The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest Vintage Wrenches v/s New? What's everyone have in their toolbox?

Hello everyone. I'm in need of a decent set of wrenches for the ole shop. Even though I'm pretty cheap, I don't tend to skimp on tools. What's your opinion on say getting an older set of Craftsman/Proto on eBay? Go more vintage, or just buy some new ICON wrenches from HF or something? What wrenches are y'all using in the shop? Appreciate the thoughts/opinions?

I like SK wrenches, but, Gear wrenches with the ratcheting box end are invaluable to me. They are my go-to wrenches must of the time. I also prefer SK sockets sets.

Yes. I've read good things about SK as well. Ratcheting box end wrenches are definitely on my list

As a retired master tech , I have mostly Snap-on and Mac wrench's and sockets last time I calculated their value for insurance purposes I about had a stroke. It was more than what we paid for our first house. But there's nothing like quality tools to work with, you know you are not going to break it if abused.

Hit the yard sales. MAC, Snap-On, SK, Old Craftsman, Proto and more brands are there to be found at great prices. Picked up a MAC 1/2 impact for $10. Works great.

Ditto on the yard sales, but also shop pawn shops. I've found some real bargains on lightly used brand name tools- - - -Snap-On, S-K, MAC, etc. The top line stuff from places like Harbor Freight or Northern Tool aren't too shabby, especially if you're not using them all day, every day in a commercial shop.
Jerry

Look for Armstrong wrenches in the pawnshops or yard sales. At some point in time, Armstrong manufactured wrenches for Snap-on.
The ones that I have, came from the Norfolk Furd plant when it got shut down. (I made sure to fumigate them for rust mites before I let them get anywhere near my Chevys.)
They are sleek, smooth and feel good in your hand and are precision made.

At my last job (whether I was fired or I chose to retire is still under review ...), my boss bought a bunch of tools from Harbor Freight to equip a new shop tool box. I was actually impressed with their weight and feel. He would also hit pawn shops and consignment auctions and bring home buckets full of tools (usually for less than $10 ea) and invariably there would be a nice selection of the "usual suspects" (Snap-On, Mac, SK, Williams, etc).

I've managed to put together a nice set of SK wrenches and sockets for my traveling tool box from tool boxes/buckets I've picked up at auctions, etc.

Don't overlook some of the other older brands, too -- especially Williams. I think the older Williams tools are as nice as the Snap ons, etc. But a lot of younger folks aren't familiar with the name so they pass them up.

But don't take what I say as knowledgeable... The only tool my boss would let me use was a hammer. Ever heard the phrase, "That boy could tear up an anvil" ?? That's me.

That's only part of the quote- - - - -it's usually followed by the phrase "with a feather duster!"
LOL!
Jerry

I’ve got a bunch of total randomness in my tool selection. Some Kobalt, some craftsman, some gear wrench, some S-K. Plenty of harbor freight. A few random onesy-twosey Snap-on and Mac.

I struggle to remember the last time I broke one or had something completely fail. I do tend to notice the quality difference on tools with moveable parts….pliers and locking pliers and what not.

To the OP’s original question….I’d buy a decent-ish budget set and invest the savings in buying good parts. I am a big believer in NOS parts when I can get them.

I heard this from a friend of a friend of a friend, etc. He used to cheat. He'd find stuff on eBay from tool dealers (Snap On) that were shutting down or retiring. Pretty good prices. Then he would cheat a little more. Buy a used set, then find a tool truck and have them warranty them for failing chrome, wear, etc. Most of the time, he could get them to replace the whole set. Should you choose to accept this assignment, we will disavow any knowledge of your actions. This tape will self destruct in 5 seconds. Good luck.

Just don't try that trick with US government surplus Snap-On tools- - - - -they have a unique part number that an experienced tool truck operator can spot from 10 feet away! "No Warranty" on those items!

I have some old tools from Western auto. The wizard brand that goes back to the early 60s. A lot of times they're the ones I reach for because even a boxed end wrench has two different sizes like a half inch on one end and 9/16 on the other end,they have lasted me a lifetime.
....i have heard some decent remarks about icon wrenches from Harbor Freight.

I don't think that "tear up" was used either. A more colorful 'sentence enhancer' perhaps. Something a Marine would commonly use.

