How often do you use 1/2" sockets/ratchets?

[AJHD]

You can't come on GJ and talk about ditching 1/2"
Sounds like you need advice on which entry level 3/4" set to get???

Well watch the classifieds, because I may just be doing exactly that soon enough.
I've bought a few things I've wanted to check out, but I'm still working to minimize.
I have to accept the difference between need and want. Hopefully less = more.

I was about to buy my own 3/4" tools before leaving CAT as I got tired of having to constantly borrow from the tool room.
In retrospect, I'm happy I dragged my feet on that purchase.

 

[UglyViking]

DIYer here. While working on my trucks (late model Ram 2500 and 3500), the wifes Jeep, trailers, etc. I find myself reaching for the 1/2" quite often for "hard mounted" stuff (think about suspension components, frame mounted stuff, bumpers, etc.). Past that, mainly 3/8 and 1/4 as I'd assume is the norm for most home gamers.

I do have a "full suite" of sockets in both SAE and Metric, Chrome and Impact for 1/2", but mostly because I got them on sale and needed a single socket at one point or another. The biggest benefit I've found is in some of the longer handle stuff. I've had some breaker bars get a little bendy in places with a 3/8" breaker that the 1/2" took in stride. I'll mention that my box is almost exclusively HF with some Tekton mixed in, so perhaps that is an issue of quality, who knows.

 

[Dakotadadv8]

Home gamer 1/2 and 1/4 drive for vehicles, 1/4 drive for home. 1/2 drive CM impact sockets and Dewalt impact wrench just in case. Small 3/8 drive set 10% use. Getting older 1/2 drive easier than 3/8.

 

[908Jim]

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

1/2" drive for anything about 14mm+ under the car or about 19mm+ under hood. More often than not, I'm using an impact socket in 1/2

 

[GMSF]

At work I use 3/4, 1/2, 3/8, 1/4 daily and 1” drive weekly. 1/2 drive is 75% impact, 25% ratchet. Working on industrial equipment fasteners typically range from machine screws to 2” bolts.

For automotive work I use mostly 3/8, but I wouldn’t want to be without 1/2

 

[M635_Guy]

Fairly rarely for chrome - it's why I only have a couple 1/2" ratchets. 3/8" makes up 70% of my chrome ratchet use.

For impact it is 100% 1/2" because I decided early on to only have 1/2" impact wrenches.

 

[nadogail]

For "Light Work" I use 3/8" drive tools, for heavy work it is Half Inch, for Really Heavy or just plain big I reach for 3/4" drive stuff.

Beyond that, I will pass on doing those jobs.

 

[RAS61]

As a DIYer I use 3/8 95% of the time. Partly because the nuts/bolts I'm usually dealing with are in the 3/8-3/4" range that fits that size best, but I'll even use a 3/8 ratchet over 1/4 drive for small stuff because I like the feel, heft, and smoothness better. I go to 1/2 for bigger stuff like lug nuts, but also stubborn mid range bolts where I want a longer, stronger handle to break it loose

 

[RegeSullivan]

All my 1/2" in is one drawer except a breaker bar that doesn't fit. Can't remember the last time that drawer was opened.

Like you I contemplated selling or donating the bigger stuff... pulled biggest combination wrenches (1 3/8 to 2 1/2) out the box to take pictures intending to sell... hadn't used them for at least 10 years and if I needed something that big it would probably be metric anyway. Son stops by... opens the drawer... says what happened to your big wrenches? I said you can have them, I was just getting ready to take them to the City Mission. He said no, I just need 1 1/2" for a hitch ball, don't have room at home. So... not wanting them in my box but hesitant to get rid them I made a display out of 3/4 melamine for the combinations and some 24" to 36" pipe wrenches and hung it high on the wall in my garage. Just takes a ladder to get to them if I need them.

 

[RAS61]

So... not wanting them in my box but hesitant to get rid them I made a display out of 3/4 melamine for the combinations and some 24" to 36" pipe wrenches and hung it high on the wall in my garage. Just takes a ladder to get to them if I need them.

Functional Steampunk Wall Art, Love It!

 

[liliysdad]

but I'll even use a 3/8 ratchet over 1/4 drive for small stuff because I like the feel, heft, and smoothness better.

I’m absolutely the opposite. I’ll use 1/4 drive until I absolutely have to step up to 3/8. If I had a set of 1/4” spark plug sockets I’d use them.

I much prefer the smaller ratchet profile and ease with which 1/4 fits places.

