Electric impact socket adapters

[indyblue]

Why are you so hung up on the 1/2"? It is nothing more than the size of the whole in the socket. Rookie tried to explain that earlier, and you just seem to ignore it.

I've used 1/2" drive sockets with my impact driver on a number of occasions. I either didn't have a smaller drive version of the socket, or I was too lazy to find the one I needed. There is nothing odd about doing so.

I am not saying the half-inch socket is the problem.

It’s because the torque is being transferred from the driver through a 1/4” shaft that could never hold up to the torque that the 1/2” square drive attached to it can place on it.

For an example, let’s say you have a 1/4” driveshaft on a vehicle that has a 5 hp output. Do you think you could put 10 hp through it and not twist that driveshaft apart? No, you would probably need a 1/2 inch driveshaft to withstand that extra torque no matter what differential it is connected to.

He said he was breaking the 1/2" adapters, so the weak point is the 1/4" shaft with the 1/2" end on it.


See @Methane Herder ’s reply above.

 

[Rookie]

I am not saying the half-inch socket is the problem.

It’s because the torque is being transferred from the driver through a 1/4” shaft that could never hold up to the torque that the 1/2” square drive attached to it can place on it.

For an example, let’s say you have a 1/4” driveshaft on a vehicle that has a 5 hp output. Do you think you could put 10 hp through it and not twist that driveshaft apart? No, you would probably need a 1/2 inch driveshaft to withstand that extra torque no matter what differential it is connected to.

He said he was breaking the 1/2" adapters, so the weak point is the 1/4" shaft with the 1/2" end on it.
View attachment 340495

See @Methane Herder ’s reply above.

That's where I'm still confused. Using your example, the drive shaft is still getting 5hp regardless of the differential.

 

[Rookie]

1/4 impact driver. 1/4 to 3/8 adapter. 3/8 socket.

1/4 impact driver. 1/4 to 1/2 adapter. 3/8 socket.

I'm not sure where my 1/4 inch adapter is, but I figure this is close enough. Why would the impact driver be fine with the smaller adapter, but the same impact driver would snap the larger adapter? Both are getting the same amount of torque, aren't they?

 

[red_zr24x4]

I think that's what is confusing everyone.
The output hasn't changed, it's still 1/4".
So you put a 1/2" socket on the end of the 1/4" drive tool it's still only putting out the torque of the 1/4" tool, it would just stop the tool.
Now if you put a 1/4 socket on the end of a 1/2" drive tool, yes the torque would twist the 1/4"

 

[Butch627]

You guys are making this so complicated. Look at the size of the fastener you want to turn. Look at the socket necessary to turn it. Look at the diameter of that little 1/4 inch hex shaft If something is grossly out of scale to the others than unless it is made of some ungodly expensive alloy and heat treatment maybe it is the weak link and you are asking too much for it. A tool that is made to turn a 1/4 hex bits may have torque to turn larger fasteners for a while but at some point it too will fail, there is a reason that tools meant to turn larger fasteners are bigger and heavier. How many guys arguing in this thread make their living using these types of tools and how many are weekend warriors with dunning kruger effect?

 

[Creedmoor]

Theres a huge load difference between twisting in a #8 tek screw with a 1/4x1/4" adp and taking off a lug nut on a one ton truck with a 1/4x1/2" adp.

 

[JRHawkins1118]

I'm a Milwaukee tools guy and at this point I've blown through at least three of their 1/2" impact socket adapters. Figured I'd ask if anyone has found a brand that holds up before just buying at random and hoping for the best. I'm talking about these things.

View attachment 340171

I just broke a Milwaukee socket adaptor this week on first use. But I have several more I’ll try. Hopefully it was a fluke.

 

[Rookie]

Theres a huge load difference between twisting in a #8 tek screw with a 1/4x1/4" adp and taking off a lug nut on a one ton truck with a 1/4x1/2" adp.

If you're using the same impact driver for both applications, wouldn't the impact simply not work on the lug nut?

 

[jkaetz]

I can simplify. The OP is working with fasteners under the rating of the 1/4" impact driver. While using a 1/2" socket through a 1/4” to 1/2” adapter the adapter is breaking. The OP is looking for adapters that won't break until the limit of the tool.

 

[Sigblitz]

If you're using the same impact driver for both applications, wouldn't the impact simply not work on the lug nut?

If it doesn't work, you can use it as a test bed the find it's breaking point.

There's probably a video showing at what torque different brands fail.

 

[Sigblitz]

Here's a failure video. I watched him test other tools, so I posted this one.

I haven't watched it yet. We can watch it together. Someone get the lights.