Ah- - - - -the pitfalls of "speed reading" post titles! I did a double take when I thought I read something about "vintage wenches"!
LOL!
Jerry

Speaking of the old Western Auto Wizard brand, one of my favorite little ratchets is a 1/4" drive Wizard I paid $5.00 for at a pawnshop many years ago. It has the finest, crisp action imaginable, like a fine Swiss watch (a phrase only a select few understand these days) . I've abused it at times and it's handled everything I've asked of it. It's right at home with the Snap-On, Blue Point, Williams, Blackhawk and other orphans I've saved from a life of neglect and non-use over the years.

Stanley tools, years ago I upgraded my hodgepodge tool set by buying Stanley (all US made at the time). I bought ASE and metric ratchet flat wrenches and end wrenches, full sets of sockets and ratchets as well as screw drivers and torx drivers. The 3/8" ratchet wore out after a few years but everything else has served well.

RonR

Back when I was a mechanic, I had a bunch of my Snap-On and Mac tools stolen. I couldn't afford to replace them with like, all at once, so I went and bought the great big Craftsman master set. Took me a day to open all the tools and get them installed into my box.

I never looked back. While I did use the tool trucks for specialty tools and impact sockets, the chrome Craftsmans were good enough. Yeah, I couldn't adapt a half inch breaker bar onto a quarter inch socket and not break something, versus Snap-On, but using the right tool for the job (at least somewhat) meant I very seldom broke a Craftsman. And if I did, I stopped at Sears on the way home for a new one.

Now you can buy Craftsman again, and they supposedly even have the warranty.. but their loophole is that the new part and the old must have the same exact part number. Of course-their new line has all different part numbers, so the warranty basically no longer applies to anything the current Chinese factory didn't make. I miss the old Sears stores.

Private equity sucks.

One of my favorite wrenches is a 1/2 & 9/16 box wrench that's about 4 inches long. It's a Tiger tools brand made by Vlchek in the late 30's-early 40's pic. I think I stole it from my dad. I also picked up a BOBW (big old box wrench) that was hanging in dad's garage the last time I was down visiting mom. It's a Wilpen brand 1" and 15/16" manufactured by Plomb Tool in the early 30's pic. Haven't used it but other than some surface rust it looks to be in good shape. It's just a wall hanger.
As far as what to look for, IMO are US made Craftsman sockets and such.

Bought a 3/8 drive socket wrench from SnapOn in 1994. Broke last year. The dealer wanted my receipt before he would warranty it! Good luck finding that!
Once broke a Craftsman #3 Philips screwdriver. Took it to Sears and two minutes later walked out with a replacement. No questions asked. Can't do that anymore.
I do like my Craftsman tools and except for the screwdriver I have never broken any others.

Wow snap on dealer questioning a ratchet that says snap on when new was probably 10 times the price of a craftsman .I don’t knock snap on but when you have a client willing to pay that price it does not look good on them for warranty.They are good tools but they are also very expensive and you would expect them to be that good with there customers.

FYI, broken Craftsman tools can be exchanged using their website. I recently received a new 3/8 drive 10mm socket to replace the one that wouldn't dependably grip a bolt head (It's a 12 point.) I still have the old socket. They wouldn't send me a 6 point, but the new one is made in Taiwan, head and shoulders above the Chinese ones. Craftsman Warranty It's a little hard to navigate, but works.

Still using Craftsman tools that I started with back in the mid ‘70s.

That was the basic sets, with additions added over the years. I haven’t bought any new Craftsman pieces in probably 20 years. I might have a couple that could use replacement, but I often find old serviceable Craftsman pieces for less than the price of new stuff.

Still happy with them!

Mostly Craftsman, don't know if this would be the place to mention it. But I have a pretty nice vintage set of Montgomery Wards hand tools that passed to me from my Dad. The same ones I got yelled at for not putting away after using, or wiping grease off of after using. I've kept them all this time but never use them, it's time to make space in the shop and thin out some stuff I don't use. I don't want to leave someone else the nightmare of what do I do with this after I check out.

I recently wanted to exchange some of my Craftsman screwdrivers and a couple of ratchets that were worn out and was disappointed when I went to the local Ace Hardware and was told that I needed a receipt for them to be able to exchange Craftsman tools at the store. These tools were purchased in the mid-1960s! The Ace fellow saw that my blood pressure was rising and pointed out that I could get them exchanged online.

I grumpily went to the Craftsman warranty site online...and it was actually pretty easy!

Right out of high school I bought a 200+ pc mechanic’s set of Craftsman from Sears. Shortly after, I bought a 12 drawer top and bottom (Rollaway and Chest) on sale at Sears which I still have. I also have a large Master Force top and bottom from Menards, also a Kennedy bottom and 3 Kennedy chests.

