Deep Socket Set - Would it be Metric?

radderfire · 5 Oct 2019 at 19:43

Hi Guys

I need a deep socket to undo a roof rail nut on my 2005 Ford Focus. I take it that it will be metric? Any recommendations for a set?

Thanks

NoNameNoNumber · 5 Oct 2019 at 20:00

Halfords are plenty good enough and yes reasonable to assume metric.

Finglonga · 5 Oct 2019 at 21:25

Just buy the size you need as with most sets 60% are never used if you only work on one car.

PardonTheWait · 7 Oct 2019 at 20:26

Will definitely be metric, I bought a Clarke deep set on a rail from Machine Mart to go in the car (mine was AF but they do both) and I actually use them a fair bit because they're good quality and six sided. It was about £12 in 3/8.

Presuming you've already got a ratchet

Edit: It was basically these but AF:

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-pro370-8-piece-38-deep-socket-set-metri/

red eye · 7 Oct 2019 at 21:49

PardonTheWait said:
Will definitely be metric, I bought a Clarke deep set on a rail from Machine Mart to go in the car (mine was AF but they do both) and I actually use them a fair bit because they're good quality and six sided. It was about £12 in 3/8.

Presuming you've already got a ratchet

Edit: It was basically these but AF:

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-pro370-8-piece-38-deep-socket-set-metri/

AF sizes are all over the place. 3/8 does not fit 10mm and 1/2 does not fit 13mm with out a hammer. Good for rounded nuts and bolts. For £12 you can get sealey lock on (Mac edge clone) from rain forest which are also good for rounded nuts

Lopéz · 7 Oct 2019 at 23:24

red eye said:
AF sizes are all over the place. 3/8 does not fit 10mm and 1/2 does not fit 13mm with out a hammer. Good for rounded nuts and bolts. For £12 you can get sealey lock on (Mac edge clone) from rain forest which are also good for rounded nuts

3/8 does not fit 10mm because 3/8" is just over 9.5mm.
1/2" is 12.7mm which is why it doesn't fit 13mm.

The sizes are not "all over the place", they are different! They aren't supposed to be compatible, next you'll be telling us CD players can't play Minidiscs.

jellybeard999 · 8 Oct 2019 at 12:19

Lopéz said:
The sizes are not "all over the place", they are different!

Django x2 · 8 Oct 2019 at 13:50

If you buy a metric deep socket set, chance are, it will be metric. Unless you buy an imperial deep socket set, in which case, it won't

red eye · 8 Oct 2019 at 19:57

Lopéz said:
3/8 does not fit 10mm because 3/8" is just over 9.5mm.
1/2" is 12.7mm which is why it doesn't fit 13mm.

The sizes are not "all over the place", they are different! They aren't supposed to be compatible, next you'll be telling us CD players can't play Minidiscs.

No **** they don’t fit! I don’t see the relevance of your post.
so you googled inch to mm conversion.
Well done?

Anyway my point was 10and 13mm are the common sizes if you buy an af set like pardonthewait you’ll have to get a 10 and 13mm too.

Your better off getting a metric and 3/8 and 1/2 af if you work on your car a lot

jellybeard999 · 8 Oct 2019 at 20:51

Surely if your car is metric, you need a metric set. If your car is imperial, you need an imperial set. They are for different situations.

Most modern cars will be metric I imagine. If you have a classic, then you probably want an imperial set. If your bolts are rounded/rusted, then whatever fits best will do.

If you're buying imperial just in case you have rounded bolts, you're better off getting something specifically designed for the job, such as the Irwin bolt extractor jobbies.

Lopéz · 8 Oct 2019 at 22:11

red eye said:
No **** they don’t fit! I don’t see the relevance of your post.
so you googled inch to mm conversion.
Well done?

Anyway my point was 10and 13mm are the common sizes if you buy an af set like pardonthewait you’ll have to get a 10 and 13mm too.

