1/4 3/8 1/2 and so on drive sets, what do others use?

[b5blue]

If your using metric in "Your Land" what drive sets do you use? 

[Aero426]

Mostly 3/8 drive used, but I have built up one good basic set of Snap-On sockets and ratchets for each of those sizes. 

[alenglish]

I have a full set of 3/8" and 1/2" (Missing a few over the years between myself and the kids) from Montgomery Ward.  I worked there  45 years ago.  Sales , missing part sets on sale, sockets in the junk table less discount.    And a harbor freight  1/4 set.  Big Al

[TexasStroker]

For automotive stuff my bread and butter is 3/8" Drive, although a lot of times when space permits, I prefer 1/2" Drive.

At work, pretty much everything is 1/2" Drive...also primarily pneumatic.

To further break it down...

Work = Pneumatic Impacts and Ratchets
1/2" Drive Impact Sockets = Proto
3/8" Drive Impact Sockets = Wright

Work Chrome
-Assortment of old US...Bonney, Easco, KD, Snap-On, SK, Wright, Craftsman, and more

Home

1/2" Drive Impacts
-SAE = Proto Deep and Wright Shallow
-Metric = Mixed

1/2" Drive Chrome
-SAE = Gedore
-Metic = Stahlwille 12 Point, Gedore 6 Point

3/8" Drive Impacts
-SAE and Metric = Capri

3/8" Drive Chrome
-SAE = SK, Koken, Wiha
-Metric = Stahlwille

1/4" Drive Chrome
-SAE = SK Deep & Wright Shallow
-Metric = Stahlwille, Hazet, Felo

Also old US Craftsman across the board.

In-Car Kits
-Capri, Tekton, and assorted Harbor Freight

For ratchets it is hard to beat Hazets HP series.  Stahlwilles have been good to me as well.  The SK LP90 is probably my favorite modern American ratchet.  I bought a Matco locking flex head a few months ago...black crhome with the blue handle...love the looks of it, ratchet mechanism is okay...locking segment is a big disappointment.

I'm a bit of a tool fanatic, or whatever you want to call it, but that should cover the info you were looking for...

Also, as someone into German tools, you will often find combined 1/4" Drive and 1/2" Drive sets, which is pretty rare over here.

[John_Kunkel]

1/4" drive is used a lot in the aircraft industry, lots of tight places where others won't fit. Many, many years ago our tool cribs would occasionally turn up a 9/32" or 5/16" drive socket left over from the forties...lots of fun when you put one on a 1'4" drive tool. 

[b5blue]

So Japan/Germany/China and so on all use our 3/8ths and the like not some metric drive system? 

[TexasStroker]

The drive sizes are all pretty much standardized.  So yeah, if you were to buy a ratchet made in Germany (Gedore, Hazet, Stahlwille, etc.), or Japan (Koken, Nepros, Tone, etc.) you will have it show up fully compatible with old American sockets.

[John_Kunkel]

I believe the drive sizes are international, so a socket drive wrench from any country will be fraction, not metric.

[RiverRaider]

I have seen several traveling technicians from outside the USA using hex shank tools for electronic manufacturing service work.

I myself also use Hex shank sockets 6 point metric to 15mm and SAE to 5/8" standard depth along with the sockets most of us use.
1/4" drive 6 and 12 point metric 4mm thru 15mm and SAE 3/16" thru ¾" standard and deep
3/8" drive 6 and 12 point metric 6mm thru 23mm and SAE 1/4" thru 1" standard and deep, 8 point SAE standard depth 1/4" thru ¾"
1/2" drive 6 and 12 point metric 10mm thru 36mm and SAE 3/8" thru 1¼"  standard and deep, 8 point SAE standard depth ¼" thru 1 ¼"
3/4" drive 6 and 12 point SAE standard depth 7/8" thru 2 3/8"
3/8" and 1/2" drive Allen sockets metric to 19mm and SAE to ¾"
I have some 1" drive stuff but it doesn't see much use any more.