I was the Goober that asked the question. I came from an industrial background, and showed up at an auto shop with a boat load of SAE tools, almost 1 for 1 compared to my metric stuff. Quickly realized there were certain drawers that I never opened. I've since narrowed it down quite a bit.
Good video. One thing is like to add, in the aircraft industry 99.9% of all fasteners are SAE, the U.S. was very influential after WWII and when the industry was standardized everyone followed our lead. Just a fun fact.
Same thing when I was still in the Navy. I don't think there was a single metric tool or fitting anywhere on the entire submarine. And it wasn't 10mm that we had trouble keeping a hold of, it was 9/16.
i find 15/16 in a lot of places, 1 inch castle nuts, you sometimes find sae on tie rods.. 1/2 drain plug on you know who. SAE is also good for worn out wheel nuts because they are inbetweens of metric. just had to hammer on 11/16 this week. one of the biggest keys to be successful in this trade is knowing what tools you need to open up the wallet for and which ones you can get buy with decent stuff. better to have what you don't need then need what you don't have. when you need it, you need it.
I have been working on cars before and everything on the car was metric came into some allen head screws went and got metric had to walk back to the tool box for SAE!
Over here in the U.K. there used to be another set of wrenches, sockets, taps and dies you needed too. BSW (Whitworth) and BSF (British Standard Fine) About mid to late 80s on heavy equipment over here you’d need SAE for the engine and transmission, metric for the chassis and fittings, and Whitworth for hydraulic fittings, which were BSP. This was on the same machine! Things have gone mostly metric on the gear I’ve worked on lately as it’s mostly European, but I always kept my SAE tools at work & they get occasional use. I’ve still got a complete set of Snap-on combination wrenches from 1/4” to 1 5/8”, which I got a great deal on.
I'm so embarrassed, back then (circa 1980 for me, US west coast) I was young and thought I knew something because I had a few Whitworth wrenches, but BSF is news to me. Good info was hard to come by; parts counters of the day had miles of printed catalogs for each counterman. I was still feeling funny taking out metric tools for British Leyland stuff - this was not at all like the Jags and older Austin Healys and Triumphs. I had a good customer, late model MGB, diode pack failure with low mileage so I went for it. And there, deep in the heart of the shiny recent-design Prince of Darkness alternator, I had to take one of those wrenches out for the nut holding the pack on as nothing else fit. Diode packs were the latest innovation at the time, no more pressing in individual components into some sort of heat sink and soldering, and it is hard to explain my surprise and how it tweaked my brain at this display of the most modern engineering in conjunction with the extremely traditional. Obviously it still does, and I can really identify with and admire all the voices here who take that professional satisfaction at being able to cruise through whatever comes up.
I live up north. And things RUST. It's good to have standard when things are stripped or rusted away. Because you can find a socket that will fit. Or you can hammer on. 12 points are especially handy for this. I also work on antique cars a lot. As well as lawn mowers and just all sorts of things.. as far as I'm concerned you can't be a serious mechanic without full sets of metric and standard in everything. I go even as far as having 12 point and 6 point. Shallow semi deep and deep in 1/4- 1/2 drive. As well as crows feet and flare wrenches. Stubbies and ratcheting... Basically I believe in being prepared. Also like I said up north it's a whole other ball game. We have to do a lot of things with our tools they weren't meant for. Just to get a job done. This is also why you won't see tons of tool truck brands in my tool box. I have expensive looks for when you need them. But lots more of my stuff is cheap so I won't cry when I have to beat on them.
You can add to all this if you are the head guy. Or one of the more seasoned ones at a shop... Do you really want to have a job cone in and have to go looking for a 11/16 wrench...? Just is kinda un professional in my eyes. Also wastes time. Makes it look like u aren't as serious about your job and knowledge able as some think u should be... Say if for instance a customer happens to witness something like this... But really like I said before. I'm just the type of guy that likes to be as prepared for things as I can be. This comes from a personality type of no half assing... I'm all or nothing no matter what it is in my life. Partly a slight OCD would kick in and make me feel things just weren't complete if I didn't have certain things. In this case tools. It's really just cheap insurance for a more smoother work life. Also as far as sockets go. I also keep around some from different brands I may notice are much thinner wall than normal. or maybe a little long or little shorter than typical... Cause u really never know. When u work at small independent shops in the rust belt. This really is all more the norm than u would think. Though I still go a bit further than most. Lastly. This isn't just some complex I have haha. It stems from years and countless experiences where I have really saved some serious time or frustration because I happened to have that 21/32 socket... Or that extra cheaper brand 7/8 that I lent a coworker so he could heat it and bend it for an almost impossible spot otherwise doing so... It comes down to. Do you want to be the hero of the day for your self, your coworkers, your customers, your boss....? Or do you want to be the guy scrambeling around the shop not making him self look so good... Your choice. A few extra sets of sockets and wrenches is well worth it. Trust me!
I am just a DIY ER and still keep all my sae in my box you never know when you will need it and it's good to have it when you need it. Great video as always.
Men I live in Portugal (metric system all the way) and because I work on foresty usually I only need tools once or twice per week , yet I have a set of SAE, for 1 or 2 machines btw Sry for some mistake
As a auto body tech that also crosses into some mechanical often, and deals with new and old vehicles, I have both sae and metric in pretty much all areas of my tool box. I couldn't imagine any other way especially with rusted fasteners that are not the correct size any longer.
