OP
1/2" vs 3/8" Drive Sockets & Ratchets
- Thread starter TJim
- Start date
MountaineerTom
LJ Enthusiast, Retired USAF Weapons Loader
Supporting Member
Ride of the Month Winner
I have this set in my Jeep right now. Seems decent. If it gets used at TJFest I’ll report thoughts. It’s new to me. Also got their Metric and SAE wrench rolls.
OP
Cool! I think I'm going to go with Tekton! I'm waiting for your thoughts! Have fun
No huge disrespect, my family came from a LONG line of Cornish miners who came to America to mine Gold in Colorado.Well of course our engineering makes sense we've been at since before America happened!
The first steam engines used in Cornwall were designed by Devon men, Thomas Savery (c.1650-1715) and THOMAS NEWCOMEN (1663/4-1729), and were operating in the county by 1702 and 1720 respectively.
(I wasn't going to rise to the bait but.........)
The Cornish engine is something to behold.
BUT, is a British 3/8" BSW different than a SAE. 3/8" ?
It seems that the world went metric or stayed SAE.
Whitworth? well.... ?
But here again, you know how break away from the Crown Colonies can get.
I have several tekton torque wrenches and a socket set. They seem solid for the price range. Better than the husky stuff from big box.
Shropshirewrangler
TJ Enthusiast
It's taken me a while to decide how to respond to your vile aspersions without resorting to sarcasm (which, as we all know, is "The lowest form of wit and the highest intelligence".An old boss of mine, an ex-mechanic, always said "Give an Englishman 1,000 pounds of metal, and he'll think of 2,000 stupid things to do with it!"
I present this as exhibit A.
Bugger - with a name like Heath Robinson how can this chap not be American?
Back to the drawing board
We have a saying that I do not know whether it translates to them across the pond- Even a blind pig finds an acorn now and then. So while some of your early brethren may have managed to contrive a nice way to live underground, whatever benefit that may have delivered, we need to balance that against the misery foisted up automobile enthusiasts who have been forced to embrace the antics of Lucas. The common sentiment that the English drink warm beer because Lucas does their refrigeration is not that far off the mark. That and who the hell tries to hit a fucking baseball after it hits the ground? What thought that was a good idea?It's taken me a while to decide how to respond to your vile aspersions without resorting to sarcasm (which, as we all know, is "The lowest form of wit and the highest intelligence".
I present this as exhibit A.
View attachment 246654
Bugger - with a name like Heath Robinson how can this chap not be American?
Back to the drawing board
Shropshirewrangler
TJ Enthusiast
Warm beer simply tastes better than any lager in a temperate climate - fact.
Your reference to baseball is just not cricket.
I'll give you your Lucas point, I've played with British, mostly Ford (remind me, where is Ford based?) cars for many years.
Same here, plus most after market parts are SAE. Drives me crazy going between the two when working on one thing.
The Whitworth system, what a fucking joke! I used to work on old Triumph's and they were Whitworth.
If you think a 12mm head fastener takes a 13mm wrench and it doesn't fit, do you lament your dumbness for not being able to tell the size or just go get a smaller wrench? Point is that it makes no difference what size something is as long as there is a commonly available tool to use on it. The numbers are just to keep track, nothing else.
Last edited:
True I guess having both SAE and metric gives you more size options. Most of the time I don’t know if a bolt is metric or SAE so just try various ones to get the best fit.
For the majority of hex head fasteners, they are marked with a grade stamp. SAE has radially arranged lines of some number and Metric has a number, 8.8, 10.9 etc., so I check that before heading to snag a tool.
Somehow "Ford, Prince of Darkness" just doesn't have the same ring to it.Warm beer simply tastes better than any lager in a temperate climate - fact.
Your reference to baseball is just not cricket.
I'll give you your Lucas point, I've played with British, mostly Ford (remind me, where is Ford based?) cars for many years.
A little late to the game but I suggest 3/8 first. With that you can tackle anything on the TJ with the exception of suspension and axles.
Regarding brands, you get more than what you pay when buying Tekton. It is extremely good for the price point. However I have not been able to find a local dealer in my area. I have not had to use it but from what I have read I over on garagejournal.com their warranty process is great.
Regarding new Craftsman tools, there are high hopes that their new owners will bring more of the manufacturing back to the US. However, if I were choosing today between them and any other low cost import set, I think I would look at Harbor Freight. My rational is that they HF tools have come up dramatically in quality, are reasonable in cost (they are a little too proud of their Icon line), it is readily available in my area, and have the same no questions asked exchange policy on hand tools.
If anyone is looking for tool related advice, there is mountain of it available on garagejournal.com
Regarding brands, you get more than what you pay when buying Tekton. It is extremely good for the price point. However I have not been able to find a local dealer in my area. I have not had to use it but from what I have read I over on garagejournal.com their warranty process is great.
Regarding new Craftsman tools, there are high hopes that their new owners will bring more of the manufacturing back to the US. However, if I were choosing today between them and any other low cost import set, I think I would look at Harbor Freight. My rational is that they HF tools have come up dramatically in quality, are reasonable in cost (they are a little too proud of their Icon line), it is readily available in my area, and have the same no questions asked exchange policy on hand tools.
If anyone is looking for tool related advice, there is mountain of it available on garagejournal.com
MecahnicNamedJohn would certainly agree with you.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=67850
That's pretty neat that he was able to get a toolbox that is color-coordinated with the Kool-Aid he drank...