Which 8-point sockets? ‘Complete” socket set

[oldschoolcraft]

I know there’s no such thing as a complete socket set but I’d like to get to a comfortable level. I don’t own any 8 point sockets, and I’ve never come across any fasteners that require them. But the general advice on here is to look at the vintage Cman 299 piece mechanic set as a starting point for a good set, and that set does have some 8-points in there.

Possibly a waste of money for me to buy, but it seems reasonable, given I’ve already bought hex and XZN and e-torx sockets.

When I researched these, it sounds like they are mostly used on old furniture. And I only found SI, not metric sizes. I’ve seen 3/8 and 1/2 drive with overlapping sizes and I’m leaning towards 1/2 drive for the main reason that the 1/2 drive covers all/most of the 3/8 sizes but the 3/8 sizes stop at some point so I’d either need a mix of both or just go all 1/2 for a “compete” set.

I’ve been eyeballing the Williams wss-914rc 14-piece set for $124 on amazon or Zoro (next time I do a 25% coupon). But I’m not sure if I need more sizes than this, or need metric. Or if there’s even a metric.

 

[ChevyEFI]

Sometimes, it's more fun to go ********.

And pay retail plus overnight shipping.

Instead of having a bunch of unused stuff sitting around.

Especially when many of those fasteners can be addressed by an open-end, vise-grips, or XZN, worst case scenario.

 

[Jbullfrog]

Working on the farm, old square nuts and lag bolts are common. I bought the Grey 8 point, deep impact set. https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=Awr...08PV76EE/RK=2/RS=nuYdSTO2ZzzA62HshIK2R_j2FaI-

 

[r_olson_06]

Garage door spring bolts, Plumbing caps, and great for holding taps.

Looking for the following Plomb Pebbles Wrench 3061

 

[GrayFlattop]

I run across them (square head fasteners and pipe plugs) all the time. Set screws on pulleys an sheaves often have square heads. Older industrial equipment, etc. I’ve had have an older set of USA craftsman 8 point sockets for decades. A few years ago I added sets of proto 8 point sockets. A few Wright & proto 8 point impact sockets purchased for a specific task. It’s all good. Either try to fill out your “complete” socket set of pay as you go, but a basic set should include 3/8 and 1/2 chrome 8 point sockets, IMO. If you’ve never encountered a need for them, you will if you work on anything older.

 

[plinker]

Carlyle has a shallow set, I bought a few to finish out a 1/2 drive set. Sunex has impact grade as well. Craftsman USA 8pt sets were common and somewhat inexpensive on ebay, but it only goes up to 3/4 (which may not be an issue).

 

[four.cycle]

Ebay.
Used.
US made.
Complete sets come up now and then in both 3/8" and 1/2", but more commonly I see 1/2" sets listed.
Craftsman, Armstrong, Duro, Indestro, S-K, Wright, and others will show up sporadically in the listings.

Use the "advanced" search function, found just to the right of the big blue "Search" button.

Search: "socket set 8" (or "8 pt") in the search string) (keep the search parameters as broad as possible.)("socket set 8 point" returned no results in a search a few minutes ago.)

Note that Wright Tool came out with a "10-point" socket, which looks screwy as hell, but supposedly works well for the 8-points. (I've never used my 1/4" drive 10-points that are part of a Wright kit I own.) Sometimes these will go relatively cheap because they are little in demand.

Full sets of Craftsman 8-points can go for silly money. The manufacturers I mentioned above are all top-shelf.

 

[nelstomlinson]

I used a small 8 point on a pipe plug on my rototiller this week.

 

[yrly]

Easier than a wrench for square oil drain plugs on some small engines

 

[MagnusM4]

Have to use a 3/8” 8 point to drain oil on my Brute snowblower and my dads Craftsman snowblower. Both are newer, made within the last 10 years probably.

I bought a 3/8 drive Williams set for something like $40

 

[mikegt4]

I have 2 or 3 sets, mostly given to me from people who got them as part of a "mechanic's tool set". I also have several glass jars full of square head bolts, lag screws and nuts that were from my Dad's estate. They seemed to go out of style in the late 1950's.
I use them for pipe plugs and taps. I can get a much straighter (more perpendicular) thread using a 8pt. socket on a 12" extension w/ratchet than using a traditional tap handle.

