Impact socket sets/brands

[akrisher13]

Hello again everyone,

As I have noted in a previous post im no mechanic at this time, in the future yes. Working on filling my box and wondering more about good/solid impact socket brands. Not a fan of Craftsman impacts so get that out of the way. Lifetime warranty is a must as well, thanks.

 

[shamfrod]

The harbor freight professional are a great deal and get pretty high praise on this forum.

 

[colin39]

Craigslist, the bay of Evil and look for truck brands, they always come up .

 

[bdelmar2]

Check out Sunex.

I've been using them in a shop environment for a few years now and they have held up well.

They are lifetime warranty but I think I've only had to exchange one.

13mm deep swivel (universal) impact was the one that wore out. Something with the ball/spring assembly. Could still use it, it just liked to stick in a spot.

Pretty good considering I grab for a deep universal first and I run them pretty hard - mostly swapping engines and quite a few transmissions, but also some suspension work - plus whatever minor starters/alternators/whatever comes along.

Pricewise they are pretty reasonable also. About $100 for 10 piece set of deep metric universal on Amazon.

Some tool trucks carry them as well - but they cost a bit more there, but not too bad. Think it was just under $150 for the same set on the truck.

They aren't as nice as the Snap on/Mac/Matco sets around the shop, but they work.

I also have one set of Grey Pneumatic Universals I got because they were available in medium deep. Haven't been using them very long or very often but they seem pretty comparable so far. Maybe cost just a little more on average it looks like - but their big sets look to be more complete as far as not skipping sizes.

I bought a set of the harbor freight shallow universal impacts for home a few months ago. They are quite a bit bulkier and not as well made. I don't think they would stand up at work for very long.

Also I discovered there is no 15mm in the set, and no 18mm. I saw they didn't go up to 18 in the store but the missing 15 was a bit of a surprise. Not a good surprise either.

It was $25 for a 7 piece set which seemed pretty cheap. But without a 15 or an 18 they aren't very realistic, plus they are bulky and have questionable durability.

A 10 piece (10mm to 19mm no skips) shallow impact universal set of sunex from amazon is $70.

I've never been able to find a good, or even reasonable deal on quality hand tools on CL or EBay. They all seem to want at least 3/4 of new price or more. Even then I'm not sure how well you would do getting them warrantied.

I'm sure if you were buying regularly from a Snap on guy he would swap them out, but if you pop up out of nowhere with a bunch of worn out sockets you might have issues.

 

[Stooge]

Check out Sunex..

I've mostly gotten rid of/ sold off most of my other higher end (SO) impact sets in favor of Sunex sockets and are the first place I look when I need to add to my impact drawer. Really nice quality not just for the price, but in general, hold a tight tolerance, complete sets and wear well...and they are cheap. I will always recommend them if people don't ask for specifically a domestic brand.

 

[ex-x-fire]

I find that the USA craftsman impact sockets are pretty good.

 

[thegroundpounder99]

I'd recommend Sunex. They are complete sets and hold up well. Never had a issue except w/ their swivels. My brother who is also a professional mechanic swears by them and he's the reason I tried them out.

 

[Adam.C]

The things that make chrome sockets great, hardness, tight tolerances, corner relief shape, don't really apply to impacts. Fundamentally, impact sockets are little more than a lump of soft metal, loosely hex shaped, with a square drive in the back. Mechanically, there's a huge difference between tapping something (impulse loading) and applying a sustained torque.

My advice is to buy cheap impacts and replace them often. So either buy HF and throw them away when they no longer suit (or warranty them assuming HF will still honor it/be in business then).

I have some Snap On impacts, which are nice and new. And I bought them on special from the truck so I am quite confident I will be able to warranty these as long as I live. If you do a lot of work with your impact, this MAY be worth while. Otherwise, I think the premium brands are not a great deal. I guess I don't feel they perform that much better than cheapies.

Thin walled impacts can be nice. They can sometimes reach areas better than the big clunky sockets, especially in the smaller sizes for the drive (10, 13mm in 1/2" drive). But must be significantly harder to equal the stiffness of a thick, soft socket. This usually means a premium price. A better alternative might be to use 3/8" impacts for less than 17mm.

Where I would recommend spending money is for premium extensions. I have old craftsman which I think are questionable. I have heard here that Snap On are not great and that Mac are better. That might be worth asking here. Extensions are springs. The softer the spring the more energy your impact uses winding the spring and the less energy your impact delivers to the fastener head.

