What is the fascination with 12 point sockets???

[lembre]

Hello guys old post but unfortunately missed the real inside knowledge, the only reason 12pt sockets became so popular and companies are pushing it on us is the fact that they do not brake, these sockets are immortal what they do is round up your nuts so its your problem to deal with! No warranty replacements no bad reviews no problems for them, it's even good for business cause once you rounded enough nuts you are gonna come back to the store and buy another 6pt set! It's a perfect little con. ;-)

 

[RLGL]

Hello guys old post but unfortunately missed the real inside knowledge, the only reason 12pt sockets became so popular and companies are pushing it on us is the fact that they do not brake, these sockets are immortal what they do is round up your nuts so its your problem to deal with! No warranty replacements no bad reviews no problems for them, it's even good for business cause once you rounded enough nuts you are gonna come back to the store and buy another 6pt set! It's a perfect little con. ;-)

12 pt sockets don't break BS
I can't remember how many sockets I have broken over the years, both 6 and 12 point

 

[nOOky]

12 point is fine up to a certain size, then when you need the extra torque 6 generally is better. Anytime I use a 1/2" drive or bigger it is a 6 point socket, 1/4" drive 12 point is usually adequate if you have good quality tools. Imho.

 

[lembre]

12 pt sockets don't break BS
I can't remember how many sockets I have broken over the years, both 6 and 12 point

I was obviously being a bit sarcastic but if you look online for vintage socket sets 99% of them will be 12pt cause 6pt ones did not survive the test of time!

 

[bruceb]

Most do not realize that for normal bolt applications the 6 point socket i s best for a hex headed bolt. The 12 points started out as being mainly used in aircraft due to the head taking up much less room than a hex head bolt. You still see them used on automotive engine rod bolts quite often, and very often on exhaust headers and in some case on the engine intake manifold bolts n since it takes up much less room. You must use a 12 point socket on a 12 point bolt head. They should never be used on very tight normal hex headed bolts, as they will slip. You can easily see in the photo that the 12 point head is much smaller than a normal hex head bolt.

 

[natto fire]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socket_wrench#Number_of_Points_.28shape.29

I still don't understand. I live in the US, and have lived in the Midwest, the Southwest, and the Southeast, and have never heard a wrench described as a socket. A socket to me is something that goes on to a socket wrench, and as CupCak said, is fixed to the fastener. I'm pretty sure that is what OP is talking about, although now I am intrigued.

I have never heard the phrase "hand me that 6 point box end socket wrench" it has always just been wrench if it is a fixed tool, socket wrench if it is the tool with reversible pawl and socket accessories. Around here, there is also "ratchet wrench" which is shaped more like a traditional wrench, and usually has an open end that is normal, but the boxed end has a ratcheting pawl to function more like a socket wrench.

Semantics I guess, but to me, the only difference between a 6 and 12 point socket is that a 6 point will have more contact with most fasteners, and is fixed to the fastener and a socket wrench.

 

[bruceb]

Your interpretation of socket and wrench are pretty much correct. A wrench is fixed length and does not ratchet. A socket is designed to go on handles of various sizes and does ratchet in order to get it to turn in tight spaces. As to your understanding 6 and 12 point bolts and sockets / wrenches just look at the photo above. It is quite clear why a 12 point bolt can be very useful in limited clearance areas. You also do not use a 12 point tool on a 6 point bolt or nut.

 

[natto fire]

Your interpretation of socket and wrench are pretty much correct. A wrench is fixed length and does not ratchet. A socket is designed to go on handles of various sizes and does ratchet in order to get it to turn in tight spaces. As to your understanding 6 and 12 point bolts and sockets / wrenches just look at the photo above. It is quite clear why a 12 point bolt can be very useful in limited clearance areas. You also do not use a 12 point tool on a 6 point bolt or nut.

I agree, but to me a bolt is a fastener. The title of this thread is literally "What is the fascination with 12 point sockets???" so bringing up the nomenclature of calling wrenches socket wrenches and that there are 12 point bolts around is pretty much irrelevant to the original post.

I am pretty sure the OP is regaling us with a story of trying to find and purchase 6 point sockets, an accessory for ratcheting socket wrenches. They did not specify what type of fastener they are trying to loosen/tighten, but it is probably just a hex head bolt, considering they want a 6 point socket.

So the last sentence of your post, bruceb, is the essence of what this thread is about.

 

[mvbighead]

I agree, but to me a bolt is a fastener. The title of this thread is literally "What is the fascination with 12 point sockets???" so bringing up the nomenclature of calling wrenches socket wrenches and that there are 12 point bolts around is pretty much irrelevant to the original post.

I am pretty sure the OP is regaling us with a story of trying to find and purchase 6 point sockets, an accessory for ratcheting socket wrenches. They did not specify what type of fastener they are trying to loosen/tighten, but it is probably just a hex head bolt, considering they want a 6 point socket.

So the last sentence of your post, bruceb, is the essence of what this thread is about.

I was definitely referring to sockets in my original post. I had misplaced the socket to a set, and the only thing I could seem to find in a bunch of stores were 12 point sockets. I'd had a problem or two in the past with stuck bolts and 12 pt sockets, so I definitely wanted a 6 pt and not a 12, but in the some 3-4 stores I had stopped in, none of them had it. They all just had 12 pt sockets. It was as if the 12 pt sockets were somehow superior to 6 pt, but with stuck bolts they most definitely are not superior. Well... they are superior at rounding heads.

 

[mindless1]

Could be that they sell them as individual sockets because they're more prone to needing replaced. I use 6 pt impact sockets whenever I can, which will outlast me.

FYI Northern Tool recently had a sale on a Cr-Mo 13 pc deep metric impact set that includes 18mm, now $30 - $5 off $15 coupon code 248079 (exp 08/09/16) but was on sale for $25 - coupon until recently.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200592637_200592637

More sizes than the cheap Harbor Freight Cr-Mo set, better quality than the cheapest HF Cr-V set. No case though, but those low cost HF sets don't come with one either. Well, I did once see a really low quality cheap HF set in a gray plastic case but the quality was just TOO low. Northern Tool aslo has a 14pc Cr-Mo set w/case for $40 (-$5 coupon) but it lacks sizes over 27mm that the 13 pc has which are handy for axle nuts.

 

[996GT2]

I keep full sets of both 6 and 12 point sockets in shallow, deep, and flex. The 12 point sockets do come in handy in certain situations. They work well with beam-type torque wrenches which don't have a ratcheting head.

By the way, if you are looking for just a few 6-point sockets to complete a set, check your local Sears. You can get individual sockets at Sears for not too much money if they're on sale/clearance. My local sears had old-stock USA-made Craftsman sockets on sale for $1-2 each. They also had a full 12-piece 1/2" drive USA-made metric set for $6.99. Needless to say I picked up quite a few sockets from them!

 

[Midwayman]

12 points are easier to get on a bolt blind. Still only use them for relatively low torque applications.