Duplicate Sockets

[JRGSPE73]

WARNING - this is probably a stupid question.

Some background info - I'm a weekend wrencher, just looking to build a decent tool collection. Went to Sears yesterday and bought the 145pc tool set to give as a gift to my girlfriend's dad. Got the set home and realized that it included some sockets that weren't included in my 263 pc set that I bought a few months ago. So, late last night, I ordered a second set online (for myself) so that I could still get it at the discounted price - I'm going to pick it up at the store after work today.

Obviously, in addition to the gaps that I'm going to fill in my socket collection, I'm going to end up with a ton of duplicates. My original thought is to sell off the duplicates on e-bay and make some money back. Before I do this, though, here's my question - do any of you think it makes sense to keep any of the duplicates? And when I say duplicates, I mean exact duplicates - obviously, it makes sense to have a shallow 12mm socket in both 1/4" and 3/8" drive, or to have both a shallow and deep 12mm 3/8" drive socket. But does it make any sense to have two 3/8" drive shallow 12mm sockets? (just an arbitrary example)

My first thought is "hell no", but I figured I'd throw it out to those of you that have more experience in the garage than I do. Have you ever been in a situation, working on something, where you thought "Damn, this would be a hell of a lot easier if I had two of these things"?

I'm pretty sure I'll end up keeping the sockets to fill in my gaps, as well as the 6pt combo wrenches, and unloading everything else on e-bay - but I wanted to get some input first.

-Josh

 

[ImportTuner]

Keep them; you never have enough sockets; I have Snap On's, Craftsman, S&K and many more ...

 

[jimvannoy]

I probably have 5 or 6 sets of most sizes/types in different brands. In addition to the ones in my main box in my car shop I have sets in my barn, in my truck tool box, in the house, and in the carriage house/shop behind my house.

 

[bobthecop]

Keep them, if you break, or heaven forbid, lose one, you don't have to wait to get another. If you have kids, or will some day you'll be glad you have extras. Man cannot have too many tools!

 

[JB740i]

I'd say especially with the commonly used sockets it's good to have spares. I'm sure I've lost some into engine bays and behind seats before. Some just roll away under various stuff to be found at a later date. Sure nice to have em then.

I filled up the cheap sticks that sears has on sale regularly with a lot of my duplicates. The rest are in a tupperware containers loose divided between cheap foreign stuff and good ones.

 

[goodfellow]

I'd keep 'em. I also have multiple sets from the major truch vendors. It's nice to have them and will come in handy when you and a buddy are wrenchin', or as often happens to me in tight spaces, the nut and bolt are of the same size so I need two 1/4" sockets on extensions and swivels to be able to get the job done.

Also, 1/4" drive (and 3/8" drive to some extent) sockets are prone to break (especially when you're halfway into a big job) and it's good to have spares.

 

[Lyaec350]

I'm in the EXACT same situation... 241 piece set I got before doesn't have 6pt 1/2" drives, or 6 pt wrenches... Not sure what I want to do with the extras yet...

 

[Danglerb]

Keep them; you never have enough sockets; I have Snap On's, Craftsman, S&K and many more ...

I have 15 SK 1/4 drive 9mm deep sockets, so I disagree.

These are Craftsman lifetime warranty sockets, and should sell for decent money in reasonable groups. I bought a full set of deep/std 1/4 drive SK before these went on sale, and I haven't decided what I will do yet.

No need to rush any decision, sockets will have the same value six months or a year from now. I do have two or three cheesy but functional smaller sets, so I am inclined to sell or better trade all or most of my dups.

I wouldn't get rid of them just to keep things tidy, only if there was a clear profit in doing so.

IMHO losing a socket should be painful, not just grab a spare out of the box.

 

[MAD]

I own three sets of short pattern metric double box wrenches so I think you can guess what my stand on duplicate sockets might be.

 

[arkracing]

Keep them. I personally don't have a lot of duplicates, but my "garage mate" has several duplicates of the common sizes - and it comes in very handy. We can leave tools under a car when doing a ******/motor job and still have tools to work on something else. Same with wreches. He must have 10ea of 1/2", 9/16" and @ least 2 of everything else, including metric.

If you are bad about cleaning up your tools at the end of the day - several sets are nice.

 

[eschoendorff]

Keep them; you never have enough sockets; I have Snap On's, Craftsman, S&K and many more ...

