im always loosing sockets so i want to buy a huge kit but only sockets and rachets....dont need any wrenches....would like to have some deep wells too....any ideas becides craftsman??
CK5
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best value socket set..
- Thread starter twoslo4five0
- Start date
3 on the tree
1/2 ton status
I believe that Lowes and Home Depot both carry socket sets that have the same warranty as Craftsman.
yeah but the only problem with there kits is that if you buy a big one it comes with everything...i only want sockets...
I needed some sockets in a pinch a few years back and found out that the local AutoZone has these socket sets for an okay price. If I recall correctly they're either metric or standard, 6 sided or 12 sided, and include deepwell and regular size sockets. I only needed one particular deep socket but the price was about $4 more than just what the one socket cost so I figured why not?
Then again do you have any "used tools" retailers in your area? There used to be a place up here where sometimes you could get great stuff stupid cheap and other times general stuff at a decent price. If you were watching you could get a deal...if you just walked in the door you could still probably find what you needed at an okay price.
Then again do you have any "used tools" retailers in your area? There used to be a place up here where sometimes you could get great stuff stupid cheap and other times general stuff at a decent price. If you were watching you could get a deal...if you just walked in the door you could still probably find what you needed at an okay price.
we have the flea market and such but there is usually alot of junk....mabye i should look on ebay...
chrisb420
1/2 ton status
I was going to suggest ebay. Last year i bought 50 used 1/2 drive craftsman sockets for $45 shipped
I would go with the vato zone tools.
TeamRedneck
Registered Member
Look on ebay and you can get craftsman sets for next to nothing. I prefer MAC tools, and have bought many wrench/socket sets from ebay for half what the tool truck charges. My MAC rep get pissed 
Check your local pawn shops.
Craftsman is tough to beat on the "value" scale. Catch a sale and they are the same price as the "Made in China" brands.
Craftsman is tough to beat on the "value" scale. Catch a sale and they are the same price as the "Made in China" brands.
HF deep impact sockets. Good for anything less than professional desiel mechs, guarenteed for life (assuming you keep the receipt) and about $9-14 for the set. I haven't broke one yet even with looong cheater bars and the BFH.
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I'm with Jek, just go and grab a few Harbor Freight brand socket sets. I've got the same 3/8-1 1/4" deep wall impact that Jek mentions in my service truck and have beat the crap 'outa them with my IR Thunder gun and haven't broke one yet.
I also would third or fourth the Ebay idea. I have bought numerous Snap-On stuff on ebay for a good deal.
Get some HF sockets and come up with a Snap on, Mac, Matco, or Cornwell wratchets and you are good to go. Craftsman's PRO ratchets are nice, but not their cheap satin line. Stanley makes a decent ratchet too.
I also would third or fourth the Ebay idea. I have bought numerous Snap-On stuff on ebay for a good deal.
Get some HF sockets and come up with a Snap on, Mac, Matco, or Cornwell wratchets and you are good to go. Craftsman's PRO ratchets are nice, but not their cheap satin line. Stanley makes a decent ratchet too.
So are mine, and range from a 3/8" socket to a 1 1/4" socket.jekbrown said:all mine are 1/2" drive... but close enough.
Confedneck79K30
3/4 ton status
you guys got those HF sockets to last? i bought a set when i first started wrenching and broke 3 of them the first day with a short handle 1/2" ratchet... and if you only want sockets, buy the socket sets...
I know, you sell Snap On and a set of Impacts go for $250+ a set, so the thought of a cheap HF set that costs $20 lasting under heavy use is probably a little bothering.
Don't get me wrong, I like Snap-On as much or more than the next guy, my S-O dealer comes to my place every week and I buy from him, so I am no S-O hater or anything....
BUT!..... Is their stuff worth the money? Most of it...heck no... but I still buy it anyway for my set of tools in the shop. In my service truck I use cheaper stuff because franky.... they take more of a beating in the field and feel I can beat on cheap sockets instead of expensive stuff.
The HF Impact set that we are talking about is a good set. You broke a couple with a dinky ratchet? I honestly call bull, mainly because you sell top end tools for a living and need to protect the price and quality of said hi end products. You may have broke a few by hand, but I can't seem to split mine with an adapter and a 3/4" air gun.....
Don't take this the wrong way man, I'm honestly not criticizing or degrading the quality of Snap-On, but I honestly can't imagine a person being able to break ANY brand impact sockets with a short hand wratchet that were not defective or somehow broken before hand.
Don't get me wrong, I like Snap-On as much or more than the next guy, my S-O dealer comes to my place every week and I buy from him, so I am no S-O hater or anything....
BUT!..... Is their stuff worth the money? Most of it...heck no... but I still buy it anyway for my set of tools in the shop. In my service truck I use cheaper stuff because franky.... they take more of a beating in the field and feel I can beat on cheap sockets instead of expensive stuff.
The HF Impact set that we are talking about is a good set. You broke a couple with a dinky ratchet? I honestly call bull, mainly because you sell top end tools for a living and need to protect the price and quality of said hi end products. You may have broke a few by hand, but I can't seem to split mine with an adapter and a 3/4" air gun.....
Don't take this the wrong way man, I'm honestly not criticizing or degrading the quality of Snap-On, but I honestly can't imagine a person being able to break ANY brand impact sockets with a short hand wratchet that were not defective or somehow broken before hand.
TeamRedneck
Registered Member
Harbor frieght impacts are so god damn thick you cant get them on half the stuff you need to. They shouldnt break they weight like a pound each. A lot of the cheap farmers I work for have lots of harbor freight, they are just to damn old fashioned to spend money. Since i started turning wrench for a livin 2 years ago, ive tossed all my craftsman/harbor freight into boxes at my home. Personally i like MAC, then matco, then cornwell. Im tellin you guys man ebay!! Half price on mac/matco/snapoff/cornhole.
I'll second the Ebay mention. Picked up a 30mm/27mm S&K wrench for like $15 delivered on there. Thing's in great shape and beats any of the local places by at least $5!
i think the question one has to ask themself is whether or not they are a professional wrench guy... and whether or not they are gonna use a biiiiiig impact gun with the thing. Like I mentioned before, I don't have a good impact gun... so the most ft/lbs I can put on a socket is when I put my big 1/2" drive ratchet on there and a 4' piece of pipe on the end of that... then beat on the end of the pipe with a BFH. I've yet to meet the bolt on my k5 that wouldn't come loose that way. The only one I can imagine that wouldn't would be a kingpin. For everything else, the HF impact sockets work great. Hell, for 20% of the cost of a set of Snapon sockets, you could prolly get 5 sets of the HF ones. If you break one, just grab one of the other 4 of the same size.
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Confedneck79K30
3/4 ton status
ehh rj, yer right...... they werent HF brand, they were "pittsburgh" that they sell at HF.... and i wasnt trying to protect the brand, just mentioning that it aint all the same quality at HF... i think maybe they have their one line better than the other....??
Nope, Pittsburg is their line of tools.Confedneck79K30 said:
