WTF tools du jour

[Master Hack]

Scored a tool box full of junk a while back.
l’ve never seen sockets of this size before and never had a use for ‘em.
Anyone seen these before?

 

[redflash]

Standard sizes, just not used everywhere like 9/16, 1/2, 12mm and 13mm

 

[Denny]

The old Japanese cheap tool sets used to have those sizes to make the tool kits seem bigger. The only thing I ever found them useful for is pounding on a striped nut or bolt for removal.

 

[Master Hack]

Not sure in what world those are “standard” sizes. I’ve been wrenchin for something north of 60 years (holy $**t l’m old) and never encountered those sizes. But, someone made ‘em and someone bought ‘em….

 

[Master Hack]

for is pounding on a striped nut or bolt for removal.

Thats a good use for ‘em, l prefer plaid bolts and nuts! Sorry, that was too easy!

 

[Denny]

Thats a good use for ‘em, l prefer plaid bolts and nuts! Sorry, that was too easy!

You got me! But in all fairness I never said I could spell!

 

[Master Hack]

I’m the last person on the planet to correct anyone’s spelling, but that tickled my funny bone.

 

[Denny]

Come on man, you’ve never seen a striped nut? Their next to the pink elephants!

 

[madprofessor]

Does that say "chrome vanadium" on the sides of those sockets?

The old Japanese cheap tool sets

I think Denny nailed that one. I've found plenty of individual sockets and wrenches that were sized in ?/32 inches, most having been rusted and/or stripped and/or even broken. Have kept several. Thing is, if you required that precise of a fit, those hardened-butter tools would quickly become slugs for your kid's slinghot.

 

[65ShelbyClone]

All of the X/32" sockets I have are small 1/4" drive. I think you'll find that the larger ones often land pretty close to a metric size.

I don't doubt that it was a strategy to boost the kit size because pretty much anything in 32nds that's larger than 5/16" is not going to be standard.

The exception would be if you found sockets from a reputable brand like Snap-On, S-K, pre-chinese Craftsman, Matco, etc. No one would pay big bucks for weird sizes unless they had a real application.