Hand Tools

[headhunter636]

I almost posted this in the Tool Talk forum, but then re-read the part that says "Power Tools". Anyways, I am in the market for a decent set of wrenches. I've always used Craftsman because they were a good quality tool with a heck of a warranty and lets face it, there was always a Sears nearby. Since my grandfather passed away several years ago, I inherited most of his tools which include Craftsman, Snap-On and S&k but I do not have a complete set of combination wrenches.

I see so many discussions here about power tools but not too many on hand tools. Even though a woodworker may not use hand tools as much as some, what brands does everyone use and recommend?

Side note, when my wifes father passed away, we found a set of Craftsman sockets that appeared to be made from stamped steel and they were old. They must have sprouted legs and run off before anyone could secure them when the house was sold. Too bad, they looked like a real treasure.

[billwmeyer]

I have never had any problems with Craftsman wrenches. That was always my mechanic tool of choice. I have broken some, but I have also broken every other brand of tool.

Bill

[cabinetman]

Most of my hand tools were garage sale and flea market finds. Mostly are Craftsman and Snap On. Can't complain about either. Both have good warranties.
.

[phrog]

I have never had any problems with Craftsman wrenches. That was always my mechanic tool of choice. I have broken some, but I have also broken every other brand of tool.

Bill

Please don't ask me to borrow any of my tools. :-)
Richard

[dbhost]

I worked as a professional mechanic for quite a few years prior to going back to college and, well.. anyway, I digress. Needless to say, I needed top quality tools as my bread and butter earners, (versus tools for a hobby...)

My mechanics tool chest is full of Craftsman, Snap On, Mac, Matco, and Proto (Stanley professional line). I HATE the Stanley stuff. Love the Snap On stuff. Craftsman sockets, extensions and stuff work great, but I despise their ratchets.

The Craftsman fully polished combination wrench sets versus the old rough cast ones have much finer machining to them, and a dramatically better feel in the hand for all day work.

I have never liked Craftsman screwdrivers due to their lousy handles. This is one area where Stanley has done well by me.

Snap On is really not meant for the hobbyist. Their tools are fantastic, their distribution and service are meant for working professional mechanics, and it is hard for a hobbyist to get service / replacements. I for example have had the same 14mm deep well socket that split for 8 years as I have not been able to pin down a Snap on truck / dealer...

The asian imports, just like the woodworking tools, have come an enormous way quality wise since the 1980s, and I have seen a couple of professional mechanics actually using the Pittsburg branded combination wrench sets from Harbor Freight. I am not sure I would have, but they seem to work fine for these guys.

If I had it to do over again, I probably would have gone with the Craftsman fully polished sets. Snap On like I said is great stuff, just hard to get replaced on warranty if you do have a problem.

[Tom Slick]

Commercial:
I don't always turn wrenches, but when I do, they're Craftsman.

I've used just about every brand as a professional (the gov't buys anything made in USA) and have rarely had an issue using Craftsman at home. For professional use I like Armstrong.

[LarryG]

I've always used Craftsman because they were a good quality tool with a heck of a warranty and lets face it, there was always a Sears nearby.

That's still the case today. About 90% of my mechanic's tools are Craftsman, with the remainder being a mix of other good brands like Snap-On, SK, etc. I don't use them as much as a full-time pro would but I do use them quite a lot, and I've never found Craftsman to be lacking in any way.

The only real caveat with Craftsman is to never pay full price. If what you need isn't on sale this week, it probably will be next week, or the week after that.

BTW this would have been fine in Tool Talk. The section description does mention only power tools but there have been many, many threads there about non-powered tools of all kinds.

[billwmeyer]

Please don't ask me to borrow any of my tools. :-)
Richard

Not a problem! I was raised on a farm so some of our mechanical problems involved a lot of muscle, and sometimes cheater bars. The breaking of a tool usually was followed quickly by skinned knuckles and four letter words.

I usually buy Harbor freight tools now if I need a fill in. My back won't let me bend over a car anymore, but I don't feel bad at all about using a mechanic!

