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Keep snap on 1/4" sockets or sell?

90zcar

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About a year or so ago I bought a new set of 1/4" snap on shallow metric sockets. These are for use in my home garage where I do my own work/projects and do a side work vehicle about once or so a week. Anyways I was thinking that I don't really use them a whole lot and they don't see a lot of high torque situations. I recently posted them for sale for $90 for the set and had a bite or two. Now I'm wondering if I should just keep them.
If. Do get rid of them I was going to buy a 1/4" gear wrench metric socket set that costs about $15 bucks from advance do I would have an extra $75 in my pocket.

Keep my snap on 1/4 metric sockets or sell for some extra money and get a gearwrwnch set??


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gdocktor3

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I say keep them. Unless you're really hurting for cash and need that $75. While Gearwrench sockets aren't bad, there may come a time you wish you had the Snap On set.
 

ihateminimumwage

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I sold my 3/8" Snap-on sets not long after buying them, and replaced with Williams and GW at the time. Don't miss them at all, and enjoyed the extra money in my pocket to invest in more tools.

If they don't sell here, check eBay for the current going rate.
 

T45

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Look at the carlyle summer flyer; if you do sell them reinvest the $$ in stuff you will use everyday. :beer:

Drive size is a personal preference thing, so you have to go with what works for you. If you depricate 1/4 drive it might not make sense to tie up money there.

I'm a big fan of it, tho, mainly from working on stuff where it makes alot of sense.

Also consider getting mid-deeps.
 

Wamsutta

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The Snap-on sockets most definitely have a functional advantage over the GearWrench sockets. Without going into the boring details, my recommendation is to keep the Snap-on sockets.
 
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90zcar

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It's a tough call. I actually have a 10mm 1/4 drive gearwrwnch socket in my "emergency" tool bag in my car so I can see what I would be getting. The gw 10mm is about an 1/8" taller and almost gives about 2 snapping positions on my SO t72 ratchet.
Tough call


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90zcar

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437df405f73df638b49ea5a4398b97fa.jpg

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Wamsutta

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It's a tough call.

For me it wouldn't be. The Snap-on socket will actually be fully seated on the end of the extension and center itself in in the friction ball of the extension at the same time simultaneously. It functions like it's supposed to and doesn't do anything wacky to irritate me. Worth the money for me.
 

Tenex

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I have a Gearwrench set that I use for working on dirty stuff and an SK set for working on clean stuff like electronics.

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M6erfan

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you already have them, I say keep 'em. Unless you REALLY need $75
 
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90zcar

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For me it wouldn't be. The Snap-on socket will actually be fully seated on the end of the extension and center itself in in the friction ball of the extension at the same time simultaneously. It functions like it's supposed to and doesn't do anything wacky to irritate me. Worth the money for me.


Ah so u know exactly what I mean then. The SO sockets snap right on to the end of the ratchet where the gw seems to snap on but if u push on it any more it snaps into another position.


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JAKE-THE-TOOL-MAN

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You already took the hit on the value, I would just keep them. IMO its not worth the hassle of selling to re buy. I would look into a mid grade brand for semi deep if you don't already own some.
 
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90zcar

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I think you guys convinced me to keep them. These sockets were brand new when I bought them but I didn't purchase them from snap on full price. Got them from a guy that got them as part of a "BOGO" so I paid a good bit less


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Greg85mcss

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Like other people said I'd keep them unless you need the money. You can do what you're talking about any time down the road & still get the same money for them. Might as well enjoy using top quality.


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J king

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you have to be kidding. you need someone to tell you what to do with this? really? How do you get thru the day? ask someone what to do at every turn? ��
 
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90zcar

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Hey buddy this is a tool forum and we talk about and have opinions on tools and everything about them .....
You never were curious and wanted the opinions of other people about something you were thinking of doing?


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blown94conv

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I'd sell the lower quality tool before the higher quaility. If you don't need the money, why bother? $75 over a lifetime is peanuts.
 

