1/4 in. and 3/8 in. Drive Mechanics Tool Set with Toughsystem Trays (131-Piece)

Nice smooth comfortable fine ratcheting action. Easy is use thumb lever. Easy reading sockets, with grip band aiding in removal and hand turning. Stay in place tray design keeps most tools secure & organized, standard sockets don’t clip in. Trays seem durable and are easy to carry. Selected for DIY tasks and Dewalts ¼ & ¾” Tool Sets performed excellent over several weeks. The Tough System Trays are practical alone while having the added benefits of the 2.0 system. Great basic sets. Sockets fit & remove from ratchets fairly easy. Sockets fit snugly on fasteners and seem to bite very well. Ratchet smooth, fine and precise. Great selection of bits for driver, w/ adapters for sockets. Satisfied and recommend Dewalts MechanicTool Sets.

The first thing I noticed was there are no wrenches included in this set. Usually a mechanic’s tool set will include a few wrenches in the most commonly used sizes. The 6-point sockets, the 1/4” and 3/8” ratchets are well made. They have a solid feel and the Chrome plating is consistent over all the tools. The Ratchet handles have a comfortable grip. The rachets do not have a quick release button and require more pulling to remove a socket. If you are working on a project that has a variety of different sized fasteners, you may miss the quick release feature. The 6-point sockets are great for maximum surface contact, making the tool less likely to slip or fail. This is important when you’re applying a lot of force, especially if the fastener is rusted. The sockets are easy to clean up after using on oily or greasy projects. The sockets are engraved with easy to read size markings, and the socket walls are thick and should last a long time. The bit driver has a nicely designed handle. The bit driver handle resembles a Kline Tools’ screwdriver handle but the black-wrap on the handle is a hard plastic instead of a rubberized material. A rubberized handle would provide better overall grip on the handle. The bit driver tip is not magnetic and comes with a basic set of bit tips. The Hex keys are Long handle Hex keys. They are arranged in easy to read plastic sleeves. The plastic sleeves fold open to make selecting the smaller Hex keys very easy. If you’re going to include a Hex key set in a tool set, this is how it should be done! Lastly, the tool set comes stored in (2) TOUGHSYSTEM 2.0 shallow tool trays, with molded inserts and compatible lids. The plastic on these trays and lids is of very high quality and thick to provide secure storage. The molded inserts provide easy to remove, well labeled storage for every item in this tool set. The sockets and ratchets are held securely for travel without having to “pop” the pieces in or out of their slots. The only drawback is the amount of open, or empty space between items. Also, I would have linked a more traditional hinge with a metal pin instead of the plastic on plastic hinges. If this is your first tool set purchase and you don’t have a large rolling tool box, you will like how easy it is to store and carry your tools. If you need to carry both trays often, you may want to purchase a TOUGHSYSTEM 2.0 22 in. small tool box. This tool box will hold both trays securely. But, as you buy more tools, there isn’t any additional space for more tools in these trays. The molded inserts can be removed from the TOUGHSYSTEM 2.0 shallow tool trays and will work great as organizers if you decide to store your tools in a tool cabinet drawer. If you do decide to take the molded inserts out of the trays, DeWalt makes a TOUGHSYSTEM 2.0 shallow foam insert for these trays giving you added uses for the trays. Overall, I like this tool set. The quality of the tools in this set is very good and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this set. For the reasons listed above, I would rate this set at 4 out of 5 stars.

This Dewalt 1/4 and 3/8 inch drive mechanics tool set has everything you need to turn nuts, bolts and screws. I love that everything stores neatly in the 2 bright yellow plastic trays, and each storage spot is labeled so you know the size of a piece you are taking. The folding lids are clear so you could see right through it to find the tool you need. I also love that the screwdriver has philips, standard, star bits, socket attachments, and hex bits. As a bonus you even get various sizes of Allen keys in both standard and metric sizes. The 2 ratchets work very well, and have extension bars with both deep and short sockets in metric and standard sizes. Altogether Dewalt did a great job with putting this tool set together as it both looks great, transports easily, and makes finding the right size driver easy to find.

