View Full Version : New craftsman tools... Blue titanium finish??
kartracer55
09-26-2005, 03:01 PM
I just got some craftsman holiday catalog in the mail, and its showing all these "titanium blue finish" tools. They look pretty cool actually. Id be curious to see how it holds up. though... anybody else seen this"?
Jim
I just got some craftsman holiday catalog in the mail, and its showing all these "titanium blue finish" tools. They look pretty cool actually. Id be curious to see how it holds up. though... anybody else seen this"?
Jim
Could they be on the internet too??
kartracer55
09-26-2005, 04:22 PM
I cant find them... the catalog I got today is called
"craftsman holiday gifts 2005"
The model number for thier slim ratchet set in blue is "0942130" Maybe they dont have the site updated yet... this is the first time I have ever seen them. they offer full sets of laser etched sockets in this blue color, as well as thier full polish wrenches and ratchets
Jim
I cant find them... the catalog I got today is called
"craftsman holiday gifts 2005"
The model number for thier slim ratchet set in blue is "0942130" Maybe they dont have the site updated yet... this is the first time I have ever seen them. they offer full sets of laser etched sockets in this blue color, as well as thier full polish wrenches and ratchets
Jim
Most likely there is nothing special about them....just same o Craftsmen sockets in a special color
kartracer55
09-26-2005, 04:49 PM
Yeah... but im curious to know how the got the sockets and the wrenches blue, because thier craftsman pro wrenches are in fact chromed, however thier sockets are not chromed, which is why they tend to get dull after a while.
I have been eying up those low profile ratchets for some time now. I really want a 3/8, so maybe Ill look into the blue, but id imagine the blue tools are way more expensive.
Jim
Yeah... but im curious to know how the got the sockets and the wrenches blue, because thier craftsman pro wrenches are in fact chromed, however thier sockets are not chromed, which is why they tend to get dull after a while.
I have been eying up those low profile ratchets for some time now. I really want a 3/8, so maybe Ill look into the blue, but id imagine the blue tools are way more expensive.
Jim
Most likely they take a flame over it to give it that look.....like manufacturers of exhaust systems do to give that titanium look on exhaust tips
kartracer55
09-26-2005, 04:53 PM
Really? These are called 'titanium blue" but I dont know if theres actually any titanium in them. Either way its pretty cool. Maybe they chrome these sockets, because I know you can add pigment to chrome. And if they do chrome them, Id imagine they will remian shiney for longer than regular craftsman sockets.
Jim
Really? These are called 'titanium blue" but I dont know if theres actually any titanium in them. Either way its pretty cool. Maybe they chrome these sockets, because I know you can add pigment to chrome. And if they do chrome them, Id imagine they will remian shiney for longer than regular craftsman sockets.
Jim
See if you can scan the picture and email it to me
johnxb@sbcglobal.net
bmwpower
09-26-2005, 05:23 PM
just got the catalog, too.
They won't sell...just like the gold plated ones.
I figured they wouldnt....they are a novelty for a wife or girlfriend to buy for there man.....if my wife were to buy me some sockets just save her the time and get the SK's
Jay H 237
09-26-2005, 05:37 PM
They may only keep them as "catalog only items". Sears does that with some of thier stuff including tools.
They may only keep them as "catalog only items". Sears does that with some of thier stuff including tools.
Because they know it wont be a big seller....they just want it for people who buy those type of novelty tools
rjspitz
09-26-2005, 05:45 PM
Luke, can I scan it and post it here?
kartracer55
09-26-2005, 05:50 PM
Ill get ya a pic... I had to go before
Jim
rjspitz
09-26-2005, 05:58 PM
Here's a link to the pic:
http://njsr.org/pics/albums/userpics/11300/normal_scan.jpg
Luke, this shouldn't be a problem, right?
kartracer55
09-26-2005, 06:01 PM
Yeah I put these right up there with the goldplated tools.... great if your trying to impress the jones' Not worth the extra $20 for the ratchet
Jim
79rallysport
09-26-2005, 06:54 PM
I'll bet scratches would show more predominantly than plain chrome, just like on Husky's black-chrome tools.
kartracer55
09-26-2005, 07:32 PM
I'll bet scratches would show more predominantly than plain chrome, just like on Husky's black-chrome tools.
