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

[zer0cell]

I've been wondering if socket brand really matters that much. I am not a mechanic and while my estwing hammer and a toolbag full of tools for remodeling purposes endures heavy usage, my ratchets and sockets are not used nearly as much. I do prefer to buy great quality tools, especially ones which I intend to use a lot but I don't want to break the bank doing so either.

I know many people have strong opinions on what ratchets are best and I have no doubt that certain brands of sockets fit better, are more durable etc. than others but does the brand really make a huge difference in the case of sockets?

I mean surely I don't expect some cheap ones from walmart to be on the same level as snap-on. However... between Armstrong, wright, snap-on, SK, williams etc... the more pro/industrial type brands will they all provide great performance with the differences only being minimal? Some people are even raving about the new HF sockets...

Oh and what about craftsman sockets? A lot of people badmouth craftsman ratchets, and maybe for good reason but are their sockets bad? They look strikingly similar to armstrong... aren't they made by armstrong anyway? To my knowledge/experience armstrong is a pretty solid brand...

 

[mrholeshot]

The biggest differance in any quality sockets is not how well it fits or the strength but how durable the finish. Snap-On pretty much has that wraped up. It was still inferior to S-K superchrome but SK is up in the air wright now. The finish on Craftsman sockets is really horrible right now. The truth of the matter is they will all get the job done. Take care of them and use them like you are suppose to and they will all live a happy long life.

 

[Packard V8]

FWIW, I've split a few Craftsman and Easco, but never a Snap-on, S-K, Williams, Proto. So that's my cutoff for serious use - any of those will do for casual use.

jack vines

 

[whatsitsname]

Get some Craftsman and call it a day. Good enough quality, often on sale, and easily replaced if lost.

 

[Tom2]

My only complaint with Craftsman is the finish / chrome quality of the new stuff is terrible. The newer C-man sockets I have are nearly unrecognizable/readable.
My older ones (10 years old) still look fine.

I've only split a few deep walls. Not something that happens too often.

 

[Paco Pena]

Any decent quality socket will do for home use. It will be lost or stolen before you can wear it out. That said you can abuse any tool including the tool truck brands to the point of failure. If I loose a $1.00 blackhawk socket I wont loose much sleep over it. If it was a $20.00 one you betcha.

Paco

 

[Red Green]

C-man ratchets are good for occasional use. You have to pay attention to using the correct drive size and not over loading them. C-man sockets are good for most stuff. I don't really have anything else to compare them to. I bought a set of Snap-on sockets so after they come in the mail I will be able to give a comparison.

 

[SnowBlaZeR2]

I'm going to get in before this gets out of hand, haha.

Craftsman, HF, etc. are fine. I have some sockets that don't even have a brand on them and guess what? They still remove fasteners just fine. Are some better than others? Absolutely, but not for the price in my opinion. If you aren't using them to make money, don't waste the money on something as pricey as Snap On. I would try finding used Craftsman sets from ebay. Some people were having issues with the chrome on some of the CMan sockets awhile back, but I haven't seen anything on that in awhile. I have done just about everything you can do to a truck with my Cman sockets and haven't broken one yet.

 

[Deskmechanic]

For home use anything but chinese **** will be fine. The harbor freight Taiwan (not china) sockets I saw recently look and feel really nice too. I don't buy Taiwan unless I have no other choice, but if I wasn't so picky I would get them in a heartbeat.

Cheaper sockets (example Danaher Craftsman/KD/Allen/Kobalt) have thicker walls, which can be an issue. SK sockets are all over the place - i find the 3/8 shallow have unusually thick walls but the deep seem about average. The 1/4 drive seem pretty good. I have a few Wrights that seem pretty average too.

Consistently thinnest in my experience is Snap-on and Mac, I don't have any Matco.

All things considered for home use I would get Craftsman or Kobalt. You can't find a snap-on man on Sunday but sears is always open.

 

[mrholeshot]

Consistently thinnest in my experience is Snap-on and Mac, I don't have any Matco.

.

Of all my sockets Craftsman are the thinnest. I have craftsman sockets that are deadicated for certain jobs just because they are so thin. On some BBC heads the only thing I can get on the rocker studs that have guide plates for 7/16 pushrods is a Craftsman 12 point deep socket. I have no other sockets that can get the job done.

 

[Deskmechanic]

Cool, I don't have many 12-point sockets. Are they new-production Craftsman? I know sometimes it varies by drive size and depth.

