Need new hex bit socket set

[Joevano]

I need both a hex bit socket set and a torx bit socket set. Small sizes for home motorcycle work. Won't step foot in Harbor Freight, Sears is going away. Northern Tool is convenient. What is a reasonably inexpensive but good quality brand for this type of tool?

 

[lugnut71]

bondhus or vim, both inexpensive and good quality

 

[M6erfan]

I have the VIM MRBB36 Magrail Bit Set. No complaints, the magrail is pretty awesome...



I also have the Anex 28pc Bit Ratchet Set 525-28B, which includes low profile sockets in lieu of SAE sizes, I seem to reach for this one most...


I work on a lot of motorcycles

 

[cweidert03]

I use the VIM on my Atv and have had no issues with them


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[kctyphoon]

I have Milwaukee ones. Some Dewalt too I think.. been fine for small stuff.

 

[decableguy2000]

I have a set of metric hex sockets from Northern. Can't complain, worked on every thing I needed them to.

 

[johndeereman]

I have some old USA craftsman, gear wrench,Carlyle all have been fine in a professional setting.

 

[tjpavlov]

Vim is great. You can buy online from sears. Using points you can get great deals.

 

[mfewtrail]

Any torx bits besides the one piece style Lisle ones will probably serve you well for years to come. I have Stanley, Husky, Craftsman USA, Ampro, Gearwrench, Capri, Harbor Freight, Benchtop, Bostitch, and maybe some others I'm forgetting. No complaints from any of those.

 

[6PTsocket]

Say what you like about Horrible Freight but I was installing a trailer hitch on my pickup. The center bolt was a big flat head bolt that was 1/2"hex drive. I grabbed the SAE set for something like 9 bucks. The hitch instructions said to torque to 250 lb/ft. I don't have that big a torque wrench. I put thst HF bit on a big Williams breaker bar with jack handle for a cheater pipe. With maybe 5ft of leverage I pulled on that sucker until I saw the breaker bar start to bend. Then I looked at the HF bit. It was no damage at all. Still looked brand new. For home use that's good enough for me. Their better (chrome moly) impact sockets have been fine too. Don't get me wrong. A lot of their stuff is junk. I shop there SELECTIVELY.

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[wkndwarrior29]

Are you looking for a bit set or a socket set?

Stubby, standard length, or long?

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[hangfirew8]

VIM is the OEM for some truck brands, so I second M6erfan's recommendation.

For something US made, Chapman is affordable and high quality. The only ding on them is the low tooth count and back drag on their ratcheting bit driver.
https://chapmanmfg.com/

 

[arbormatt]

Spline drive but this set is great.https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000WTWZ2/?tag=atomicindus08-20
Use this set almost everyday in an industrial environment. They can be found cheaper elsewhere

 

[Mohawk Dave]

Most of my sets are Snap on that I've picked up for cheap.

But I wanted to make some long ball end MM on the cheap, so I bought Tekton hex sockets set and some Bondhus "L" keys with ball end, cut the "L" keys and placed them in the Tekton sockets. (Do the same with the short side of the "L" to make a stubby set, etc..)

I bought the Tekton set for like $16 last year, now $24?, and got the Bondhus set on sale for like $12.

(I used Tekton b/c they have actual-sized broach unlike all other cheapies that neck down to the size)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001NT2LK4/?tag=atomicindus08-20

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00012Y38W/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[RAYJAY]

Spline drive but this set is great.https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000WTWZ2/?tag=atomicindus08-20
Use this set almost everyday in an industrial environment. They can be found cheaper elsewhere

x2 here use the wadsworth all the time beats the chaps hands down

 

[biggziff]

I have a Husky set and a HF set. Both have been used daily in my motorcycle shop for many years. No reason to spend more. Both are lifetime warranty.

 

[Fedwrench]

I don't think you can't beat VIM for selection & durability coupled with price.

However, I think a lesser known brand Capri Tools seems to be getting praise for their bits on you tube lately.

