GearWrench or something else...???

[NYFISHON]

Hey everyone, first time poster here. I'm looking to build an inexpensive but "ok" quality socket set for my very young son. I picked these up at Advance Auto for 50% off each and a total of $47.50 for all. The problem is, they aren't offering the SAE counterparts to this set anywhere. Not online or any stores that I can find for the "on sale" price. I was hoping to complete the 1/4 drive & 3/8 drive set for under $100 but it's not looking good. You guys think I should ditch these and go for another option? Or do you think I should stick with these and try to finish the set?? If you think I should ditch these, give me some equal quality options that will come close to the price goal...

 

[Negen]

I find tekton to be the best of the the lower priced brands. I am not the least bit impressed by gear wrench with internet and garage journal much better tools around for about the same price.

Sent from my G8141 using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[APS2000]

Click here https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=321931

Read entire post or go to post #222

 

[Professional Tool User]

I find tekton to be the best of the the lower priced brands. I am not the least bit impressed by gear wrench with internet and garage journal much better tools around for about the same price.

Sent from my G8141 using The Garage Journal mobile app

+1 For something that both Tekton and Gearwrench offers, I would look at Tekton first. Gearwrench is kind of overpriced for Made in China stuff. Tekton has large Made in Taiwan socket sets with no size skips. I have their 1/4 drive set and their sockets are nicely polished.

 

[Skin]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0767NRWH8/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Got one of these sets for short term loaners. Excellent quality, includes nice wrenches and two very good ratchets. The kits occasionally go on promo for a hair less around the holidays but I honestly don't think you can do much better for the money today.

 

[potato]

gearwrench 1/4 and 3/8 sets above and when he needs 1/2, get this tekton set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LYZ2IJ5/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Snakebyt]

i have those same sockets in 1/4, work great for me. never had a problem with them at all, couple of other guys at work have them as well. when you find them for half price, they are really hard to beat

 

[Wamsutta]

I have two rails of those Advance Auto GearWrench sockets. They are not worth full price. They put the retention detents in the wrong place. I'd recommend Williams instead.

http://www.toolsdelivered.com/Sockets-Drive-Tools_c_2621.html

 

[Mr_B]

you could get the sae 1/4 22pc sae set and 3/8 21pc sae set for under 90 bucks or better if hunt around, comes with couple extensions each set and 84 tooth ratchets . wouldn't be much over initial thought budget and you get ratchets and extensions and all matching set .
The older gearwrench was better designed and made (was a great buy on sale) but it still good buy at deal prices .
The dewalt sets look pretty good balance of quality/cost .
Tekton nothing special on socketry .

 

[Holmesx10]

I would look into the dewalt 192 piece socket set. Pretty much every socket you will need with almost no skips whatsoever for 1/4 3/8 and 1/2 including ratchets and some extensions and even some hex bits. Great value if you can find for around $150. Taiwanese quality and lifetime warranty. Way better than my Chinese craftsman set I made the mistake of buying

 

[Fedwrench]

Why are you trying to throw the baby out with the bath water? Are you one of those people that obsesses over an empty hansen rack peg even though you'll never use that socket size?

The answer is simple. Since you already got the Gearwrench sets at least half off, metric is squared away. Grab a couple of rails of Tekton SAE sockets when they're having a sale and you're done for the most part.

Now if your OCD is so high that you can't tolerate different brands of sockets, then you probably need to get your meds updated.

 

[M6erfan]

For under $80 you could get these Tekton sets and be covered with 1/4 & 3/8 metric and SAE with ratchets, extension, etc... Heck, they even come in nice cases. One of the best values going IMO and Tekton warranty/customer service is outstanding.

https://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-8-Inch-Socket-6-Point-16-Inch/dp/B01MDO6L90/ref=sr_1_4?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1532004211&sr=1-4&keywords=tekton%2B%2Bsocket%2Bset&th=1

 

[Tonyuk]

Your going to ditch them just because you cant make a complete set?

