Socket set choice

us4ipq · December 5, 2016, 4:39pm

Hello!

I need help with the choice of socket set.
I have three candidates for today.

Benefits of the first and second one are obvious:

Come with box
Standard and deep sockets

Benefit of the third candidate:
Ratchet has 80 teeth, in contrast to 36 of previous sets.

So, here is the question.
How big is the difference in quality of all three sets?
I’m ready to live with 36 teeth if the rest is equal.

Or maybe Snap-On is so great that one can neglect the absence of the standard sockets and the box?

fred · December 5, 2016, 5:52pm

The Williams set can be had at a lower price:

http://www.toolsdelivered.com/Williams-MSB-29HF-Hand-Tools-Sockets-Drive-Tools-3-8-Inch-Drive-Metric-Socket-Sets

http://aboloxtools.com/socket-tools/socket-sets/socket-tool-sets/3-8-drive-socket-tool-sets/williams-msb-29hf-3-8-drive-socket-tool-set-6-point-29-piece/

I’ve dealt with both vendors and they seem OK
Tools Delivered has the better price - but says the set is out of stock

Most of my Williams stuff is something like 40 years old - prior to their being acquired by SnapOn - so I can not comment on what today’s stuff is like

ejsearfoss · December 6, 2016, 4:15pm

Williams is Snapon’s industrial brand. They have great products and are often a little cheaper than the Snapon tool. A lot of my tools are both Williams and Snapon. I have snapon sockets (both metric and imperial) and really like them. My wrenches are Williams and I can tell you that they are definitely more robust than the Snapon wrenches but still small enough to fit in tight spaces. My suggestion is not so much to worry about the sockets themselves but the ratchet. I don’t think that you can really go wrong with the sockets but I will probably never by another ratchet that is not either Snapon or made by a Japanese manufacturer. I would suggest the FLF80 or FBF80 ratchet. Hope this helps.

us4ipq · January 10, 2017, 6:26pm

Hello Fred!
I had chosen MSB-29HFTB and placed my order on January 3 on Tools Delivered.
And still didn’t hear from them.
Money has gone and the voicemail is full so I can’t even leave a massage
Should I worry? Or it is OK for them?

fred · January 10, 2017, 8:30pm

I can’t vouch for anyone on the Internet these days - but I ordered from Tools Delivered a few times and the items got delivered. I think they may be like others who can advertise good prices because they have modest (or maybe in some cases no stock) and rely on direct shipment from the manufacturer. That cuts down on costs for inventory, carrying charges on bricks and mortar facilities, staff etc. - but may mean that you’re going to wait - especially if Williams is out of stock in the US and is waiting on delivery from Taiwan. I think when I posted the link the Tools Delivered web page said that the set was out of stock - and I made note of that in my post. Seven days since 1/3/17 doesn’t seem overly long - but I know it would be nicer if they had better customer service and kept you informed about the status of your order. Have you tried their contact page?
Ultimately - your credit card company may be folks that you need to get involved to put a hold on the payment.

us4ipq · January 10, 2017, 10:54pm

I’ve ordered another socket set, not the one you are talking about.
http://www.toolsdelivered.com/Williams-MSB-29HFTB-Hand-Tools-Sockets-Drive-Tools-3-8-Inch-Drive-Chrome-Metric-Socket-Sets
“Availability: In Stock”

I tried to call them using phone numbers from the contact page. No luck…)))

fred · January 11, 2017, 4:14am

No definitive ideas on this.
If they don’t respond to repeated emails or phone calls - maybe you need t get your credit card company involved.
I’ve seen some comments from 2011 on Garage Journal that suggests that they have been in business for some years - but I see nothing recent.