Favourite/preferred brand and drive sizes of socket set.

darth sidious

darth sidious

New Member
I understand there's a "Tool Corner" section, but feel this would not be totally in keeping with that part!

What are your favourite/preferred brand and drive sizes when it comes to socket sets?

On this topic, I've always wondered what's the reason behind the 3/8" drive size, seeing that the higher end (12,13,14mm - that's 7/16", 1/2", and 9/16" for you, Harvey! :LOL: ) of the 1/4" drive overlap significantly with the lower end of the 1/2" drive?
 
I have all three drive sizes, I use the half inch for heavy duty work such as engines and suspensions where access is easy, and the smaller ones for getting into awkward little places, the big one is Halfords, their own brand tools are good quality, and the small one Kamasa.
 
1/4 " Kamasa for small stuff, regular stuff I use an 6 point Britool 3/8" drive, then I have a huge miscellany of 1/2" drive which I rarely use. I find 1/2" too cumbersome and has a lack of feeling for most modern car work, Old stuff like pre war and American usually deserves 1/2" due to the agricultural nature. I also have a Metrinch set for knackered nuts, a small Vortex set for long studding, and a six point impact set for my air impact wrench. A breaker bar/impact socket and a BFH is the last resort, but often reached for.......... :oops:


John.
 
I have a Facom 6 point 1/4 drive Metric set and Snap-On 12 point deep and shallow Inch sized sockets to go with it.
I have a Beta 6 point 3/8 drive set in Metric and a mix of Palmera and Snap-On in shallow Inch sizes.
My Metric 1/2 drive set was lent to an ex-mate who absconded with it and my Metric combination wrenches, and
I have an "as required" collection of 1/2 Metric and Inch sockets for specific applications and a few others in 3/4 drive.
For my daily work in aviation, I find my 3/8 drive Snap-Ons can handle most tasks and anything bigger than 1 1/16 inch
is in the realm of special tools and supplied by the company.
 
DaveHerns said:
Do they still make Hilka ? 1/2" drive set bought in about 1973 and still going strong except the ratchet
Click to expand...
Same here except mine was about 1984. The T-bar died as well as the ratchet, but only after considerable wellie.
 
A Hilka set is part of my 1/2" miscellany, circa about 1975, when I was an apprentice. The Ratchet still works but is a bit rattley, (ever since I found a rogue fitter using it in conjunction with a hammer, my reaction got me a stern warning from the Foreman, apparently oiks are not meant to shake skilled men gently by the throat :LOL: ) Hilka was good cheap apprentice kit back in the day, but for big stuff it was Britool all the way. Stahlwille was creeping in as it was lighter but I found the sockets brittle.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top