What's wrong with Craftsman tools?

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Originally Posted By: boxcartommie22
what about kobalt tools?


I've never used them, but plan to in the future. I like the look & feel of the ones I've seen, and I really like the blue paint scheme that they use.

On topic, I've never had a Craftsman product go bad on me. I've had a very basic set of Craftsman tools since I was a young teenager, and they've worked very well for me for the last 20 years.

I found out by accident that if you let your ratchet drop on top of your car battery, interesting things happen when the ratchet contacts both terminals at the same time. My 3/8" ratchet bares the scars from that little encounter. Still works like a charm.
 
Originally Posted By: onion


Some craftsman tools are poorly made and gimmicky- these are always heavily marketed this time of year. But their basic stuff... sockets, wrenches, screwdrivers, etc. are pretty good for the price.


IMO, some of their basic tools have gotten quite soft in recent years - most notably screwdrivers. While they still exchange them for new ones, no questions asked, even their "professional" grade ones chew up under heavier use. It's now hit or miss: some round off quickly, others hold up ok. I've got other standard grade ones from 20 years ago that are still rock solid. I'm not alone in this observation: the term "play doh" comes to mind with several mechanic friends when talking about their screwdriver tips, mechanics who otherwise use primarily Craftsman hand tools everyday in commercial shops.

The only other issue I see with them that was less of an issue years ago is chrome plating detaching. But that is generally cosmetic, and buying the impact style solves that problem.

My favorite handtool to this day remains a 40yo Craftsman 3/8 drive breaker bar.
 
I have used the same set of Craftsmen box, open end, 3/8 & 1/2 inch socket sets for 44 years. I broke a 1+" socket while using a 3 foot pipe on it (axle nut). They replaced this 28 year old socket with a new one and didn't even question how. Ed
 
Ha ha ... battery scar mentioned above really brings back memories. My sister bought me a combo-wrench set for my birthday when I was a teenager and still have the set today (complete!). They all are in good condition with the exception of the 10mm which has a noticeable bite taken out of the end when I dropped the wrench across the terminals of the battery on my old Volkswagen bug.

Thanks again for the happy memories.
 
I remember the look and feel of my Dad's Craftsman tools before they were stolen out of our garage. There's absolutely no comparison between the Craftsman tool of today and the Craftsman tool of 40-50 years ago; their tools of yesterday were of a very good quality; the same cannot be said for today.

Snap-on has for the most part maintained their quality level all along and even to this day, they are a tool of exceptional quality. MAC & CORNWELL have been hurriedly playing catch up over the past 15 years; their quality has really taken a trip skyward; that's probably due to them losing a lot of market share to Snap-on.

I have a few Craftsman sockets and screwdrivers left, but have since sold off most of my 250 piece set to a previous co-worker. They used to make a black screwdriver with a black handle they called their "Professional Series." I wish I had bought more of them before they discontinued the whole line; they were an outstanding screwdriver.

You just have to try some of these high-end American made tools to really gain a sense of appreciation for them; they are really a joy to use.
55.gif
 
Ok, here's what I have to say. I made my living spinning wrenches on diesel gensets for almost twenty years. I used Snap on exclusively. A guy that worked for me used only Craftsman. (he only did this because he hated the local Snap on guy). He constantly reminded me that Craftsman had the same warranty as Snap on. One day, we were replacing precombustion chamber seals on four 8 cylinder Cat D346's. We started the job and went to remove the first chamber with his 3/4 drive set with an 1 1/4 socket. The socket broke. Then we broke another guy's S-K socket. I walked out to the van, got my set and changed all 32 of them with one Snap on socket. Sure, Sears gave him a new one, but it would have cost us the day if I didn't have my set.
Also, Snap on sockets have a thinner wall than most others, so they'll fit into tighter places.
Now, I work at one building and maintain equipment on more of a management level, and I'm not there all the time, so I wasn't about to leave expensive Snap on tools there. I've bought the Craftsman Professional series screwdriver and plier set and one of those sets that has 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 all together. maybe I have 350 bucks into everything. It's all very nice stuff. It's certainly good enough for guys that aren't fixing diesels with 6" diameter pistons.
 
i have a MATCO toolbox full of MATCO tools. i have craftsman at home. i wouldn't trust the craftsman stuff for daily use. the MATCO tool guy is really cool here and if you have a broken tool and its not his day to come by, call him and he will be there as soon as he can.
i actually worked in a sears auto center and refused to use craftsman. we would go inside in our sears uniform and they would refuse to warranty the tool because of "shop abuse".
 