 

[zmotorsports]

Most of my impacts are either Snap-On, MAC or Cornwell but I recently bought a set of 3/8" wobbly impacts from my local NAPA store (Carlyle brand) and have been quite impressed with the quality. They also have a lifetime warranty and appear to be very well made. I have used them a lot in the past 6-months that I have owned them and would buy them again. They were also very reasonable in price.

Mike.

 

[zcbauer89]

Sunex and GP are both good brands that are pretty good quality at a good price, that come in comprehensive sets. The HF professionals are pretty good too, that could quite possibly come from the same factories as the above brands. SK makes good impacts, made in USA with a great warranty. Also Wright makes excellent impact sockets, which are made in the. USA as well. Then you'll get into truck brands which are great but much more expensive.

 

[akrisher13]

Thanks for the knowledge and replies so far. Anyone ever own and or use Gearwrench impact sockets, I saw they have the new swivel sockets but they are pin-less.

 

[Murphy4570]

I have used a lot of different types, and own mostly Snap-On, Husky (Home Depot), and Harbor Freight stuff.

The Snap-On stuff is the bees knees. It is outrageously expensive, and I only bought them when I found a set used for less than half of retail price on Craigslist. Very high quality.

The Husky set is older, USA made. Quality stuff too, never had an issue with them. Dunno if they still sell them like that.

The HF stuff is what it is, and at $10 a set at the time, I bought two sets! I've broken three sockets in 2-3 years of daily use in a mechanic shop (17mm, two 19mm). Not too shabby. They work well for what they are. If you have a weaker impact, I doubt you'll ever break them. My nasty Matco one ate them up lol.

 

[TheRobotCow]

Sunex or Grey Pneumatic are awesome and get my vote. Don't forget to get some impact extensions too!

 

[NorCalWrenchin]

Sunex is a winner in my book. I also have been using a set of HF shallow impacts at work, on my MG725 SnapOn gun, and havent torn one up yet....

 

[LB-1911]

Thanks for the knowledge and replies so far. Anyone ever own and or use Gearwrench impact sockets, I saw they have the new swivel sockets but they are pin-less.

A previous thread you may find of interest -

3/8 Swivel Impact Sockets
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=277621

 

[akrisher13]

A previous thread you may find of interest -

3/8 Swivel Impact Sockets
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=277621

Thanks for that.

 

[kythri]

For my deep 6-point impacts, I have Stanley that I bought at Walmart a decade ago. They're absolutely amazing, though, there are a couple sizes missing from the sets sold.

They're still sold at Walmart under the Campbell Hausfeld name, or at Home Depot under the Husky name.

If needed, I'd totally but them again.

Outside of that, the rest of my impacts are either Craftsman or HF stuff (under various nom de guerres (Central Machinery, Pittsburgh/Pittsburg Pro, Earthquake).

I don't use them daily or anything, but they're still performing fabulously after all this time (the youngest ones are maybe 5 years old?).

I've read a lot of good stuff about Sunex and Grey Pneumatic - when I decide to buy some dedicated universal/wobble impact sockets, I'll be looking at one of them.

 

[scarecrow505]

I have and would recommend Kobalt USA impact sockets from cripe distributing, sunex, grey pneumatic

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

Not a fan of Craftsman impacts so get that out of the way. Lifetime warranty is a must as well, thanks.

Craftsman USA stuff is the same as Armstrong. All my 1/2" drive impacts are Craftsman/Armstrong and they are awesome. As nice or nicer than my Cornwell 3/8" stuff.

 

[woody 73]

I have used them all, gearwrench, kobalt HF, snap on, mac, sk, husky, craftsman, and every other name you can come up with and they all worked just fine all these many years.

If you want peace of mind buy the truck brands if you are using them 24/7 because they do wear out over time. If you are a diyer go with the non truck brands they will last you for donkey years with no problems.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Sunex is great. I use them daily and haven't broken any. I've locked up 2 swivel impacts, but when you max them out, that's what you get. :shrug:

 

[gearhead1]

I've had no issues with the Craftsman US made stuff, never warrantied and impact socket for what it's worth. I've had zero issues with the HF impact sockets as well. I do have some Snapon but it is expensive. Since you plan on working as a mechanic in the future, and if you're the type that doesn't lose tools, consider a tool truck brand. If you lose tools, get something cheaper.

 

[RedneckWelder]

Impact sockets...I am not a fan of the Chrome Vandium cheapies. Go chrome moly all the way.

Sunex and Grey Pnuematic and HF pittsburgh pro work great for me.

