Square drive size
The size of the "seat" for which the socket heads included in the package are designed (see below), in other words, the size of the square hole on the back of the head used for installation on a ratchet, wrench or other similar tool. Accordingly, the tool for working with heads supplied in the kit has the same dimensions of the landing square; and in the absence of such tools in the kit, data on the size of the heads will be useful for its selection.
There is a generally accepted standard for these sizes, providing for the designation in fractions of an inch — from 1/4 "to 1". Thanks to this, heads and tools from different sets can be quite compatible — just matching in size is enough. Most often in modern hand sets there are options in 1/4 "and 1/2", a little less often — 3/4" and 3/8". Some sets include several variants of the landing square at once.
Socket heads (E-profile)
The number
of E-profile sockets supplied with the tool kit.
All end heads are accessories for a collapsible tool; during operation, they are mounted on a ratchet, wrench or other similar device. The head itself has the appearance of a characteristic “cap”, which, during operation, is put on a bolt, nut, etc. This design, among other things, allows you to work with parts located in recesses and some other hard-to-reach places that cannot be reached with open-ended, captive or split keys. And compared to a set of classic socket wrenches, the holder plus socket set takes up much less space, providing almost the same functionality.
Specifically, this type of heads has a working part in the form of a six-pointed star, which is why such nozzles are also called “asterisks”, “Torx” or “internal Torx”. The latter option is used to avoid confusion with Torx keys (see above): the working part of such a key (“external Torx”) has the form of a star-shaped rod, while in the end head the working part has the form of a recess with similar outlines. As for the use of such heads, when used with “native” fasteners, the E-profile allows you to work at high forces without much risk of breaking the edges; and fasteners are used for such tools, in particular, in cars.
Spark plug sockets
The number of
spark plug heads supplied with the tool kit.
Like all interchangeable heads, candlesticks are put on the appropriate device during operation — for example, a ratchet (see above) or a tap wrench (see below). The specifics of their use is reflected in the name: the main purpose of this type of nozzle is the installation and dismantling of spark plugs in automobile engines. By design, spark plug sockets are generally similar to end heads, but they are much longer — otherwise working with candles would be impossible.
There is no single standard for fastening modern spark plugs, so several spark plug heads can be supplied in a set. At the same time, note that with the same number of such accessories, their specific types in different sets may be different; this nuance needs to be clarified before buying.
Bits
The number of
bits supplied with the tool kit.
A bat in this case is called a working nozzle, which plays the role of a screwdriver tip; in fact, they are most often used with screwdriver handles (see above).
Many types of splines (slots) are used in modern fasteners — starting with the well-known
straight, cross-shaped (
Phillips and
Pozidriv),
Torx sprockets and ending with exotics like Torq-set (a cross with lines shifted from the centre), Pentalobe (with five ledges), etc. .P. In addition, the size of the slots can also vary, and in many cases, tool matching in size is very important. Accordingly, the more bits supplied with the set, the more versatile it is, the higher the probability that it will contain a nozzle of the desired type and size. However, the specific list of bits in the kit also does not hurt to clarify — in order to make sure that it has all the varieties you need. In the characteristics of individual sets, these data are given in the paragraph "Bit sizes" (see below).
Adapter
An adapter for docking seemingly incompatible elements from a set. For example, socket heads with an unsuitable landing square on a ratchet, screwdriver handle or in a drill driver.
The adapter provides full-fledged work with all the required list of tools from the set.
Hex wrenches
The number of
hex wrenches supplied in the kit. Note that some modern kits include
only hex wrenches, without any other fixtures or accessories. It is also worth emphasizing that in this case we are talking about the simplest hex wrenches. Imbus tools — similar in purpose, but different in design — are highlighted in our catalog in a separate category (see below),
Keys of this type usually have the form of L-shaped handles made of a hexagonal rod. Thus, the user can work with both the short and long side of the key; in the first case, the long part of the letter "G" works as a lever, providing a good effort, in the second — it plays the role of an extension. And such tools are used for bolts and other similar parts with a hexagonal cut in the cap. Such splines have a number of advantages over the classic straight and cross splines (in particular, better tolerating high torques), which makes them quite popular — in particular, in bicycles.
As for the quantity, it is worth considering here: sets with the same number of keys of the same type may differ in the specific sizes of these tools. Such nuances should be clarified before buying separately.
Hex wrenches size
Working size range of hex wrench sizes (see above) supplied with the kit. This parameter allows you to evaluate how the keys fit the dimensions of the fasteners with which they are planned to be used.
Dimensions
The dimensions of the entire set, namely the case, lodgment, cassette, etc. storage accessory (see paragraph above) with tools installed inside. Allows you to understand how much space the model will occupy and whether it can be placed in a complete set in one place or another.
