I'm looking to replace some of my mixed and matched 3/8 sockets and found a good price on some new SK sockets. So how do they compare to the other premium brands like wright, matco, snap on etc? I know that SK is in some hard times and their warranty service is less than par but being just a weekend wrench these will probably last me a life time. What are your opinions? Anybody have any and care to share their experiences? Thanks.
How do new SK sockets compare?
- Thread starter BWright
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quattrojon
Well-known member
I really like S-K sockets, i can't/daren't say whether they are as strong as Snap-On, but the chrome finish has a deep lustre and is very durable. I can't remember ever having to replace one either.
GeorgiaHybrid
Well-known member
I have a bunch of new SK sockets (and wrenches, rats, screwdrivers....) that are my backups for the tool truck gear. They would work very well for a pro much less a weekend wrencher like most of us are. The chrome is very nice and seems durable so far. I don't like the warranty policy in effect right now but then again, I don't break things like I used to when I made a living turning wrenches so it is not a deal killer.
dieseldodge01
Well-known member
I have a 3/8 deep set thats around a year old and a 3/8 shallow thats around 2. They look new, just dirty. As for quality they seem to be on par with the older sockets that I have. They are a high quality socket I have no problems with them, I would recondmend them.
Merkava_4
Banned
If you break one, you gotta mail it in with the enclosed $5 bill and wait 12 weeks for your replacement; that is if they haven't gone out of business by then. 
BackTracker
Well-known member
Damn I had my heart set on a pretty green case full of those.
CamarosRus
Well-known member
Gearwrench, Toptul, Genius ????????????
What is the point of this post? This thread is about SK.
i have piles of them. if i recall some of my older ones are late 60's vintage up to around 10 years old or so. i have only broken a couple 15/16-1/2 drive over the years and they involved a very stubborn fastener in an odd place with limited access. it also involved my only broken 1/2 sk ratchet. it also had much to do with the long cylindrical tube extender i was jumping on. all pieces were replaced under warranty.your results may vary but i highly reccomend them. thier pro ratchets while somewhat dated are a very durable 60 tooth that is still the favorite of many. just my opinions.
RbrtAWhyt
Well-known member
Reasonable alternatives perhaps? At least GearWrench isn't in danger of going out of business...
woody 73
Well-known member
I really like my sk new and old they have never let me down. I have never had any problems with the spline sockets...
highland512
Well-known member
The only SK sockets I have ever broken where 1/2 drive and involved long ratchet handle "extensions" and my 280 lbs doing jumping jacks on these handle "extensions". I would recommend SK to anybody professional or weekend warrior. Even with SK troubles IF you break a socket there are so many out there you could find one one to replace it.
P.S. If anybody has need for any single 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 6 pt ,12 pt, deep or regular sockets, wrenches or ratchets I have stumbled into hundreds of SK tools that used and for sale. If you need anything pm.
P.S. If anybody has need for any single 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 6 pt ,12 pt, deep or regular sockets, wrenches or ratchets I have stumbled into hundreds of SK tools that used and for sale. If you need anything pm.
Glad I read this, was gonna buy a set this A.M.
crankshaftdan II
Well-known member
I too, have several older s-k sockets that I use on a regular basis. They don't have the bling and glitz of the other truck brands, however there is something to be said for the tempered steel with brass overlay and chrome plating on my old buzzards! Like s-k farmer stated, it takes a lot of cheater pipe on a ratchet or sockets to break them! They take a lickin and still keep doing the job for most applications. Not the best looking "Prom King or Queen", but very stable tools.
steelespeed
Well-known member
i would rate the quality of sk's sockets much higher than those of craftsman. the forgings look sharper inside and out, the stampings are deeper and more defined, and the chrome looks much better.
as for "beauty," i don't think they look any less attractive than the offerings from wright, proto, or armstrong. actually, i think the gearwrench sockets are some of the "prettiest" out there. nice chrome, great markings and metric/standard differentiation. problem is that they are not american. does anyone know if they are chinese or taiwanese?
i am currently teetering between a purchase of sk/wright/proto. the only thing i worry about with sk is long term company health. sk does seem to have a larger product line than that of wright.
now, if i could afford hazet...
as for "beauty," i don't think they look any less attractive than the offerings from wright, proto, or armstrong. actually, i think the gearwrench sockets are some of the "prettiest" out there. nice chrome, great markings and metric/standard differentiation. problem is that they are not american. does anyone know if they are chinese or taiwanese?
i am currently teetering between a purchase of sk/wright/proto. the only thing i worry about with sk is long term company health. sk does seem to have a larger product line than that of wright.
now, if i could afford hazet...
selohssa
Well-known member
I own LOTS of S/K and I inherited a pile of S/K Wayne. I grew up with these and always liked them. With the way that the buisiness is being run right now. I would not buy anything from them until they get their heads out of their asses.
