Why entry level socket sets still include SAE?

[Blue98GT]

I picked up a Husky 270 Piece "Mechanics" socket set from Home Depot before Christmas last year to throw in the truck. Most of the other cheaper socket sets that come with a ratchet include both Metric and SAE. Are SAE sockets still that common to use? Granted, I mostly work on modern-ish cars. Am I missing something?

 

[whateg01]

Most everything I build still uses sae hardware. Only time I use more expensive and less readily available on a Sunday evening metric hardware is if I'm working on something that already uses it. Even then I'll sometimes replace it all with sae bolts. An example would be if I'm assembling a harbor freight tool cart, I'm tossing the metric cheese and putting in grade 2 or grade 5 hardware.

 

[quickfarms]

I very rarely use my metric stuff

SAE is normal around here and everything I build is SAE

 

[old_smokey]

Depends where you live. I’m in Canada and have never used my 1/2” SAE stuff once. I use a few SAE 3/8 drive stuff on things like garage door hardware, some household electrical applications, construction hardware like lag bolts or fencing stuff. But for vehicles it’s been metric 100% for me.


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[rangerfredbob]

It really depends on what you are doing... Mechanicing everything now is metric but construction wise everything in this country is standard... There's a lot of crossovers like 8mm and 5/16", 16mm and 5/8", 19mm and 3/4" and so forth but they have both... Their "mechanic" box is generic as in they don't know if you're working on something from 1970 or 2020, so they have both... you rust belt guys aren't used to anything older than 10 years but in the sane areas of the country where they don't voluntarily let vehicles rust away vehicles last for decades... That said, the modern person doesn't know how to work on their car so they dont' bother having older cars so new mechanics don't work on older cars...

 

[Coach James]

My '90 Dakota, JD lawn tractor have SAE stuff. I think my '02 Grand Prix does as well. Our 2015 Town and Country and Kubota BX, with front loader, use both. Our washer and dryer have SAE. When I build stuff, I use whatever hardware I have in my bins, and a lot of it is SAE.

I repaired a urinal today, and I used a SAE socket to remove the top cap.

Coach

 

[Mr.Smoke]

I'm a Canadian as well and I use both. I work on trailers for semi trucks and basically everything is SAE, even trailers built here where the metric system is more prodominantly used. I hardly ever touch my metric stuff at work but I have it there for when I need it. Guys who work on the trucks need both.

Where I use metric the most is at home in the driveway.

If I remember right, Harley motorcycles still use SAE fasteners. All my tape measures at home and work are SAE only. It doesn't hurt to have both systems on hand, but you will likely use one more than the other.

 

[macgee]

Well, since the official measuring system here in the United States is imperial (SAE) and not metric so its a pretty good idea to have a set in your tool box, unless of course you're only wanting to buy non american stuff being imported from Asia or all the new world stuff being brought in by american companies posing to be american but really from Asia, then metric comes in very handy as they need constant fixing.

Generally if you buy something that uses SAE, then you're pretty much supporting american workers or saving/fixing an American item.

I prefer the metric system but almost all good quality usa made items are in SAE which is totally fine. Been having to use metric more often but only about 40% of the time at most, not including my bicycles. I love reaching for my Plomb Pebble wrenches, I use them everyday.

 

[Fedwrench]

Because if you're turning bolts on something other a late model vehicle, you might need them.
Besides, we're stupid. We cling to an outdated system of measurement that no longer applies to many things.

 

[quickfarms]

The foot system is very much alive and well in this country and will not die anytime soon.

Based on my experience all the land in the US is Transfered using the foot, or older system.

The only place I have found the metric system is on federally funded highway projects and that is usually a CF. Typically only about 75% of the information I deal with correctly converts using the agency’s published conversation system.

 

[MushCreek]

I mostly use SAE around here. AFAIK, Home Depot doesn't carry metric lag screws or carriage bolts. A lot of my mechanical tinkering is old American iron- '65 tractor, '72 pick-up, a collection of '63-65 garden tractors, antique outboard motors, etc., etc. My '92 Miata and '95 F-150 are metric. I will always need both.

 

[RoundedNut]

The US has adopted the metric system but its taking an exceptionally long time for the transition process; getting close to 150 years.

I am not amused and feel scammed as its a waste of money and space to have both sets in wrenches, sockets, hex bits, etc.

 

[measuredtwice]

In addition to SAE being widely used on things other than new cars, companies also want to sell you more stuff. And people who don't know what they're doing (the people who usually buy entry level sets) like to buy the biggest set... even to get stuff they'll never use.

This happens all the time here. As one of many examples, a guy in Europe said he only needed metric sockets. He was all set to buy a recommended Hazet metric set but then bought a low end import metric/SAE set for around the same price. He wasn't going to use the SAE sockets and everything was lower quality, but it was MORE.

