Worst impact sockets?
- Thread starter Hammell
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JJThrasher
Well-known member
For average DIYer I doubt it matters much. If they're used professionally day in and day out even the SO ones will wear out and get bell mouthed after a while.
Too brittle I think is the problem, not too soft. I broke some from HF right away once,...they used to have two different set of deep metric, one was good, that one I couldn't find in the store that day, bought the other, broke two the first time I used them, took them back, got the right ones, now years later, never a problem.
Jim Diesel
Well-known member
To soft is definately a problem. Seen heaps of twisted hex impacts from china.
DemoFly
Well-known member
Pretty much any impact socket stamped Cr-V or Chrome Vanadium should be avoided.
That said, I've only ever broke one Cr-V impact socket and it was a Stanley.
For cheap Cr-Mo sockets I have nothing bad to say about Sunex or Pittsburgh Pro.
I've read that Snap-On makes their impact sockets a little soft to absorb impact energy and reduce wear and tear on your impact wrench. Total hearsay.
That said, I've only ever broke one Cr-V impact socket and it was a Stanley.
For cheap Cr-Mo sockets I have nothing bad to say about Sunex or Pittsburgh Pro.
I've read that Snap-On makes their impact sockets a little soft to absorb impact energy and reduce wear and tear on your impact wrench. Total hearsay.
d.mcfarland
Well-known member
Since you're new I'll just let you know that the Harbor Freight CR-V impacts are beat on by many of us and are perfectly fine. They are packed full on value. And I don't really like foreign tools but all of my impacts are either Harbor Freight or Tekton (possibly the same thing). I've used them on impacts and regular ratchets without a problem.
Notorious BRT
Well-known member
My HF have held up well in DIY/farm enviroment. Honestly I would look at GP if I were buying today. Those Duo sockets look awesome.
anndel
Well-known member
Nothing wrong with Cr-V impact sockets. I have and used Tektons trying to break them but was unable to. I tried removing some on a friend's Caterpillar Hoptoe (backhoe) and they worked fine. I used his Macs and some got rounded that he had to return to his Mac truck dealer.
ex-x-fire
Well-known member
The old buffalo impact sockets I bought as a kid in the late 80s are likely the worst set I've seen. About as raw of a tool as there is.
gdocktor3
Well-known member
I have Husky, Craftsman USA, Pittsburgh, Proto, Wright, Snap On, Sunex and some no name Chinese ones also. Although I use the Snap On and Sunex the most, they all have worked fine for me with no problems. Only thing I can complain about is the thickness of some. I also have Drill Hog USA impact adapters and extensions which have worked nicely.
The way I look at it is like this. A company produces 100,000 impact sockets. To produce them, they need expensive machines, material, man power, marketing, etc. It wouldn't make much sense to spend all that money to produce them if they were complete junk. No one would return to buy from them again. I can't say for sure, but in HF's case, they might make their impact sockets to match their impact wrench specs. That's why they have blown apart by 1000 ft lb IR impacts.
I agree that the way the tools are heat treated has more to do with durability than the alloy if a reasonably good alloy is used. When I worked for New Britain the sockets were put in large baskets to go into the furnace. If they were packed too tightly the quenching oil could not readily penetrate to the center of the basket so the sockets in the center would not quench quickly enough and would not be as hard as the ones on the outside.
woody 73
Well-known member
nh_yota
Well-known member
My understanding is that impact sockets are stronger and softer (less brittle) so they can handle the impact and not shatter. Of course you don't want them too soft or they will absorb the impact entirely and render themselves useless.
chris142
Well-known member
I bought some at Big lots once. Lasted until I put them to work then they split lol
gdocktor3
Well-known member
I was jokingly going to reference buying sockets from a place like that or Ocean State Job Lot, but didn't think they actually sold stuff like that. Those would for sure be the worst impact sockets
619DioFan
Well-known member
I broke some of the older HF impact sockets. they were so cheap I never replaced them. I have some of the newer pro impacts from HF. have pounded on them and they have held up fine.
I also bought some at Odd Lots (what Big Lots used to be called, whipper-snappers) when I was a teenager. SUPER soft. Of course, I was using them with ratchets back then because I didn't care. But they just smushed and rounded out. If you did manage to get a nut to break loose with one, it was stuck in there.
I actually have a few of those old junkers left laying around in my sacrificial-tool pile. I keep junk tools for when I need to use a tool inappropriately. Maybe I need something to put under something I am hammering on. Or use old sockets as spacers/standoffs, etc.
I actually have a few of those old junkers left laying around in my sacrificial-tool pile. I keep junk tools for when I need to use a tool inappropriately. Maybe I need something to put under something I am hammering on. Or use old sockets as spacers/standoffs, etc.
Roberts210
Well-known member
I have a set of S-K impact sockets that I've used for 15 years. Some of them show signs of getting smushed.
gdocktor3
Well-known member
I think we can cut them some slack and let it slide after 15 years..
maxpower_hd
Well-known member
I agree. I have some too but ended up buying SO for work because there were tight places that I couldn't fit the HF ones into. So now they are for home use. They work fine when you can use them. Also one of them I don't remember which size, is a little off when compared to the same size from another set. Like it was machined wrong or marked wrong.
hautpot
Well-known member
Swivel impacts are something to not totally cheap out on. Regular impacts are whatevers.
nh_yota
Well-known member
Yeah with swivels you want to get the good ones not only because they will hold up longer but they will transfer more of the impact torque to the fastener. If you have the loosey-goosey cheap swivels more torque will be lost in transmission.