What he said. I have a box of dupes.... and you'll never get out of them what they're worth if you try to sell them. I think.

 

[vjquan]

How many are we talking about? I personally say sell. I once bought a 187 piece set and it came with duplicate sets, not exact duplicates, but a set in 6 pt. and a set in 12 pt. for each drive size. I got rid of all my 12 pts. I wrench by myself, so I generally use a socket/ratchet in one hand and if needed, a combo wrench in the other. I also have a set in a blow molded case that was given to me. While it is a duplicate of my main set, I have never used it.

 

[Smokey]

I'm in the selling camp. Mainly because I've already got a box of "spares" that I let the kids & guests play with. My box already had both 6pt & 12pt wrenches and with now with some selective additions I filled in the gaps on my socket selection too.

If you don't already have spares then this would be a good way to start. Today the price went back up to a "on sale" price of $179

 

[Red Green]

I got rid of all my 12 pts.

Why would you get rid of your 12pt sockets? You must not plan on removing a driveshaft from a Ranger or removing a GM steering box on a RWD car.

 

[shopforeman]

I would say keep them unless you need the money.

 

[ImportTuner]

I have 15 SK 1/4 drive 9mm deep sockets, so I disagree.

These are Craftsman lifetime warranty sockets, and should sell for decent money in reasonable groups. I bought a full set of deep/std 1/4 drive SK before these went on sale, and I haven't decided what I will do yet.

No need to rush any decision, sockets will have the same value six months or a year from now. I do have two or three cheesy but functional smaller sets, so I am inclined to sell or better trade all or most of my dups.

I wouldn't get rid of them just to keep things tidy, only if there was a clear profit in doing so.

IMHO losing a socket should be painful, not just grab a spare out of the box.

Now, 15 SK 1/4" drive 9 mm is overkill .... 3~5 is reasonable ...

 

[Uncle Buck]

I will say this once; ya gotta have full sets of each and every size in standards and deeps, and preferably in both 6pt &12pt. Additionally a set of 8pt sockets will also get used on occasion so basic set of those are also in order! Also if you plan on using burp guns and air ratchets you then do the same on the impact sets; with one caveat all the air stuff is 6pt only!

 

[partsman]

get one of the little craftsman boxes and keep them for spares in the car. you can never tell when or where you will break down....

 

[vjquan]

Why would you get rid of your 12pt sockets? You must not plan on removing a driveshaft from a Ranger or removing a GM steering box on a RWD car.

Nope. Honda and Nissan's don't use 12 pts. They also don't use torx bolts like I've seen on GM.

 

[ImportTuner]

Nope. Honda and Nissan's don't use 12 pts. They also don't use torx bolts like I've seen on GM.

Huh ... Honda and Nissan's all can use 12 pt sockets ... a 12 pt socket can go on easier than a 6 pt .. 6 pt's are used when more torque is being applied ..

 

[vjquan]

Huh ... Honda and Nissan's all can use 12 pt sockets ... a 12 pt socket can go on easier than a 6 pt .. 6 pt's are used when more torque is being applied ..

Of course they CAN use them, but is not needed. With a 12 pt socket, there is a chance of rounding a 6 pt. fastener, which is why a 6 pt. is preferred. What do you mean easier?? A 6 pt. goes on just as easy, just not as many positions.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Far to much is made of 12pt vs 6pt sockets; at least to me. Granted, when a fastener is severely rusted, has already been rounded off or has some other such issue ya have to use a 6pt socket, but for just run of the mill stuff and for about 90% or more of the time a 12pt will work equally well and they are less prone to get the nut or bolt hung up in the socket than the 6pt (just a ****** hassle) for the life of me I will never understand why guys ditch, dump, sell or trade 12pt sockets simply because the are 12pt. I have never resold a hand tool once I get my hands on them! I have given a few hand tools to a nephew starting to build a set from nothing, and I once gave a few extra tools to a friend that was down on his luck and just starting a new job. Generally I never get rid of tools, a very rare event indeed! Bah Humbug (in keeping with the season) to those bad mouthing my 12pt sockets! (yup I have just as many 6pt!)

 

[mulepackin]

get one of the little craftsman boxes and keep them for spares in the car. you can never tell when or where you will break down....

An extra set for the grab and go box is always a good idea. I also have some duplicates of frequently used sizes in the shop chest. I'm of the camp that a few extras of some sizes is a good thing. Obviously, there can be too much of a good thing though.

