Impact sockets for hand and impact use?

[48548]

I'm a tool *****, so I'll get both chrome and impact in the three main sizes, for the simple fact that it will make me smile when I open the socket drawer and see too many sockets perfectly organized.

I like this idea.

 

[Aqua-Andy]

I love my cordless drill and impact driver, but I'll stop there. In twenty years i'll still have my air tools. But will there still be batteries for my cordless? If I where a pro I'd dive in on the cordless but as a DYI'r I can't justify the expence and long term costs.

I agree, with manufacturers changing battery chemistries and platforms the cost of electric is still pretty high. I have twenty year old air tools that are still going strong, where will your electric tools be in twenty years?

 

[83GTMike]

After experiencing working in a shop this past summer, I have concluded that the only chrome sockets I will buy are 1/4 drive. 3/8 drive and 1/2 drive are going to be exclusively impact. The guys I worked with reached for their 3/8 and 1/2 impacts with impact sockets or impact swivel sockets 90% of the time. The only time I really saw ratchets being used for a job was doing interior work.

 

[Aqua-Andy]

After experiencing working in a shop this past summer, I have concluded that the only chrome sockets I will buy are 1/4 drive. 3/8 drive and 1/2 drive are going to be exclusively impact. The guys I worked with reached for their 3/8 and 1/2 impacts with impact sockets or impact swivel sockets 90% of the time. The only time I really saw ratchets being used for a job was doing interior work.

I would not advise spending a lot of money on on the 1/4" sockets. In 1/4" drive you will not be dealing with a lot of torque and the get lost really easily. There are some GM cars I have dealt with that if you drop a 7 or 10mm socket in the engine compartment you are not getting it back. I would rather this be a $2 Cman than a $15 SO. I would even keep several extra 7,8&10mm 1/4" drive shorts on hand for when I would loose one. When you are flat rate sometimes it costs more to look for a tool than just replace it. Some things you just have to chock up to "the price of doing business".

 

[83GTMike]

I would not advise spending a lot of money on on the 1/4" sockets. In 1/4" drive you will not be dealing with a lot of torque and the get lost really easily. There are some GM cars I have dealt with that if you drop a 7 or 10mm socket in the engine compartment you are not getting it back. I would rather this be a $2 Cman than a $15 SO. I would even keep several extra 7,8&10mm 1/4" drive shorts on hand for when I would loose one. When you are flat rate sometimes it costs more to look for a tool than just replace it. Some things you just have to chock up to "the price of doing business".

Wise words, I will take this under consideration. Thanks!

 

[Jim Diesel]

Need both. Chrome for all sizes of drive except 3/4 which are all impact. And sets of 1/2 impacts, in deep and shallow. Also impact hex sockets and torx bits

 

[bcradio]

I love my cordless drill and impact driver, but I'll stop there. In twenty years i'll still have my air tools. But will there still be batteries for my cordless? If I where a pro I'd dive in on the cordless but as a DYI'r I can't justify the expence and long term costs.

^^^THIS^^^^ Is good advice.

If you have a compressor already (which if you don't, get one) then air will last a DIY guy from now on. I jumped on the cordless bandwagon when lithiums were new and after about 5 years my batteries started dropping like flies. Now I minimized cordless and stick with air and electric mostly. Pro user, definitely go cordless though.

 

[StillTooManyHobbies]

First, I am not a professional wrencher, but a DIY hobbyist. I have rebuilt engines and done serious maintenance and repairs on everything on weedeaters to cars and small tractors, for myself and some friends. When I was 10 or 12 years old I was given a chrome "Truecraft" 3/8" chrome made in Japan socket set. It worked but I broke a couple sockets with a cheater bar and as I got older found I needed bigger sizes. I was spending by own lawn mowing money so I went to a truckload sale at the Holiday Inn and bought 3/8 and 1/2 drive shallow and deep no-name impact sockets. I used them exclusively by hand for many years until I got an air compressor and air tools. I have never broken a single socket. I kept the old 3/8 chrome set for places where I could not use the impacts and this worked fine. I added a 3/8 chrome deep set for the same reason. My chrome deeps came from a sale at Montgomery Wards. It was a cost effective way for a teenager to keep working on his enjoyable hobby. Many years later I found this forum and was reminded of my fondness of SK and added more new and vintage SK (and Bonney, Proto and other vintage brands) to my ever expanding tool assortment. You all are a bunch of enablers extraordinaire. But my real point was that I did very well with my basic impact sets, and used my chrome set for when they did not fit. Never had to worry about a warranty because the impacts never broke. I still have them, and the old Truecraft set too.

 

[ImStricken06]

my setup:
1/2(deep) = impact
1/2(shallow) = impact

3/8(deep) = impact & chrome
3/8(shallow) impact & chrome

1/4(shallow) = chrome

 

[BK13]

I love my cordless drill and impact driver, but I'll stop there. In twenty years i'll still have my air tools. But will there still be batteries for my cordless? If I where a pro I'd dive in on the cordless but as a DYI'r I can't justify the expence and long term costs.

If you already have the batteries for the impact driver and drill, why not spring for an impact wrench? You already have bought into the infrastructure, the cost of a bare tool is not exactly prohibitive...

 

[psychoclaw84]

I use Chrome for my 1/4 & 3/8 drive needs. I find it is difficult to get a 3/8 drive air ratchet in small spaces that are encountered working on a front wheel drive car.

An 1/4 drive air ratchet has been contemplated, but it is not at the top of my list.

