It depends on just which tools we're taking about and what I'm doing with them... but I've got a few hundred pounds worth of Craftsman tools that I've used every day for more than a decade with few problems. Several hundred pounds more of other brands. Personally, I avoid tool trucks if at all possible, which puts me in the minority among mechanics. I'm a cheap ba$tard... and snap-on often charges literally 10 times the price of other tools that will do the same job. Granted, you'll rarely find better tools than snap-on... but for something that I may use only once a month, I'm just not willing to pay $30 per socket (for example). For items where Craftsman tools don't suit me, but I'm not willing to pay tool truck prices, I prefer brands like Proto, Armstrong, Wright, S-K, Gray Pneumatic, Ingersoll Rand, etc. These are harder to find, and warranty coverage is spotty... but I've rarely needed it.
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. And the guy making $8/hour behind the counter is always quick to trade in tools... 'cause he just wants you to go away.
One time I needed a 1 7/16" angle wrench, at a very specific angle, for a very specific application. I heated up my bigass Craftsman wrench with a torch until the end of the beam (just before the wrench end) was cherry red. Cooled it in a bucket, then wacked it with a hammer and broke it off. Cleaned that end up and welded a bar to it- I still have the wrench. So I took that big (18" long) wrench back to sears with one end cleanly broken off. I got a new wrench, and set them both on the counter. The guy looked at me like I was crazy, and asked how I broke that wrench. I picked up the wrench, and silently demonstrated how I had grabbed the end with my teeth and snapped it off. He seemed amused, and gave me a new wrench with no further questions.