 

[four.cycle]

Question for you guys that are actually using these things on a regular basis:

Have you used, and what is your opinion of these "new" "flex hex" and "flex torx" wrenches?

Worth a damn? Best thing since sliced bread? Another gimmick tool?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NAPA-6-Pc-Flexible-Torx-Key-Set-NHT-46020/112288126970

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Napa-6-Pc-Metric-Flexible-Hex-Key-Set/111938394563

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Napa-5-pc-SAE-Flexible-Hex-Key-Set/111850880261

https://www.ebay.com/itm/6-Pc-Metric-Flexible-Hex-Key-Set-5-Pc-SAE-Hex-Key-Set/111920787401

 

[M6erfan]

Question for you guys that are actually using these things on a regular basis:

Have you used, and what is your opinion of these "new" "flex hex" and "flex torx" wrenches?

Worth a damn? Best thing since sliced bread? Another gimmick tool?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NAPA-6-Pc-Flexible-Torx-Key-Set-NHT-46020/112288126970

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Napa-6-Pc-Metric-Flexible-Hex-Key-Set/111938394563

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Napa-5-pc-SAE-Flexible-Hex-Key-Set/111850880261

https://www.ebay.com/itm/6-Pc-Metric-Flexible-Hex-Key-Set-5-Pc-SAE-Hex-Key-Set/111920787401

I've never tried them, but they look interesting. I saw them at Cripe Distributing some time back. I almost pulled the trigger on the metric hex set...

 

[Dookie2122]

The Husky set for $25 is a steal, and I have the Tekton set, awesome for work on my Harleys.

 

[ken w.]

The Craftsman set isn't that bad. It was on sale for $30.00 around Christmas time. I gave a few of these out as presents. It will cover most applications.

 

[mfewtrail]

I don't think you can't beat VIM for selection & durability coupled with price.

However, I think a lesser known brand Capri Tools seems to be getting praise for their bits on you tube lately.

I'd bet VIM, Capri, Neiko, and plenty of others are made in the same factory. Amazon has a 60pc master set from Capri for $45 which is hard to beat right now. I picked one up last month and really like them. So far they seem every bit as good as my other torx bits(brands named in my first post in this thread) that have served me well for 15+ years.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

Have you used, and what is your opinion of these "new" "flex hex" and "flex torx" wrenches?

Worth a damn? Best thing since sliced bread? Another gimmick tool?

IMO not enough different from a socket on a hinge handle, the real meat is here;

 

[bwringer]

Question for you guys that are actually using these things on a regular basis:

Have you used, and what is your opinion of these "new" "flex hex" and "flex torx" wrenches?

Worth a damn? Best thing since sliced bread? Another gimmick tool?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NAPA-6-Pc-Flexible-Torx-Key-Set-NHT-46020/112288126970

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Napa-6-Pc-Metric-Flexible-Hex-Key-Set/111938394563

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Napa-5-pc-SAE-Flexible-Hex-Key-Set/111850880261

https://www.ebay.com/itm/6-Pc-Metric-Flexible-Hex-Key-Set-5-Pc-SAE-Hex-Key-Set/111920787401

Eh, these things are useful for reaching a real oddball once in a great while, but 99.9% of the the time I use a socket or key. The flex tools get floppy very easily, which quickly gets annoying.

I work on a lot of motorcycles, so I have a LOT of metric hex and torx socket tools on hand because they've all been needed at some point -- short and long sockets in regular and hex ball end, as well as plenty of L-shaped keys in regular and ball end, plus impact sockets and even a selection of cheapies used for cutting up and making my own when I need one that's extra short or something.

The other thing I've found is that there's a good bit of variation in how accurately or tightly various brands of hex and torx tools fit in the smaller sizes. There doesn't seem to be a lot of rhyme or reason to it -- individual fasteners vary somewhat, too. If I'm dealing with something small, important, and difficult, I'll very often try several tools and use the one that seems to give the best fit.

As noted above, the HF stuff is actually quite good -- most of the hex and torx sockets are made in Taiwan, not China.