who buys SAE tools these days?

[speed bump]

I still do but all I have worked in is HVAC, mining, and oilfield services so I don't see metric much. The only rig I have that is metric is my company truck and they pay to have that maintained.

 

[EZH]

Kind of weird but the only metric fasteners I've run across on my big truck or trailer are the lug nuts. Everything else is SAE.

I pretty much have my bases covered in 6 point sockets all the way up to 3/4 drive. My next project is to add some 12 point SAE sockets to the mix.

Eric

 

[Teken]

I don't buy anything metric. I work on snowmobiles and lawn mowers and some other small engine type things. Not old enough to drive so haven't dug my way into cars and trucks yet.

I try to buy everything in metric and SAE just in case

What's in the kool aid you're drinking pass some ovaaaaaa!

 

[Indy_500]

What's in the kool aid you're drinking pass some ovaaaaaa!

ok lol u caught me! i try to buy metric if i can but typically i dont' because i only NEED SAE hehe


pweez fogiv me

 

[mixxmstrmike]

I use metric mainly on my vehicles, but I use SAE on lag bolts to bolt my Wilton vise onto my bench...

Household nuts and bolts, which I use on the "weekends" still get my SAE love.

-Mike

 

[jteck75]

The manufacturing equipment at work that I wrench on is mainly sae. At home it's a mixed bag,metric on my Ford and my Dodge,SAE on my 68 Chevy. But on my Trans Am,you better have both sets ready when you tackle anything on that monster.

 

[Scout Driver]

Working on older American vehicles and older tractors, most of my tools are SAE. Lately, I am expanding my metric collection. My '83 Hurst/Olds gives me the chance to use SAE and metric at the same time.

Scott

 

[nate379]

I would be happy if they went with one or the other and that's it. Dodge is bad about it, 1/2 metric and 1/2 SAE... and a few that are a WTF size since it's I guess in between or something!

 

[Bjkearns]

I know the metric system and the torx
SAE is a whole other language I have yet really to have had much of a need to learn

 

[bradleykd]

I've got very little sae in my boxes at work, but at home, i always buy the sae and metric sets of whatever tools i buy. I've got a 91 chevy pickup at the house that uses mostly sae, with some 10 and 13mm thrown in there. My 2007 tundra needs the metric set though...

 

[Stick Figure]

At work i work ONLY on Nissan 350Z/370Z and the Infiniti G35/G37, and i still have more than just basic SAE sets. While the cars are 100% metric, the fittings on our twin turbo, and supercharger kits are all AN/JIC/NPT which are all SAE. Even the aftermarket turbos still have SAE threads. Then we can get to the machines (mill/lathe/sanders/grinders/etc) that are all at least 50% SAE.

At home same story only all of my cars are Toyota, but the aftermarket AN/JIC/NPT fittings and such are SAE. Plus the rest of the basic home repair that is pretty well 99% SAE.

Really the only place i don't have a good selection of both SAE and Metric is in my 4runner but it will eventually make its way in there. I'm just running out of room in my bag, and need to do some re-organizing.

 

[tatra]

vise grips and crescents....................

 

[nexum1919]

I'm an unlucky soul... Born and raised in Europe. Been here for 10 years now...
So, my 10mm will round the head off, 9mm won't fit?? Hmmm what could that be? 9.5mm ??
Only if we have 0.5 increments an all metric sizes, not just 4.5 and 5.5. Then I wouldn't have to deal with 32nds and 16ths and such.
By the way, what's the deal with the thousands of an inch? 1/1000 I mean it's SAE but still we use metric decimals?? Isn't that supposed to be 1/1024 of an inch? Or maybe it is?? Are there any machinists in here that can tell the difference between 1/1000 and 1/1024 inch?

 

[d33pt]

i didn't realize the aerospace industry was still mostly SAE until recently. asked my dad to tap me a M6-0.8 hole and he didn't have the tap on hand. he works in a machine shop that does mostly aerospace work.

 

[jvitez]

Me. I'm in the process of ordering an SAE combination wrench set and SAE hex sockets.

 

[Nuts]

Are there any machinists in here that can tell the difference between 1/1000 and 1/1024 inch?

yes

Nuts

 

[nexum1919]

so, is it really 1/1000 or 1/1024 ?
I mean, natural progression of dividing by two leads us to the number 1024. Just like the metric prefix 'Kilo' used in computer systems. When we say 'kilobytes', the metric system dictates it's supposed to be 1000 bytes, but in actuality it is 1024 bytes (since 2 to the power of 10 is 1024) But we say 'Kilo' anyways...

So, when we say 'one thousands of an inch' is it really an inch divided into 1000 pieces or is it 1024 pieces??

 

[nissan_crawler]

There are no metric stuff in aviation business.

Eh...For the most part. I have a 10mm and 15mm socket (both used on the same piece of air conditioning), and a 6mm allen wrench (for a hydraulic pump). Those three are my only metric tools at work.

At home, it's one of everything, which is why my home box is twice the size of my work box, go figure.

 

[Merkava_4]

Metric is for girly men.

 

[foul_ball]

i didn't realize the aerospace industry was still mostly SAE until recently. asked my dad to tap me a M6-0.8 hole and he didn't have the tap on hand. he works in a machine shop that does mostly aerospace work.

I predict us made commercial and military aircraft will never go metric, the cost of documenting all the conversions of tolerances and creating supply chains for metric fasteners would be too high. The only metric wrenches I use at work are for the collet on my angle die grinder.