 

[californiaHank]

You guys are forgetting 1/4" drive. I got the 'complete' Snap-on 8 pt set on eBay for around $8. It's 3 pieces - 1/4, 5/16, 3/8. I use the 3/8" one a fair bit - mainly for the drive screws on hole punches for sheet metal. A ratchet and socket is a lot faster than an open end wrench. I don't think I've used the 1/4" one, yet.

 

[HenryAZ]

Wright sells two sets, to make a truly complete set. 3/8" drive 1/4"->1/2", by 16ths, and 1/2" drive 7/16"->1 1/8" by 16ths, plus 1 1/4".

 

[Y00PER]

I have a few random ones. My kids bed frame rails are attached to the head and foot boards with square head screws. I inherited a lot of my grandpas old parts bin drawers when he passed, it's full of square head screws and bolts. So while I don't actively look for 8pt sockets, if I see one and it's a size i don't have, I usually grab it

 

[AE2]

I don't think i have ever seen a fastener with 8 sides so this is probably going to be used on a square nut or plug with 4 sides. In that case a 12 point will do the same thing.

 

[Wamsutta]

Drain plugs for old Briggs & Stratton engines are 4 point. I have one 3/8'' size 8-point socket for that. I'd never use a full set unless I needed them for bragging rights.

 

[DFB]

Ha if you haven't had to use any 8pt yet...well what are the chances now

I have 3 Craftsman 8pt 3/8", 7/16" and 1/2" in a 3/8 drive configuration I bought new many many years ago.

I also have three 1/2" drive 8pt sockets... another Craftsman in 9/16", I found at a flea mkt and two BlackHawk 11/16 (40222) and 13/16" (40226) in a tool bin at a discount warehouse one for $1.27 and the other was $1.49

Honestly the only one I ever use with ANY regularity is the 3/8"" for square drain plugs when I service B&S small engines.

I have new Ariens snowblower just sitting here in the garage with an LCT Snow Tek engine whatever that is ...and that drain plug is 10mm hex head now. Even though my Briggs lawn tractor uses the 7/16" 8pt square engine plug though does have a 7/8 hex head capped pipe extension on the other side to actually drain the oil

Agree about in industrial though, spent a good portion of my life in a factories with doing maintainance, seen lots of square ended caps on screws and plugs

And ya square head nuts bolts on certain older furniture

 

[yrly]

Drain plugs for old Briggs & Stratton engines are 4 point. I have one 3/8'' size 8-point socket for that. I'd never use a full set unless I needed them for bragging rights.

I’ve noticed lot of generic sets come with them now that I’m thinking of it. The Kobalt set I got for my one shed had them, one of those Craftsman Ultimate Collection sets I recently got had them, I think that one Craftsman bit driver set has them too (the one that’s like $25 and always pops up on Slickdeals even though it’s a fairly normal price).

I probably have like 5 or 6 sets of them. One of my impact sets may even have them. Honiton Honidriver and Universal sockets fit them. Outside of a few applications though they don’t see much use and it’s almost always the same two sizes so a complete set seems mostly unnecessary unless you run across them regularly. The most common application I mentioned is oil drain plugs on small engines.

I took a look in the garage to see if there was anything else last night and the tractor transmission has a square plug as well. Some pipe fittings take them.

 

[DFB]

That just reminded me the side plug on the transmission box of my Troy Bilt rototiller is also the same square as the engine drain so 3/8" 8 point

But a like someone mentioned earlier a 12 point can also fit that square head fastener...for this example it be a 7/16" wrench or socket

That be up to you to decide what be best to try to use.

I'm just going to add here that a 12point doesn't always fit right though, and the drain plug on my riding mower is like that. A 1/2" 12 point socket (and I just tried 3 different ones) starts just a little, but doesn't slide down over the plug. Corner engagement with the 7/16" 8point socket is easy

 

[yrly]

That just reminded me the side plug on the transmission box of my Troy Bilt rototiller is also the same square as the engine drain so 3/8" 8 point

But a like someone mentioned earlier a 12 point can also fit that square head fastener...for this example it be a 7/16" wrench or socket

That be up to you to decide what be best to try to use.

I'm just going to add here that a 12point doesn't always fit right though, and the drain plug on my riding mower is like that. A 1/2" 12 point socket (and I just tried 3 different ones) starts just a little, but doesn't slide down over the plug. Corner engagement with the 7/16" 8point socket is easy

Open ended wrenches often work, the only real issue being is where the stuff is located. I haven’t changed the fluid in ages but the tractor ****** would probably be easier to do with an open ended wrench. I don’t really remember what I used last time.

