The debate between using a hog ring vs a pin detent for tools that have sockets is long-running. You can argue some pretty strong points for either option.
What about when the conversation is about a hog ring vs a pin detent for an impact wrench specifically? If it’s a choice you’re struggling with, this comparison should make it easier to decide!
Hog Ring vs Pin Detent For Impact Wrench – What’s Better?
Design and Function
The purpose of both these things is quite similar. The difference lies in the way they go about achieving that purpose. Both do similar things in different ways, hence the debate surrounding them.
Let’s start with the pin detent. These things wrap around the socket tool and stick in one place through a ball/pin that locks into a hole in the socket of impact wrenches.
The pin sits the hole in such a way that it keeps the socket in one place regardless of the pressure on it. You can see the ball/pin I’m talking about in the image below and a hog ring that I’ll discuss next.
On the other hand, you have the hog ring. This is a small circle that wraps itself around the square like a ring, which is how it gets its name.
It holds the socket down in place through rubber and steel rings that are fitted inside circles on the hog ring. A lot of tool manufacturers offer packs of these rings with their impact wrenches.
I have a short video which shows this difference between a hog ring and a pin detent anvil and you can watch it below.
My Milwaukee M12 impact wrench is a hog ring type. It is easy to push and pull the socket into/from the anvil (hog ring) and there’s no direction restriction and you can insert the socket easily.
For pin detent type, you’ll a small pin on the anvil which is pressable. To insert the socket, you would need to align the hole on the socket and to release it, you need a screwdriver to press the pin detent.
You may experience problems detaching or attaching the socket on your impact wrench especially if it’s the pin detent type. You can read this article to solve this problem detaching or attaching the socket on your impact wrench.
Durability
The biggest difference between hog rings and pin detents lies in their durability. It’s the biggest deciding factor in this comparison as well, but I’ll go into more detail about that later.
Because of the difference in their design, hog rings, and pin detents are made with separate things kept in mind. This is heavily reflected in how long they last compared to one another.
Hog rings aren’t very durable. The rubber and steel rings that they feature are both prone to breaking after a while. They lose their shape when subjected to a lot of force, or regular use.
Wear and tear is a very common issue with them, and they regularly require changing. This is intentional, as these rings are cheap and easy to replace as necessary.
Then you have pin detents, which last a lot longer. Because of their design and materials, these are highly durable and stay good for years.
If you get a new pin detent with a new impact wrench, the chances are pretty high that the pin detent will last as long as the tool itself. During that whole time, you might never need a replacement.
Their bulk lets them withstand high amounts of torque without any problems or losing their shape. It keeps the socket secure and doesn’t fall victim to wear and tear as easily as hog rings do.
Replaceability
Now, there is one thing that makes up for the lack of durability on hog rings. That’s the fact that these things are super easy to replace. Whenever you buy them, they’ll likely come in packs.
It’s an intentional design to replace them frequently because of their weaker materials, so you always have smooth operation after the current rings go bad. Just pop new ones in and it’s good to go!
You can just slide the rings off and replace them within moments. It’s great for types of work where you need to change the socket often, depending on the current job.
There isn’t really a need to replace pin detents, so it’s not a big part of their design. However, if you’re super unlucky and it develops problems, that’s going to be a hassle.
The only way to replace a pin detent is by getting an entirely new one. The pins inside these intertwined with the rest of the component. Users can’t swap them.
Instead, they have to buy a whole new square drive and put that on the impact wrench. This is much more tedious than just replacing the rings on a hog ring.
On the bright side, this isn’t something you should ever have to do. That is unless you get unlucky and the pin detent suffers some kind of damage.
So… Which Is Better For Your Impact Wrench?
That’s pretty much the rundown on both of these options. But, which is better for your impact wrench? Well, I encourage you to decide on your own according to the info I shared above.
If you’re looking for my two cents, though, I’d go with the pin detent. It’s a lot more durable, and that’s exactly what an impact wrench needs because of its rough use.
Regardless of the hard work you put them through, these won’t falter easily. Pin detents will keep the socket secure for a long time, and won’t crumble under high pressure.
