Tools. Everybody needs a good set, and the Kobalt 154-piece socket setย is aiming squarely at the consumer market with its new line of sockets. This 154-Piece Socket Set includes all of the basic and extended sockets you could want for basic automotive and household uses. One of the things that is constantly annoying is not having deep sockets for use with carriage bolts or other situations that require a deeper socket to clear the end of a bolt. With the Kobalt 154-piece socket set, you have a solid 2 inches of depth past the ratchet.
Features and Build Quality
The Kobalt ratchets are made from forged steel and are very durable. They are almost identical in feel and functionality to other teardrop-style ratchets weโve used from Craftsman. If you know those tools, then youโll realize this is a compliment and a statement of how well-built we felt the Kobalt tools were.
The 1/2โณ ratchet was of particular interest to us since it represented the most heavy-duty aspect of the tool. Gripping the ratchet, we felt that it conformed almost perfectly with the human hand. It was almost amazing that a forged piece of steel could feel so comfortable, but it did. There is a quick-release button on the back of the tool head that can be operated simply and with one finger. This button must be used to both insert and eject a socket. A thumb switch just below the eject mechanism switches direction from loosen to tighten.
As far as sockets go, you may be able to find a few sockets not included in this set, but our bet is that for 99.5% of all jobs, youโre going to find what you need. The presence of a full complement of both SAE and metric in standard and deep socket sizes makes for a relatively robust kit. In addition, the appropriate sizes are included for 1/4โณ, 3/8โณ, and 1/2โณ sockets. In our testing, the 3/8โณ ratchet did seem to bind up after only minimal use.
It continued to function, but (assuming this wasnโt just a bad sample) it let us know that this is probably not a tool youโll want to use on a daily basis or for professional work. The mechanism to switch the ratcheting direction also bound up on us and became a bit unwieldy.
The included 1/4โณ hex bit driver comes with 10 handy bits ranging from Philips and flat head, to Torx & square bits. Itโs a nice addition to an already complete toolbox, but it does aid in those quick jobs where you want to get in and secure something. What we found odd was the lack of a 1/4โณ adapter for sockets. While you can certainly buy this separately, it would have made this set even more useful for those jobs where a straight insertion would be preferable to using a ratchet.
We used the 1/2โณ ratchet to remove and replace a back seat on our SUV, and the 1/2โณ ratchet did wonders for several household projects. Both tools felt good and worked perfectly each time. The grip is solid, and it never once slipped, meaning the sockets gripped well and tended to stay on and not easily strip out the nuts we were working on.
The Kobalt 154-Piece Socket Setย Contains
- 1/4โณ hex bit driver with 10 bits (Philips, flat head, Torx & square) (11)
- 1/4โณ, 3/8โณ & 1/2โณ ratchets (3)
- 14-piece hex key set SAE (14)
- 14-piece hex key set MM (14)
- 3/8โณ-7/16โณ and 1/2โณ-9/16โณ crescent wrenches (2)
- 10/11mm and 12/14mm crescent wrenches (2)
- 1/4โณ & 3/8โณ 3-inch extenders (2)
- 4-12mm 1/4โณ sockets (10)
- 5/32โณ-1/2โณ 1/4โณ sockets (10)
- 8-14mm 3/8โณ sockets (6)
- T15-T30 1/4โณ Torx sockets (4)
- T40 & T45 3/8โณ Torx sockets (2)
- 4-10mm 3/8โณ hex sockets (6)
- 1/8โณ-3/8โณ 3/8โณ hex sockets (7)
- 7/16โณ-3/4โณ 1/2โณ sockets (6)
- 14-19mm 1/2โณ sockets (6)
- 3/8โณ-3/4โณ 3/8โณ deep sockets (7)
- 10-17mm 3/8โณ deep sockets (6)
- 7-11mm 1/4โณ deep sockets (5)
- 3/16โณ-5/16โณ 1/4โณ deep sockets (5)
- 1/4โณ-11/16โณ 3/8โณ sockets (8)
- 12-19mm 3/8โณ sockets (8)
- 7/16โณ-7/8โณ 3/8โณ sockets (8)
- 5/8โณ & 13/16โณ spark plug sockets (2)
Conclusion
Overall, this is an excellent kit with some limitations on heavy-duty use, which we feel these tools are not designed for. Kobalt Tools are a Loweโs brand and are manufactured in both the USA and China, depending on what youโre buying. These particular tools are fully domestic. We canโt recommend this tool enough, except to say that while the included plastic case is nice, youโll want to spring for a serious tool chest that is worthy of this ratchet and socket extravaganza.