Briggs & Stratton seems to be a big fan of the square head. I think they also use female square heads. Really lawnmower oil drain is far and away the most common use I can find for 8 points. I mean even then you can drain them by tipping them so long as you’re careful which direction you tip them and run them out of gas first.

Universals probably hit less on the corners than 12 points if you went that route.

Sears had 8 points in a 3/8 laser etched set separately until fairly recently and they are still pack ins on certain mechanics sets, the 1/2 ones haven’t been available in a while as an individual set at least that I’ve seen. That was about as cheap an individual set as you could easily get. Unless you had some applications that you really regularly used them for cheap options are probably sufficient.

Amazon still has the Craftsman ones, probably pulled from mechanics set and slightly more expensive. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M3XQH2N/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Going back a while Craftsman used to have a large specialty impact set that had a few of them if I recall maybe 4 or 5 in half inch drive (assuming I’m thinking of the right set I think this is the one I am thinking of that had these). It’s discontinued so far as I know and was very expensive anyway. Why you’d need an impact one I don’t know. Maybe they were also open stock back in the day but it’s pretty irrelevant now unless you go searching on eBay. If they were USA made still (I really don’t recall and am not going out to the garage to look tonight) they’d end up commanding tool truck prices anyway.

Now that I’m thinking about these things I do remember the aftermarket rear differential cover my dad got for his old F150 had a square plug as well.

 

[bob15]

I don't think i have ever seen a fastener with 8 sides so this is probably going to be used on a square nut or plug with 4 sides. In that case a 12 point will do the same thing.

Twelve point sockets don't always work, especially if the corners are slightly rounded or the fastener is extremely tight or rusted.

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

The stove bolt sizes up to a few years ago were all square headed nuts. The old 1/4" drive sets would have some sockets in those sizes.. We used long square headed set screws for adjustment screws at work. They were high grade so they wouldn't gall like RediRod with a nut welded on the end. Lag bolts and heavy timber bolts were also square headed. We would get by with 12pts if we didn't have the right size. The best 8 pt sockets out there are the Canadian made Gray.

 

[platypus20]

All of mine are Wrights

 

[pdxgearhead]

Blackhawk makes a set. A 5/16" 8pt socket is required equipment for slack adjusters on school buses.

 

[cherrybomb]

I don't have the complete socket set.I have SK, 1/4,5/16,3/8 in 1/4 drive.Then in 3/8 drive I do 3/8-5/8 in a mixture of Blackhawk,a USA Proto division and Williams USA,a division of Snapon,they all work great.A 12 point some times works,I would much rather use the proper socket,and also not use an open end,don't even ask how I know.

 

[yrly]

I don't have the complete socket set.I have SK, 1/4,5/16,3/8 in 1/4 drive.Then in 3/8 drive I do 3/8-5/8 in a mixture of Blackhawk,a USA Proto division and Williams USA,a division of Snapon,they all work great.A 12 point some times works,I would much rather use the proper socket,and also not use an open end,don't even ask how I know.

I’m actually curious on what happened trying to use an open end other than that they often use them on differentials, oil and such which could mean a good knuckle bash if the plug gets oily and the wrench slips.

 

[Vvmvbb]

I don't think i have ever seen a fastener with 8 sides so this is probably going to be used on a square nut or plug with 4 sides. In that case a 12 point will do the same thing.

Wrong corner angles though.

 

[Rickster]

I have a mix-mosh set of manf for my 8pts. I get whole one manf set of Snap-on's or Mac's for the pro's but for my garage box, not a requirement of mine!

 

[jeff64]

I have Craftsman for the smaller sizes, then Williams from 3/4 inch up. I didn’t find them in a complete set, but bought them as I needed them and then filled in the gaps later.

 

[Dave455]

The British term for these sockets is “Bi Square”. That’s actually a little more specific than “8 point” as it implies 90 degree corners, for fitting over square fasteners, which I assume we are discussing!

I use these things quite a lot, though seldom for turning square nuts, which are really getting pretty ancient here. A couple of industries still use them. Dome head roofing bolts always seem to come with square nuts for some reason.

I mainly use them when I’m machining. Most of the lathes I use seem to have square heads all over, including things I need regularly like toolpost clamps, but there are square shafts on half the vices I own!

The best sockets seem to be Snap On. I think they are the only manufacturer to offer ‘flank drive’ on their 8 point sockets, which I really like, as most of the things I’m turning I don’t want to damage.

