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?

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! Thank you!

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.

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

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

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/

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)

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.

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.

I shudder at saying this and I’m ready to be flamed

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Whenever possible I try to purchase used stuff, Craigslist, Marketplace, ebay ....

It seems as though the old steel was better

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... 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. 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?

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Thanks Giving gift for myself , before the 914 Rubber black Friday sale... .

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.

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.

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.

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.

And I recently bought a HF tool chest, a General 72 inch roller cabinet. I am VERY happy so far, especially for the price.

In my mix match of Craftsman and Cresent
I have replaced my Rachets with ICON
I really like them smooth gearing and may sound silly, the On / Off Markings
Makes it a no brainer for the out of sight upside down work

And let’s not even talk about my Milwaukee power tool addiction

My vote would be for Husky tools over Craftsman, easily available at Home Depot, strong warranties or a vote HF. Most of us will never wear out hand tools. (Normal use)
My vote is based on me being a weekend wrencher, and could replace tools 2-3 times for cost of the box truck tools.
Just my .02

My son worked in an automotive junk yard for a while. A u pull it kind of place. It was very common that he would find all kinds of tools in the yard that people had left behind. Mostly Craftsman. Some had been there a while and were rusty so when he brought home a rusty socket or wrench, we would go to our local Sears and they would swap it for a new one, no questions. We put together several big sets of Metric and SAE sockets and wrenches. Gave them away to friends since we both already had everything we could possibly use.

He got rid of all his Craftsman stuff and now has a BIG expensive box full of expensive snap-on stuff. Craftsman is very good. Snap-on tools are a little better.

I have decades old Craftsman and they are solid. I would suggest you look in to a Canadian brand I’ve been picking up lately. OLSA tools. They’ve got some innovative products and the quality seems pretty good.

For the tools you use all the time, buy the best you can. For those items which you may dig out of the drawer every 2-3 years, no point spending a ton of money when something from HF will do the job.

The Cratsman professional line from several years ago was top quality, US made. That line was discontinued. Their current products vary greatly in terms of quality.

Almost all of my power tools are Milwaukee and increasingly I buy their hand tools which, when they go on sale, are a good buy with high quality.

HF quality has certainly improved in recent years, but the prices have also gone up. You can often find Tekton or others at same price.

I have a mix. In grade school and high school I mostly used Craftsman. That is what my dad had and when I needed a tool I would pick it up a Sears. After High School and working as a dealer mechanic the prices on the tool trucks came as a huge shock. But I needed certain tools and started the grow my tool collection at likely 5 times the cost of craftsman. I'm pretty sure my combination wrench sets were around $200 each 7 piece set close to forty years ago. By 1982 every new car was metric except powertrains. So I was in need of more metric tools.

The Craftsman tools while great for home use, really started having problems being used 8 hours a day. I was stopping by Sears twice week to have tool replaced. I never had a problem exchanging them but the time lost with broken tools was becoming a problem.
So my core tools are Snap On. I can count on hand the times I have had one break, and each one I was pushing the tool hard. Like trying to help someone replace a tire on truck with a 3/8 ratchet. The small electronics cutters and screwdrivers are fantastic.

I used to have deal with some small connectors that will destroy the few dollar 1/8" blade screwdrivers you might be able to do a hundred connectors before damaging the blade. Thirty-five years a ago everyone I worked with thought is was crazy to 10-12 dollars on a tiny flat blade. I have two of them, I chipped the tip once on one of them I redressed it and it has been fine for a few more decades. I have used those on tens of thousands of connectors.

Without easy access to a Snap On truck I will say service is a pain. Not the no questions asked service I have in the 80's. I don't think they will replace items that are just worn. I have few sockets that have heavy wear, I don't think they will replace them.

Flankdrive was amazing 40 years ago but most good tools these days have some version of that.

As I have needed larger 20mm and above tools those have been a mix of Harbor Freight, Husky and AutoZone and O'Reilly tools. Auto supply tools tend to be junk.
The Harbor Freight tool boxes are better quality than my 40 year old Snap On box. They didn't have roller bearing slides back then.

