Need a new brand of tools

[Zorba]

So ever since I graduated college I have been a 100% craftsman tools guy for hand tools. I've been willing to pay the premium for made in the USA, seemly high quality, easy access and easy warranty.

Well, I just moved to OKC, the only Sears within 20 miles miles of me is a tiny place with the smallest tool department I've ever seen at even the smallest small town Sears. So that really hurts the easy access pro.

I've noticed more and more Craftsman tools are being made in China and they keep jacking up the price on the USA tools. For the last few years the USA tools were still good tools. Well this weekend I went in to buy a new combination 22mm wrench. I noticed all of the open stock wrenches had horrible quality, none of the edges had been deburred and they had obvious tool marks on them. This seems to be pretty common lately when I look at Craftsman. Not to mention the wrench was $15, I noticed tonight Husky had a nice 22mm wrench for $5.

Anyways, who should my new tool brand be? I know Husky and Kobolt, but their selection seems weak for anything but the basics.

 

[Sluggo]

Where in OKC?

There is a Sears "hometown store" or something like that up in Edmond at 33rd & Broadway. I haven't been in there so not sure what the tool selection is like. There is also a Sears outlet just north of downtown at 15th & Walnut that has quite a few Craftsman tools.

 

[mztykal]

I like the new Kobalt tools...

 

[Zorba]

Where in OKC?

There is a Sears "hometown store" or something like that up in Edmond at 33rd & Broadway. I haven't been in there so not sure what the tool selection is like. There is also a Sears outlet just north of downtown at 15th & Walnut that has quite a few Craftsman tools.

I am up in North Edmond, the hometown store on Broadway is the one I was talking about that has a tiny tool selection. I think it would be fine if I just needed something common like a deep well socket or a wrench, but they had very little selection past the basic. I didn't know about the Sears outlet, I'll have to check that out.

 

[jlee]

I believe Ace Hardware and maybe KMart are carrying Craftsman now. Have any Ace's nearby?

 

[NAC]

Do you gain something by pledging allegiance to one brand?
Why not just make a choice on a tool by tool basis?

 

[Eureka]

I used to care about tool branding when I realized I don't do anything near stressful enough to break my tools.

Just go to Harbor Freight, pick up the Chinese tool and use it. Most of their tools are "lifetime warranty" so you go into the store and they give you a new one.

Not to mention, there's this:
http://www.hotrod.com/feature_stories/1310_ratchet_handles_torture_test/

 

[smackababy]

I used to care about tool branding when I realized I don't do anything near stressful enough to break my tools.

Just go to Harbor Freight, pick up the Chinese tool and use it. Most of their tools are "lifetime warranty" so you go into the store and they give you a new one.

Not to mention, there's this:
http://www.hotrod.com/feature_stories/1310_ratchet_handles_torture_test/

This. I pay for the cheap stuff, because if works and whenever it breaks (not very often), it is cheap enough to buy a new one.

 

[phucheneh]

I have three grades of hand tool, in no particular order:

1) Harbor Freight or Stanley (a.k.a. what Walmart carries)

2) Snap-On

3) Shit that is overpriced

That last category covers stuff like Husky, Kobalt, and Craftsman, which are Stanley quality without the Walmart price. And stuff like Matco and Cornwell, which is all of the Snap-On price without the same quality.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

I wouldn't buy craftsman any more, period. I'm thankful that the vast majority of my craftsman stuff is late 80s early 90s made in USA stuff. I haven't broken a socket in a long time, but if I did.. and they replaced it with china junk... I would buy another quality brand to replace that one.

I've been VERY happy with wright stuff. Their ratchets are works of art. Their sockets are fantastic as well. It's priced cheaper than the truck brands.

Granted, a replacement isn't quick... But honestly.. It takes me a few days to flag down a tool truck any way. So I'm not worried about that.

http://www.amazon.com/Wright-Tool-13...pr_product_top

 

[Zorba]

Do you gain something by pledging allegiance to one brand?
Why not just make a choice on a tool by tool basis?

Well, I don't like going all over town to get a tool, so having a brand that you know will have everything you need helps with that. If it is a tool I'll only need once or once in a great while I generally buy it from Harbor Freight.

My main problem with the cheap Chinese tools is their tolerances seem much worse on wrenches/sockets so you have a higher risk of rounding off nuts. And I just prefer buy made in the USA.

 

[phucheneh]

The 'tolerance' issue is present on just about everything. Craftsman or anything regarded as a 'higher-end' DIYer brand is no better than the cheapest of the cheap, in my experience. It's usually not a problem when new, though...the biggest problem is how thin-walled sockets, open-ended wrenches, and other stuff without a lot of reinforcing material, will stretch out over time. I probably notice this the most with 1/4" 10mm sockets...combination of a lack of durability and heavy, heavy use on newer vehicles.

The stuff is fine for most people, though. I would recommend not even bothering with 12pt sockets...pretty rare that there will be any reason to truly need them. You can nearly always get a 6pt on with no extra difficulty, and it will stay in place better. The important part then is a quality ratchet with a fine mechanism.

Among both myself and the many mechanics I know, it can seem hard to justify the cost of 'the best' tools. But once you have them, it's even harder to regret the expenditure. I've been wrenching for a living for like eight years now, and I just recently bought my first racks of Snap-On sockets. Always used their ratchets, but with cheaper sockets.

Paid $250 for two racks of 3/8" and feel dumb for not doing it sooner. The quality really is that much better...but I still can't recommend it for DIY unless you've just got money to burn.

One brand I haven't seen mentioned is SK. That's probably the best you're going to get without going to Snap-On*. And they tend to be very affordable, especially online.

*I used to say 'or similar brands,' until I ended up with a few rounded Cornwell sockets...broken Matco wrenches...ect...I have become very dubious of their quality, considering that they are typically barely if any cheaper than Snap-On.

edit to add: ...and 250 was a promo price, believe it or not. List on a 8-19mm deep set is about $250. Shallows were 'free.' A good tool guy will sell for below list, but generally not with sale stuff like that. You're actually talking about a cash price of more like $350 for 8-19 shallows and 8-19 deeps...but that's about all you will ever need. Grab a set of 1/4" shallow (like 5-14mm) and a set of 1/2" (19-27 is common) and you're golden.

 

[jlee]

I used to care about tool branding when I realized I don't do anything near stressful enough to break my tools.

Just go to Harbor Freight, pick up the Chinese tool and use it. Most of their tools are "lifetime warranty" so you go into the store and they give you a new one.

Not to mention, there's this:
http://www.hotrod.com/feature_stories/1310_ratchet_handles_torture_test/

We broke a flare nut wrench on its first use (Harbor Freight). A Craftsman one worked just fine. Some tools really, really suck, despite lifetime warranties.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Agreed. I generally only use HF hand tools for 1/2" or larger ratchets, wrenches 15mm or larger.