Milwaukee has a new 47pc 1/2″ drive mechanics tool set, 48-22-9487, which comes with a ratchet, drive accessories, and both SAE and metric sockets.
This is a minor expansion of Milwaukee’s mechanics tool sets offerings, but seemed noteworthy given the popularity of their 1/4″ and 3/8″ joint set, 48-22-9486, also bundled in a Packout case.
The set comes with removable trays that can be placed in a tool drawer for organized and low-profile storage.
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When you’re ready to move, insert them back into a Packout low profile organizer.
The set comes with a 1/2″ 90T ratchet, 3″ and 5″ extensions, 26 standard sockets, and 18 deep sockets.
Included Socket Sizes
Standard SAE: 1/2″, 9/16″, 5/8″, 11/16″, 3/4″, 13/16″, 7/8″, 15/16″, 1″, 1-1/16″, 1-1/8″
Deep SAE: 1/2″, 9/16″, 5/8″, 11/16″, 3/4″, 13/16″, 7/8″, 15/16″
Standard Metric: 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 mm
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Deep Metric: 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 mm
The sockets all feature Milwaukee’s Four Flat anti-roll and wrench-ready design, with stamped size markings.
Price: $320
If you don’t think you need or want the clear-lid Packout case, Milwaukee has a similar 47pc set with compact case, 48-22-9010. Everything is the same, except for the tray and case.
This tool case also features a removable tray which can be placed in a shallow tool box drawer for organized storage.
At the time of this posting, Home Depot has this version of the set priced on sale as a special buy for $199.
Price: $199 – $260
If you already own the 47pc tool set, or plan to buy the non-Packout version due to pricing considerations, know that you can buy the empty Packout trays separately.
At the time of this posting, the trays are $25, and are starting to appear at retailers alongside the Packout-equipped socket set.
Take the bins out of any low-profile Packout organizer, insert these trays, and you have an identical storage setup for the 47pc tool as the SKU mentioned at the top of this post.
This gives you some options should your needs change in the future.
Discussion
The best option, at the time of this posting – unless you want the Packout set with minimal hassle – is to purchase the 47pc set, Packout organizer, and compatible Packout trays separately. This also gives you both carrying case options.
Or, buy just the 47pc socket set while it’s on sale now, and determine later if you want the Packout-compatible case and trays or not.
Separately, you can get the 47pc set at Home Depot (on sale at the time of this posting for $199), and then a Packout organizer and tray set at Acme Tools for $45 and $25, respectively. Availability of the tray set should improve as they ship out to more retailers.
The non-Packout set has a regular price of $260. With a Packout organizer and tray set costing $70 combined, the $320 price for the new socket set with Packout case seems reasonable.
Buying everything separately at the time of this posting shaves the equivalent price down to $269 (or $277 with shipping).
frampton
Milwaukee’s move toward packout compatability is brilliant. If you’re a tradesman working with a packout setup, this is a very attractive offering.
Steve
I had the 47 piece set prior to the packout option becoming available and I ordered the trays and case separately. To me, it’s much better than the case provided with the set and stacks with my other packouts nicely.
They need something for wrenches though. Either a soft case or hard case – something they all fit in, that can be transported easily and allows for easy selection of various wrenches. I’ve tried a number of soft organizers and none of them seem to work well as the wrenches don’t fit in the pockets…
Jim Felt
What a great explanation! Thanks for the effort Stuart.
I’ve a question though. Will these soon be among the upcoming Milwaukee “Made in America” tool category?
Stuart
Not that I know of.
I would speculate that such products might eventually be possible, but not anytime soon.
Jim Felt
To bad Leatherman and/or Gerber knives can’t or won’t gear up for a broader range of Made in America tools… Too by bad Wall Street (financial results before anything else) has such a grip on US manufacturing…
Stuart
Realistically, consumer spending dictates a lot of corporate decisions.
Let’s say Milwaukee entertained the idea of USA-made sockets. This requires know-how they don’t have yet, processes they haven’t developed yet, and I’d say even talent they haven’t hired yet.