Yeah the finish is cool but I refuse to buy them for 2 reasons...
1. made in taiwan
2. made in taiwan by stanley
I hate stanley and everything they stand for, so I refuse to buy stuff from them whenever possible. I also prefer to buy USA whenever I can.
Jim
wythors
09-26-2005, 07:45 PM
Ooo! Ooo! Ford Blue tools!!!! I've gotta have 'em!!!! :rocker:
Not. My god, those are fugly.
I'll bet scratches would show more predominantly than plain chrome, just like on Husky's black-chrome tools.
That was exactly what I was thinking when I started to read this.
I am telling you Craftsmen (Sears) is going down and out the door....yes they are made by someone else....but....Sears is big enough they can have someone make something for them.....they are hurting bad....and this isnt good for the tool enthusiast.....because there isnt a place to just go shopping for good or excellent hand tools
bmwpower
09-26-2005, 07:55 PM
Yeah the finish is cool but I refuse to buy them for 2 reasons...
1. made in taiwan
2. made in taiwan by stanley
I hate stanley and everything they stand for, so I refuse to buy stuff from them whenever possible. I also prefer to buy USA whenever I can.
Jim
Wait a minute... THESE are made in taiwan or ALL Sears stuff is made in taiwan?
Probably just those.....but it wont be long till alot of there products are made in Taiwan
The thing is Taiwan is a step above China in quality
kartracer55
09-26-2005, 08:28 PM
NO NO NO NO!!! they are made in usa I was talking about husky's black chrome stuff
Jim
NO NO NO NO!!! they are made in usa I was talking about husky's black chrome stuff
Jim
No were do I see you reference Husky....your getting old
kartracer55
09-26-2005, 08:31 PM
No i quoted a guy about the husky part in my original post.
And besides me getting old... i think we both have ADD... usually by page two of one of our threads the subject is totaly different
lol
Jim
No i quoted a guy about the husky part in my original post.
And besides me getting old... i think we both have ADD... usually by page two of one of our threads the subject is totaly different
lol
Jim
I like cheese
Anyways...whatever the Craftsmen brand will eventually go to China with KMart pushing buttons
kartracer55
09-26-2005, 08:48 PM
I dont think so. Craftsman is what keeps sears afloat. Think about how many better places there are to buy electronics and appliances, and Thier price on levis and stuff isnt that great either. IF craftsman goes to asia, I sure as hell wont buy another one, and I know millions of others wont either, and so sears would flop...
Jim
I dont think so. Craftsman is what keeps sears afloat. Think about how many better places there are to buy electronics and appliances, and Thier price on levis and stuff isnt that great either. IF craftsman goes to asia, I sure as hell wont buy another one, and I know millions of others wont either, and so sears would flop...
Jim
What they will do....and already do.....is buy all the parts overseas and assemble it here and call it made in the USA
kartracer55
09-26-2005, 08:53 PM
Yeah, but people will figure it out and exentually youll see a huge drop in thier sales just like stanley saw after the blackhawk incident. If sears did that, between people knowing that and thier not so great quality on most things, their sales would drop
Jim
Yeah, but people will figure it out and exentually youll see a huge drop in thier sales just like stanley saw after the blackhawk incident. If sears did that, between people knowing that and thier not so great quality on most things, their sales would drop
Jim
They are already in a free fall...People are finding that its just as nice to buy VIA the web for things they would rather have then Craftsmen.....but whatever....it will be a matter of time before Sears hits the fan
kartracer55
09-26-2005, 08:57 PM
Yeah, I have ma good amount of sears tools, but most of my vitals are SK and Snap on.
