Socket set skips have caught up with me

[BrandoJames]

I’m currently replacing my traction/transmission belt on my John Deere riding mower, and need a 16mm impact socket to remove the clutch. My Sears Craftsman impact socket set doesn’t have it, with skips at 16mm, 18mm, 20mm. I’m now shopping in individual socket hell, searching Amazon for skipped sizes. They’ve got some Craftsman 6 pt shallow impact sockets at $5 a pop, Tekton at $6 a pop.

For those of you who are considering a new socket set: buy a complete set with no skips. You’ll save time & money, with less aggravation in the long run.

 

[thymer]

I’m currently replacing my traction/transmission belt on my John Deere riding mower, and need a 16mm impact socket to remove the clutch. My Sears Craftsman impact socket set doesn’t have it, with skips at 16mm, 18mm, 20mm. I’m now shopping in individual socket hell, searching Amazon for skipped sizes. They’ve got some Craftsman 6 pt shallow impact sockets at $5 a pop—couldn’t find the same for Tekton.

For those of you who are considering a new socket set: buy a complete set with no skips. You’ll save time & money, with less aggravation in the long run.

I don't understand skip sets. I guess it's a way to lower the cost for the consumer but I regularly need those "unusual" socket and wrench sizes and sometimes need both at the same time!

 

[Jersey Drew]

If I were in your shoes, I would go to Home Depot buy a husky 16 mm chrome socket and try it on that fastener with your impact gun. If it breaks Husky’s got lifetime warranty and if it doesn’t you just solved your problem without going too nuts and waiting for stuff to show up in the mail. By the way I bought the Tekton set with no skips so i wouldn’t run into this problem. Something similar happened to me once with ratcheting box wrenches. The set I had from craftsman did not come with a 16 mm and I needed it to remove an alternator from a Dodge charger

 

[anavrinIV]

If the clutch is on a Briggs engine it is likely a standard size, 5/8" socket. In any case a 16mm and 5/8" are almost perfectly interchangeable if you have an SAE set. It is best not to have skips but in this scenario this is a working alternative

 

[Mechanical Noise]

5/8" is practically the same as 16mm. It's a little less than 1% smaller.

5/8" = 0.625"
16mm = 0.630"

 

[BrandoJames]

If the clutch is on a Briggs engine it is likely a standard size, 5/8" socket. In any case a 16mm and 5/8" are almost perfectly interchangeable if you have an SAE set. It is best not to have skips but in this scenario this is a working alternative

The mower has a B&S 22-HP engine. I tried both sizes--a 16mm and 5/8 socket. I have a 16mm Mac deep chrome socket (which I hate to put on my impact gun) as well as a 5/8 shallow Craftsman impact. The 16mm was a much better fit. The 5/8 is kind of loose, and I'm really worried about stripping this fastener.

 

[DerekV]

The mower has a B&S 22-HP engine. I tried both sizes--a 16mm and 5/8 socket. I have a 16mm Mac deep chrome socket (which I hate to put on my impact gun) as well as a 5/8 shallow Craftsman impact. The 16mm was a much better fit. The 5/8 is kind of loose, and I'm really worried about stripping this fastener.

That’s weird, 5/8 is technically smaller than 16mm. It should be more snug if anything.

Lowe’s has individual impact sockets FYI

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Yes I hate skips. I always go to the pawn shop to get fill ins or if they don’t have it go to Lowe’s or Northern Tool and get it. 5/8 will work I’ve got tons more 5/8 than I do 16mm sockets anyway. And I have used 18 and 20 also so that would be a problem too for me. And nothing is really equal to those sizes.


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[Captain Spaulding]

If I were in your shoes, I would go to Home Depot buy a husky 16 mm chrome socket and try it on that fastener with your impact gun. If it breaks Husky’s got lifetime warranty and if it doesn’t you just solved your problem without going too nuts and waiting for stuff to show up in the mail. By the way I bought the Tekton set with no skips so i wouldn’t run into this problem. Something similar happened to me once with ratcheting box wrenches. The set I had from craftsman did not come with a 16 mm and I needed it to remove an alternator from a Dodge charger

There is a reason impact sockets are different than chrome sockets. The harder socket may shatter and throw sharp pieces when used on an impact.

