I’ve written and said in classes many times that the single most important component of your field tool kit is the 1/2-inch ratchet/socket set.
The 1/2-inch set is what you’ll get out if something serious needs fixing or replacing. It’s what you need to remove a transmission (or an engine), to work on your suspension, to repair a Birfield. (And of course it’s also suitable for many more mundane tasks.) Critically, there are no bodge substitutions—if your cheap 21mm socket splits while removing a transmission bolt, you won’t get that bolt off with a pair of pliers. So this set should be your absolute top priority for quality.
So okay . . . let’s head to the Snap-on website. Their 317AMMPC general service set includes a Dual-80 80-tooth ratchet—arguably the best on the planet—a 5” and 11” extension, an 18” breaker bar, and sockets from 12mm to 24mm. Price: $734. If you want to add larger sockets, which you absolutely should, you can do so individually. For example, a single SWM321 32mm socket will run you $52.25. So figure somewhere near $1,000 for a reasonably comprehensive Snap-on 1/2-inch ratchet and socket set with shallow sockets from 12mm through, say, 32mm.
Make no mistake, this is as premium in both price and quality as hand tools get. The Dual-80 dual-pawl ratchet mechanism is as precise as a Patek Philippe tourbillon yet massively strong—the company supplies this same head with a handle a full 24 inches long, so you know they have confidence in it. I have a flex 18-inch version (SX80A) and it’s one of my favorite tools. The sockets are of course beyond reproach, and everything is manufactured in the U.S. If you have the funds for such a set I cannot recommend it more highly.
But how many of us do have the funds? I have a decent selection of Snap-on tools, but most were bought on eBay second-hand. (Also, for a short time while I was the editor of Overland Journal I had a PR contact at Snap-on who would essentially send me anything I asked for. I responsibly but sadly under-exploited him until he disappeared, probably sacked for shipping off so much free stuff to magazine editors.)
Let’s take a look at an alternative. I’ve mentioned Tekton tools before, here, but to summarize: After stumbling upon their booth at an Overland Expo, I found myself impressed with both the tools and the company’s website, which comprehensively describes each tool in the catalog, lists its country of origin (mostly Taiwan, in my experience an excellent source for quality tools), and, impressively, also graphs the minimum ANSI specs for the tool and the amount by which each Tekton item exceeds them.
The company sent me a cased 1/2-inch ratchet and socket set, part number SKT25201. It’s a monster: 20 by 12 by 3.5 inches, and a full 27 pounds worth of chrome-vanadium steel.
Inside is a total of 52 pieces, comprising:
Shallow six-point sockets from 10mm through 32mm, with no skipped sizes
Deep six-point sockets from 10mm through 32mm, with no skipped sizes
A 90-tooth quick-release ratchet
An 18-inch breaker bar, with an external pivot axle Tekton claims is stronger than the traditional pivot
Two knurled extensions
A universal joint
That’s an astonishing array of sockets. Honestly I would have skipped the 10mm and 11mm sockets; nuts of that size are more conveniently handled with a 3/8ths or 1/4-inch ratchet, and you risk over-torquing them with a 1/2-inch ratchet. But they’re there if you want them. The only reason you might need a larger size than 32mm is for some crankshaft bolts or hub nuts.
The ratchet one-ups Snap-on with its 90-tooth drive. The handle only requires four degrees of swing to engage the next pawl, a real advantage in tight quarters. ANSI proof torque for a 1/2-inch ratchet is 375 pound-feet; the Tekton easily exceeds that with a 560 pound-foot rating. The only minor disappointment is the inevitable Snap-on-copy handle shape. But then it is comfortable.
The retail price for this kit? $150.
Tekton’s sockets incorporate Snap-on’s now out-of-copyright Flank Drive, which bears on the shoulders of the nut or bolt rather than the corner. Finish is excellent.
I’m sure you could beat even this price down at the store named for where ships congregate, but you wouldn’t approach this quality. Consider Tekton’s guarantee: If you break a tool, all you have to do is send them a photo of the broken piece and they’ll ship you a new one. Tool companies offer lifetime guarantees for one of two reasons: Either the tool is made so cheaply that they can afford to replace broken ones and still make a profit, or they’re confident that breakages will be rare. I’m pretty sure Tekton is in the latter category if they’re willing to offer a send-a-photo warranty.
The Tekton kit is probably overkill for a single vehicle’s field kit—although it would be a superb resource for a group trip—but I guarantee you can pick and choose among this vast assortment to assemble all you’d ever need for your own vehicle on any trip you could imagine. And of course as a home kit it is supremely comprehensive.
Tekton is here.