I love this topic. I am old enough that when I started working on cars all I needed was SAE size tools. Then, I don't know exactly when, metric came along. I guess American car companies decided to sell cars in other countries and those countries used metric hardware. Anyway, it happened. And I had to start buying tools again. This is while the American public rejected switching to the metric system and refused for it to be taught in schools as the main system of measurement. But the car companies switched. I have a 1992 Ford F150 that is all metric. I had a 1985 Buick Century that was also all metric, as far as I know. So this happened a long time ago. As a result I have two tool boxes (actually I have about six), but one is 3/8 metric and one is 3/8 sae, another is 1/2 in sae and one is 1/2 in metric. I use the metric way more often than the sae. I use the sae stuff on lawn mowers and other non auto stuff. But most of the American population thinks we are on the Imperial or US Customary standard or whatever it is called.
FYI: A lot of the SAE sizes that you mentioned you can still use the following metric versions. For example: 1/4" = 6.3mm ; 5/16" = 8mm; 3/8" = 9.5mm; 7/16" = 11mm; 1/2" = 13mm. -- Some of these will be very close to each other (slightly loose or tight, but still very useable). Give them a test...
Medium and heavy duty trucks, heavy equipment, and construction are SAE. Regardless of which primarily use, it's good to have a few bits of the other. SAE stuff is often littered all over the used market and can be a cheap way to substitute those large metric sizes you don't use often.
I rarely have to bust out the SAE stuff, but it's damn sure handy to have when needed! I keep SAE line wrenches on my cart as well for the brake stuff. Great video!
SAE stuff that I keep in my toolbox for bike mechanics: 1/4" and 5/16" open end wrenches - these fit on the shafts of my Milwaukee hex shaft screwdrivers to provide extra torque. And a 1" socket - this is used to drive a lot of specialty bike tools such as freewheel cassette removal tools.
You should have EVERY TOOL YOU OWN in both damnit! (Cuz I've been stupid enough to continue buying everything in both for the last 40 years - YOU SHOULD TOO!) Be prepared for anything.
Great video thanks brother. I like how everyone over looks the 18mm. I was a heavy equipment mach. sometimes you actually got a true 18mm. I know sae in most cases will work but the few times when they are to loose or won't fit it's nice to have it. Keep up the great work see you in the next video thanks again. Leon across the pond is going to like this one.
I started off on vehicles in the mid 1970's In the Air Force it was still a SAE world back then. About 1980 the transition started and we started to have to have metric. By 1984 after I went in the reserves and I had to buy a full set of metric and SAE in wrenches, sockets and impacts. I also retrained in to aircraft in 1986 and in 1988 I started to work at a major aviation manufacturer, guess what in North American manufactured Aircraft it is all SAE. 30 years later it still is. I retired in 2017 after almost 30 years. My metrics sat at home and I used them on projects at home.
sometimes in the rust belt... Bolts get rounded off and you have to beat an SAE socket onto a metric bolt because it's a here smaller and it makes it tighter and then you can get it off sometimes without needing to pull out the extractor set or sometimes from years of use and salt. The bolt just is smaller now you have to chisel away a layer of rest and then now you have a 14.5mm bolt
Great video Flat Rate Master! Up here in the extreme rust belt (Nova Scotia) I keep a full set of SAE tools that includes a good set of wrenches 1/4-1" (Milwaukee) a princess auto cheap set 1 1/16" -1 7/16", full set of masterctaft lifetime 1/2" impact sockets 3/8 - 1 1/4" deep and shallow, complete sets of 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 drive chrome sockets deep and shallow as well as hex drive kit and line wrenches . As you know the rust here is second to none so many times those are the go to in between when a faster starts to rust. They get pounded on and take the beating. Also we run into a lot of inverted nuts for brake lines that are SAE even on mid 90s vehicles, dodge popping to mind for sure. As I said before great video look forward to the next one!
Always nice to have them when you need them ! I have sae wrenches through 1 1/4 and 3/8 drive deep and shallow in sae as well as 1/2 impacts in the larger sizes !
I built a full set of SAE wrenches by going to pawn shops and digging through those big totes of loose wrenches and sockets. So now I have a full set of SK Tools SAE wrenches that I paid like $1 a wrench for
That's a great story and I gave you a thumbs-up, but it may have cost you a bit more if you count gas, vehicle use, and time...on the other hand it sounds like a fun way to spend time, so maybe you needn't count the time against you :)
Love your videos and much respect to you. I'm a shop owner now but I would have loved to work with you as a tech because I'm sure I would have learned a lot. Your boss and team are lucky to have you around and I hope they realize guys like you are far and few between. I have shared a good portion of your videos with my technicians and advisors. I really think you are helping the technician community with your videos, thank you sir.
Great video..im a weekend warrior so I also run into Sae for lawnmower rototiller snowblower. And on my jeep a lot of the aftermarket parts use Sae. So I have sets of both at home as well as in my trail tool box I keep both.
muffler clamps, 1/2- 9/16 nuts, the bolts holding the saddle clamps on u-joints- 7/16, the bellhousing bolts on Dodge transmissions, 9/16 swivel socket, same with bolts holding the headpipes up to the exhaust manifolds
I have a laminated homemade chart of imperial sizes in millimetres. If I need a 14.29mm wrench or if 17mm doesn't fit and 18mm is loose, I know where to go looking for my 17.46mm socket ;)
i have complete sae/metric socket sets in 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 and 3/4 drives. as well as wrenches from 6-36mm and 1/4 - 1 5/8. I'm only automotive, but work in a shop that does everything and does a lot of aftermarket stuff with is still primarily sae. but I live in an area that Is big on forestry and oil patch, so any parts stores that sell stuff related to those fields that is related in anyway to what I do is sae, so even though I use metric the most I'm using most of sae stuff weekly. most of my sockets are snap on or mac with others thrown in. wrenches are all snap on up to 24, and a mix of expert and ultra pro up to 36, and snap on up to 1 inch, then a mix of Canadian tire, jet and powerfist up to 1 5/8. my metric 3/4 sockets are napa ultra pro, with a few snap on impacts thrown in, 18,21,22, and 24, for the really seized stuff. and my sae 3/4 are Canadian tire.
