How Often Are Deep Well Sockets Used In Auto Repair

Mechanic Socket Set: How Many Sockets Do You Really Need?

Walk down the alley of your favorite home improvement store and you can get a mechanic socket gear up with 40 pieces or 400 pieces. How many do you lot really need?

10-Second Summary

DIYers can get away with a basic 3/eight″ and 1/2″ socket set and add sizes as you demand them
Pros can hands accept 400, 500, or more pieces including:
3 drive sizes: 1/4″, iii/eight″, and 1/ii″
Standard, stubby, long handle, and flex head ratchets
Extensions
Metric and SAE
Torx and E-Torx
Impact sockets

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Where To Start?

DIYers

As a DIYer, your mechanic socket set up doesn't need to be nearly equally comprehensive every bit a Pros. Start with a 3/viii″ and 1/2″ socket set that doesn't use a ton of hex wrenches every bit filler. You tin get started for less than $100.

From there, add pieces as you lot demand them for the vehicle(s) you're working on. Over time, you'll build a nice fix where each piece has a purpose and a story.

Pros

Ratchets

The vast majority of what you'll demand to turn with a socket volition involve a 1/4″, three/8″, or 1/2″ drive anvil on your ratchet. They all cover a unlike range of socket sizes. You'll see some overlap betwixt them, so you'll end up with the same size sockets on unlike ratchets.

Pros will need at least one of each size since you lot'll come across a wide range of fasteners to use them on.

However, that's the absolute bare minimum. You're also going to demand ratchets with stubby handles, long handles, and flex heads to embrace all of your bases.

Yous'll appreciate the extra leverage that a longer handle provides, and the flex heads and stubby handles can assist yous go into spaces that standard ratchets tin can't.

While nosotros're on the subject of hard-to-reach places, you're going to need extensions for each of your bulldoze shaft sizes. Since sockets won't fit absolutely everywhere, you might throw a decent ready of ratcheting wrenches on your shopping list as well.

Ratcheting Wrench Sets: Why Everyone Loves Them

Socket Sets

Rather than the whole globe adopting one standard for measuring socket sizes, we have 2 sets of standards: SAE and Metric. You'll run into both these standards quite often and you'll want both sets for each of your drive sizes. Don't forget some deep well sockets for longer bolts.

Some manufacturers similar to become fancy and utilise Torx designs. Add together Torx and E-Torx sockets to the listing.

Sockets aren't just for ratchets. You'll want to have a good ready of touch-rated sockets on hand for your bear on wrench. While the failure of a chrome socket isn't as explosive as some people claim, they definitely don't hold up in an bear on tool as well.

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Terminal Thoughts

As a new mechanic, information technology's mind-boggling to realize how many pieces y'all need for your mechanic socket set. It'southward what makes those all-in-one sets wait so nice… and intimidatingly expensive.

We're advocates of non signing away your first year's pay on premium tools. You can get the chore done with a master mechanic socket fix from Home Depot or Lowe's for a quarter of the cost or less. Those premium tools are nice to accept but slice them together as yous accept the greenbacks to pay for them instead of existence a slave to debt.

You'll find Chris behind the scenes at Shop Tool Reviews. When he doesn't have his hands on tools himself, he's oft the human being backside the camera lens making the rest of the team look good. In his costless time, you might detect Chris with his nose jammed in a volume, or tearing out his remaining hair while watching Liverpool FC. He enjoys his faith, family, friends, and the Oxford comma.