The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest I love most of my Craftsman tools!!!!

Some of mine are 35+ years old, but for the most part, they have served me well. I do not especially care for their power tools, but a drill, and a circular saw have lasted quite a while.

I think it is mostly connected to which company manufactured the particular item for Sears.

John

I'm 41 and I still have old craftsman ( every pay day when I was young I bout 1 tool at Sears) hand tools some of witch were my Dad's that I'm sure are older than me. Quality ment some thing back then I guess


Related to topic, OK, I'm not going to name countries here, I don't want to upset anyone 10 years ago I bout a Dewalt 18 volt cordless drill made in place "A". It's been smashed, crashed, I've even in the heat of battle used it as a hammer more than once. The only reason I brout it home was you had to now tape the bateries to it in order for them to stay attached.

All ways needing 2 drills for work a few years later I bout a second Dewalt made in place "B", the differance in quality was unreal! The charger was the first to pack it in, then the drill in under a year. Dewalt "A" kept on going.

After 10 years Dewalt "A" has out lasted 2 Dewalt "B" drills. Metal gears compared to plastic and a few other things. The only repairs needed to "A" have been replacing the brushes witch the "Bs" donated.

Batteries don't seem to last long these days compared to way back, this part kills me. I Dec 08 I needed a couple new bateries, so for $150 I almost bout 2 in a pack. While stading in line to pay I notice the drill, charger, and 2 bateries on sale for $170! You would think after I had to ask for the batteries the person I delt with COULD have mentioned for $20 more.......

So now I have 4 18 volt Dewalts and I'm sure Dewalt "A" will out last them doing the same job.

Right On,no matter who makes Craftsman tools now,they have been made by different companies over the years. Usually the company that makes them to Sears specs.at the cheapest price.Some years are good,and some years are bad for Craftsman tools.About 10 years ago I bought a battery operated rechargeable Craftsman drill driver. It served me well for about 5 years of hard use. So when the batteries would no longer hold a charge for a respectable amount of time,I went to Sears and purchased another drill driver of the same specs.as my first one. It was not worth bringing home,The batteries would go dead after drilling a couple of holes. I then bought a DeWalt 18 volt drill that has worked out very good.I can leave it laying on my workbench in 0 degree weather for weeks at a time,pick it up and it is still charged up. I also purchased a Craftsman table saw about 10 years ago,it was not cheap,about $800.At the time it was their top of the line saw. It is fine for contractor work,but for making furniture,it will not stay in adjustment well enough to do a respectable job.I ended up replacing it with a real expensibve Delta Unisaw,over twice the cost of the Craftsman that now sits in a corner of my shop collecting dust.But the Unisaw does a nice job,and it is a pleasure to use.As for Craftsman wrenches,sockets,ratchets,etc. I will continue buying them.To me they are still of good quality.I have heard some of these guys say Oh my God those Craftsman wrenches hurt my poor hands.Probably cause they dont use them often enough to know what wrenches are for.Their poor little hands would probably hurt from picking up a pencil.

That Unisaw is a great table saw. Not to get too far off topic, but Craftsman has a recall on their OLD radial arm saws. They will either give you $100 bucks if you send them your motor or send you a new guard and new MDF table. Just call 1-800-325-1184 with your model number (starts with 113...)I got my new guard two weeks ago.

I'm kind of a Craftsman junkie , hand tools mostly ,but also chairs,table ,pocket watch, apparel, card holder. If it says Craftsman and I probably have it.
Now, since Danaher moved the ratchet factory out of Mass. where they had made the original Craftsman ratchet in the 20's , I haven't been too thrilled with them.
Also Sears has there call center in India, try working with them.

gtow69,yeah I have an older Craftsman radial arm saw that I purchased used. I have already got the new guard and table for it but have not got around to installing it at this time.Because my old guard and table are in good shape.The radial arm saw was made by the Emerson Corp. if my memory serves me correctly.