I Have a SAE Wrench Set on my tool cart, 2 Sets of 3/8 deepwell Chrome & impact.3/8 Chrome Short & 3/8 Woobles. 90's & up Trucks Have a lot of SAE on them. My Big Wrenches are SAE for AC
for about $100 or so you can get the wright grip used on ebay for $100 those are comparable. I picked up a 11pc metric for $79 that was a store display set!
I was gonna say I’d argue that bigger sized SAE are more important for specialty tools, but you know your stuff and covered it all. I could use three of you at my shop.
Automotive guys have it better when it comes to this stuff. When you work on trucks and equipment you have to have plenty of both metric and SAE. And when you use those big SAE wrenches your typically putting huge force on them. Cheap stuff isn’t worth it. When your torquing on stuff with a six foot bar it can be catastrophic when a socket or wrench fails. Not complaining I love working on big stuff, it’s just a different world for being an automotive tech
Nailed it! 3/8” sometimes guys mistake 3/8” for 10mm, I agree with your sizes of 3/8, smaller than a 10mm, 7/16 (almost an 11mm) 1/2” (smaller than 13mm) I also often need a 9/16” over a 14mm for GM engines with a distributor, the security bolt is 9/16. The only other time I think you must have SAE is when working with 12 point, a 13mm will doing a 1/2” 12 point fastener(Cummins Diesel engines) I work on both gas and diesel large industrial generators and I still rarely use sae, other than said times mentioned above. Great video.
Thanks for the great video and nice to meet you at TST this weekend. At the boat yard we have to have full metric and SAE. Old boats with engines, generators, plumbing, and electric components are like garage sales of mixed stuff. After a few years, nothing is original and it is all corroded or rusted. Also have a full set of the old Metrinch tools that handle both metric and SAE. Metrinch are sold online and are pricey now. Sometimes they are the only tool that will fit and grab an old marine bolt in a really tight spot.
I m the lube & tire master tech at my shop so I dont need any of those SAE tools. all I need is a 17mm wrench or 17mm socket and ratchet for the oil drain bolts . and a 21 mm impact socket to do tire rotations. and a good oil filter wrench for the spin on oil filters
I came from an automotive background when all the us built stuff was still sae and went heavyduty. Old construction equipment is still being used daily and if you have ever worked on hydraulics you will need sae from small to big. Loose fitting cheepo harbor freight tools wont cut it with soft hydraulic fittings. I also have found that buying good tools like snapon keeps me from cutting up my set to make special tools it will force me to go to the discount store to get a cheepie to mutalate
I use SAE about as often, if not more somedays, than using metric. Tractors and old trucks need lots more wrenching on them than the newer stuff we have so that's my predicament. My metric is starting to catch up to my SAE though as that's what I end up buying first now. Although I still buy plenty of SAE when I can catch it at the right price.
Did two hemi ram engine swaps back-to-back recently, and I also wrench on the wife’s 4.0L WJ. MAKE UP YOUR MIND, MOPAR!!! Nobody mixes SAE and metric in the same car like Chrysler. Literally some bell housing bolts were 15mm and some were 9/16. ON THE SAME BELLHOUSING.
I work on vintage tools and machinery as a hobby. Used to have all metric other than on old socket set. Now I have SAE in a multitude of configurations. Rare to find a metric fastener.
Giving it thought, last thing I used sae on was a Briggs and Stratton flat head. I have mostly metric and I'm still in tech school. I own a small set of sae sockets and a 5/16 wrench for gm sidepost batteries
1/2" wrench for CDJR oil drain bolt. 1" = 25.4mm, 1/2" = 12.7mm. Bigger than 12mm but 13mm has too much play on the drain bolt. Continual use of low quality 13mm will roundoff head and then you need to pound on 1/2" six point socket. When the situation goes FUBAR, it's the fight with visegrip. Shop's waste oil & coolant pumps' fasteners are SAE. It's a challenge/headache to repair them when you work @ import only shop/dealership. There is also oil heater + human waste plumbing issues @ shop. You probably wouldn't have titled issue if all these stuff comes from Deutschland or by Franchies. Plz correct me if I'm wrong and I apologize in advance.
I am a general mechanic (not auto tech anymore) and industrial electrian. I grew up on standard tools then later metric. I still to this day use both on a day-to-day basis.
I bought a 1” short impact socket from HF and welded it to the forcing screw on my hub grappler. Mine uses a 1” for the head of the bolt and the nut uses a 1-1/4, but a 32 fits snug.
I will say working on heavy equipment sae is life but i still have all my socket sets in metric as well, also almost all your bigger stuff is going to be sae. Also i will say 5/16" 1/4inch is great if you have some little bit bigger hose clamps. But its funny even in our heavy equipment shop most of the new guys from tech school have more metric than standard and so its funny ill tell em hey its 9/16" and their like huh and im like 14mm lol and it seems like most guys now like you were saying dont know the metric to standard conversions for their repspective sizes but imo if you can afford it just buy both in comparable sets that way your always covered and dont gotta worry about it. Just my 2 cents and once again a great video
Flat Rate Master i understand completely i always grab my sae first unless its something i know is metric and thanks for replying to my comment have a wonderful evening and keep the wrenches turning
My dad is a backyard mechanic and his tools boxes were a mess. SAE and metric all mixed up. I recently separated all his tools and he has a lot of redundant tools as well. I asked him why does he still have SAE tools if all the cars he works on now are mostly Japanese cars which are all metric. Anyways, not getting rid of all his SAE tools but I am consolidating them and getting rid of anything he has more than one of. I have a background in Marine Corps aviation so that’s mostly when I used any SAE tools.
