Tech & Gadgets · Head-to-head
GEARWRENCH 80703 11-Piece 1/2 in. Drive 6-Point Standard SAE Socket Set vs DEWALT DWMT73804 34-Piece 1/4 in. and 3/8 in. Drive Socket Set
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Socket Sets: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
The GEARWRENCH set is the only one here that names the standard it is built to, ASME B107.1, and its off-corner loading geometry is designed against the failure that actually ruins fasteners. The DEWALT covers the small drives you use most, with a fine-tooth ratchet for confined work.
GEARWRENCH 80703 11-Piece 1/2 in. Drive 6-Point Standard SAE Socket Set
Buy itThe only set here whose maker names the standard rather than the standards body, with geometry designed specifically against rounding.
- Stated to meet or exceed ASME B107.1, naming the specific standard rather than referring generally to ANSI or ASME.
- Off-corner loading design puts the driving force on the flats of the fastener instead of its corners, which is the mechanism that prevents rounding.
- Six-point geometry, giving the largest contact area with the fastener and the most resistance to slipping on a tight bolt.
- Chamfered socket openings that guide the socket onto the fastener, which matters when you are working by feel.
- Eleven pieces in a single drive size, so it is a component of a tool kit rather than a kit in itself.
- Half inch drive only, which is the wrong tool for small fasteners where 1/4 and 3/8 inch do the work.
- SAE only in this part number, so metric is a second purchase.
DEWALT DWMT73804 34-Piece 1/4 in. and 3/8 in. Drive Socket Set
Buy itCovers the two drive sizes most work actually happens in, with a 72-tooth ratchet for places a coarse one cannot turn.
- Covers 1/4 and 3/8 inch drive, which between them handle the large majority of fasteners most people meet.
- A 72-tooth ratchet, giving roughly a 5 degree swing arc, so it can be worked in confined spaces where a coarse ratchet jams.
- Six-point sockets, gripping the flats rather than the corners.
- Hard stamped size markings on the sockets, which stay legible long after printed markings wear off.
- DEWALT states only that it exceeds ANSI specifications, without naming a standard, and ANSI is the standards body rather than the standard itself.
- No 1/2 inch drive, so anything requiring real torque needs another set.
- Thirty-four pieces sounds broad but is thin once split across two drive sizes and both SAE and metric.
Side by side
| GEARWRENCH 80703 11-Piece 1/2 in. Drive 6-Point Standard SAE Socket Set | DEWALT DWMT73804 34-Piece 1/4 in. and 3/8 in. Drive Socket Set | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | Anyone building a kit deliberately who wants the heavy drive done properly before filling in the small sizes. | General maintenance and automotive work where most fasteners are small and access is tight. |
| Price tier | $$ · mid-range | $$ · mid-range |
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the GEARWRENCH 80703 11-Piece 1/2 in. Drive 6-Point Standard SAE Socket Set - The only set here whose maker names the standard rather than the standards body, with geometry designed specifically against rounding. Choose the DEWALT DWMT73804 34-Piece 1/4 in. and 3/8 in. Drive Socket Set instead if general maintenance and automotive work where most fasteners are small and access is tight.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Socket Sets: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).