The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest Lets talk wrenches

Well i have been looking for a particular tool.
That got me to thinking about brands and quality.
I grew up on SK and would still prefer them today; but they are not as easy to attain as in years past.
Now days seems to be Snap-on / Proto / Mac / Craftesman / etc....
So i read this http://www.strategy-business.com/press/16635507/9598 thought it interesting.
So whats your peference and experience???

I also use SK Tools and prefer them. I got started on them in 1981 when I bought a service station and found out pretty quick my limited supply of assorted tools weren't adequate. Oriellys was selling them then and every week or so I would buy something else I needed. As you stated they are not that easy to find now, although I have found a place that sells them about 50 miles from where I live. My tools are one of my most prized possesions, don't know what I would do without them.

When I started out wrenching, I could not afford name brand tools. I bought whatever bargain brand tools I could fit into my box. What I started to realize is that trying to turn wrenches professionally called for tools of better quality. I didn't turn into a MAC or Snap-on junkie because I realized that a lot of the little items like curcuit testers, pnunches, pliers, hammers, etc. could be bought down town with some of the same quality and/or warranty. It just wasn't brought to my door by a salesman. My toolbox is a conglomeration of brands. As far as the sockets and open/box end wrenches, I will happily stay with my Snap-on. I believe there is better quality there without question.

When I think back to the other guys in the shops I worked in, they always had beautiful toolboxes and Snap-on was the choice. The tool boxes were always the piece that held their heads up high among the other mechanics. Customers had a tendancy to drift towards the largest and pretiest toolbox too. The tol man would show us demonstrations of a truck parked on top of 4 Snap-on toolboxes to show how sturdy they were. I've never had to come close to puting a vehicle of any sort on top of my toolbox. Great gimmick to show its strength. Shiny also sells.

For myself, I bought second and third hand toolboxes but always upgraded over the years, but while those guys were struggling to pay off those toolboxes, I was buying the tools that I needed to get my job done. After I gave up wrenching for a career, I decided that a nice toolbox was in order. I shoped around at all the name brand toolmakers and felt like I was buying used car with the $7-10,000 toolboxes that would fit my needs. I found another second hand toolbox for less than half the price of new and spent a day driving to get it. It was 1 year old and nearly perfect and shiny. At a 1000 lbs empty, it's a lot of toolbox. I got home and started putting tools in it and found that my old toolboxes made a great storage place for some of the tools used not so much and/or traveling. I don't have customers that see my toolbox, but I sure get to admire it when I use it.

I think there is a place for all quality of tools. The tools that are in your hands the most are the ones that need to be the best quality, as long as safety isn't compromised. Even expensive tools can wear out, but a warranty is worth it weight in a new replacement.

Very true,the Snap Ons and Macs are the tools others are judged by..I have always stuck with Craftsman hand tools and they have served me just fine.Over the years I have broken a couple through mis use and Sears always replaced them.Although Snap Ons are definitly or supposedly the best,the Craftsman line is a much better buy considering price and everything. And yeah most of the guys who were wrenching as a profession,bought the Snap ONs because the truck was right there.Nothing the matter with that. I bought my original set of Craftsmans in 1957,on sale for $39.00,and I still have and are using 99%of them 50 years later.The 1 % that I dont have were lost,or loaned out and never returned.And yeah, I used them professionally for a few years.

S&K, Craftsman, Westline(old),Snap-on, and yes, Wizard. I have some of each in my box. It does seem that I will often pull out the OLD Wizard's (think Western Auto). From looking at the tools it seems that the Wizards I have all seem to have the right LENGTH I desire and feel good in my hands. I purchased most of the Wizards when my "first" wife worked in the office at Western Auto back in the late 60's and she got a discount! One thing I also like about these beside the length is that they are different sizes on each end. I have grown to hate the "combination" wrenches that are the same size with open end on one side and box end on the other.
Bottom line, I am partial to my S&K and Wizards. I also have a set of 60's sockets that are called Westline that are second to none. All of them are of good quality and have great wear resistance.
I do wish they had started engraving the sizes on them BIGGER long ago..... but hey, back then I could still see!!!!

My main set of tools are Snap On only because of what you guys stated- the trucks came around, but you need a second mortage to buy them today. My backup sets are craftsman, but there are places you can get into with a snap on that you can't with a craftsman because of their thinner walls on their box ends. I also have a set of Gearwrenches, which I like the ratcheting mechanisms on. Also my eyes arn't what they used to be, so the laser etched craftsman sockets are nice for reading the size.