Great video. You don't want to mess up the heads on pullers that are stupid expensive.Harbor Freight has darn good extra long SAE combination wrench set for like 30$. These are strong long wrenches and would be a great value at 4X the retail price. These are worth what they cost just to protect your other tools! If you ain't got the $30 today you will soon. Stop any bad habit you have for 1 week and you will save the $30 you don't have. These wrenches are polished nice and are no shame in the toolbox.
I work in truck and coach so i see so many sae fasteners air fittings and hydraulic fittings. I have ½, ⅜ and ¼ drive sets of sae sockets up to 15/16 sae crows feet and sae wrenches up to 1½
I own every socket and wrench from 4mm to 38mm and 1/4" to 1 1/2" and then I have crome shallow 12 point 3/4 drive from 3/4 to 2 1/2 and 1 inch deep impact from 1 1/4 to 2 3/4
Sae is still holding on not dead yet, it was all we used in the old days , toward the end metric came in. I think it was the opposite of what you just suggested today. Obd and pre obd cars did not give you a whole lot of data. Obd is a good tool for techs today .shs
I work on vintage machinery, not cars. Most of what I see is SAE, many square head and slotted bolts, too. Most pulleys have SAE hex set screws. So I have a lot of fractional and spline drive. Not sure who came up with a bolt with a slotted head, but I may resort to violence if we ever meet. ;) Once in a while I come across a metric fastener. As with a Delta DP220. Everything is fractional, but the 3 bolts on the pulley cover are 13mm. How that got designed into a drill press from 1937 is beyond me.
I'm in the UK and all modern stuff is metric but I still use imperial (SAE) on MG's, Austins, Land Rovers and other older stuff. I hate not having the correct tool for the job in hand.
Dodge lug nuts with all the chrome caps are SAE still. Yes you can make metrics work but it will make someone's life hell down the road using the 19mm instead of the 3/4.
Hi sir nice post, as always. We still have a lot of sae stuff with equipment but more and more stuff is being made over seas, well you know how that goes
The Jeep world is annoying its pretty much 50% SAE and 50% metric. I also find a lot of people replace their 10.9 or 8.8 bolts with grade 8 because they are much more common at our hardware stores.
I've got a near full complement of both. I build production based race cars and restorations. For years it was Japanese and the 80s GM "metrics". Now I've added US based race chassis and suspensions (sae) with modern engines (metric).
I was the Goober that asked the question. I came from an industrial background, and showed up at an auto shop with a boat load of SAE tools, almost 1 for 1 compared to my metric stuff. Quickly realized there were certain drawers that I never opened. I've since narrowed it down quite a bit.
Clayton Anderson It was a great question!!! And excellent topic to cover!
Good video. One thing is like to add, in the aircraft industry 99.9% of all fasteners are SAE, the U.S. was very influential after WWII and when the industry was standardized everyone followed our lead. Just a fun fact.
Jim Zivny very true. I'm a GSE tech for the airport and about 98% of the time I use SAE. I rarely use any metric.
Same thing when I was still in the Navy. I don't think there was a single metric tool or fitting anywhere on the entire submarine. And it wasn't 10mm that we had trouble keeping a hold of, it was 9/16.
Also, harley davidson motorcycles still use standard....
Working on semis and heavy equipment I need both. Swear the company's just randomly choose what to use.
i find 15/16 in a lot of places, 1 inch castle nuts, you sometimes find sae on tie rods.. 1/2 drain plug on you know who. SAE is also good for worn out wheel nuts because they are inbetweens of metric. just had to hammer on 11/16 this week. one of the biggest keys to be successful in this trade is knowing what tools you need to open up the wallet for and which ones you can get buy with decent stuff. better to have what you don't need then need what you don't have. when you need it, you need it.
I am finding myself needing SAE Allens more and more. Its frustrating as hell. LOL
I have been working on cars before and everything on the car was metric came into some allen head screws went and got metric had to walk back to the tool box for SAE!
Stop going to IKEA 😂 🍻.
Why frustrating? A set of allen wrenches is cheap. Every mechanic can afford to have them in all sizes.
I should have just bought a single 5/64 allen key and called it my SAE set. 🤪
YEAH BUT YOU KNOW THESE GUYS PROBABLY GOT A $200+ SET OF ALLENS BUT THEY JUST CAN. 😉 👍🏾
Over here in the U.K. there used to be another set of wrenches, sockets, taps and dies you needed too. BSW (Whitworth) and BSF (British Standard Fine) About mid to late 80s on heavy equipment over here you’d need SAE for the engine and transmission, metric for the chassis and fittings, and Whitworth for hydraulic fittings, which were BSP. This was on the same machine! Things have gone mostly metric on the gear I’ve worked on lately as it’s mostly European, but I always kept my SAE tools at work & they get occasional use. I’ve still got a complete set of Snap-on combination wrenches from 1/4” to 1 5/8”, which I got a great deal on.
I'm so embarrassed, back then (circa 1980 for me, US west coast) I was young and thought I knew something because I had a few Whitworth wrenches, but BSF is news to me. Good info was hard to come by; parts counters of the day had miles of printed catalogs for each counterman. I was still feeling funny taking out metric tools for British Leyland stuff - this was not at all like the Jags and older Austin Healys and Triumphs. I had a good customer, late model MGB, diode pack failure with low mileage so I went for it. And there, deep in the heart of the shiny recent-design Prince of Darkness alternator, I had to take one of those wrenches out for the nut holding the pack on as nothing else fit. Diode packs were the latest innovation at the time, no more pressing in individual components into some sort of heat sink and soldering, and it is hard to explain my surprise and how it tweaked my brain at this display of the most modern engineering in conjunction with the extremely traditional. Obviously it still does, and I can really identify with and admire all the voices here who take that professional satisfaction at being able to cruise through whatever comes up.