Craftsman hand tools and tool boxes have have been the basis of my tools during my career as a mechanic. When I need to purchase a new tool the first place I look is to Sears. Their tools, especially their hand tools are the benchmark that I compare tools to. They are good quality hand tools that last a long time, and usually priced very reasonable compared to other tools, especially the tool trucks. I have never had any problem getting a hand tool warranted at Sears. I can't say that for some of the tool trucks. It is usually at the discretion of the tool salesman. They really look down on someone that does not buy all of their tools from them.
Jim

Craftsman, Snapon, Mac and others living together as one in one drawer!
http://www.bunchobikes.com/snapcraftmac1.JPG

Drawer of big no-name wrenches.
http://www.bunchobikes.com/snapcraftmac2.JPG

Craftsman, Snapon, Mac, Cornwell, Taiwanese and others living harmoniously in one drawer.
http://www.bunchobikes.com/snapcraftmac3.JPG

Something to put them in.
http://www.bunchobikes.com/snapcraftmac4.JPG

Wall of big wrenches ( I think up to 3" with some 4' pipe wrenches.)
http://www.bunchobikes.com/snapcraftmac5.JPG

Oh, by the way, jackstands.
http://www.bunchobikes.com/snapcraftmac6.JPG

What I was working on last night. I've already welded up the outriggers and cut the turret ears at the lower topping cylinder. Next is cutting the main hinge ears on top of the turret and removing the boom. That used to be known as a 100' washer. Now it is half scrap, half to auction.
http://www.bunchobikes.com/snapcraftmac7.JPG

Each and everyone of those tools is used and used often. I've never heard of one brand complaining that another brand is in the same drawer with them. They mostly sit quietly waiting for their turn to be used.

MN SMITH that old Schwinn sure brings back a lot of childhood memories.Back in the 40s that was the dream of every kid in school to own one of them. I never had the priveledge of having a Schwinn,in fact there were only 2 or 3 kids whose parents could afford to spring for one.I had a couple of bikes in the 40s but they were used and cost 3 or 4 dollars each.Anyway its nice to see a picture of one all restored to original condition.

I love my Craftsman wrenches although most all of them are 30 to 65+ years old. I've never broken or even damaged one and I have never been gentle with them. My oldest Craftsman wrenches belonged to my Dad. No Chrome plating on those though. My Dad engraved his name and the date on them when he bought them in 6/1943. They are stamped "War Finish"

Other great old wrenches I have are made by Plomb tool company in Los Angeles and also some Proto tools. My 1/4" drive Plomb ratchet and socket set has seen constant use for over 65 years. My Mother used it to build Lockheed "Lightning" P-38s in a defense plant during WWII.

A comment on the complaint the comes up about Craftman wrenches hurting guys hands. There's usually one of 2 culprits when that happens. 1, they're using the wrong tool for the job, like using a wrench when they really needed a ratchet/breaker bar in order to get proper leverage. One problem with the wrenches is that the Craftsman regular line are on the short side, so leverage can be an issue. This brings me to the 2nd thing, craftsman wrenches tend to have a more squared off finish, especially on the open end. This can create pressure points when force is applied to the open end, like trying to get on the end of the wrench for more leverage (that wrong tool for the job thing again). I've used abaut every brand wrench you might be able to think of, and there is a comfort issue with Craftsman if you use the wrong. That's not to say I don't like them or use them, but if in a high leverage situation, I will either get a ratchet or a longer wrench as appropriate for the situation.
Side note, most of my tools are Snap-On, Mac, Matco, and OTC, with a few GearWrenches and Craftsman thrown in. I personally prefer the Snap-On and Mac, as they fit the fasteners better and tend to be longer for better leverage.

Thanks for the compliments!! I need to be true to what it is, though. It isn't a restoration. It is actually a postwar B607 that I turned into a Phantom. The B607 model was the high end predecessor of the Phantom. The difference being that the Phantom had more chrome everywhere. I do have a few originals and some restorations, but this was an early experiment in paint techniques. Looks good at 5-10 feet!!

Here is how that project unfolded: http://www.bunchobikes.com/phantom.htm

Yikes, I did that 7 years ago!! My how time flies!!