Now that spring has finally arrived it’s time to service both winter and summer yard equipment. I have other DeWalt tools in my bin and find that these ratchet sets are of the same quality. The kits contain the tools a DIY mechanic like me require for working with small engines. The ratchet handle has a solid feel in the hand and the attachments do not rattle on the head. There are 20 regular/Phillips bits available for the bit driver. The hex keys are great when assembling flat packs. The tray’s low-profile stores nicely in the trunk's spare tire compartment for use on long trips. One can account for all pieces through the clear tops.

DeWalt is par none and this set of Mechanic's Tools are no exception. I had never paid attention to the tough system tool sets and tool boxes, but when I got these tools I couldn't help but notice the quality of this set. The trays are made to fit inside of the Tough System 2.0 tool boxes. (A tool box is now on my wish list). The trays are made of a heavy duty plastic in DeWalt yellow. There is a clear lid that covers the tools. The trays also have handles on each side of the tray to lift it out of the tool box. The handles are not made to hold with only one hand, you will need to use both hands, one on each side. The cool thing is, the tools on the inside of the tray are in a removable tool sorter, so you can lift that insert out. This is great if you have a freestanding tool box in your garage or shop. This allows you to put the insert in the drawer of your tool box. The inserts are labeled with the sizes of the sockets. There are two sizes of ratchets. 1\4 and 3\8 inch. There are standard depth sockets and deep well for both sizes. There are 2 extensions for the 3\8 and 1 for the 1\4. These sockets and ratchets are made of heavy duty steel. A quality you expect from DeWalt. They feel good in the hand and you can tell the great craftsmanship they are manufactured with. Maybe I am easily impressed but my favorite part of this tool set is the bit driver. It is made like a Klein screwdriver with a nice rubber grip. The shaft is made of steel with a 1\4 on the end for bits. These are hard to come by, especially this quality. There is a good number of bit options. From your standard Philips, Slotted, Allen, and Torx. But it also has some small sizes of socket type bits, making this a great nut driver. The box also contains a nice set of Allen wrenches. DeWalt has made my work life a little easier with this set of tools.

The DEWALT 1/4 in. and 3/8 in. Drive Mechanics Tool Set with Toughsystem Trays (131-Piece) may be an appropriate mechanics set for those using the DEWALT Toughsystem 2.0 storage system but for others there are better choices. My intention in getting this set was to replace two aging ratchet sets. However, this set does not compare in terms of the number of sockets or the quality of the ratchets. The DEWALT ratchets are not quick-release whereas my older ones are. I find quick-release easier for inserting sockets and providing a secure connection. These DEWALT tools do have a full lifetime warranty, an extensive set of hex keys and several screwdriver and nut driver bits. The sockets are all 6-point. I like how the driver grips the bits tightly but then its handle has to be the worst that I have ever used. It is not at all comfortable to use. The nut driver bits do not have quick-connect capability on the ends limiting their use in drills and impact drivers. See the photo. The DEWALT bit is on the left; the quick-connect bit is on the right. There are two sets of screwdriver bits but only one is labeled as you can see in the photo. Not labeling all of the bits is either poor design or poor quality control. My biggest complaint though is the bloated storage. The storage trays take up so much space that they likely will not be used except by those who are using the Toughsystem storage system. There is much wasted space in each tray. This is my first DEWALT product and with its well-known reputation, I was expecting more. The trays have a limited lifetime warranty. The tool kit is made in Taiwan.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I’ve always owned craftsman mechanic tools and when they were a product of Sears they were awesome. When I needed to fill in tools I generally would use Harbor freight if I needed it for one or two jobs. This 131 piece combo set of sockets, Allen wrenches, torques tips etc. goes way above quality standards of both Craftsman and Harbor freight. I like the compactness of the tools like one handle many tip options. Only thing I’m missing is set of pliers and ratcheting box end wrenches. The case could use a single handle to carry the unit with one hand in addition to the two on each end. I’m not a stranger to DeWalt tools as I have about every battery operated Saw, drill motor, reciprocating saw, flashlight, table saw, chop saw, etc. Nice addition!

