Craftsman Tool Sets

[mulepackin]

Like many of you I would imagine, I have collected alot of my tools over the years by buying sets. Particularly with Craftsman. Always cheaper. Many of them though seem to be missing a size. Particulary with the metric stuff. My combination wrenches were missing a few sizes, I'm not sure which. My 3/8 drive metric sockets skipped 20 mm, my 1/2 dr. skipped 11, 20, then everything from 23 to 26, then inc. 27mm. Are these rarely used sizes or what. I just recently started to accumulate metrics as I didn't have much need for them in the past and got by with the basics. (Looks like I better get me some 20 mm sockets).

[eschoendorff]

Like many of you I would imagine, I have collected alot of my tools over the years by buying sets. Particularly with Craftsman. Always cheaper. Many of them though seem to be missing a size. Particulary with the metric stuff. My combination wrenches were missing a few sizes, I'm not sure which. My 3/8 drive metric sockets skipped 20 mm, my 1/2 dr. skipped 11, 20, then everything from 23 to 26, then inc. 27mm. Are these rarely used sizes or what. I just recently started to accumulate metrics as I didn't have much need for them in the past and got by with the basics. (Looks like I better get me some 20 mm sockets).
Sears skips sizes in their "sets." It has been a point of frustration for years. i bout a set of the metric Craftsman-branded gearwrenches and for one wrench that was skipped in the set, it would cost like $23! Thanks alot Sears...

[wilbilt]

20mm seems to be an often-omitted size. It doesn't seem to be widely used on fasteners, though.

[ImportTuner]

Sears in their infinite wisdom had determined which sizes were not ordinarily used so they chose to not include them. You can, however go down to the store or online and order the missing sockets.

[mulepackin]

I am sure it is a way to get you to buy more tools, hopefully on "the card" since we all know Sears is one of the largest lending institutions in the world. We probably end up spending more on the completed set than buying another manufacturers truly full set.

[Jbullfrog]

The sizes that are left out help reduce the price of the sets. Sears then makes up this amount by selling you the 2 or 3 wrenches at full price. I was not bothered about not having a 25mm wrench in my set until I had to work on an Agco tractor.

[kartracer55]

Its to make sets cheaper. I dont think I have EVER used a 16mm wrench before. Same with 23mm, which SK Impact sets seem to skip. Sometimes it makes sense to buy tools like this. Matco sells a set of impact swivels in the 5 or 6 most common sizes, because a complete set costs so much money, it just makes sense for newer guys like myself to buy things thisway. It is how I plan to buy these sockets.

Also, if your working on newer cars, it doesnt really make sense to buy anything BUT metric tools.

Jim

[ImportTuner]

Its to make sets cheaper. I dont think I have EVER used a 16mm wrench before. Same with 23mm, which SK Impact sets seem to skip. Sometimes it makes sense to buy tools like this. Matco sells a set of impact swivels in the 5 or 6 most common sizes, because a complete set costs so much money, it just makes sense for newer guys like myself to buy things thisway. It is how I plan to buy these sockets.

Also, if your working on newer cars, it doesnt really make sense to buy anything BUT metric tools.

Jim
Yep, so true; I hardly touch my SAE stuff anymore except when working on the Ford Explorer. It has a mixture of SAE and Metric bolts -- go figure ..

[wilbilt]

I dont think I have EVER used a 16mm wrench before.

It's definitely the shiniest in my set...but it fits the oil drain plug on the wife's Caravan.

[kartracer55]

Yep, so true; I hardly touch my SAE stuff anymore except when working on the Ford Explorer. It has a mixture of SAE and Metric bolts -- go figure ..


Same with The older Dodge Durangos/Dakotas... Its annoying

[toolfreak]

I dont think I have EVER used a 16mm wrench before.


16mm is a common size on Cat equipment. I ordered an impact swivel socket from snap on and he looked at me like I was stupid. Other than that I don't think I have ran into that size before.

[mulepackin]

Also, if your working on newer cars, it doesnt really make sense to buy anything BUT metric tools.

Jim[/QUOTE]

Thats what I'm discovering. All of our farm equipment is mostly SAE, but the newer stuff is now a mix of both and obviously the veh. are mostly metric. Used to be the "metric wrench" was whatever length adjustable fit the situation. Not anymore.

[kartracer55]

Also, if your working on newer cars, it doesnt really make sense to buy anything BUT metric tools.

Jim

Thats what I'm discovering. All of our farm equipment is mostly SAE, but the newer stuff is now a mix of both and obviously the veh. are mostly metric. Used to be the "metric wrench" was whatever length adjustable fit the situation. Not anymore.[/QUOTE]

Actually, since a couple of metric sizes cross over with the most popular SAE... any SAE tools I buy are Craftsman, unless I can get other USA made tools cheaper. Metric just makes more sense

[wilbilt]

And then I recently bought that Chinese barbeque. The assembly bolts have 10mm heads, but are threaded 1/4-20.

:wtf:

[kartracer55]

And then I recently bought that Chinese barbeque. The assembly bolts have 10mm heads, but are threaded 1/4-20.

:wtf:

Thats just Sh***y hardware :) lol

[Hutch]

And then I recently bought that Chinese barbeque. The assembly bolts have 10mm heads, but are threaded 1/4-20.

