eschoendorff

iTrader: (1)

Well, they were (made by JH Williams, a Snap On subsidiary). Current Kobalt tools are rebadged Allen Danaher hand tools. They are actually really nice (think Craftsman Pro) tools. You couold do a lot worse.

JUICED96Z

Thought they did away with the lifetime warrenty... to lazy to check their site lol.

foggedz

iTrader: (1)

I work at Sears, and I can try and clear up the warrenty issues. The craftsman hand tool warrenty has not change. They just never inforced the warrenty like they were supposed to. If you break any craftsman hand tool during normal use, bring it back to the store, and you can get a new one no charge. But, if it is clear that the tool has been abused you may be turned away. An example of this would be some one that uses a 3/8 ratchet with a 4ft long cheater bar over it to break loose bolts. Larger 1/2 and 3/4 ratchets are made for a reason. At my store if there are signs that a cheater bar has been used we will rebuild your current ratchet and give it back to you. If the ratchet is warped so bad that it cannot be rebuilt you will have to buy a new one.

This has allways been the policy, but previously you could just take anything back in any condition and exchange it. This obviously is not good on Sears bottom line, so the inforcement was changed.

mullenh

iTrader: (1)

ok, something i know about.
I currently have 6 mechanics (5 are master) working at our shop and they use all kinds of tools including craftsman,mac, matco, snapon etc.. The tool trucks (stop by once a week and do replace any broken tools (i broke a tap last week). The non specialty craftsman tools are top notch, pry bars, wrenchs, sockets, etc.. and they cost a lot less. Note the tool trucks do not replace lost tools and you will loose tools. If you are just starting out spend your money wisely and slow. Look at what the normal mechanic has, you can tie up 20k in tools in the blink of an eye. Also the guy with the most money in tools is never the best mechanic (i have a guy with +75k in his boxes). By the way the best mechanics I have own a mixture. It is not the brand of tool that makes the mechanic. Heck the guy I have with over 75 to 100k in tools if he had any sense maybe he would own the shop instead of tools.

Hope this helps
Hank

lxarlo

i second that. i prefer matco, and i absolutely love their swivel sockets. if you need to get 1/4 drive stuff, that is the stuff you can get from sears or the Depot, because those are small and more likely to get lost.

eschoendorff

iTrader: (1)

Wow... a big dose of the TRUTH! Well said!

budhayes3

iTrader: (19)

If you're gonna be using the tools every day to make a living, I'd dump the extra cash on the SnapOn stuff, especially if a SnapOn dealer comes to your shop weekly and you build a good rep with him.

99blancoSS

iTrader: (115)

amateur mechanic here. I use snap-on ratchets(Ithink craftsman ratchets suck, I'll buy used snap-on from ebay before I'll buy another crapsman rathet).
I have craftsman and snap-on sockets and use both as well as napa sockets. Any socket guaranteed for life is good with me. I've broken both snap-on and craftsman sockets but not the napa's. Floor jack was a Walmart 3 ton and its worked good for 4 years now. Was around $70 I think. Tool box is craftsman ball bearing top box. My box is not real big but it works good for the tools I have.

I buy snap-on when ever I can but I do have an s-k torque wrench that is nice as well. I started with a craftsman 70 peice sae and metric combo and have added to it from there. Snap-on wratchets and then a sleeve of 6 pt deep metrics and now the shallows. Will be looking for some 1/4 drive snap-on ratchet soon enough.

Screw drivers are napa's as well. They had a 40% off sale a few weeks ago. I'd buy Snap-on but you just cant get them at a good price.
All in all the Craftsman starter set was inexpensive and a good start to re-building my tool collection. Adding quality ratchets to it for decent money from ebay was a big plus. Then I just buy individual items when I can. Having a truck stop by once a week is candy to a baby. I'd be in deeep.

trackbird

iTrader: (4)

Ii have some proto tools from my aviation days (just broke my 1/4 breaker bar a few weeks ago). I have some Williams tools, some Mac tools, some Craftsman tools, Matco, etc. I was an avionics tech and I could wear out a #2 phillips screwdriver (from Craftsman) in about a month or so. I took them in every few weeks for exchange. I bought Snap On screwdrivers and used them for several years and they are now in my toolbox at home. I've never worn the tip off of a Snap On screwdriver. It's all I buy (even though I don't make a living with my tools these days). Same for ratchets/breaker bars. I switched to all Snap On and keep the Craftsman stuff for use with a cheater bar (if I can't get it off with my extra long Snap On 1/2" breaker bar). I use Craftsman sockets and a combination of proto and williams wrenches with some Craftsman stuff as well. Whatever works for the job is what I use. When it fails to work, I replace it with something that will get the job done.

zombie1

Snap-on all the way yo!

