Inline 2-in-1 EDC bit socket adapters are a space and weight saving alternative to needing a ¼” socket driver as well as a standard ¼” hex bit holder in your EDC gear. A combination 1/4” adapter for hex bits and 1/4” sockets is the obvious solution, but needs careful engineering and high quality construction to be truly fit for purpose.
Why are combination EDC bit socket adapters a good idea?
There are some other questions we need to think about before we can answer if a combination EDC bit socket adapter is something that you should consider adding to your EDC gear. Hex shank socket adapters and flat bit adapters for Leatherman are another item to add to your loadout, so let’s think about the reasons you might find one useful.
- Alongside your EDC bit driver, do you also have an EDC socket set in your standard EDC gear?
- Would you like to carry an EDC socket set but leave it behind because of the added weight?
- Do you have a special adapter for sockets that fits in your bit driver?
- Do you have a Leatherman tool that you would like to be able to use for bits and sockets?
- Are there times you would like to have a short extension for your EDC bit driver?
If your answer to any of these questions is a yes, then you will probably benefit from a combination EDC bit socket adapter. At best it can remove the need to carry a socket driver but still enable you to use sockets without carrying a second adapter to switch between bits and sockets. For Leatherman tools, you’ll need a flat bit compatible adapter to fit in the Leatherman flat bit socket.
Where did the idea for 2-in-1 inline EDC bit socket adapters come from?
It’s likely that the idea for 2-in-1 inline EDC bit socket adapters came from people wanting to reduce the number of additional tools they needed to carry if they had a capable multitool, like a Leatherman. If you have a multitool then it doesn’t seem logical that this space-saving combination of tools should require you to still carry a range of additional tools to enable you to use standard sockets or hex bits, which created demand for inline adapters for Leatherman tools.
Explainer: 2-in-1 inline EDC bit socket adapters for multitools
Multitools that are designed to have removable bits usually have a flat bit adapter to fit in the same space in the case as a standard blade or other fold-out tool. This means that if you want to use standard bits with a Leatherman or other multitool you also have to carry an additional EDC hex bit driver and to use sockets you need to have an EDC socket set, or an adapter that fits an EDC hex bit driver.
The engineered strength of multitool flat bit adapters is a bit of an issue for fitting bits in your Leatherman, as it is easy to over-torque the bit holder and distort or break it. However, for smaller jobs that don’t require high torque, like electronics, drone and PC maintenance, for example, the Leatherman flat bit holder is perfectly fine. Check the 711L EDC tools for Leatherman for more ideas on how to enhance your multitool.
What are 3 engineering challenges of 2-in-1 EDC bit socket adapters?
There are always going to be engineering challenges to make a dual purpose tool, like a 2-in-1 EDC bit socket adapter. You need to make both functions of the tool just as good as the individual tools that it replaces. For a 2-in-1 EDC bit socket adapter this means that you have to build it to be as strong as a ¼” square socket driver and also as robust as a standard ¼” hex bit driver. We see three challenges that need to be overcome to get it right.
1 Portable, lightweight EDC functionality
Build quality and durability are always going to be challenges for EDC tools, simply because you are trying to reduce the size and weight of your EDC gear as much as possible. In the world of standard tools the normal solution to increasing strength and durability is to make tools bigger, with larger sectional measurements, to increase stiffness and strength. You don’t want to do this with an EDC tool, because it needs to be portable and lightweight, but you still need to make it a tool, and not a toy!
2 Sensible choices of materials for bit socket adapters
We often see comments in the EDC gear community about attempts to make adapters and novel EDC tools that are highly critical of poor build quality and the use of inferior materials. An example would be the use of plastic barrels on inline EDC ratchet drivers, which saves weight but compromises on durability. It’s also the case that all steel and aluminum alloys are not the same, and sensible choices of the correct alloys can increase strength dramatically, but you have to expect to pay a bit more for them.
3 Good design principles for innovative EDC gear
The design of a 2-in-1 EDC bit socket adapter is where the true challenge lies, with a good design you can reduce stresses which might otherwise need exotic materials or simply reduce the usefulness of the tool by reducing its torque limit. The best 2-in-1 socket adapters are likely to be the simplest in design and engineering. Ideally, you want to make use of the same components for both socket and bit driving rather than increasing the complexity of the adapter to the point where two adapters might be lighter!.
711L Inline 2-in-1 1/4″ hex bit & socket adapters for EDC gear
If your EDC toolkit includes 1/4″ sockets, an adapter from bit holder to 1/4″ socket is a simple and logical way of adding a socket driver without significantly increasing the weight of your EDC by having a purpose-built socket driver. With a standard ¼” hex shank, the adapter can fit into standard bit holders as well as compatible EDC ratchet wrenches. A flat shank adapter gives you the utility to use standard ¼” hex bits and sockets with a multitool flat bit holder.
In an ideal world, a 2-in-1 adapter enables you to use both 1/4″ hex bits & 1/4″ sockets. Of course, the 711L 2-in-1 inline EDC bit socket adapter lets you do exactly this, with our patented sliding action that maintains the strength and resilience of a socket wrench without compromising functionality as a bit driver. Have a look on our Amazon store for the 711L standard hex shank version and our flat shank 2-in-1 adapter for Leatherman, or get both versions as a combo to add versatility to your EDC gear choices.
