Metric vs. SAE standard tool usage?

[TONE JP]

Hello.
It is my first post on here.
Want to hear how do people in U.S. think about subject.
For me in Japan, it is 99% Metric in any situation.
Please let me know!
Thank you!

 

[Wyoming09]

We have a near 50/50 mix of older machines and newer. I couldn't get by without both.

 

[dchawk81]

I don't keep track.

 

[cvairwerks]

SAE, metric and British Standard for me.

 

[NFH2740]

Metric is most common with modern farm equipment.

 

[Komet]

50/50 for me. Whatever fits tightest on the fastener is what I'm using. I've had a lot of situations where what I'm working on should be 13mm but that 1/2" fits real good.

 

[goldtang]

SAE, metric and British Standard for me as well but like Komet said what ever fits

 

[tamaraw]

Answers depend upon what you work on. For the US:

Virtually all architecture, construction, and electrical is Imperial. Pretty much any infrastructure. Some industrial/factory applications are as well. Commercial aviation (also true globally). Vintage domestic automotive/motorcycle.

Modern automobiles, electronics, imported furniture, and most everything else is metric.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

dern automobiles, electronics, imported furniture, and most everything else is metric.

Except the aftermarket kits mostly have sae hardware.

 

[dchawk81]

Imported furniture has its own system called butterknife.

 

[Junkdrawer Dog]

You ever get those fasteners that don't seem to fit either metric or SAE particularly well? The ones that have a ton of draft angle on the sides of the hex? I don't know if it's just because of the cold heading process or if they mean to give you a fastener that's one size at the base and another at the top. Usually found on cheap lawn mowers and patio furniture.

 

[bigfunwmu]

Lots of both. Eaton, Cessna, Vickers and older Sundstrand stuff is SAE and more hex fasteners. Linde, newer Danfoss, and Rexroth units are all metric and more allen fasteners. Porting on all of them can be SAE or Metric depending on what they're on regardless of the unit OEM.

Seem like older designed things tend to be SAE and newer generation stuff tends to be Metric. Older designed things that are still being made are still whatever they were originally made with.

 

[82355]

Metric is most common with modern farm equipment.

Major manufacturers maybe. Most of the short lines still use standard.

Martin

 

[Boogerman]

I work mostly older commercial/industrial tooling & equipment; rarely use metric. Even new commercial often SAE; see more and more metric as time go by. Do electrical also; that pretty exclusively SAE. Use 14mm and 10mm when I change oil on my vehicles and a handfull of other sizes doing minor maintenance.

 

[joel_400]

I've got a slew of old stuff...tractors, old equipment, and cars. Also have newer vehicles and mowers. But worst I have 80s GM vehicles...so 50/50 for me! Haha It always amazed me how that transition was in the 80s for GM, especially. Everything on the car was metric...then you got to the drivetrain...most of it was still standard, except for a few bolts! Haha
Joel

 

[MushCreek]

I put 70% SAE, but that's a guess. I wrench on older American iron, plus common fasteners for various projects. I do wrench on my Miata, and various newer stuff that needs fixing, which is more commonly metric. I put a new starter in my zero-turn, and it has a mix.

 

[Tonyuk]

The only thing i use my SAE stuff for anymore is changing my tool air fittings.

Thankfully.

 

[Dave455]

Probably about 50% Metric.

20% SAE - basically most of the classic vehicles I work on, and most aircraft components that come through my hands.

30% British Standard. Some classic‘s (most classic bikes), some aircraft components, most of my machine tools, plumbing fittings, air piping, etc.

 

[gtae07]

I mostly work on my airplane and sometimes my dad's, and that's pretty much all SAE. Occasionally I work on the car and that's metric.

 

[liliysdad]

My shop is home for a 69 Ford and a 76 Jeep....SAE is the vastly more commonly used tool. The only time I use Metric is servicing my daily drivers or fixing junk I typically don't want to.

 

[Dakotadadv8]

Home improvement SAE, auto metric.

 

[ecotec]

95+% SAE at work. Mostly metric at home with the exception of plumbing/electrical/HVAC/general construction hardware and fittings…

 

[Old Donn]

Used to be 50/50. When we owned late model care and trucks that I maintained, it was pretty much all metric. These days, both daily drivers are leased and under warranty. All I do is check fluid levels and tire pressure. That leaves the old Chevy and Harley, equipped with standard fasteners, so it's 70/30 SAE. The newer yard equipment's metric, which accounts for the 30%.

 

[CGarage]

Hello.
It is my first post on here.
Want to hear how do people in U.S. think about subject.
For me in Japan, it is 99% Metric in any situation.
Please let me know!
Thank you!

Welcome!!! I love tools from Tone Japan!!!!

 

[subroc]

Did not vote. When I worked in the Volkswagen/Mazda garage in the 80s it was mostly metric. When I did golf course machine maintenance and repair in the 80s it was mostly if not all SAE. When I worked a temp job in the 80s in the motor pool on an air force base mostly on the snow removal plows and equipment mostly SAE. When i worked at thee shipyard 100% SAE. These days mostly SAE on the old tools and everything else as needed.