 

[johnny1290]

This is a great topic as I've been wondering this myself.

I need tools in the trunk of my car, at the garage, and at home.

I share a garage with my friend and usually end up using his hand tools(his choice, not mine) and between his motorcycles and a few cars and some workbenches it can be hard to find a particular socket or even a 3/8" ratchet without doing some hunting. heaven forbid a socket is actually lost or broken and puts us out of commission because we don't have a duplicate. Unacceptable. Also we sometimes just need the same thing at the same time.

I don't have enough garage time, so I need to maximize every bit I can, so it's worth it to me to have spares/extras.

That said, it would fricking *kill* me to lose a socket or a wrench in a crevice somewhere. But then maybe I take it too personally.

Also, I have mostly Craftsman tools right now, and I'm building up a new set of SnapOn wrenches/ratches/sockets/screwdrivers and knipex/snapon/mac pliers, sidecutters, etc.

Mainly just because I can afford to and I want to see what it's like working with the fancy stuff.

That and I'm a tool hoarder ;-)

EDIT: This thread just made me realize I need to pull the 130 pc set from my closet and leave it at the garage for just this reason. Not to mention I freaking *hate* using someone else's tools.

 

[Jononon]

You do realise that suggesting selling off tools, on this forum, is like walking into a crack dealers convention and mentioning that you think it's time to cut down a bit ?

I'm slowly replacing my Fu Yung Shin-E-Krome* sockets with Stahlwille. I can't see the point in cluttering up my primary tool box with multiple sockets, so I'm going to make a up a set I'm willing to lend out with the cheaper sockets. I've never found a situation where I needed two identical sockets, as opposed to using two of the same size in 1/4" and 3/8" drive, or whatever. I also keep a small selection of top quality drive tools, rather than the vast selection some people seem to feel the need for

Far to much is made of 12pt vs 6pt sockets; at least to me. Granted, when a fastener is severely rusted, has already been rounded off or has some other such issue ya have to use a 6pt socket

The Germans would have you believe that's not the case, over about 7mm, with good quality sockets. I'm coming round to the idea that they're right. I'm also realising that most manufacturers don't make good quality sockets...

but for just run of the mill stuff and for about 90% or more of the time a 12pt will work equally well and they are less prone to get the nut or bolt hung up in the socket than the 6pt (just a ****** hassle) for the life of me I will never understand why guys ditch, dump, sell or trade 12pt sockets simply because the are 12pt.

Ditto

*names have been changed to protect the guilty

 

[eschoendorff]

Far to much is made of 12pt vs 6pt sockets; at least to me. Granted, when a fastener is severely rusted, has already been rounded off or has some other such issue ya have to use a 6pt socket, but for just run of the mill stuff and for about 90% or more of the time a 12pt will work equally well and they are less prone to get the nut or bolt hung up in the socket than the 6pt (just a ****** hassle) for the life of me I will never understand why guys ditch, dump, sell or trade 12pt sockets simply because the are 12pt. I have never resold a hand tool once I get my hands on them! I have given a few hand tools to a nephew starting to build a set from nothing, and I once gave a few extra tools to a friend that was down on his luck and just starting a new job. Generally I never get rid of tools, a very rare event indeed! Bah Humbug (in keeping with the season) to those bad mouthing my 12pt sockets! (yup I have just as many 6pt!)

I've often thought this, but didn't want to be teh first to say it.......

and as far as poor quality socket... it has occurred to me that the sockets might not be the real problem. I have a lot more *beefs* with the ****** quality of fasteners: nuts, bolts and screws. I swear, they are using softer and softer slag to make these things....

 

[wilbilt]

I have duplicates of everything. In some cases, many more than that...

 

[Jononon]

as far as poor quality socket... it has occurred to me that the sockets might not be the real problem. I have a lot more *beefs* with the ****** quality of fasteners: nuts, bolts and screws. I swear, they are using softer and softer slag to make these things....

Good point. Unfortunately, in my experience, the worse the fastener the better the tool you need either to move it at all or, at best, to avoid beating the **** out of it. So reasonably good tools become tools that will barely do the job. I think it's a conspiracy by the Chinese steel makers.

I have duplicates of everything. In some cases, many more than that...

Pretty sure that's only legal in Utah

 

[wilbilt]

Pretty sure that's only legal in Utah

I only have one of those, and that's plenty.

