I have had craftsman tools for years and other than their new ratchets they are ok for the serious shade tree mechanic.

I have quite a bit of snap on especially their ratchets and torque wrenches and Mac and Bluepoint for air tools but these were all purchased used from the local pawnshops.

 

Well after 19 years of automotive repair,industrial machinery and construction work I would have to say that snap-on makes the best tool for the automotive trade..snap on over craftsman has saved my from quite a few busted knuckles,and probably a few fender dents and cracked windshields, I own a mixture of tools for most every trade. So i would be more apt to buy a craftsman tool over a snapon for occasional use. if it is making your living. then you are going to be looking for time savers and specfic use tools that are generally only coming from the snap on guy.

 

I have 2 craftsman sets and they work great. I have never broken anything excpet a few of the newer ratchets, I don't really like them. I use my dad's old round headed craftsman ratchets and they still work great. We have alot of old tools around here, most 25-god only knows how old. lots of old craftsman, proto, vlchek and some odds and ends. Just need craftsman to make a ratchet as good as the old ones.

 

You have a lot of great tools out there but Craftsman is still the best in my opinion.

 

Sears will not replace tools that you have ingraved you name in! They will take a 2inch open end wrench that you broke in half on your head(joke) but you better not ingrave your name on it>

I am ****ed about this. I guess they just changed this rule!

if it is already in this thread I am sorry. I did not read all 2 million posts.

 

Craftsman tools are a good buy. You could but a several hundred peice tool set, get a plier set, screwdriver set, and upgrade the ratchets, etc. for under 400, and be set for a good while. Warranty is great also. But the standard ratchets are junk. Also their exchange policy sucks on those.

Buying individual pieces can be costly, but buying sets and items that are on sale is the only way to go.

Several people state that they've had the same craftsman tools for 15 or more years ago, but I'm not sure if they realize the stuff was made by a different manufacturer back then. The old stuff was much better quality than the stuff they have out today.

I believe the stuff made back then was mfg'erd by Stanley. I still have a round head Craftsman rathcet with the built in knurler (40 solid teeth) that I bought in '93 and it is the best ratchet I have ever used. It has turned quite a few bolts in its day and still looks like it could be new. (I am retiring it because if I ever break it they'll give me one of those jagged chunks of metal they call a ratchet.) (Also because I have a Snap on one now)

I've ran across a couple Snap on/Mac dealers that were **** holes, but most that I've run across are good guys.

My Snap on 1/4 in ratchet is sort of messing up, even though I've only used it a few times, so I'm sure even Snap on stuff can fail, but the precision of their tools can't be beat. Take a Snap on phillips screwdriver and a craftsman and see which one bites the screw the way its supposed to, do the same with pliers and needle nose.

There is a difference....

 

Does Snap-on sell to just anybody, or do you have to have a business? Can I just walk up to one of their trucks when I see it & buy stuff?

 

If your breaking one a week, then your doing something wrong!
you need to evaluate how your using that tool. are you using the right size rachet for the job? are you using proper techniques.
I've had craftsman ratchets since I was 15 (a looong time ago) and i've worn them out and had them replaced............, but one a week? ... if your breaking them like that then your using them wrong and it's only a matter of time till you seriously hurt yourself. take a course, and get some proper instruction on the use of hand tools.

 

Most of the guys will sell to anyone... If you see a truck at a shop, they're usually more than glad to make a sale.

 

I have been using craftsman tools pretty much since I got out of high school. My only thing is the ratchets which seems to be the biggest complaint. There is nothing like trying to loosen a a bolt and the ratchet unlocks and strips and you slam your hand into something nice and solid. I actually find it funny when I break a tool, and I have never had a problem getting a broken tool replaced. The best one was the 1/2" breaker bar. Just in the last week though I have had some issues with catolog or interenet order only tools. Like misc. sockets that are not available in the stores. Sears used to carry craftsman semi-deep 3/8 drive sockets. I don't know when they stopped but now it looks like they are only available online. I had a nice conversation with a customer service rep with how a tool like that is supposed to be replaced if it is broken. I did not get the answer I wanted. The only way to get those sets now is to buy the metric and sae together over the net and I only wanted the sae. I have a set of metric already. From what it looks like the whole deal with there semi deep sockets is a hassel so I am just gonna shell out the bucks and go with the snap on set. Much more acessible and easier to replace if any break. Other then that, if I can get it at the store and it can be replaced without any hassle, I'll use Craftsman.

 

>There is nothing like trying to loosen a a bolt and the ratchet unlocks and strips and you slam your hand into something nice and solid.

??? Wow.. I have NEVER broken a ratchet like that. I have worn a couple out so that they don't hold the socket on anymore.

Sorry, thats not true. I have a special Snapon rachet I had made when I worked as a mechanic 30 years ago. Its a 1/4 inch drive body, with a 3/8 drive mechanism. So the catch teeth are very tiny. 4 inch handle.

I misused it sometime and stripped the gears. thats been 20 year ago, and I still keep it, thinking one day I'll stop the snapon guy and get it repaired. but I never put it in my truck to take with me!..

I'm a breakerbar guy.. If it doesn't come loose with a ratchet easily, out comes the breaker bar.

Sam

 

I've had the same (Base set) of Craftsman tools for almost 30 yrs now. Have added on considerably since then. the only things that have occasionaly broken were the rachets (which Sears replaces without question). I've hit these tools with hammers, jumped on crescent wrenches to break nuts free, and have never had a problem.
There are different grades of Craftsman tools. Go for the better ones.

 

I've had the same (Base set) of Craftsman tools for almost 30 yrs now. Have added on considerably since then. the only things that have occasionaly broken were the ratchets (which Sears replaces without question). I've hit these tools with hammers, jumped on crescent wrenches to break nuts free, and have never had a problem.
There are different grades of Craftsman tools. Go for the better ones.

 

I've had craftsman for 30 years. I just bought my son some Craftsman tools (socket set, combination wrenches) last Christmas, but they have cheapened them up quite a bit.
I just had to replace a 1/2" to 3/8" converter. What a difference. The size stamping is very shallow and the edges are not as smooth. The finish just is not the same as they used to be, but the good thing is that the guarantee is still the same.

I recently bought two S-K clicker torque wrenches, 1/2" drive, 20-150 foot pounds and a 3/8" 25-250 inch pounds. I'm very pleased with them, they work pretty good.

 

It does seem that the finish is horrible on the new ones. (Even on the inside of the socket they are very jagged - if you try to wipe any dirt or grease out of the inside, your cloth will snag and will leave small shreds inside)

I was at OSH today and checked out a SK 3/8 finger ratchet- it looked real nice and it felt like it was built well.