JMBLOWNWS6

iTrader: (17)

Well I am now buying snap on,matco and still have my craftsman. I will say my snap on tools are doing very well. But I paid the price for them also.

Rhino79

iTrader: (7)

Almost everything I have is Snap-on except for my air tools, they are the titanium Ingersoll Rand. Snap-on's wrenches, swivels, ratchets(especially the swivel heads ones), and their screwdrivers are top notch and I love their torque wrenches and measuring equipment too. Go to Sears and look for a 30mm deep impact socket.....lol

96-speed

iTrader: (19)

I definitely fall into the ameture/DIY guy. I use Craftsman exclusively for a couple reasons:

1. There is a Sears Hardware about 5 miles from my house.
2. I rarely see a tool truck around.
3. Looked into SnapOn/MAC/Matco tools and was shocked at the prices
4. Never had a problem getting replacements under warranty.

Out of the above, price is a big factor, but being able to hop in the car and run to the store to get something else is pretty valuable. There have been few times where they didn't have the tool i needed.

I've broken a couple of sockets and a ratchet. These were old (5+ years) tools and probably being used beyond their threshold. For example, there were all 3/8 Drive sockets/ratchet and a 1/2" drive probably would have been a wiser choice.

I've never used any high end tools, but I'm sure I'd see a difference. However, when you can buy 3 Craftsman ratchets for the price of a SnapOn ratchet, I give the nod to Craftsman in my tool box.

Ryan

MustangEater82

iTrader: (1)

reason for sears not covering the warranty from jack, is its known. The lifetime warranty is not on every tool that craftsman makes, just hand tools. If your craftsman chainsaw breaks after 10 years, they don't replace it for free.

The floor jack is known to be a POS, I have one too... I love it has given me no problems but I wish I researched it more, I have been looking around and seen lots of people have problems with the craftsman ones.

PopaPork

iTrader: (4)

FWIW...Neither company makes there own tools. They buy from other guys. The reason why Matco, Snapon, All those jobber truck guys charge more are for a few reasons, the main one...They all own those tools they bought from Their parent company Matco, Snap On whoever. Then they can sell them for what they think is fair. Also since they usually let you pay over time, they can charge you a bit more on that. Craftsman wrenches are made by a company in NC, DanaherTool company.

Ask me how I know...I work for a tool company that make stuff for the jobber trucks and know guys that work for Danaher.

So basically....quailty of tools are all the same....just price is different

99blancoSS

iTrader: (115)

I have to disagree with you here. The quality of a snapon ratchet as compared to a Crapsman is night and day. Maybe their equal on an open end wrench but in no way are they equal when it comes to wratchets.

XpEdItIoUs

iTrader: (44)

That's bs, you don't have to buy it from them in order to warranty it. I had a Snap-on wrench that was 20 years old, I bent it purpusly and got a new one from my snap on guy. The warranty states that it warranties tools damaged due to proper use, abuse, or missuse.

XpEdItIoUs

iTrader: (44)

If thats going to be your carrear then go with snap-on, Even though snap on and craftman both have lifetime warranty you will find yourself going into sears more often then a snap on truck to warranty a tool. You get what you paid for.

TAtoad

iTrader: (22)

yeah, they may be build by the same companies, but the quality IS different, i got a few videos in the mail where they test various tools. they put a SEMI on 4 snap-on boxes.... a SEMI!, i believe snap on was the only one that held

Tim98TA

iTrader: (7)

To me the Strap-On wrenchs are too thin in the center to be pulling on all day. The Craftsman are thicker in the center and don't hurt your hands after a full day. I have Strap-On, Matco, and Craftsman.