Sockets for ratchets, wrenches and machine use

Sockets are the interface between the drive tool and the fastener, and choosing well comes down to profile, drive size and duty. Hexagonal profiles grip the flats and suit tight or slightly rounded fasteners, while twelve-point openings let you re-engage at half the swing in confined spaces. A 3/8 inch drive square keeps weight and bulk down on assembly work, and 1/2 inch handles the torque that suspension, structural and pipework fasteners demand.

Duty is where mistakes get expensive. Chrome sockets are sized for hand ratchets and torque wrenches, while machine sockets are thicker walled and made from a tougher alloy, so they survive percussion from a power tool without splitting. Deep versions clear protruding studs and long bolts, and spark plug sockets hold the insulator in a rubber insert.

Sizes run from small assembly work up to heavy hexagons around 36 mm. The parent sockets and ratchets range covers the drive side, and complete sets give a graded run of sizes in one case.