My dad has always like Craftsman tools, but was never crazy about what brand tools are either. I'm 13 and I've bought a few wrench sets from Craftsmen and they have treated me well so far, and I'm still surprised that my dad's ratchet set is still alive considering the things Ive done to them. haha. I would have to agree with LONGBOX55 in that they are a tad short, and almost useless if you don't have the the 8 or 12 point closed end. The power tools are kinda suckish compared to Milwaukee and DeWalt. I have a mechanic friend that doesn't like the Craftsman tools. He says that they are terrible compared to the Snap-Ons and other things he has, but he and I have broken two of his tools then a Craftsman, so, I guess I don't have any preference as to what tool, as long as I have it.

For those who do have issues with carpal tunnel syndrome or other hand problems, you might check out these. I have a set in the Gear Wrench brand, and they are very comfortable to use.

Yup Longbox,
The force wrenches are a God send to me, due to a surgery I have only half the blood supply to my left hand and those wrenches really help,
my sweetie bought me a set for x-mas I love em!
they just feel good when ya use em.
Tim

i have been using craftsman wrenches for 40 years. with no problems. i make my living with them. the only problem i have with them is they are getting almost a pricy as the snapon.

I still have my first set of Craftsman tools that I purchased in 1957,minus a couple that I loaned out and never came back.That tool set came complete with 1/4,3/8,and 1/2 drive socket sets,plus open end wrenches,screwdrivers,allen wrenches,etc. Price was $39.95.Quite a bit of change in 1957. I have added to it over the years,and everything is in a large roll around tool chest today.And 95 percent of my hand tools are Craftsman,and I have never hurt my hands on any of them.Now the later Craftsman power tools are a different story,they are not up to standard.

I just got the 260 piece set for my birthday last month, but have yet to try them out as I am at school away from my truck. My dad has both Snap-on and Craftsman standard wrench sets and a full 3/8 Snap-on socket set and he loves the Snap-ons but the Craftsman will do the job if need be.

Aint it funny,that just because a certain product costs more and is way overpriced that some people think it is better.Yeah the good old Snap On tools for example.I have used them all,and my tool set is 99 percent Craftsman.I have used Snap Ons too thruout the years,and they are quality tools,but the price is way too high.Most people who buy them,do so because they can get them from the tool truck and pay for them at a later payday.I have used the Craftsman tools for well over 50 years,and I have never hurt my hands.I did see a guy hit his thumb with a Craftsman ballpeen hammer. Does that qualify?

DDicker,

That 260 piece set is similar to the set I bought on sale 40 years ago, after my brother blew the 216 engine in my first vehicle, a 1948 1/2 ton Chevrolet Panel Truck (it was a worn-out rust bucket). I needed the tools to rebuild the engine (I did not even know what a spark plug was - I soon learned - the rebuilt engine ran for years). I paid about $69.99 for the tool set on-sale (my set came with screwdrivers but no metric sockets/wrenches).

Over the years, one ignition wrench broke and one big screw driver broke (it was not a reliable crow bar). My biggest disappointment was having to replace the 3/8" ratchet last summer. Wouldn't you think a ratchet would last longer than 40 years of abuse? Of course, all three tools were immediately replaced for free (even after I told the salesperson that the large screw driver was not a very good crow bar).

Take care of that tool set and enjoy using the tools - they'll serve you well.

Tim

tc, I will be sure to because my dad's tools have lasted almost 30 years and I know they will be mine eventually and I would like to be able to pass something on later in life.

I have had good luck with craftsman when i went to autobody school we were issued S K tools which i like as well i have a nice stanley set but my concern is when did stanley start importing from china

I have a mixed set craftsman snapon mac proto, and sk, like em all but the craftsman rachet's, and screwdrivers I never had good luck(probably due to little abuse but my snapon ones tend hold up better.

I still have my original,Craftsman set from 1957,and believe me they have been used,and abused.Course I have added many more tools to that set over the years,and they are 99 percent Craftsman.That includes a few years of wrenching professionally.Even broke a couple of them,but hey I just took them back to Sears for a free replacement. They are pretty hard to beat.

Here in Canada Craftsman tools are made offshore. The company that makes them is Fuller who also make tools for Canadian Tire under the Mastercraft name. I know this because one set of Craftsman sockets I bought had two Mastercraft pieces in it.
You can buy Fuller hand tools at one third you would pay for Craftsman but they have no warranty.
Sears Craftsman warranty is excellent. I broke a Snap-On screwdriver and was given the third degree by the salesman when I wanted it exchanged.