Impact sockets

[ezgosparky]

Who all uses harbor freight impact sockets. I own most of them. Use them everyday. They have held up well.

 

[General Geoff]

*raises hand* all my impact sockets are from HF, never had one fail over the past 10 years. I don't wrench for a living though, so they don't see everyday use.

 

[mrjaw14]

Me as well. All my impact sockets are from HF, never had one fail over the past 3 years. I don't wrench for a living though, so they don't see everyday use.

 

[BirdMobile]

I like mine a lot. Beat the HELL out of my 14mm a few days ago, it shows the wear but held up just fine. Seriously... beat it mercilessly on some bolts that wouldn't budge, with impact wrench and breaker bars. 2 hours worth. If it'll survive that, it'll survive anything!

 

[rockfordmarv]

Mine have treated me well, I haven't been brave enough to try their regular chrome sockets.

 

[ezgosparky]

Ya I only own the impact sockets. They get beat on with my mac and snapon impacts. I saved my receipts. All of them combined I couldn't by 1 set of snapons.

 

[monomach]

I use them at home a lot. I'm pretty happy with them. They make me wish I hadn't bought expensive impacts at work.

 

[92integra]

o yeah love i only have the half inch set, but it has yet to show a failure after daily use for a year. 19 and 21mm are nice and polished i didnt even save my reciept if one of these break ill pry go get another full set and retire my current ones to home use

 

[RedneckWelder]

I use the hell out of my Pittsburg Pro shallow 1/2" metric and standard. They are pretty awesome. I beat them like they owe me money and they hold up. Haven't broken or lost one yet.

The standard set is pretty complete, metric skips a couple sizes but for me they work.

I also have a set of the 3/4 that are doing well, they are thick but they work OK. Only complaint about the 8 pc set for me is that it does not include 1 3/16, which is used A LOT on the tractors I work on.

 

[bcradio]

No, not enough sizes

 

[smogtech]

Use them everyday for the last 4 years at a dealership. still perfect. The 1/2 wobbles work good enough for the price; at that price level I don't think you can even buy one truck brand 1/2 wobble.

 

[zkling]

True story, on my way home today I stopped to exchange one I exploded two weeks ago. Other than that they seem to be just dandy for the price. Had I not got some USA craftsman, I most likely would have gone with the HF offerings.

 

[MaintenanceGuy]

I like my 1/2 shorts. I ran a 1-1/4" with a 6 ft cheater on a 3 ft braker bar. We got close to 2 ft of flex, and when the nut broke lose, folks could hear the crack about 200 ft away. Socket still looks new(I've only had the set for a week) So far so good.

 

[panknuckshovel]

True story, on my way home today I stopped to exchange one I exploded two weeks ago. Other than that they seem to be just dandy for the price. Had I not got some USA craftsman, I most likely would have gone with the HF offerings.

HF doesnt have loose sockets, do they just crack open a set for warranty?

 

[zkling]

HF doesnt have loose sockets, do they just crack open a set for warranty?

Yes, they had a few sets below the counter that they picked stock from.

 

[mtnbimmer]

I guess i'm the voice of dissension here. I haves only used them twice (friend of mine owns them) and the experience has been bad. Poor fit (metric nuts) and in both instances, the sockets have failed (split walls) when hit with a powerful impact wrench (Snap-On XT7100). The good news is that HF replaced them for my friend with no issues (actually good news for me since I would have had to pay for new ones). YMMV.

 

[BirdMobile]

I guess i'm the voice of dissension here. I haves only used them twice (friend of mine owns them) and the experience has been bad. Poor fit (metric nuts) and in both instances, the sockets have failed (split walls) when hit with a powerful impact wrench (Snap-On XT7100). The good news is that HF replaced them for my friend with no issues (actually good news for me since I would have had to pay for new ones). YMMV.

Was that the Pittsburgh "Pro" version (Taiwanese Cr-Mo) or just "Pittsburgh" (China Cr-V) version? They're very different... I can't see the Pittsburgh Pro (Cr-Mo) sockets splitting out like you say... those are some SERIOUSLY tough bastards!