Jim
I am finding it better just to figure out who the source is and go to them....most of the time its cheaper that way
rjspitz
09-26-2005, 09:10 PM
Yeah the finish is cool but I refuse to buy them for 2 reasons...
1. made in taiwan
2. made in taiwan by stanley
I hate stanley and everything they stand for, so I refuse to buy stuff from them whenever possible. I also prefer to buy USA whenever I can.
Jim
They say they are "Made in USA"
sorry, didn't read page 3. Didn't know you referenced another tool.
They say they are "Made in USA"
But they buy all there pieces overseas and ship them here for assembly then say its made in the USA
kartracer55
09-26-2005, 09:14 PM
No, most of thier tools are made in Connecticut
Anyway, Most of sears tools are based off of the allen line (formerly Easco) compare thier sockets... they are identical. Ratchets use the same guts, but the Allens are a little nicer, and they fit together better. Slightly more expensive, but a better tool. The only reason I buy craftsman is because of the ease of warranty.
Jim
No, most of thier tools are made in Connecticut
Anyway, Most of sears tools are based off of the allen line (formerly Easco) compare thier sockets... they are identical. Ratchets use the same guts, but the Allens are a little nicer, and they fit together better. Slightly more expensive, but a better tool. The only reason I buy craftsman is because of the ease of warranty.
Jim
I have both Craftsmen and Allen sockets and actually comparing the steel the Allen sockets steel is much stronger and not as soft as the Craftsmen....as for the ratchets I fully agree the Allen ratchet is far better then the Craftsmen...I love my Allen ratchet...its lived longer then the 5 Craftsmen ratchets I have had
kartracer55
09-26-2005, 09:18 PM
I have both Craftsmen and Allen sockets and actually comparing the steel the Allen sockets steel is much stronger and not as soft as the Craftsmen....as for the ratchets I fully agree the Allen ratchet is far better then the Craftsmen...I love my Allen ratchet...its lived longer then the 5 Craftsmen ratchets I have had
Yeah, a better quality tool, but i mean compare the demensions of the sockets
Jim
Yeah, a better quality tool, but i mean compare the demensions of the sockets
Jim
Yes the dimensions are the same....but that really ultimately doesnt matter its the quality of the steel and the coatings to keep them from rusting...the Allen brand is better
kartracer55
09-26-2005, 09:24 PM
Yeah, but you pay more. If sears were smart, they would simply rebadge allen tools, and raise the price of craftsman. Youd see a hell of alot more people buying craftsman stuff then
Jim
Or not sell Craftsmen and sell strictly Allen....but then all Hardware stores would absolutely hate that
kartracer55
09-26-2005, 09:28 PM
Nah, the craftsman brand is a staple, you could get rid of the name. Many non-tool freasks wouldnt know about allen being different or whatever. Raise the prices and sell them as craftsman. Take a look at a craftsman pro wrench and an allen... strikingly similar
Jim
Actually I will take this one step further....Craftsmen is now in contract supply houses under private distrubtors.....so hopefully Craftsmen never tries to hit mom and pop stores
kartracer55
09-26-2005, 09:35 PM
What exactly do you mean? I know MSC sells some sears stuff....
What exactly do you mean? I know MSC sells some sears stuff....
I am saying that if Sears ever decides to "let go" of the Craftsmen brand like they did for contractor supply houses....you could see Craftsmen in all hardware stores
number3
09-26-2005, 09:38 PM
They don't buy/make ALL their pieces overseas and assemble them here. That is a blanket statement that is simply not true.
They don't buy/make ALL their pieces overseas and assemble them here. That is a blanket statement that is simply not true.
That is true they dont....but it might or heck it will result to that
kartracer55
09-26-2005, 09:39 PM
I am saying that if Sears ever decides to "let go" of the Craftsmen brand like they did for contractor supply houses....you could see Craftsmen in all hardware stores
Yeah, but isnt craftsman a sears brand? I meanisnt craftsman part of sears roebuck, not just a line they carry?
Jim
Yeah, but isnt craftsman a sears brand? I meanisnt craftsman part of sears roebuck, not just a line they carry?