BTW, any impact sockets I use are used on either a Cornwell 3/8 gun with an insane amount of power for a 3/8 gun or a Nitrocat 1200k for the 1/2 gun. If something will stand up to those two it will stand up to anything. The cheap **** becomes shrapnel.

 

[navyeoseabee]

I needed some 12 points about a year ago and i ran to lowes on my lunch break and bought a 250 piece for $75.00 it came with a full set of 1/4" 3/8" and 1/2"SAE deep and shallow sockets, metric deeps and shallows, couple ratchets and couple extensions. not much of a wrench set i think it was only 16 pieces, but it is now my "at home socket sets" they work perfect for oil changes, tune-ups, and maybe a wheel bearing or brake shop.

nice thing is you can walk them in to a store when they break. instead of chasing down a tool truck. ... my work tools are 85-90% snapon,matco or cat branded tools... here at home 95% of my tools are non truck brand.... but only about 10 hex driver sockets are harbor frieght, i will never buy any hand tool at harbor freight unless i need to cut it, bend it, or some other method of destroying a warranty.

 

[kythri]

I needed some 12 points about a year ago and i ran to lowes on my lunch break and bought a 250 piece for $75.00 it came with a full set of 1/4" 3/8" and 1/2"SAE deep and shallow sockets, metric deeps and shallows, couple ratchets and couple extensions. not much of a wrench set i think it was only 16 pieces, but it is now my "at home socket sets" they work perfect for oil changes, tune-ups, and maybe a wheel bearing or brake shop.

nice thing is you can walk them in to a store when they break. instead of chasing down a tool truck. ... my work tools are 85-90% snapon,matco or cat branded tools... here at home 95% of my tools are non truck brand.... but only about 10 hex driver sockets are harbor frieght, i will never buy any hand tool at harbor freight unless i need to cut it, bend it, or some other method of destroying a warranty.

And this has exactly what to do with impact sockets?

 

[akrisher13]

No real job yet but full set of 3/8 and 1/2 in short and deep and i like the idea of 3/8 swivel.

 

[akrisher13]

Thanks again for more info guys i appreciate it.

 

[navyeoseabee]

And this has exactly what to do with impact sockets?

YEP,

congrads on a +1 for your post counter... i am pretty happy with lowes " kobolt " brand of sockets, and not a full believer of Truck branded tools for home use... why am i explaining it to you.. you are just clogging someone else's thread.

 

[Fedwrench]

For a wide variety of sizes that are well made but, won't break the bank, pick up a set of Sunex or grey Pneumatic. Aside for the GPs coming in a blue box and the Sunex coming in a red box, Sunex has the socket size stamped on the socket whereas, GP only the gold lettering for size marking.

Let me muddy the waters further. You mentioned lifetime warranty. Although you may spend more in postage sending a sunex or GP impact socket in for warranty service (if without a dealer) than it would cost to buy a new individual socket.

Another option would be NAPA (not the evercraft ****) professional impact sockets but, only buy them on sale. They're the same as sunex and can be warrantied individually at your local napa.

Still another option would be Gearwrench. They are well made with nice large and deep size markings.

Whichever brand you choose, shop around for the best deal. there is a wide price spread on the same sets. don't forget about cripe on ebay. They have some excellent impact socket close outs.

 

[navyeoseabee]

For a wide variety of sizes that are well made but, won't break the bank, pick up a set of Sunex or grey Pneumatic. Aside for the GPs coming in a blue box .

My 3/8" set is a set of Grey pneumatic.. they are tough! i don't use them too much, but can not beat the price! A++ on fedwrench's post... the local sales flyer has a lot of sunex stuff in it, but the boss man bought some stuff for the shop from them... like the air floor jack, and heavy duty stands and truck ramps.. all good quality

 

[AmishFury]

just get whatever your wallet won't cry **** over that has an easy to deal with warranty

 

[nicksnothereman]

Hello again everyone,

As I have noted in a previous post im no mechanic at this time, in the future yes. Working on filling my box and wondering more about good/solid impact socket brands. Not a fan of Craftsman impacts so get that out of the way. Lifetime warranty is a must as well, thanks.

Anything taiwan impact is fine. Ideally you want crmo if you can afford a set for heavier duty, most of the cheap sets or individuals are crv.

If you're not using them all the time just buy a cheap crv taiwan set, there are plenty to choose from all perform the same. You could do old stock kobalt or a truck brand but might be issues with replacement.

