Professional_Tool_And_Equipment_News_0619 - 48

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

Makita

Impact GOLD 9-pc 3/8"
Drive Socket Set
With their durability and precision, these
socket sets impressed Lead Technician Lou Fort.

The Makita Impact GOLD 9-pc 3/8" Drive Socket
Set comes in Metric (No. B-49862) and Standard (No.B34833) sizes. The set offers a 1/4" hex to 3/8" square
drive socket adapter which tilts up to 15 degrees for use
in tight spaces. The sockets are made from heat-treated
alloy steel for high-torque applications, and are ideal for
use with impact drivers, impact wrenches, and ratchets. The black oxide coat on the sockets is designed to
resist corrosion. The socket set comes in a flexible boot
for storage. The metric set comes with the following
3/8" drive impact sockets: 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, and
18mm. The standard set comes with the following 3/8"
drive impact sockets: 5/16", 3/8", 7/16", 1/2", 9/16",
5/8", 11/16", and 3/4".
Circle 165 on card, or enter at "e-inquiry" on
VehicleServicePros.com

by Vesna Brajkovic,
Contributing Editor

THE REVIEW:

he fear of rounding off a fastener
due to a loose fitting and poorly
made socket is a real one for Lou
Fort, lead technician at K.A.R.S Inc.
in Huntingburg, Indiana. But with the
Makita Impact GOLD 9-pc 3/8" Drive
Socket Sets that feeling was eliminated.
"I was very surprised to find how precise all the sockets were," Fort says. "Even
after some very heavy usage with high
impact air tools these sockets are keeping
true to their sizes."
Fort used the sockets, both in Metric
(No. B-49862) and in Standard (No.
B-34833), while performing daily repairs
in the shop, from rebuilding differential
assemblies to removing dash assemblies
required for heater core replacement.
"All of the sockets have taken a beating with no signs of wear," Fort says.
The set also comes with a 1/4" hex to
3/8" square drive socket adapter which
tilts up to 15-degrees for use in tight
spaces, which Fort used with a Makita

PTEN

JUNE 2019

Impact Driver [No. XDT15ZB] when
possible. To use the adapter, users must
attach it to a driver and then attach
whichever socket is needed.
"One does need to pay attention to the
orientation of the 'Hole' in the sockets
side so it lines up with the 'Ball' of the
adapter," Fort advises. "Failure to do so
will reduce the angle it will work at."
The 1/4" Hex Shank Adapter was a
stand-out addition to the sockets sets. He
says although the adapter seems like a
"little thing," on certain jobs that adapter
makes the biggest different.
"I am also quite impressed to how well
the bit drive adapters are holding up,"
Fort says. "I honestly expected to break
them in short order but haven't broken
one yet."
For more than 10 years, Fort has used
sockets from all makes and types, and
he still walks away impressed by these
socket sets.
"These sockets are amongst the high-

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est quality sockets I have ever used and
the adapters are, so far, a step above
all the others I have owned and used,"
Fort boasts.
The Metric set does not have an 11,
16, or 19 mm socket, so Fort advises purchasing both sets together.
Both socket sets come with a siliconeformed holder to keep the sockets and
adapter organized. The standard set's
organizer is red whereas the metric set
is Makita's signature color.
The sockets include size markings, but
Fort says these are a "little hard to read,
especially in low-light situations."
"If I could, I would add size marking
to the silicone organizers for easier socket
identification," Fort suggests as a future
update to the tool. "I would also like to
have the size markings on the sockets easier to read, colored laser etching perhaps?"
Overall, these socket sets are durable,
even with daily use, and leave this technician of 10 years impressed.

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