Thinking about sockets

[Nineeightyone]

I bought a set of 1/2" drive sockets in a set at HF, 12 point that came with a ratchet. Didn't really touch them for a while, though occasionally I'd use them if I needed a size I didn't have in my 3/8" set.

More recently I picked up a nice Pittsburgh Pro flex head 1/2" ratchet, and determined I should get away from my 12 point 1/2" drive stuff as well, so I bought short and long Pittsburgh Pro 1/2" drive impact sockets. In the course of roughly a year, I've not had any place where they wouldn't fit, though I still go to 3/8" first unless it's a bolt larger than 17mm (no real rhyme or reason here).

I'd buy impacts first, for strength reasons.

 

[Tonyuk]

I have both,

The majority of my chrome sockets are 12 point and come from and old halfords pro set i bought when i started college before i got my apprenticeship years ago. They work great and they get used fairly often, my 1/4" sockets are all 6 point.

I only really use 1/2" impacts, with 1 electric 3/8 snap on impact for smaller fasteners. I've never noticed much of a difference between cheap vs expensive sockets, not in the last couple of years anyway. Most of my impact stuff is from amazon or ebay, some is from mac & facom, i have a few 1/4" impact bit sets pretty much all from wera.

A compact 1/2" air impact will do 90% of the work for you in a basic garage, i dont buy into most 3/8" impacts, they're usually just the same as the larger 1/2" tool just with a different anvil, and the size of the sockets aren't that much different.

One of these;

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Facom-NS...546023&hash=item2133fc45e4:g:SZsAAOSwm3paLnYb

Paired with a set of sockets like these;

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sealey-A...628246&hash=item25edcc57c4:g:9kQAAOSw5RRahVVv

Will get you into more places than an electric 3/8" gun and socket set.

A cheap-ish set of 12 point impacts are essential to have imo, plenty of axle bolts and others etc.. are 12 point.

Good spline, torx and e-torx are also required.