1/2 drive deep sockets

[HangFire]

I can tell you my limited suspension work went very easy with a $25 set of Stanley impact sockets and a cordless 1/2" impact wrench. Places where it was impossible to get a breaker bar and cheater to loosen tight nuts came off no problem.

If it was me and on a certain budget, I'd spend the money on a good impact wrench first and get budget sockets or shop around for some higher quality used ones.

This is the common sentiment on that other tool-oriented site. For low hour home users, cheap impacts are good enough, even for big jobs. Once you are hammering on them daily, time to move up.

I have a real mish-mash of brands for 1/2", but for 3/8" the costs are not so steep, so I have complete Master SAE and Metric sets of Sunex, which are made of the proper Cr-Mo steel for the job. Supposedly they are the OEM for some of the biggest truck brands. So, that is my recommendation.

This thread has made me think. I finally picked up an Aircat 1150 on an Amazon price dip. Do I really want to put a cheap Cr-V socket on that beast when I need it the most? Time to start pricing the Sunex Master 1/2" sets...

 

[Trav]

I can tell you my limited suspension work went very easy with a $25 set of Stanley impact sockets and a cordless 1/2" impact wrench. Places where it was impossible to get a breaker bar and cheater to loosen tight nuts came off no problem.

If it was me and on a certain budget, I'd spend the money on a good impact wrench first and get budget sockets or shop around for some higher quality used ones.

Stanley is a strange company, in Germany they are still well regarded with much of their line being made in the USA. I have a set of Stanley impact sockets and a micro head ratchet some years ago that are US made, they are Proto branded in the US and very good quality and not cheap.
It seems they are maintaining a well known name with quality tools instead of introducing a lesser known (there anyway) brand like Proto.

 

[Astro14]

Proto makes excellent tools. As you say, they’re not cheap.

I’ve got a couple sets of Sunex impact sockets. Bought when budget was a concern. They’ve performed very well.

 

[Trav]

Sunex impacts are a great value, yes they hold up well. Genius is another Taiwan brand that has some decent impact stuff.
I bought some SAE impacts from Genius as I don't use them often, they have held up okay for a $50 set.

 

[AutoMechanic]

I agree on the Sunex impacts as well. Most of my impacts are Pittsburgh Pro they have done fine for me. I’ve got a Snap-on impact socket that I found. I also have a lot of Grey Pneumatic impacts which seem to be doing very well.

 

[Trav]

I don't know about them today but Grey Pneumatic made some real good stuff, I have air chisel bits from them and they have lasted well.

 

[demarpaint]

I agree on the Sunex impacts as well. Most of my impacts are Pittsburgh Pro they have done fine for me. I’ve got a Snap-on impact socket that I found. I also have a lot of Grey Pneumatic impacts which seem to be doing very well.

Tekton makes decent impact sockets as well.

 

[spasm3]

This is the common sentiment on that other tool-oriented site. For low hour home users, cheap impacts are good enough, even for big jobs. Once you are hammering on them daily, time to move up.

I have a real mish-mash of brands for 1/2", but for 3/8" the costs are not so steep, so I have complete Master SAE and Metric sets of Sunex, which are made of the proper Cr-Mo steel for the job. Supposedly they are the OEM for some of the biggest truck brands. So, that is my recommendation.

This thread has made me think. I finally picked up an Aircat 1150 on an Amazon price dip. Do I really want to put a cheap Cr-V socket on that beast when I need it the most? Time to start pricing the Sunex Master 1/2" sets...

While some of northern tool's tools are not that great, their cro-mo 1/2 impact sockets are good. I have the deep and shallow and I like them.
The smaller size deep sockets are not as fat as the cheaper ones and fit well in tight spots. This tells me they are made of decent metal. I use them on my air cat 1150, and I have not broken or cracked one yet.

 

[AutoMechanic]

Tekton makes decent impact sockets as well.

I agree. I don’t have any of them but my coworkers do and they like them.

 

[demarpaint]

I agree. I don’t have any of them but my coworkers do and they like them.

I have two sets, one in SAE the other in metric. IMO they're quite good for the money.

 

[AutoMechanic]

I don't know about them today but Grey Pneumatic made some real good stuff, I have air chisel bits from them and they have lasted well.

Yeah mine are a few years old. Made in Taiwan seem to be holding up nice.

 

[AutoMechanic]

I have two sets, one in SAE the other in metric. IMO they're quite good for the money.

Yeah the closest place to me that sells them is Rural King and that’s 40 miles away so next time I’m there I might get one or two that I don’t have yet.

 

[demarpaint]

Yeah the closest place to me that sells them is Rural King and that’s 40 miles away so next time I’m there I might get one or two that I don’t have yet.

Check out their website. They have good pricing, free shipping if you create an account, and a decent rewards program. They ship fast too.

 

[AutoMechanic]

Check out their website. They have good pricing, free shipping if you create an account, and a decent rewards program. They ship fast too.

Cool I will check them out then. They have great tools I have one of their screwdrivers and it is great. USA made too.