3/4 in. Socket set

300jk

Well-known Member
So at work I am taking over a new job where I will need tools bigger than I normally carry in my pickup. I currently have normal size tools up to 1 1/2 . I need wrenches and sockets up to 2 1/2 in. They will be used maybe once a week or once every 2 weeks. I really don't have the money to buy snap on or Mac tools right now to fill what I need. With work, the farm and the family I don't have time to cruise flea markets and such. So I got a flier Friday m harbor freight ( I know ). Anyone have any experience with their larger tools ? Like I said they will be limited use. Not every day .
 
(quoted from post at 05:33:37 07/31/17) So at work I am taking over a new job where I will need tools bigger than I normally carry in my pickup. I currently have normal size tools up to 1 1/2 . I need wrenches and sockets up to 2 1/2 in. They will be used maybe once a week or once every 2 weeks. I really don't have the money to buy snap on or Mac tools right now to fill what I need. With work, the farm and the family I don't have time to cruise flea markets and such. So I got a flier Friday m harbor freight ( I know ). Anyone have any experience with their larger tools ? Like I said they will be limited use. Not every day .

I am not a HF guy BUT I have had there 3/4 socket set for 25 years with no issues at all with them...

I got my open end Tank wrenches from sears in the 70's I also have a cheap large combination set up to 2" I got on-line made in china for something like $50. Shipping was expensive tho :(
 
I would be tempted to give them a try.

That big stuff, it is really hard to get full torque on it unless you are using torque multipliers or some serious cheater bars!

I suspect, if I were using them, the tools would win! LOL
 
I've got the Harbor Freight 1" set. Haven't broken a thing. I bought it when I bought an old Steiger fixer-upper. I've had 8' of leverage with a hyd. jack on the end of it to try to get things tight enough where the Steiger pivots in the middle.

I've also got the HF 1" air impact. And I think the old 1/2" electric impact which has assembled several grain bins was HF.
 
Nothing wrong with harbor freight sockets nowadays, I have had many 3/4 and 1" drive impact ones over the years and a co worker uses their 1/2" impact sockets daily with less problems of splitting and especially rounding out than the Mac set I use
 
I've had a HF 3/4" set for 10+ years, and it's gave excellent service, paying for itself many, many times over. A couple notes: the weak link isn't the sockets, but the breaker bar and ratchet. I've picked up heavier-duty replacements for both over the years and now use them instead of the originals when I know I'll be needing extra torque on something. Also, the sockets in the HF set are a bit thicker walled than most name-brand sets, which has occasionally ran me into trouble when they had to fit into a recess or otherwise work in very tight quarters.
 
I bought a set from HF about 20 years ago (right after they opened a store in Lubbock, Texas). I may be wrong about the date...

The only thing I have had an issue with is some of the plating has come off, making them kinda sharp if you don't use gloves. No problems at all with splitting or breaking, and I have abused them. These are the regular ones, not the impact, but I have used an impact many times with them.

In later years I have bought the half inch impact sockets in metric and sae and had only good things to say about them.
 

I bought a cheap Chinese 3/4 drive set maybe 25 years ago. It was good for probably fifteen years until I ran off the road at 50 MPH and the ratchet hit a tree and came all apart. Snap-on never would have done that.
 
Where are you located.? I'm in southern Minnesota. I have some open end , box end wrenches from 1 5/8" to 2 1/2" , not name brand, but the 2 1/2" weights nine pounds. I just retired and don't have a need for that size wrenches anymore.
 

You can buy a lathe with the money you saved and turn them down... :idea: Until I got a lathe I turned them down in my brake lathe they still took a beating... For a socket you are going to use often are use a impact on buy just that one it sues beats shelling out hundreds if not thousands of dollars for a set that has sockets you never will use.
 
(quoted from post at 18:33:37 07/30/17) So at work I am taking over a new job where I will need tools bigger than I normally carry in my pickup. I currently have normal size tools up to 1 1/2 . I need wrenches and sockets up to 2 1/2 in. They will be used maybe once a week or once every 2 weeks. I really don't have the money to buy snap on or Mac tools right now to fill what I need. With work, the farm and the family I don't have time to cruise flea markets and such. So I got a flier Friday m harbor freight ( I know ). Anyone have any experience with their larger tools ? Like I said they will be limited use. Not every day .

Have a 3/4 inch set and a 1 Inch set..

In 20 years I broke one 3/4 drive socket by pulling on it at an angle with a 8 foot cheater.. as it was binding on one side against a tranny, and the pressure was off set, it broke...