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i won't take any real issue with your statement but i often hear that about sk. the only problem i have with that is that walmart, ford, gm, chrysler, sears and any number of other companies also have their head up their ***. my guess is that people don't think twice about doing business with at least a couple of them.
selohssa
Well-known member
I stopped buying at Walmart years ago. You are right that there are a lot of companies with serious issues right now and yes I do still buy from some of them. It pissed me off years ago when I was denied warrantee on my S/K Wayne tools and it pisses me off now that I can not get decent service on my newer S/K tools.
I like the tools (especially the screwdrivers) but hate the service and when I buy my tools, I buy the ones that are of good quality AND give me good service.
like i said, no real issue with your statement but you are far more likely to need a warranty issue or customer sevice with those other places than with sk. chances are you will get your moneys worth out of them before you need any service or warranty. not likely with those other companies. most other stuff gets thrown away and replaced when it breaks. one broken tool out of a set does not render the other peices useless of any brand of tool. just throwing out a differant perspective.
Care to elaborate on this statement? What did you do to break them and how did they break? I have never had any problems with mine.
selohssa
Well-known member
Very true. There is no question that they are good tools. I like them very much. I have only broken 1 socket, 1 breaker bar and 1 screwdriver blade in 20 years.
mdbeck1
Well-known member
About 30 years ago my Dad gave me a SK socket set (SAE deep and shallow). I've never had a problem except with the 3/4 deep well that I used for a punch replacing the U-Joints on a pickup.
Try saying that about the metric "set" my wife bought me from Walmart.... (my reason to upgrade EVERYTHING)...
For several years I've been trading all of my tools up to S&K. The only problem that I ever remember was a ratchet that was messed up right out of the box. I need to get that warrantied. I highly recommend buying S&K.
...note to self... pick up another deep well 3/4 socket (3/8 drive).
Try saying that about the metric "set" my wife bought me from Walmart.... (my reason to upgrade EVERYTHING)...
For several years I've been trading all of my tools up to S&K. The only problem that I ever remember was a ratchet that was messed up right out of the box. I need to get that warrantied. I highly recommend buying S&K.
...note to self... pick up another deep well 3/4 socket (3/8 drive).
MarcSeattle
Well-known member
Ditto. The oldest thing I own is a set of SK 3/8 sockets my dad gave me when I was in high school (longer ago than I want to admit). Still going strong, although that is an easy task because I've never owned much that uses inch sizes.
I recently bought a 48 piece (I think) "master" type 3/8 drive set for around $125-$130 shipped to my door - shallow and deep 6-point sockets, 2 extensions, a universal, thumb ratchet and Pro ratchet all packaged in a nice case. Definitely a strong purchase. I've been using it on the weekends and it's been great.
For the price, I'm not sure you can beat the quality. Think of what $125 off the Snap-On or Matco truck would buy you in the way of sockets and ratchets. Not much. You could buy four whole SK sets like I bought for the price of one equivalent Snap-On set... that should put it in perspective! With that said, $5 to warrant a broken socket is peanuts... or you could replace it with your favorite truck or store brand IF it breaks... again, peanuts when looking at the big picture!
That's my view for the socket sets. For things like wrenches, you can buy an SK set new for $100 or buy the Snap-On equivalent used on eBay for $140... when the prices are that close, I'd probably go with Snap-On.
For the price, I'm not sure you can beat the quality. Think of what $125 off the Snap-On or Matco truck would buy you in the way of sockets and ratchets. Not much. You could buy four whole SK sets like I bought for the price of one equivalent Snap-On set... that should put it in perspective! With that said, $5 to warrant a broken socket is peanuts... or you could replace it with your favorite truck or store brand IF it breaks... again, peanuts when looking at the big picture!
That's my view for the socket sets. For things like wrenches, you can buy an SK set new for $100 or buy the Snap-On equivalent used on eBay for $140... when the prices are that close, I'd probably go with Snap-On.
Here is my motivation to buy SK sockets, and I would like to know what you think. The SK set 94549 is about $116 from tooltopia and it comes with short and deep sockets in both metric and standard. That is almost the same price as buying Wright set 355. Which is just deep metric sockets and what I was originally looking at. Now there is no question to the quality of the wright sockets, but if I can basically get the 4 socket sets for the same price and they are still quality then Id be pretty tempted to buy them. Just not sure how much the shorter length of the smaller deep sockets and the shallow broaching would affect me. So there is my conundrum. 
i doubt very much that will affect you. every brand has subtle differances. i don't think it has ever been an issue with me. other people it has. do you think that the once or twice in your lifettime that it may happen is worth 2, 3 or 4 times as much. if you ever run in to that one situation, go pick up one in a differant style from a differant mfg. sk does make extra deep sockets in the smaller sizes if you wish to add them, 7-15 in metric and 1/4-9/16 in standard.
MarcSeattle
Well-known member
SK sockets are great. I'm not wild about their ratchets though, except the ones that Facom made for SK.
mooman
Well-known member
Just continue to do your research here and find out how many people are thrilled with their SK warranty experience.......very few. From the posts I've read and my personal experience, I'd stay away.
