My son is wanting to build his tool collection, and I wanted to get him a decent assortment of impact sockets. Some of the kits he showed me are Chrome Vanadium. I've never owned any, but the ones at HF seem to have really thin walls and just look like painted standard sockets. Should I just stick with all CrMo?
CrMo vs CrV impact sockets
- Thread starter N Heat
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I would shy away from Harbor Freight. Get good ones.
I have some sets of Williams impacts. Excellent quality. They no longer sell direct, but the prices are OK on Amazon.
If you‘re on a tight budget, Sunex are made in Taiwan and have served me well. Available on Amazon.
I have some sets of Williams impacts. Excellent quality. They no longer sell direct, but the prices are OK on Amazon.
If you‘re on a tight budget, Sunex are made in Taiwan and have served me well. Available on Amazon.
I have impact sockets from northern tool. Klutch brand, they have been great. I've had mine a few years so I can't tell you about current pricing.
HF has several supplier's for the same product often. If you can find the made in Taiwan sockets they are good.
Not for professional use...these would just be for working on personal vehicles, tractor implements, trailers, ATVs, etc
Some of the best impacts are labeled Cr-V but in reality some companies like Hazet and others use a slightly different alloy than hand sockets, the difference is very small. IMO Williams and Tekton are probably the value. Check out the materials used in the sockets.
www.tekton.com
www.tekton.com
Chromium-Molybdenum or Chromium-Vanadium Steel? | TEKTON
Chromium-molybdenum (also called chrome molybdenum, chrome moly, or Cr-Mo) and chromium-vanadium (also called chrome vanadium or Cr-V) are names for two families of steel alloys used in hand tool manufacturing. Which one is better? When properly manufactured and heat treated, they are chemically...
1/2 Inch Drive Deep 6-Point Impact Socket Set (17-Piece) | TEKTON | SID92305
Includes: 5/16 - 1-1/4 inch (SAE) 6-point deep sockets. High-visibility laser etched size marking and a permanent stamped size marking. No skipped sizes. SID92305.
Same here, no problems with the Klutch Cr-Mo though I wish they also had sizes stamped on them instead of only laser etched.
I did get a couple redundant sizes for lug nuts, that were Harbor Freight Cr-V, haven't had any problem using them for that. The black phosphate finish looks really grainy and crude, but that also lets me identify them quick.
The Cr-V sockets I bought from AutoZone (Duralast) are built like a tank. Not only do they regularly put up with the extreme torque my Astro 1894 puts out but they've held up to repeated sledgehammering to get swollen lug nuts unstuck. Hard to beat their lifetime warranty but you'll likely never have to use it (except on the swivel socket, I always manage to break that one). I also have some Lexivon Cr-V impact extensions that have held up very well.
I went with the Capri tools 3/8 SAE and metric. I'm donating him some Northern tool 1/2. The Capri are CrMo and it's nice they don't skip any sizes. Right around $30 per set. There's a bunch of good reviews on Youtube and they have lifetime warranty.
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When I am repairing something and I need a special tool I try Oreilly first since it is closest to me and if they don't have it I go to the local HF. Most of them work for the job that I have.
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You won’t be disappointed with those Capri. I love my Capri impact sockets. Very nice and well built for the money. A tip for the future is if you buy them directly from Capri you will get rewards points towards other purchases. Same with Tekton.
I went with a similar 1/2" drive crmo socket set with a life time warranty from canadian tire. I will never wear them out, and hammer or grind them for whatever job I need them for. I put flats on a deep one to tighten the strut top nut while putting a 3/8 extension with a socket on it, to hold the strut shaft from rotating... There is still so much meat on the ground socket that my impacts will never split it... Maybe a 800ftlb+ one would but I don't have one that strong.
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Wow. That was fast. I ordered them last night and they just arrived. For the most part, they are what I expected. The fit and finish is good and I like that the sizes are etched and stamped. They seem to be on the shallow side of shallow, which is good. Even with a 1/2 to 3/8 reducer, they are still approx 1" shorter than a deep socket. The walls are a little thinner than I hoped, but I'm sure they will be fine. I didn't even pay attention to them not coming with a blow molded case, but no biggie.
Thanks Trav for the useful info. I read this explanation from Capri Tools that appears to differ from what Tekton says about steels for impact tools.Some of the best impacts are labeled Cr-V but in reality some companies like Hazet and others use a slightly different alloy than hand sockets, the difference is very small. IMO Williams and Tekton are probably the value. Check out the materials used in the sockets.
View attachment 118976
Chromium-Molybdenum or Chromium-Vanadium Steel? | TEKTON
Chromium-molybdenum (also called chrome molybdenum, chrome moly, or Cr-Mo) and chromium-vanadium (also called chrome vanadium or Cr-V) are names for two families of steel alloys used in hand tool manufacturing. Which one is better? When properly manufactured and heat treated, they are chemically...1/2 Inch Drive Deep 6-Point Impact Socket Set (17-Piece) | TEKTON | SID92305
Includes: 5/16 - 1-1/4 inch (SAE) 6-point deep sockets. High-visibility laser etched size marking and a permanent stamped size marking. No skipped sizes. SID92305.
The Difference Between Chrome Vanadium and Chrome Molybdenum
Most people probably assume all chrome is the same, but there are essential differences between the types of chrome — chrome vanadium and chrome molybdenum — used for crafting hand tools. It’s a good idea to learn more about these two types of chrome. Expanding your knowledge will help you make...
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