Where would they sell the tools? How many?
The investment would require a certain number sales projections.
What they’re doing with USA-made pliers and screwdrivers can be a part of the path on the way to USA-made sockets and ratchets, but there are many steps in between.
As for Leatherman and Gerber, they are both in highly competitive spaces with pricing can drive many consumer decisions.
Leatherman’s web store is the ONLY place you can buy the Micra mini multi-tool today. Every single one of their dealers has listed the Micra as unavailable or discontinued for a while now.
I asked Leatherman to clarify why, but they never got back to me. I suspect that the Micra has become too expensive to produce at a reasonable retail price, which is why it’s only sold directly. But without retail channel sales, who knows how long it will continue to be sold for.
fred
I was very happy (and my partners probably agreed) that none of our businesses had stock that was publicly-traded – and that we were doubly blessed that we did not produce any mass-market consumer goods. Not that we did everything right – but at least we only had ourselves (and perhaps our spouses) second-guessing our decisions. There were times when we wanted to expand and thought about raising capital via a public offering – but then decided against it. Not having to answer to a BOD, stockholders and Wall St. pundits was the counter to the appeal of extra capital.
Stuart
Private tool companies are also under profitability pressures.
Consider how Malco recently closed Eagle Grip locking pliers production – https://toolguyd.com/malco-eagle-grip-locking-pliers-discontinued/ .
Dylan
I’m hoping to see a wrench, screwdriver and plier packout sets available at some point. I have looked but the diy ideas for their storage isn’t to my liking.
I have the 1/4” -3/8” packout set and love its organization. Hope to see this become more wide spread through the packout line.
Mr. C
I’m one of the minority — I don’t like the packout cases for sockets.
I’ve looked at the combined 1/4 and 3/8 set, and it’s an absolute BEAST to lug around. I’d rather take two separate sets. Then again, I’m not invested in the packout system at all. If I rolled my tools around in a bright red “please don’t steal me I’m expensive” cart…then it’d be a different story.
And maybe it’s just as durable, but seeing the clear acrylic versus a solid plastic lid makes me think I need to be gentle with it.
Joe H
I wish these ratchet/socket sets would come either with a flex head ratchet or they make flex head ratchets that would fit the same slot. I use flex head ratchets the majority of the time I use ratchets and I don’t mind paying a higher premium to just get the flex head ratchet included in the set since I buy them separate anyways. With this, I would have to carry a flex head separately somewhere else in the pack out system. Also I’d rather they have a separate box that’s packout compatible dedicated to wobble/locking extensions, and swivel and drive adapters all in one set instead of just throwing a couple extensions with the ratchet. The extensions I use these days can be set to be straight or wobble so I don’t really reach for the dedicated straight extensions anymore unless clearance is so very tight.
Nathan
A few things. One it’s spendy for what you get but I sort of expected that.
It’s lacking for a 1/2 drive setup and has some sockets that IMO are too small. IE the 10,11,12 mm and the where as the SAE side starts at 1/2 which is about right.
As it doesn’t go up quite high enough as it should have 1 inch sockets on the top end maybe even the 1-1/8 and it should have up to the 27mm. Now my background is aviation/automotive more so that construction but it seems a bit lacking.
Packing wise – why the strip of oddball sockets – and what ends up there?. the extensions are on the SAE side (I suspect). Seems like it could have been thought about a touch better or maybe multiple dividers just in case. Otherwise I’m sure it’s a good kit for someone. and if you just have to have all matching milwaukee product I assume later they will putout a special large size 1/2 drive kit for later. Shame you can’t pick and choose. I hear their ratchets run well but I’ve not tried one.
Julian Tracy
In all my years of using sockets, I can’t think of ever really that them rolling around was problematic. Thusly, I think the square sides are a bit of a gimmick.
What I do appreciate is better markings, so I appreciate the fully painted in sizes on my Milwaukee 3/8” and 1/2” impact socket sets. Curiously the impact sockets are round… maybe more proof of the silliness of flat sided sockets.
