Socket Sets, how many?

[AJHD]

This feels like a trap...

Buying tools in general is the trap...

I too have several "sets" and I keep telling myself "don't buy more sockets" (as I do with wrenches, pliers, etc.), but I always seem to find more that I want or need or can otherwise make an excuse and justify the purchase to myself. It never ends. Plus the more you do, the more you work on, you will always find yourself needing more tools.

 

[nicks78camaro]

So many sets I just found two new Sunex sets I didn't even remember buying. A 3/8" drive SAE/metric set and a 1/2" drive SAE set

 

[Lucid Moments]

I had to make a list because I can't count that high in my head. And this doesn't include what goes to the track with me.

¼

Chrome Universal metric

Shallow metric

Deep metric

shallow inch

deep inch



3/8

chrome Shallow metric

chrome Deep metric

impact short

impact wobble short

impact wobble deep

chrome shallow

chrome deep

shallow inch

deep inch



½

shallow chrome metric

deep chrome metric

shallow chrome inch

deep chrome inch

impact shallow metric

impact deep metric

impact shallow inch

impact deep inch


All of those are what I consider complete sets.

 

[Magnum440d100]

I’ve got my home box which is (was) fairly complete before it was picked through while I was gone.

But then I have 2 of these craftsman 117 piece. One for my Dakota and one for my 93 k1500.

Then I have the Kennedy 526 that goes in my Cummins. It’s fairly comprehensive, since I travel cross country in it.

Each one of these rally boxes has a socket set in them. The 4 drawer is almost exclusively craftsman tools. Dunno what I’m gonna do with it, besides having it as a backup and or loaner box. Though I already have a spares/loaner box…

Then I have my dads tools/sockets in another Kennedy.

Then my grampas tools in his tool boxes and a Kennedy. Gonna take them out of the Kennedy and put them back into his boxes (grabbed the Kennedy because it was a good deal.

I have sockets for DAYS lol

 

[Citation]

I have 3 sets. One is the set in my main tool box which is basically my complete set of sockets from various brand and purchased over many years. I call this a set because they all live together in one tool box in my garage. Beyond that I have two more "sets". Years back Lowes was clearing out Bluehawk cheapie sets. Under $3 each. I bought 2-3 of each. One is my house set, the other is my outside where things could get lost set. While the ratchets feel cheap both illustrate how even cheap tools can be surprisingly good these days.

 

[CGarage]

On my cart -

1/4 - chrome shallow/chrome mid/chrome deep/chrome universal/impact universal/koken and wera holding sockets/koken zeal/ lonesome sae shallow set for hose clamps and chasers/flank drive extra shallow. 9 sets. Plus a set of torx and hex. 11 sets.

3/8 - chrome and impact metric in shallow/mid/deep/low profile. 8 sets there. Plus flank drive extra semi-deep, two sets of torx and one hex. 12 sets

1/2 - (all impact) - shallow and deep metric, sunex impact swivels, GW USA and snap on impact swivels for the semi-deep aspect. 4 piece sunex axle nut sockets. 5 sets.


So, if we include bit socket sets, I have 28 sets of sockets on the cart I push around the shop.

Would love to see a picture of your cart.
What are the Koken/Wera holding sockets?

 

[M635_Guy]

Hmm... Several.

Off the top of my head:

• A metric/SAE set (only SAE I've got) from Sunex that is 1/4" / 3/8" / 1/2" with (crappy) ratchets and extensions. It's kinda my general-duty household set and what I'd grab if I was literally running out the door and didn't have time to think much. (though I'd definitely bring additional ratchets). It lives in my tool cabinet.
• An SK set I've built up via the "socket of the month" that covers most of 1/4" and 3/8" range with a couple oddball sizes (e.g. 16mm 1/4" and 7/8mm 3/8"). These live on a magnetic bar attached to the door of a storage cabinet so I can just grab 'em without going into the tool cabinet/cart.
• A Sunex 1/2" impact set in the top of my cart.
• A Sunex 1/4" impact set in a drawer in my cart. Sorta regret this one as I haven't used it much, but it wasn't much $$.
• Tekton 1/4" / 3/8" / 1/2" chrome sets in the top of my cart.
• An Icon 3/8" set in a drawer of my cart. It doubles as a travel set. I toss it in my tool roll when I take my old car on trips.
• A set of Craftsman open-ended sockets and ratchets (which aren't used a ton, but super-handy when they are)
• A set of Schwaben strut-nut sockets (useful to torque struts)

