1/4" socket set

[jmb3675]

My favorite 1/4 drive set is my Snap-on 44pc set. It was $500 on sale though. I use it all the time at home.

I have pretty much the same Craftsman set that is OK too. The sockets are great but the ratchet that came with the set was horrible. I replaced it with a craftsman fine tooth ratchet, which I like a lot better. They say it is not as durable but it's 15 years old and has never had a problem. The fine tooth works much better in tight spaces too.

I also have a Husky set that was made in Taiwan. Being made in Taiwan I normally wouldn't have bought it, but I was camping with friends and the alternator went out on their camper. We went to town and got an over priced alternator but the only store that had decent tools, besides the over priced parts store, was Home Depot. It is a 3/8 and 1/4 drive set with standard/metric and seep/shallow sockets. It was only $60 and is a really nice set for the price. I keep it in the trunk of my car for emergencies now. I use this set often when I go to the U-pull yards.

 

[Y_K]

Originally Posted By: Trav
All my Stahlwille and Hazet have QR.
I said useless to me, i have nerve damage in my hand from an accident and cant get the friggin sockets off so easy.

Sorry, did not mean to offend you. I value your professional opinion. And I am not a mechanic on top of it.

You may like PB Swiss ratcheting drivers, very easy to work one-handed.

An SK kit I also bought recently had very nice modern sockets, with this efficient snapon profile everybody else is copycatting. Yet, they still have too many QA issues: I had to warranty a few of the sockets (3 out of 40). And those problems were real, not my nitpicking. On top of that their ratchets are outdated to put it mildly. No QR, and you have to hold the driver to make the directional switch work. Sure, re-lubing and all the disassembly-reassembly helps, but they are still weird. Sturdy and fine tooth though.

I am impressed by old-fashioned 3/8 and 1/2 round ratchets from Wright Tool

 

[Trav]

No problem YK. The XP ratchet looks great its just a pain for me to get the sockets off.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Y_K

An SK kit I ... still have too many QA issues: I had to warranty a few of the sockets (3 out of 40).

...

On top of that their ratchets are outdated to put it mildly. No QR, and you have to hold the driver to make the directional switch work.
...
I am impressed by old-fashioned 3/8 and 1/2 round ratchets from Wright Tool


A few questions:

What was the matter with your SK set? I had one mislabeled impact socket in an SK set I bought earlier in the year, but otherwise they were great and solid. Curious what was the matter?

Also, you say the SK design is outdated and dont like its operation/ergonomics... Yet the Wright one looks nearly the same. So what's with the liking of the Wright while disliking the SK?

Just curious...

 

[Y_K]

It's nearly impossible to switch the direction with just one flick of a finger of the same hand on SK. No such problem with Wright.
Wright Tool head internals are quite different from SK even though they look the same. Very durable and easy to put back in with Wright and not so easy on SK.
On the 9/16 socket numeral 9 did not print at all, and that is not a problem. The problem is that QA missed that. Similar story on 11mm deep socket, but it also had some rust inside. 1/4 to 3/8 adapter has simple metrology issue, one needed to use pliers to get it unstuck. Half of the sockets' inside surface are on par with the best tools out there, and the other half had assortment of issues. Some are OK, no biggie when the silver paint is splattered here and there all over inside and outside of the socket, but some had visible rust inside. Looks like they are still having 'old stock' syndrome. Time to sort it out. It's been a few years now.
All in all, SK is a great value for a lot of folks without tool truck budgets, but some shops in Taiwan offer even better value and terrific quality. So, if I support domestic jobs, I expect them to wake up and start actually working.
SK ratchets (and bought extra ones of different lengths to compliment the present)are fine tooth and the ratcheting mechanism works smoothly. I simply wouldn't bother to rebuild them, when their time is up. There is a good clip on Youtube from SK on how to open and rebuild them.

 

[michaelluscher]

I've been very happy with my dads older SK round heads, fiddling with the hard to reverse lever notwithstanding.

Best $18 I ever spent was for the HF pro line Composite ratchets. Butter smooth (would be better if packed with good lube), stupid light, doesn't hurt paint, and doesn't hurt to use in the cold.

 

[Y_K]

Originally Posted By: michaelluscher
I've been very happy with my dads older SK round heads, fiddling with the hard to reverse lever notwithstanding.

Best $18 I ever spent was for the HF pro line Composite ratchets. Butter smooth (would be better if packed with good lube), stupid light, doesn't hurt paint, and doesn't hurt to use in the cold.

Some understandably hate it when the switch is too easy to activate by mistake..
SK wrenches offer great value IMO. And some HF tools are outstanding.