Replacement sockets for pass-through or 'go-thru' socket set

[DadsTools]

I acquired a used Ampro 'go-thru' pass-through socket set that's missing a couple of metric sockets, the 12mm and 15mm. AmPro North America cus. sv. is impossible to reach by phone--all calls automatically go to voice mail which then tells you the mail box is full and hangs up. So-called AmPro distributors are clueless as to how to help me--if you're not talking about the complete set, it's deer-in-the-headlights time.

It appears that these kinds of sets have numerous different means by which the sockets fit into the ratchets. So I'm hoping that members may be familiar with set brands that have the same construction so I might chase down those brands for the individual sockets. Yes, yes, I know complete new sets are not that expensive, but I'm loathe to toss out a perfectly working SAE/Metric set just for two missing sockets.

Here's the kind I need. The ratchet has a 3/4" 12-point hex female opening--the 6-point male hex on the sockets fit perfectly in a 3/4" SAE wrench or standard socket. The sockets have the friction ball on the hex to hold them into the ratchet, which also makes them handy if you wanted to use them with a 3/4" box end wrench.

Here's what I found so far. The HF Pittsburgh Go-Thru set has the identical form factor (3/4" hex with friction ball on the socket) , but they do not sell individual sockets. Lowes Kobalt has the right hex size and sells individual sockets, but their system has the friction ball in the ratchet opening instead of the socket, so I'd have to use the tape thing to hold them into the AmPro ratchet. GearWrench is one of those systems that have a completely different form factor.

If anyone knows of a brand made the way I'm describing, please let me know, and thanks.

 

[retDAC]

Disappointing about AmPro; they used to be responsive, but that was some years ago.
You could contact Channellock: https://channellock.com/product/39100/
I don't know of any other current brands that use this style of sockets.

 

[dnschmidt]

You are looking for unobtanium. Best bet is to buy the Harbor Freight and be done with it. I think I paid $20 for a set about 10 years ago.

 

[DadsTools]

You are looking for unobtanium. Best bet is to buy the Harbor Freight and be done with it. I think I paid $20 for a set about 10 years ago.

This is the route I ultimately had to take, as I could find no other brand with the same system configuration. The Lowes/Kobalt single replacement sockets that would have required me using tape to hold them into the ratchet would have cost about $17 for the two before taxes, whereas the HF Pittsburgh set having the same socket configuration as my AmPro was $21.99 for the whole shooting match. I also picked up the 5/16 that was not in the AmPro set, and now have two extension bars that can be used together in case I need additional reach.

There are a few observations I thought I'd list here for the GJ record in case another member might find them useful in the future.

The sockets from the HF set are virtually identical to the AmPro sockets (which suggests both were made by the same manufacturer), but with several noticeable differences. The HF are highly polished, where the chrome on the AmPro is duller. The outside diameter of the AmPro sockets are colored with red for SAE, blue for MM, and includes the socket size. Of course, once the thin coloring quickly wears off, the size markings disappear. I had to write the sizes on with a marker and covered with a strip of clear tape to protect. The HF have deep, easy-to-read stamping.

There's a structural difference in the friction ball spring, which ls a thin steel band that is inserted into the drive end opening of the sockets so that it almost completely orbits the inside diameter of the opening--when the friction ball is depressed, this band acts as the spring. Since the band is originally a straight piece, there is a small gap remaining between the ends of the band once inserted. The differences with the AmPro is that there is both a 'pimple' on the inside diameter of the socket opening and a 'dimple' on the spring band. The pimple acts as a key between the two ends of the band spring so that the recessed dimple gets positioned behind the friction ball. Clever design. The HF has neither the positioning pimple nor the recess behind the ball. The result is that the HF ball protrudes a little further than the AmpPro, and is more difficult to press the socket into the ratchet opening. A few of the complaints in the HF reviews was that the friction ball would fly out into space when the socket was removed from the ratchet--perhaps this 'revised' design contributes by applying more pressure to the back of the ball than was intended by the original design.