 

[stikman56]

OP, if you weren't confused enough before, you should be now. I have used HF impacts all three sizes , 3/8' to 3/4 drive and have yet to break one. Have had them for a few years and use them every day.

 

[Beenman]

I saw at one point HF (I think it was) were selling impact sockets made from Chrome Moly. Has anyone ever compared Cr-V impacts vs. Cr-Mo from a strength or durability point of view?

 

[that one guy]

I saw at one point HF (I think it was) were selling impact sockets made from Chrome Moly. Has anyone ever compared Cr-V impacts vs. Cr-Mo from a strength or durability point of view?

Impact sockets are supposed to be made from CR-MO, which is ductile metal. CR-V is stronger yet brittle and could potentially crack under the high load an impact type driver puts through the socket.

I've been researching impacts and I like the Sunex, GP and HF sockets. I also saw good review from Tekton, but these are all made from CR-V so I'm going to avoid them. I just bought the HF 1/2" SAE set. It's complete minus the 3/8" socket. For the metrics, HF set skips a lot. After calculating the cost to complete the Hansen socket tray for the metrics my cheapest option is going to be purchasing the Sunex set.

Just make sure whatever brand you buy they are CR-MO and your good to go!

 

[TheRobotCow]

Just my positive review for Grey Pneumatic. Well i'm a lube tech and the most used impact socket by far is a 21mm. I used to use the Mac thin wall 21mm with a protective sleeve. but i've broken about 4 of them then my friend showed me a Grey Pneumatic thin wall socket that he bought. I thought it looked cool so i bought a 21mm thin wall and wanted to test out how good it was. Sure enough it lasted much longer than the Mac sockets. Not only did they last much longer but it was only a 1/3 of the price. I bought my GP socket last year around november and i only broke it today.

I'm sold on GP and Sunex(i bought a set of impact locking extensions) i'd definitely recommend them to anyone. The only other impact i'd recommend are Cornwell and Snap On, but unless you can buy from a tool truck/rather fork over full retail online Gp/Sunex is the way to go.

 

[Rico.]

Impact sockets are supposed to be made from CR-MO, which is ductile metal. CR-V is stronger yet brittle and could potentially crack.

I find this interesting...

So Cr-Mo is more expensive and WILL eventally deform and wear out.

Cr-V is cheaper, Stronger, Wont deform, Will last longer and MIGHT crack.


It would seem to me that even if they were the same price Cr-V impact sockets
would be better value as they will last longer and due to the thickness of the
sockets how much are they really likely to crack..? Add on thet fact that they
are less expensive and I don't get why everyone recommends Cr-Mo....

 

[nicksnothereman]

I find this interesting...

So Cr-Mo is more expensive and WILL eventally deform and wear out.

Cr-V is cheaper, Stronger, Wont deform, Will last longer and MIGHT crack.


It would seem to me that even if they were the same price Cr-V impact sockets
would be better value as they will last longer and due to the thickness of the
sockets how much are they really likely to crack..? Add on thet fact that they
are less expensive and I don't get why everyone recommends Cr-Mo....

CR-V disintegration with an impact can be potentially dangerous but...most crv impact is fairly thick so it's somewhat less of an issue. Always wear safety glasses with impact use...oh and gloves always wear gloves.

 

[Beenman]

Impact sockets are supposed to be made from CR-MO, which is ductile metal. CR-V is stronger yet brittle and could potentially crack under the high load an impact type driver puts through the socket.

I've been researching impacts and I like the Sunex, GP and HF sockets. I also saw good review from Tekton, but these are all made from CR-V so I'm going to avoid them. I just bought the HF 1/2" SAE set. It's complete minus the 3/8" socket. For the metrics, HF set skips a lot. After calculating the cost to complete the Hansen socket tray for the metrics my cheapest option is going to be purchasing the Sunex set.

Just make sure whatever brand you buy they are CR-MO and your good to go!

Thanks, that's interesting. I always thought Cr-Mo is stronger than Cr-V...

 

[kythri]

For giggles, I went out to my shop to check out my sockets.

The Craftsman stuff is not labeled to indicate CrMo or CrV.

The Central Machinery/Pittsburgh/Pittsburgh Pro stuff is labeled CrV.

The older, now discontinued, Earthquake stuff is labeled CrMo.

Anyways, no issue with any of it. While I would agree that, in a perfect world, CrMo would be preferrable, there's enough testimonials from people in this thread and in other impact threads where this question comes up, there's really not a big technical reason to sink a ton of money into expensive impact sockets.