That said, I have more Craftsman hand tools than any other brand. Mostly purchased over 30 years ago.

I have lots of hand tools. I have tools at work, tools in the house garage, the majority in the back garage, some downstairs, some at my Sister’s, some at my Son’s, a tool kit in the camper, some in my garden shed etc.

Over the years I have purchased many different brands, without taking an inventory this is what I can remember.

Craftsman
Proto
Stanley
Giller
Husk
Kobalt
SK
Wiha
Various Harbor Freight (Imports) etc.

I also have quite a few odd single pieces such as a few Snap On, Mac etc that I picked up at garage sales.

I really miss Sears, but I’m equally impressed with a lot of the other brands I’ve accumulated over the last 50 years.

Some are better than others, but I prefer the older made in USA over most of the imports. Just personal preference. Although the imports seem to have gotten way better the past 10 years.

Another topic would be “Measuring Tools” which is a whole different subject.😁

John

John,

I found it somewhat curious that Williams didn't make your list .... ?? You ought to start a thread on measuring tools. I'd be quite interested in that discussion.

Before this subject fades, some of you (I think) are familiar with Alloy Artifacts. For those who aren't, its " an online tool museum and resource center for information on 20th century hand tools." I've found it a fun and useful resource for identifying auction wins and pawn shop finds.

I would bet that I have more than a couple tools that were built by Williams for Mac, Matco, possibly even Sears etc.

John

I've had a few of Williams products over the years also, good stuff. I've wondered if they were still in business?

J.H. Williams was bought by Snap-On in 1993. Yep, they are still in business and still make a very good tool. I believe they are still made in USA.

SK brand is still out there, and they do make a pretty good line also.

52Carl mentioned Armstrong. They were made/owned by Apex Tool Group, (same folks who make Crescent brand), discontinued production several years ago. Armstrong was also made in USA. I am told, that no Crescent brand wrenches are made in USA any more.

Craftsman, (or at least the Craftsman brand), is owned/made by Stanley Black & Decker, who own Dewalt, Delta, Porter-Cable, Proto, and now Waterloo tool boxes.

Wright Tool is still around also. Them and Proto are a couple of the very few, that are still made in USA. You see these two more in the industrial market than the automotive market though.

You're starting to see a lot of Milwaukee brand hand tools, and a lot of Dewalt brand also. Not sure if Milwaukee is making their own though.

(How do I know all this? 46 years in industrial/commercial sales)

I use this one alot for a few reasons. It fits well. Has 2 sizes. 1/2 +9/16
Box end. The angle of it makes it work well with a ratchet. Since its the only one I have like it, I can spot it at a distance.
The newer Craftsman * and the older ones are not the same looking and Ill use different ones/sizes for
the same reason... for spotting them from a distance and knowing what it is.

BD - Here's an interesting link to some detailed info on your "WF-81" tool.

From the linked site in the Big Bosses reply above.

Thanks Dan. Thats pretty cool.
Must have been one of my dads tools from the 1940`s. I still have a few of those.
I know I have and use an old Crescent Tool Co wrench. The machining on the thumb adjuster is precise + perfect.

My bench over the winter. 1/2 a hardware store there. I`ve tried to straighten it up but it always looks like this.

One of my favorite wrenches is a Tiger tools shorty box wrench from the '30s-'40s, also 1/2" & 9/16" and a brother to the one shown at the bottom of This page.
I think I stole it from my dad's collection.

Did you notice the multiple 9/32" drive tools? I'll bet it would be hard to find sockets and extensions for them.

This photo could be triggering to some people. It shoulda come with a warning......

thats right!! hundred stories there. I luckily remember them all.

I got these two PLUMB box ends from A hardware store in Honoka’a Hawaii Island, where we lived for years.
Ikeuchi’s Hardware. I was friends with the family since the seventies.
They “closed” the store but still sell off old stock they’ve pulled out of the attic.
There were boxes of these new wrenches, from the 1940’s maybe.
100 year old store that sold everything, at one time.
As an example the old man back in the day made galvanized buckets and wash tubs out of sheet metal.
on a metal bending , rolling set-up.
They couldn’t easily order much merchandise back in those times. So the locals had a lot of business.
Third generation now. My favorite tools have old connections to friends and family.
Haven’t used these but a little yet. But the sizes work on a stovebolt!