 

[BrandoJames]

That’s weird, 5/8 is technically smaller than 16mm. It should be more snug if anything. Lowe’s has individual impact sockets FYI

That is puzzling...is it possible that the Mac socket (better quality) has tighter tolerances than the Craftsman?

 

[anavrinIV]

That is puzzling...is it possible that the Mac socket (better quality) has tighter tolerances than the Craftsman?

I think this is the answer there

 

[sk farmer]

If I were in your shoes, I would go to Home Depot buy a husky 16 mm chrome socket and try it on that fastener with your impact gun. If it breaks Husky’s got lifetime warranty and if it doesn’t you just solved your problem without going too nuts and waiting for stuff to show up in the mail. By the way I bought the Tekton set with no skips so i wouldn’t run into this problem. Something similar happened to me once with ratcheting box wrenches. The set I had from craftsman did not come with a 16 mm and I needed it to remove an alternator from a Dodge charger

why would you advise someone to fill in an impact socket set with a chrome hand socket? a lone 16mm impact may not be found at a home depot but it surely isn't that hard to find at an auto parts store.

i am all for buying complete sets when possible and it seems that is what you do as well. which makes it even more odd that rather making a set more complete by adding an impact socket you recommend adding a chrome socket to it.

 

[anndel]

My set at a remote site is a Craftsman ratcheting wrench metric set without 14mm. I filled that with a Husky wrench from HD. It doesn't make any sense to leave out popular sizes in a set, maybe marketing as they and make more money on the missing size perhaps?

 

[Jazz1]

I’ve picked up a few missed sockets from pawn shop bins just to fill my socket trays but never really needed the 16mm or 20mm. Pawn shop sockets only .50 to $1 regardless of brand and you may find some other gem you can’t live without

 

[BrandoJames]

I’ve picked up a few missed sockets from pawn shop bins just to fill my socket trays but never really needed the 16mm or 20mm. Pawn shop sockets only .50 to $1 regardless of brand and you may find some other gem you can’t live without

I’ve needed a 20mm socket for worn lug nuts. I suspect they were once 21mm. Luckily my deep impact set includes a 20mm.

 

[LNKMK8]

If you are looking to pick up one for this job and don't care that it matches, Menards has quite a few individual sockets to choose from and reasonable cost.

https://www.menards.com/main/tools-...ct-sockets/mf35315/p-1444428604969-c-9159.htm

Originally I am sure it was to hit a price point in the store. The older metric sets commonly skipped 16mm and 18mm. As I get tools in, I'll check for gaps and keep those back to fill in any holes before reselling the rest. I'm slowly working to fill in my larger impacts with good USA ones.

 

[GirchyGirchy]

I don't understand skip sets. I guess it's a way to lower the cost for the consumer but I regularly need those "unusual" socket and wrench sizes and sometimes need both at the same time!

I bought a Stanley 3/8" and 1/2" drive set to use at work. A coworker and I were using it the other day for a project, and I realized it's missing a 3/4" socket! It skips from 11/16" to 13/16". I couldn't believe they'd skip such a common size. I'm just going to throw one in on the next McMaster order.

 

[BTJHP]

3/4" = 19mm

 

[MileHighRover]

I don't understand skip sets. I guess it's a way to lower the cost for the consumer...

So you DO understand.

Skip sets include the most commonly used sizes for the majority of people. For the majority of people, not every person that buys the set. So if you're someone who regularly needs the skipped size, you're not who they were marketing to.

 

[MikeF2316]

I've been bitten by skipped sizes too, but it's a lesson I learned years ago, I've filled in everything. Not that it helps the OP, but for Canadians, Princess Auto doesn't skip, and their stuff goes on sale making their sets a good deal.

16 & 18 used to be almost unheard of 20 years ago, now they're both very common. Lots of older sets don't have those sizes.

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

Where I worked everybody except me used chromes on their impacts . No one had a shattering experience. I was given a rusty set of chrome sockets that predated retaining holes, so I made a jig and drilled them. 9/10th of them were easy, the other 1/10th took a like more force. None were hard. This was with plain Cleveland HSS drill bits.

 

[Junkdrawer Dog]

^^^^This has been my experience as well. I'd just stick the 16mm MAC on there and zip it off.

