12-point and 6-point sockets

[LD1]

If I could only have one, I'd choose 6 pt since I almost never see a square nut anymore, and I have never seen a 12 pt nut (didn't know they existed until someone mentioned them.)

12-point sockets arent appropriate and dont normally work well on square nuts.

Are you thinking of the 8-point type sockets??

And yes, 12-point bolts/nuts do exist, but not something he "average homeowner/tinkerer" is likely to see.

A few examples are Connecting rod bolts or nuts, Flywheel bolts, and sometimes head bolts/studs; just to think of a few common places

[Robert_in_NY]

As some of the others have said, both serve a purpose but I prefer the 6 point myself. Less chance of damaging a bolt. What is nice with having both is when your bolting something together and need two 1/2" sockets or what ever size for both sides of the bolt. Yeah, you could use a wrench on one side but if there is tension twisting both at the same time sure speeds things up till it cinches down.

When I started expanding my farm operations I soon learned I needed a good set to take to the field for repairs. I ended up buying a set from Home Depot like what you found. Almost 300 pieces of all the sockets you would ever need and an assortment of wrenches, allens and screw drivers. It was a great start. Ended up buying a good metal 3 tray tool box that I could carry it all in. Then I added an 8, 10, 12 and 15" cresent wrench, tape ruler, 1" wide scraper and thread tape to round out that tool box. Then I found I still needed more tools for the "average" field repair so I bought a small black tool box with single tray and have a 3 pound hammer, steel chisels and punches, more thread tape as well as never sieze and tight lock, a small basic socket set (came with the tool box), note pad, pen, pencil, side cutters, linesman pliers, needle nose and pliers. There are a few other items in there as well. I still wasn't happy as I never had the proper wrenches as the original box of tools only had certain sizes. So Home Depot had a couple fo great sets of SAE and Metric wrenches that came in a canvas case that rolls up. They reduced them so I bought 2 of each set. One set stays in the barn just because their handy and the other set stays with my field kits so I have them when ever I need them. Now if I am baling I keep the field tools in the truck at all times. There are very few repairs I can't do with the tools I have on hand. The down side is these kits are set up so nice I find myself going to my field tool boxes I keep stored in the barn before going to the roll chests and using the barn kits

I am always looking for good deals on tools as you can never have enough. Home Depot has Cresent brand adjustable wrenches on sale currently. Have a 6, 8, 10 and 12" all for $20. Just the 12" alone is $20. I try to keep a couple adjustable wrenches on each tractor as well as a 4 in 1 screwdriver and linesman pliers. Can do a lot of field repairs to a tractor with those simple tools. Vineyard tractors have fence pliers instead of linesmans though as well as staples and string in the tool boxes. I bought three of the Cresent kits as I am setting up another roll chest in one of my other barns and I added a couple tractors and needed to put adjustable wrenches in the tool boxes still. I keep looking for another large set of sockets like I originally found as that would be a great jump start on the barn tool box but my Home Depot doesn't stock those kits anymore. Just the small kits.

[npalen]

I suspect that another reason for the rounded internal corners in the sockets is economy of manufacture. Sharp corners on forging dies tend to wear much quicker than rounded shapes.