Six versus 12 point sockets

Combine the issue of tolerances with the fact that even on American cars, you aren't guaranteed that *every* nut / bolt will be of a particular (i.e. US or metric) type, it starts to get to be a pain... Back in the old days, I knew that I needed a set of metric wrenches for a VW and US wrenches for my Pontiac... Never did I need to consider using one type of wrenches for the other type of vehicle... These days, my Jeep seems to have a bit of every type of nut and bolt... I've pretty much just come to the conclusion that I need to have both sets available to me and try each type of wrench out to see which gives me the most snug fit...

Hell, I don't care if a vehicle uses the metric or the US systems, but I sure would like it if they could at least be consistent...

B.B. wrote in article ...

article

...

Which, once again, is a quote of YOU stating in not so many words that you don't know what a pipe wrench is for......it's for PIPE!

Which kind of reminds me of another thing... How many of the mechanics these days know the difference between a monkey wrench and a pipe wrench? Hell, does any company even still make new monkey wrenches? Seems that their place has been pretty much taken over by either the adjustable end wrench or perhaps the pipe wrenches...

Thanks- I really miss the acerbic comments from Pete A (we email occasionally).

-Carl

Monkey wrenches were made for plow bolts (suare head nuts)

Oddly, I used one to hold some large nuts - I didn't have a spanner to do it - not even my 24" one. The monkey wrench was the ticket.

I noticed some for sale at MSC sale catalog IIRC.

Martin

Mart> >

No, I didn't.

It's not my problem that you're too f****ng dense to read, asterisk.

I think one good reason for 12 point sockets is basically the same as for 12 point box wrenches. They only require 30 degrees of movement to get a new position, versus 60 degrees for 6 pointers. A lot of socket use is in limited access spaces with pull handles and not ratchets. You can manage with only 30 degrees of movement using a 6 point socket, but you have to turn the socket 90 degrees on the square end each time. A 12 point socket makes it much faster.

Seems interesting that 8 point sockets for square heads seems more accepted than 12 point sockets for hex heads. Of course with 4 point sockets (which do exist) you have to have 90 degrees of swing if not using a ratchet and that can not be improved by turning the square drive end.

Don Young

Careful, B.B., he's likely to call the pipe wrench cops on you.

The bastard's a troll. He gave me the same kind of grief over heating with engine oil. I wonder-----can he say "I need a life"?

Harold

Or the difference between a monkey wrench and a Ford wrench... which is my preference.

SEE! Crescent(tm) has finally come into their own. :-) ...lew...

Interesting that no one has pointed this out, but Sears is now owned by K-Mart...

(Admittedly, it is a somewhat convoluted deal...)

Jerry

Yeah, that was a weird one... K-Mart was going belly-up, closing down quite a few stores, and then they go and buy Sears...

Owned.... I think the they both got together, put their arms around one another and jumped off the cliff together. Misery loves company.

John

It's only a pipe wrench if you use it for pipe.. otherwise it is a Stison wrench and a stilson wrench will grab onto just about anything if the teeth are sharp. :)

John

I just knew someone would throw a monkey wrench into this thread. :)

John

Not to mention that a 24" wrench is better than a broken beer bottle in a street fight.! ;-)

That's what was nice about working on aircraft. Falcons were metric. Lears were SAE, any an older US certified aircraft was always SAE. With the British stuff you never knew what you were getting into. :(

John

Four point? you're looking at the back end of your extension bar. :)

I have seen 4 point.. mostly on tank valve wrenches.

John