When I started bending wrenches in 1965 I used Craftsman, Proto, SK and Challenger hand tools.I still use most of them today. I bought a damaged MBC brand roll cabinet in 1970 and I am still useing that too. OK..OK..I'm parsimonious (real cheap).

heres my 2 cents ..ya ever see them socket orginizers Sears sells ?? ...they are a plastic base with a long rod for each socket long & short that has the size stamped on em ?..ya just slip your sockets over em ..an they are ALL standing tall an ya know what ya gettin right off !!
BEST PURCHASE I EVER MADE !
i have em for all now ....1/4,3/8,1/2 standard an metric..ya know when somethin is missin at first glance .
I love em !
and Yes i still have ALL the leftovers ..cheapo or pricey in an unorganized MESS ..in a box ..but when I go to my rollin Cabinet ..it all is organized and SO MUCH EASIER !

Husky, CrewLine, Stanley, Crestent, ViceGrip, Xlite or whatever I find in the street.
Yeah and I do go tah Sears, but gottah be careful they do sell two types Craftsmen and cheaper.

Adios, Kip

Yeah Sears does sell a cheaper line of tools,I cant think of the name offhand.In no way am I bashing anyone for buying the expensive SnapOns,its just that the Craftsmans have served me well.A good friend of mine who used to wrench on the big trucks,(eighteen wheelers)has a very nice collection of SnapOns and he swears by them.But on the other hand he never uses them anymore.Of course being 70 yrs. old I dont use my wrenches as much as I used to. Oh yeah those cheap Sears tools are called Companions.

I still cant get over the price of snapon and the others. Ive never had a problem with craftsman. Granted I dont use my tools for a living but I beat the hell out of them. I just brought in around 2-3 dozen broken screwdrivers and traded them with no problems. Ive broken more sockets and extensions using them to remove/install bearing races, etc, and again have never had an issue exchanging them. I DO NOT buy their electric tools though, only hand tools.

Id rather see the few hundred (by now im sure its in the thousands) dollar difference between my tools go right back into the garage or truck then some wrenchs and sockets.

Jeff

Ha! readin Mr.Nuts'es post reminds me of cheater bars.
Talk about warrenty buster.
It's like when the cop asks you how many beers you had.
Sells Clerk at Sears, "You stick somethin on the handle of this?"
Me, "Oh no sir, I would never do anything like that!"

I'm goin tah he!!

Adios, Kip

The big problem with craftsman is they hurt your hands in hard pulls. There wrenches are thin and most of there ratchets are flat.
They really hurts my hands. I have a couple of the upper line round handle craftsman ratchets around. They work well till the guts tear out.
SK; i wish they were still at any parts store. Used to go in and order parts pick up needed tools and back to the cave. Just as convenient as the truck coming by. And warranty was similar to craftsman. Just bring in what you destroyed and they would hand you a new one. And the socket sets came in quality metal cases that meant you just grabed a case with the desired drive size and went to the job, everything for that drive was in there.
Breaker bar - universal joint - extinsions - deep and shallow sockets - ratchet. Oh well.
Tales from the cave.
> We abused an SK half inch breaker bar for about 20yrs. One day dad got in a bind. So out with the cheater bar and finally broke the breaker bar. Took it with us to the parts store and got a new one no questions asked. Still have it around here somewhere.
> We never used air tools always hand tools. Still to this day an air tool is the last resort.

I have craftsman,and several other brands of tool's,I buy what I need when I need it.I try to buy stuff that's warrenty'd and exchanging won't be an issue.As far as the toolbox....It's just a auction bax I got for 25 buck's but is good quality,no name on it but has roller drawers.I need a bigger one!Well anyway i have friend's that have toolboxes worth thousand's of buck's,but can't afford the tools.Half the time they want to borrow my tool's!Yeah the box look's great but the drawers are empty,what good is that?I'll stick to my cheaper boxes.....Tom

The newer model Craftsman ratchets are junk. I prefer the ones from the 60s or older. I won a new Craftsman set from Tools For a Cure. I get frustrated every time I try to use one of the ratchets. If I know I'm going to be doing a lot of wrenching I'll grab one of my older Craftsman or Snap-on ratchets to use with the new sockets.

The ball mechanism on my old Craftsman torque wrench broke and a socket will drop off. But I'd rather put up with that than trade it in on one with a new style ratchet head.

Oh, by the way, my favorite ratchet is a Craftsman ¼" with a thumb wheel. They don't make them anymore but if you see one at a swap meet or flea market, grab it. That thumbwheel is handy as pockets on pants. I've had mine since the 70s.

I have had craftsman tools since I started working on stuff. I have always liked them. They hold up well and when I break them(usually abusing them ) I have always took them in and had them exchanged and never had a problem. Even my tool box is craftsman. I had that since 1980.