Go on to amazon or ebay and buy a set from any brand really, sockets have came on since the dark ages of years past and even cheap sockets are good enough quality.

Have you went to harbor freight or any other local shop, they'll sell good enough sets.

 

[Heididayne]

what are the best and affordable wrenches? 19" to 8"

 

[Tonyuk]

what are the best and affordable wrenches? 19" to 8"

Ones that work...

Seriously thats impossible to answer, buy a few and try them. I like the Facom 440's and they're what i would consider reasonable for pro grade tools.

 

[CR888]

What exactly is good about Tekton socketry other than cheap price & well polished chrome? I kinda don't get what it is exactly that folks like about them as a tool itself.

 

[M6erfan]

What exactly is good about Tekton socketry other than cheap price & well polished chrome? I kinda don't get what it is exactly that folks like about them as a tool itself.

Price to quality ratio IMO.

No skips, very good quality, made in Taiwan, cheap as dirt, and a great warranty. What else do you need? How are, say, Gearwrench (or any other Taiwan made) sockets better?

 

[Zewnten]

Or the 300 piece mechanic set from HF, $150 with a coupon all the sockets are made in Taiwan and it comes with a few other extras to start a young mechanic. Otherwise my vote would also be for Tekton.

 

[Tallpilot]

What exactly is good about Tekton socketry other than cheap price & well polished chrome? I kinda don't get what it is exactly that folks like about them as a tool itself.

Almost everything is now flank drive, surface drive, etc and the tolerances out of Taiwan are no worse than my USA Williams. So unless you are dealing with rock bottom Chinese garbage from the dollar store the hex socket has become commoditized. They all do the same thing and do it well enough to be functionally equal so there is nothing to get excited about as a tool itself.

If you want to nitpick very few of the Taiwan sockets are fully necked down from the drive end and the deeps are shallow broached. Skipping those features makes them cheaper to produce and there is a theory it makes them stronger. Unless you absolutely need those features the Taiwan sockets provide amazing utility value.

Knurling is occasionally nice to have but mostly obviated by using a cordless or air ratchet.

We can also quibble that the detents could be better placed to reduce the small amount of wobble but a complete set of every size Tekton makes in 3/8" drive is available for less than I paid for my 12 piece deep Williams set.

As M6er says Tekton wins the Taiwan socket battle because of no-skip sets, industry leading customer service and great pricing.

Also this thread is about a starter set for his young son not someone who just started his first job as a HD mechanic. IMO your first socket set should be about making sure you have the largest selection of sizes. Later you can upgrade the sizes you use the most if you wish.

 

[Tallpilot]

what are the best and affordable wrenches? 19" to 8"

I assume you mean mm? 19 inch wrenches are very expensive but I suspect at least one member here probably owns one.

Tekton will win the "most affordable and best" combination wrenches competition too. There are of course better but not for less than twice the price.

 

[1990 Grand Wag]

Don't stone me fellas....................
Those Tekton sockets appear to be the same Taiwan made Harbor Freight sockets!

 

[Mgdoug3]

I bought some ratcheting wrenches, metric and SAE universal sockets and deepwell metrics from Advanced for half off. For the price I couldn't pass them up. I would have bought more but I already had the other sizes I need at home. More farm equipment has switched to metric as well and needed to update my sockets.

If the sockets are still on sale you can order them at the store or online and get free shipping. Brand name doesn't bother me. I have GW, SK, Tekton, Craftsman, Blackhawk, Indestro Super and more. They all turn a bolt if it's the right size.

 

[bullnerd]

Whats "very" young?

Is he going to turn a nut with them or see how much dirt they will hold?

 

[BigNuge]

Another Tekton vote here.

I have a full set of impact sockets (SAE & Metric), 3/8 & 1/2” Drive. I have beat the **** out of them in the field (Industrial boilers & Burners), as well as in my shop. They haven’t skipped a beat. The only thing is that the finish is running off a bit from bouncing around in my truck. Not a deal breaker by any means, but it’s gonna be tough to read the marking of it gets much worse.


