I have 4 of the locking ones and the rest are non-locking Gorillas, and always use hand tools. Only time I reach for an impact is if the breaker bar is bending and something still isn't coming loose.If you tighten by hand tools and use a 6 point socket, that will help extend the life of the black finish. I bought Gorilla where each lug nut was a locking one. Only the splined portion gets used when tightening.
That's the type of thing I was thinking about, but the plastic sleeve is on the outside to protect the rims. It looks like the inside is anodized, which wouldn't protect the lug nut finish anymore than a regular 6-pt socket.Something like these https://www.tirerack.com/accessories/detail.jsp?ID=2676 are the best way to remove lug nuts. Use a Gorilla Wrench to loosen the nuts and then a portable impact to remove them.
The price of the sockets vary. Amazon has a set for under $20 and many auto parts/hardware stores carry them.
Are you sure? There is definitely something on the outside in the picture but it says the protection is an INSERT making me think its not just on the outside.That's the type of thing I was thinking about, but the plastic sleeve is on the outside to protect the rims. It looks like the inside is anodized, which wouldn't protect the lug nut finish anymore than a regular 6-pt socket.
Here’s a similar set on Amazon that shows an insert inside, if you scroll through the pictures.Are you sure? There is definitely something on the outside in the picture but it says the protection is an INSERT making me think its not just on the outside.