There is many good hand tool options now.

Good point. I get Harbor Freight for things I will probably use once. I have also been collecting some Eastwood stuff.

I’m located in Japan and for high use tools or tools where I don’t wanna strip something I stick with KTC. If you hard Pressed define better quality and for the quality the price is reasonable – at least here. Available on Amazon.

KTC

I'm not a matched sets guy. I like certain brands for certain things, particularly ratchets, screw drivers, and Allen keys. Otherwise, I'm all for generic.

Craftsman ratchets have sucked [IMO] for 30 years. I personally think Mac makes the best ratchets, though SK and SnapOn are really nice too.

Screw drivers: Wiha for the nice ones.

Allen keys: Bondhaus is a solid choice without too much cost.

Hand tools are like ice cream. Some like vanilla, some chocolate, etc.... And some like to get those expensive little pint sized specialty types and some the econo-creams in the tubs. Nothing wrong with any as long as you're happy with it. Yes, there is a difference in quality of tools, but many are way past the knee-in-the-curve for ROI. Like others have said, it depends on how often you use them and what you'll feel comfortable with.
Many of my tools were my dad's, mainly old Craftsman with some Proto/Challenger, Vlchek, and KD mixed in. Personal favorite wrenches are SK chromes because they feel nice in the hands and the smooth surface wipes clean easily, but I like the old Craftsmen and the Stahlwilles feel nice too. Almost always use Craftsman sockets and really like the Icon ratchets. For screwdrivers, a set from Bahco have an incredible grip and the metal seems strong on them too. Bondhus T handles are favorite allen and torx.
Favorite tools that's saved my tail more than once are a hand held impact driver, think this one was made by Continental but there's many manufacturers, a Posi-lock caged puller, and most definitely the heat gun, this one's a Milwaukee.

Dan

+1 on the hand impact drive. That is the PERFECT tool to loosen screws that hold brake disks onto hubs.

The hand impact is an awesome tool! Lisle made the one I have and it’s indispensable for many tasks. Rotor screws, tin screws, motorcycle TB booties, etc.

I’m also a huge fan of my hydraulic (battery) impact driver (M12 or M18, your choice)

Lots of great advice here per usual. I had personally not heard of Tekton before but I'll be looking at their stuff now with all the good reviews.

I too don't look down upon HF' s Icon line. For the home gamer, they're as good if not better than Craftsman or similar. The Chinese are quite capable of producing and machining good / acceptable quality stuff with enought investment and oversight by the parent company.

I recall walking around the paddock at Sebring and watching a multi-million dollar race team using a Harbor Freight aluminum jack. I remarked to the chief mechanic that I was surprised because I had one just like it at home and wondered why they didn't use some big name brand. He simply stated, "Why? These work great, they last and if they break we can always go buy 2-3 more for the cost of name brand." Made a lot of sense to me - if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me.

Bob Russo used a HF aluminum jack when working on the 962. Same reason as above.
The only downside of Tekton is they make it too easy to buy their tools. Log in, put the tool in your cart and checkout. Shipping is free on everything and their points system is easy, it’s just dollars of credit towards your next purchase. Another addiction to add to the list.

So thanks to this thread I now feel the need to get a tool cart
Thinking Yukon or US general on the Yukon I like the idea of the wood top to add a Vice Thanks to mepstein I now know about Tekton so may be placing a order for Sockets wondering what black Friday sales they may have .

I also have the HF 72 inch tool chests and the top chest and one of the side hanging chests for it as well. Its fantastic. The side chest is not as nice, I think its an earlier version and does not have the drawer locks, but I've not had any issues with the drawers sliding open that I have on my Home Depot tool chest.

The tool which saved me more than I can remember is a 6 foot 2" metal pipe which I can load in a wrench and leverage off that one damn nut or bolt that doesn't want to come off. So staying with a brand to have a complete set may look nice, but the tools needed to do a job are eclectic.

