SAE tools

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I recently moved all of my SAE (Inch) tools into one (now)croweded drawer. Seems I never use them anymore. All my car projects are metric. Seemed a shame to move my prized SK Lectrolite combo wrenches to the seldom used drawer, but time marches on.
 
Get you some vintage lawn mowers to tinker with.
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
I still get older cars in my shop to work on. Put a water pump on a 46 Hudson super 6 a week ago.


That's cool!
 
SAE stuff is still handy for home stuff. What if you need to tighten some 7/16 nuts or something?


I guess some view many metric and SAE sizes as overlapped and interchangeable. Ive never tried to do so.
 
I only use SAE on my mower and home repairs.

SAE tools are also super common and cheaper on places like ebay and flea markets. My SAE tools are a hodgepodge of cheaper tools bought used.
 
I have several old Craftsman SAE tools, but I have premium metric tools, because the cars I work on are all metric.

At one time when I was thinking of restoring an older RV, I reconsidered because they weren't in metric, and most of my auto tools are metric. I decided that eventually I will save up more money, and buy a newer RV, either a Winnebago Rialta, Winnebago Vista, or Itasca Sunstar that is based on a VW.
 
Anyone who has a boat or trailer of any kind regardless of year knows SAE tools are a must.
 
Like redbone3, I just finished relegating my SAE wrenches and sockets to bottom drawers and my secondary chest to make room for more Metrics. Besides old cars, tractors, OPE, plumbing, air hoses and tools, construction (I have a bunch of 3/4-10x6 nuts and bolts from a deck project), lug nuts, and any number of legacy fittings on modern stuff, I can't get rid of my SAE tools.

It kills me to see nice SAE wrench and socket sets going unsold or for cheap on ebay when I'm bidding twice as much for the equivalent Metric set, but that's why, everyone else is bidding on the Metric too. Sometimes I dream of replacing my old SAE tools with gleaming new wrenches and sockets on the cheap... but I have so much already, I can't justify spending another penny for SAE tools. Unless, of course, I buy an old car. Then it's game on!
 
Is the US finally going to metric? We did that in the '70's. We get European built tractors coming in at work, but they have names like John Deere and Case, and most of the stuff on them is SAE. That must be really frustrating for the companies that make them, designed and built there, but having to retool for outdated fasteners.
 
Originally Posted By: Silk
Is the US finally going to metric? We did that in the '70's. We get European built tractors coming in at work, but they have names like John Deere and Case, and most of the stuff on them is SAE. That must be really frustrating for the companies that make them, designed and built there, but having to retool for outdated fasteners.


A quick look at US eBay's tool listings tell the story. Metric tools go for more money and sell more often than SAE.

There are a lot of legacy SAE things around, brake line sizes, auto wheel sizes, lug nuts. But the average nut or bolt on a US auto is Metric and has been for 20 or more years now.
 
I use mine mostly on my old lawn equip. It is great using a 1/2" on my sit down or the equally old Ariens snow blower. But I started wrenching on Bugs when I was a kid I just bought a basic metric socket and wrench set from Craftsman back around 1970. I still have several of the original tools.
 
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