Jim
Sorry not in a trademark since...just the products themselves
Ummm Allen isn't Allen anymore.., they've been bought out too.
I have a majority of craftsman tools, and have yet to break a tool using it for its intended purpose.
Ryan
Ummm Allen isn't Allen anymore.., they've been bought out too.
I have a majority of craftsman tools, and have yet to break a tool using it for its intended purpose.
Ryan
Yea well whoever has Allen is doing a good job with quality
Swift
09-27-2005, 01:05 AM
Nah, the craftsman brand is a staple, you could get rid of the name. Many non-tool freasks wouldnt know about allen being different or whatever. Raise the prices and sell them as craftsman. Take a look at a craftsman pro wrench and an allen... strikingly similar
Jim
I could be wrong but I thought there was a very old post on Markkw about the Craftsman pro wrenches being made by SK. Or maybe that was awhile back and they are made by Allen nowadays. Like I said I'm not 100 percent sure but those pro wrenches look a lot like SK's long pattern open ends.
The Craftsman pro thinline ratchet is the best hands down in the 1/4" & 3/8" drive sizes, IMHO. If you're thinking about getting the 3/8" drive, don't hesitate. In the 1/2" drive not so much, but that could be due to just mine or maybe it's because I don't use that size as much as the others and needs to be broken in a little. Even compared to my Snap-on and Mac ratchets those pro thinline are more comfortable, (seriously have you ever held one in your hands) but the Craftmans are much more smooth too. All sizes of the Craftmans pro thinlines have 60 teeth compared to 36 teeth on the Snap-ons sealed head high strength ratchets. Thats a difference between 6 degree of movement and 10 degrees. The Snap-ons feel a little choppy compared to the pro thinlines. The pro thinlines also have a sealed head design, which might be a first for Craftsman. I took apart all 3 of them and they have two o-rings, one under the quick release button and one on the other side. The Snap-ons don't have a quick release button and I find it to be a real bitch, sometimes. And also the direction change lever is made of metal instead of plastic like the other Craftsmans, which always seems to break. And if that wasn't enough, while I had the ratchets apart, I also noticed that there are approximately ten teeth in contact with the pawl, which makes the ratchet very strong. Most ratchets have three or four teeth in contact with the pawl. And last, but not least, check the finish of them, (chome) they are better then anything else out there. After about two years of using them daily the finist still looks like new. Many other mechanics have agreed with me about these ratchets after trying mine out. Even an area Snap-on rep had to agree these Craftsman were better than what he had on the truck. It's a shame these ratchets aren't available in Canada, got mine when I visited the US. I paid a lot more when they first came out, because you had to buy them separately, now they can be bought in a set of three. The Craftsman ratchets in Canada are totally different and they SUCK. I also like how there are just Sears tool and hardware stores in the US, without all the clothing, electronics and perfume sales.
I guess that is a perk Sears has to allow someone else to make them for them
kartracer55
09-27-2005, 04:53 PM
Yeah, they are very nice, and I recall that thread too, but that was just speculation. They def. arnt. The giveaway is the box end. On an SK, its a very smooth transition, the wrench seems to et thicker, but the craftsman pros havea noticeablle ride between the handle and the box.... Kinda hard to explain.
Jim
Yeah, they are very nice, and I recall that thread too, but that was just speculation. They def. arnt. The giveaway is the box end. On an SK, its a very smooth transition, the wrench seems to et thicker, but the craftsman pros havea noticeablle ride between the handle and the box.... Kinda hard to explain.
Jim
I know what your saying...the SK's wont have any flex where the Craftsmen will or bend when turning things
kartracer55
09-27-2005, 05:00 PM
I know what your saying...the SK's wont have any flex where the Craftsmen will or bend when turning things
No, Its hard to see unless you are handling the wrench.
If you look at where the box end meets the handle of an SK wrench, it blends very smoothly into the handle... its a nice gentle curve, where as most other brands have a very abrupt end to the handle
Jim
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