Looking at new tools Options

[Montreal914]

I am looking at refreshing some of my tools for the second part of my amateur wrenching life. My combination wrenches are a collection of ~50% old Mastercraft (Canadian brand) mixed with ~50% Craftsman, both with a fair amount of mileage (over 30 years). I definitely want to drop the Martsercraft as they are of dull porous finish and more difficult to clean.

I was looking into a few options:

- Buy used US made Craftsman missing wrenches to complete my current Crafstman partial set. Not too excited about this option because of the wrenches semi-porous finish (again, cleaning).

- Buy new Tekton set. (cheap!)

- Buy used good condition Snap-On set.

Unfortunately, I have not experienced working a lot with Snap-On tools but have been very pleased with the 1/4 and 3/8 ratchets I have recently purchased. I know the feel is very nice working with them.

Also, it seems like there are very few uses for sizes above 19mm on our 914s. Tekton sets offer up to 19 or 22mm (and more). Any good reasons why I would want the 20, 21, 22mm wrenches? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

Any comments on Crafstman, Tekton, Snap-On? Other good wrench brands to recommend? Looking for a purchase that will last me for the rest of my existence where I could get a replacement wrench if I was to loose or break one, both of which are doubtful (I think).

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Moving on to sockets. I have a mixed match of 12 and 6 point mostly craftsman of different model with odd brands in the mix. I am looking at having only 6 point sockets.

Same kind of options:

- Buy used US made Craftsman sockets to complete my sets.

- Buy new Tekton sets.

- Buy used good condition Snap-On sets.

There, I am a little more picky and know that some of the key elements to good sockets are the smallest outside diameter for clearance, the inside dimensions to be able to handle the rounded of bolt heads, and the smallest lead in chamfer to offer the most amount of contact surface.

Unfortunately, I don't have access to sockets of various brands to compare these things. A lot of YouTube reviews are just crap and talk about the casing and how many sockets but don't really talk about their engineering with effective technical comparison.

Inputs welcomed! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif) Thank you! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[dhuckabay]

My son runs a shop. All his tools are Craftsman. They are wearing out after a massive amount of use. Craftsman still has the lifetime warranty but it is hard to get now that Sears is gone. Mine are mostly Proto with a mix of Craftsman, no wear problem as I don't use them daily. Will say that Craftsman has outdone any tools we have used in the plant.

[Montreal914]

My son runs a shop. All his tools are Craftsman. They are wearing out after a massive amount of use. Craftsman still has the lifetime warranty but it is hard to get now that Sears is gone. Mine are mostly Proto with a mix of Craftsman, no wear problem as I don't use them daily. Will say that Craftsman has outdone any tools we have used in the plant.

Thank you for the input!
Craftsman +1

I don't believe much in warranty, plus I would be only looking at finding US made Craftstman (used) and wouldn't be interested in replacing them with the non-Sears new lower quality Crafstman tool.

[76-914]

Names aren't what they used to be. Newer Craftsman and Crescent are two good examples. I get a lot of good info on tool quality from this site. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4fYXfyQgfY&t=14s

[willieg]

Check out Project Farm on YouTube for an evaluation on wrenches. Fascinating tests. I don’t think all of the tests are relevant but….

[mmichalik]

I would suggest looking at BluePoint. They are produced by SnapOn and are very high quality, lifetime warranty and not as expensive as the full SnapOn brand.

https://www.snapon-bluepoint.com.sg/

[nivekdodge]

I keep seeing tools on facebook and hearing about craigslist having them for pennies on the dollar. Are the new Craftsman as good as the old? a used snap on set would be good for me.

I also need mine marked better. (LOL)

[Mike9142.0]

I would go with used Snap On. Easy to clean and in the event you do brake something life time warranty. All the tools in my toolbox at work are Snap on so I may be biased but they get used every day and I rarely have to warranty any thing.

[mepstein]

I’ve never had a good complete set of tools so recently I bought a big harbor freight box and I’m filling it with a lot of Tekton tools. When I worked at the shop, the techs mostly had snap on and other box truck tools. For what I’m budgeting to new tools, I could either have a very limited supply of snap on tools or multiple complete sets of Tekton. I also like Tekton’s business model and customer service. I’m a pretty limited tool user so I won’t wear anything out and it will only break if I use it wrong. I feel the cost of warranties are built into what ever you buy so I’m usually happy to “self warranty” and buy a replacement with the money I saved up front. I also dislike the tool truck business model for the way I buy tools.
Ultimately, it’s your money. Buy whatever makes you happy.

[Superhawk996]

I shudder at saying this and I’m ready to be flamed (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ar15.gif)

I’ve been looking at HF Icon tools a lot lately. They seem to be moving upscale. I have yet to pull the trigger on anything.

My tools are primarily Craftsman from back in the day when most were US made. Like most things, Craftsman seems to be coming out from overseas (China, India) and on the new Craftsman stuff I’ve noticed a serious degradation in surface finish, and hardness of basic things like Phillips head screwdrivers that don’t hold up like the old ones. As stated previously, the Warranty is only as good as the dealer network and it’s gotten to be a big PITA to get tools replaced. They (Lowes) wants to replace like item for like item. The problem is they no longer make some of the Craftsman tools I have and therefore don’t seem to want to honor the warranty. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sheeplove.gif)

I also have a mix of some Mac, and Snap-on specialty tools. They are nice but the price premium is HUGE. They make sense for Pro’s but not so much for my needs that I would fill a whole box with them.

That brings me back to ICON. I suspect they are made by the same factory producing Tekton based on appearance. I suspect HF will actually be a better warranty network than Craftsman going forward.

