Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Oddball socket sizes...

Just bought another socket set. (can never have too many tools.)

It came with 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19mm.

I cannot think of a time where I encountered a 7, 9, 11, or 16mm bolt. The only time I remember a 13mm was when I bought an aftermarket bolt to replace a factory and it came with an oddball 13mm head, when the original was a 14mm. The only time I've encountered a 15mm bolt was when working on a fluid pump doing HVAC work.

Where are people encountering these oddball sizes to motivate a tool company to offer them in their sets? When working on Jap cars, seems like 90% are 10, 12, 14, 17, 19 and 21.

It is so they can sell you something you do not need therefore adding cost to the set and increasing their revenue and margins. It is as simple as that.

That's odd

I was just curious if there was some machine, or industry that commonly uses these sized sockets? I bet I have sockets that have never been used in 30 years. They just came as part of a set.

If they wanted to replicate reality they'd have four 10mm sockets in a set as replacements for the ones you always lose.


"When working on Jap cars, seems like 90% are 10, 12, 14, 17, 19 and 21." Japanese motorcycles as well. They need to include a 21mm in each set so you don't have to go out and buy just that one socket.

I had to buy some of those - in 7,8, 9 in wrenches at least- for working on ATVs, snow blowers, snow machines. Honda, Yamaha, Arctic Cat, Kawasaki, Home Depot (China snow blower).

I had to pull the dog chewed 2nd and 3rd row seatbelts out of my wife's Expedition to have them rewebbed (I hope I can figure how to re-install! . ) .

Yep- out of all the bolts I had to take out, one - repeat one- was metric head. 8 IIRC. WTF?

I've used the 11 in one of my sets a couple of times. Not sure I've ever found a need for a 7mm one, but there's always a first time.

11 is almost same size as 7/16”. Inter cooler clamps on Ford 7.3. 12mm 12 point driveshaft bolts 99-06 Ford F-250 and 350. 13 and 15 pretty common on just about anything Ford. My favorite is a 5.5mm. A lot of interior bolts are 5.5. One socket you don’t want to lose. 7mm also interior bolts. As you can tell I mainly work on Fords. My favorite is the late 80s early 90s where they used half standard half metric. That will make you cuss like a sailor.

I work on printing equipment. The Japanese, and Germans use that 7mm , and 5.5. I come across them from time . The 13 is real common.

I use them all on various equipment that comes from Germany and all of the other countries that use the metric system.
Press plant and other equipment in the car plants
Processing,filling and packaging equipment in the food plants
Just to name a few
Not to mention all of the metric stuff at home

Have used them all. Have had at least 3 vehicles that the oil plug was 15. 16 is a size that pops up on car A/C and other accessories.

I also work on equipment from Italy . 5.5 , 10, and 13 MM very common.

Seems like 13 and 15 are pretty common on American brands of cars. Toyota is mostly even numbers. I was recently working on a Toyota and needed a 12mm impact socket. I had two cheap sets and neither one had a 12. Had to go out and buy one.

5.5 is an odd one. Couple of years ago I was working on a piece of German electronic gear. Nothing I had would fit. Had to buy a whole set of nut drivers to get the 5.5mm. Don't think I have used it since.


Jerry

Metric is a perfect example of the lgbtq movement insinuating itself into engineering schools. Send your 6 ft tall son to college for four years, get back a 182.88 cm person confused about his plumbing.

They ought to put 2 or 3 10mm sockets in a set.

I do think the drain plug on one of my ATV's is a 20mm or a 22mm, I cannot remember and it was only two weeks ago when I changed the oil. It is tough getting old.

I’ve encountered them all. Better to have and not need than need and not have.

I’m surprised you find the 13mm a rare encounter. 13 is the equivalent to a 1/2” and 14 is equivalent to the 9/16”.

Metric. The entire system is odd.

21 is usually 1/2” drive category.

I use the 13 as an interchange with 1/2 inch. Either works in any application I have tried. For that 5.5 mm try a six point 7/32"