 

[Jersey Drew]

There is a reason impact sockets are different than chrome sockets. The harder socket may shatter and throw sharp pieces when used on an impact.

Set the same line I’ve been hearing for years. I have never seen them explode in such a way where you get shrapnel everywhere. Not saying it can’t happen but 90% of the time the chrome socket will just do the job, 9% it will crack and i guess i have to leave some room for the catastrophic scenario.

 

[Jersey Drew]

why would you advise someone to fill in an impact socket set with a chrome hand socket? a lone 16mm impact may not be found at a home depot but it surely isn't that hard to find at an auto parts store.

i am all for buying complete sets when possible and it seems that is what you do as well. which makes it even more odd that rather making a set more complete by adding an impact socket you recommend adding a chrome socket to it.

I come from a world where things need to be done now not order it wait two weeks for something to show up at your leisure whenever you possibly can. When something is broken it needs to be fixed and sometimes you have to take and work around the “proper way”.

Ideally he would’ve already had the tool he needed. But he doesn’t and I’m giving him a solution to fix it today

 

[setfocus]

everyone always mentions tekton for no skips but not all their sets have no skips

I have a 12 point 1/2 drive metric shallow impact set that goes 11-15, 17-19, 21, 22, 24, 27, 30, 32

I don't see this set on their website, may have been discontinued

 

[NoahG]

Why, just yesterday I need a 5.5mm hex key. Almost every set skips this size, along with 7mm, but I've needed both a few times.

 

[RedneckWelder]

Somewhere that sells singles should have it in stock. Lowe’s is usually my go to for “need it now” single replacements like that. Cheap and effective.

16mm and 5/8 are usually interchangeable but I have run into cases where one fits but other one doesn’t. Paint and heavy coating on bolt seem to be main factors affecting such fit. I use 16 and 18 daily because it’s two extremely common sizes on the OEM brand I work on.

I didn’t know that cheap sets skipped sizes before I got on here. I now buy as complete sets as possible even if I don’t think I have a use for a common “skip” size.

 

[RedneckWelder]

Set the same line I’ve been hearing for years. I have never seen them explode in such a way where you get shrapnel everywhere. Not saying it can’t happen but 90% of the time the chrome socket will just do the job, 9% it will crack and i guess i have to leave some room for the catastrophic scenario.

I’ve seen a few cracked sockets but never shattered as the internet assures me is what will happen. Also seen a few instances where the hog ring on the anvil gets tweaked by the chrome socket. I try to use impacts as much as possible of course but plenty of times where the chrome gets used out of necessity. Like you I get paid to get a job done now and if I did it the “internet expert” way it would not have gotten done.

 

[Kscardsfan]

When I worked at Sears back in high school I saw a few chrome sockets come in that separated under impact. Most were just wallowed out on the drive end, but I saw enough of them to never want to tempt fate unless I had absolutely no other option.

 

[honcho]

If a person tends to work on just metric hardware, then skips in socket sets can be frustrating. Craftsman metric sets typically skipped 11mm, 16mm and often 19mm because those are easily covered by using SAE sizes 7/16, 5/8, and 19mm. As for missing 18mm and 20mm, those sizes were not commonly found on metric hardware. If you needed those sizes, you bought them separately.

As for the chrome sockets for impact use, I've done it to get a job done but I think it's a bad practice.

 

[ecotec]

My backup impact sets, shallow and deep, are Grey Pneumatic. They go from 10-32mm only skipping 31mm. They are really reasonable. I would suggest them to anyone.

My main sets and my work sets are a harlequin mix of every brand under the sun. If one breaks, or I just don’t like it, I replace it.

I only use a chrome socket, on an impact, when I need to use a 9/16” inside Unistrut. An impact socket does not fit. While I agree, that it is a bad practice, I have not found (or even looked for) a solution. I guess, that I figure, that the shrapnel would be contained by the Unistrut.

 

[Mr_B]

I got out of the bad habit of using chrome mainly as it totally shags your sockets out if doing it daily and you soon end up with couple thousand dollar chrome socketry that looks like the shagged **** on eBay that never sells lol .
Had odd chrome crack but never shatter, so easy/affordable get pretty decent impact sockets crv or crmo in complete sets for likes of 2 to 4 bucks a piece no need ruin chrome or risk injury .

