Socket sets tested

If you want to save money by carrying out a little DIY car maintenance, you’ll need to invest in a socket set. While spanners can deal with many nuts and bolts, a socket can reach deep-set fasteners, while the ratchet handle lets you save time spinning them on and off.

As we saw in our recent spanner test, designs have improved in recent years, with sockets shaped to work on the sides of nuts and bolts, rather than the corners, to reduce the risk of damaging the fastener – and potentially hurting yourself. A socket set is a workshop must-have, but makers have yet to decide exactly what should be included, so choosing can be difficult. We tested 12 to pick the best.

The test

We focused on 3/8th-inch drive sets, which cover the most common fasteners you find on cars. And our first task was to find out exactly what you get for your money. Our wish list included spark plug and deep sockets, extensions, plus all the common sizes to be covered. We also wanted a tough case, complete with sizes marked, to make it easy to spot missing pieces.

With the help of AA engineer Rory Stockbridge, we checked the size of the 10mm, 13mm and 17mm sockets, before simulating serious misuse on the smallest on a test rig. Ratchet wrenches were strength tested up to 150lb/ft to replicate major overloading. We factored in price per piece, excluding delivery, concentrating on the most used items.

Verdict

Following up its second-placed finish in our Issue 1,157 spanner test, AmPro goes one better – and its well finished set won’t break the bank. If you want a more comprehensive selection, invest in the Kamasa 56018, which covers hex bits, Star, flat and crosshead fasteners, too. Rounding out the podium is the Sealey package, which falls somewhere between the top two with a usefully wide range of hex and spark plug sockets.