Survey with Prize - What Interior Socket Color?

[GearWrench Brand]

I'm asking this question on behalf of our Armstrong Industrial Tools brand. Most of the USA tool manufacturers add a cosmetic paint to the interior of sockets during finishing.

Do you have a preference for which color we should use (see attached pictures)?

If you vote in the survey (above) AND respond with comments below, I'll pick a random winner for a GearWrench 40PC Tap and Die Drive set (your choice SAE or Metric). PS - let us know if you are an Industrial tool user in your comments.

Thanks for your input!

Steve

Winner is SCguy! Thanks everyone for voting.

 

[paramudduck]

To be honest I've never even noticed the inside of a socket being colored. Totally does not matter to me.
The way they treat tools around the farm, you'd never be able to tell after one or two uses any way.
I'm retired now but I have a lot of Armstrong tools I've bought to use on the farm.

 

[G1K]

I voted for "does not matter". I was trying to think of why the color would matter on a functional vs. asthetics level. I con think of it providing contrast to the fastner, but how often does one look down the end of a socket, maybe to find a stuck nut? They, a new nut would contrast better with the champagne, and an old nut with silver.

Is there a difference in the durability of the coating? How about coeff of friction?

Oh, not an industrial user

Ryan

 

[katit]

Silver for me. I like them to be uniform - same color around. No, I'm not industrial user

 

[64merc]

If I had to choose I would say just stick with the standard silver finish. Even though I know the color wouldn't affect the performance any, subconsciously I think the champagne color would make it look cheapy or more of a novelty, rather than a high quality socket. I'd be more concerned with making sure that the fit and finish is great, and that the engraved letters/numbers are professional looking.

(not an industrial user)

 

[CatfishXpress]

I like the silver, but it wouldn't make a difference whether or not I bought the socket.

Not an industrial user

 

[danc333]

I am not an industrial use. I have noticed that the inside of some sockets are a different color, but never paid any attention to why that may be. I choose silver because I think it is easier to see dirt and grease and keep them clean.

 

[The Rusty Gear]

Never really looked that closely to the inside. Most of mine are probably closer to black due to oil and crud accumulaton.

Not an industrial user.

 

[GDA]

Does not matter between those two as long as somewhat gray or silver to be able to distinguish dirt/grease/crud that should be cleaned out when done using them.

Not an industrial user.

 

[NSXSOON]

I'm not and industrial user. Most of my sockets are Snap on and Craftsman and are silver inside. I guess I've grown accustom to silver being my de facto standard and would keep it that way.

 

[TheToolMan]

I am an industrial tool user, I repair Industrial Automation equipment for a living, I voted for the silver. When i see the champagne i think of the old rusted tools in my grandpas tool box, I think it looks cheap, But the silver blends in and most people will not notice it, I voted For silver

 

[goodfellow]

Silver -- I like the traditional look.

 

[Quiksilver]

Does not really matter to me between those two colors. I am an industrial tool user.

This comment might sound a little off the wall, but what about a bolder color for the inside? Maybe something to differentiate between metric and standard sizes? Not trying to make them like a certain toolbox that most of us dislike. Just thought it might make it easier when cleaning up all the tools that I pile on my cart.

 

[merlin]

Not an industrial user.

Inside color would not make a difference to me. I agree with the champagne making it look like a novelty item, though, so would prefer silver. Most of mine are greasy black with a few really old rust colored ones.

 

[SocketDeviler]

I chose no color preference. As long as the quality is there I'm happy.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

I voted does not matter, and here is why........

Silver looks good new, but most of the stuff we work on, is/gets pretty gunky. They quickly look like the gold from the stuff you can't get cleaned out of there.

Go with what saves you money. Even if it is a little bit only, just pass that savings onto us, and keep the manufacturing of another company here.
I am not a USA only type of person, as I have had bad experience with a few things made here, but I don't want to see all our capabilities go overseas.

 

[boiler7904]

I'm not an industrial user.

I'd have to say that it doesn't matter to me as long as the coating is durable. I like quiksilver's idea of using one color for standard and a seperate color for metric.

 

[CenTex52Chevy]

Not an industrial user. voted silver, but it really doesn't matter as long as the quality is there.

 

[old salvage]

i dont want the tap & die set, just voicing my opinion.
I dont think it matters. I look in my sockets to .....
1. check if there's to much crud inside.
2. to see if they are worn or damaged.
I dont think color matters for those situations.
Non industrial user.

