The Minimalist Socket Man, or why chrome?

[BikerDad]

The title succinctly frames the question, but perhaps a little detail will make more sense.

I'm planning on building a high quality (but not truck quality) set of sockets for general use and working on my motorcycles, along with whatever modest car maintenance I'll be doing. What I don't quite grasp is why folks don't go purely with impact sockets for the sizes where they're available. Does Vulcan send his minions to punish people who use impact sockets on a ratchet? Seems like duplicating the sockets in chrome and impact is a smidgen wasteful of both $$ and space, but my experience on the mechanical side of the tool house is fairly limited.

Educate me, gently.

 

[Ruger_556]

Impact sockets have thicker walls... Buy them first but eventually you need chrome too. Also nothing is more irritating than using a worn out impact socket on your ratchet.

 

[wornoutoldman]

Your motorcycle will likely appreciate the thin walls offered on chrome sockets vs the rather thick (hard to get into tight spots) sized impact sockets. Chrome is for wrenching by hand vs impact spun under power. You can have both without breaking the bank. Remember you can never have too many tools.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

Impact sockets have thicker walls... Buy them first but eventually you need chrome too. Also nothing is more irritating than using a worn out impact socket on your ratchet.

Exactly. Between the two I would rather have chrome as I dont bust out the impact much.

 

[Marvelicious]

Honestly, if I could have the money back I spent on chrome sockets, I'd spend it on other things. Yes, they have thinner walls, and that matters .001% of the time.

 

[sloppy]

GP duo sockets.. done you have both..

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0029XKZKG/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[dankicksass]

GP duo sockets.. done you have both..

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0029XKZKG/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Those don't last more than a month in a shop. Junk junk junk. Worse than Gearwrench, and I don't think highly of Gearwrench.

 

[dankicksass]

The title succinctly frames the question, but perhaps a little detail will make more sense.

I'm planning on building a high quality (but not truck quality) set of sockets for general use and working on my motorcycles, along with whatever modest car maintenance I'll be doing. What I don't quite grasp is why folks don't go purely with impact sockets for the sizes where they're available. Does Vulcan send his minions to punish people who use impact sockets on a ratchet? Seems like duplicating the sockets in chrome and impact is a smidgen wasteful of both $$ and space, but my experience on the mechanical side of the tool house is fairly limited.

Educate me, gently.

If you want industrial finish regular sockets, wrenches and ratchets - that would be a black finish as seen on impacts - Snap-On accommodates that.

There are things that are just better in impact variety. Extensions and universals come to mind, they have less of a tendency of trying to injure you or for the latter getting jammed up and breaking in half.

Personally, I don't really like impact sockets. They're ugly and they rust if they're not Snap-On. They hold dirt and wear out quicker than my chrome does.

Speaking of chrome, Harley sells a couple of polyester chrome-saver socket sets. They're about $150 a set, they're nice and all but kind of bulky. Jegs sells a set of inserts for your existing sockets that works just as well for like $9. Take the other $141 and treat yourself to some Snap-On tools.

 

[Zeroek]

I see a lot of people just buy impact sockets. I like them both myself but I'm someone that just likes to buy tools in general as a hobby on top of my job.

 

[sloppy]

Those don't last more than a month in a shop. Junk junk junk. Worse than Gearwrench, and I don't think highly of Gearwrench.

Doesnt really sound like he is in a shop. Should be a good compromise for hairy the home owner..

 

[Mk3Mike]

I had the same mindset as you when I first bought my socket sets. Rather than buy both, I just bought all 1/2" impact. The only complaint I have, other than the wall thickness, would be the weight. If they all stay at home in your box it's no problem, but if you're going to the junkyard and taking some 1/2" drive tools, the impact sockets will add a serious amount of weight.

I've gone 20 years as a serious hobbyist, and I'm just now looking to purchase my 1/2" drive chrome sockets. It's not really that I NEED them, but I'd like to have the choice between the 2 when a situation arises. Plus seeing all the other GJers makes me not want to have any gaps in my socket trays haha.

 

[4x4gearhead]

Those don't last more than a month in a shop. Junk junk junk. Worse than Gearwrench, and I don't think highly of Gearwrench.

Im surprised to hear this as I know a ton of people who use GP impacts and have never broken one. They seem to be the same quality as sunex. I have had sets of sunex impact sockets for 8 years in a heavy duty industrial setting and have never broken a single one.

 

[DodgeMech]

Those don't last more than a month in a shop. Junk junk junk. Worse than Gearwrench, and I don't think highly of Gearwrench.

I've had a set of 12 point gp wobble sockets for two years now...And I use them every day...And they're still kickin ***...nothing wrong with gp

 

[firebox40dash5]

Im surprised to hear this as I know a ton of people who use GP impacts and have never broken one. They seem to be the same quality as sunex. I have had sets of sunex impact sockets for 8 years in a heavy duty industrial setting and have never broken a single one.

