torx and allen socket sets - 1/4"

[Armatron]

I use smallish torx and allen sockets all the time. Mostly bicycle related, where it really should be torqued to spec (carbon stuff). I currently have a mix of vintage craftsman, tekton, etc and looking to get a defined set.

Here's the thing, my most commonly used bits are t25 and 4mm hex. for whatever reason it seems like most 4mm hex are 3/8, which means I have to use an adapter to get it down to 1/4 for in/lb.

Any suggestions? I'm generally partial to snap on, and although I usually balk at their prices their hex bit socket sets are insane, $300 for a 10pc set, and 4mm is 3/8 instead of the 1/4 I would prefer

 

[Dave455]

Snap On offer 4mm in 1/4” drive.


Stahlwille offer both a one piece and two piece style.


Generally, you can’t go wrong with KoKen.

 

[mikey03]

Can’t go wrong with Vim Tools, they got a one piece and two piece it’s one of the only tool brand I buy new at full price, everything else I look for deals on eBay or pawn shops

SHM404 – VIM Tools

4mm Hex One Piece Drive Bit, 1/4" square drive

vimtools.com

HMS-4MM – VIM Tools

4mm Hex bit, Satin Chrome 1/4” sq.dr. bit holder

vimtools.com

 

[AEAdam]

Do you really need a ratchet? Is it the torque? What torques are we talking about? Would this work?

I bought one of these for rifles for around $75. Range is 5-40inlbs IIRC There are many others on the market even cheaper. Then you could just use a ratcheting screwdriver and this for torque. Thinking if you have a carbon bike you need to control torque. You shouldn't need Snap On for this application. Wiha, Wera, all make descent bit sockets.

By the way, if you are working on it, and you hear it crack, that's not the hull settling on your descent to the titanic. That's a delamination and it's BAD. Just in case.

This set is really nice:

 

[mrjaw14]

At those sizes would insert bits in a hex to square adapter work? Very space efficient for a bike kit

 

[908Jim]

At the risk of derailing this thread, US made SK goes up to T27 in 1/4 and they're still readily available. My most recent set is only about 2 years old and I use the snot out of my T27.

Gearwrench 80722 goes up to T30 in 1/4" and it's dirt cheap at like $22 from amazon. 80321 is 1/4" only and goes up to 6mm. Tekton offers 1/4" only sets for both torx and hex that are like $30 each and they're probably fine for a bike. I've got a Tekton T27 single that lives on one of my air ratchets over the past few months and it's been unremarkable, which is not a bad thing.

 

[bigfunwmu]

Check out Capri. They have some 1/4 drive allen sockets that are a mid length (just over 3") instead of a 6" long bit, in addition to the shorties.

3" bit 1/4 drive Metric 4mm, 5mm, & 6mm hex, and Torx T6-T30

If you want to buy them as a set though, they have a mix of 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 drive sizes as the bit size increases to sizes up to t60 and 10mm

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Personally at home and work I use Capri and Tekton they hold up very well. That’s what I recommend. They have a 4mm 1/4 drive.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

VIM makes stubbies in 1/4. Koken bit sockets didn't impress me all that much, but if you're not impacting or fighting with frozen and overtorqued stuff I don't think it's an issue. The Kokens have really nice height to them, total ~1 inch.


I don't ride a bike. But I would wonder if it makes sense to just buy a nice 1/4 socket rail and single sockets to accomplish this goal rather than finding a mythical perfect set. You may need 2 or 3 different 4mm hex bits just to have ideal access to everything.

 

[Meursault74]

What's the problem with using an adapter?

I checked Park tools and their set it 3/8 drive

SBS-1.2 Socket and Bit Set — 18 Piece

A shop-quality set of sockets and bits for the most commonly-found fasteners found on a bicycle.

www.parktool.com

Yesterday I torqued a cassette lockring. The lockring socket I have is 1/2" drive, so I used an adapter for my 3/8 drive torque wrench.

Only thing I can think of is access issue, but that's usually not an issue on the bikes I've worked on.

 

[terrific]

Both the 4mm hex and t25 Bondhus socket bits are made from 4mm stock. You could pop them into a 1/4" 4mm socket of your choosing. Part numbers 33260 and 32025.