There are low end sets that are metric only or SAE only. Maybe you bought the SAE/metric set because it had MORE. j/k

 

[B_Bimmer]

I use both every day, and will never embrace the metric system. I also train my children to do the same, it's a family tradition.

 

[bwringer]

Depends on what you're doing.

Inch **** is 99% useless to me. I have one drawer that junk goes in just in case, and it rarely ever gets opened.

Other people lead different lives and use inch **** all the time. Lots of heavy equipment and aviation is still inch based, for example.

For something to carry in a personal vehicle made during the last 40-50 years or so, seek out a metric only set, or toss the inch **** in a drawer somewhere or donate it, and put only the stuff you might actually need in your toolbox.

I think a lot of tool makers just include the inch **** to beef up the piece count so the tool set sounds like a better deal.


The population around here is a little skewed... GJ is full of people who live in remote mountain top or desert compounds, never drive anything made later than 1970, and regard the metric system as some sort of commie plot.

 

[Captain Spaulding]

Well, since the official measuring system here in the United States is imperial (SAE) and not metric so its a pretty good idea to have a set in your tool box, unless of course you're only wanting to buy non american stuff being imported from Asia or all the new world stuff being brought in by american companies posing to be american but really from Asia, then metric comes in very handy as they need constant fixing.

Generally if you buy something that uses SAE, then you're pretty much supporting american workers or saving/fixing an American item.

I prefer the metric system but almost all good quality usa made items are in SAE which is totally fine. Been having to use metric more often but only about 40% of the time at most, not including my bicycles. I love reaching for my Plomb Pebble wrenches, I use them everyday.

The metric system has been officially the preferred system of the US since 1975 when the metric conversion act was passed and signed. Executive order 12770 requires the federal government to use metric units.

 

[Pntyrmvr]

Does the US army train map reading in Imperial or Metric?


“Talk is cheap. Whiskey costs money.”

 

[ecotec]

Electrical, HVAC, plumbing is mostly in SAE.

If all of that was sold with metric hardware, it would still be forever until tradesmen would not need SAE.

 

[seber]

My vehicles are metric. Everything else I touch is SAE except the JD garden tractor which is a mix of both. Since modern vehicles rarely need work, my SAE tools are 90% of my use.

 

[RKA]

The inch stuff is used around the house 90% of the time. Assembling or fixing anything house related. Same for any construction around the house. I keep a 1/4 and 3/8” set for that, I don’t think I’ve bothered with 1/2” sockets in SAE, the need hasn’t come up. For the cars, all metric for me.

 

[Farmall450]

I rarely reach for metric unless it's a car/truck or imported (tractor, toolbox, whatever). Even then, I find myself using 19mm etc that was probably really SAE.

 

[subroc]

I have no clue what the OP believes he is missing. Use the tools needed rightly sized for the fasteners or hardware. If the OP only uses tools to work on cars and believes therefore be has no need for or never will have a need for SAE tools who can argue with that.

 

[Jtels85]

I was helping a friend yesterday with customizing golf carts which is a side hustle of his. We were installing new aftermarket wheel/tire kits on some TXT’s and the aftermarket lug nuts took a 1/2” drive 3/4” socket better than a 19mm. This was using his Pittsburgh sockets. Everything else I touched on those carts yesterday was metric... even ran into an 11mm to remove the plastic roofs!

The only other time I’ve used an 11mm was when the 10mm screws that held the plastic belly pan underneath my old challenger got damaged from scraping curbs and bottoming out... the damaged widened them to an 11mm

 

[Tennessee Cattleman]

Most agriculture equipment built in the US still uses SAE.

 

[Bighead38]

I need both. When the bolts are really rusty I need to just hammer on whatever size will work. Sometimes it’s metric and sometimes it’s sae.

 

[Wyoming09]

Working in an older manufacturing plant you're gonna need both. Newer machines are all metric. Older stuff is SAE. My favorite are the ones where someone has repaired/replaced parts and has a mix of both. Good times.

 

[Mechanical Noise]

I'm still a little disappointed the big sets don't also include a full compliment of Whitworth sized tools.

 

[Taco Truck]

Because if you're turning bolts on something other a late model vehicle, you might need them. D:
Besides, we're stupid. We cling to an outdated system of measurement that no longer applies to many things.

It's not that simple.

It's insanely expensive to convert everything to metric. Just think about how many road signs would need to be replaced. You'd have to pay for materials, labor to manufacture the signs, and labor to install them all so that we can measure how quickly we're going in kilometers. And that's just road signs. There are much better things we could spend our tax revenue on than changing a measurement system that while less practical than the alternative is not really that hard for the average Joe to comprehend.

