DeWalt 3/8 in Drive Metric Sockets - 6 Point

First impressions and build

I put the DeWalt 3/8-inch metric 6-point sockets straight to work on a brake caliper job and a small engine teardown, and they felt familiar in the best way: clean broaching, useful knurl at the base for finger starts, and a polished chrome finish that wipes clean easily. The set covers 6 to 22 mm in shallow lengths, which is exactly the range I reach for on everyday mechanical work with a 3/8-inch ratchet.

These are 6-point sockets, and DeWalt’s DirectTorque design subtly shifts load from corners to flats. In use, that translates to a snug, confidence-inspiring bite on partially corroded hardware where 12-point sockets can be a liability. The interior chamfers are well executed, so you don’t have to fiddle to start the socket on a fastener. Tolerances feel tight without being finicky—there’s just enough lead-in to align quickly, but once seated, the socket doesn’t rock on the nut.

The exterior finish is classic polished chrome vanadium. It’s bright, smooth, and resilient; after a couple greasy jobs and a wash-down, mine still look almost new. DeWalt lists a full lifetime warranty, which is appropriate for this class of hand sockets.

Markings and usability

Size markings are hard-stamped and large enough to spot at a glance on a clean socket. They’re not paint-filled, so the contrast relies on light glinting off the polished surface. Under shop lighting they’re readable; in dim engine bays or when everything’s covered in grime, I find myself rotating to catch the light. A quick trick: wipe a bit of white paint or a lacquer stick over the stampings, then clean the excess. That makes the sizes pop without relying on laser etch that can fade.

The knurled control ring around the base is more than decoration. When I’m spinning on a nut by hand to avoid cross-threading, the extra grip is noticeable, especially with oily fingers or gloves. It’s a small touch that saves time when you’re trying to start threads without grabbing a separate nut driver.

Retention on standard detent-ball extensions and ratchets is generally consistent. On my set, most sockets snapped on with a crisp click and required a positive tug to remove. One or two sizes felt slightly lighter on retention than the rest—not loose, but less snappy. Nothing backed off in use, and I’d still call the overall fit and finish solid.

Performance under torque

I tested the mid-range sizes (10–17 mm) on suspension hardware and engine accessories, and the larger sizes (19–22 mm) on bracketry and a few stubborn fasteners that had seen winters. The 6-point flank drive did its job—no rounding, no slipping—provided I kept the socket square. On borderline fasteners, the sockets gripped the flats rather than biting corners, and I could feel that through the ratchet.

Wall thickness is reasonable for a general-purpose chrome set. Smaller sizes like 6–12 mm are slim enough to get into tight brackets without rubbing adjacent castings. As the sizes climb, the nut-end outside diameters get understandably beefier. The 19–22 mm sockets will fit most general automotive tasks, but if you’re working inside narrow wheel recesses or on tightly shrouded hardware, you may run into clearance limits. That’s not a fault so much as a reminder: for thin-wall needs, a specialty set is still the right call.

These are not impact-rated sockets. I kept them on hand ratchets, a breaker bar, and a torque wrench. Even with a cheater pipe on the breaker bar for a particularly stubborn 18 mm bolt, I saw no signs of twist, cracking, or flaking chrome. If you plan to use an impact wrench, use proper impact sockets; the chrome here is made for hand tools.

Depth and access

This is a shallow set. For most work—accessory brackets, caliper slide pins, hose clamps, under-dash hardware—shallow is faster and gives you more room for swing. The smaller sizes sit right around 1 inch in overall length and grow slightly as you go up the range. That shallow profile kept me out of trouble in cramped engine bays where deep sockets would bottom out on protruding studs. On the flip side, if your tasks routinely involve long studs or nuts with a lot of thread protrusion, you’ll want a deep set as a complement. I paired these with a wobble extension to snake around obstacles, and the sockets seated cleanly without wobble-induced slip.

Bolt clearance depth is generous for a shallow design. Even down in the 10 mm range, I could cover typical stud protrusion without the fastener bottoming inside the socket. That’s not true of every shallow set, and it’s a quiet win here.

Durability and corrosion resistance

So far, the chrome finish has resisted scratching and flaking, and the inside broaches show no burrs or deformation after repeated high-torque use. I’m not gentle with cleanup—simple degreaser and a nylon brush—followed by a quick towel dry. The sockets haven’t shown rust, which is what I expect from a quality chrome vanadium finish. They’re still steel: leave them damp in a bag with salt and road grit and you’ll eventually see haze or speckling. A quick wipe-down goes a long way.

The stamped markings won’t “wear off” the way thin laser etch can, but they can collect grime. That’s another argument for paint-filling the stamps if visibility matters to you.

Ergonomics and day-to-day experience

Beyond the knurled ring, the geometry makes these easy to handle. The polished finish slides in and out of tight storage without snagging, and the chamfered drive end mates with extensions and ratchets without hunting. I appreciate that the socket walls aren’t excessively long at the drive end, which can sometimes interfere with quick-connect mechanisms on some ratchets.

If you live by socket rails, these slot nicely onto standard 3/8-inch rails. Mine are on a magnetic rail that sits in a top drawer; the sockets hang straight and don’t rock. Organization matters more than any single feature, and this set rewards you for keeping it tidy, especially since that shiny chrome can make it harder to spot sizes when they’re scattered.

Coverage, value, and alternatives

Coverage from 6–22 mm with no skips is exactly what most mechanics and serious DIYers need for metric fasteners on vehicles, outdoor power equipment, and shop machinery. If you frequently work on smaller appliances or bicycles, you might also want a 1/4-inch drive metric set for 4–6 mm fasteners. If your work leans heavy—axles, subframes, lug nuts—pair this with a 1/2-inch drive set and deep sockets in the common sizes.

Against peers in the same price band, the DeWalt metric sockets hold their own. The machining and fit feel a notch cleaner than big-box budget lines, with a clearer lead-in and tighter tolerances. Some competitors offer high-contrast laser-etched markings that are easier to read out of the box, but those markings can fade; I prefer stamped long-term, even if I have to fill them for legibility. If you want super-thin walls or satin finishes for grip, look to premium lines that cost several times more.

The full lifetime warranty is standard for quality hand sockets and adds peace of mind. I doubt you’ll need it unless you abuse them on impacts, but it’s there.

Who they’re for

• Mechanics and DIYers who need a reliable, everyday shallow metric set in 3/8-inch drive.
• Anyone who prioritizes 6-point grip on stubborn hardware and values clean broaching.
• Users who prefer stamped size markings and don’t mind paint-filling for visibility.

Who should look elsewhere:
- Impact users (choose impact-rated sockets).
- Folks who primarily need deep sockets or thin-wall designs for specialty access.
- Anyone who insists on high-contrast, oversized size markings out of the box.

Recommendation

I recommend the DeWalt 3/8-inch metric 6-point sockets. They deliver where it counts: precise fit on fasteners, a durable chrome finish, useful knurling, and a full range of sizes without skips. The 6-point DirectTorque design grips confidently under real torque, and the shallow profile gets you into tight spaces without fuss. While I’d like higher-contrast markings and a touch more consistency in detent feel across every size, those are minor nitpicks. For general mechanical work with hand tools, this set has earned a permanent spot on my socket rail.