Socket Sets

Snap on was the company that invented the “Snap on” socket. Naturally there are socket sets from the founding (1920) through today.

The first set was a series of 5 handles and 10 sockets. With these the user could make 50 tool combinations. Today this does not seem so profound but at the time, it seems that it was. A mechanic could carry 15 tools around, where 50 tools would be too much. Thus the sales were explosive and the company born on this concept.

From this story of the founding 1920 to 1937 (17 years) I have a huge hole in my understanding, but in ’37 There were a number of sets:

The No 487 Super Set – It included 89 Socket Wrench Units from 3/16 – 1 ¾ inches. The smallest were called midgets and were a 9/32 inch drive. Then the 3/8 inch drive, the ½ inch and the ¾ inch drive. The whole set came is a tool chest (K-5) and was everything one needed. The cost was a whopping $439.45

The No 497 Super Set – was similar and had fewer tools at a less punitive $224.85

The next set was the 477 at $66.90, there were a number of other sets working down to lower prices.

There were a number of standard sizes. These include:
A)    1/8 inch – appeared in 1978 and is currently available and is a micro set of 5 parts
B)     ¼ inch (Snap on) – appeared at the end on World War II and replaces the 9/32 inch drive, it is currently available
C)    9/32 inch drive which seems to have started in the 1925 and was the standard until the end of WWII
D)    3/8 inch drive – today’s standard, but not as popular as the ½ inch drive in the pre war days. It was introduced in 1928. The brand name is Ferret
E)     ½ inch drive which I think is the size of the original 1920s set and a standard. The brand name is Master, as in the master set or Master handle.
F)     5/8 inch drive – Introduced is 1923 and run till the mid 1930s
G)    7/8 inch drive – Introduced in 1924, another standard I know little about other than adaptors were sold for it
H)    1 inch drive which exists today. It is used for heavy trucks and busses
I)       1 ½ inch drive, this is a huge size for huge machines.