 

[cherrybomb]

I ,like you are not happy about skipped sizes. There are many alternatives. There are many sizes that interchange.5/8-16mm for example.At .005,take your digital caliper and see what .005 really looks like.Also manufacture tolerances on a fasteners sometimes are the problem.A less worn quality (Mac)in this case might fit better.I also pre plan,by keeping up my inventory up.If a technique or socket isn't working,and its one you use often and its critical, it might be wise in the long run to buy the better quality. Its aggrevating ,when some project gets you talking to yourself .When I get done,I ask myself,how did it go?Good or needs improvement. Good luck.

 

[gtsgarage]

Sunex master 3/8” impact set. Great purchase no skips.

 

[sk farmer]

I come from a world where things need to be done now not order it wait two weeks for something to show up at your leisure whenever you possibly can. When something is broken it needs to be fixed and sometimes you have to take and work around the “proper way”.

Ideally he would’ve already had the tool he needed. But he doesn’t and I’m giving him a solution to fix it today

why would you assume that no other place would be able to offer up the needed impact socket and that the op has a home depot nearby not knowing his location . there are 2 home depots near me. both about 45 miles away. there are probably 10 places that would have an impact socket of the correct size in stock, same day and would be far closer. besides, who said anything about waiting 2 weeks? i don't exactly live in a place that is on the map and yet i can get almost anything i really need within 24 hours. unless one has to wait on the tool truck that may show on occasion.

i also come from a world and a time where you have or had to and sometimes still have to make do on occasion but i don't wear it on my sleeve. matter of fact it sometimes offends me when people use it to talk "down" to me to justify their response.

 

[gigamel]

Why, just yesterday I need a 5.5mm hex key. Almost every set skips this size, along with 7mm, but I've needed both a few times.

If you have a SAE hex key set, the common size 7/32" = 5.5 mm

 

[Jersey Drew]

why would you assume that no other place would be able to offer up the needed impact socket and that the op has a home depot nearby not knowing his location . there are 2 home depots near me. both about 45 miles away. there are probably 10 places that would have an impact socket of the correct size in stock, same day and would be far closer. besides, who said anything about waiting 2 weeks? i don't exactly live in a place that is on the map and yet i can get almost anything i really need within 24 hours. unless one has to wait on the tool truck that may show on occasion.

i also come from a world and a time where you have or had to and sometimes still have to make do on occasion but i don't wear it on my sleeve. matter of fact it sometimes offends me when people use it to talk "down" to me to justify their response.

Sounds like you might have some sort of complex, I was certainly not talking down to you. I was merely giving an option that would solve his problem today. I believe, as I stated several times, that you should have the tools you need on hand before starting a project. But we have all been in a tight spot before and once you’re there you have to get it done.

I am not looking to pick any fights. Not worth it when we’re on the same side of the coin.

 

[cherrybomb]

If you have a SAE hex key set, the common size 7/32" = 5.5 mm

Experience says get your digital caliper and see what metric is close to sae,doesn't matter if its a hex(allen head) or a bolt ,nut.Why are wrenchers,so afraid of using what has the best fit or feel.Those of us in the rust belt,use what fits the situation. Make yourself a chart,always a solution.

 

[BrandoJames]

UPDATE: I finally got the clutch off my John Deere riding mower. I attached a couple of pix of the tools I used. I first tried using the Mac chrome 16mm socket with an impact. However, both of my impact guns failed to take it off: the smaller Makita 12v (in the pic), as well as “Big Nasty”— my corded, heavy 1/2” GM impact. Big Nasty was undefeated till yesterday. Fail!

So I sprayed the bolt down with Kroil and let it sit overnight. Sprayed more Kroil on it yesterday morning. Finally broke it loose with the hand tools in the photo: Matco 88 1/2” ratchet, cheap Duralast vice-grips, and the Mac 16mm chrome socket. After breaking it loose, I put the 16mm socket on the Makita gun and spun the bolt out quickly. As you can see in the second pic, I also had to loosen and yank up the steering column—all of this just to remove the traction/transmission belt. Ye Gods, that was a gut buster—I’m sore all over this morning. I’ll pick up a new belt tomorrow (Monday). I also ordered three Tekton impact sockets (16mm, 18mm, 20mm) to fill the skips in my impact set. Thanks for the help.

 

[Jersey Drew]