I live up north. And things RUST. It's good to have standard when things are stripped or rusted away. Because you can find a socket that will fit. Or you can hammer on. 12 points are especially handy for this. I also work on antique cars a lot. As well as lawn mowers and just all sorts of things.. as far as I'm concerned you can't be a serious mechanic without full sets of metric and standard in everything. I go even as far as having 12 point and 6 point. Shallow semi deep and deep in 1/4- 1/2 drive. As well as crows feet and flare wrenches. Stubbies and ratcheting... Basically I believe in being prepared. Also like I said up north it's a whole other ball game. We have to do a lot of things with our tools they weren't meant for. Just to get a job done. This is also why you won't see tons of tool truck brands in my tool box. I have expensive looks for when you need them. But lots more of my stuff is cheap so I won't cry when I have to beat on them.
plus one on needing an SAE master set. You know Murphy will show up at the worst possible time!!
Well said about SAE and rust ,can't count how many times I have beat a 1/2 on a 13 or 3/8 on a rusted 10 to get the job done
You can add to all this if you are the head guy. Or one of the more seasoned ones at a shop... Do you really want to have a job cone in and have to go looking for a 11/16 wrench...? Just is kinda un professional in my eyes. Also wastes time. Makes it look like u aren't as serious about your job and knowledge able as some think u should be... Say if for instance a customer happens to witness something like this... But really like I said before. I'm just the type of guy that likes to be as prepared for things as I can be. This comes from a personality type of no half assing... I'm all or nothing no matter what it is in my life. Partly a slight OCD would kick in and make me feel things just weren't complete if I didn't have certain things. In this case tools. It's really just cheap insurance for a more smoother work life. Also as far as sockets go. I also keep around some from different brands I may notice are much thinner wall than normal. or maybe a little long or little shorter than typical... Cause u really never know. When u work at small independent shops in the rust belt. This really is all more the norm than u would think. Though I still go a bit further than most. Lastly. This isn't just some complex I have haha. It stems from years and countless experiences where I have really saved some serious time or frustration because I happened to have that 21/32 socket... Or that extra cheaper brand 7/8 that I lent a coworker so he could heat it and bend it for an almost impossible spot otherwise doing so... It comes down to. Do you want to be the hero of the day for your self, your coworkers, your customers, your boss....? Or do you want to be the guy scrambeling around the shop not making him self look so good... Your choice. A few extra sets of sockets and wrenches is well worth it. Trust me!
@@bluelightguy1 1/2 and 13 are interchangeable
no they aren't. put a 13 on a stubborn dodge/jeep/chrysler drain plug and let me know how your day goes.
I am just a DIY ER and still keep all my sae in my box you never know when you will need it and it's good to have it when you need it. Great video as always.
You would think you don’t need SAE stuff anymore, but as you pointed out you definitely will still need them for certain jobs. Great video FRM.
Men I live in Portugal (metric system all the way) and because I work on foresty usually I only need tools once or twice per week , yet I have a set of SAE, for 1 or 2 machines btw Sry for some mistake
Working on commercial/industrial gear, I find that I ask the exact opposite question. I run into metric very seldom.
As a auto body tech that also crosses into some mechanical often, and deals with new and old vehicles, I have both sae and metric in pretty much all areas of my tool box. I couldn't imagine any other way especially with rusted fasteners that are not the correct size any longer.
I love this topic. I am old enough that when I started working on cars all I needed was SAE size tools. Then, I don't know exactly when, metric came along. I guess American car companies decided to sell cars in other countries and those countries used metric hardware. Anyway, it happened. And I had to start buying tools again. This is while the American public rejected switching to the metric system and refused for it to be taught in schools as the main system of measurement. But the car companies switched. I have a 1992 Ford F150 that is all metric. I had a 1985 Buick Century that was also all metric, as far as I know. So this happened a long time ago. As a result I have two tool boxes (actually I have about six), but one is 3/8 metric and one is 3/8 sae, another is 1/2 in sae and one is 1/2 in metric. I use the metric way more often than the sae. I use the sae stuff on lawn mowers and other non auto stuff. But most of the American population thinks we are on the Imperial or US Customary standard or whatever it is called.
True it’s mostly a metric world however in industrial, medium duty and heavy duty vehicles SAE is very common
What would be considered a medium duty.
@@505fastlife6 freightliner W700, W900, Grummans. Various box trucks
FYI: A lot of the SAE sizes that you mentioned you can still use the following metric versions. For example: 1/4" = 6.3mm ; 5/16" = 8mm; 3/8" = 9.5mm; 7/16" = 11mm; 1/2" = 13mm. -- Some of these will be very close to each other (slightly loose or tight, but still very useable). Give them a test...
Medium and heavy duty trucks, heavy equipment, and construction are SAE. Regardless of which primarily use, it's good to have a few bits of the other. SAE stuff is often littered all over the used market and can be a cheap way to substitute those large metric sizes you don't use often.
I rarely have to bust out the SAE stuff, but it's damn sure handy to have when needed! I keep SAE line wrenches on my cart as well for the brake stuff. Great video!
SAE stuff that I keep in my toolbox for bike mechanics: 1/4" and 5/16" open end wrenches - these fit on the shafts of my Milwaukee hex shaft screwdrivers to provide extra torque. And a 1" socket - this is used to drive a lot of specialty bike tools such as freewheel cassette removal tools.
You should have EVERY TOOL YOU OWN in both damnit! (Cuz I've been stupid enough to continue buying everything in both for the last 40 years - YOU SHOULD TOO!)
Be prepared for anything.
If your in the farming side of things, your gonna need both... abd pipe plug sockets are nice to have
Great video thanks brother. I like how everyone over looks the 18mm. I was a heavy equipment mach. sometimes you actually got a true 18mm. I know sae in most cases will work but the few times when they are to loose or won't fit it's nice to have it. Keep up the great work see you in the next video thanks again. Leon across the pond is going to like this one.