You think the newer Craftsman ratchets are junk, you ought to see the Craftsman stuff they sell in Canada! All made off-shore. But they have a warranty. I had chrome start peeling on a set of MAC stubby wrenches and the sales guy was reluctant to change them.
I have Made In USA Husky as well which I like but now the ones here are made off-shore.
There is a company in Canada(maybe elsewhere too)called Fuller which offers off-shore tools. They sell a wrench for 5 bucks with no warranty. It seems they also make them for Sears up here. The same wrench at Sears costs $15 but it has the warranty.
I know this because I bought a set of Sears 1/4" drive sockets and two of them said Fuller.

I agree with that.

I have a set of Snap-On wrenches, and would not trade them for any other brand out there, and I have tried them all at one time or another.

To save money I buy the "industrial finish" Snap-on tools when available, they are significantly cheaper, and just as nice, comfortable, and strong, just a black finish and no chrome, don't want to leave them in the rain, but other than that just a good.

I buy craftsman tools when I need to modify one for something special, as they are cheap enough, and still decent quality.

The Cornwell dealer could get all the S-K tools, Had a whole catalog, not sure if an individual could order from them directly or not, but I got the impression I could?

If you only have one snap-on tool, make it a 3/8" ratchet.
they even have some new ratchets with 80 teeth, fine as frog hairs, and stronger than the old regular teeth ones, as I have striped a few of the old one, and have given the new one some good work outs, so far so good. They do advertise the 80 teeth ones to be stronger.

Grigg

I have mostly Craftsman in my garage toolbox,,since 1970. In my seperate toolbags that i keep in my trucks and the one i use for going to the wrecking yard,theres a mixture of different brands. Stanley,china crap, Kragen brand (more china crap)whatevers layin around when i put the toolbag together. That way if it gets stolen from the vehicle,no big loss.

CLetis,

The newer Craftsman ratchets are what drove me over the edge -- after breaking two (one after the other), I took the plunge and started switching over to Snap-On. Haven't looked back since. WHAT a difference! I've used the 3/4 drive as a hammer on occasion. Like Grigg, though, I like the industrial finish. Same quality and feel, more reasonable price.

I broke a Snap-On breaker bar using a cheater when we were in Hawaii. My local Snap-On dealer here in Maryland didn't even hesitate or ask me any questions -- in one fluid motion he took mine and placed a new one in my other hand.

Some day, I spring for a nice roller chest -- in the meantime I'll make do with my Craftsman chests. They're probably a good theft deterrent...

John

When I was 16 (1962) I bought my first tools from Montgomery Ward... Powercraft brand. It was my intention to build my own Hot Rod with those tools. Over the years I've repaired my own vehicles and used them in my various mechanic-related jobs but my dream of owning my own Hot Rod wasn't fulfilled for 46 years.

Yup, those Monkey Ward tools which I carried thousands of miles across the country are finally fulfilling their intended purpose when I bought them so many years ago... we're finally building that Hot Rod, and they just seem so perfect for the job.

I guess that's about as sentimental as I can get over some cold inanimate objects.

I agree that Montgomery Ward tools are ok. I bought a small Montgomery Ward air compressor at a yard sale and it has worked fine for years as a portable unit.

Has anyone tried the Kobolt tools available at Lowes? I love em. I got quite a nice set of em in my garage, daily truck and home.

Kobalts are decent, especially the older ones that were actally made for Lowe's by Snap-On.
Oh, and if you're looking for S&K, Sears does carry them in their catalog and online. Sems that S&K is going more for the industrial market, especially since Facom bought them out.

I have/use Snap-On, Bluepoint, Mac, Proto, very old Craftsman, some Armstrong and S&K in both metric and SAE

In Whitworth::(my British Machinery) lots of Stahlwille ( VG German), King-Di*k, Williams (slimline), Tipco, Britool, old Craftsmen, Snap-On, Bluepoint & Koken( ?? brand ).

taps and dies for ALL the above in sizes to 3/4''. I am happy w/ all of them.

a CHEAP tool is NOT worth having in my stable or tool box. They cause more problems than they are worth having--- so off to goodwill or the side of the road.

For those of you looking for S&K tools you can get them at Fastenal. They typically are not stocked but can be ordered. I my self have Craftsman (don't care for Sears too much any more) a few pieces of S&K, proto, snap-on and misc others. Anyone ever use Armstong tools?

iv got craftsman and a few of everything else but moved and left everything at my old shop which is ware we just started working on the trucks again will i needed some tools for home use and got mostly stanley the tools are good and cheap and they have plastic cases that fit nice in the roll away but the ratchet wrenches are the best hate to use the old box wrenches now

About the ratchet wrenches, I had a set of gear-wrench ratcheting wrenches, but they marked the fasteners to much. I was working in a nice antique car restoration shop and that was not acceptable.
Traded in the gear-wrench set to the Snap-On dealer for more than I paid for it at Lows, gave him a little more money and left with a Snap-On ratcheting wrench set, no more marked fasteners as they seem to fit better.
I really like them, and have had no problems with the Snap-On set. They are not a replacement for a good set of combination wrenches though, as the fatter head won't fit some places.