 

[Chadro]

I use almost nothing but Craftsmen working professionally on heavy duty trucks and they are just fine. My wrenches and ratchets are Snap-on, Matco and Mac but they can all kiss my *** if they think I'm paying what they want for sockets.

 

[Robert Haas]

I have split more C-Man deep sockets then any other brand.

SO flank drive 6 pointers are just amazing in getting rounded off fasteners out.

I abuse more sockets then I should as I will have no issue hanging an impact gun on a non impact socket if the impact socket is too thick, this will bring out the weakness of any given socket instantly. I have never split a SO socket doing this yet. I have had C-Man stuff literally explode when abused this way, what can I say, I am a tool abuser.

 

[SnowBlaZeR2]

I have split more C-Man deep sockets then any other brand.

SO flank drive 6 pointers are just amazing in getting rounded off fasteners out.

I abuse more sockets then I should as I will have no issue hanging an impact gun on a non impact socket if the impact socket is too thick, this will bring out the weakness of any given socket instantly. I have never split a SO socket doing this yet. I have had C-Man stuff literally explode when abused this way, what can I say, I am a tool abuser.

So moral of the story is, most tools will work just fine regardless of brand if used correctly.

 

[whatsitsname]

Might want to consider Husky tools also.

 

[Jim C.]

All of my sockets (about 200 or so) are Sears Craftsman from the late 1970s and 1980s. I don't use them every day, but I do use them frequently for one job or another around the house. Over the years, I've used them to restore/repair old cars and heavy duty woodworking machines. I've never broken one, and the chrome finish on every one of them is absolutely fine. There's no flaking, chipping or loss of chrome on any of them.

If I were a professional mechanic, and relied on my tools to earn a living, perhaps I'd take a much different view of the higher priced sockets that are available. For the general DIYer, Craftsman sockets are probably going to be more than sufficient. If you're worried about the quality of current Craftsman sockets, check Ebay, flea markets and pawn shops. The older stuff is still readily available on the used tool market.

 

[littlekillertoad]

I use mostly craftsman and I've never had a problem with them, but I treat them pretty darn well. The more expensive sockets probably have better tolerances and better chrome (definitely better than newer c-man) but c-man sockets will take off a bolt just fine.

 

[treasureseeker]

I only one socket ever fail(cracked was 20 years old) a 15mm 3/8 Dr deep Snap on but I have used just Snap On for twenty years now, before that I had mainly Craftsman.

 

[Hiball]

15-20 years ago I would say there was a HUGE difference between the Lower End and High end Sockets. I keep reading about all these Craftsman finish problems etc.. Have i missed the Pictures showing these Defects? I still have my 200+ piece set i purchased i Many Years ago and ive done (2) complete Frame off Restorations here in the Rust belt With Zero problems outside the ratchets that would seem to slam my hand into Immovable objects. I dont doubt the ability of Flank Drive Sockets to Help in removing worn fasteners but when i started wrenching i couldnt afford the Brands that had that Technology. Ive purchased many brands over the last few years including Wright, Snap On, Cornwell and Genius and Most of these brands have there own version of Flank drive. Its more of Personal preference today and supporting the Company that you feel will best take care of you. I believe Hands Down.. Wright has the best looking Chrome, Period.... But maybe that extra thickness wont work for your application.. As far as the Fitment issue I've seen a few different tests done here at Gj where members have taken numerous brands and mic'd the Open Ends and Needless to say it wasnt Uniform across the board. How much variance is acceptable before it causes problems? Dunno.. I still think Craftsman is probably the Most affordable option when considering buying a Tool Package. My 2 cents...

 

[Tom2]

15-20 years ago I would say there was a HUGE difference between the Lower End and High end Sockets. I keep reading about all these Craftsman finish problems etc.. Have i missed the Pictures showing these Defects? I still have my 200+ piece set i purchased i Many Years ago and ive done (2) complete Frame off Restorations here in the Rust belt With Zero problems outside the ratchets that would seem to slam my hand into Immovable objects. I dont doubt the ability of Flank Drive Sockets to Help in removing worn fasteners but when i started wrenching i couldnt afford the Brands that had that Technology. Ive purchased many brands over the last few years including Wright, Snap On, Cornwell and Genius and Most of these brands have there own version of Flank drive. Its more of Personal preference today and supporting the Company that you feel will best take care of you. I believe Hands Down.. Wright has the best looking Chrome, Period.... But maybe that extra thickness wont work for your application.. As far as the Fitment issue I've seen a few different tests done here at Gj where members have taken numerous brands and mic'd the Open Ends and Needless to say it wasnt Uniform across the board. How much variance is acceptable before it causes problems? Dunno.. I still think Craftsman is probably the Most affordable option when considering buying a Tool Package. My 2 cents...