I used to work on the road for a Swedish fork lift truck manufacturer, Atlet. Needed 18mm then quite a lot. Also 16mm and 7mm Hex keys!
I started off on vehicles in the mid 1970's In the Air Force it was still a SAE world back then. About 1980 the transition started and we started to have to have metric. By 1984 after I went in the reserves and I had to buy a full set of metric and SAE in wrenches, sockets and impacts. I also retrained in to aircraft in 1986 and in 1988 I started to work at a major aviation manufacturer, guess what in North American manufactured Aircraft it is all SAE. 30 years later it still is. I retired in 2017 after almost 30 years. My metrics sat at home and I used them on projects at home.
sometimes in the rust belt... Bolts get rounded off and you have to beat an SAE socket onto a metric bolt because it's a here smaller and it makes it tighter and then you can get it off sometimes without needing to pull out the extractor set or sometimes from years of use and salt. The bolt just is smaller now you have to chisel away a layer of rest and then now you have a 14.5mm bolt
Definately a 3/8 line wrench. Rounded off many brake line fittings using metric.
Great video Flat Rate Master! Up here in the extreme rust belt (Nova Scotia) I keep a full set of SAE tools that includes a good set of wrenches 1/4-1" (Milwaukee) a princess auto cheap set 1 1/16" -1 7/16", full set of masterctaft lifetime 1/2" impact sockets 3/8 - 1 1/4" deep and shallow, complete sets of 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 drive chrome sockets deep and shallow as well as hex drive kit and line wrenches . As you know the rust here is second to none so many times those are the go to in between when a faster starts to rust. They get pounded on and take the beating. Also we run into a lot of inverted nuts for brake lines that are SAE even on mid 90s vehicles, dodge popping to mind for sure. As I said before great video look forward to the next one!
Always nice to have them when you need them ! I have sae wrenches through 1 1/4 and 3/8 drive deep and shallow in sae as well as 1/2 impacts in the larger sizes !
I built a full set of SAE wrenches by going to pawn shops and digging through those big totes of loose wrenches and sockets. So now I have a full set of SK Tools SAE wrenches that I paid like $1 a wrench for
That's a great story and I gave you a thumbs-up, but it may have cost you a bit more if you count gas, vehicle use, and time...on the other hand it sounds like a fun way to spend time, so maybe you needn't count the time against you :)
If you work on big rigs/oilfield equipment you still need standard sizes. Great video!
Love your videos and much respect to you. I'm a shop owner now but I would have loved to work with you as a tech because I'm sure I would have learned a lot. Your boss and team are lucky to have you around and I hope they realize guys like you are far and few between. I have shared a good portion of your videos with my technicians and advisors. I really think you are helping the technician community with your videos, thank you sir.
Great video..im a weekend warrior so I also run into Sae for lawnmower rototiller snowblower. And on my jeep a lot of the aftermarket parts use Sae. So I have sets of both at home as well as in my trail tool box I keep both.
muffler clamps, 1/2- 9/16 nuts, the bolts holding the saddle clamps on u-joints- 7/16, the bellhousing bolts on Dodge transmissions, 9/16 swivel socket, same with bolts holding the headpipes up to the exhaust manifolds
I have a laminated homemade chart of imperial sizes in millimetres. If I need a 14.29mm wrench or if 17mm doesn't fit and 18mm is loose, I know where to go looking for my 17.46mm socket ;)
Great vid. Dodge liked to use 9/16 on the rear brakes in late 2000's on their 2500/3500s.
Mustangs were either 9/16 or 10mm
i have complete sae/metric socket sets in 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 and 3/4 drives. as well as wrenches from 6-36mm and 1/4 - 1 5/8. I'm only automotive, but work in a shop that does everything and does a lot of aftermarket stuff with is still primarily sae. but I live in an area that Is big on forestry and oil patch, so any parts stores that sell stuff related to those fields that is related in anyway to what I do is sae, so even though I use metric the most I'm using most of sae stuff weekly. most of my sockets are snap on or mac with others thrown in. wrenches are all snap on up to 24, and a mix of expert and ultra pro up to 36, and snap on up to 1 inch, then a mix of Canadian tire, jet and powerfist up to 1 5/8. my metric 3/4 sockets are napa ultra pro, with a few snap on impacts thrown in, 18,21,22, and 24, for the really seized stuff. and my sae 3/4 are Canadian tire.
I Have a SAE Wrench Set on my tool cart, 2 Sets of 3/8 deepwell Chrome & impact.3/8 Chrome Short & 3/8 Woobles. 90's & up Trucks Have a lot of SAE on them. My Big Wrenches are SAE for AC
I use SAE when bolts or nuts are very rusted and have changed size .
Great idea for rusty bolts
Thanks Mike. Like you, I started out in an SAE world.
for about $100 or so you can get the wright grip used on ebay for $100 those are comparable. I picked up a 11pc metric for $79 that was a store display set!
I was gonna say I’d argue that bigger sized SAE are more important for specialty tools, but you know your stuff and covered it all. I could use three of you at my shop.
When I pull drive shafts on 285 I find 3 eights lots. Life of a tow truck driver.
Lol
Automotive guys have it better when it comes to this stuff. When you work on trucks and equipment you have to have plenty of both metric and SAE. And when you use those big SAE wrenches your typically putting huge force on them. Cheap stuff isn’t worth it. When your torquing on stuff with a six foot bar it can be catastrophic when a socket or wrench fails. Not complaining I love working on big stuff, it’s just a different world for being an automotive tech
Awesome vid! I have a box full of sae and often find myself going into it quite often. Battery terminals are my main reason.