Grigg

I have some old Craftsman wrenches that my grandfather had used as well as my dad. My grandfather would be 110 if he were alive today and my dad would be 83. They are still good and no problems with them. Don't like the way Crafsman is going with their new tools.....seem to be of lower quality. I have bought tools from both Snap-on and Mac over the years, just don't like the cringe factor when it comes time to pay. I also have some nice S&K wrenches that I bought years ago that are of good quality. As I also farm....I buy cheap Chinese junk to carry for emergencies in tractors etc. don't worry if they break or get accidently "planted" in a field. Keep the name brand stuff in the shop. KEEP ON WRENCHING

Mine are mostly 30 year old Craftsman, some Powercraft, Snap-On, Mac and quite a few large old Cornwall wrenches. All have been good, and like others, like being able to take a broken Craftsman back, although I don't like getting the newer Craftsman tools in return!
Samantha

What do they call the new wrenches that hold on the flats of the head or nut, not on the corners? I would like to try a quality wrench set of this type. There should be a socket of this type also?
Been wondering about the ratchet wrenches for awhile also.
It was good to read the real world experience; that suggested SnapOn provides a better product.

Different brands call them different things, but Snap-On calls it "Flank Drive" most all their wrenches and sockets are made that way.

About ratchet wrenches, I had no problems with the strength or quality of the Gear-Wrench brand ones, just where I was working they were not quite good enough for plated and painted fasteners. The Snap-On ones are a little nicer, and not so damaging to plating or paint.

Grigg

Thank you.
I found this thread with the info you provided.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5798
I thought it was interesting and informative.

It's Snap-on hands down. The "flank-drive" or whatever it's called was introduced back in the early 70's oj both their wrenches and their sockets. I still own the very first set of Snap-on combination wrenches I bought. They fit your hand well and it's the first wrench I reach for in the box. I also own Craftsman but they just don't feel or fit the same. Either brand has the lifetime warranty but I have never broken a Snap-on and I have broken a Craftsman.

I work on planes for a living, and have used Snap On from day one +- 25 years, and would not even think about waving anything else near a plane. Best purchase I ever made was a set of 4 way wrenches, I now have 2 sets. I have never had a problem exchanging tools.

Craftsman I found to bend when the warrenty buster was applied, and are very bulky and hard on the hands. So I pretty much use SO on everything now.

Never liked the attitude of the Mack or the Matco drivers, and only have a few "specialized" tools from them.

Some of the newer Husky stuff looks good but......

I just have to say Snap-on is the only way to go!!Im a rather large guy (6'4")300lbs.and I can break a new Craftsman ratchet by looking at it sideways.All my wrenches from 1/4"to 1-1/2 are Snap-On and I never had to warrenty one piece yet.That being said I personaly perfer S-K ratchets.They are darn near bullet proof(only one terrible failure)I once when I was a kid found a brand new set of Rachets/Sockets in a pressed steel case in a car I was scrapping they are still in my rollaway.They are Benchtop(Kmart)I haven't broken one yet and I'm not a real lucky guy but have lost one.My father told once "Buy the tools you can afford,they will pay you back"Al

I have Craftsman , Snap-on , Mac , and many others. After working in a professional shop I have my preferences. Snap-on makes the superior impact sockets in my opinion but I prefer the flat grip handles of Mac wrenches. Craftsman is fine for most work. Even some imported tools are of good quality these days.

I worked as a mechanic for 38 years before retiring three years ago. When I started everyone was using Snap On because the truck came to the shop regulary. The price was a killer. I got started using Craftsman tools, because of the warrenty and the price. You could always find a Sears store, but you didn't always find a Snap On Dealer, and if you did, they looked down on you if you bought some other tools. They usually did not want to stop at the shops that I was at, because none of us owed them any money. I always paid for what I got when I bought it. My tools were always paid for. S&K rachets are real hard to beat for quality in my books.I have also had good luck with Mac , Matco and Cornwall tools, and they cost a lot less then Snap On.

when I was 12 I started requesting tools for x-mas / birthdays ..I have a large selection of Craftsman hand tools some 30 yrs old ...still work just dandy for me !, & I make a yearly trip to Sears with all my broken STUFF in a box ...screwdrivers, sockets that a 3ft pipe broke etc ...an walk out with bran new replacements NO ? asked ..Geeze anymore they replace a broken ratchet not like the old days when they gave ya a repair kit !
I did purchase soem Metric stuff in Kobalt brand from Lowes , They are pretty nice to work with also.