Reasons:
1) Poor dealer support network. It appears that they are fed up with SK as well.
2) $5 warranty fee........... WTF?
3) Waiting period for a replacement tool from SK & the level of communication they provide.
Reasons:
1) Poor dealer support network. It appears that they are fed up with SK as well.
2) $5 warranty fee........... WTF?
3) Waiting period for a replacement tool from SK & the level of communication they provide.
I agree that SK is seriously lacking in those departments, but what about the Postive attributes:
1) Quality Tool that has only suffered some Poor cosmetics lately during a tense time between management and its employee's.
2)I dont agree with the warranty fee but On a serious note how many tools are we breaking that are truly covered under there Warranty guidlines? Im not talking about second hand broken tools picked up at flea markets.
3) I recently received a Ratchet repair kit that i ordered 6 mos ago thru customer service, Without a doubt that entirely too long but as a company they had other issues.
4)I believe that SK will survive this downturn as they offer "Quality" tools at a Price point that blows Other Truck dealers out of the water, And i think that When americans can buy US made quality Products for just a bit more than the import line they will. Especially with the Heritage SK brings with them, Lets hope anyways.
Im not arguing as they have failed miserably in the Reasons you listed, I just feel there Price Point/Quality makes up alot of the difference.
as of the last coo report i have all ratchets, sockets, straight wrenches and some pliers are us made. ratcheting wrenches, xxl pliers and, screwdrivers and other items are imported. anything more specific than that i would need a part number but those rules follow pretty true.
dieseldodge01
Well-known member
I hope that SK will turn it around. My dad has sockets and ratchets that are over 35 years old. His were used everyday for 25 of them and I don't think he has broke a single socket or ratchet. The ones I have look to be the same quality, all I can do is recommend them, I know you have to really beat on them to break them. To me there is no comparison between Craftsman and SK, SK blows them out of the water.
selohssa
Well-known member
I hope so too.So I ended up getting the SK sockets, although I didn't get the set I mentioned earlier. I ended up getting this.
24 Piece 3/8" Drive 6 Point Standard, Deep and Extra Long Deep Metric Socket Set all for only 83.99 at tooltopia. Not much more than the craftsman equivalent. Of course I got some other things to put the total over $100 for free shipping. It would've been twice that to get the Wrights. If I like these Im definitely going to buy a couple 1/2 sets as well.
24 Piece 3/8" Drive 6 Point Standard, Deep and Extra Long Deep Metric Socket Set all for only 83.99 at tooltopia. Not much more than the craftsman equivalent. Of course I got some other things to put the total over $100 for free shipping. It would've been twice that to get the Wrights. If I like these Im definitely going to buy a couple 1/2 sets as well.
nice stuff there my friend. i have been thinking of picking up the exta deep in the fractional sizes. not because i have needed them but because i would like them. let us know how you like them. i think you would have liked the wright though also.
Yea there is no question I would've liked the wrights as well. But the cheapest i found the deep metrics for was $95. So when I saw these in the shallow and deep and it even came with the extra deeps for $10 less then that made up my mind.
I will post some pictures and my thoughts when I get them.Congrats on your purchase.
I actually like SK as a brand, particularly vintage SK, but I've had bad luck with some of the new stuff. I bought the same set you did a few years ago. I was pretty happy until I inspected the sockets closely: The broaching was uneven and off-center, the ball detents were machined inconsistently, and there was grit in the chrome. I ended up returning the set and buying a Wright set. The Wright sockets were absolutely stellar, perfectly machined, and have performed extremely well. They are certainly on par, if not better than, my Proto and Snap On sockets.
Granted, I may have gotten a "bad" set from SK, but SK has no excuse for such poor quality control. Because of my experience, I won't buy new SK sockets. And their new warranty weirdness only bolsters my decision. I use Wright, Proto, and Snap On sockets, and would recommend these brands for your future purchases.
I really fear that SK may go the way of Thorsen and wind up in the Walmart check-out isle via Taiwan as a "30-piece tool set for $9.95."
I actually like SK as a brand, particularly vintage SK, but I've had bad luck with some of the new stuff. I bought the same set you did a few years ago. I was pretty happy until I inspected the sockets closely: The broaching was uneven and off-center, the ball detents were machined inconsistently, and there was grit in the chrome. I ended up returning the set and buying a Wright set. The Wright sockets were absolutely stellar, perfectly machined, and have performed extremely well. They are certainly on par, if not better than, my Proto and Snap On sockets.
Granted, I may have gotten a "bad" set from SK, but SK has no excuse for such poor quality control. Because of my experience, I won't buy new SK sockets. And their new warranty weirdness only bolsters my decision. I use Wright, Proto, and Snap On sockets, and would recommend these brands for your future purchases.
I really fear that SK may go the way of Thorsen and wind up in the Walmart check-out isle via Taiwan as a "30-piece tool set for $9.95."
****...................That's not very reassuring.
I guess I'll find out when they get here. lol