Odd ball sockets: 3/8 hex, 5/16 hex, 1/4 hex, 7mm hex, 8mm hex, 10mm hex, and t-40 to t-60 Torx (brake calipers)
Also get a brake caliper socket set.
Sockets: 1/4-1/4, 5/16-1/4, 3/8-3/8, 7/16-3/8, 1/2-3/8, (also a 12 point 1/2)
Brake Line Wrenches: 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2,
Wrenches: From 5/16” to 1-1/2”
Nailed it! 3/8” sometimes guys mistake 3/8” for 10mm, I agree with your sizes of 3/8, smaller than a 10mm, 7/16 (almost an 11mm) 1/2” (smaller than 13mm) I also often need a 9/16” over a 14mm for GM engines with a distributor, the security bolt is 9/16. The only other time I think you must have SAE is when working with 12 point, a 13mm will doing a 1/2” 12 point fastener(Cummins Diesel engines) I work on both gas and diesel large industrial generators and I still rarely use sae, other than said times mentioned above. Great video.
Thanks for the great video and nice to meet you at TST this weekend. At the boat yard we have to have full metric and SAE. Old boats with engines, generators, plumbing, and electric components are like garage sales of mixed stuff. After a few years, nothing is original and it is all corroded or rusted. Also have a full set of the old Metrinch tools that handle both metric and SAE. Metrinch are sold online and are pricey now. Sometimes they are the only tool that will fit and grab an old marine bolt in a really tight spot.
Nice to meet you as well!
I m the lube & tire master tech at my shop so I dont need any of those SAE tools. all I need is a 17mm wrench or 17mm socket and ratchet for the oil drain bolts . and a 21 mm impact socket to do tire rotations. and a good oil filter wrench for the spin on oil filters
I came from an automotive background when all the us built stuff was still sae and went heavyduty. Old construction equipment is still being used daily and if you have ever worked on hydraulics you will need sae from small to big. Loose fitting cheepo harbor freight tools wont cut it with soft hydraulic fittings. I also have found that buying good tools like snapon keeps me from cutting up my set to make special tools it will force me to go to the discount store to get a cheepie to mutalate
If you have Snap-on screwdrivers I have noticed 1/4, 5/16, 3/8, 7/16 used on the hex booster on the handles.
I use SAE about as often, if not more somedays, than using metric. Tractors and old trucks need lots more wrenching on them than the newer stuff we have so that's my predicament. My metric is starting to catch up to my SAE though as that's what I end up buying first now. Although I still buy plenty of SAE when I can catch it at the right price.
Harbor freight impact sockets are very affordable and as good as any other
Did two hemi ram engine swaps back-to-back recently, and I also wrench on the wife’s 4.0L WJ. MAKE UP YOUR MIND, MOPAR!!! Nobody mixes SAE and metric in the same car like Chrysler. Literally some bell housing bolts were 15mm and some were 9/16. ON THE SAME BELLHOUSING.
Edit- I think the metric ones threaded into the starter and trans, the SAE ones threaded into the block.
In my country I use both SAE and Metric. But I like Metric more because it easy to remember the numbers.
The battery terminal tool here in the South is... Channellock's (rounded nut with grooves.
I work on vintage tools and machinery as a hobby. Used to have all metric other than on old socket set. Now I have SAE in a multitude of configurations. Rare to find a metric fastener.
Giving it thought, last thing I used sae on was a Briggs and Stratton flat head. I have mostly metric and I'm still in tech school. I own a small set of sae sockets and a 5/16 wrench for gm sidepost batteries
I like to buy equal of both for every type of tool. My daily car is metric of course, my summer car is an 80 Malibu ( SAE )
good advice. I keep a metric and sae set of wrenches and sockets in my box. Ya just never know when you'll need them. like on FORDS lol
Ford tends to use all the odd sae tools 11/32 and 9/32 ive ran it to more then once
Don't forget you can use a 7/8 on 02 sensors.
22mm😉
1/2" wrench for CDJR oil drain bolt. 1" = 25.4mm, 1/2" = 12.7mm. Bigger than 12mm but 13mm has too much play on the drain bolt. Continual use of low quality 13mm will roundoff head and then you need to pound on 1/2" six point socket. When the situation goes FUBAR, it's the fight with visegrip.
Shop's waste oil & coolant pumps' fasteners are SAE. It's a challenge/headache to repair them when you work @ import only shop/dealership. There is also oil heater + human waste plumbing issues @ shop.
You probably wouldn't have titled issue if all these stuff comes from Deutschland or by Franchies. Plz correct me if I'm wrong and I apologize in advance.
Forgot about those drain plugs!
I am a general mechanic (not auto tech anymore) and industrial electrian. I grew up on standard tools then later metric. I still to this day use both on a day-to-day basis.
its the SAE allen sockets that i find myself needing. Jeeps and some dodge products on the Calipers come to mind
I bought a 1” short impact socket from HF and welded it to the forcing screw on my hub grappler. Mine uses a 1” for the head of the bolt and the nut uses a 1-1/4, but a 32 fits snug.
I used to work for a guy that called an adjustable wrench a Mexican socket set.
English flare wrench’s are also a must. Many brake line and fuel line fittings are English
I will say working on heavy equipment sae is life but i still have all my socket sets in metric as well, also almost all your bigger stuff is going to be sae. Also i will say 5/16" 1/4inch is great if you have some little bit bigger hose clamps. But its funny even in our heavy equipment shop most of the new guys from tech school have more metric than standard and so its funny ill tell em hey its 9/16" and their like huh and im like 14mm lol and it seems like most guys now like you were saying dont know the metric to standard conversions for their repspective sizes but imo if you can afford it just buy both in comparable sets that way your always covered and dont gotta worry about it. Just my 2 cents and once again a great video
Thanks, I really never remember most conversions because I have always had SAE and just grab the SAE tool instead of using metric
Flat Rate Master i understand completely i always grab my sae first unless its something i know is metric and thanks for replying to my comment have a wonderful evening and keep the wrenches turning
In Alabama we call it a Georgia fix all :) Good video Michael !!
