Worth buying SAE?

[DieselRiver]

Is it worth buying SAE tools anymore? I'm building my tool set as I'm hoping to be a Diesel Mechanic, I'm not sure if trucks, construction equipment use standard more but I'd save a lot if money if I just bought metric, what do you guys think?

 

[paranoid56]

i think for that work you will still need a good selection of SAE.

 

[Dr.JohnnyFever]

In sizes above 1-1/4", almost all I buy is SAE.

Edit to add: I work on a lot of older stuff though.

 

[tyndall]

Considering just starting out you'll probably be working on 'experienced' equipment (aka old ****), I'd think you'll need more sae than metric.

 

[KamiCrit]

In the future I'll be tooling up and after looking at this.

I find it hard to swallow the SAE pill.

 

[Bondo]

Is it worth buying SAE tools anymore? I'm building my tool set as I'm hoping to be a Diesel Mechanic, I'm not sure if trucks, construction equipment use standard more but I'd save a lot if money if I just bought metric, what do you guys think?

Ayuh,.... Waayyy back in the early '60s in early grade school, I was taught Metric was the future, 'n Sae would be obsolete by the end of the decade,...

I've been wrenchin' All my life,...
Sae, by far, are the wrenches I use, but still have several complete sets of metric, just to use when needed,...

I wrench on old iron, aka: Equipment Mechanic, who dabbles in Marine wrenchin' on my own time,...

If yer gonna be wrenchin' in the USA, yer gonna need Sae tools, for as far into the future as I can see,....

 

[warmpancakes]

you will need them, But buy used off ebay, It sells for nothing metric holds its value way better

 

[Larch]

You will need sae in the heavy equipment. You will need large wrenches,and at least 3/4" drive socket set. I work on farm equipment, one of our tractors is German made, most of the fasteners are close to sae sizes, like19mm, 24mm and so on. I have had to use a 30mm wrench on it. Most of the other equipment and implements are sae. I use up to 1-1/2" a lot. The larger 3/4" sockets are great for installing seals, and pressing various things.

 

[Steinmetz]

In the future I'll be tooling up and after looking at this.

I find it hard to swallow the SAE pill.

The United States retreated from any commitment to metric adoption in 1982.

In 1973, the Metric Conversion Act was enacted by Congress, which established a Metric Conversion Board. The Board, among other things, adopted a target date for metric conversion. President Reagan killed off the whole effort in 1982. Very short-sighted, and harmful to international commerce, in my opinion.

 

[Deskmechanic]

Science, engineering and technology in the U.S. is 100% metric.

For whatever reason Aerospace is still SAE??

Automotive is now 100% metric.

About the only things SAE are "old ****" as others have said, aircraft and our speed limit signs.

 

[Steinmetz]

Science, engineering and technology in the U.S. is 100% metric.

For whatever reason Aerospace is still SAE??

Automotive is now 100% metric.

About the only things SAE are "old ****" as others have said, aircraft and our speed limit signs.

Your assessment includes, of course, some of my most recent purchases: a 50 gallon water heater, 12 yards of concrete for a new building, 15 gallons of gasoline, one quart of oil, 100 square feet of carpet, numerous sheets of 4 x 8 plywood...

 

[methomas70]

Perhaps the OP is planning on wrenching diesels in Liberia.

But seriously, like it says above, buy your SAE stuff used. Be picky, there's a lot out there to choose from. eBay is good, garage/yard/estate sales are even better/cheaper.

In my experience, 95% of garage sale stuff is SAE (and garden tools), 5% or less is metric. If you see good cheap metric, snap it up.

 

[A_Pmech]

Your assessment includes, of course, some of my most recent purchases: a 50 gallon water heater, 12 yards of concrete for a new building, 15 gallons of gasoline, one quart of oil, 100 square feet of carpet, numerous sheets of 4 x 8 plywood...

...and the drawings I received this morning conforming to ANSI instead of ISO.

 

[DieselRiver]

I just don't understand why the remaining SAE countries don't switch to metric when the rest of the world has, it's so much easier to use, makes more sense to have a worldwide universal measure by which we make our fasteners and tools

 

[Steinmetz]

I just don't understand why the remaining SAE countries don't switch to metric when the rest of the world has, it's so much easier to use, makes more sense to have a worldwide universal measure by which we make our fasteners and tools

That's easy. Money.

 

[espyking83]

It certainly is if you ever want to work on airplanes.

 

[Steinmetz]

It certainly is if you ever want to work on airplanes.

And even flying them: Altitude (feet), airspeed (knots), altimeter setting (inches of Hg), range (nautical miles), fuel capacity (U.S. gallons) etc. You get the idea.

 

[86k10]

A lot of add on items to trucks and trailers still use SAE. If your going into the truck or equipment repair you will need SAE. Automotive not so much.

 

[Farmall450]

Science, engineering and technology in the U.S. is 100% metric.

For whatever reason Aerospace is still SAE??

Automotive is now 100% metric.

About the only things SAE are "old ****" as others have said, aircraft and our speed limit signs.

Ever heard of Lugnuts?
And many other things, still US. Especially hydraulic related.

 

[Aaron10647]

Depends on what you are wrenching on. My diesel toys still have quite a bit of SAE so in my case, I use them, especially on the larger sized items and hydraulics

 

[Milton Shaw]

I have said it before on another thread, but America will never go to metric when 36-24-36 sounds a lot better than 90-65-90. SAE equipment is going to be around a lot longer-- you will need both. A lot of cars anything that bolted directly to the engine was SAE and anything that bolts anywhere else is metric. Makes both needed to tear down just about any thing older than 10 years.

