O2 sensor socket shootout.

[Daniel831]

Need to pickup a set of 02 sensor sockets. Considering the following sets. HF 8 piece - $32, gear wrench 7 piece, -$47, sunex 7 piece $65. I have been very happy with the quality of my sunex impact sockets as well as various USA and Taiwan made Dahanar tools. Leaning between the Sunex and Gear wrench set. Anyone care to chime in?

 

[ADSR]

I have the set like HF. They fit, they work, they're cheap.

 

[Jeeper]

Are you doing a lot of o2 sensors? If you are just going to replace one or two here or there and not reuse the sensor, cut the wire and use a deep well or box end wrench.

 

[shockwave]

I have a 7 piece and 4 piece set from Matco I have not had issues with that is Taiwan origin

All Usa made and German made are you 1/2 drive Asian is 3/8

Also look into Schley o2 sensor wrench I use most of the time

 

[gdocktor3]

Are you doing a lot of o2 sensors? If you are just going to replace one or two here or there and not reuse the sensor, cut the wire and use a deep well or box end wrench.

This is good advice. Is this going to be a common thing or a once in a while? Don't go broke on a tool that gets used once, twice a month or less. If you have the money to spend I'd say sunex only because those o2 sensors can be really tough to get off and the sockets take a whoopin. My sunex stuff works awesome no matter what. I have some jumbo metric wrenches I had a cheater on the other day and they didn't flex one bit.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

My Performance Tool one is winning, but I forget what kind the one that broke was.

 

[Finky198]

I think for the price and quality HF can't be beat, you get a more complete package then any others I've seen and for about half the price. Use the 20% off coupon and its a killer deal. I have used them a ton no complaints....

I also have the Snap on chrome o2 socket as well as the OEM from Autozone in 3/8 drive. All have work fine in most instances. The snap spreads the least and feels heavier than the others... But

As said above sometime when replacing sensors it just best to cut the wires and use a normal socket. Also heat and penetrating fluid are you friend in this case. It might take more than one pass of each.

 

[Aqua-Andy]

+1 for the cut wire and use a deep socket if this is a one off repair. One of the handful of cornwell sockets I have is a chrome o2 socket and after twenty years it is still going strong. And yes heat will be your best friend with o2 sensors. I have found that all penetrating oil does is burn and stink when you finally give up and put the heat to it.

 

[Stevenn1]

I got the Snap-on SWR1 & Gearwrench master set.

 

[Bagherra]

Luv my Hazet one...

 

[Daniel831]

I got the Snap-on SWR1 & Gearwrench master set.

How do you like the gear wrench set?

 

[Wamsutta]

What about the O2 sensor crows foot type thing? How do they compare to the socket type?

 

[Stevenn1]

The Gear wrench 41720 is a general sensor set, has all sizes for other sensors too. I used it 2x and it worked great, but the O2 sensors were not rusted down either. The Snap-on tool I mentioned is much more handy tho, there are less expensive knock-off look-alike versions of it out there but I don't know how they are. A regular flare nut wrench/crowsfoot could maybe be handy too. On a stubborn one your best bet is to just cut the wire and use a thick deep 6pt socket if there is room.

 

[JoeMA]

For some vehicles, a deep offset box wrench works great. The wiring harness even passed through the box end on my camry so no need to cut the wire before removing, which is useful if you are not certain that the sensor is bad.

 

[JBradley500]

I use a line wrench if it will fit. I think the wrench keep me straight on the sensor and less likely to cause any problems.

 

[maxpower_hd]

Are you doing a lot of o2 sensors? If you are just going to replace one or two here or there and not reuse the sensor, cut the wire and use a deep well or box end wrench.

That is exactly what I do, then I have cheap sockets for install. I don't do a whole lot of them so I don't even have a set. I just have two, the ones I have needed so far.