Much like the festool Systainer fanatics, that buy $85 sustainers to store $3 caulk tubes and shims, etc, the new Packout fanatics probably drool over each of these packout ready socket sets, but I really can’t see the practicality of them for my use whatsoever. And considering most Packout customers are trades people, most trades people have absolutely no use for 50pc socket sets on site.
I do professional remodeling and a lot of mechanic / wrenching work on cars/trucks/motorcycles/small engines, etc. There really isn’t much overlap in those tool collections for each activity.
I will say Milwaukee is doing a great job with their hand tools – much better than Dewalt’s mostly overly bulky designs, be they ratchets, adjustable wrenches, pliers, etc.
blocky
Honestly, for me, the reason these don’t roll is because the tray arrangement is so good that I put the sockets back in their respective positions while working. I’ve found I can negotiate it easily even with winter gloves.
I do enjoy the visual of the square sockets, but have found that they bounce the same when dropped, generally towards the curb.
Pretty sure side-wall strength is the reason the impact sockets are still round.
Julian Tracy
The two large Mikwaukee deep well impact socket sets I have are fitted in excellent blow molded cases. The arrangement is very well done for such large sets – I’ve slid the hinge pins out of each to separate the lids and the case bottoms are sitting in their respective tool drawers in my Matco tool box.
Dave (not here)
While one might brand me a “Packout fanatic” (especially since the drawer sets came out), I just don’t see this making sense to me.
My main trade is likewise interior remodeling, and for the few times I need a socket on the job I reach for the cheap Husky kit I keep in the back of all my trucks – the good stuff used when I’m wrenching on the trucks stays at home in a 3000 lb tool chest in the garage. I even use crescent wrenches at work so much that even the shoddy amateur mechanic in me is disgusted, but they get the job done for simple stuff like changing angle stops and supply lines.
These look like great tools and the markings are what appeal to me more than anything, but I just don’t see the use case for the packaging. Sell me a complete mechanics tool set in a 3-drawer (or 4-drawer) Packout? Cool, but probably too heavy and my mobile mechanic friend is happy enough with his blow-molded cases to stick with them. If I was in the market for a high end socket set that gave me 95 but not 100% of what I want I’d save the $120 and get the cheap case, tossing it in a corner where I’d 100% lose it by the time I wanted to grab the set from my big chest to travel.
Farmerguy
Lots of good future packout tool set ideas listed above (wrenches, pliers, screwdrivers, flex head rachets). I could see trays that would allow SAE sockets on one side and SAE combo wrenches on the other. Also, the added organizers and but holders could make a organizer with one half organized bits and other half the cordless tool.
For background info. I have bought all the packout wrench sets for reason they are organized and that organizing looks nice to me. I can get by with basic tools tossed in a toolbox for my work. I enjoy these sets, “they spark joy”.
Rufus
When are they going to bring out 1 or 2” drawers so you can take advantage of the sense sets and not waste 3” drawers on them? Honestly thin drawers is the only thing still keeping me in traditional tool boxes for hand tools.
Julian Tracy
What would be the point in using Packout drawer units for normal hand tool storage over regular steel toolboxes? I see Packout primarily as a jobsite tool transport system. Folks that have their garage walls line with the Packout system boxes are drinking that koolaid hard.
Aside from drawers or the little door units – like Festool systainers, getting lower boxes out is a royal PIA. And considering 2-3 of the drawer units would be at least $450-500, no chance they’d substitute very well for even a basic tool box with their “Little Tyke” lightweight 50lb drawer slides, shallow boxes, etc.
Jon
As a Jeep owner who gets out and has fun in the woods in 4lo, things tend to break where you don’t want them to. I have been considering the pack out setup to clean up and organize my trail tools
Dan M
I should look to see if those inserts work for my existing sockets. It would be great to ditch the massive injection molded plastic case they sit in where they are always a bear to pop out. Splitting the 1/2” drive sockets out would make it more portable.