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[brokeboater]

Gearwrench, Tekton, Dewalt, etc, you don't put together a full kit by buying piece meal. You say you want a full 1/4" 3/8" kit for $100, you could have done that with a link that was already posted, full master set of 1/4" and 3/8" sockets, ratchets, extensions, universals, and nice blow molded cases. Gearwrench is just fine, your method of shopping is suspect.

 

[WWheeler]

Hey everyone, first time poster here. I'm looking to build an inexpensive but "ok" quality socket set for my very young son. I picked these up at Advance Auto for 50% off each and a total of $47.50 for all. The problem is, they aren't offering the SAE counterparts to this set anywhere. Not online or any stores that I can find for the "on sale" price. I was hoping to complete the 1/4 drive & 3/8 drive set for under $100 but it's not looking good. You guys think I should ditch these and go for another option? Or do you think I should stick with these and try to finish the set?? If you think I should ditch these, give me some equal quality options that will come close to the price goal...

Click here https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=321931

Read entire post or go to post #222

APS2000 For the win!

Seriously. 1/4 and 3/8 Gearwrench sets std and deep sockets, sae and metric, and ratchets and extensions, for a dollar over the OP's budget of $100.

 

[M6erfan]

APS2000 For the win!

Seriously. 1/4 and 3/8 Gearwrench sets std and deep sockets, sae and metric, and ratchets and extensions, for a dollar over the OP's budget of $100.

How are they better than Tekton that are over $20 less?

Every single GW ratchet I've ever had was a locking up skipping mess

 

[ReggieR]

I have a shiittonn of GW sockets.......amd Tektons(impacts), and S&K and Proto and USA Stanley and God knows.....a set of Bonney 12 pt. OH. Some Snappy shorts too. Be smarter than the socket and you likely wont kill it. Dont "impact' non-impact sockets. Buy the ones you use one by one instead of a set if need be. I damn sure know I've only used a few out of these big sets burning up space in my box.
I'll tell you a MUST though. Get some sort of "turbo twist" remover sockets. Those things are killer. I think mine are S&K or maybe Williams. No matter. Get a few for exhaust bolts or a swimming pool motor to pump mount and the like. Well worth the little spent. Just a 3/8 stet on a stick with a few pieces will do.

 

[powertrip]

Very young son? Buy cheap Harbor Freight ones (Pittsburgh pro) that are essentially the same as pretty much any Taiwan socket out there except for truck brands. Your boy will most likely lose several of them anyways until he reaches a certain age. This is what I am doing with my son.

 

[WWheeler]

How are they better than Tekton for $20 less?

Every single GW ratchet I've ever had was a locking up skipping mess

The black cases are nicer looking and comes with a palm ratchet you will never ever use?

Just took a look at the linked Tekton sets you posted and yeah, that's a better deal.

I have very little Tekton stuff, a few sockets and a set of snap ring pliers. The sockets are fine - they have a nice finish and turn a fastener though their deeps are shorter my Craftsman (usa or china) by more than a cm which isn't necessarily a bad thing. And the snap ring pliers set are pretty much junk but didn't cost much at all so got about what I deserved/expected. I don't even think Tekton sells the set any more, or at least not on amazon.

Admittedly I don't have nearly as much experience with Tekton tools as I do GearWrench to be able to have as high an opinion about their quality for the price, both seem to offer a good value for the price imho, but I do concede Tekton has a much easier better warranty policy should you need it. FWIW the few GW ratchets I have are fine. Never an issue with them, but I don't have any of those 120XP ones though.

 

[nmantas]

From the title, I thought this was another counterfeit Gearwrench thread.

 

[M6erfan]

from the title, i thought this was another counterfeit gearwrench thread.

lol!

 

[M6erfan]

The black cases are nicer looking and comes with a palm ratchet you will never ever use?