I cracked a 1 inch drive socket (2 1/4 inch socket), with my 1 inch impact wrench, trying to remove a frozen shredder blade bolt. It took about 5 minutes of hammering before it got a hairline crack.. ended up cutting the nut off with the torch.

Both sets have served me well, but I have abused them many times. The cheap sets are NOT designed for impact work, but have mostly survived.
 
(quoted from post at 18:33:37 07/30/17) So at work I am taking over a new job where I will need tools bigger than I normally carry in my pickup. I currently have normal size tools up to 1 1/2 . I need wrenches and sockets up to 2 1/2 in. They will be used maybe once a week or once every 2 weeks. I really don't have the money to buy snap on or Mac tools right now to fill what I need. With work, the farm and the family I don't have time to cruise flea markets and such. So I got a flier Friday m harbor freight ( I know ). Anyone have any experience with their larger tools ? Like I said they will be limited use. Not every day .

Have a 3/4 inch set and a 1 Inch set..

In 20 years I broke one 3/4 drive socket by pulling on it at an angle with a 8 foot cheater.. as it was binding on one side against a tranny, and the pressure was off set, it broke...

I cracked a 1 inch drive socket (2 1/4 inch socket), with my 1 inch impact wrench, trying to remove a frozen shredder blade bolt. It took about 5 minutes of hammering before it got a hairline crack.. ended up cutting the nut off with the torch.

Both sets have served me well, but I have abused them many times. The cheap sets are NOT designed for impact work, but have mostly survived.
 
(quoted from post at 18:12:18 07/30/17)
I bought a cheap Chinese 3/4 drive set maybe 25 years ago. It was good for probably fifteen years until I ran off the road at 50 MPH and the ratchet hit a tree and came all apart. Snap-on never would have done that.
recommend you never, ever do that with any tool.
 
Once you get over say 1-1/4 or so it is a 6 point socket they have enough surface to work well. I have 2 3/4 drive sets both are cheap China made ones but they have never not worked for me. I also had a box/open end set of wrenches I got back 25 or so years ago going up to 2-1/2 inch and they work well and again a cheap set if you can call $60 or so cheap. But I do have a Snap on 3/4 drive ratchet that back in 1974 give or take a few years cost $200 and that was just the ratchet and one handle which is 18 inches. One could get handles up to 4 foot for it and had them at one time but some one else wanted them more then I did and took them
 
fifty years ago, I thought that I needed Mac or Snap on to do my job, after handing each tool truck driver about 20 bucks a week for years, I finally woke up and found out the guy using China made tools was getting the same money as I was and taking home more of it, I started buying anything thing to get the job done
 
Consider just buying the sockets you need and use a 1/2-to-3/4 adapter and your 1/2 inch breaker bar. That will save you from lugging around a 3/4 inch set that you rarely use.
 
Older craftsman were good but look on ebay you can get some deals and get what you need. In all the big brands. Industrial supply places may have Armstrong etc. For me I bought a craftsman set about 1950 vintage it has like 36 pieces some are almost irreplaceable. It was used and still cost a fortune.
 
I have a harbor freight 3/4 inch set and they work very well, never had a problem with them. Did a 20% off coupon and go get them, at that price you can't beat them in my opinion. If thou used them everyday all day then that's a different story but you should be fine with your use.
 
I have cheap China sockets for both 3/4 and 1". The 3/4 ratchet got twisted off, but I don't remember how long the pipe was. I also cracked one socket with an impact. Welded it up and still use it.
 
I only have experience with the Harbor Freight large combination wrench set. They have worked fine for the few times I have need that large of a wrench.
 
I have the HF 3/4" set. I have used it mainly to break loose the 400 foot-pound 2" nut on the hub of Ford 8N tractors. The only problem I have had was bending the sliding-head breaker bar by putting a long pipe on it. The socket itself worked OK. Admittedly, I haven't used the set for much else.
 
Those type sizes will cost a fortune on a tool truck . Check Ace hardware for Craftsman prices { then compare]or use H-F black industrial finish sockets. I have seen the Craftsman prices compete with Harbor-Freight. I don't recall seeing up to 2 1/2 inch sockets at H-F.
 
Sets are always less expensive than buying individual pieces, so unless you run a tool truck there is no sense in buying them piecemeal.

If carrying the whole set around is so much trouble, just leave the box at home and bring the sockets you need.
 