Adam.C

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I guess my question is why aren't you using them? 8,10, 12, and 13 are among the most common sizes on modern passenger vehicles. Snap On's set goes to 15mm which covers the larger 14mm JIS fasteners and some ANSI 15mm.

If I were you and found I wasn't using the best 1/4" drive on the market, I might buy a TLL72 or a THLF72 long handled ratchet and see if that doesn't change your mind. You can put serious torque thru these tools.

If you then found you just didn't use them, I would sell the whole set and wouldn't bother replace them. If you don't use Snap On 1/4 drive, everything else will be a step down.
 
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90zcar

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It wasn't that I wasn't using them but more of something along the lines of not needing that high of quality for small low torque fasteners.
Seeing some of the opinions on here and now seeing for myself the height difference and just the way it snaps in on the ratchet was enough to change my mind to keep them



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1950mercury

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I find myself using 1/4 more than 3/8 nowadays.... Smaller sockets are more critical when it comes to fitting fasteners. The only option I would consider if I was going to sell snap ons and buy another brand to put money in my pocket would be USA Williams.

I just got my first SK and snap on 1/4 sets and the snap on blow away the SK.
 

M6erfan

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It wasn't that I wasn't using them but more of something along the lines of not needing that high of quality for small low torque fasteners.

Read this carefully...

You can never be overdressed
You can never be to polite
You can never have something too "high of quality"

Boom! Your welcome, now go enjoy life with your newfound wisdom
 
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mikebaker1129

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I find myself using 1/4 more than 3/8 nowadays.... Smaller sockets are more critical when it comes to fitting fasteners. The only option I would consider if I was going to sell snap ons and buy another brand to put money in my pocket would be USA Williams.

I just got my first SK and snap on 1/4 sets and the snap on blow away the SK.

^This echoes my thoughts on the Williams!
 

Wamsutta

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Ah so u know exactly what I mean then. The SO sockets snap right on to the end of the ratchet where the gw seems to snap on but if u push on it any more it snaps into another position.

Oh so you're the other guy that knows that... I remember there was one other guy on the board that knew what I'm talking about but I forgot who it was. Yeah, those GW sockets drive me batty. It's a shame because they're a nice socket otherwise.
 

bmwpowere36m3

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you have to be kidding. you need someone to tell you what to do with this? really? How do you get thru the day? ask someone what to do at every turn? ��

+1

$75… you need it? I've never sold a better tool for a lesser quality one… buy once, cry once. I've done the opposite though :(

I would only sell if I didn't use them AND they were taking up space in my box AND I wasn't planning to replace them obviously… otherwise, it goes against GJ mantra… can't have too many tools :bounce:
 

kball

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I'd keep them AND buy the $15 Gearwrench set so I could keep my snappy's pristine and save them for when I really need them.
 

Gmonkee

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I have bought similar function stuff of -lessor price- to compliment my blingy stuff for the carry bag.

Quality seems comparable as both do the same jobs equally well. I would not consider going to lower quality as it may not let me complete jobs.

I flip Snappy to buy other brands of quality and get more for the same money. Guys here in Mexico are eager to buy.
 

Sine Swept

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When was the last time the wife wanted you to "downgrade" something in the house or on that room for your vacation?
 

Adam.C

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My sense is that companies can make reasonable 3/8" drive, but their 1/4" drive can be ****. I'd have to think about why I think its harder to make a 1/4" drive socket to the same stds as larger sockets. Certainly tooling that is designed for a tolerance (e.g. +/-.002") as opposed to +/-.01%, which is what we would want, might play a role. (These numbers don't work out, but you get what I mean. The smaller the socket, the tighter the tolerances need to be to keep the same "fit".)

I thought my old craftsman 3/8" drive sockets were okay-ish fitting. My CM 1/4" drive are just head rounding junk, IME. Their ratchets are also absolute ****. Nice to hold, nice looking, but weak, sudden reversing ****. (talking full-polished pear head)

Lots of tool makers' 3/8" drives work pretty darned well. But sometimes their 1/4" just don't.
 
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90zcar

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Yea these aren't like shirts. A shirt to work in and another one to go to church in


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