:wtf:

that drives me nuts - no pun intended.
Myself, I think I own a 10mm and that's it for metric, but most of my wrenching is done on a 77 IH scout, which you can basically take apart with a 1/2" 9/16" or 5/8" wrench or socket :rocker:

[mulepackin]

By the way is this pretty much just a Craftsman gimmick or do other manf. do this as well?

[wilbilt]

Thats just Sh***y hardware :) lol

The fasteners were corrupted at birth. I should have just drowned them, LOL

[kartracer55]

Shake'm up a bit haha

Wow, us GarageJournal members sure are cruel haha

[wilbilt]

Shake'm up a bit haha

Wow, us GarageJournal members sure are cruel haha

They're bolts, Jim. Bolts can't drown...it was a joke, LOL

[kartracer55]

They're bolts, Jim. Bolts can't drown...it was a joke, LOL


Yeah... I got it... shaken baby syndrome? lol


...nvm :thumbup:

haha
Jim

[wilbilt]

shaken baby syndrome?

Not that I recall, but you never know...:lol_hitti

[wilbilt]

By the way is this pretty much just a Craftsman gimmick or do other manf. do this as well?

They all do it. Little-used sizes are often left out. When's the last time you bought a set that included a 25/32"?

[ImportTuner]

They all do it. Little-used sizes are often left out. When's the last time you bought a set that included a 25/32"?

When was the last time you used a 25/32" socket or wrench; mine is still brand new ..

:bounce:

[wilbilt]

When was the last time you used a 25/32" socket or wrench; mine is still brand new ..

:bounce:

I turned wrenches for about 20 years....I never used one.

[Coach James]

"Quote:
Originally Posted by kartracer55
I dont think I have EVER used a 16mm wrench before. "


"It's definitely the shiniest in my set...but it fits the oil drain plug on the wife's Caravan"

Our 2005 caravan has a 0.5 inch oil drain plug. And has had two recall notices in the last 6 months!

My 1990 Dakota is also a mix of SAE and metric. Anyone know where the circuit breaker for the head lights is on a Dakota?


Coach

[ba614]

The socket sets and wrench sets {Craftsman} that go on sale at super low prices and skip sizes are a gimick. When you buy these sets and then purchase the missing sizes at regular prices you end up paying more for the set than if you bought the complete set at the regular price. I learned this from experience this year. I bought socket and wrench sets at 1/2 price plus an extra 10% off for being an early bird. By the time I completed the sets at individual piece prices my sets cost about 10% more than if I'd bought the complete set at regular set price. When I was buying all these great deals I didn't even notice they were skipping sizes in them. The greed got me. I thought I was buying tools at almost give away prices.

"Lesson Learned"

[Jared]

Its to make sets cheaper. I dont think I have EVER used a 16mm wrench before.
Jim


I thought that was a wrench that i would never need as well until I had to do brakeline on 73 volvo i used to have

[TNToy]

I thought that was a wrench that i would never need as well until I had to do brakeline on 73 volvo i used to have
That's one thing about volvos...

European cars usually use 10,13,15,17,19... right?
Japanese cars usually use 10,12,14,17,19... right?

Well, Volvo decided to make sure that unlike everyone else's cars, you wore out your tools evenly.

I regularly use 10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18, and 19 mm fasteners.

Yay.

I don't really use my 20mm or 23mm wrenches, but everything else leaves the box weekly. :)

[Coach James]

The socket sets and wrench sets {Craftsman} that go on sale at super low prices and skip sizes are a gimick. When you buy these sets and then purchase the missing sizes at regular prices you end up paying more for the set than if you bought the complete set at the regular price. I learned this from experience this year. I bought socket and wrench sets at 1/2 price plus an extra 10% off for being an early bird. By the time I completed the sets at individual piece prices my sets cost about 10% more than if I'd bought the complete set at regular set price. When I was buying all these great deals I didn't even notice they were skipping sizes in them. The greed got me. I thought I was buying tools at almost give away prices.

"Lesson Learned"


What size set did you start with? For that to have happened you must have bought a mighty small first set or needed to add a great many tools to it.
Coach

[kartracer55]

I have a Proto 25/32 socket in 1/2 drive. Never used it, totally forgot about it up until you guys mentioned it. Im sure somewhere, at some point, somebody had a need for these damn things then bitched and complained until they were included in sets, never to be used again haha. Considering where it came from, it is at least 30 years old.

Speaking of individual sizes, sears is pretty rediculous about this. I have a set of 3/8's deep chrome's that I bought new at a swap meet. I paid 20$ for the set, figuring it was a good deal. Well, I did not realize that one of the sockets was a 12 pt. So I went to replace the 12pt and add on a 9mm socket, that little set wound up costing something like 30-35$. I could have gotten the entire set for like 30.

One thing that is nice about the trucks is that it doesnt make a difference whether you buy sockets as a set of individually. Then again, One socket off the truck is usually 2-3X the cost of a craftsman so its really not all THAT great haha.

It was actually the matco guy who recommended this to me when I asked him about swivels. Instead of laying out almost 400$ for a set of 10-19, I can skip the oddballs and just get the absolute most used, and buy one a week or so. Plus, with all the torque of this 3/8's gun, I wont really need a set in 1/2, maybe just a few individuals. Still have to think about it though.

Jim