(quoted from post at 07:06:59 07/31/17) I bought a set from HF about 20 years ago (right after they opened a store in Lubbock, Texas). I may be wrong about the date...

The only thing I have had an issue with is some of the plating has come off, making them kinda sharp if you don't use gloves. No problems at all with splitting or breaking, and I have abused them. These are the regular ones, not the impact, but I have used an impact many times with them.

In later years I have bought the half inch impact sockets in metric and sae and had only good things to say about them.

The plating will come off even on the best...
 
(quoted from post at 21:48:16 07/31/17) Sets are always less expensive than buying individual pieces, so unless you run a tool truck there is no sense in buying them piecemeal.

If carrying the whole set around is so much trouble, just leave the box at home and bring the sockets you need.

Depends on who you buy them from,,, Snap-on sets are no cheaper unless you buy them on sale. Its been that way with snap-on as far as I can remember back...

As a general rule I would wager you are correct with some other brands...
 
I bought a set from Menards, lifetime warranty, not sure where they are made, but they have held up well so far. Price was decent.
 

Probably worth mentioning that one time using the breaker bar of that cheap Chinese set, an eight foot pipe was not enough. I added another eight and broke the nut loose. Predictably the bar bent but the mower got into the field and the socket was not hurt.
 
A new craftsman set used to be $300 and some bucks and was made here but I have no idea now. The set I bought was about the same price and was from the Case IH dealer and is Bluepoint. Been having good luck with all those tools and you don't need a snap on driver to fix brokens, etc. Hand it back to the dealer for him to replace. I've only had to replace one driver bit in another set that we work pretty darn hard. Nothing ever broke on the 3/4" set.
 
I have built a set of US made new sockets from Ebay, and other sources. 90% Allen, NAPA, Craftsman more than likely came from the same factory. Don't discount Proto, Wright, or Armstrong for other US brands. You have to really work hard to break 3/4" stuff. I'm not knocking Harbor freight or Northerns Klutch brand. buy what you can afford. Also look for Caterpillar and IH stuff as well. if you are working with others, peak in their box and see what sockets get used and by those first if you buy piece by piece.
 
I have some 3/4 drive, big impact sockets from harbor freight...good stuff. Their 3/4 impact gun fed by 1/2" line is pretty strong too.

My very large combination wrenches are imports, can't remember where I got em...holding up fine...some even with a hammer assist to shock a fastener.

All my smaller stuff is old time name brand..all good.
But with tractors you need some big tools and the name stuff is just crazy expensive.
 
Just for giggles ,MANY years ago someone sold my dad an old big socket set. Have you guys heard of a Bonney? Now the real trick is this thing is 5/8 drive. It also goes only one way. You need to pop out the center and flip it to go the other way. Still works.
 
Yeah. Been using them for as long as I can remember. My first (we're talking back around 1975 time line) ? drive deep socket impacts were HF and I still have them and still in working order. I bought 2 of their impact tools for those sockets over the years. Last one was their red plastic case and black colored hammer end, forget the ft-lbs but was up there and have had no regrets, none priced over $100.

Still use both. A couple of years ago I bought their ?" impact because I got some implements that required the larger tools and impact and I didn't feel like bustin my knuckles. They had one on sale (all black for the color) for around $100, don't remember whether a little more or less. Runs on my single stage air compressor. Bought a set of short and long impact socket wrenches to go with it. Just as fine a quality as you could want....just no shiny polished alum case and all that.

I will tell you this. In the ?" operating instructions they say the it requires a ?" hose. They mean what they say even for short lengths. I thought I'd take a portable tank out to a plow one day. Since the hose was ⅜" and about 6' long, I figured that would work......nope. Drug the implement to the shop, pulled out the 50' off the roller and hammered away.
 
(quoted from post at 08:24:26 08/01/17) Just for giggles ,MANY years ago someone sold my dad an old big socket set. Have you guys heard of a Bonney? Now the real trick is this thing is 5/8 drive. It also goes only one way. You need to pop out the center and flip it to go the other way. Still works.

My first ratchet and socket set was Bonney. It was around 1963 when I was in high school. I think that it was a Christmas present.
 