The two ratchets are substantively different. The AmPro is noticeably heftier and is offset with finger recesses underneath the grip and a small rubber insert on the top--it's very comfortable and wields nicely. The HF is a straight ratchet, significantly lighter in weigh with a comfort grip rubber handle--it will get the job done, but nowhere near as nice as the AmPro. The AmPro mechanism has a cover plate with screws, while the HF is held in by a snap ring. The AmPro is also noticeably smoother and more precisely assembled. There were about 9 sets on the rack at HF--I had to go through five of them to find a ratchet that worked smoothly and evenly. On the first set I picked up, the directional switch was actually seized! Some of the other complaints in the HF reviews was that the ratchet would fail, fall apart, or even the ratcheting ring would shatter (I suspect this might be due to people thinking that kind of ratchet can be used as a breaker bar). So check the ratchets out before you buy. Very glad I have the AmPro rat--if not for that, the HF rat might have been enough for me to replace the whole thing with a better brand set.

The provided rack is a joke. The inside insert holding all the tools pivots out of the outer shell on a hinge (you have to remove two screws from the bottom back to release the hinging action). As soon as you pivot the insert up (it's awkward), the sockets start falling off the pegs, so you might think about having a small spare toolbox or tray to place them in.

Anyway, that's my comparative review. I hope someone finds it useful.

 

[KnurledNut]

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...ugh-sockets-ratchets-swap-interchange.209810/

 

[DadsTools]

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...ugh-sockets-ratchets-swap-interchange.209810/

Wow! Thanks for the link! Member retDAC must have spent a ton of time on this thread. Very well organized, thought-out and comprehensive. I especially love how he grouped the various options into 'type' categories. He classified the AmPro system as group B1. He also mentions the system incompatibility between AmPro and Kobalt, the latter which seems to be the only one that sells individual sockets.

The thread was made in 2013, and so, of course, much has changed. At the time, his B1 interchangability list is:

B1 Pittsburgh Go-Thru; Harbor Freight
B1 Performax Pass Through; Menards
B1 Channellock Ultra Access
B1 AmPro Go-Thru Hex Geared
B1 Ultra Steel Go Through
<oB1 GM Goodwrench Go Through
B1 Listol Go-Thru
B1 Pro.Point Go-Through (Princess Auto)
B1 Repco Go-Thru
B1 BGS technic Go-Through
B1 Clarke Power Products Open Center

Checking these out this morning, here's what I found:
Pittsburgh Go-Thru; Harbor Freight = still available, which is what I went with, though I had to buy the whole set
Performax Pass Through; Menards = NLA no longer available
Channellock Ultra Access = available, but they since changed the way the sockets attach to the ratchet
AmPro Go-Thru Hex Geared = still available, but impossible to reach CS and no individual sockets (as I mentioned before)
Ultra Steel Go Through = NLA
GM Goodwrench Go Through = bye bye, Mr. Goodwrench NLA
Listol Go-Thru = NLA
Pro.Point Go-Through (Princess Auto) = NLA besides being outside USA
Repco Go-Thru = appears to be the AmPro set with AmPro style ratchet rebranded for Repco chain stores in Australia and NZ; no online pricing, no USA availability, only metric sizes, trying to contact about single sockets will only lead me back to AmPro Customer No-Service
BGS technic Go-Through = now also called 'Gear Lock' based in Germany for European distribution. Also appears to be re-branded Asian AmPro with AmPro style ratchets, no SAE. Single seller source for US through Amazon--ships from Amazon UK, $118.07 for a big set with several ratchet sizes--don't ever have a problem where you need something warrantied.

I suspect that researching the other type categories will result in similar results. Still is an interesting and informative thread even though a lot has changed since 2013. To use this obsolete list, you'll have to conduct additional, current research. The HF set was the only practical (and reasonably priced) alternative available in the USA that I could find for AmPro-compatible sockets.

Thanks for posting it!

 

[retDAC]

Thank you for the kind words, Yes I did spend an awful lot of time on that thread. Someone told me that I needed to get a life.