Heres a 18mm and 11/16 Craftsman of mine

Theyre from a few years ago (don't recall exact time frame I got them).

My older ones from 10 years ago (with no laser etching) still look just fine. These just fell apart under pretty light use. I don't use my tools professionally, but I probably used these sockets once a month or so.

Again, I have older cman sockets I've used much more frequently that look just fine.

I also just warrantied a Cman torx socket where the torx end broke in half on the first use. The one they exchanged it with isn't even level inside the socket piece.

As far as I can tell Cman quality is going downhill pretty fast.

I'm in the market to buy a large tool set at the moment.. It ***** that Cman is about all I can afford. The truck brand stuff is just way too nuts for me.

 

[Hiball]

Heres a 18mm and 11/16 Craftsman of mine

Theyre from a few years ago (don't recall exact time frame I got them).

My older ones from 10 years ago (with no laser etching) still look just fine. These just fell apart under pretty light use. I don't use my tools professionally, but I probably used these sockets once a month or so.

Again, I have older cman sockets I've used much more frequently that look just fine.

I also just warrantied a Cman torx socket where the torx end broke in half on the first use. The one they exchanged it with isn't even level inside the socket piece.

As far as I can tell Cman quality is going downhill pretty fast.

I'm in the market to buy a large tool set at the moment.. It ***** that Cman is about all I can afford. The truck brand stuff is just way too nuts for me.

Thanks for the pics.. Do they have the Craftsman Size stamped into them? Pictures? Drive end Pics? What is up with all the swirling scarring around the bottom?

 

[Tom2]

Thanks for the pics.. Do they have the Craftsman Size stamped into them? Pictures? Drive end Pics? What is up with all the swirling scarring around the bottom?

They're not stamped, just laser etched. So, this might have been more of an issue for that production run (I think they all have lase etching and stampings now).

That's just how easily they scratch up. The 18mm was only used for spark plugs on my import bikes.


To be fair, the sockets still work fine. Just pretty annoying how bad they look - almost impossible to read the sizes at this point.


I have a 10mm deep wall with only the stamping (about 10 years old) that I can promise I've used 10 times as much as these sockets and it still looks fine. Maybe a few scratches, dings from regular use you would expect..but nothing like these.

I need to warranty them, just keep forgetting.

 

[SnowBlaZeR2]

Those sockets look like they have been on the end of an impact. Not saying they were or that I don't believe you in any way, just what it looks like.

 

[Hiball]

They're not stamped, just laser etched. So, this might have been more of an issue for that production run (I think they all have lase etching and stampings now).

That's just how easily they scratch up. The 18mm was only used for spark plugs on my import bikes.


To be fair, the sockets still work fine. Just pretty annoying how bad they look - almost impossible to read the sizes at this point.


I have a 10mm deep wall with only the stamping (about 10 years old) that I can promise I've used 10 times as much as these sockets and it still looks fine. Maybe a few scratches, dings from regular use you would expect..but nothing like these.

I need to warranty them, just keep forgetting.

Ic.. All my Craftsman have the Stampings, That chrome definitely looks thin...

 

[Tom2]

Those sockets look like they have been on the end of an impact. Not saying they were or that I don't believe you in any way, just what it looks like.

No, they have not been on the end of an impact. I didn't even have an air compressor until earlier this year and I've only used my impact about 2 or 3 times since then - and not on either of these sockets.

 

[bsaint]

My cman 24mm socket looks like that too. And it gets little use. I wrapped the end in electrical tape. Its about 6 months old.

 

[Kirbot]

You could always take them back and get brand new ones.

 

[SnowBlaZeR2]

No, they have not been on the end of an impact. I didn't even have an air compressor until earlier this year and I've only used my impact about 2 or 3 times since then - and not on either of these sockets.

Guess you missed the part where I said "not saying they were". I don't care one way or another and I believed you, but thanks for "proving" it to me. I was just making an observation of the quality.

 

[Hiball]

My cman 24mm socket looks like that too. And it gets little use. I wrapped the end in electrical tape. Its about 6 months old.

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.

 

[SnowBlaZeR2]

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.

