Mismatched sockets...

[ZRX61]

I've had the one rail for years.... It didn't really bother me until I was reading another thread today...
3/8drive Metric...


8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 17, 19, 20 & 22mm are Kamasa (Taiwan)



13mm is Acesa (Spain)



15mm is Superslim (Williams, USA)


16mm is a no name Japanese socket.


18mm is Facom (France)


& there's a 2nd 19mm, which is a no name impact.


so 15 sockets, 14 different sizes, at least 5 different countries & 6 different manufacturers....


This is now bugging the **** out of me. Time to buy a matched set..

 

[ZRX61]

So.. Icon has a 12 piece that lacks 19, 20 & 22mm...
Husky has a 10 piece that lacks 8, 9, 20 & 22mm
Craftsman has an 11 piece that lacks 8, 9, 20 & 22mm, but has a 21mm



& yes, I know no one needs a 3/8drive 8mm socket...




I think I know why I have such a mismatched set..

 

[cderalow]

Amazon, USA made Williams for a 12 piece set then buy the few oddballs you need.


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[JRC3]

Meh, sockets get lost through the years. As long as they are similar and the same depth and/or point who cares.

When I lose a socket I just dig a replacement out of the surplus drawer. Most are craftsman but there are some old Allen and SK in there. Somehow I have lots of extra 10mm.

 

[ThePostman]

That 8mm comes in handy in 3/8” drive if you use them daily, I do. The 7mm does as well, thank you Ford for putting up your cheap *** trunk liner engine shields with that fastener head width as well as 8mm, and t25. Ford, mixing fasteners, cutting corners, ****** engineering for God knows how long now, and you brought the plastic oil pans back, thank you again. Chevy, no honorable mention given, because you've gone the plastic route too. You both ****.

An indie tech

 

[ThePostman]

The point I had was, don't skip sizes, you'll eventually want them, especially if you use air.

 

[ZRX61]

I think I'll start with Home Cheapo & scope out the Husky sets & individual sockets. I'm happy with all the other Husky stuff I have.
After that I'll take a butchers at the Craftsman at Lowes. I get 10% military discount there.

 

[sparky 1971]

Check out Tekton. They have 3/8 drive in 6-24mm with no skipped sizes in either 6 or 12 point for $40.00. At the price point, they can't be beat.

Edit. Only offering a suggestion. Not trying to turn this into a 12 page thread of arguments for or against Tekton.

 

[visionguru]

Check out Tekton. They have 3/8 drive in 6-24mm with no skipped sizes in either 6 or 12 point for $40.00. At the price point, they can't be beat.

Edit. Only offering a suggestion. Not trying to turn this into a 12 page thread of arguments for or against Tekton.

I don't think anyone will be arguing against Tekton, which is a quite decent tool brand, and doing great things, such as offering no-skip sockets/wrenches, obviously courting professionals and serious DIYers.

From my time on GJ, the arguments has been about how special Tekton is, in terms of quality/design/warranty.

 

[ZRX61]

Check out Tekton. They have 3/8 drive in 6-24mm with no skipped sizes in either 6 or 12 point for $40.00. At the price point, they can't be beat.

I think we have a winner. That looks pretty damn good. I'm almost tempted to buy both

 

[M-EGT]

I've bought a few sets of 1/4 ans 3/8 drive. But mostly my sockets are mismatched. I do keep a common theme however: all USA made, and all 3/8 and 1/2 are 12 point (all 1/4 are 6 point). Most of my metric deep sockets are all Craftsman however, as over the years they've been the most available. But with SAE sizes they're all over the place.

 

[BK13]

My only mismatched sockets are all 1/2" drive. My SAE impacts are all Kobalt with only the smallest being Armstrong. My 1/2" chrome SAE are all over the map, everything from Snap On and Mac and SK, to Husky and Kobalt and Klutch. For some reason I gut the idea in my head that I wanted no duplicates.

They all work fine.

 

[Batscat]

I would look at Gearwrench also.

 

[lardy1]

My 1/2 drive 12 point fractionals are all sk. But they range from a couple brand new to all the way back to the 60's. They're holding up just fine.

 

[ZRX61]

I've bought a few sets of 1/4 ans 3/8 drive. But mostly my sockets are mismatched. I do keep a common theme however: all USA made, and all 3/8 and 1/2 are 12 point (all 1/4 are 6 point). Most of my metric deep sockets are all Craftsman however, as over the years they've been the most available. But with SAE sizes they're all over the place.

