Ko-ken Impact Sockets Lead the Way in the Tools Industry with Premium Japanese Technology
Written by Luis Montes
Updated On October 29, 2024
Featured Tools
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The wide variety of Ko-ken impact sockets offers a solution for virtually any task involving bolts and nuts.
However, as we mentioned in our article about the Ko-ken Z-series ratchets, more complex and compact component designs in the heavy equipment and automobile industries require tools that efficiently work into crevices, tight spaces, and hard-to-reach spots.
The challenge has affected impact sockets, whose design needs to be narrower without sacrificing strength.
Let’s discuss how Ko-ken’s thin wall impacts sockets compared to similar brands and why they excel in strength and durability.
Table of Content
The Convenience of Chrome Sockets with the Benefits of Impacts
Source: Koken Impact Sockets Brochure
Chrome sockets beat impacts when it comes to working in tight spaces. However, they are not intended to be used with impacts. That’s what impact sockets are for. Chrome sockets are brittle. They will do it suddenly if they fail, meaning sharp pieces will come out flying.
There’s an endless debate about whether or not to use chrome sockets on impact wrenches. Some claim nothing has ever happened to them, while others have shared their testimonies of accidents caused by broken chrome sockets.
So, yes, using chrome sockets on an impact is a hazard risk to yourself or others. Here are two testimonies of people getting hurt by that practice. First, James O’Hara, who got hit with shrapnel from 50 ft away, and Douglas Haynes, who once got 17 stitches in his index finger due to a cheap chrome socket.
Ko-ken and other brands have developed thin wall impact sockets to overcome this issue.
The tables below compare the dimensions of some Ko-ken thin wall impact socket sets against similar ones from other popular brands.
Photo source: www.youtube.com/@singlecams
A detent pin is a three-item mechanism: a mushroom-like pin, a spring, and a roll pin that keeps the detent pin in place.
The detent pin engages a hole in the internal section of the impact socket, keeping it tightly secured on the wrench anvil.
Pin and O-ring
Photo source: www.youtube.com/@mlacher100
Some impact sockets feature two opposite holes inside a groove near their socket drives. You can secure these sockets with a pin that runs through it and a rubber O-ring that prevents the pin from getting off.
| 1/2" Drive 6-point Thin Wall STD Impact Sockets (SAE) | ||||||||
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| Hex Drive | Item Number | D1 (mm) | D2 (mm) | L (mm) | ||||
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| 3/8" | 14401A-3/8 | IMFS120 | 15.50 | 15.08 | 24.00 | 22.22 | 38.00 | 38.10 |
| 7/16" | 14401A-7/16 | IMFS140 | 16.70 | 17.46 | 24.00 | 22.22 | 38.00 | 38.10 |
| 1/2" | 14401A-1/2 | IMFS160 | 19.20 | 19.05 | 24.00 | 22.22 | 38.00 | 38.10 |
| 9/16" | 14401A-9/19 | IMFS180 | 20.50 | 20.64 | 29.00 | 22.22 | 38.00 | 38.10 |
| 5/8" | 14401A-5/8 | IMFS200 | 23.00 | 23.02 | 29.00 | 23.02 | 38.00 | 38.10 |
| 11/16" | 14401A-11/16 | IMFS220 | 24.20 | 25.40 | 29.00 | 25.40 | 38.00 | 38.10 |
| 3/4" | 14401A-3/4 | IMFS240 | 26.70 | 26.99 | 29.00 | 26.99 | 38.00 | 38.10 |
| 13/16" | 14401A-13/16 | IMFS260 | 29.20 | 28.58 | 29.00 | 28.58 | 38.00 | 38.10 |
| 7/8" | 14401A-7/8 | IMFS280 | 30.50 | 30.56 | 29.00 | 30.56 | 38.00 | 38.10 |
| 15/16" | 14401A-15/16 | IMFS300 | 33.00 | 33.34 | 29.00 | 33.34 | 38.00 | 39.29 |
| 1" | 14401A-1 | IMFS320 | 34.20 | 34.93 | 29.00 | 34.93 | 38.00 | 39.69 |
| 1" Drive 6-point Thin Wall Deep Impact Sockets (SAE) | ||||||||
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| Hex Drive | Item Number | D1 (mm) | D2 (mm) | L (mm) | ||||
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| 1-1/16" | 18301A-1-1/16 | 534DT | 42.30 | 42.50 | 53.00 | 51.00 | 108.00 | 108.00 |
| 1-1/8" | 18301A-1-1/8 | 536DT | 44.80 | 43.00 | 53.00 | 51.00 | 108.00 | 108.00 |
| 1-1/4" | 18301A-1-1/4 | 540DT | 48.50 | 47.00 | 53.00 | 51.00 | 108.00 | 108.00 |
| 1-5/16" | 18301A-1-5/16 | 542DT | 51.00 | 49.00 | 53.00 | 51.00 | 108.00 | 108.00 |
| 1-1/2" | 18301A-1-1/2 | 548DT | 56.00 | 54.00 | 53.00 | 54.00 | 108.00 | 108.00 |
| 1/2" Drive 6-point Thin Wall Deep Impact Sockets (Metric) | ||||||||
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| Hex Drive | Item Number | D1 (mm) | D2 (mm) | L (mm) | ||||
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| 17 mm | 14301M-17 | 2017MDT | 24.20 | 24.13 | 29.00 | 24.13 | 80.00 | 77.98 |
| 19 mm | 14301M-19 | 2019MDT | 26.70 | 25.91 | 29.00 | 25.91 | 80.00 | 77.98 |
| 21 mm | 14301M-21 | 2021MDT | 29.20 | 27.94 | 29.00 | 27.94 | 80.00 | 77.98 |
| 22 mm | 14301M-22 | 2022MDT | 30.50 | 29.46 | 29.00 | 29.46 | 85.00 | 77.98 |
| 23 mm | 14301M-23 | 2023MDT | 31.70 | 30.48 | 29.00 | 30.48 | 85.00 | 77.98 |
A Ko-ken socket set isn’t just a purchase; it’s an investment in peak performance and uptime. These tools are respected in the industry.
Check the Fortis HD tool section for detailed information on the Ko-ken impact sockets we have in stock.
At first glance, they look pretty much the same. However, over time, most impact sockets will start to mushroom and fall off the anvil.
Photo source: www.reddit.com/r/Tools/
On the other hand, Ko-ken impact sockets are stronger and last longer than the competition, thanks to their manufacturing process, which also contributes to more accurate dimensions.
Source: www.youtube.com/@ko-ken
While most tool companies hot forge their sockets, Ko-ken produces most impact sockets through cold forging.
In summary, the cold forging technique shapes metal materials near room temperature without changing their grain structure, thus preserving their original mechanical and tensile characteristics.
According to Carly Chase from Ko-ken, “Several companies have tested their impact sockets and found they are 5 to 10 times stronger than the sockets they used in the past.”
Visit the Fortis HD tool section to purchase Ko-ken top-tier impact sockets and ensure you spend less time worrying about your tools and more time getting the job done.
Conclusion
- Why risk exploding a chrome socket and getting you or others hurt?
- Why spend so much money on impact-rated chrome sockets?
With the Ko-ken thin wall impact sockets, you can work safely and effectively at a fraction of the price of other popular brands. Check them out at Fortis HD, as well as other Ko-ken premium products like Z-series Chrome Sockets, Spark Plug Sockets, and Inhex and TORX Bit Sockets.