I know there’s a lot of talk on the forum about Craftsman outsourcing some tools to China, but there are still a decent amount of USA made Craftsman tools. As of now, the raised panel wrenches appear to still be USA made.
I’ve been wanting a set of long-pattern metric wrenches for a while. I bought a set of Urrea wrenches last year, but ended up returning them.
Initial impressions
I decided to try the Craftsman box wrenches, as they offer a lot of sizes for a good price, they’re USA made and readily available. I waited for a sale and paid $56 after tax and shipping for set number 4986. The regular price is $59.99.
http://www.sears.com/craftsman-11-pc-met...mp;blockType=G1
The set shipped in one day and arrived a few days later. It’s 11 pieces. This set goes from 6mm - 30mm. It skips 20mm, 26mm and 29mm. I had used these several times by the time I'd taken this pic, so there is a little dirt/grease on the wrenches and package.
These are your basic Craftsman raised panel wrench design, but they’re longer than the normal raised panel combo wrenches.
The box ends feature the same off-corner engagement used on other Craftsman wrenches. All the teeth in the wrenches are well formed. The sides of the boxes are polished.
The finish on all the wrenches appears consistent, with no noticeable flaws that I can see. There is a slight texture difference in the metal underneath the finish. I assume this is because of differences in the dies used for the different sizes. It’s not a flaw or a downside, it’s just something I noticed.
These wrenches are longer than standard raised panel Craftsman wrenches. The difference in length is greater in the smaller sizes, where the box wrenches are considerably longer than the standard Craftsman combo wrenches. In the larger sizes, the box wrenches are only a small amount longer than regular raised panel combos.
Top to bottom:
12mm x 14mm box wrench
12mm RP wrench
13mm RP wrench
13mm x 15mm box wrench
Top to bottom:
22mm RP wrench
22mm x 24mm box wrench
24mm RP wrench
Issues with the wrenches
The fit and finish on the wrenches overall appears quite good. I only noticed two wrenches with issues.
The 6mm x 8mm wrench has a slight bend. I’m not sure if I’ll take the time to return it. It doesn’t really bother me too much, but I may return it on my next trip to Sears.
The forging is rough around the 7mm box. The teeth are properly formed, but the forging around the box is somewhat ugly. I won’t return this wrench, as this is purely a minor cosmetic issue that I wouldn’t even have noticed if I wasn’t studying these wrenches looking for flaws.
Overall
I think these wrenches are a pretty good deal for the price. I can’t comment on the long-term durability, since they’re brand new. But my initial impressions are positive, especially when you consider the price, at only $63 including tax and shipping.
I’ve used these wrenches several times over the last week or so, and I’m pretty happy with them. The extra length is nice for the jobs I’ve used them for. I replaced the shocks on my truck and replaced the front wheel bearings. I used the wrenches on both these jobs. While taking out the upper ball joint in my truck, the extra length was handy for breaking loose the bolt.
I’ve been wanting a set of long-pattern metric wrenches for a while. I bought a set of Urrea wrenches last year, but ended up returning them.
Initial impressions
I decided to try the Craftsman box wrenches, as they offer a lot of sizes for a good price, they’re USA made and readily available. I waited for a sale and paid $56 after tax and shipping for set number 4986. The regular price is $59.99.
http://www.sears.com/craftsman-11-pc-met...mp;blockType=G1
The set shipped in one day and arrived a few days later. It’s 11 pieces. This set goes from 6mm - 30mm. It skips 20mm, 26mm and 29mm. I had used these several times by the time I'd taken this pic, so there is a little dirt/grease on the wrenches and package.
These are your basic Craftsman raised panel wrench design, but they’re longer than the normal raised panel combo wrenches.
The box ends feature the same off-corner engagement used on other Craftsman wrenches. All the teeth in the wrenches are well formed. The sides of the boxes are polished.
The finish on all the wrenches appears consistent, with no noticeable flaws that I can see. There is a slight texture difference in the metal underneath the finish. I assume this is because of differences in the dies used for the different sizes. It’s not a flaw or a downside, it’s just something I noticed.
These wrenches are longer than standard raised panel Craftsman wrenches. The difference in length is greater in the smaller sizes, where the box wrenches are considerably longer than the standard Craftsman combo wrenches. In the larger sizes, the box wrenches are only a small amount longer than regular raised panel combos.
Top to bottom:
12mm x 14mm box wrench
12mm RP wrench
13mm RP wrench
13mm x 15mm box wrench
Top to bottom:
22mm RP wrench
22mm x 24mm box wrench
24mm RP wrench
Issues with the wrenches
The fit and finish on the wrenches overall appears quite good. I only noticed two wrenches with issues.
The 6mm x 8mm wrench has a slight bend. I’m not sure if I’ll take the time to return it. It doesn’t really bother me too much, but I may return it on my next trip to Sears.
The forging is rough around the 7mm box. The teeth are properly formed, but the forging around the box is somewhat ugly. I won’t return this wrench, as this is purely a minor cosmetic issue that I wouldn’t even have noticed if I wasn’t studying these wrenches looking for flaws.
Overall
I think these wrenches are a pretty good deal for the price. I can’t comment on the long-term durability, since they’re brand new. But my initial impressions are positive, especially when you consider the price, at only $63 including tax and shipping.
I’ve used these wrenches several times over the last week or so, and I’m pretty happy with them. The extra length is nice for the jobs I’ve used them for. I replaced the shocks on my truck and replaced the front wheel bearings. I used the wrenches on both these jobs. While taking out the upper ball joint in my truck, the extra length was handy for breaking loose the bolt.
