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I was using a 3/8-inch drive on all my boiler flange bolts for years
A foreman in Philly saw me struggling and asked why I wasn't using a 1/2-inch drive for anything over 3/4 inch. He said the extra torque from the bigger drive stops you from rounding off bolt heads and saves your wrists. I switched over and haven't stripped a single bolt since that day. What's the biggest 'wrong tool for the job' habit you had to break?
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julia_lee2d ago
Stops you from rounding off bolt heads" feels a bit dramatic for most home stuff. I get the logic, but for the average person doing odd jobs, a 3/8 drive on a bigger bolt isn't a disaster waiting to happen. It's just less than perfect. @stella_murray has a point about ignoring rules, but sometimes the "wrong" tool is just what's already in your hand and it gets the job done fine. I stripped way more bolts from being lazy and not cleaning threads than from using a slightly smaller drive.
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the_margaret2d ago
Remember my buddy who used a 12-point socket on a 6-point lug nut? He had to drill the thing out.
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