The 10mm socket. Thing of lore and legend. Most lost/misplaced tool ever.
I read this online , not sure where , could have been in a thread here on Tman , can't remember.
So the story goes that a guy takes his car in for service and after talking with the mechanic , he gives the mechanic a brand new 10mm socket as a tip and asks if the mechanic can take good care of his car.
The mechanic is stunned that a customer totally understands what a 10mm socket means to a mechanic. He is very grateful and takes extra special care of the customers car. Probably showed all his co-workers the nice tip he got to , which made them jealous. What mechanic would say no to a free extra 10mm socket ? Always good to have a spare or two.
So I decided to step up to the plate and got a supply of them to give away to car people like myself as a gratuity.
I bought these online for $6.40 each. If you gave someone a $5 cash tip , it would be nice but today , $5 isn't worth as much as it once used to be. Now a nice brand new 10mm socket that cost $6.40 , it is way , way better in the eyes of someone who works on cars.
I got minimum pro grade quality (Craftsman) , 3/8" drive , deep ,
6 point sockets. The 6 point is important because most pros prefer them as they slip less than a 12 point.
I do 95% of my own repairs but I will be keeping a couple of these in my glove box always for tips. Would be nice if I have my car towed , or buying new tires and giving one to the guy that mounts my tires or even a buddy that helps you with a jam like needing a jump start.
A very affordable tip ($6.40) , but highly valued.