 

[vjquan]

I like silver because it looks more natural and goes with the chrome exterior better. Now if it can be used for ID purposes, like silver for SAE and champagne for metric, then I'd be okay with that. But if it's one or the other, silver. I am not an industrial tool user.

 

[JayL]

Silver - not an industrial tool user.

 

[jimvannoy]

I vote silver. But it really does not make much difference to me.

Not an industrial user.

 

[chevelle malibu 64]

Not an industrial user, voted doesn't make a difference. If would lower the cost, leave it natural but I like the idea of different colors for metric vs standard.

 

[84TurboBuick]

I voted silver.

Seems that the other color makes the socket appear dirty, I just can't have dirty sockets.

OMG! I'm turning into Merkava

 

[copo69]

It makes no difference.

 

[The Rusty Gear]

Do you guys *really* need a different color for metric / inch ? ? ?

On my sockets I can tell the difference by if they have "mm" or them or not , and unless you simply throw all your metric / fractional sockets into a drawer, you look at the size so it goes in the correct place anyways.

Different colors for metric / inch seems gimicky and pointless to me. Kind of like those ugly sockets which are color coded for size.

 

[NOMAD]

not an industrial user
Voted that it doesn't make a difference to me
I'd also add that if it lowers the cost to have one over the other, while not lowering the strength or durability then go with the cheaper of the two.

 

[ratchet_gear]

I pick silver. I know it does not affect the performance of a tool but I like everything to be uniform.

Not an industrial user.

 

[speed bump]

It doesn't really matter to me unless you were willing to finish SAE sockets in one color and Metric sockets in another color. That would be useful, otherwise I don't really care what color the insides of my sockets are.

Industrial user here/

 

[rsanter]

I voted silver even though in many ways it does not matter to me.
so why did I vote silver?
well at first glance when I see the silver inside, to me I just think that it looks like un-polished or rough finish chrome.
when I see the silver it makes be think that the finish inside is not good or there is a lack of coating on the inside of the socket, or even worse that you tried to paint over a rust haze surface and the brown is comming through the cheap paint you put there

in reality what I would like to see is a smooth and almost shiny chromed surface on the inside and a high polished surface on the outside.

there is also another question you have not asked. you should have asked about another color other than silver or chanpainge.
how about a more obvious more stand out color where you paint the metrics one color and the SAE another. you can now market this as a benifit in sorting the sockets.
turn a standard you got to do it into a marketable benifit to the customer for no more money.
yes I am available for consulting........and I can be paid in tools

I am a home/hobbiest user
I have been an industrial/comercial user in the past
I am also an engineer that has work with new product development and product improvement. I have also worked in the area of Quality and Quality Engineering

bob

 

[Deafautotech]

I voted the silver because most of sockets that have chrome plated and inside of sockets are bare and easy to get rusty while i am working in dealership where lot of rust nuts and bolts from Jeep vehicles... i just want have inside of socket have coating on it so it will help to reduce of rust... even i am stored my many sockets in my toolboxes and most of time i can noticed that inside of socket got little rust that never being use on vehicles... rust are kill the metals...

 

[JMURiz]

I'm just a home-user and never noticed, so it doesn't matter to me what the interior color is. They both look clean so as long as they aren't dark it's no big deal.

 

[fourfeathers]

Champagne. Looks more industrial to me.
Not an industrial tool user, but I have a lot of industrial tools, being so close to John Deere and a major Arsenal.

 

[snpboy]

I like the silver it just looks cleaner.

 

[Cummins_Powered]

Looks like i was the only vote for the Gold...

Im not an industrial user but i like the way the gold looks on the inside. Its different, and i like that. The way some of my sockets look on their rails with the chromed outside and gold inside is pretty cool if you ask me.

Go Gold!

 

[plinker]

To me the socket should be the same color inside & out, I like silver better.

I'm not an industrial user.

 

[Brandon_Lutz]

I voted for "Doesn't Matter" after the first few uses, any paint will be scratched up, and after extensive farm use, it'll be the color combination of grease, rust, and dirt

Not in industry.

 

[Doug19]

I voted silver, but I do think having SAE and Metric different colors isn't that bad of an idea.

Not an industrial user.

 

[philw]

I voted "it doesn't matter". The inside color of a socket is on the bottom of my list of things to check when purchasing sockets.
....not an idustrial user

 

[Diesel-Mech]

I am a industrial tool user and I voted for Champagne / Gold, That combination just caught my eye more.