Additionally, in the building trades SAE makes more sense. You can divide a foot evenly by two, three, four and six. You can't do that with metric.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

I think they just use it as an advertising point. Toss in the SAE set and bump the tools count, same deal as the worthless hex keys. Late models do still need 1/4, if you use aftermarket hose clamps.

At work - most of my SAE is for old american stuff, and to operate tools like pulley-pullers, thread chasers, where the tool itself is SAE. Pretty rarely used stuff.

At home, or outside of the vehicle trade, there's still lots of SAE floating around.

 

[finn]

It's not that simple.

It's insanely expensive to convert everything to metric. Just think about how many road signs would need to be replaced. You'd have to pay for materials, labor to manufacture the signs, and labor to install them all so that we can measure how quickly we're going in kilometers. And that's just road signs. There are much better things we could spend our tax revenue on than changing a measurement system that while less practical than the alternative is not really that hard for the average Joe to comprehend.

Additionally, in the building trades SAE makes more sense. You can divide a foot evenly by two, three, four and six. You can't do that with metric.

Lame excuse.

 

[Mechanical Noise]

It's not that simple.

It's insanely expensive to convert everything to metric. Just think about how many road signs would need to be replaced. You'd have to pay for materials, labor to manufacture the signs, and labor to install them all so that we can measure how quickly we're going in kilometers. And that's just road signs. There are much better things we could spend our tax revenue on than changing a measurement system that while less practical than the alternative is not really that hard for the average Joe to comprehend.

Additionally, in the building trades SAE makes more sense. You can divide a foot evenly by two, three, four and six. You can't do that with metric.

Yet they've managed to change over in nearly all other imperial unit countries.

 

[Fedwrench]

Does the US army train map reading in Imperial or Metric?

Metric.

 

[Pntyrmvr]

Metric.

Nuff said.


“Talk is cheap. Whiskey costs money.”

 

[Al Borland]

At work i deal with stuff that predates SAE all the time.
Old USS and USS HD, and stuff that "needs" */32" sized wrenches. It's a good thing old adjustable wrenches and blue wrenches exist. That and cheap sockets and hammers.

 

[Bert_]

I could really care less if it came with metric stuff. I keep a cheap set of metric wrenches and sockets. I keep better SAE stuff. Use SAE way more often.

Only time metric is more common is on cars. Most other things here use good old SAE.

 

[alcorelli]

I work in both. It really doesn't bother me either way. I'm not pro imperial I'm not pro metric. If it is something I need to fix I want to make sure I have the socket or the wrench to fit it. I have no idea why some people "hate" a certain measuring system. Those vehicles, fasteners, etc are out there in both types.
We're lucky whitworth isn't still popular. That was crazy. Enjoy, boys and girls. Life is short.

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[joe_padavano]

The real question is, why do people even ask questions like this? Does the OP think that just because he only works on newish cars, that everyone it like that? Seems awfully presumptuous.

 

[Taco Truck]

Lame excuse.

You don't have to like it, but facts don't stop existing because you don't like them.

Yet they've managed to change over in nearly all other imperial unit countries.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrication#:~:text=In the 19th century, the,law was adopted in 1871).

Take a look at this chart. The last time a country switched over completely to the metric system was 2005, and it was a small island with nowhere near the infrastructure of the U.S. Prior to that was 1975. That's forty-six years ago. 70.5% of countries that are completely switched over to the metric system did so prior to 1950. There was just less infrastructure to switch over.

The reality is it's easy to sit back and say that we're stupid for not switching over to the metric system, but that's ignorant. There are lots of factors and nuances involved.

As I said earlier, the metric system is the more efficient system of paper (though not in every aspect), but it's a waste or resources to switch over. We can understand and use the imperial system just fine.

 

[Mechanical Noise]

You don't have to like it, but facts don't stop existing because you don't like them.




https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrication#:~:text=In the 19th century, the,law was adopted in 1871).

Take a look at this chart. The last time a country switched over completely to the metric system was 2005, and it was a small island with nowhere near the infrastructure of the U.S. Prior to that was 1975. That's forty-six years ago. 70.5% of countries that are completely switched over to the metric system did so prior to 1950. There was just less infrastructure to switch over.

The reality is it's easy to sit back and say that we're stupid for not switching over to the metric system, but that's ignorant. There are lots of factors and nuances involved.

As I said earlier, the metric system is the more efficient system of paper (though not in every aspect), but it's a waste or resources to switch over. We can understand and use the imperial system just fine.

Is there an estimate of this enormous cost?

 

[bigjeff94]

Industry is still predominately SAE unless using european sourced equipment in my experience, and even then, at first opportunity it ends up with some SAE hardware when possible. Tools required list for a starting Millwright at our plant doesn't even include metric tools.