Ratcheting Wrench & Socket

Ratchets are principally characterized by their size, commonly called the drive. The most common ratchet sizes are ¼ inch drive, 3/8 inch drive, and ½ inch drive. There are also larger ratchet sizes including ¾ inch drive and 1-inch drive available.

Standard Sockets

Standard Sockets are those that are sized in fractions of an inch or inch size. Also called imperial sizes or SAE sizes, these are the most commonly used types of sockets in the U.S. as many machines and systems manufactured here utilize imperial fastener sizes. As with the metric sockets, these sockets are available in different sizes that correspond to standard fastener sizes. Generally, smaller socket sizes are associated with smaller ratchet drive sizes and as the drive size increases, larger sizes sockets are available.  Table 2 below1 lists some of the most common standard socket sizes associated with each ratchet drive size.