sometoyotaguy]

Yes, but most of my vehicle maintenance is with metric.

 

[NC-Shaun]

My Jap bikes use metric, my Toyota is Metric, and my Harley is SAE.......Any good tool box will have a full line of both SAE and Metric.

 

[joe_padavano]

I've noticed I hardly use SAE sockets anymore, do you guys still use them a lot or more metric ?
Just curious.

Since I make it a point NOT to own vehicles with metric fasteners, I'll say yes.

 

[OutsideMachinist]

A lot of industrial stuff is all SAE. I dont use any metric at work at all. You need both. If you hardly use them just get a cheap used set or hf/northern.

 

[abk241]

I've noticed I hardly use SAE sockets anymore, do you guys still use them a lot or more metric ?
Just curious.

SAE rules when working on equipment built 40 to 80 years ago.

 

[larry_g]

Do you all realize that SAE covers both metric and fractional sockets and wrenches?

http://standards.sae.org/wip/as955a/


lg
no neat sig line

 

[AndrewV]

Do you all realize that SAE covers both metric and fractional sockets and wrenches?

http://standards.sae.org/wip/as955a/


lg
no neat sig line

Stated that.
They didn't notice it.

 

[franzdom]

Stated that.
They didn't notice it.

I do not see where you stated that.

 

[Snap_cap]

I remember back in the late 1970s that GM was part SAE and part Metric. On a couple of GM cars, you needed metric for a bolt and SAE for the nut or the other way around.

My '91 Chevy S-10 is an aggravating mix of SAE and Metric, with some of the OEM fasteners being completely different sizes than listed in the consumer repair manuals.

 

[bigjeff94]

At work I use all sae and most of my work at home is sae too (farm equipment and square body chevy trucks). My 97 Silverado has a lot of metric fasteners though.

 

[NFH2740]

SAE on all my Class 8 trucks and trailers.

Every fastener on my F-250 and German built Deere 7950 is metric.

 

[Dust Devil]

Motorcycle/ATV/Watercraft mechanic here so I see SAE when I work on Harley Davidson, Polaris and working after other mechanics that like to mix hardware..

So I have to keep a full set of both to do my job.

 

[yjWrangler]

Rarely ever

 

[VDubJoe]

All the time.

 

[Bobdog]

Every day.

Only see metric once in a blue moon.

 

[Dave455]

Just out of curiosity, what is the rational for the aircraft industry sticking with SAE?

Is SAE used on Airbus products? How about Rolls Royce engines?

O.K. Well technically, what we refer to as SAE, isn't! The original 'National' threads and bolt head sizes specified by the U.S. Society of Automotive Engineers were replaced in the 1950's by 'Unified' threads!

The threadforms and bolt head sizes were almost identical to the old U.S. National sizes, so nobody in the U.S. really noticed, and I suspect that the S.A.E. standards now reflect the change, but the aerospace industry worldwide would call these 'Unified'!

However... the whole idea behind 'Unified' threads was that the same sizes would be adopted by the U.S. Canada, and the United Kingdom, which it was, but it was a bigger change here!

Good idea though! 60 degree threads are easier to cut than 55 degree Whitworth and BSF threads, and the Unified system included threads in 1/32" increments for the aerospace industry! Everything was still measured in inches so no need for new equipment! Even today, some British made products that were originally made with British Standard bolts can be found with the Unified symbol of three interlocking rings to indicate Unified bolts have been used!

The British aerospace industry adopted Unified threads almost instantly, where they remain standard to this day, so every British airliner and military aircraft designed since the 1950's has unified fasteners! The same applies to Rolls Royce Engines (turbines certainly - think all piston engines are B.S.) The Rationale is that we have one standard that everybody is familiar with, so we stick with it! Aero engineers worldwide can service stuff with one set of tools, so job done!

Airbus is an unusual, but effective, amalgam of British and European firms. They seem to stick to the formula used to build Concorde, which is that the fasteners are normal Unified sizes, but with measurements in millimetres, for the hard of thinking!

Personally, my family has yet to get around to adopting these new fangled American threads and so I still work in British Standard! Metric is a long way off!!

 

[devoncoolman]

All the time.

 

[espyking83]

Just out of curiosity, what is the rational for the aircraft industry sticking with SAE?

Is SAE used on Airbus products? How about Rolls Royce engines?

IIRC the C2 A had a Royce engine, and everything was SAE on it.

 

[Kent_B]

'55 Ford tractor is all SAE and some big stuff at that.

 

[toolslut6.0]

Basically everyday I use standard. Most hydraulic fittings are still standard sizes. Also, in the 1 and 1/2 inch and above sizes, most standard and metric share common sizes. (Or at least close enough for me and the girls I go with)

 

[herfalerf]

the only fractional tools i have are chrome 1/4 and 3/8 sockets. i have literally never used them. mazda tech at a dealer.

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

I don't wrench on cars that much, so I don't deal with metric that much, but for fabrication, I stick with good ol' imperial inch measurements so that's what I use. For some reason most of my projects use a ton of 3/8" bolts.

 

[AndrewV]

I do not see where you stated that.

But any real debate over this subject is mute really. Sae, and Metric have corisponding sizes.
And on a relativly new subaru, all the hose clamps i came across were sae. So yes, it's far from dead.

Not being a ****, just showing you franz.

Back to thread though.
Regardless of which one you use the most. You're still grabbing a standard drive size

 

[dnschmidt]

I have a 1998 Grand Prix. Damn thing has everything on it except Whitworth. Everything that attaches to the engine like the starter, alternator, water pump, Air conditioning compressor is metric but the intake manifold and the interior of the engine is SAE. The upper intake manifold is attached with 3/8" bolts and one 10mm used with a stud. Amazing.