 

[RAS61]

I’m absolutely the opposite. I’ll use 1/4 drive until I absolutely have to step up to 3/8. If I had a set of 1/4” spark plug sockets I’d use them.

I much prefer the smaller ratchet profile and ease with which 1/4 fits places.

I just choke up on the 3/8 ratchet, like how the head fits in the palm of my hand - different strokes....

 

[danielbuck]

if I'm doing suspension or other heavier work on jeeps and trucks, 1/2" is nice (occasionally 3/4").

 

[shanny19]

I was about to buy my own 3/4" tools before leaving CAT as I got tired of having to constantly borrow from the tool room.
In retrospect, I'm happy I dragged my feet on that purchase.

My 3/4 and 1” stuff is all vintage, all SAE, and I have almost zero use case for it as sockets and ratchets etc.
But, MAN do those sockets come in handy over at the hydraulic press.

 

[carmantl]

Ironworker here. We use 1/2 almost exclusively. Our nuts and bolts are big. Either 1/2 spud ratchets or big Milwaukee impact wrenches all day long.

 

[Wrench97]

Everyday in suspension/brake work.

 

[Retired dozer fixer]

Before I retired used 1/2” 50% 3/4” 25% and 1” all the rest of the time. Very little use for 1/4”&3/8”

 

[whitesco]

I usually default to 1/2”, but I think it’s just by habit b/c I’m just a home gamer/DIY/weekend warrior myself.

 

[liliysdad]

I just choke up on the 3/8 ratchet, like how the head fits in the palm of my hand - different strokes....

Absolutely! I was pretty much the same way til I started acquiring really good 1/4 ratchets and drive tools. Now, they are just so much nicer.

 

[KnurledNut]

My 3/4 and 1” stuff is all vintage, all SAE, and I have almost zero use case for it as sockets and ratchets etc.
But, MAN do those sockets come in handy over at the hydraulic press.

Yep. Said the same in post #39. I recently used a 2-3/4” to disassemble a hub.

 

[Boogerman]

I prefer 1/4", use it as much as I can, but end up using 1/2" probably 1/3 of the time. Rarely do automotive work beyond removing skid plates to change the oil and doing other routine maintenance. Mostly use tools on a daily basis working on machine tools and such. Not as crowded usually as automotive, and the leverage of 1/2" is good to have. Tends to be I use 3/8" and 1/4" about equally with metric, with occasional need for 1/2". In SAE, which I mostly use, 1/2" used the most, and then about even split between 3/8" and 1/4". I almost never use impact because I'm not dealing with rust, just high torque. Use 1/4" dewalt impact driver with socket adapter to speed things up, but don't use impact to break things loose. Just an overly long breaker bar and 1/2" drive tooling.

 

[Chrome Vanadium Cody]

I use it more for operating shop machinery than anything else. I do use it on some suspension stuff. I don't keep a set at home, anything I'd need it for I wouldn't have room to do anyway. Just have a breaker bar and torque wrench with a socket for lug nuts

 

[RAS61]

Absolutely! I was pretty much the same way til I started acquiring really good 1/4 ratchets and drive tools. Now, they are just so much nicer.

I'm not thrilled with my 1/4 ratchets, my best is probably a Williams, but they all seem cheap and sloppy, slip and don't transfer crisply from left to right drive. I do have better made, more precise 3/8 ratchets, and is definitely part of why I reach for them first

 

[rooster59]

1/2" anytime it's not inside a car hood, provided there's clearance. Stuff like a Honda crank bolt = 3/4" drive.

 

[liliysdad]

I'm not thrilled with my 1/4 ratchets, my best is probably a Williams, but they all seem cheap and sloppy, slip and don't transfer crisply from left to right drive. I do have better made, more precise 3/8 ratchets, and is definitely part of why I reach for them first

When I had a couple of RP Craftsmans I never used 1/4 drive. Once I stumbled into a couple of Dual 80 Snap Ons and later some Matco Eighty8s the whole world changed.

 

[nicks78camaro]

Other than lug nuts, mostly caliper brackets and suspension work, occasional motor mounts

 

[Crazyjake8493]

All my impact sockets are 1/2" drive. I see no reason why I'd want them to be smaller. Both my breaker bars and my extendable ratchet are 1/2" drive. If I'm working on the car, truck, tractor, or other large equipment I'm mostly using 1/2" drive.

If I had to throw out some numbers I'd say my use of 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" is about 20/40/40

 

[Wamsutta]

1/4" drive = N scale
3/8" drive = HO scale
1/2" drive = O scale

When I was a kid, there was no Z scale, S scale, or G scale. Never heard of them.