That line was for you;)
My dad is a backyard mechanic and his tools boxes were a mess. SAE and metric all mixed up. I recently separated all his tools and he has a lot of redundant tools as well. I asked him why does he still have SAE tools if all the cars he works on now are mostly Japanese cars which are all metric. Anyways, not getting rid of all his SAE tools but I am consolidating them and getting rid of anything he has more than one of.
I have a background in Marine Corps aviation so that’s mostly when I used any SAE tools.
Great video. You don't want to mess up the heads on pullers that are stupid expensive.Harbor Freight has darn good extra long SAE combination wrench set for like 30$. These are strong long wrenches and would be a great value at 4X the retail price. These are worth what they cost just to protect your other tools! If you ain't got the $30 today you will soon. Stop any bad habit you have for 1 week and you will save the $30 you don't have. These wrenches are polished nice and are no shame in the toolbox.
Oil and gas industry. .All.SAE!
Almost all Industrial in the US is still SAE
lol I had the same comment!
Full sets of every thing from sae to metric from 1/4 - 1 in drive
My 21mm impact socket is a worn out mac dts 13/16th, my 3/4 is a 19mm, and my 22mm is a mac 7/8th
what's up Mike great video I do heavy truck repair and run into alot of both sure glad I started on old classic cars
i have both sae and metric my boat and rv are sae and my every day driver is metric thanks for the great video
I work in truck and coach so i see so many sae fasteners air fittings and hydraulic fittings. I have ½, ⅜ and ¼ drive sets of sae sockets up to 15/16 sae crows feet and sae wrenches up to 1½
I own every socket and wrench from 4mm to 38mm and 1/4" to 1 1/2" and then I have crome shallow 12 point 3/4 drive from 3/4 to 2 1/2 and 1 inch deep impact from 1 1/4 to 2 3/4
Will never get rid of my 1/2 line wrench and crows foot for older GM transmission lines
Sae is still holding on not dead yet, it was all we used in the old days , toward the end metric came in. I think it was the opposite of what you just suggested today. Obd and pre obd cars did not give you a whole lot of data. Obd is a good tool for techs today .shs
I'm coming in on my one year in being a medium duty technician. I'd appreciate a video deciated to "this" side of being a technician.
U can use a 26 mm on that snapon puller u had in ur right hand the power steering puller mine takes a 26 to hold it still
Great video I will be adjusting the box thank you for it.
All the hydraulic work I do is standard, gotta have all the wrenches up to 2 inches and Allen sockets up to 3/4
Hey love ur videos one thing u forgot 1/2 inch drain plugs on Chrysler, Dodge, jeep there are also some others I can't remember.
I did
Sort of depends on the brand of wrench or socket sometimes buying a few individually is almost as expensive as a set.
True But I did say go cheap;)
Most sae sizes you can use a metric size socket/wrench/etc. on.
I work on vintage machinery, not cars. Most of what I see is SAE, many square head and slotted bolts, too. Most pulleys have SAE hex set screws. So I have a lot of fractional and spline drive. Not sure who came up with a bolt with a slotted head, but I may resort to violence if we ever meet. ;)
Once in a while I come across a metric fastener. As with a Delta DP220. Everything is fractional, but the 3 bolts on the pulley cover are 13mm. How that got designed into a drill press from 1937 is beyond me.
I'm in the UK and all modern stuff is metric but I still use imperial (SAE) on MG's, Austins, Land Rovers and other older stuff. I hate not having the correct tool for the job in hand.
Awesome video. You explained all my problems on what to buy lol. Keep on making great videos god bless. Take care.
I worked on Japanese cars for a while but to make things weird there is a certain year of newer mini cooper that uses sae bolt sizes on its engine
Dodge lug nuts with all the chrome caps are SAE still. Yes you can make metrics work but it will make someone's life hell down the road using the 19mm instead of the 3/4.
Hi sir nice post, as always. We still have a lot of sae stuff with equipment but more and more stuff is being made over seas, well you know how that goes
My big wrenches go up to 2 in but I do heavy diesel trucks but all are snap on up to 1-1/4 then go to atd for the larger sizes
I have a lot of SAE tools. I used to work at a shop that mostly did classic cars and muscle cars. Now they just takes up space.
The Jeep world is annoying its pretty much 50% SAE and 50% metric. I also find a lot of people replace their 10.9 or 8.8 bolts with grade 8 because they are much more common at our hardware stores.
Good idea for a video. Thanks.
Aircraft are still mainly SAE but not always. HD has even gone metric for many things, their way around that is using Torx fasteners.
When I UTI Norwood they sold me all SAE tools from SNAP ON I lost 5k dollars
😲
I went to UTI Norwood too!
I went to UTI in Houston back in 1988. We called ourselves Un-Trained Idiots
Screw metric.
@@jeffcuevas5918 idk a-bolt that. Thank you! Thank you! What a wonderful audience!
I'm like skilled surgeon with grinder I've thinned wrenches to fit. Made size I need buy shaving inside walls on wrench 3/8 can become 10mm on fly.
I've got a near full complement of both. I build production based race cars and restorations. For years it was Japanese and the 80s GM "metrics". Now I've added US based race chassis and suspensions (sae) with modern engines (metric).
The Alabama fix all , I almost died.
😁
I've been using 1/2 or 13 for the same things and 3/4 or 19 for the same things. Never broke anything and they house feel real tight
I was thinking the samething why use a 1/2 when a 13mm will do just fine!
I say you can't have enough tools so just buy both in my opinion especially if you're trying to be an michanic for work!