Yep, me too. I would probably be nice about it though. I like to think I'm a nice guy.

Seriously, run those back to Sears. I bet they wouldn't give you any trouble, and it's a great excuse to go look at tools.

 

[treasureseeker]

I ordered a set of Hazet 1/2” dr sockets to see and use compared to Snap-on. I like to get a variety of high end tools to see how they differ.

6 point socket 900-10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 26 27 28 30 32 (size in millimeters), reversible ratchet 916 SP, extension 917-5 (123 mms), extension 918-10 (248 mms), universal joint 920, sliding t-handle 915.

 

[Tom2]

Guess you missed the part where I said "not saying they were". I don't care one way or another and I believed you, but thanks for "proving" it to me. I was just making an observation of the quality.

Sorry if I came off rude - Definitely didn't mean to, just didn't want anyone to think I was lying about my socket experience

I imagine my Wife will drag me to a mall at some point this weekend. I'll try to remember to take 'em with me..

 

[RLRRLRLL]

cman are decent for what you need, good price to. ive broke 1 cman socket so far..it just kinda spread and disfigured and made a crack in it..didint hear it happen..put it on the fastner after it slipped off..from that happening...and the guy i had watching to make sure it was on there while i used the cheater..told me to stop as it was spreading open haha. sure, i was abusing it but i was just trying to get the job done. i grabbed one of the schools snap on sockets...pulled on it...and CRACK, i thought the fastner broke loose...nope...cracked that snap on like it was nothing. not saying it was bad...just saying they are made of alot harder metal! haha. but all in all...anything decent...will work.

 

[48548]

I have and own a few different brands, Proto, Craftsman(I have more of these than anything else), Snap on, Koken, wera and various others armstrong, wright, plomb, husky(old 60's stuff) no names.... I haven't had any issues with my craftys.... But I do think that the Snapon, wera, proto and koken are the best and maybe wera/snapon at the top of my list. I also like the fact that the resale on them is a lot better. I think the fit and finish of those few is really good. I just bought the starterprk to add more snap on sockets to my set and am looking for 1/2 deep/shallow metric sockets to complete my set. I am a weekend wrencher, but wanted to get nice stuff now that I can afford some of it, because the day might come when I can't. My fathers old snap on are still around and so are most of his other tools, but the problem is I can't get the p&c/plomb and various other brands that have folder been bought out replaced under warranty, so I figured proto/wera/snapon/koken are the way to go because I want to know in 40 years assuming I am not dead I can still get my tools replaced under warranty and some of the smaller companies might not be around..... They could all fold and I would be SOL, but for now they quality of them is good enough I haven't had an issues with the sockets, and like everyone else craftys are going down hill... I am avoiding them from now one. Also as for wera they aren't made in germany anymore, but the quality is still top notch and a cheaper than snapon. Also they are honest and up front about where they are made czech republic, but still much better than china.

 

[archirelic]

Like I've mentioned before, I only wrench on the side, but all I've got are Craftsman, Stanley, and Husky [which is inadvertently Stanley] and they've worked wonders for me. I've put them through a tear-down and rebuild of a 1991 Montero and they're currently being employed tearing down a 1978 Dodge Ramcharger.

No issues thus far.

 

[William Payne]

What do you guys think of Bluepoint sockets? I am looking at buying up some tools from the Bluepoint range as it is affordable for me at the moment and have been wondering what people think.

 

[MrMark]

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.

Your avatar. It reminds me of all the Japanese cars you see with the American flag.

 

[wafrederick]

Most applications,a Snap On socket is better off used than a craftsman socket.Waterpump bolts on a 350 Chevy are this way,the SO 9/16" deepwell has a step in it making it much easier install the waterpump bolts.

 

[rwhite692]

SO flank drive 6 pointers are just amazing in getting rounded off fasteners out.

+1

Ten Characters

 

[supertooljunkie]

For the $$$, Craftsman sockets are the best bang for the buck going, if you are just starting out. Over the years I have collected some of everything, and I find myself still using the C-man sockets. I just bought a set of the 1/4" drive universals, in SAE, today. I have a set of those in Snap on, but I am using them outside in a field. If I lose one, I had rather lose a $6.5- C-man than a $25 Snap on.
I have broken C-man sockets, but I have also broken S-K, Mac, and a few Husky sockets. If I had to start over, I would buy one of the larger C-man sets on sale, and then look for used Snap on, Williams, Wright, or other quality ratchets, to replace the awful raised panels that come with the sets.