[JimD]

I have both old and newer Craftsman sockets and notice a big difference. The old ones have thinner sides and seem better machined. The newer ones seem like the same thick walled usable but not so nice as I get from Harbor Freight or Northern Hydraulic. So now I just buy from Harbor Freight or Northern Hydraulic. Sets from Harbor and individual pieces from Northern. Both have highly polished wrenches that clean up better than the older chrome over a casting type. I checked prices on Amazon when I wanted another cheap set to carry in a new car. I forget what brand I bought but they seem OK. Maybe even cruder than a Harbor Freight in the machining but they'll probably work fine.

Jim

[Ed62]

BTW this would have been fine in Tool Talk. The section description does mention only power tools but there have been many, many threads there about non-powered tools of all kinds.

This is the first time I remember anyone saying they didn't post in the tool forum because the description says "power tools". I guess we know Dave doesn't want to break any rules.

I guess most of my tools are Craftsman, with a few SK and some cheapies. I've had the satisfaction I expected from each of them. The Craftsman and SK have been great, while the cheapies don't always hold up to the task.

Ed

[phrog]

Not a problem! I was raised on a farm so some of our mechanical problems involved a lot of muscle, and sometimes cheater bars. The breaking of a tool usually was followed quickly by skinned knuckles and four letter words.

I usually buy Harbor freight tools now if I need a fill in. My back won't let me bend over a car anymore, but I don't feel bad at all about using a mechanic!

Sorry Bill but I had to laugh when I read your original post. I come from a very small family and the only time I've seen someone break a tool was when my father got mad and started swinging a hammer wildly. Don't remember what got broken but something sure did. I meant my comment as a joke and hope you took it that way. :-)
Richard

[sscherin]

My Sisters in-laws used to run a bus company and I spent a summer working for them..

My first task was to go around the shop and find all the broken craftsman sockets
The guy at sears didn't like it when I wandered in with a sack filled with 20 sockets in assorted pieces. hehe..

Those guys were hard on tools.. They managed to snap the head off a 1/2" mac breaker bar.. How? trying to loosen a 1" suspension bolt on a GMC bus by putting a floor jack under the handle.. (the 3/4" gun wasn't getting the job done)

Anyway they did ok with a mix of craftsman and MAC tools.

My Personal set is 90% craftsman and 10% specialty stuff I picked up as needed. S/K, Snap-on, Williams.

It's hard to bet the deal on a large Craftsman set when they are on sale..
I used to have a low end Craftsman rolling tool chest but I killed it.. Something it didn't like about having 400+ pounds of tools in it. Now I have the Harbor Freight 44" 13 drawer Roll cab..
The thing is 400lbs empty! mine is kicking around 1000lb loaded and it's holding up great.

[LCHIEN]

mostly craftsman wrenches for me, they look and feel nice, I have some SK ratchets and socket sets, I worked for dresser industries when they owned SK so I got some employee purchases. Occasionally some one will give me some broken craftsman tools (severely mistreated) and I take them in and they give me new ones. i don't think i've ever broken a C'man hand tool myself. I tried to take back a broken manual C'man stapler but they insisted it wasn't a hand tool and wouldn't replace it. That kind of pissed me off. if you squeeze it by hand to make it work and its got a handle and it says Craftsman on it they you'd think it was a craftsman hand tool.

Craftsman wrench sets (combination wrenches) frequently go on sale so they're a good bargain then, so so at regular prices.

Another thing about Craftsman is that Sears and Sears hardware stores are ubiquitous - you can find them anywhere in the US and so if having matching tools is important, then its easy to keep adding and replacing Craftsman tools to keep a matching set.

Actually the Pittsburgh line from HF looks and feels pretty good, for home use they might work pretty well for inexpensive tools, or for a second set to keep in the trunk of the car or next to the saw, or to loan out, for example.

[dkerfoot]

I am sure you are noticing a trend by now. Never regretted buying a Craftsman hand tool. I did break a CM screwdriver once, but it was a truly outrageous case of abuse. I knew I was sacrificing the tool when I did it. Under the circumstances, I never even considered bringing it back for warranty replacement.

[Pappy]

Mostly Craftsman here as well. My screwdriver set has probably been replaced 4 or 5 times since they were bought around '75. Now I tend to pick up odd sizes of wrencehes or sockets I need at one of the parts houses or box stores. Most of them carry the same lifetime warranty as Craftsman.