Due to the mixed „screw and nut environment“ of a TB20 I was thinking about getting this kind of tool combination or a few of them for a small Allround-tool package. Well, most the TB is metric except some US parts e.g. for servo exchange being in the wildernesses on a weekend.
Or do these kind of tools more eat up one‘s parts than being helpful? Any recommendations?
Here is another, bigger example:
Yato YT-38841, priced from €105 on allegro.pl
12x 1/2" sockets: 10; 11; 12; 13; 14; 15; 17; 19; 20; 21; 22; 24 mm (38 mm)
3x 1/2" sockets: 27; 30; 32 mm (42 mm)
5x 1/2" deep sockets: 16; 17; 18; 19; 22 mm (76 mm)
3x 1/2" Torx sockets: E20; E22; E24
7x 3/8" sockets: 10; 11; 12; 13; 14; 15; 16 mm (28 mm)
3x 3/8" sockets: 17; 18; 19 mm, (30 mm)
6x 3/8" deep sockets: 10; 11; 12; 13; 14; 15 mm, (63 mm)
6x 3/8" Torx sockets: E10; E11; E12; E14; E16; E18
13x 1/4" sockets: 4; 4.5; 5; 5.5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12; 13; 14 mm, (25 mm)
7x 1/4" deep sockets: 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10 mm, (50 mm)
5x 1/4" Torx sockets: E4; E5; E6; E7; E8
1x 1/2" ratchet: 72T; (255 mm)
1x 3/8" ratchet: 72T; (200 mm)
1x 1/4" ratchet: 72T; (155 mm)
1x 1/2" T-handle; (255 mm)
1x 1/4" T-handle; (152,4 mm)
1x 1/4" screwdriver extension handle: (150 mm)
1x 1/4" screwdriver handle
2x 1/2" extensions: (125 mm); (250 mm)
2x 3/8" extensions: (75 mm); (150 mm)
2x 1/4" extensions: (50 mm); (100 mm)
2x 1/2" spark plug sockets: 16; 21 mm
1x 3/8" spark plug socket: 18 mm
3x U-joints: 1/2"; 3/8"; 1/4"
1x adapter 5/16″ × 1/2"
1x adapter 5/16″ × 3/8"
30x 5/16" bits
44x 1/4" bits
10x Torx 1/4" bits: T8; T10 x 2; T15 x 2; T20 x 2; T25 x 2; T40
2x Torx 1/2" bits: T55; T60
2x Ph 1/4" screwdriver bits: Ph1; Ph2
2x Pz 1/4" screwdriver bits: Pz1; Pz2
3x 1/4" flat screwdriver bits: 4; 5.5; 7 mm
4x 1/4" hex bit: 3; 4; 5; 6 mm
12x combination spanners: 8; 10; 11; 12; 13; 14; 15; 16; 17; 18; 19; 22 mm
7x hex keys: 1.27; 1.5; 2; 2.5; 3; 4; 5 mm
Nice for sure, too, however what I meant is experience in usability of wrenches for both metric and imperial?
Depends on the use case: keep at the base or take along; one specific aircraft or everything; basic maintenance or serious repairs.
No personal experience with the Metrinch tools however some googling gives mixed results. To be honest you can get pretty far with 2 spanner rolls (one imperial, one metric) and a cheap socket set.
In addition, I carry at least one of these in every vehicle I go in. There’s one in my flight bag too.
Txs @ IO 390: The Wera stuff is not cheap but good (although I think that comes from Taiwan, too) and I‘m tend to the same solution like you, to add only the most necessary imperial nuts and / or wrench
Txs @ Ivark: haven‘t seen something like that yet quite inexpensive and extensive. I think more that I need but could extract some tools for a small take away tool pouch.
I have a set of these spanners. They work ok if you are making use of the two conventional flat portions but they are less good if you use the “inner” part. But this is an issue only if you need a fair bit of force.
Personally I would not bother. For the engine compartment it is mostly American (imperial) and the rest of the TB is metric. I make do with metric tools, and just one set of imperial spanners. Actually the imperial set is abbreviated because one needs only (from memory) 7/8" for spark plug tops, 1/2" for the spark plug lead nut, and that’s more or less it for the regular service.
For on the road after a recommendation from Ultranomad I purchased 2 of this type:
Knipex
They work very well (for imperial and metric ;-) and are much smaller and lighter than a full set. I was not aware of those but it is no comparison to old school wrenches as the surfaces move in parallel. In comparison to other adjustable wrenches with parallel faces you can actually apply force while turning which works way better than those adjustable wrenches with a little screw etc.
Also practical experience on the road (or in the air) has shown that most real life problems did actually require small delicate tools and not big wrenches and hammers. Often you will need two small tools of the same size one to hold a nut, the other to release another so a single set might not be enough anyway. Then rather take duct tape, some fast cure epoxy, some good cable ties, some sealing compound, multitool etc. instead of big automotive type metal tools.
You’ll be fine regardless for 3/4 inch, 1/2 inch and 5/16 hexes with 19 mm, 13 mm and 8 mm :
I carry SAE tools when traveling with my European type aircraft because the engine, wheels and brakes and instruments were all manufactured with SAE sized hex fasteners, and the Philips head screws are #1, #2 etc not specific to metric. Nothing else is likely to break.