 

[liliysdad]

All my impact sockets are 1/2" drive. I see no reason why I'd want them to be smaller.

I use a LOT of 3/8 impact sockets. They either go on my DeWalt 12v impact, or on 3/8 extension on an adapter in the end of a 1/2 mid torque. The smaller size of the 3/8 is often pretty useful. My 3/8 swivel impacts get a lot more use than my 1/2 versions.

 

[Beemer]

Several times just today. Tecton 24" ratchet does wonders on lug nuts and heavy chassis bolts (14 mm today).
The 3/8" tools just don't have the strength for high torque fasteners.
The lugs were 140 ft# and the 14mm were 120 ft#.
I have regretted not using the right tool for a job in the past.

 

[bigfunwmu]

I work on hydraulic and hydrostatic pumps and motors. Stuff that drives skidloaders, combines, excavators, readymix trucks, and whole bunch of industrial stuff. Horsepower is usually 50 and up.

Used to be mostly 3/8 and mostly hex head bolts. As designs have moved forwards, things have shifted to fewer fasteners that are larger and socket head. These days it's about:
5% 1/4
40% 3/8
45% 1/2
10% 3/4 & 1"

The stubby 1/2 ratchet actually gets a lot of use on the build bench. The 1/2" standard length allen sockets are slightly longer than the 3/8 ones, so I can use standard length sockets instead of having to get longs for some of the recessed m8 fasteners on the controls of a couple of units. I can then use the same ratchet to run the m16 rear head bolts to take up all the preload without having to worry about crushing anything that slipped out of its home, and then finish them with a torque wrench.

 

[Mgdoug3]

I would guess 50% 3/8, 40% 1/2, and 5% each for 1/4 and 3/4 drive. I farm, do farm repairs and overhaul diesel engines.

 

[djbmw]

I use 1/2" drive sockets at least twice a week. However, 3/8" drive for most 'hand tool' related work. And I occasionally break out the 1" sockets and impact if there's something that needs persuading, if I dont have the time to pre-heat.

 

[Josh the IH guy]

I use 3/8 most of the time. I rarely use 1/4. I use 1/2 often. The 1/2 stuff is always used on farm equipment, and old international scouts, which are always covered in rust. The only time I use 1/4 is when I'm working on the pilot or the civic. And rarely in tight spots, if needed... I own a full array of SAE 1/2 sockets. And maybe 5 metric 1/2 sockets. It would be much different if I was working on small cars...

 

[Benny Franklin]

At work (machinist) our clamps are mostly standardized to use 1-1/16 wrenches or sockets. The vast majority of my coworkers use 1/2 drive breaker bars and ratchets, and frequently break said 1/2 drive tools (even the tool truck brands). My cheap 3/4 drive ratchet hasn’t broken or even flexed.

As far as home use, I own a 1 ton diesel and a tractor so large tools are a have-to. My side job is equipment repair so I’m no stranger to using 3/4 and inch drive or torches when needed.

 

[isb cornbinder]

I did not keep a record of the number of times I used each drive size. If I did, I would not tell anyone. I would never last enough to live that down. I think I can say, " I gave all of the drives a bit of exercise."

 

[babyseal]

Not that often, but when you need the extra oomph, you really need it. Use the tool that fits the job, and why bust a 3/8 socket/rachet by forcing it? Pretty much, if I NEED to use an impact, (as opposed to using one for convenience) I use a 1/2. Ditto for a breaker bar. I'm a firm believer in using excessive force as my first choice and saving all the intermediate steps.

 

[jsaw]

I use it on big stuff, 3/8 on medium stuff, 1/4 on small stuff. If I didn't already own full sets of all 3, I might think about it but I can't see not having 1/4, and like the larger, longer ratchets and breaker bars that come in 1/2 if doing suspension work.

 

[AJHD]

This is all I have left for 1/2".
Not sure what good it does me to keep it around.

Beyond that, I have a HF breaker bar and 21mm socket in the trunk of my car, and a few lug nut sockets in my automotive tool bag.

I don't have an 1/2" impact anymore and no intention of buying one either.

 

[bcradio]

This is all I have left for 1/2".
Not sure what good it does me to keep it around.

Beyond that, I have a HF breaker bar and 21mm socket in the trunk of my car, and a few lug nut sockets in my automotive tool bag.

I don't have an 1/2" impact anymore and no intention of buying one either.

Are you hurting for space?