For personal use, I have Craftsman (USA made) and Thorsen (mfg in Texas), Snap-on, SK, and some HF stuff I've sacrificed to the welding gods. I think I have some Ikea tools that come with their furniture that I've modified for speciality tools. IMO, stay with your Craftsman, rebuild and pack your ratchets, then pick-up a few pieces from various brands and try them. Also get about a dozen 10mm wrenches and sockets. I swear the car fairy takes them and substitutes a 7/8 in their place.

DaveB

If you haven't seen his YouTube channel, check out project Farm. He goes over several tool comparisons. Most of the time, the most expensive name brand is not the best.

+1 for cheap tools to do the job, HF. If I need precision, I'll pay more for name brand tools.

I use their rails and trays because I can pull a set of rails out of the tray and use it on the go. I took a set of impacts to my dad's house over the weekend. I leave the sockets "unlocked" in the box but twist them all a 1/4 turn to lock them in, if they are out of the box. The long trays fit perfectly into a gen 2 HF box. I also like that they sell all their sockets separately, so if I loose one, it's easily replaced. I'm not saying everyone has to be a Tekton fan. I just think you have to look at what the companies offer that work best for your needs. My buddy only buys snap on. He's spent 10's of thousands with them and will continue to do so. I'm happy with Tekton. I'm sure there are other brands that have other compelling features.

Growing up in my dad's auto shop he always had Snap-On. and once you get a feel for it other stuff seems a bit lacking.

About a year ago, I guess I didn't have enough projects to spend my money on, and I decided, for the sake of nostolgia, to swap out my Craftsman Professional set for a used Snap-On set off Ebay — just the english. They're maybe not as nice as the Craftsman tbh as they're all mixed and matched from the 70's through 2010's (you can date Snap-On wrenches) and not a proper set.

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Metrics I'm still rolling with the NLA Craftsman Pros. The 22 which fits the alternator nut to turn the fan is Westward and there's a 27 that's Kobalt in there. The tool roll is brake line wrenches which are Proto and pretty nice.

I put the Craftsman Professional English set in a cool waxed cotton tool roll I got off Etsy fron a company in Australia. I keep them around just in case.

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I had 1 missing wrench from the Craftsman Pro set, like a 3/8 that got lost somehow, and found 1 on Ebay. People are asking like more than Snap-On for these. It was like $40 for the 1 small wrench.

I like Kennedy boxes, a throwback to my days working as a machinist, though my top box is a Kennedy mechanics box, still in the brown wrinkle finish.

I have 30 year old Craftsman and some 50 year old SK Wayne sockets and wrenches. Snapon is top of the line in quality and price and more reserved for the every day mechanic working in a shop. Look for used Craftsman tools at yard sales or swap meets. You can't go wrong. Kobalt tools at Lowe's are a spin off of Snapon.

Update Picked up some metric Sockets from TEKTON
Rare to find Customer Service alive and well in today's world
But That is NOT AN ISSUE with TEKTON Emails answered quickly
Placed an order Tuesday morning shipped out within hours and Arrived the Next day

Husky? Snap-On for sure.

Recently found a Craftsman 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 drive complete set with standard and metric short, long and case for $70. Local old guy, set is basically unused, probably from the 70's or 80's Craigslist find

I've got mostly 45-year-old Craftsman wrenches, ratchets and sockets, and several oddball special wrenches like Hazet made specifically for Porsche, I even have a set of wrenches sold by J.C. Penney (Penncaft brand) which are still holding up! H.F certainly seems to be getting better, judging by the appearance, but I haven't actually bought any to use yet. I remember back in the early Eighties, the Canadian AA tested some no-name Japanese or Chinese wrenches against Snap-on and found no difference!

I've been starting to look at toolboxes and came across these at Karmann Konnection. Pretty expensive (available new at Amazon, too) but pretty smart.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CljULN_IiyO/

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What's in those display cases?

There is also the bootleg IKEA $30 one.

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/rashult-utilit...uoise-30490139/