Does socket brand really matter that much? (non impact)

[bsaint]

You guys are alot nicer than i am, If i purchase a tool and it started chipping within 6 months my Truck would be parked at there front door, Socket in Hand with a Unhappy facial expression to boot.

Why so 6 months later I can go back again? What a hassle. I'd rather just pay more for one that isn't going to go south on me so fast.

 

[D9H 90V]

In 1998 I bought my first set of Snap on sockets the chrome 3/8"dr shallow 6pt 1/4 to 1" set I have never had any complaints, in most of the years I have had them they have been used on heavy equipment and heavy trucks, I have never had to warranty a single one, since then I have never had anything but SO sockets from 1/4"dr to 1/2"dr all the way up to 1 1/2" and 36mm and never had a complaint or a problem with any of them

All that being said I have been in big equipment shops with mechanics next to me would have all sorts of different brands of sockets they would often come to me to borrow one until the mac, matco or cornwell truck came around so they could get theirs warrantied,

I think with sockets, brand does matter

For me Snap on all the way, "buy ONCE cry once"

 

[mrholeshot]

I've had to warranty plenty of Snap-On sockets over 40+ years. I'm talking ones that broke under regular use. Those under 5/8 and 17mm a lot. I never placed unreal expectations on sockets however. I know I'm going to break them so to keep from having to make constant trips to have them warrantied I bought Snap-On so I could have them done on site.

 

[SnowBlaZeR2]

Why so 6 months later I can go back again? What a hassle. I'd rather just pay more for one that isn't going to go south on me so fast.

Yeah, leaving the house twice a year would be a huge burden.

 

[Hiball]

Why so 6 months later I can go back again? What a hassle. I'd rather just pay more for one that isn't going to go south on me so fast.

Well... I think it's completely unfair to assume that every generation of craftsman socket is gonna chip that badly. I can only base my opinions of my personal experiences.

 

[4x4gearhead]

Ive broke many a craftsman socket and they broke in normal use. To this day I have broken maybe 2 snap on sockets. I agree that snap on has the best finish but I don't really care about finish I want it to fit well and not break as much.

 

[William Payne]

Personally I would love to know how under normal use how on earth do you break a socket?

 

[SnowBlaZeR2]

Personally I would love to know how under normal use how on earth do you break a socket?

I was kind of wondering the same thing.

 

[William Payne]

I can understand breaking them if you tried using a 1/4 drive when you should have been using a 3/8 or a 3/8 drive when you should have been using a 1/2 drive or using a non impact socket when you should have been using an impact socket but I wouldn't call that normal use.

 

[Skin]

with how thin sockets are made these days its not hard to break one on a stubborn fastener with or without the aid of a cheater pipe or a long breaker bar.

 

[4x4gearhead]

Personally I would love to know how under normal use how on earth do you break a socket?

Rust, and loctite are the two key ingredients to me breaking sockets.

 

[William Payne]

Well I guess I will find out should the day come that it ever happens to me. Sounds like an interesting experiance.

 

[KEH]

Re: Mr. Holeshot's thin C man sockets: I would say those are the double line with the V manufacturers code, made before, I think, 1965. I recently searched the pawn shops and flea markets until I got a complete set of 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 drive old sockets including a 3/8 drive metric set, with old style pushbutton ratchets. These sockets are noticebly thinner than later and current C man sockets. The chrome is still on them too.

BTW, my computer has been down but I recall that you were going in for a medical procedure. Hope everything went well.

IMO the best combination of price and quality now are Wright sockets.

KEH

 

[Steve_P]

All of the craftsman sockets I've seen that have been made in the last ~7 yrs, including a bunch I own, are only nickel plated; they do NOT have any chrome on them. So please stop complaining about the poor chrome plating on newer Cman sockets because there isn't any chrome on them; it's nickel (learn to tell the difference before you whine about the EPA, etc)

And I recently bought some 8 pt Armstrong sockets because that was all I could find- exact same as Cman. The set was nickel, but the additional 8 pt socket I bought must've been older as it actually had some chrome on it.

 

[Big Bad Jon]

I have Snap On at work, but started out with Craftsman. To be honest, the Snappy ones do grip fasteners a bit better. That being said, I have broken every brand of socket imaginable. Buy the ones that you can get warrantied the easiest.

 

[Steevo]

I have some Craftsman sockets that are so well-worn it is very difficult to find where the size is written on them, and they still work fine after more than 30 years.
I have also split Craftsman, Matco, Snap-on and cheap junk sockets. No tool is immune from failure, and most that are of "good" quality will last a lifetime if cared for. And when they do fail, exercise your warranty and get them replaced. You did buy some that have a lifetime warranty, right?