If anyone sees the 1/2" version near £100 then please let me know.
I finally got a 1/2" M12 stubby off eBay using a discount code so I've now decided to get a new set of impact sockets. My current set goes from 10-24mm and is a mishmash of new and secondhand from various brands. I'm looking for a new complete set from 10-19mm as a minimum. Since I work on old cars and live in Scotland I'm always dealing with old, rusty seized bolts. So my priority is tight fitting sockets that resist rounding off bolts. Here's the best deals I found on quality branded ones:
£43.16 Wera 004580 = 9 sockets from 13-21mm
No use to me as I can't find matching 10, 11 & 12mm sockets but might suit someone else.
£39.99 Deltec Set B3 = 14 sockets from 8-30mm
Missing 15 & 18mm sockets which cost another £20.44 from Deltec once you add shipping. Made in the UK?
£57.01 King **** no sets. 9 sockets from 10-18mm
Lawson don't sell a 19mm socket so need to find that elsewhere. Made in the UK?
£49.50 Toptul GDAD1501 = 15 sockets from 10-24mm
I really like my long Toptul spanners and it's a very good price but I've not heard much feedback about their impact sockets.
£52.74 Facom NS.J9 = 9 sockets from 13-24mm
I really like my Facom tools (including 8 of their 3/4" impact sockets) so I was tempted by this set but the cost of adding 10, 11, 12 & 15mm sockets puts me off (an extra £38.24).
£68.84 (inc. delivery and import fees from USA) Williams MS-4-10HRC (see 11 below) = 10 sockets from 10-19mm
I got the 3/8" version of this set 6 years ago and they've performed very well so this was my 2nd place choice.
£95.00 Snap On 310IMMYA = 10 sockets from 10-19mm
The same sockets out of the same factory as the Williams? Price direct from Snap On is £137.40 btw.
£59.18 Koken 14400M/10 = 10 sockets from 10-19 mm
I've heard a lot of good stuff about the fit of their impacts and I really like the 22mm Koken I got for £0.99 off eBay years ago so I've decided to go for this set. UK Tools need £75 minimum for free postage so I've added the 21 & 24mm sockets to my order making a total of £77.93. I'll keep my current 20 & 23mm AST sockets as they're still new and sell the rest. My 24mm is a good used Snap On so that'll probably sell for more than the new Koken one!
Ok, now a few extra notes:
1) I don't think you'd go wrong with any of the above sets or even the cheaper options I'll list in a moment. They're all good buys and a lot is down to personal preferences and priorities.
2) This is a roundup of what's available September 2020. In a few months, there may be different deals altogether. My advice is be flexible. I'm quite happy buying different tools from different brands and that opens up a world of savings.
3) This is not a comprehensive list of all brands. I've picked the main ones but there's a number of brands like Beta, Hazet and Stahlwille where the only prices I could find made Snap On look really cheap!
4) Sunex, Grey Pneumatic, Tekton are all well recommended but I couldn't find cheap deals on them here. Six years ago, I got a good deal on a Tekton 3/8" deep set delivered from USA but couldn't find the same deals this time.
When Koken is cheaper than Tekton, buy Koken!
5) Genius is another GJ favourite and it is available here! The
TF-016 set is 15 sockets from 10-24mm and is only £29.99
6) I have quite a bit of Sealey stuff and really like a lot of their tools but I detested the cheap 3/8" impact socket set I got from them. It seems they do better impact sockets as well. If my budget was really tight I'd seriously consider this
AK5616M set for £32.95.
7) I really hate the finish of the 1/2"Draper impacts I've got. It's like a powdery gray instead of smooth black. They've done ok apart from that. If money is really tight then this is the cheapest set I think is worth looking at: Draper 83092 = 10 sockets from 10-27mm. It misses out 11, 16 & 18mm sockets but is only
£14.99 at Toolstation just now and they don't have the nasty finish that mine do.
8) Teng make good tools too but I don't like their finish and feel. That's personal though and you may love them. More of a problem is their 9121 impact set misses out the 15, 16 & 18mm sizes and I can only find one place that sells the 18mm so that puts me off. I don't want to find I can't replace a socket if I lost one. I'd rather buy Sealey than Teng personally.
9) Laser do a lot of cheap and cheerful stuff. I have a set of their 3/8" stubby impacts and I haven't really used them enough to say much about them but they look ok. If you can't find the Draper set for £15 then look about and you might find a Laser set for similar money.
10) I have a few Trident tools and they seem good. Personally, I'd choose this
£21.95 Trident T930000 = 10 sockets from 13-24mm set over the Draper.
11) Williams sell 2 ranges of tools. Anything with a 5 digit product code is probably Taiwanese. Think Snap On Bluepoint! For USA made tools, look for a code that's made up of letters and numbers.
12) Halfords only set is in a foam tray with extensions and a universal joint.
For £50 you get 19 sockets from 10-34mm. That might be a bargain if/when it goes on sale?
Hope that helps someone out!