 

[RedneckWelder]

Was that the Pittsburgh "Pro" version (Taiwanese Cr-Mo) or just "Pittsburgh" (China Cr-V) version? They're very different... I can't see the Pittsburgh Pro (Cr-Mo) sockets splitting out like you say... those are some SERIOUSLY tough bastards!

Word, I have taken our 1" impact gun and used an adapter with it to use the 1/2" Pitt. Pro sockets before. Took it like a champ.

 

[AndrewV]

Bought them when i was in school 7 yrs ago. Just switched all mine over to SnapOn, and Sunex. Prob. 2 yrs ago.
They were great, now there back ups.

 

[Ruger_556]

No... I had a set of 3/4 drives, didn't like them. Just replaced with a NAPA Pro set.

 

[AndrewV]

No... I had a set of 3/4 drives, didn't like them. Just replaced with a NAPA Pro set.

Loose fitting, or to low broach?

 

[Hiball]

Kudos to the OP for giving a recommendation with pictures of tools that actually show some use..

I really don't think you can go wrong with a Chrome moly from any supplier, they are so Fat and being moly they will generally deform well before splitting. I needed some 3/4" drive metrics for occasional use and bought the HF set, the swivels look/feel cheezy so I've went different routes.

Thanks for the review.

 

[ibedayank]

both sae and metric impacts are hf... gun is max 450# and never broke one yet in the 5years I have owned them

 

[Ruger_556]

Loose fitting, or to low broach?

Loose fitting and missing all the useful sizes.

 

[greasemonkey44]

I have several sets of the Hf impacts in 1/2
They have given me no issues; I use the crv and haven't broken one yet.
I did break a break an axle nut socket; was pretty exciting. Over 1/4" thick and broken.
I don't use 1/2 often at my job tho. Only lug nuts and bigger sizes like 24 and 27

 

[AndrewV]

Loose fitting and missing all the useful sizes.

The missing sizes, is what hurts hf the most.
Glad my 3/4's are sunex though. No skips.

 

[Ruger_556]

The missing sizes, is what hurts hf the most.
Glad my 3/4's are sunex though. No skips.

Sunex and/or NAPA is awesome If HF sold complete sets and the finish was better I might like them more but something about buying a set of sockets that has none of the ones I want is absurdly frustrating

 

[ezgosparky]

The finish does not matter to me. They won't be pretty in a few years anyway. They work great and all the sizes I use are there.

 

[Shadowdog500]

I've been using them forever, can't break these things. The earthquake impact is another winner in my book!!

 

[Shadowdog500]

Mine have treated me well, I haven't been brave enough to try their regular chrome sockets.

A few years ago I picked up the $12 multicolor 3/8 deep sockets for a quick repair on the road. They impressed me so much that I decided to test one to destruction to see what it would take to split the socket just like some of my Craftman sockets have done in the past. After I broke the head off of several grade 8 bolts using my 3/8 deep socket with a 1/2 adapter with a breaker bar and a 5 foot pipe I gave up trying to break the things.

They make good beater sockets.

Chris

 

[arz71]

Where can you get the 1/2 drive metric deep impacts sockets from?

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

I had to check these out with how many positive reviews they receive; that's a lot of sockets for the money. The SAE 1/2" deep set looked really complete for $25 (on sale), but I didn't like how many skips were in the MM set. I'm just a home wrench so mine dont see much action, but I was able to score a new set of USA Craftsman SAE and MM locally for $50 total. My shallows are Armstrong and I bought those brand new on ebay for about $75 total, and my MM set is 23pc. Impacts can be found super cheap, especially used. Not knocking the HF as they sound like good sockets, but for the same money you can have USA made stuff.

 

[stikman56]

Mine are several years old. I've put some of the strongest impact wrenches on the market against these sockets.....haven't broke one. Great bang for the buck.

 

[Exceller8]

I only buy the Cro-Mo's and so far I've had really good luck with them. Had to buy a 21mm CR-V today so we'll see how well it holds up.

 

[Philbert]

I have a set of no name Japanese metric impacts in 1/2,& 3/8" deep and shallow they have held up great for twenty years of infrequent use. I habe filled out some missing sizes with craftsman Wright and proto