Your better off getting a metric and 3/8 and 1/2 af if you work on your car a lot

Equally, I don't get the relevance of your post.

AF sockets are for imperial nuts and bolts. Metric sockets are for metric. That's pretty much the end of it!

red eye · 8 Oct 2019 at 22:46

Lopéz said:
Equally, I don't get the relevance of your post.

AF sockets are for imperial nuts and bolts. Metric sockets are for metric. That's pretty much the end of it!

I quote someone else who is using and recommending an af set for metric and you get a hard on.

I never said af for metric even though some af sockets work but what ever rub away

red eye · 8 Oct 2019 at 22:52

jellybeard999 said:
Surely if your car is metric, you need a metric set. If your car is imperial, you need an imperial set. They are for different situations.

Most modern cars will be metric I imagine. If you have a classic, then you probably want an imperial set. If your bolts are rounded/rusted, then whatever fits best will do.

If you're buying imperial just in case you have rounded bolts, you're better off getting something specifically designed for the job, such as the Irwin bolt extractor jobbies.

You can get a set of sealy lock Ons for the price of that af set. The work on rounded fasteners
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zTTlQJX9Rug You can pay £12 at the rainforest or £145 for Mac edge

Doobedoo · 9 Oct 2019 at 08:25

I have Draper 3/8 and 1/2” socket sets brought them about 9-10 years ago and still got them. I use them mainly for work but also used them over the years on many cars too. I did have to replace the 3/8” ratchet a little while back and I think it cost me less than £15. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy again.

You can always buy yourself a standard socket set and add extras to it like deep sockets and imperial, it may just work out cheaper.

Get yourself one of these sets as well, very good value for money a snap on set will cost you at least 10 times as much for less.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-333...WGCNGSTR9M1&psc=1&refRID=4SVRZRHG0WGCNGSTR9M1

ozaudio · 9 Oct 2019 at 13:15

draper expert are decent but draper, meh... but again for home use and basic car jobs they will do you fine i guess. for ease and direct access along with lifetime warranty = halfords. some claim they don't replace moving parts and need a receipt, not true. i taken some ratchet spanners back i bought 12 years ago due ti getting wet and stopped ratcheting. replaced without question.

for cheap but surprising decent i bought some Bergen / us pro sockets and other small bits quite a few months ago. did some work on a lads card and was bending all sort of bars trying to undo bolts, yet the sockets took it no problem.

tom_e · 9 Oct 2019 at 13:30

I've got a set of Halfords professional and a set of Sealy lock on. I'd go for the Sealy ones, 6 sided are generally better if there's any chance of rusty/rounded fasteners and the lock on definitely helps getting off ones that are heading towards round.

bledd · 9 Oct 2019 at 14:20

PardonTheWait said:
https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-pro370-8-piece-38-deep-socket-set-metri/

Was going to suggest the same set.

Clarke Pro are lifetime warranty.

Match it with..

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-pro392-38-professional-ratchet/

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-cht915-3-p-38-ext-bar/

ozaudio · 9 Oct 2019 at 16:17

halfords set is on offer for the same price, you get more sockets and chances are youll find a halfords closer than youll find a machine mart. only thing is they arnt 6 point.
https://www.halfords.com/workshop-t...Xc4nE62QiDOmL6HeyOSi1Xl_2Drs8r90aAkAZEALw_wcB

Doobedoo · 9 Oct 2019 at 17:02

This sounds like it’ll be more than up to the job for the op.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-16359-Square-Metric-Socket/dp/B07338KF65/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1570636426&refinements=p_4

raper&s=diy&sr=1-1

£20 then just add some deep sockets.

Or if he wants something that’ll last a bit longer you could opt for this but probably ott unless they are used daily.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-164...ds=Draper+expert&qid=1570636558&s=diy&sr=1-16

Halfords equivalents seem quite expensive. If I remember right my boss picked my up my sets in macro, can’t remember how much but they were quite cheap,I still have them and use them daily they get plenty of abuse.