Had a choice between a cheap impact socket and the good one for a stuck 36mm axle nut

The cheap one from the discount bin split in half like a walnut, but the old Snap-on socket I borrowed from the guy next bay took the hit and spun it right off. How much of a difference does the tool steel actually make on the big stuff?

3 comments

3 Comments

cameroncarr1mo ago

I read a metallurgy report that broke it down. Cheap sockets are often just hardened carbon steel. The good ones use chrome molybdenum alloys that can flex a bit instead of shattering. That flex is everything on a stuck fastener. It absorbs the shock instead of letting the metal get brittle and crack. You literally saw the difference when your discount socket split in half. For big torque jobs, that quality steel is the only thing between you and a broken tool.

ellis.robert9h ago

Watched my buddy Jake try to break loose a caliper bracket bolt with a cheap socket from the auto parts store. Loud crack and half the socket went flying across the garage. He borrowed my Snap-on socket and that same bolt came right off without any drama.

abby_robinson581mo ago

Totally agree with @cameroncarr about the steel quality. I learned the hard way when a cheap socket shattered on a rusty lug nut. Switched to a better brand and the difference in how it handles stress is night and day.