I am going from Sioux Falls to Albert Lea in about 10 days. I would be interested. email is open
 
(quoted from post at 03:39:05 08/01/17) I have built a set of US made new sockets from Ebay, and other sources. 90% Allen, NAPA, Craftsman more than likely came from the same factory. Don't discount Proto, Wright, or Armstrong for other US brands. You have to really work hard to break 3/4" stuff. I'm not knocking Harbor freight or Northerns Klutch brand. buy what you can afford. Also look for Caterpillar and IH stuff as well. if you are working with others, peak in their box and see what sockets get used and by those first if you buy piece by piece.
I built a 3/4 drive set with ebay purchases. Mostly SK but a few Proto, and Armstrong. You can find groups of 3 or 4 sockets on ebay really cheap. I have less in my whole set than a new 3/4 SK ratchet would cost.
 
I would try Harbor Freight. Most of us aren't man enough to break a 3/4 inch drive socket or ratchet anyway unless we use a cheater pipe.
 
(quoted from post at 11:55:10 09/12/17) I would try Harbor Freight. Most of us aren't man enough to break a 3/4 inch drive socket or ratchet anyway unless we use a cheater pipe.

Harbor Freight all the way. A non-professional user can't go wrong with these tools because even accounting for the occasional problem, you're still hundreds of dollars ahead over buying a brand name set.

I have an entire set of HF sockets at my farm, 1/4 to 3/4 drive, deep and regular. The ONLY thing I've ever busted is a couple of sockets and that was 1/2 inch using a cheater which is basically my way of saying it was my fault not the tool's fault. I buy a $2 replacement now and then, but so what? I'm still hundreds ahead over even a mid line name brand set.

One thing Snap On and Mac and the other tool truck companies don't want you to know is that making this stuff is NOT high tech manufacturing. it doesn't take NASA and a shop full of rocket scientists to make a freaking socket set anymore. The Chinese are perfectly capable of making a decent consumer grade and even pro grade socket set because in manufacturing terms it just isn't that hard. And it can be done in a way that they don't have to charge $2k for a set of sockets either.

Grouse
 
(quoted from post at 14:34:11 09/12/17)
(quoted from post at 11:55:10 09/12/17) I would try Harbor Freight. Most of us aren't man enough to break a 3/4 inch drive socket or ratchet anyway unless we use a cheater pipe.

Harbor Freight all the way. A non-professional user can't go wrong with these tools because even accounting for the occasional problem, you're still hundreds of dollars ahead over buying a brand name set.

I have an entire set of HF sockets at my farm, 1/4 to 3/4 drive, deep and regular. The ONLY thing I've ever busted is a couple of sockets and that was 1/2 inch using a cheater which is basically my way of saying it was my fault not the tool's fault. I buy a $2 replacement now and then, but so what? I'm still hundreds ahead over even a mid line name brand set.

One thing Snap On and Mac and the other tool truck companies don't want you to know is that making this stuff is NOT high tech manufacturing. it doesn't take NASA and a shop full of rocket scientists to make a freaking socket set anymore. The Chinese are perfectly capable of making a decent consumer grade and even pro grade socket set because in manufacturing terms it just isn't that hard. And it can be done in a way that they don't have to charge $2k for a set of sockets either.

Grouse

Why would anyone think that molding tools is high tech? We all know that it is 17th century technology. And we also all know that the the Chinese make a lot of high tech electronics. Where the Chinese do mess up all the time is in the quality of a lot of materials. They simply take the short cheap route on their cheap stuff where there are no standards or inspections. That is why a lot of their stuff still does not work right or hold up.
 

No argue BUT a professional can tell the difference... Does that mean you need a professional grade tool NO but if you need them to make a living Snap-on, Mac, can not be beat...

As a professional lifer anything else if you live long enoufh you will be buying it again... That includes SK, Bonnie, Williams etc...

Does that mean a hobby guy needs Snap-on tools ELL NO leave them for the pro that hocks his sole to the tool truck... Tool Truck credit is what drives the price up I wish they would make it illegal for a tool truck to offer credit...
 

You can take this to the bank...

Quality Taiwan/China good stuff will last maybe 10 years in a pro environment and a life time in a DIY environment. The good stuff will last 20/30 years maybe 40 who's gonna be around to replace them... This is taking into consideration you don't abuse the tool then all bets are off...

How many own Impacts and chrome duplicated in the same sets I bet very few... How many think a chrome set is a do it all socket...
 
China can make high quality things just as well as the cheap crap. They are making the cheap crap becuase that is what the wholesale import guy is asking for becuase that is what the consumer is willing to pay for. I am sure that they can read a print and hold tolerance just as well as anyone else in the manufacturing world. If poor quality materials, no quality control inspections and wide open tolerance is on the purchase order thats what they quoted for and build. You get what you pay for.
 

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