Real close to ditching my SAE stuff...

[steelespeed]

I know it's been talked about before, I just feel like beating a dead horse. I was tinkering in the garage this afternoon and was a bit shocked/irritated at the amount of space my SAE tools are taking up. My frustration was made even worse when I added up the time those tools have spent doing the job they were built to do, which ended up being about 3 minutes.

Now, I am aware of the benefits of having a box filled with every metric and SAE tool made, but as a weekend warrior whose oldest vehicle is from 1998 and everything else I fuss with is newer or metric anyways, I'm really considering going the Euro route and limiting my SAE stuff to just a few pieces.

Bad idea?

 

[Murphy4570]

Bad idea.

Rust attacks bolts too, you know.

Also, who's to say you won't ever buy an old car or something else that uses a lot of standard hardware?

 

[blackz26]

Ya. Spent good money to get what you have. Not going to get a lot of return in them. Plus metric doesn't fit everything. Some cars have both. So you never know when you'll need it. Why give up $300 worth of tools for a $75 return? If your lucky. (Just an example)

 

[Paladin]

I hear you. My box is full of SAE wrenches and sockets that I just can't turn down when I discover the "gems" at the pawn shops and yard sales! One of these days I need to thin the SAE herd. I'm pretty much in the same boat. I rarely need SAE stuff except for stuff around the house. My ATVs, truck, Jeep and Subaru are all metric.

I'd definitely still keep a complete set of SAE wrenches and sockets in each drive size because inevitably, you'll find a need for them at some point. But, I understand the desire to thin the herd...

 

[bczygan]

Work in a machine shop. All the machines need SAE. Have old military trailers...SAE.
General hardware around the house...SAE. Things on my airplanes...SAE. Trailer stuff...SAE.

Or just get a combination dogbone wrench!

 

[rockchucker]

I would never ditch my SAE stuff. That being said since I work mostly on Metric stuff I do not keep all of them in my Tool Box. They are in a 5 gal bucket close at hand but not worth the space they take up for what I do.

 

[SpiderGearsMan]

I still work on lots of fifties cars

 

[bobr338]

Tough call, you never know when you are going to need them. I have an 07 Acura TL with locking lug nuts and a broken removal key. I was able to bang a deep 3/4 12 point socket on each wheel and get all of the locking lug nuts off w/o ordering a new removal key (didn't want the locks anyway)....you never know when you will need certain tools to make your life a hell of a lot easier, even if it is a use one time and throw away type deal...

 

[devoncoolman]

I work on trucks so thats just dumb. Payed good money for my standard stuff. And have lots of it. But i know what ur saying. But sae is never going away.

 

[fivespdcat]

Homeowners definitely use SAE. Everything on newer cars is metric, everything inside your house is usually SAE. I say at least keep the basics.

 

[Jim C.]

I tinker with 1960s cars and 1940s and 1950s woodworking machinery almost exclusively. Don't want your SAE stuff? Send it all to me! I rarely use metric.

Jim C.

 

[Outlawmws]

If it's taking space in your roller, get an older carry box and drop them in there, and put it on a shelf somewhere. Then if you do need them, you at least have them...

 

[1953mercury]

I'm just the opposite. I use a 8 or 10mm wrench on a battery once in a while and occasionally on the wife's Subaru. All of my cars, trucks, heavy equipment, bikes, lawn mowers, and machinery are SAE, and the majority of them are 67 and older. I have full metric sets in all of my boxes and even though I don't use them often they definitely stay. Mike

 

[Mickey O]

I'd get rid of them and regain the space, toss them in a box and mail them to me, please pull out any Asian tools as well as any Thorsen, Barcalo or Fleet stuff before sending.

Mickey O
P.O. Box 123
Chicago, Il 60610

 

[ajchien]

I'm really considering going the Euro route and limiting my SAE stuff to just a few pieces.

Bad idea?

I think that's fine.

I use mainly metric too: 4,5.5,8,10,12,13,14,17,18,19,22

The only SAE sizes I've ever needed are: 1/4, 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16,5/10,11/16, 3/4,7/8,1,1-1/8,1-1/4

 

[CWP1616L]

If you ever work on a lawn mower or an airplane, you gonna need SAE.

 

[Rico.]

If you ever work on a lawn mower or an airplane, you gonna need SAE.

Only on Garage Journal would you get "If you work on a lawn mower or an airplane"
in the same sentence.... You gotta love this place...

 

[celticbhoy]

Keeping a regular wrench and socket set is fine. I barely have any SAE stuff in my toolbox and can get buy with a 12 piece SAE wrench/socket set when working on those damn mopars. I swear the manufacturers just grabbed a handful of various sized bolts and threw them on the car sporadically.

 

[mrborohachi]

I'm in the same boat as you in that I own and work on 90% time foreign Metric autos. All tho i had a hell of a night recently trying to find a 3/8 socket. A wrench would not work in the application i had.

From your post it seem like your trying to clean out a tool box.
Just keep a set of 3/8 SAE sockets and wrenches close by for around the house stuff.

 

[catsteve]

Only on Garage Journal would you get "If you work on a lawn mower or an airplane"
in the same sentence.... You gotta love this place...

or a bulldozer. all the good stuff (read pre- 1960's) needs SAE. My metric stuff is the gear that is hidden away in my box.

 

[The Ratchet Man]

I work on old and new. I keep both close at hand.

 

[4x4gearhead]

If you have it and its paid for why get rid of anything when it comes to tools? Keep the SAE, this is America after all!

 

[sberry]

Ya. Spent good money to get what you have. Not going to get a lot of return in them. Plus metric doesn't fit everything. Some cars have both. So you never know when you'll need it. Why give up $300 worth of tools for a $75 return? If your lucky. (Just an example)

Probably pretty good logic.

