sockets

GERMAN ROCKS

what are good sockets sets eg would teng and king tony be good. also whats the fifference between metric and the other type

Ginja Ninja

I persoanlly prefer Teng[I like the way the boxes look] and they stand up to a decent bit of stepping/driving over for plastic.But it's all steel,it doesn't really matter which brand you go for.

There is no difference between Imperial[fractions] and Metrice[mm] except that back in the good ol' days before the metric system we used inches as the measurement[sort of like pounds being replaced by Kilo's] so 1/2" became 13mm,3/4" became 19mm.
A handy way to work is 25 is 1" so work your fractions from that,as far as I know they rounds up the in-between bits you get[that's why 13 is a half inch,instead of 12.5mm]

GERMAN ROCKS

bu theres two different types of sockets eg

a 6 point and 12 point set. whats the difference and which are better.

Claasman

GERMAN ROCKS wrote: »

bu theres two different types of sockets eg

a 6 point and 12 point set. whats the difference and which are better.

Are you on about single hex or multi hex? Single hex is handy for rusted on nuts as you get more of a grip on the nut and its less likely to slip. Its also a stronger socket as there is more metal around the outside. Multi hex just means more options on where to put the socket on. A good get will come with all sizes in multi hex and the important sizes in single hex. I hope that answers your question?

GERMAN ROCKS

i ended up buying britool sockets. they were €160 for a 56 set. they have a lifetime gaurentee. are they a good make or how do ye find them

vincenzolorenzo

Ginja Ninja wrote: »

so 1/2" became 13mm,3/4" became 19mm.
A handy way to work is 25 is 1" so work your fractions from that,as far as I know they rounds up the in-between bits you get[that's why 13 is a half inch,instead of 12.5mm]

This isn't actually the case though. 1/2" is not the same as 13mm, its actually 12.7mm so a 13 will slip on a tight 1/2" nut. While the metric and imperial sizes are very similar in a lot of cases they're not suite the same so you're better off getting a socket/spanner set that has a mixture of both types

kfk

I bought a Dargan half inch socket set before the euro came out. Cost about 70 Irish pounds. The set is still perfect. Also bought a Dargan 3/4 inch set for 180 euro a few years ago. Great quality IMO. Having said that I have seen them selling cheaper tools targeting the DIY market and they are a pile of crap!

http://www.dargantools.com/

Email them for stockists in your area. Worth a look.

JohnBoy

Ok,

There's a huge difference between metric and imperial. there are some sizes that are almost identical, but for tight or corroded fixngs the correct sized socket should always be used.

Generally six point is better than 12 point as they work more on the flats of the bolts and will be far less likely to round a rusty fixing, but the flipside of this is that sometimes it's easier to hammer a 12 point onto an already damaged head. I'd buy 6 points first and if needs be a set of 12 pointers down the line. you will also occasionally (very occasionally) come up against 12 point nuts, where obviously the 12 point sockets are kinda handy.

For a starter set you really will struggle to do better than the halfords professional range, They come with a lifetime warranty, and are reasonably priced. more importantly when on special offer they're excellently priced.

add in a cheapish 3/4 drive set for big nuts on tractors and you're pretty much good to go.

in my experience teng is overpriced muck, I've broken more teng sockets and spanners than anything else.