 

[tyndall]

Science, engineering and technology in the U.S. is 100% metric.

For whatever reason Aerospace is still SAE??

Automotive is now 100% metric.

About the only things SAE are "old ****" as others have said, aircraft and our speed limit signs.

And just about every common bolt in a hardware store, and building materials, and construction.

Even in Canada, sports, construction and materials are still sae with maybe an odd numbered metric conversion awkwardly tagged on for the youngsters. Almost 40 years after conversion you are still more likely to hear people using imperial measurements. Hamburger is sold by the kg (with a little lb tag below) but blueprints for a garage are in feet and inches. Roads are one mile apart. It's still horsepower and ft-lbs. I don't know anyone that uses L/100km for figuring out gas mileage. If anything conversion made everything more trouble for everyone. Hell, I was taught only metric in school and I never use it. If anything conversion made everything more trouble for everyone.

If the US converted tomorrow, even the youngest members here would be long dead before it was fully adopted.

 

[chiz1180]

And just about every common bolt in a hardware store, and building materials, and construction.

This is a good point, it is difficult to find a hardware store (at least where i am in OH) that has a good selection of metric fasteners. Most hardware stores have a much larger selection SAE fasteners. From my perspective it does make sense to have both Metric and SAE tools.

chiz1180

 

[rjohnson]

Science, engineering and technology in the U.S. is 100% metric.

For whatever reason Aerospace is still SAE??

Automotive is now 100% metric.

About the only things SAE are "old ****" as others have said, aircraft and our speed limit signs.

Strange. Every drawing I made in my engineering design course, CAD course, and every machining drawing I've seen are in standard.

 

[Skin]

Common SAE is worth having for anyone in salt country if for no other reason than having in between sizes to beat onto fasteners that have grown or shrunk from their original sizes due to rust scale. Vehicle add-ons like trailer hitches and plows still use SAE as well.

The big 3 were still using SAE on Pickups well into the 2000s model years. Wouldn't surprise me if they were still using them on frame components today.

 

[bobcatdan]

For heavy equipment, plan on needing SAE. There is a ton of stuff that is made today that uses SAE. My metric tools collect a lot of dust.

 

[wmartin]

I figure that the only point in owning metric is if, God forbid, I pick up an old VW.

 

[AndrewV]

Heres the thing with sae.
When you need it, you won't have it. So get a set regardless.
Be it gearwrench, craftsman, mac, snappy, matco, who ever.

 

[Deskmechanic]

And just about every common bolt in a hardware store, and building materials, and construction.

That's a good point. Construction too.

Obviously as others have pointed out there are exceptions, and having SAE is useful in many industries.

 

[kiatech]

Use sae all day at work.

 

[Jason280]

I'd pretty much stopped picking up SAE tools at the pawn shops, unless the price was too good to pass up....until I bought an '85 Jeep CJ-7. Virtually EVERYTHING on the CJ is standard, except a few bolts here and there (most of the metric stuff has been on the transmission). My '94 YJ is exact opposite, virtually everything is metric.

 

[Csmnlm]

I started out using only metric tools. Worked at a new car dealership. I then switched to a heavy truck fleet garage. I had to buy a lot of SAE tools. You will need them.

 

[jwsia]

Its been said before but get USED SAE. There are lots of good used stuff at estate sales and pawn shops. Save your tool funds for nice metric stuff

 

[BDT/NWMN]

Is it worth buying SAE tools anymore? I'm building my tool set as I'm hoping to be a Diesel Mechanic, I'm not sure if trucks, construction equipment use standard more but I'd save a lot if money if I just bought metric, what do you guys think?

If you plan on working on N14 Cummins and 3406 Caterpillar engines; to name two machines; SAE 6 point and 12 point will be needed..

 

[Jim C.]

It all depends on what you're working on. I like old cars and machinery from the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, so I use SAE all the time. I have some metric tools but significantly more SAE stuff.

Jim C.

 

[treblarefils]

I just did a lot of work to my snowblower over winter. It is a craftsman form the late 90s and it is all SAE. Working on cars I have never touched a SAE tool ever. But you need it for other stuff for sure.

 

[Exceller8]

At the very minimum add a set from 3/8" to 3/4" and put them in a wrench roll, that way they'll take up very little space and be there in case you need them.

 

[rlebroke51]

were I work we have western star trucks and manac chip trailers and 99% of the time I need sae

 

[transittech]

As has been pointed out, you will need SAE. All of your hydraulic and air fittings are SAE, among other things. Chassis bolts will be either or. Engines will be Metric.

Buy combination wrenches, sockets, hex bits and a tap and die set in SAE.

 

[firebox40dash5]

To hammer home the point, unless you think you're going to work on all brand-new junk, then yeah, you need SAE. Maybe even on the brand-new junk. The bigger you go, the more likely you are to encounter SAE fasteners.

My basic stuff (sockets and wrenches) is a mirror image between metric and standard. Regular & deep sockets in 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2, combo wrenches, and flexy Gearwrenches. Beyond that, I have a bunch of stuff in metric I'd NEVER buy in SAE, like 2 sets of shallow impact swivels... anything like that in SAE gets bought for specific applications.