Standard (Imperial) or Metric Sockets?

[rharr]

Forgot to mention socket with clear large etched sizes (preferably painted and etched) are a great bonus when looking for new sockets. As I get older my cheap craftsmen sockets with barely etched sizes gets harder and harder to read in bad garage light.

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[aFatBird]

Being a former ASE certified mechanic, I have a lot of expensive tools in my box. I also have a lot of cheap stuff. You’ll find what works for some doesn’t work for others. Start cheap, and if you’re breaking them then it’s time to upgrade to better equipment. SAE is almost nonexistent on cars these days, but a lot of aftermarket parts do use them.

I love my snap on tools but some cheaper brands get you 90% of the quality for 30% the price.

 

[Camaroboi13]

I love my snap on tools but some cheaper brands get you 90% of the quality for 30% the price.

I agree 100% with that. I used to be a brand whore but nowadays my box is filled with whatever gets the job done.

 

[aFatBird]

I agree 100% with that. I used to be a brand whore but nowadays my box is filled with whatever gets the job done.

I've got a mix of snap on and matco all the way down to husky and no name Amazon brands. All depends on how much you use each tool. One time jobs can get a one time tool. Tools you use all the time deserve a little extra coin

 

[Blade1668]

Buy what ever brand of tool truck ones you want if you want to send that company's kids to college.
Otherwise H.F., H.D. Lowe's branded work well enough for home use. This dead horse is beat already. I've spent stupid amount of money on name brand tools, along with a lot less for many H.F. tools, and have only worn out a few. Spending $100.00-150.00 vs $300.00 and up. Few years ago I got a torque wrench from H.D. less than 1/3 what big name companies. It was calibrated and cert for it. Sometimes the highly regarded are trash. A certain router I bought comes to mind. It burned out routing 3/16 groove in light wood 2×2s. It was replaced with a Bauer router that has been ran hard so far and done 5 times as much without failing. I could have bought 4-5 of it with what the other one cost.

 

[pharmfrank]

I'd like to suggest visiting lots of yard and or garage sales for used stuff, it's been my experience
that quality varies even among well known and established brands, the result of mergers and
acquisitions I'm guessing. That said, Harbor Freight is a good option for price/quality, even stuff
made in Taiwan or China etc can be good if the standards are high. But yes I'd start with metric
with the realization you'll need SAE as well, personally I have a mix of many brands and have
broken a few, no such thing as 'bullet proof', find me a mechanic who hasn't used a 'cheater' bar.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Forgot to mention socket with clear large etched sizes (preferably painted and etched) are a great bonus when looking for new sockets. As I get older my cheap craftsmen sockets with barely etched sizes gets harder and harder to read in bad garage light.

Yeah, and if you rearrange the top of the tool box where the sockets are, remember which row is now metric........... ugh. Muscle memory still reaches for the metric to be in a different row!

Start small............

 

[whiteglad]

some metric and SAE sizes are very close, and I choose whichever I find first:
8 mm vs. 5/16"
11 mm vs. 7/16"
16 mm vs. 5/8"
19 mm vs. 3/4"
24 mm vs. 15/16"
in some other sizes, one will be somewhat tight or loose, but can be used if the bolt head is worn, or you are turning but not trying to get it real tight, etc.

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