6 pt VS. 12 pt sockets

Both are better, depending on the situation, in places where both work,I prefer 6.

I like the 12 pt when working on removing fasteners that are not torque down a lot. The socket has a better chance of lining up with a bolt right away. I like it! 😀

However on higher torque application, 6 pt is the way to go. OR I might even invest in these Grip-Tite.

^ point is better, no question. The rare times I get a 12 point bolt I have good sockets in 12. I dont understand the previous comments about 12 point for less room, no offence but i don’t understand how there is a difference with how a 12 point would fit easier and I want to know.

sorry joe, like i said, no offence, I had trouble keeping the conversatiin straight, but i have been drinkin on my day off today

It really depends on the vintage of socket and the manufacturer. Back a few decades ago snap on patented their “flank drive.” 10 years later when their patent expired virtually all modern socket manufacturers adopted it. Now there’s a tool standard, AS-954, which specifies that all tools for use in aerospace applications must have a surface drive feature to drive the “flat” part of the fastener rather than the edge. Most US produced sockets now have this surface drive technology in some form. So 6pt and 12pt sockets will now both drive the flats. In a modern 12pt socket, the extra material milled out to make the 6pt a 12pt is inconsequential because even on a 6pt that area isn’t used anyway. See the illustration below from Wright.

just a note, the larger the drive sizes like 3/4″, are usually 12pt unless it’s impact, which should tell you something about the 12pt design and how strong it can be.

the question now is more about manufacturer’s fit and finish and how tightly they’ll grip the fastener. I’ve heard craftsman 12pts are sloppy and will crack if you crank on the fastener. Snap-On, matco, SK, Armstrong, Wright…you know the US manufacturers, don’t seem to have that bad rap. I’d take a Snap-On 12pt over a craftsman 6pt any day because the Snap-On will fit tighter.

Consider this as well: With a ratchet you can rotate the socket any way you need to to fit the fastener…what if you have to use a breaker bar? you don’t have that ratcheting mechanism. here a 12pt will allow you to position the breaker bar in a more favorable position.

6pt being less likely to round the fastener is the “old” conventional wisdom that has fallen, and scientifically proven, that a modern 12pt from a quality manufacturer is just as good and more versatile than a 6pt because it will drive the flats of a fastener just like a 6pt will.

I always prefer 6 point to 12 point sockets. I am sometimes forced to use 12 point sockets when I don’t have the 6 point ones handy. I have many instances where I slip the socket on the bolt or nut head when using a 12 point. I have yet to slip a bolt or nut head with a 6 point. In fact, I have never had a problem opening fasteners with 6 point sockets. There are some bolts and nuts with 12 points on them, so you have to use a 12 point socket. The way I see it, if the bolt or nut has 6 points on it, use a 6 point socket, unless you have little rotation room, where you need the extra notches on the ratcheting mechanism. But even then, you can just remove the 6 point socket, turn it 90 degrees, and put it back on the ratchet. Usually, that will give you the same rotation as a 12 point socket. I’ve attached a picture of a bolt with a 12 point head for clarification.