Same here, my boss has a good bit of Sunex impact sockets, and I have a 1/4" set of GW impacts. My GW sockets had a little QC issue with the broached hole being too small to fit on my Hansens, but I fixed that with drill bits.

Personally, I'd go with good impacts, and halfway decent chromes. You can definitely get by with just impacts, although in addition to diameter, they tend to be a little deeper as well... sometimes that helps, sometimes it doesn't help at all.

 

[sk farmer]

Im surprised to hear this as I know a ton of people who use GP impacts and have never broken one. They seem to be the same quality as sunex. I have had sets of sunex impact sockets for 8 years in a heavy duty industrial setting and have never broken a single one.

I've had a set of 12 point gp wobble sockets for two years now...And I use them every day...And they're still kickin ***...nothing wrong with gp

pay attention guys. he is talking about the "gp duosockets". the dual purpose set that comes with ratchets in a large kit, not the normal impact sockets.

 

[4x4gearhead]

pay attention guys. he is talking about the "gp duosockets". the dual purpose set that comes with ratchets in a large kit, not the normal impact sockets.

My mistake. I have never even laid eyes on a set of those. Are these like the universal sockets all the companies are selling?

 

[sk farmer]

no, they seem to be a lighter socket. more like a hand socket yet still rated for impact use. if i recall they are a black industrial finish with a polished band.

 

[bobcatdan]

I look at this way, buy chrome in 12 point and impact in 6 pt.

 

[AndrewV]

I look at this way, buy chrome in 12 point and impact in 6 pt.

Thats what i did, daily use at work.

 

[richfinn]

Impact sockets are soft to prevent shattering and eventually wear out, chrome lasts forever if you buy good quality and don't abuse it.

Motorcycles I would get a good 1/4 drive set of chrome in shallow and deep
Then add a few 3/8 where you need more muscle or hex/Torx

Then get the suspension and wheel spindle sockets in Impact

 

[ecotec]

I look at this way, buy chrome in 12 point and impact in 6 pt.

That is what I have.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

Why do you even need impact if you are just wrenching on bikes at home? I only have 1/2" drive impacts as anything smaller comes off by hand pretty easily.

 

[Adam.C]

Pretty sure impact sockets have different internal geometries than chrome. They really aren't just normal sockets without chrome. They really aren't designed to be used with ratchets due to reduced contact area.

Snap On 3/8 chrome are so good and so cheap second hand, I really question the economic sense in choosing anything else. One stripped cap head or rounded hex head and you've lost whatever you saved buying second quality.

You can buy a good set of snappies for $40-$75 on ebay.

 

[Marvelicious]

Why do you even need impact if you are just wrenching on bikes at home?

If you're into old bikes, stuff possibly pulled from behind someone's barn, the impact is the only way to fly. Yes the fasteners are small enough that you could get them by hand, but the impact saves you so much time and frustration.

A lot of motorcycle guys swear by the T-handle socket wrench, since most of the fasteners on a bike are sort of buried. A bike fanatic buddy was adamant that I needed to by one. I use my 3/8 impact and extensions to loosen and a torque wrench to tighten (I know myself well enough to know that I will over-tighten those tiny fasteners without it). After trying it, my bike fanatic buddy no longer uses his T-handle wrench!

I'm a huge fan of extensions though. I'm only happy if I can take the front bumper off while standing by the tail-gate!

 

[Major Ramifications]

Honestly, if I could have the money back I spent on chrome sockets, I'd spend it on other things. Yes, they have thinner walls, and that matters .001% of the time.

What the hell do you work on?

I'd guess it matters at least 25% of the time.

 

[Adam.C]

What the hell do you work on?

I'd guess it matters at least 25% of the time.

I agree. Bad plan. There are plenty of places where regular chrome doesn't fit. I use swivels and special wrenches to get to stuff on modern cars. I could NEVER live with only impact.

 

[48RON54]

I would assume that most people that have both have them both for a much more realistic reason such as mine.........

I bought a ratchet. I bought chrome sockets. Months later, certain repetitive actions with the ratchet/socket got very tiring and time consuming. Enter me buying an impact gun and impact sockets. It's not that in intended on buying both sets of sockets, it is just that the timeline of events worked out that way.

 

[jmm]

Personally, I don't really like impact sockets. They're ugly and they rust if they're not Snap-On. They hold dirt and wear out quicker than my chrome does.

Snap-On impacts definitely rust. I have a box full of impacts in various stages of rust, Snap-On included.

GP duo sockets.. done you have both..

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0029XKZKG/?tag=atomicindus08-20

What the hell are those?


OP- just get chrome sockets.

 

[General Geoff]

FWIW I've been using 1/4" GP Duo sockets for half a year now without any issue, even with a ~110 ft-lb rated impact gun. I keep the kit in my car and they have yet to rust.