Just took a look at the linked Tekton sets you posted and yeah, that's a better deal.

I have very little Tekton stuff, a few sockets and a set of snap ring pliers. The sockets are fine - they have a nice finish and turn a fastener though their deeps are shorter my Craftsman (usa or china) which isn't necessarily a bad thing. And the snap ring pliers set are pretty much junk but didn't cost much at all so got about what I deserved/expected. I don't even think Tekton sells the set any more, or at least not on amazon.

Admittedly I don't have nearly as much experience with Tekton tools as I do GearWrench to be able to have as high an opinion about their quality for the price, both seem to offer a good value for the price imho, but I do concede Tekton has a much easier better warranty policy should you need it. FWIW the few GW ratchets I have are fine. Never an issue with them, but I don't have any of those 120XP ones though.

Point I was making is that any of them will turn nuts/bolts, and the quality is pretty much on par. Get what's cheapest between the two = Tekton. And like you said, great warranty (personally, I don't give a flip about warranty). I disagree about the cases, the Tekton case is very nice, and has a nice place for bit storage. I've only seen the older style GW cases and pretty much meh. And the palm ratchet? I have an SK one somewhere, cant remember the last time I used it, or where it is... I'd rather have the driver/ext that comes with the Tekton set, those I actually use.

I just think GW is overpriced for what it is.

 

[jumbojak]

Don't stone me fellas....................
Those Tekton sockets appear to be the same Taiwan made Harbor Freight sockets!

There's nothing really wrong with that. Tekton has a convenience factor for a lot of people. Harbor Freight is a looooong drive for me. Tekton can be at my door in two days which is worth a slight premium. They are both good sockets.

 

[Mr_B]

Can't go far wrong with the gearwrench rail sets or master sets at 50% off or buy1get1free.
The sockets are better designed than tekton and ratchets pretty decent .
He could buy the master set deal and flip rail sets on ebay or he just get the sae sets with 84T ratchets which means around 30+bucks more than the master set deal .

 

[brokeboater]

Gear Wrench 68-Piece 1/4" and 3/8" Drive 6- and 12-Point Standard/Deep Socket Set - SAE/ Metric $82.99 with a $20 coupon online to get it for $62.99.

https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p...-socket-set-sae-metric-83000-83000d/9010414-P

 

[NYFISHON]

All,
Thanks for all the feedback.

Let me cover a few things:

Young son = 8. He’s becoming interested and joining me in some of our repair jobs around the cars and the house.

OCD = slight, non-medicated currently.

"Suspect shopping methods" = These were very much an impulse buy. When I realized I wouldn't be able to complete the set I though I'd reach out for an opinion here. I wasn't aware of the Tekton or GW bogo offers so now I'm glad that I did.

The plan will be to let these live on my work bench for now, use them as needed and pass along to him when he's responsible enough to look after them. Thanks for the info!

 

[brokeboater]

I wasn't aware of the Tekton or GW bogo offers so now I'm glad that I did.

Meh, not a lot different that what I went through really. I wanted some easier travel tools instead of carrying my old Craftsman set, 1/4"/3/8"/1/2" in it's big old three drawer box. I had extra raised panel ratchets so I bought a rack of GW SAEs and Metrics, deep and standards. Then I decided to up grade my raised panel Craftsman's so I bought the GW master 1/2 set when it was on sale for $120. Then I bought the 1/4"/3/8" GW master sets for the $100 +-. Then I picked up the Tekton 15 piece metric wrench set for $32 (now $28 and change)...

It happens.

 

[PR1Gneon]

Craftsman 299 socket set

6 and 12pt deep and shallow sockets
4mm to 36mm
5/32 to 1 1/4"

$1 per socket

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/282044743466



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[PugetDude]

Another vote for Tekton. Recently bought a set of their fine-tooth ratchets to replace my old Craftsman Raised panels.

Also, impressed with the fit and finish on the full polish 10mm wrench and miniature pliers they sent me for $2.00 last week.