 

[AdAstra]

For all but the largest fasteners on bikes, I find a T handle style insert bit style torque tool better. It lets you apply pure torque one handed vs a wrench where you need to counter-hold with your off hand to avoid side loading the fastener. This CDI does a particularly wide and bike-useful range: https://www.amazon.com/Products-Tor...r-Magnetic/dp/B01DIRD5CG?tag=atomicindus08-20 (I do wish it had better bit retention.)

 

[S85B50]

Double post

 

[S85B50]

Did you consider a bit socket and and a quality bit set? That way you would have all the tools in a small light package you can also take with you. You could also add a bit ratchet. There are nice ones you can make into a T-handle. I estimate you'd be around 100 bucks for socket and hex + torx sets if you buy expensive stuff. If it needs to be a socket set, I'll throw in the Hazet 8500-SR/7 it's 1/4" T20, T25, T30 + 3, 4, 5, 6mm hex on a magnetic rail.

 

[nicks78camaro]

1/4 Inch Drive Bit Socket Set (44-Piece) | TEKTON | SHB90302

Includes: Hex 5/64 - 5/16 inch (SAE), 2-8 mm (Metric), Torx (T6-T30), Phillips (#0-#3), Slotted (1/8-5/16 in.), and Square (#0-#3) bit sockets. SHB90302.

www.tekton.com

Tekton is highly regarded here. Lifetime easy to use warranty if ever needed.

 

[Ohio Andy]

1/4 Inch Drive Bit Socket Set (44-Piece) | TEKTON | SHB90302

Includes: Hex 5/64 - 5/16 inch (SAE), 2-8 mm (Metric), Torx (T6-T30), Phillips (#0-#3), Slotted (1/8-5/16 in.), and Square (#0-#3) bit sockets. SHB90302.

www.tekton.com

Tekton is highly regarded here. Lifetime easy to use warranty if ever needed.

I have that set, really like it. Highly recommended.

 

[sbs]

I have the Husky hex set, H4DMMHEX8PC, and have had no issues with them. $14

 

[mikey03]

I have that set, really like it. Highly recommended.

1/4 Inch Drive Bit Socket Set (44-Piece) | TEKTON | SHB90302

Includes: Hex 5/64 - 5/16 inch (SAE), 2-8 mm (Metric), Torx (T6-T30), Phillips (#0-#3), Slotted (1/8-5/16 in.), and Square (#0-#3) bit sockets. SHB90302.

www.tekton.com

Tekton is highly regarded here. Lifetime easy to use warranty if ever needed.

Damn so they lifetime warranty if you strip the head off the bit? I don’t think even snap on does that I see snap on sells replacement socket bits for 10 bucks

 

[Ohio Andy]

Damn so they lifetime warranty if you strip the head off the bit? I don’t think even snap on does that I see snap on sells replacement socket bits for 10 bucks

Wait what? I assumed those were considered consumable...

 

[bigfunwmu]

Wait what? I assumed those were considered consumable...

My Matco guy warranties the bits on his when we round them off. Drives out the old one and whacks a new one in. If he didn't, we wouldn't spend that kind of money when the internet exists.

There is one fastener in one kind of pump (shallow head 6mm allen) installed with green loctite and too much torque in a tight location, we replace 1x 6mm bit every 2 months roughly just from doing those.

 

[Semi-hole mechanic]

Tekton also sell singles for $4 each.

 

[Odd-job]

If working on bikes would consider skipping most of the sets especially if they have SAE and if you do go with a set I don't see too many sets focused on 6mm and under. The occasional 8mm and 10mm would get in 3/8. VIM stubbies are really nice especially for getting to bottle cage bolts with a low profile ratchet. I also noticed Koken singles were really cheap on Zoro for some reason.

 

[Ohio Andy]

Tekton also sell singles for $4 each.

I believe the bit can be replaced in the sockets..I should check. Tomorrow...

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Damn so they lifetime warranty if you strip the head off the bit? I don’t think even snap on does that I see snap on sells replacement socket bits for 10 bucks

Snap on sells replacements, but they're lifetime replacement. You can buy individual bits for your own holders.

I believe the bit can be replaced in the sockets..I should check. Tomorrow...

You can hammer the bits out of tekton and most brands. The retention spot on the snap on bits make them a tight fit, but you can seat them into a tekton bit socket.

