Shown here are Gearwrench ratcheting wrench drive adapter sets – metric on the left, inch on the right. I bought these over 6-1/2 years ago.
How many times did I use them?
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Once, if that many. Maybe not all. I paid less than $10 for both sets combined, so it’s not too big of a waste.
These adapters are designed to fit into the ratcheting box ends of certain sizes of ratcheting wrenches.
The idea is that, with these adapters, you can create a super low-profile socket wrench.
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Problem: they don’t work with Gearwrench reversible ratcheting wrenches, or at least the ones with a Cap-Stop feature. If you want to learn more about this feature, check out my intro to special wrench and socket terms and features.
Basically, the Cap-Stop feature prevents a wrench from moving past a nut on a long bolt, stud, or threaded rod. It’s a feature that users either love or hate.
These adapters do work with my flex-head ratcheting wrenches, and a couple of my other newer wrenches.
I bought these adapters thinking I would use them in place of a wrench in tight clearance areas. But, they don’t work with my reversible ratcheting wrenches, and my flex-head wrenches have non-reversible box ends. This makes it potentially problematic to use these adapters in tight spaces as it could force the tool or fastener into an area I cannot back them out of.
The adapters are kind of neat, and they also have a quick release button. Serrations around the knobs allow for easier finger-turning when needed.
It’s unclear how much I paid, as Sears applies discounts in a weird way in online order confirmations, but it’s definitely less than $10 total.
Now, the inch set costs $22 and change, and the metric set is $21 and change, from Amazon.
For what I paid, I’ll keep these in my toolbox – for now – although I might move them to a portable tool kit where they might actually see some use. But if I’m carrying ratcheting wrenches and sockets around, then there’s usually space for a ratchet or two.
I know I’m not the only one to fall prey to a hey that looks handy or hey I could use that mentality when something goes on sale for a great price, only to later discover I wasted my money.
This time of year I often have a hard time resisting deals that are almost too good to pass up, and I’m sure some of you are in the same boat. That’s why now’s a good time to tell this story.
Jerry
I could see their usefulness in a minimalist toolbox, where one needs things to be in as small a space as possible, or where shaving any little bit of weight would be of benefit. The sort of thing to carry in a motorcycle tool bag or similar.
tim
I never bought mine. They came with my gearwrench sets. So theyre no loss. I also got bit adapters that fit into several wrenches that actually. Are extremely handy. But i cant say as ive ever really gotten too much use out of the socket adapters.
Jim
I bought the Craftsman equivalent set around 40 years ago and have used them just about once. But they sure look like a great idea.
Cameron
I have similar. They’ve been sitting in my toolbox unused for a few years. But they came in handy just last week when I needed it for a clearance issue I had on my car. That made them worth the money right there.
Mac
Too funny! I have the same ones. For about the same amount of time. With about the same amount of use. Lol.
But, I did have to replace one of the rubber O-rings on one of them.
Bart
I have some of the Kobalt branded ones (they’re pretty similar to these, save the knurled spinner. I got them cheap, maybe $3 for the set, but I bought it primarily for the 1/4″ bit adapter that came with it. So now my 12mm wrench (these are metric, probably explains why they were on clearance) can serve as a quasi low profile bit driver. It is certainly better than trying to use an ordinary offset screwdriver in a tight location.
Toolfreak
How much use you get out of something like these depends on what kind of work you do and what you use your tools for.
An auto repair tech with these in their toolbox probably uses them a few times a month to access a nut or bolt without having to remove a bunch of other parts, thus saving time.
I have these, as well as the similar Craftsman wrench/socket adapters, the low-profile Craftsman hex wrench sockets, and a few other tools that work the same way. While I have hardly used them, they are worth keeping in the big toolbox for those times when nothing else will work, or when I can save myself hours of work by using one of them instead of removing a bunch of stuff so a ratchet and socket will fit. Ratcheting wrenches by themselves will solve a lot of access issues, as will standard or low-profile sockets and a low-profile ratchet, but I still just like having these kind of adapters around just in case. I wouldn’t keep them with my portable tools (an extra set of the 3pc Craftsman adapters takes up almost no space and does the trick), but it beats being in a spot and needing them, and not having them.
You can do a lot with just a basic set of wrenches and sockets, but while core tools see the most use, it’s these kind of tools with special access ability that can make all the difference between getting a job done in minutes or hours.
jesse
Too funny. I’m in the same boat. I bought the adapter set, and they are still in the clamshell. Maybe I will find a use for them some day.