I lived in the UK for the first 31 years & came to the US 29 years ago. My tool collection looks like it was put together by the UN.

 

[Shane6377]

I have a bunch of mismatched sets. Doesn't bother me at all. They all still work regardless of the name stamped on the side.

If you lose or damage one are you going to replace the whole set or buy a mismatched replacement? I buy a single replacement and move on.


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[DuratecMan10]

Most of mine are mismatched as well. I have 3/8" and 1/4" metric and SAE sizes on the same rail, then the 1/2" mix up in the back. A blend of Stanley, Mac, SK, Wizard Tool Co, Kobalt ect


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[Junkdrawer Dog]

A motley collection of mismatched sockets is all I've ever had. Doesn't bother me and I don't recall any complaints from anything I have ever worked on.

 

[ZRX61]

I also have a bunch of individual mismatched sockets, Metric, Whit & Standard. They don't live on racks in my toolboxes, they're loose. If I buy the Tekton set(s) then some of the mismatched ones on the rack will become free range sockets & join the loose ones.

 

[Semi-hole mechanic]

So.. Icon has a 12 piece that lacks 19, 20 & 22mm...
Husky has a 10 piece that lacks 8, 9, 20 & 22mm
Craftsman has an 11 piece that lacks 8, 9, 20 & 22mm, but has a 21mm



& yes, I know no one needs a 3/8drive 8mm socket...




I think I know why I have such a mismatched set..

Hi, I'm no one, the owner of an '03 Jeep Liberty that needed a front driveshaft replaced. Need a 3/8 drive breaker bar to get a couple of the 8mm bolts to break loose.

 

[M4A1Carbine]

I just found my 3/8 10mm socket last week. I never thought that was possible. Now I’m only missing a 1/4 8mm socket.

I looked at the Icon sockets and I wasn’t impressed. Gearwrench sockets look to be of better quality and they come on a nice rail.

Advance auto had good prices on Gearwrench socket sets on their website. You can get the 14 piece 3/8 set on the rail for $15 after using a 25% off coupon. (Get your total over $25 and you get free shipping).

 

[ZRX61]

Hi, I'm no one, the owner of an '03 Jeep Liberty that needed a front driveshaft replaced. Need a 3/8 drive breaker bar to get a couple of the 8mm bolts to break loose.

What size is the actual thread?

 

[LXCam]

Z, I ended this very same dilemma just a few days ago. It was bad enough I couldn’t deal with skipped sizes of 3/8” shallow sockets to fill all the places up to 24mm. Then toss in the two or three narnia donations had me at 4 different brands. It always bugged the **** outta me.

WELL, last week someone here posted a proto sale at Zoro and I just couldn’t help myself, those had to come to papa.

I introduce to you, 6-26 with no skips and in 6 point attire.




I can now rest easy.

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

A J.H. Williams (not the Snap-on Williams ) and Proto were pretty interchangeable, but a Craftsman was a different animal all together. I have a 12mm Proto on Armstrong rack and it sticks out like a sore thumb.

 

[Y00PER]

Meh, sockets get lost through the years. As long as they are similar and the same depth and/or point who cares.

When I lose a socket I just dig a replacement out of the surplus drawer. Most are craftsman but there are some old Allen and SK in there. Somehow I have lots of extra 10mm.

Is that where everyone's 10mm's go? Don't have all of the world's missing left socks, do you?

 

[plinker]

Most people I know and myself use 8mm in 3/8 drive fairly often, usually 6mm bolts, sometimes 8mm. 6mm, 7mm & 1/4 in 3/8 drive, not so much.

I prefer the largest size range possible in general, but most common size range I use/have is 8-22,24 in 3/8 drive. It can save using adapters and works good for low torque fasteners with the larger sizes.

 

[Mgdoug3]

Most of my chrome sockets are SK. I wish I had some larger sizes of 3/8 but a low profile adapter works for me. My impact sockets are mostly imported. I wouldn't mind some USA made impact sockets but the HF and Tekton work great for me.

 

[finn]

You should have bought the 200 piece Husky set on sale for $59 a couple of weeks ago.

Not the greatest sockets, but no skips.