 

[hedjhawg]

So, when we say 'one thousands of an inch' is it really an inch divided into 1000 pieces or is it 1024 pieces??

1,000. (.001" is one thousandth of one inch)

 

[hedjhawg]

i'm 15, and i've had 3 sleds so far in my life that i've worked on. 1993 Polaris Indy trail, 1999 Polaris Indy 500, and 1999 Polaris XC 700. I also work on my dads 1999 Polaris XC SP 700, and 2 other sleds he's "had": 2001 Polaris Sport Touring 550, and 1994 Polaris Indy Classic Touring 500. Every sled that my dad has owned before that i was too young to touch a nut or bolt. So the newer sleds are probably all metric, but for the ones i got/work on i need SAE

Also, i'd like to add that most bolt-on accessories, come with metric bolts and nuts so snowmobiles are going mostly metric. I can't think of any metric bolts on my snowmobile right now. If your going to work on a snowmobile a lot that's around year 2000 or older, just a heads up get your 9/16" socket ready!

Polaris = SAE, true.

Yamaha, Ski-Doo, Arctic Cat (Suzuki)... Metric.

The reason you are thinnking that snowmobiles are SAE is because you have only owned Polaris. 80% of the market is actually metric.

 

[DARKSCOPE001]

Im sure its been said before but the aircraft industry is all SAE if you look inside my box at the hangar you wont find any metric stuff (I like it that way because when i bought my tool kit I was able to leave all my metric stuff at home for working on stuff around the house) But yes all American aircraft as far as I know are all SAE personaly I wouldnt have it any other way.

HOPE THIS HELPS
Sean Scott

 

[t100]

Metric is for girly men.

what kind of stuff you work on? if you make a living wrenching, would you tell your customers to get the hell out because their cars have metric fasteners?

for me, I have both, my own cars are all metric from factory, but the the add-on aftermarket stuff are mostly standard. my lawn mower is metric.

the cars I work on at school are mix bag of metric and standard, often times on the same car.

I buy standard stuff for things around home because normally they are cheaper than metric.

 

[speed bump]

By the way, what's the deal with the thousands of an inch? 1/1000 I mean it's SAE but still we use metric decimals?? Isn't that supposed to be 1/1024 of an inch? Or maybe it is?? Are there any machinists in here that can tell the difference between 1/1000 and 1/1024 inch?

Thats a pretty ridiculous theory. They aren't metric decimals they are decimals period. The reason SAE got setup the way it did for length measuring is that someone said whats half of one (1/2), half of that (1/4), half of that (1/8) etc. There isn't anything special about measuring either way although common base fraction used to be easier before the common use of calculators and high precision measuring tools.

 

[comedyman809]

i busted out my 17mm wrenches this morning!!!!

 

[comedyman809]

i work on indutrial machinery....box making machines.


mostly sae, we have a japanese made machine which is metric, a 1964 strapping machine which is sae, that same company(signode) now makes there equipment with all metric hardware. made in Illinois.


most american made machinery is sae.

 

[chevy302dz]

I have both, SAE for just about everything except the newer cars and even then SAE is still necessary sometimes. If I had it my way Metric would have stayed in the labs where it's most effective and SAE would be the only choice in the field where it is most effective.

 

[Vern X-100]

old american cars, small block engines etc.

Old American Cars for the Demolition Derby, small and big block engines.

 

[mrpowderkeg]

Metric? What's that?
95% of my stuff is SAE. I rarely ever need metric, and if I do I have a tiny tool box of metric stuff. Mostly for my GF's car, you know changing oil, brakes etc....

 

[johken]

I have collected both. But mainly I use SAE for my old 78 Cj5 and my 58 Biscayne. The wifes new car mainly requires metric and its a GM. hmmmm

 

[Falcon67]

+1 The very same boat here . . . Plus wouldn't the tool chest look odd with out its counterpart?

Mr. SAE, and Mrs. Metric . . .

Miss Metric...

So, when we say 'one thousands of an inch' is it really an inch divided into 1000 pieces or is it 1024 pieces??

Step away from the binary math!

 

[737mechanic]

If you think you will ever work on American aircraft you will be using SAE. I was a auto mechanic for years before working on aircraft. I have a good collection of both SAE and metric.

 

[DaleK]

Farm equipment again here. Probably 80% SAE. Gets to be fun on newer tractors, I've found parts on my newer JD held on (from the factory) with a mixture of metric and SAE bolts on the same piece. Don't ask me to explain that one.

 

[TAMPAGT07]

I keep a collection of metric and standard screwdrivers, pliers, prybars, hammers.. etc. What's strange is my wife is from Europe and I am from here, but all of our parts fit together very nice.

 

[1984GMC]

Save America use SAE fasteners and tools. I'm about 50/50 ,

 

[MarcSeattle]

Americans ***** and moan about how we can't sell things abroad. Duh, if the world is metric and we're building fractional, then what can we expect? I'm surprised at the opinions expressed in this thread. "Metric is for girly men"? WTF. Converting to metric means more American manufacturing and more American jobs.

Who would have thunk that converting to metric would be the patriotic thing to do?

 

[msmith]

I have plenty of SAE tools... for some reason, the metric ones don't fit my 1966 Mustang very well.

 

[MotoDave]

All of the cars I've worked on lately are Metric, so that's what most of my tools are. I had randomly picked up a set of Inch combination wrenches and 3/8" drive sockets, and they've been really handy on projects around the house lately.

 

[Monte]

i like metric