I have a ProSeries Phillips #2. Sometime I wake up in the middle of the night and have to go check to be shure it's still in the toolbox and not lost. Best bet w/Craftsman 3/8" ratchets is to have two. One for use and one en route to exchange. I have a broken one right now. I recently salvaged an OLD Craftsman 1/2" breaker bar from that Saab I bought. It is different and very solid. Likely not to be replaced.
 
I wish MATCO still made their own screwdrivers; they've instead contracted their screwdrivers out to a German company called WITTE and they're just not the same at all.

The old MATCO screwdrivers had a maroon colored handle that were very comfortable.
 
To me it seems the Craftsman tools are softer. Snap-On wrenches and sockets bite the bolt head better, making less chance for rounding or damaging. Also it seems to take the Snap-On tools a lot longer to wear out or break.

For example I have a 19mm impact socket that I use every day with the impact gun for lug nuts. This socket has probably loosened and tightened a hundred thousand lug nuts, and although it is getting slightly worn, still is perfectly functional. I would be hard pressed to believe the Craftsman would do the same.

Why is Snap-On more expensive? Because although you do pay mark up for the name, tool rep salary, etc you are also paying for precision, engineering, and metallurgy.

Not trying to be a Craftsman hater, I have a few of their tools in my toolbox. I also use them at home, where they see only sporadic use.

For day to day heavy duty use, no question Snap-On has the edge. They just make better tools.
 
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There's a reason the Snap-On tools "bite" the fastener better. In addition to being high quality steel, they're flank drive. Look at the corners of their sockets or box wrenches and notice they're cut away. They drive on the flats, not the corners. That's why you don't see the fastener corners getting rounded off.

I have both Craftsmen and Snap-On in my box and there's no comparison. Excepting their screwdrivers, the Craftsmen tools are fine for weekend mechanics or occasional use. But for constant or hard daily use I'd avoid the Sears products.

And don't even bother with their screwdrivers. I wrenched on motorcycles for a living some years ago. I broke 1/2 of my Craftsmen screwdriver set in my first week of work. I'm still using the Snap-On screwdrivers I bought to replace them...
 
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This is kinda funny. Once I needed an 1 3/8 (or something close) box wrench to adjust the fan belt tension on an old Cummins 1710. Snap on wanted an insane amount of money. This guy that worked for me had a Craftsman 3/4" drive set. I promised I'd buy him a new socket if I could have his. I sliced a 5/8" section off his socket, welded a handle to it and made a wrench. It worked perfect. That night, I go to Sears with the rest of his socket, it was cut off clean and was now an extra shallow socket. I showed it to the salesman and said I need to buy a replacement. He went and got it, hands it to me and says there you go, have a good night. I sad No, I cut that in a chopsaw, you don't need to warranty it. He sent me on my way. So... Sears basically got me the wrench for free and saved me spending 2 or 3 hundred dollars or whatever it was for the Snap on Wrench.
 
Bamaro,

Overall there's not a problem with Craftsman as it has its place - like at my house as I don't use them every week much less every day.

NYE,
I've heard quite a few stories like that. Remember though that Snap-On did have the correct tool though (typical) which is a feather in their cap.
 
I don't mean to sound x-rated, but the biggest complaint I have about Craftsman is that their female and male square drives don't fit together tight enough; the socket always falls off the extension at the worst possible moment.
 
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Sure I have a number of Snap-On items too, and they're great quality, but I'm not sure where to get them other than spotting a truck parked somewhere at a shop and going up to the driver and asking.


You can buy Snap-on tools from their online site; the proceeds of the sale go to the mobil dealer closest to your mailing address. Of course you'll have to pay the shipping charges though.
 
All we ever used were Craftsman tools in a big truck garage and they got abused severly with cheater pipes and impact wrenchs. I once asked my dad, why we didnt try SK,Proto or Snap on and he said, why?, same warranty and Craftsmen is so easy to exchange. I still have some of his Craftsmen tools and they are older than me and still work great. I really like Craftsmaen tools and think they are Great and they exchange so easy when or if you break them. I read the post where the guy said a Craftsman socket broke and a SK broke, but the Snap on took the rest off, Wonder how many head bolts the Craftsman took off in the past before breaking this time, most Snap ons tools I see are real shiny and clean tucked in a tool box, most Craftsman tools I see are in severe enviroments of abuse, nicked up with ground in grease and dirt, yet they get the job done.
 
I've been wrenching for 12 years. About 9 years ago, I was taking a fan hub off a Cummins M11- wierd setup where the bolts can only be accessed with an open-end wrench. My craftsman wrench wouldn't break the bolts loose. I borrowed a Snap-on flank-drive wrench, and it worked great. I've no doubt that snap-on wrenches are better. And they'd better be for more than 5 times the price.

Since then, my Craftsman wrenches have been adequate to every bolt I've run into for the past 9 years... so they can't be that bad.
 
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