Last Christmas my little brother (mechanic) handed down to me the better part of a metric set of Made in USA Craftsman Professional combination wrenches; 11mm to 19mm (he replaced them with Snap-on or Matco, I presume). Earlier this week I finally got around to completing the set - between my two nearest Sears stores I was able to find the 7mm-10mm Made in USA CP wrenches in open stock. So my old HF/Pittsburgh (India) metric set is completely retired.
So then my attention turned to replacing my SAE set of HF wrenches. Budget was around $150. Unfortunately, Craftsman no longer sells the Made in USA CP wrench sets-they have been replaced with chinese wrench sets.
After a ton of time browsing the net looking at every decent brand I could think of, I finally had the thought... if I was able to find the Made in USA Craftsman Professional wrenches in open stock to complete the metric set, I should be able to do the same to build a complete SAE set. But how much would this cost? So I added it up - a 13 pc set, purchased separately, is just under $150. But here is the kicker... I had a 20% off coupon, $1 in Shop Your Way rewards, and an instant $6 bonus SYWR reward. So basically I could purchase the whole set for $113 plus tax. Not terrible considering the regular price for the complete set is $100.
So I pulled the trigger. 13 pieces (1/4" through 1") for $113. My local Sears had all 13 of them in stock - all Made in USA.
Maybe I overpaid a little or maybe I would have been just fine with an $85 set of GearWrench combination wrenches, but I feel a lot better about the Craftsmans.
Now I just need a few excuses to use 'em
So then my attention turned to replacing my SAE set of HF wrenches. Budget was around $150. Unfortunately, Craftsman no longer sells the Made in USA CP wrench sets-they have been replaced with chinese wrench sets.
After a ton of time browsing the net looking at every decent brand I could think of, I finally had the thought... if I was able to find the Made in USA Craftsman Professional wrenches in open stock to complete the metric set, I should be able to do the same to build a complete SAE set. But how much would this cost? So I added it up - a 13 pc set, purchased separately, is just under $150. But here is the kicker... I had a 20% off coupon, $1 in Shop Your Way rewards, and an instant $6 bonus SYWR reward. So basically I could purchase the whole set for $113 plus tax. Not terrible considering the regular price for the complete set is $100.
So I pulled the trigger. 13 pieces (1/4" through 1") for $113. My local Sears had all 13 of them in stock - all Made in USA.
Maybe I overpaid a little or maybe I would have been just fine with an $85 set of GearWrench combination wrenches, but I feel a lot better about the Craftsmans.
Now I just need a few excuses to use 'em
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