 

[Sigblitz]

Performance and price, the Torquesmith brand from Menards is a solid performer. The thin impact absorbing shaft was the failure point on the low performing bits, such as Milwaukee. The Dewalt was also a solid choice, but they're pricey.

 

[Creedmoor]

If you're using the same impact driver for both applications, wouldn't the impact simply not work on the lug nut?

It very well could not work, also it doesn't take much of a load on or off with most fasteners that have a small 1/4 or 5/16th head on them. The fastener just unscrews screws in or the head snaps off.
With a large 1/2" drive series fastener it easily can take a 1/4" drive impacts full delivered load in either direction and one will then find the driver is the weak link.

 

[mbkintner]

I am not saying the half-inch socket is the problem.

It’s because the torque is being transferred from the driver through a 1/4” shaft that could never hold up to the torque that the 1/2” square drive attached to it can place on it.

For an example, let’s say you have a 1/4” driveshaft on a vehicle that has a 5 hp output. Do you think you could put 10 hp through it and not twist that driveshaft apart? No, you would probably need a 1/2 inch driveshaft to withstand that extra torque no matter what differential it is connected to.

He said he was breaking the 1/2" adapters, so the weak point is the 1/4" shaft with the 1/2" end on it.
View attachment 340495

See @Methane Herder ’s reply above.

But in the OPs situation it seems as if neither the HP output nor the weakest point of the driveshaft was changed. More like the u-joint or the differential.

 

[Lpherr]

The internet engineers are apparent in this one.

The tool only produces X amount of torque.
It makes no difference of what is connected to it, or what it's attempting to rotate.
The adapter is breaking (based on original pic shown), simply because the adapter has a 90 degree connection. Take a look at the better adapters, or the ones that hold up; they have a chamfer (radius), between the shaft and the socket connection.

A 90 degree angle is very weak, and explains why it isn't used in many applications.

If the OP wants a reliable tool, look for one with a chamfer (radius). I have never broken one of these adapters.
Curious as to why you need to use a 1/2" drive socket to begin with. The tool will not produce enough torque to break a 1/4". or 3/8" socket. If this is a concern, they have a new invention referred to as "impact sockets".

 

[Rookie]

Curious as to why you need to use a 1/2" drive socket to begin with.

One application that I can come up with is using a deep well socket. 1/2 deep well sockets are longer than 1/4 deep well even if it's the same size (7/16 for example). If you're running nuts down multiple pieces of threaded rod, a longer deep well socket would be nice to use.

 

[indyblue]

I'm not describing torque applied to the load, I'm describing the torque within the adapter shaft.

Consider a shaft 1/4" in diameter fixed at one end.
Now you apply some torque to the input of the shaft, say 1 ft-lb.
Since both ends of the shaft are the same diameter, the torque across the shaft is 1:1, agreed?

Now consider a shaft where the input end is 1/4" and the fixed end of the shaft is 1/2".
Now the torque across the shaft is 1:2 because the extra distance from the outside of the fixed end to the centerline of the shaft is longer. 1 ft-lb on the input causes 2 ft-lbs at the other end within the shaft because the larger end has a longer lever in relation to the input side.


The big end acts like a breaker bar, the longer lever creates more torque from the same input force. 1 lbs at one foot is twice the torque of 1 lbs at 1/2 foot.

 

[Lpherr]

Consider a shaft 1/4" in diameter fixed at one end.
Now you apply some torque to the input of the shaft, say 1 ft-lb.
Since both ends of the shaft are the same diameter, the torque across the shaft is 1:1, agreed?

Now consider a shaft where the input end is 1/4" and the fixed end of the shaft is 1/2".
Now the torque across the shaft is 1:2 because the extra distance from the outside of the fixed end to the centerline of the shaft is longer. 1 ft-lb on the input causes 2 ft-lbs at the other end within the shaft because the larger end has a longer lever in relation to the input side.

Incorrect.

 

[Brandon]

I just broke a Milwaukee socket adaptor this week on first use. But I have several more I’ll try. Hopefully it was a fluke.

I'll say it again and again.

Milwaukee power tools are hard to beat.
Their hand tools/adapters and anything that isn't a power tool are JUNK.

 

[Creedmoor]

Still confused...
The power is being supplied from the 1/4 impact driver. The 1/4 adapter is breaking. It's still getting the same 1/4 loads, isn't it?

At this point how do you know he's using a 1/4" impact driver?
Just as easily he could be putting those 1/4 x 1/2" bits in a 1/2" Milwaukee hole shooter low speed drill.
Snap goes the adapter.