Traditionally, I have a full set of British made Britool in 1/2 drive which handle up to 1 inch square. I had a few Snap On 3/8 drive in the popular toolpost/lathe sizes, but when they bought out the lovely “flank drive” I bought a whole set of 3/8 drive. No regrets.

I believe KoKen offer some of these in metric, but that’s something I have yet to find a requirement for. Maybe if I had any European machine tools I might find a need.

A couple of weeks ago I was installing some shelving. I opted to fix it with coach screws (my preferred fixing for larger screws) and my local supplier had some very nice stainless steel screws of the correct size. But you guessed it, they came with square heads, and 7/16 too, so you never know what you might need!

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

That's a new term on me, coach screws, I assume that what we call lag bolts,. They are just big heavy duty screws in fractional sizes.

 

[Dave455]

That's a new term on me, coach screws, I assume that what we call lag bolts,. They are just big heavy duty screws in fractional sizes.

Ahh, could be!

In British English, a “coach screw” is a heavy duty woodscrew, with usually a hex head.

Anything above about a 10 gauge I much prefer coach screws to regular screws!

 

[dutchgray]

I don't think i have ever seen a fastener with 8 sides so this is probably going to be used on a square nut or plug with 4 sides. In that case a 12 point will do the same thing.

I have seen an 8 sided fastener, was an adjustment screw on some food production machinery, was obviously made specifically for the job, probably to make it hard for someone to adjust it when they shouldn't, you would have had a hard time turning it will an open end or an adjustable wrench as the flats are short for tye fastener size.

12 points will work on an square bolt or nut but tend to make a mess of them.

 

[Steve_P]

12 point sockets dont really work, the fit is horrible. Maybe better than vise grips, but use the right tool .

 

[pi_guy]

They do make pipe plug sockets that are just four sided, and don't forget weatherheads if your trying for a complete set to deal with fitting and plugs.

 

[hobby_guy]

Ahh, could be!

In British English, a “coach screw” is a heavy duty woodscrew, with usually a hex head.

A lag bolt

 

[619DioFan]

I have pipe plug sockets from sunex for anything with a square head. I have never seen a 8 point fastener but have dealt with more than a few 4 point or square head fasteners.

 

[DadsTools]

I recently encountered the most bizarre square drive nut. I should have taken a picture while I had it out. Working on a 1978 Chevy Suburban tailgate to replace the side cable supports, so had to remove the lower cable support bolt out of the tailgate. The back tailgate cover (smaller than the width of the tailgate) had to be removed, then you had to reach your arm around the edge of the opening and through to the side wall to reach the nut. The nut holding it in is hard to describe. Imagine a square nut where each corner graduated outward and terminated in these little tiny feet or pads. Like a pyramid with the top half cut off and the remaining edges were a concave curve down to the bottom corners. The square size would be different at each measurement along its height. What was worse, the end of the bolt was long enough to require a deep well, so even a standard size set of 8pt wouldn't have helped (couldn't use one of those weird universals with all the spring loaded pins in it because the inner mechanism did not allow it to go on deep enough). Would have been very difficult to use a wrench on it due to the space, and the size would be different anyway depending on where along the graduation you tried to grab it. I assume they used a specialized socket for it in the factory. I ended up digging out a 12pt 11/16 deep socket that I was able to wedge onto the nut down to its base to turn it (all my regular deep well users are 6pt, so they weren't going to work). Once I got it out, I went to replace it with a normal nut and found it was METRIC, which I don't have in my older fasteners. The bolt was of a specialized configuration so that a normal bolt wouldn't do. Put the original back with the deep well socket. Just figured I share the experience.

 

[subroc]

Old Craftsman tools including table saws, saw stands, etc used a lot of square head nuts and bolts.

I have a 5 piece set that includes 3/8-inch drive 1/4-inch, 5/16-inch, 3/8-inch, 7/16-inch, 1/2-inch shallow sockets. It covers most of the things I have worked on as far as the vintage Craftsman tools.

An occasion or two, I have wished I had a deep set of the same sockets as well. Hasn't stopped me from doing the job. I just would have used a deep socket instead of what I eventually used to accomplish the task.

I have never needed any other sizes.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

I have the USA made William's set, 9 pieces or so? It covers my limited use of transmission plugs and vintage hardware.

My home was built in the early 60s, and all the screws holding up the shelving in the garage was 4 point screws into plastic sleeves in concrete.