Your choice for affordable impact sockets?

[wolflrv]

I picked up a set of Duralast 1/2" metric impact deep sockets for $24.99 the other day at Autozone. Needed them that day and there is no local HF or Sears. They worked great. I won't be using them daily and the set should do fine for me.

 

[tbobbo]

I have worked in the auto business for 15 years. Grey Pnuematic sockets are the best deal out there. Hands down. I have NEVER seen one break. They do wear out, but they all do. I have a ton of their stuff. I am getting more. I need the swivel sockets now and I will by grey.

 

[tbobbo]

I should add that you dont see many inmpact sockets break, but another thing about the greys, they dont round fasteners like other brands. Another tech in our shop has all ingersoll sockets, he seems to round one every other day.

 

[Pro-Painter]

I was not that impressed with the Duralast impact sockets. They seem OK, But they are the same Ole cheapie impact sockets everyone sells.

The impact sockets Ive found with the best Quality:Featuresrice Ratio is OEM industrial brand.
They are thin wall, have lock ring grooves (not sure the real name), & Dual size markings, (one Lazar one stamped). They also have long tapped drive ends (See pic below).
Oh and they are priced fair at around $35 for the 11pc 1/2" deep sets and $25 for the 12pc 3/8" sets (Plus shipping, prices may very)


Tapped drive ends I'm talking about.

Short set

deep set

 

[5lima30]

I've been using a Campbell Hausfield set for about six years with no complaints. YMMV.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

Look at Genius. You can find a lot of thier stuff on Amazon. I have not seen one break yet.

+1. I have two sets that are Genius rebranded under another name. 4 years on they show no wear. Excellent sockets.

 

[Tarheelgarage]

I was not that impressed with the Duralast impact sockets. They seem OK, But they are the same Ole cheapie impact sockets everyone sells.

The impact sockets Ive found with the best Quality:Featuresrice Ratio is OEM industrial brand.
They are thin wall, have lock ring grooves (not sure the real name), & Dual size markings, (one Lazar one stamped). They also have long tapped drive ends (See pic below).
Oh and they are priced fair at around $35 for the 11pc 1/2" deep sets and $25 for the 12pc 3/8" sets (Plus shipping, prices may very)


Tapped drive ends I'm talking about.

Short set

deep set

What retailer did you find those OEM brand sockets? Their website leaves out this detail...

 

[Pro-Painter]

What retailer did you find those OEM brand sockets? Their website leaves out this detail...

I got mine from ebay. But a quick search shows that www.streetsideauto.com has most of them for a better deal then autozone.

25591 = 10pc 1/2" drive metric set $23.99
25592 = 10pc 1/2" drive deep metric set $32.99
25594 = 11pc 1/2" drive deep SAE set ?
25593 = 11pc 1/2" drive SAE set $25.99

25590 = 12pc 3/8" drive SAE deep set $22.99
25588 = 12pc 3/8" drive metric deep set $22.99
25589 = 12pc 3/8" drive SAE set $23.99
25587 = 12pc 3/8" drive metric set ?


Autozone also has them but they are very expensive compared to other sellers.

 

[timesrgood?]

Buy USA and spend a little more. I don't understand how mechancs, who must appreciate getting paid for their work, can go out and buy cheap **** tools just because they are cheap and not think about the China stamped on them.

I was looking at Cornwell site and saw this video, it is a little long and repetitive, but it makes the point very clear:

http://www.cornwelltools.com/Manufacturing/Manufacturing.php

These people need orders to work, and when they work they take their cars in to you to be fixed so you can in turn be paid. The offie staff, the workers, the people who build the machines they use. I don't understand it at all why people can't stick together and support their own economy when there is a choice.

 

[NissanZ]

TEKTON - These are my main 3/8 impacts and they are great and very cheap.
I got them for around $10 a set and they come in a nice blow molded case.

SUNEX - These are my main 1/2 impacts and they are awesome and are priced pretty reasonable.

PITTSBURGH - I also have various impact sets from Harbor Freight Tools, they are very great as well and very cheap too, the only thing wrong with them is they skip some sizes such as 18mm but oh well I can just use an 11/16.

 

[shampoop]

Buy USA and spend a little more. I don't understand how mechancs, who must appreciate getting paid for their work, can go out and buy cheap **** tools just because they are cheap and not think about the China stamped on them.

I was looking at Cornwell site and saw this video, it is a little long and repetitive, but it makes the point very clear:

http://www.cornwelltools.com/Manufacturing/Manufacturing.php

These people need orders to work, and when they work they take their cars in to you to be fixed so you can in turn be paid. The offie staff, the workers, the people who build the machines they use. I don't understand it at all why people can't stick together and support their own economy when there is a choice.

I love buying USA tools when they're the best and not overpriced. Think channellock. But when it came time to buy some impact sockets I was having a VERY tough time finding any brand that sold the particular range I wanted. I wanted to completely fill my hansen socket trays and not skip any sizes. I know sounds like it's not a big deal right? Well almost NO brands could do this. I was also looking for a brand that's not a waste of your money like buying SO impact sockets (I have a ton of their other tools).

It just so happened that Sunex not only sold the exact set I was looking for, they also were one of the cheapest, best quality, and easiest to replace a single socket if I happened to lose one. They just happened to be made in taiwan. I remember watching a video about how sockets are made and guess what? Humans don't play much of a role if any in their production. So it's the same machines making them, they are just located in taiwan.

 

[Vinko]

There was a thread here about ones that used to be sold by Lowes or Home Depot made by Snap-On/Williams -- can't recall the name but I picked up a set of the 3/8th and they've been really good.

 

[Vinko]

Kobalt was the name was I was thinking of. While I haven't put them to the test, or abused them, they seem like a very good value to me.

 

[diesel research]

I love buying USA tools when they're the best and not overpriced. Think channellock. But when it came time to buy some impact sockets I was having a VERY tough time finding any brand that sold the particular range I wanted. I wanted to completely fill my hansen socket trays and not skip any sizes. I know sounds like it's not a big deal right? Well almost NO brands could do this. I was also looking for a brand that's not a waste of your money like buying SO impact sockets (I have a ton of their other tools).

It just so happened that Sunex not only sold the exact set I was looking for, they also were one of the cheapest, best quality, and easiest to replace a single socket if I happened to lose one. They just happened to be made in taiwan. I remember watching a video about how sockets are made and guess what? Humans don't play much of a role if any in their production. So it's the same machines making them, they are just located in taiwan.

+1 on all of it.

Quality comes before COO.

These americans will keep their jobs if I have any say in the matter.

The more "complete" sets have proven to be an additional benefit I had not planned on. That is corroded/damaged/cheap fasteners with offsize heads. On more than one occasion I have been able to step down a size or switch to metric/sae to complete the task. Given most convention sets that may have quite a gap between sizes, my next choice in smaller sockets would likely be way too small.

 

[Vinko]

These americans will keep their jobs if I have any say in the matter.

Nice link. Very cool.

I wouldn't buy any Sunex however. I think most of it *****, and I wouldn't waste time or money trying something out that I wasn't sure about. I don't know if US-made Williams is doing impacts, but I'd go that way or Armstrong or Proto. And like I said, those Kobalts are really good.

 

[Danglerb]

I need to get out to my garage first thing in the morning and check my impacts to be sure they are pretty enough to use. Maybe after breakfast....

Heavy users I usually point towards Grey Pneumatic, everybody else HF.