I think that's it. I definitely have various random/stray individual sockets I've picked up over the years. I'm just a doofus in my home garage, so the above is probably overkill, but I have to say I'm really happy to have hit the point where not having the right tool isn't a problem for most of the things I face keeping up with five cars in the family.

 

[paulsomlo]

Oh great - another tool that I need?

 

[MarkH]

Too many.

When I started we had a 1/2 SAE with a couple deeps for spark plugs in the shop. We had a couple more similar in the service trucks. That was it.

Now we have
¼
Universal joint metric
Shallow metric
Deep metric
shallow SAE
deep SAE
Universal joint SAE

3/8
chrome Shallow metric
chrome Deep metric
chrome Universal Metric
impact short Metric
impact deep metric
impact wobble deep
chrome shallow SAE
chrome deep SAE
chrome universal SAE
shallow impact SAE
deep impact SAE

½
shallow chrome metric
deep chrome metric
universal metric
shallow chrome SAE
deep chrome SAE
impact shallow metric
impact deep metric
impact shallow SAE
impact deep SAE
universal SAE

3/4
chrome metric
chrome SAE

1 inch
chrome metric
chrome SAE

Other
etorx
security torx
torx
metric hex
SAE hex
spline set
crowfoot

I am sure I missed something and it feels like we still can fix less by percent than we did with just the one set in the shop since there is some special tool we need. I am also sure my grandfather just turned over in his grave since he did not think we needed all the tools we had when I started. If he could see what we have to have now he would go WHY!!!

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Would love to see a picture of your cart.
What are the Koken/Wera holding sockets?

Its messy, I just boxed it up for the night. Koken hunt grip and Wera holding function use a detent ball in the socket drive end as a means of non magnetic socket holding.

The 1/4 basic nut grip/holding sockets are what I use the most. I have universal versions, bit sockets, 3/8, etc. Much superior to magnetic IMO, but i have those and use them occasionally.

 

[bsaint]

Thousands.

 

[M635_Guy]

Oh great - another tool that I need?

Which?

 

[paulsomlo]

Which?

A socket set - Lord knows what I would use it for?

 

[Al Borland]

More than I want to admit. And I keep getting more...

 

[wolf_from_wv]

A set 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 3/4, hex, 6pt, 12pt, internal/external Torx for working on greasy stuff.

A clean set 1/4, 3/8 for working on clean stuff like potentiometers/electronics.

A few sockets for plumbing stuff.

A basic set 1/4 and 3/8 to keep in the car.

A mainly 1/4 set to grab and go.

 

[BigLeagueSmoes]

A few of my sets are slightly incomplete and I am trying to fill them out but *most* of them are there and this is everything I have as a DIY garage guy. I think that's 19 listed, and always growing... some people will add another level of complexity to their sets with 6 point and 12 point specific sets for chrome sockets but I'm not that ********. Most of my chrome sockets are 12 point and impact are always 6 point. I use sockets by far more than anything else in the garage.

1/4" drive
metric long chrome
metric short chrome
SAE long chrome
SAE short chrome

3/8" drive
metric long chrome
metric short chrome x2 (one is in my quick grab bucket)
SAE long chrome
SAE short chrome x2 (one is in my quick grab bucket)
SAE long impact

1/2" drive
metric long impact
metric short impact
SAE long chrome
SAE short chrome
SAE long impact
SAE short impact

3/4" drive
metric short impact
SAE short impact

 

[B_Bimmer]

Three herds. That sounds soooo much better than my initial reaction.