I’d be curious if others are having the same thoughts. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)

[Front yard mechanic]

I have some of every brand out there some are better than the others depending on what your using it for. some I don’t mind hitting with a hammer or putting a torch to or welding to fit an application (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif)

[Cairo94507]

I have almost all Craftsman tools which are now about 40 years old. Recently I had a 1/2" ratchet break. I took it to ACE which is a Craftsman distributor and they honored the warranty and told me to pick the ratchet I wanted from their selection. I was pleased with that.

As for Harbor Freight, I have their 72" box, it's about 4 months old now, and I love it. Very well made and solid with a good powder coat finish. I have had other Harbor Freight boxes and they were the same quality. For the home user, I see no reason to spend more.

Have a great weekend guys. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[mepstein]

I have some icon impact sockets but the sizes are hard to see. The engraving is black on black. The Tekton sockets are both painted and engraved. Some people won’t care but for me, this was reason enough to switch.

The harbor freight boxes are easily the best bang for the buck. They have a version three coming out next year. I looked at icon boxes but again, more than I needed for my use.

[mb911]

I have craftsman, snap on, osla, and Milwaukee sockets and wrenches. The craftsman of old was good. The new craftsman is junk, my snap on are awesome but I have limited tools. My osla are very nice and the new Milwaukee hand tools and sockets are my new favorite.

[914sgofast2]

My tools are a mix of old SK Wayne and older Craftsman. I love the SK Wayne sockets I have from the 1960's. I have never had an SK Wayne socket break on me. The Craftsman sockets, on the other hand, always seem to split and break open along the sides if its a 12-point socket. At least the Craftsman tools have a lifetime warranty, although getting it honored is a hit or miss thing now that Sears has gone out of business. Lowes doesn't have the like-for-like replacements, as someone noted above. ACE Hardware seems pretty good, but the ACE Hardware stores near me have a limited selection of Craftsman tools and are oftentimes out of stock of what I am looking for.

Snap-On are great tools, but very expensive for what you are getting these days. Their quality does not match their prices in my opinion.

You can always pick up used Craftsman tools at the local flea market or garage sales, and then go your local ACE Hardware or Lowes and get a brand new replacement piece for it if you like the "quality" of the new tools. In my opinion, the older Craftsman tools were better made, as others have stated here.

[930cabman]

I have some of every brand out there some are better than the others depending on what your using it for. some I don’t mind hitting with a hammer or putting a torch to or welding to fit an application (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) Whenever possible I try to purchase used stuff, Craigslist, Marketplace, ebay ....

It seems as though the old steel was better

[Montreal914]

All good replies here! Thank you!

I did watch quite a few of Project Farm videos and find them nicely put. Agreed on the HF Tool chest, I have been pleased with mine for a few years now.

My combination wrenches have been hammered and brutalized, especially from the time when I was living in Canada and working on highly rusted cars... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif) So I am looking at something nice while I keep my set of beaters for the extension tube and hammer situation.

This afternoon, I just negotiated and bought this set of set of 6 point Snap-on 3/8 drive deep 10-19mm for $100 on EBay. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Expensive yes, but a lot cheaper than the new ones at $350+ from their website. Sure the new ones have 8 and 9mm but seriously on a 3/8 drive?



Thanks Giving gift for myself (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) , before the 914 Rubber black Friday sale... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) .

For the rest of my random sockets (6-12points Craftsman and others), I am surfing Ebay for good deals on singles old US Craftsman 6 point, yet keeping an eye on other good deals.

Still undecided on the combination wrenches yet, If I can find a relatively good set of Snap-on in the $100-125 range (doubtful) I will go for it, otherwise I will look at other more cost effective options suggested in these posts.

[worn]

I have some of every brand out there some are better than the others depending on what your using it for. some I don’t mind hitting with a hammer or putting a torch to or welding to fit an application (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif)

That is a real plus for cheap wrenches. There are common perfectly valid bendings of wrenches to yield a specialty wrench. After that though the original wrench is gone: heated to red and twisted somehow. Don’t want to be doing that with one of a quality matched set. I haven’t bought much, but notice our Re-store has lots of end wrenches of a great variety. Harbor Freight continues to improve. It has taken serious use for me to ruin a Harbor Freight tool. I have a set of Craftsnan box wrenches my father had. They are incredibly light and like a willow, spring bending as you add torque. I may look for the metric equivalent on eBay someday. Dad took us boating powered by a Chrysler Crown in-line engine.

My table saw is a contractor model from Taiwan. I ended up tweaking it and making a fence, essentially burying the saw in an expanded table. It built a house. Now, when I can afford Delta or Powermatic, there simply isn’t a reason to change. Tools can be projects too.

[acar24]

I made a living with my tools for about 5o years with several brands. started with craftsman and SK and updated with Snapon and Mac, not Matco. Get the quality where you need it. cheaper tools don't fit as tight and may slip and break, when they do and you loose a pound of skin off your knuckles you will replace it with Snap on. Quality on the cheap stuff has been inproving, since most of it is made in china anywhay. If you are only going to use it once then probably go cheap. if you use it every day get the good stuff . its the old you get what you pay for is usually true. HF or Dewalt. just 2c
good luck.

[bkrantz]

Another vote for Tekton.

I had a number of older Craftsman wrenches and sockets. I tried to expand my wrench collection with new Craftsman, but the quality was so bad I sent them back. I bought a few Tekton tools, and was impressed, and so I bought more. Still impressed.

I do have a handful of Snap-on tools and like them. But not 2 to 4 times as much as Tekton.