 

[nicks78camaro]

Damn so they lifetime warranty if you strip the head off the bit? I don’t think even snap on does that I see snap on sells replacement socket bits for 10 bucks

Wait what? I assumed those were considered consumable...

Yes 100% lifetime. They use a web based warranty service. You fill out a short form and add a picture of the broken tool, they mail you a new one.

 

[308guru]

What's the problem with using an adapter?

Some people just don't like using them. I hate them and will avoid if possible. It just adds slop, wobbliness, and leads to a poor feel in hand.

In general, my take on the term "adapter" is that it means you don't have the right thing.

 

[four.cycle]

I use smallish torx and allen sockets all the time. Mostly bicycle related,

I don't work on bicycles any more and I've never worked on a motorcycle.
I recently acquired three different boxes, all three of which contained tools. Two of them were clearly being used by motorcycle riders, one of whom was obviously involved in some sort of racing (from the stickers on the box and other tell-tale signs.)
There were no TORX bits in any of the boxes.
The two boxes with the motorcycle tools contained HEX BIT attachments, most of which are now in the possession of @BlakeTheCarGuy and @Chrome Vanadium Cody.
What I found interesting was that the bits that were broken, damaged, and distorted at the ends were Snap-on units.

They'll all break if they're pushed past their limits.
That said: VIM, Tekton, Wera get good reviews here overall.
Lisle gets negative reviews here (although I've never used any myself.)
Great Neck gets negative reviews (although I've been using a set of GN Torx bits for over 20 years with no problems other than on a T55 removing the bed bolts from the Ranger, but we went through five T55 bits that day - all different brands - so there you go. And there's only six bolts holding the bed onto the frame!)

I'm not sure I'd blow a lot of money on a set unless you currently do not own a set.
If you do own a set, just figure which ones you're breaking repeatedly and replace those with the best you can afford.

Just my two cents.

 

[Armatron]

I ended up with the Tekton kit. Seems fairly quality, and has a decent blowmold case

 

[Ohio Andy]

I ended up with the Tekton kit. Seems fairly quality, and has a decent blowmold case

My kit is very nice.

 

[Armatron]

I had an issue today with the tekton T25 torx bit. It would not fit into a fastener. The tekton T20 seemed a little loose, I started to use it but clearly too small. Went into the garage got another torx kit, and the other brand T25 fit fine.

Who knows, maybe the tekton bit is to spec, the fastener (never loosened from factory) was off. I'm going to email tekton see if they will send a replacement to see if it was a manuf defect or something else

 

[RTM]

Measure them first, there should be a point to point measurement out there? Maybe you got a T27 labeled as a 25.

 

[Ohio Andy]

Measure them first, there should be a point to point measurement out there? Maybe you got a T27 labeled as a 25.

For reasons that no sane person can answer, I was measuring my slotted screwdrivers to see how closely they matched what I expected, and also, when I had duplicates, to see how close they were to each other in thickness at the tip of the screwdriver

Tekton publishes that number and every screwdriver that I tested was within 0.002" so I measured what was stated as 0.05" to be 0.0515"

I was checking some of my older USA made Craftsman screwdrivers and I was getting numbers all over the place and then I realized that I had absolutely used the **** out of some of those. So the one that I had used the least was very close to 1.05mm and another was 1.22mm. I was only checking my primary set and I noticed that screwdriver is so similar. Widths would vary by a significant amount, meaning about 0.2mm. and that occurred to me. Well I should take a closer look at those blades and sure enough, some of them were a wee bit bent.

Sorry, going off topic, but when you suggested he measured them..

 

[Ohio Andy]

Measure them first, there should be a point to point measurement out there? Maybe you got a T27 labeled as a 25.

Sorry, went off topic, here are some point to point measurements:

T20 is 3.86 mm
T25 is 4.43 mm
T27 is 4.99 mm
T30 is 5.52 mm

I did a quick spot check on one Tekton T27 and it came out as 4.98 mm

https://www.newmantools.com/tech/torxspecs.htm

Because nobody likes reading this stuff:

https://cdn.standards.iteh.ai/samples/63207/f79670cf0a214881aa40b4822580cce3/ISO-10664-2014.pdf

The actual standard costs $81 if you are not a member

https://webstore.ansi.org/standards/iso/iso106642005