 

[housewolf]

Most of what I use is metric but one of my cars has a lot of aftermarket parts that are SAE. Also some mechanical equipment and tools that are SAE so I at least have both. The quality & quantity of my SAE stuff, mostly old CM USA, isn’t up to par with my metric stuff though.

 

[finn]

My Super Duties and an increasing number of applianced and consumer goods are metric, but the things I enjoy working on are SAE.

 

[Citation]

You ever get those fasteners that don't seem to fit either metric or SAE particularly well? The ones that have a ton of draft angle on the sides of the hex? I don't know if it's just because of the cold heading process or if they mean to give you a fastener that's one size at the base and another at the top. Usually found on cheap lawn mowers and patio furniture.

I always hate those. You never quite know if they are meant to be metric or SAE or if they are just poorly sized.

 

[dnschmidt]

The only thing i use my SAE stuff for anymore is changing my tool air fittings.

Thankfully.

Buy a pliers wrench. Well, you'll actually need two.

 

[oldwino]

99% of my work is pre70’s hotrods and drag racing cars. Rarely need metric

 

[Meursault74]

Funny how this came up.

I was working on some equipment yesterday. European in origin. Had to remove some screws from an access panel. Metric.

All the air/gas/water plumbing inside SAE. I'm not sure if the plumbing bits were sourced here or not. I know Swagelok has both Metric and SAE. Maybe they sourced it with SAE for us. In either case whoever put some of it together in Europe used the SAE bits. I'm glad, as we have plenty of SAE parts for plumbing, a few in metric.

I work with some scientific equipment where it's mostly metric, but the liquid handling portions are SAE. Well, there are lots of uses for 1/4" wrenches. Tubing is SAE. I'm not sure, but I think they make it that way for us that way as well. We have plenty of tubing in SAE so it makes it easier. Some of the older equipment is all SAE.

I voted 50/50 . My cars and bicycles are metric. Everything else SAE.

I know I'll be using both for as long as I use tools.

 

[sz0k30]

I'm into old cars that were made before "Metrics" came in to corrupt our American standards.

 

[MOS3522]

My main project car below. It's a mix of metric and SAE, so I use both regularly.

 

[BarrelRoll]

I work on anything without wheels or tracks at a gold mine (mill, crusher, paste/ concrete plant, water treatment, air compressors). Our most common bolts are 5/8-11. A lot of our equipment is metric. A lot metric bolts are replaced with standard. As far as metric tools go I go up to 38mm sockets/ 32mm wrench, in SAE I go up to 2 1/2" socket/ 2" wrench, my tool bag has all SAE up to 15/16" wrenches, sockets to 1/2", and SAE/ metric allen key sets to 3/8"/10mm.

With most of the bigger stuff I've found SAE works in place of metric 1 7/16" for 36mm and 2" in place of a 50mm for example is pretty common. Depending on what I'm working on determines if I just grab SAE stuff or if I grab both. I would say my box is 75% standard though I've been buying more metric including a set of metric angle wrenches.

 

[CHI_Tool&Die]

All of our Japanese-made machines run metric. Same with all our Japanese-sourced vises and tool holding systems. Everything else is SAE. I’m using more SAE as I get deeper into work holding fixtures and jigs. I wish we just had one standard. My toolbox would be happier.

 

[APEowner]

These days I mostly work on my race cars and at the moment one is a Spec. Miata so, metric and the other is a Crossle Formula Ford built in Ireland using a mix of British, Irish and German parts and that's mostly SAE.

 

[CGarage]

It seems that for industrial plants in the US, SAR still remains the most popular option.

The biggest change I have seen over the past 20-30 years is American car manufacturers switching over to Metric during the past 10 years.

That said, if the application is industrial and NOT automotive, you are still likely to need SAE in the US as it seems to be the standard.

 

[MacMcMacmac]

At work, most of the machinery is from the US, so SAE.
Pipe work, SAE.
There is some German machinery, so Metric.
Swiss machinery, Metric.

About 90% SAE overall, with some Whitworth and BSF stuff thrown in for good measure.

At home, it's 90%+ metric. Mostly automotive and Japanese motorcycles.

 

[CGarage]

Yes, U.S.A. made industrial machinery is still SAE in most cases, from my experience.

 

[bbrins]

I work on a bit of everything; building maintenance, auto repair, lawn equipment, tractors/implements, plumbing, electrical, etc. I'd guess that I use SAE about 70%(?) of the time. I won't hesitate to use an SAE tool on a metric fastener, or a metric tool on an SAE fastener if it fits better. Every once in a while I find SAE or metric in places you wouldn't expect them, for instance, the rear diff cover bolts are SAE on a Nissan Frontier with an M226, which is a derivative of the Dana 44.