Hi
I'm new to the group but have been loitering about recently looking for information on how to fix my 2002 Transit Connect which i am happy to say I was successful with, but thats another story.
When i was working in my garage i kept picking up imperial sockets and spanners which i have had for years and thinking WTF 5/8 or 3/4 GTF i want a 14mm or nice 18mm ring spanner. I was wondering what other's do with their Imperial tools, Do you keep hold of them and use them regularly or occasionally or seldom?
Or, did you gradually get rid of them as you replaced them with metric tools?

 

I did my apprenticeship on american aircraft and now work on American machinery for a living. If someone asks me what size spanner that nut is, I will be more likely to get it right in imperial than metric

 

Imperial sockets can often be very close to another metric size and in some cases help with a worn fastener.

Back when we used to do Vauxhall front pipes on a near daily basis a 1/2" socket was a god send for the corroded 13mm bolts.

 

19mm/3/8 (19.05)
12.7mm / 1/2
15.85mm/ 5/8

some are very close
some are a country mile away

 

I just keep a decent set of imperial sockets for occasional use, they sit in a separate drawer so i dont pick them up accidentally.