On Sale or Not, Socket Wrenches are Manly
Feb 20th, 2008 by Alex
There’s something uniquely manly about socket wrenches. I remember flipping through the Sears catalog as a child, seeing the kits containing thousands of pieces and thinking “wow, that’s a lot of shiny stuff.” Manly stuff mind you, but still shiny and attractive.
My socket set started out in a green metal case. There was a plastic divider that helped to organize all of the sockets by size. At some point the divider cracked and was discarded, sending the sockets into a disorganized mess. After some new tool was added to my tool box, the case didn’t fit anymore so the already-disorganized sockets got relocated into a Ziploc bag. And there they remained until I needed one. I’d have to fish one out of the bag and see if it fit the nut I was trying to tighten or loosen. If it didn’t fit, I’d have to fish out another one and compare markings, and so on. It wasn’t the most intuitive process.
While I’ve had that small set of sockets for years, I never had any deep sockets. Last summer when I was installing my ceiling fans I really could have used some. I ended up borrowing a few from my neighbor (whose motorcycle more or less dictates that he own a complete set of sockets) for the requisite turns. Later in the year I was a tad embarrassed when a friend (who was helping me fix my car) observed the state of the set while I went fishing for a 10mm socket to loosen my battery bracket. Even though I’m not a mechanic, it wasn’t a good way to keep my tools. In addition, the ratcheting mechanism on the wrench isn’t too smooth and the handle doesn’t rest comfortably in my palm. If the wrench rested comfortably I would have just purchased a socket organizer. But all of these things in addition with my desire to maintain a decent set of tools led me to purchase a new set of hand tools the other night.
I bought a mid-sized set of Craftsman sockets from Sears. The set has a wide assortment of metric and standard sockets as well as 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2-drive wrenches. I went with Craftsman for a few reasons. First of all the wrenches are forged (not cast) here in the United States. More importantly the wrenches are heavy and fit in my palm comfortably, even when I apply pressure. The ratcheting action was smooth; we’ll see how they hold up. Lastly, the warranty on their hand tools (including ratchets, sockets, wrenches, and screwdrivers) is excellent; if it breaks for any reason you return it to any Sears location for a replacement. No receipt required. Forever. Now that’s a warranty. It’s the same one they’ve had since the 1920’s. There something comforting about a company that stands by their product.
I’ve got a few friends who are mechanics and they swear by Snap-on. Now if my livelihood depending on using the things every day I might thing differently about dropping a few thousand dollars on a set, but for my home and occasional automotive use this set ought to last quite a while. I know my parents still get plenty of use out of their set some 30 years later. I’m looking forward to the same.
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While I’ve had that small set of sockets for years, I never had any deep sockets.
That’s what she said!
Here’s my take on Craftsman v Snap-on:
If you make a living using your tools buy Snap-On, if you just work on things on the weekends save a few $$$ and purchase Craftsman.
Mokie: I worry about you. Really, I do.
Paul: That’s pretty much my view too, unless I got an extremely good deal on them.
I’m not so sure you can still claim the title of “coolest man ever” as bestowed by me…because you’ve just done an ENTIRE post on socket wrenches.
I’m as handy as the next girl, but seriously, man. Where’s the screwdriver love?
Craftsman tools are for people who actually use tools. Snap-On tools are for people who have shiny tool boxes full of crap they never use.
I’m just sayin’.
NPR Junky: But they aren’t nearly as shiny? And what would I need a few dozen different screwdrivers for?
Carol: The right tool — even when rarely used, exotic, and/or expensive — can save tremendous amounts of effort. That, along with their warranty is where Snap-on and other truck-based brands shine. I think there is a place for those, namely in the toolboxes of professional mechanics. Just not in my toolbox.
I used to use my Sears Craftsman socket wrenches all the time, but now they’re just a jumble on the bottom of my tool box. I hereby tender the resignation of my Real Man Card.