 

[PCO6]

You would think that in Canada which converted to the metric system in the early 70's that we would have seen the last of SAE by now but that's definately not the case.

 

[kts]

I feel you since all my stuff is metric. But recently I picked up some SAE wrench sets for cheap since I know someday I'll need them. I also need to get a 3/8 deep socket set too since I know one day I'll need them as well.

 

[sdguy55]

It's weird that this gets brought up a lot. Almost all I use is sae. I almost never use metric.

 

[oilfieldtrash4]

Im just as likely to be working on my lawnmowers as I am my vehicles. So the sae stuff stays.
My job exclusively uses sae for all the hardware. It's cool using a socket set from the 60's on stuff today. Or an old wrench from who knows what or where. I really hope I never see a day where I can't use these awesome old tools.

 

[cgv69]

If you were just starting off and questioning the logic of investing in SAE tools I could see your point but now that you already have them, selling them would be a waste of money seeing how you will probably only get 25-50% tops of what you paid from them.

If they are taking up too much room in your primary tool box either get a bigger tool box or buy a small box to put the SAE stuff into. Remember it's always better to have and not need rather than need and not have.

 

[wmartin]

I know it's been talked about before, I just feel like beating a dead horse. I was tinkering in the garage this afternoon and was a bit shocked/irritated at the amount of space my SAE tools are taking up. My frustration was made even worse when I added up the time those tools have spent doing the job they were built to do, which ended up being about 3 minutes.

Now, I am aware of the benefits of having a box filled with every metric and SAE tool made, but as a weekend warrior whose oldest vehicle is from 1998 and everything else I fuss with is newer or metric anyways, I'm really considering going the Euro route and limiting my SAE stuff to just a few pieces.

Bad idea?

I can't see any point in selling unless you really need the money, but there is a certain elegance at going minimalist as a home mechanic.

A bottom up approach might be to start over and just buy what you need. Car has a 12mm fastener? Buy every variant of 12mm wrench and socket. u-joint, short, medium, long, impact, ratcheting wrench, flex ratcheting wrench, etc.

lol. I know this sounds stupid, but it you specialize in some sort of car (let's say early Beetle, a not uncommon affliction even in this day and age), I'll bet the tool box would be remarkably small. I've got an absolutely ginormous set of Snap-on open end wrenches (bought at heavy heavy discount on eBay, probably $5 per wrench for unused condition) and it's surprising how few have been actually used after a quite a few years.

 

[d.mcfarland]

I actually just ordered more SAE wrenches! Any old machines are going to use it, and in my opinion, for the low cost, it's stupid not not have it.

OP - I agree with others and that's if you need the cash then sell, if you dont, just keep it and be glad you did when you need it.

 

[KULIWOBBY]

I repair snowmobiles on the side. Some newer ones and some vintage sleds 90% of the time the chassis is american and the motors are metric for what I deal with. I need both SAE and metric tools all the time.

 

[toolaholic]

When replacing water pump and intake manifold plenum pan/plate on my 99 dakota r/t I used SAE. 9/16 for water pump,acessory bracket, alternator. 1/2 for a/c condenser and oil dip stick tube mounting. 5/16 for intake manifold. Yeah I know 8mm could of worked for intake.Something SAE to mount plenum plate to intake; I forget.

 

[byoungblood]

Don't buy any kind of trailer then. They use SAE stuff almost exclusively. I get to carry twice the number of tools with me when I go camping because the camper manufacturers haven't caught on that it is 2013 and every vehicle built in the past 20 years is almost exclusively metric.

 

[fishinmajishin]

Mail them to "Mickey O" That should do it.....

 

[onewaydave]

No, no, no! Never sell guns, tools wives or children. In that order. Well, more seriously, this Christmas I found a use for a 17/32 spanner wrench. Yeah, not typical and not the intended use (tighten a pedal of a Chinese made child's bicycle from a factory that had no quality control. No it wasn't metric.)

On vehicles I have gravitated to, 60-70s cars and trucks, 50-70s tractors and machinery dating to 1900, they come in handy.

Dave, with compliments of non-SAE tools, also.

 

[rob0781]

I dont use my sae much but its nice to have when i do need it, like the other day working on my mower.
I wouldnt get rid of it, just pack it in a box out of the way incase you do need it. I have found every tool i grt rid of i always regret and end up needing it.

 

[lbgradwell]

You would think that in Canada which converted to the metric system in the early 70's that we would have seen the last of SAE by now but that's definately not the case.

I installed a new kitchen faucet last night. Used 1/2", 5/8" & 7/8" on the supply hoses, but no metric.

I'm not only happy I had SAE, I'm happy I had SAE flare nut crowfoot sockets as the job was much easier with them. Don't think it could have been done with wrenches...

 

[4xdog]

I'm 50:50, between working on newer cars and bicycles, middle-aged cars, 50+ year old little British car, mowers, household stuff. Both inch and metric stuff have important roles in my toolboxes, and will for many years to come.

IMHO, park them, but don't ditch them.

 

[Dave455]

Don't do it!!

In the U.K. we started trying to ditch Whitworth in the 1950's but there's still stuff being made with those bolts!

In the U.S. most fasteners, although generally referred to as SAE, are Unified, and are going to be around for ever! Even though the motor trade is using more and more metric (so they can use cheap Chinese fasteners) I doubt other industries, such as aerospace, ever will.

 

[ganymede]

I'd get rid of them and regain the space, toss them in a box and mail them to me, please pull out any Asian tools as well as any Thorsen, Barcalo or Fleet stuff before sending.

Mickey O
P.O. Box 123
Chicago, Il 60610

Why Fleet ?