Greg85mcss
Well-known member
Based on how certain socket & wrench sizes fit (ie 13mm) & the weird pattern of what sizes skip I have a feeling they use many of the same products for metric & sae. Why else would they sell a set that starts with 11mm? I did the same thing with my hf impacts. Nothing wrong with them but adding missing sizes & replacing one I lost made it cheaper to upgrade.
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theoldwizard1
Well-known member
d.mcfarland
Well-known member
They still do .... and they work perfectly fine...
Wes J
Well-known member
I find that the square drive on impact sockets wears out first. Pretty soon they are falling off your impact.
Jim Diesel
Well-known member
100% right. Also damaged or worn impact anvils cause premature wear to sockets. Its a never ending drama
Mechanical Noise
Well-known member
I suppose something must be the worst because they're not all the same. All of mine are "serviceable". HF (chrome vanadium), a few old Craftsman -v- series sockets (no alloy ID, probably Cr-V) and a set of Wright chrome moly sockets.
The noticeable difference between the moly sockets and the vanadium sockets is the vanadium sockets are thicker.
If I were making money with the impact sockets, I'd definitely want the thinner ones.
The noticeable difference between the moly sockets and the vanadium sockets is the vanadium sockets are thicker.
If I were making money with the impact sockets, I'd definitely want the thinner ones.
Around 1992, I bought a Campbell Hausfeld Air impact kit from K-Mart for around $100. It had a 1/2 impact with about 8 sae impact sockets. While the CH gun didn't hurt the sockets, I did break them pretty easily with a SO gun. The sockets were chrome vanadium.
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geartow
Well-known member
The sets homier tools cheapest of the cheap . Put a new socket of proper size onbolt turn ratchet stretch socket without bolt head damage.
hautpot
Well-known member
Well its an arms race between competitors, every new release bring new improved ergonomics and higher break away torque on rattle guns.
I think there should be a limit on break away torque for each drive size. Some air impacts are rated for ridiculous break away torque! Certainly that does not help the longevity of the anvil.
SI set of impact sockets from Buffalo Tools and SAE set of impact sockets from Harbor Freight purchased in the early 1980s. The markings are identical. Chrome vanadium steel for both of them. They lasted without failure. Although, Proto SI and SAE impact sockets sets have been acquired recently as an upgrade.
Yes, these are old posts. Some goofballs like to complain that it's an old thread while others complain that a search should've been done on the subject before starting a new thread. Either way here's some additional information.
Yes, these are old posts. Some goofballs like to complain that it's an old thread while others complain that a search should've been done on the subject before starting a new thread. Either way here's some additional information.
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engineer2
Well-known member
HF Pittsburgh is pretty bad. My Makita cordless impact will split them. No problem, just go get another one.
Astro_Pneumatic_Tools
Well-known member
Yes, I know because we made 'em
When i started we carried these deep 1/2" impact sockets. I was reviewing inventory and noticed we sold a lot of parts/replacements for how many sets we sold. So I went over them and the broach was not concentric, one wall would be thinner than the opposing side.
And they were rock hard. Like way too hard to be impact sockets. 57 or 59! Hrc, like a good hunting knife or something.
So thin in places.... way too hard... recipe for disaster. I was probably weeks into my position, not even a month, went into the CEO's office and said "we shouldn't be selling these, the quality is poor and probably dangerous"
"Okay, have Jason quarantine them, tell Gary to get them back from our customers and update the system as discontinued and we'll cancel PO's"
It was a sub 1 minute conversation. I knew I was working in the right place after that.
When i started we carried these deep 1/2" impact sockets. I was reviewing inventory and noticed we sold a lot of parts/replacements for how many sets we sold. So I went over them and the broach was not concentric, one wall would be thinner than the opposing side.
And they were rock hard. Like way too hard to be impact sockets. 57 or 59! Hrc, like a good hunting knife or something.
So thin in places.... way too hard... recipe for disaster. I was probably weeks into my position, not even a month, went into the CEO's office and said "we shouldn't be selling these, the quality is poor and probably dangerous"
"Okay, have Jason quarantine them, tell Gary to get them back from our customers and update the system as discontinued and we'll cancel PO's"
It was a sub 1 minute conversation. I knew I was working in the right place after that.
bwringer
Well-known member
I see a common theme here... lots of us, me included, have used and broken some of the very, very cheap and very thick no-name Chinese sockets that used to be common years ago. "Buffalo" was one brand name, but there were many others.
Twenty or more years ago, I used to haunt a tool shop that made Harbor Freight look like Snap-On, and I bet there was one of these in a lot of towns. This was back when Harbor Freight was a blurry newsprint mail order catalog.
I also recently finally expunged the last of the terrible sockets and wrenches I bought from K-Mart when I was a penniless college student; the K-Mart was within walking distance, while Sears was a few miles away.
Anyway, the one thing that I really can't abide in an impact socket is one that's so excessively thick it causes access problems in some situations, like with lug nuts.
Twenty or more years ago, I used to haunt a tool shop that made Harbor Freight look like Snap-On, and I bet there was one of these in a lot of towns. This was back when Harbor Freight was a blurry newsprint mail order catalog.
I also recently finally expunged the last of the terrible sockets and wrenches I bought from K-Mart when I was a penniless college student; the K-Mart was within walking distance, while Sears was a few miles away.
Anyway, the one thing that I really can't abide in an impact socket is one that's so excessively thick it causes access problems in some situations, like with lug nuts.
I've been trying to break one for five years with no luck and my impact is rated at 1300 ft/lbs.
dnschmidt
Well-known member
As we both know Steve Fisher is a quality human being. I always knew this but you're little tale further confirms my belief.
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