My setup:
1/2 (deep Metric impact): sizes from 10-36 mm, only used 17, 19, 21, 30 & 36. A combination of Cornwell & Matco sockets
1/2 (deep Metric chrome): sizes from 10-22 & 24 mm, rarely use these sockets. KOBALT (Williams)
1/2 (shallow metric impact): sizes from 10-24 mm Snap On, rarely use these sockets.
1/2 (shallow metric chrome); sizes from 10-22,24,27,30,32,36 mm Kobalt (Williams), rarely use these sockets.

3/8 (deep) impact & chrome sizes from 8 mm to 24 mm, Snap On Chrome & Matco Impact sets. Rarely use these sockets.
3/8 (shallow) impact Mac Standard depth, Mac Edge Mid length & Matco universal sockets. Sizes 10 mm to 22 mm. I use the standard depth and universal sizes with air ratchet & impact.
3/8 (shallow) chrome the snap on standard depth chrome are my go to sockets. I have Mac super Short, Nepros semi deep, Nepros 12 pt standard depth, snap on universal & flare nut crowsfoot. sizes ranging from 6 mm to 24 mm.

1/4(shallow) = chrome snap on standard, semi deep & deep sockets. Sizes ranging 5 mm to 15 mm. I use standard sockets for positioning and hand/finger tightening components for the final tightening.

 

[jsaw]

All of my sockets are impact sockets, except for 1/4" drive, but I do have magnetic 1/4" drive impact sockets. I do have a few random chrome sockets but impact sockets are what I use for most everything.

 

[DemoFly]

My 3/8 and 1/2 are CR-MO impact, my 1/4 is chrome. I use my 1/4 chromes with my air ratchet all the time.

I will soon be upgrading my 1/4 sockets for magnetic ones, because 95% of my 1/4 sockets usage is on the air ratchet.

I highly recommend everyone to pick up a reactionless 1/4 mini ratchet. Your life will be changed. I don't touch a regular ratchet handle much anymore. My mini ratchets profile is smaller than the swing arc of most traditional ratchets.

If I do need a traditional ratchet, I grab my ratcheting wrenches....

Why did I spend so much money on flex head ratchets....

 

[bmwpowere36m3]

I think it depends on what your working on... personally I'd hate to use impact sockets on every fastener be it with an air tool or ratchet. Not to mention their weight, feel and easy of rusting.

When I work on my motorcycle, tractor, lawnmower, bicycle, etc... I almost never use an impact tool or socket (only a few exceptions). For example on motorcycles, typically you'll find large fasteners for axles, steering stems, hubs, etc... and for those I like using chrome on a long ratchet. Our service cart at work has a metric 3/8" chrome socket (std/deep) and wrench set. With each job, any additional tools needed are pulled from the main box and put in the cart. It works well, since 90% of the work can be done with chrome on a ratchet or air ratchet. Impacts when using an impact gun.

So anyway, buy what you want and use what you like. I guess you could have a toolbox only filled with impacts... if the socket doesn't fit then drop to a lower drive size or use a wrench.

 

[gdocktor3]

I think a good setup would be 6 point impact sockets for 3/8" and 1/2" while chrome for 1/4" drive. Then, get chrome 12 point spline for the 3/8" and 1/2" like the Mac Spherical or SK spline. Now you have chrome sockets that fit normal or damaged 6 & 12 point and spline. One socket that does it all. Better yet, you can get the pass thru spline sockets that will work as deep or shallow. I have the Kobalt ones and they work, but I bet the SK or Mac would work better on damaged stuff.

 

[Wes J]

If you work on trucks or Cat and Detroit engines, you will often need 12 point impact sockets. Head bolts, main caps, u-joint straps, etc.

I also have a lot of 8 point sockets. Mac, Proto, Snap-on all make impact 8 point sockets.

 

[Browning1]

I mainly use 3/8 and 1/2 impacts 6PT. for both. Also have 3/8 and 1/2 12pt chrome

 

[cliftonbros89]

I have all 1/4" chrome, all 3/8" chrome including 12 and 6 point, I plan on getting some 3/8" swivel impact though.

I have both chrome and impact in 1/2" drive. Alone with 12 and 6 point in 1/2". The chrome just work better for a ratchet, not as bulky. I have the impact for impact use. I have both air and battery impact. Same goes for 3/8". I also have a 9.6 volt SO impact that I use my 1/4" chrome with.

I also have 3/4" chrome and impact. There are times where an impact is a little too bulky for times or areas that a ratchet or torque wrench is used. That's why chrome. All my chrome sockets are 12 point. My impact are all 6.

So basically there's nothing I skip out on. Not everything gets worked on in the shop. There's also a lot of different things to work on. So I have to have a variety and tools I can use on the go

 

[anndel]

Years ago I bought a small set of hand sockets off of eBay. When they arrived they were damaged from being misused with an impact wrench. Talk about getting a lousy deal.

That's sick

 

[RedneckWelder]

I reach for my 1/2 drive impacts far more than the chromes. I'll use the chromes only on occassion.

3/8 is about 50/50.

1/4 is all chrome due to not using it much.

My 3/4 sockets are all impact. I have virtually zero use for chrome in 3/4. Most of the time I am using 3/4 with an impact gun.

 

[Original Man]

Most of my chrome sockets are 12 point and I use them when I need to use a breaker bar in a tight spot. You can get a better swing because of the increased number of positions you can start with.

Ever have issues with the socket slipping when you're really putting pressure on it?