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] As someone who spends most of their spare time working on either garage tinkering projects, helping others with car repair, or building high power rockets, having a solid socket set is a must. And I must say.....this one delivers. As in, delivers to the point of actually getting rid of (gasp) an existing tool set, a socket set that just can't compare to this one. Quality is through the roof, while I haven't done anything crazy like tried to break a bolt with a three foot bar and one of these yet, they've held up to my daily, rather rough use. Ratchets are beefy: built very well, don't feel like cheap coddled together parts. On par with other big name ratchet/socket sets. Good assortment of various sizes/tool types as well. Especially like the inclusion of torx drivers as well as several different adapters and extensions. Great variety, but not like some other sets out there that have pointless accessories you don't need/use. And can we talk about the trays for a moment: solid, non junk construction. Especially like that it's not blow-molded, (hallelujah,) and the stacking and locking is exactly what I've come to expect from a good quality case. Each socket sits nicely in its hole, and the ratchets are secure, yet not so stuck that they are a pain to get out. The lids also hold themselves open with a nice detent. Overall, very pleased with this set, and I would (and will!) recommend it to my friends.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I received this tool set via fed ex in excellent condition. I removed the tool set and was impressed on how clearly I could see each tool through the clear plastic lids. The lids open easily. I was not impressed with the "hinges" on the lids. They are plastic and I am not sure how long the hinges will last. I do like how the trays stack but do not care for how the black plastic side handles lock into the upper tray. It takes a bit of up and in pressure to lock them in. It also takes a bit of outward pressure to unlock them. This may get easier the more it is locked and unlocked. I am wondering how long the plastic locking "tabs" will last. They seem strong, and may last if the locking and unlocking get easier. There are no moveable handles on the trays. There is an open slot on the front to put your fingertips into, to carry it, but there isn't much room. It appears a handle could have been easily incorporated into the front of the trays. The sockets have a nice chrome finish to them and the sizes are easy to read, imprinted into the sockets. The ratchets are very nice as well. I especially like the gearing in the ratchets. The teeth are very close and work well in tight spaces. There are just enough bits for the nut/screw driver. Unlike most kits that have way too many. The nut/screw driver is built well and comfortable. I like the allen wrenches, especially the cases. Each of the two have the smaller wrenches built into a swing away hinge. Nice feature. There is a good assortment of sockets, both the 3/8' and 1/4' drive sockets. I used this set to take apart and rebuild a snow blower. This kit included everything I needed to get this task done. The sockets and ratchets I used preformed well. This is a great kit to carry in your vehicle which takes up minimal space. It also fits nice in a tool box drawer.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I think this set deserves 4.5 stars. I have some issues with it, but overall, it is a very nice kit. I am comparing it to my decades old Craftsman socket set. That was made in the USA, this was not, but it did not affect the performance. The 5* ratchets are substantial, have nice weight, and click with confidence. The sockets are beautiful out of the box, with clear markings. I find that the knurling is basically cosmetic; I found little difference in grip from the knurling versus the polished section. The sockets fit perfectly, and didn’t blink when performing tasks attached to an impact driver. The screwdriver feels a little cheap, but that isn’t why you are buying this product. Other than those quibbles, everything inside the two ToughSystem cases are what I expect from DeWalt. This is the reason I couldn’t give it 5 stars. It is a blessing and a curse. The two units fit perfectly in a ToughSystem roller, if you own one. If you do not, it becomes awkward to carry as a stand alone set. I wish the handles would extend 90* out—perpendicular to the case—versus the roughly 50* that it now is. Imagine carrying a 20 pound briefcase that could split in two by the short-side with a handle that is not centered. In the end, every component is what it I would expect. If you do not have a ToughSystem roller, box, etc. this might not be the best product for you. If you do, you will be pleased with the components.