I would agree with that assessment. I also think most dealership mechanics are aware they need metric tools.
I would further point out that all the cheap imports from China are really metric, and if "some assembly required," they give you cheap, stamped metric wrenches to put it together. The assembly experience will be enhanced with decent metric tools. Through eBay, I was able to buy Craftsman metric sockets (to fit my 1/4" and 1/2" drives), open end metric wrenches and metric Allen keys at "distressed" prices because "nobody loves metric." These are often hard to find in stores or are marked up in stores. Some eBayers try to mark them up in "Buy It Now" but in real bidding, bid low, bid often. Eventually you will win because there are fewer bidders for the metric tools. There are plenty of old things in my house where conventional wrenches are required for proper repair, but plenty of newer things where metric is required too. I must admit my Crescent wrench is "bilingual." ________________________________ From: Michael Payne <[email protected]> To: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> Sent: Tue, July 12, 2011 7:35:28 AM Subject: [USMA:50865] RE: Fwd: Cursive vs.metric It's been my observation in numerous conversations over 25 years that a very high percentage of Americans think American Cars and John Deere lawn tractors are inch based and therefore require fractional inch wrenches/spanners. Some in fact tell me "no way are they metric" if I tell them they are. One aircraft mechanic was skeptical until he went home and used metric on his Ford truck instead of fractional inch tools. He came back and said I was correct, and commented on how he always found it hard to find the right size previously. I think this problem is endemic to the US and again wastes an enormous amount of time. What I need to do is talk to mechanics at major car dealers and see what they have in their toolbox, I'll warrant its probably both inch and metric. Mike Payne. On 12/07/2011, at 02:24 , Martin Vlietstra wrote: “Mechanics do indeed use metric tools; most of my home wrenches, though, seem to be sized for bolts, nuts and pipes measured in inches” > >This smells of segregation – not on racial grounds, but on professional >grounds. No doubt supermarkets continue to foist poor quality tools onto the >home user, but the professional user knows that he wouldn’t touch any >non-metric >tools with a bargepole. > ________________________________ >From:[email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of >Bill Hooper >Sent: 12 July 2011 01:22 >To: U.S. Metric Association >Subject: [USMA:50861] Fwd: Cursive vs.metric > >I got this cordial reply from Mr. Bennett. I don't think he is anti-metric, >just >non-metric. > >Begin forwarded message: > > > >Dear Mr. Hooper, > I appreciate your letter and your thoughts, sincerely. > Metric dimensions are certainly present in our lives in many ways, just as >you >pointed out. Perhaps this is a quirk of Indiana, but I do find, though, that >almost everyone I encounter in daily life here refers to sizes in inches, >feet, >yards and miles (except for high school track running distances, yet not >heights >or lengths); and volumes in gallons, quarts, pints and cups (except for wine >bottles, and 2-liter pop containers). > Mechanics do indeed use metric tools; most of my home wrenches, though, seem >to >be sized for bolts, nuts and pipes measured in inches. > To push us over the hump toward full conversion, my guess is that the >government will have to do a more widespread public-education campaign, >similar >to the one I remember from my childhood. That sort of all-out push, in >reference >to my column's wording, was the basis for my use of the term "mania." >thanks for your interest and time, >Mark Bennett > >Mark Bennett >Columnist/Editorialist/Features writer >CNHI Newspapers/Terre Haute ( Ind. ) Tribune-Star >[email protected] >(812) 231-4377 > >
