When Would You Need A Pass-Through Socket Set?

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Most of the major socket set brands offer pass-through socket sets, especially those considered the best and most lower ranked brands. You'll find pass-through socket sets from brands like Snap-On, Hart, Stanley, and Crescent, among others. Even Harbor Freight has decent pass-through socket sets considering their low price.

The most obvious reason to need a pass-through socket set is for use on nuts threaded onto long studs. The pass-through design allows the socket and ratchet to slide over the stud as far as needed to engage the nut. While there's no limit to the stud's length, the stud's diameter must fit through the socket-wrench assembly, which on a ⅜-inch-drive pass-through socket set is approximately ⅜-inch maximum. 

Accessing tight spaces is another area where pass-through sockets have an advantage over traditional socket sets. Compared to a traditional shallow socket-wrench combination, pass-through socket-wrenches have a lower profile which allows them to slip over fasteners with less headroom. This is especially true with fasteners that would normally require the use of a deep socket where the bolt or stud is small enough to fit through the pass-through opening.

Snap-On offers its Blue-Point 22-piece ⅜-inch-Drive Pass-Thru Socket Set for $182.50. It includes eight SAE sockets ranging from ⅜-inch to ¾-inch, 11 metric sockets, 8mm to 19mm, a ⅜-inch-drive 3-inch-long pass-through extension, a 10-inch pass-through flex ratchet, and a ⅜-inch square-drive adapter.

At the other end of the spectrum, Crescent, a cheap mechanic tool brand actually worth buying, makes a 25-piece ⅜-inch-Drive Pass-Thru set sold at The Home Depot for $44.62. It includes SAE socket sizes ⅜ to ⅞ inches and metric sizes 10mm to 19mm, adapters for ⅜-inch square drive and hex-bits, four hex bits, and a pass-through ratchet.

Some pass-through socket sets, like the Klein Tools KNECT ⅜-inch-Drive Impact-Rated 15-piece set, priced at $59.98 from Lowe's, include an adapter to connect the pass-through extension and sockets to an impact driver. The set also includes 12 SAE sockets ranging from ¼-inch (also used to hold standard ¼ bits) up to ¾-inch, a ⅜-inch square-drive adapter, and a pass-through ratchet.