 

[byoungblood]

I can see going impact only for 1/2" drive, particularly for someone with limited storage. Usually space is not a concern with 1/2" drive sizes, though I have had some limited occasions where my 1/2" drive impacts were too thick to get a job done.

1/4 and 3/8" drives see lower torque and at least for the home user having an impact in those drive sizes would probably be a seldom used luxury, and thickness of the socket is more often an issue.

 

[Marvelicious]

What the hell do you work on?

I'd guess it matters at least 25% of the time.

Apparently not the same things you work on! Mostly motorcycles, but all kinds of stuff really. Generally, I've got the 3/8 drive impact set next to me when I'm working on something. .001% might be an exaggeration, but it is pretty rare that I have to go to the box and grab something else.

Let me put it another way - if I had bought the impact sockets first, it would've taken me a long time to buy chrome sockets. There are just so many things that would've been higher on the priority list.

 

[85FourEyedGT]

Cause it gives me an excuse to buy MORE tools ....duh

 

[firebox40dash5]

Why do you even need impact if you are just wrenching on bikes at home? I only have 1/2" drive impacts as anything smaller comes off by hand pretty easily.

Spoken like a true Arizonan! Is that how you spell that? There's another half of the country where things get this stuff called rust. It's terrible, you may have seen it on a 60 year old car that's been sitting out unpainted for several decades... well, sometimes we see it on a 6 year old car.

Patronizing aside, impacts are much better at dealing with rust than doing **** by hand in many cases. Not to mention if you're disassembling (or reassembling and exact torque isn't critical) why not? I'll gladly let my tools work for me. I can zip one of those silly Chevy plastic "skidplates" up in 15 seconds rather than fiddle with a ratchet for 3 minutes... I don't care if they're M10 with a 15mm head, I'm usin' the gun!

 

[cheechi]

for 1/4 and 3/8 I would get chrome unless/until you find some need for impacts in those sizes. I almost never use my 1/2" set at home, except for wheel lugs. Even a half decent 3/8 set will last a lot longer dropping, banging against things, wearing from use, etc. I'm comparing one for one Kobalt impacts vs Kobalt chrome (both 6 pt shallow Williams era) I wound up warrantying more impacts than chrome while I owned both.

For 1/2 I can see the argument for having impact only. Rarely do I get to something that big that I can't get the gun or at least an air rat to it. I almost don't use hand tools for anything over 17mm on my own stuff, except torquing back of course. Part of that is being able to get the impact to everything, part of it is being in the middle of upgrading/incomplete sets of everything 1/2".

 

[Nanashi]

Is the fit on a chrome socket that much better than an impact? I have snap on impacts and I notice sometimes the socket seems to fit well but when I go to turn the ratchet the socket just moves slightly before the ratchet works, in tight areas that can be a pain in the ***. I have snap on sockets and I am referring to the 3/8" size. I might pick up a set of chrome I. 3/8" for that reason.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

Spoken like a true Arizonan! Is that how you spell that? There's another half of the country where things get this stuff called rust.

You got me there! Carry on..........

 

[afazz]

My reason for having both is the detents. Chrome sockets generally have 4 detents in the drive side, and impact sockets generally have one side hole. When you use hand tools (ratchets and extensions) with impact sockets you either have to align the ball with the hole or deal with the socket falling off.

 

[sloppy]

Snap-On impacts definitely rust. I have a box full of impacts in various stages of rust, Snap-On included.



What the hell are those?


OP- just get chrome sockets.

Thin wall impacts..

 

[92integra]

Those don't last more than a month in a shop. Junk junk junk. Worse than Gearwrench, and I don't think highly of Gearwrench.

i call ******** Ive had my 3/8ths duo sockets for a year now and they get used on impacts more then ratchets it seems like. they take a beating from the mg325 and m18 fuel all day long! i''m happy as hell with these sockets if your going to work with a tool cart you save a **** load of space not having crome and impact sockets! GP for the win all my impact sockets will one day be Grey Pneumatic

 

[rtole]

Pretty sure impact sockets have different internal geometries than chrome. They really aren't just normal sockets without chrome. They really aren't designed to be used with ratchets due to reduced contact area.

Snap On 3/8 chrome are so good and so cheap second hand, I really question the economic sense in choosing anything else. One stripped cap head or rounded hex head and you've lost whatever you saved buying second quality.

You can buy a good set of snappies for $40-$75 on ebay.

Um I use my gp impact sockets on my ratchets all day. I dont even bother with chrome if ai dont have too for clearance. (very rare) I have had zero issues using impact sockets on a ratchet. I use 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2. The only chrome socket on my cart is a spark plug socket. I got tired of breaking chrome sockets. ND is a rusty state so stuff is tight.