 

[wythors]

Sell 'em.

When I inherited my father-in-law's tools I went through everything I had, made up complete sets of each size and type of socket and sold the rest on eBay. I did really well with it too. Lots of stuff actually sold for more than you can go down to Sears and buy it. I LOVE eBay buyers.

 

[84TurboBuick]

I've pretty much got 3 of every size in all the drive sizes. Every time I start to think "SELL" I need one of the extras I have.

Having extras is far better than not having what you need when you need it!

 

[bmwpower]

Gotta bring back this thread...

So for the people that say to keep the sockets, where in God's name do you keep them? I don't have a complete set of extras, I have a major hodgepodge of some extras that somehow made their way into my stuff. Just throwing them in a box makes it difficult to know what I have when I need to look for a backup tool.

Somehow I have to segregate them otherwise they will wander their way into my normal sets. It just makes keeping things in order so much harder.

Keep them on separate rails in no order?
Keep them on separate rails in some sort of order?

 

[JB740i]

Gotta bring back this thread...

So for the people that say to keep the sockets, where in God's name do you keep them? I don't have a complete set of extras, I have a major hodgepodge of some extras that somehow made their way into my stuff. Just throwing them in a box makes it difficult to know what I have when I need to look for a backup tool.

Somehow I have to segregate them otherwise they will wander their way into my normal sets. It just makes keeping things in order so much harder.

Keep them on separate rails in no order?
Keep them on separate rails in some sort of order?

I bought some of the c-man rails with the handle when they were 3 bucks or so and put some of my duplicates on there in some kind of order. Not really that useful and haven't touched em since. They hang on my pegboard and look cool I guess.
Other than that I've got two big tupperware containers. One marked Good for the made in USA or other quality stuff and one marked foreign. Can't really say those are my lending sockets since I've never had someone come over and ask. And probably wouldn't bother sorting through it to find the one they needed to borrow anyway.
So the duplicates that I can't fit between the std and deep on my hansen trays basically sit on a shelf useless.

 

[wrenchr]

I once made a extra set a sockets from duplicates.

 

[GT crew]

Gotta have depth on the bench for unexpected contingencies. All tools may not always be available either. Craftsman dropped their mid depth sockets which come in very handy at times, as well as their branded angled socket wrenches which were made in France. (Facom?) I am good to go with spare mid depth sockets, but have not been able to locate a replacement C-man 16mm angled socket wrench anywhere. If I am to go with Facom, might as well get the whole set and relegate the ones I have to the bench.

 

[NOMAD]

If I didn't have so few tools I'd be inclined to take all my old HF and misc tools and pile them in a cheap box. When someone wants to borrow a tool I could drag out the dirty bin and say "Oh sure, help yourself!" then smile and walk away.

 

[Fedwrench]

I store the trully orphan duplicate sockets in an old tool box. The metric ones are in the lift out tray, where I can get them first. The standard are in the bottom. I use color coded rails ala Craftsman, Matco , or Ernst for socket storage. I would recommend storing them by either SAE or Metric first, then by drive size. If you want to use rails, wait for Harbor Freight to put their rails on sale for 2 for $1.

 

[paramudduck]

With my luck at breaking stuff I usually have 3 or more sets around.
Especially the 10mm's. I keep thinking I should buy one of the wholesale Easco or other such lots of them that goes up on Ebay every so often.

 

[kartracer55]

Theres a little compartment on the top of my box that is full of duplicate sockets. There must be about 8 9/16 sockets in there lol. I know if I cant find one I need or if I break one thats common I usually have it.

 

[JRGSPE73]

Well, I decided to sell off the duplicates...I must say, it worked out pretty well. Gotta love e-Bay. I bought the 145 pc. Craftsman set when it was on sale for $99.99 - plus I used a $10 coupon, so my actual cost was about $95 (after tax).

I poached about 25 sockets out of it (mostly rather large sizes) to pretty much fill up my Hansen Trays, as well as both the SAE and Metric 6pt. combo wrenches. Listed the remaining stuff on e-bay as 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" drive sets (including ratchets and extensions). Auctions ended last night, with everything selling for a total of about $115

I'm sure I'll end up collecting some duplicates down the road, but for now, it just made more sense to sell them off. In the end, I ended up with 25+ new (and relatively large/expensive) sockets, two new sets of 6pt. wrenches, and $20 more in my pocket than I started with - not a bad outcome, I must say