To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

Is there anything like this U.S.A. or German made?

To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

Fedwrench

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Dec 9, 2007
Messages
14,956
Location
Valley of the sun
What are you supposedly gaining with a USA made or European branded set over the Tekton set?

I find the current Tekton offerings to be quite good although, I would prefer a non quick release ratchet :beer:
 

mike93lx

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Dec 9, 2013
Messages
37,660
Location
Richmond, VA
All the brands make them. All the brands have websites. Web retailers list their prices.

Is there something you need to know that cannot be answered there?
If only there was a place that had the purpose of allowing people to talk about tools...off to search the web to find it. Any recommendations, or is that too hard?
 

scooby074

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 26, 2008
Messages
5,243
Location
Nova Scotia
Everybody has assortments but the problem is getting it all in one. You could try Mastercraft if you dont want tecton
 

Hytekrednek

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 6, 2015
Messages
373
older craftsman sets may be an option. Or see if Tekton will sell you just the kit box, then fill it yourself with what you like. You may even find someone that does not want or use the kit box from their set. Many put them on rails in their big boxes.
Yes, those Tekton sets seem very nice for the money. The 1/4'' set may have to be purchased soon if I cant come up with a good reason not to get it.
 

Etchase

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 10, 2017
Messages
2,006
Location
Hawaii
Proto J52353AS. 3/8 th metric/SAE. I dont like blow molded boxes though. Other tools that you will need won’t fit into the single blow molded box. Screw driver, knife, plier. I like tool boxes and rails personally.

I was late.
 

Pig_Pen

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 5, 2016
Messages
127
I buy USA whenever I can but I carry Tekton 3/8 and 1/4 sets in my truck. Nobody does blow molded cases as good as them, they are fantastic.
 

Mgdoug3

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 2, 2018
Messages
1,391
Location
KY
SK use to make a 3/8 set with a nice molded case in SAE and MM. My set goes from 6mm up to 19 and 1/4 to 7/8, deep and shallow. There's no deep sockets for the 1/4, 5/16 and 6-9mm if I remember correctly. The kit comes with a 45170 (40 tooth) so not a high tooth count.

When I bought mine it was $200 for the kit including swivel, extensions and thumb wheel ratchet. The price has gone up since then and there's a good chance it's not currently in stock. I keep my set with me in the field and throw a longer ratchet in with it. It's my most used kit.
 

AEAdam

Well-known member
Joined
May 27, 2023
Messages
2,778
Location
SE PA
This covers metric:
1695516206429.png
Love the style and packaging. Just so quirky tho. Outdated breaker bar (typical), 12 pt sockets, goofy tee bar. Screwdriver bits should be torx. WTH Hazet! I like the handle thing tho. I have the Snap On version, F50CSA and really love it. I think they don’t make it anymore.

I think there’s a bluepoint socket case my friends in the UK really loved. Not sure if it’s metric and imperial or either or.

I built cases like this in the past when I needed kits out of plastic storage boxes.
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

BOONEY7750

Well-known member
Joined
May 13, 2010
Messages
147
What’s your budget? I cant afford the USA made stuff in one hit. I would buy an empty case that suits me and then build it from used singles. Remember Danaher use to make a bunch of USA brands such as Matco, Armstrong, Allen, there’s tons of older USA made Craftsman out there, older Mastercraft and Master Mechanic are out there and normally cheap. Proto Mac etc. if it’s political and you can afford it, I suppose you could buy the snap on masters toolbox sets in trays and put them in a nice case. I have an awesome Master Mechanic 1/4 3/8 1/2 in case from about 1995 made in USA. It is a nice set. However, open it upside down one time and you’ll wish you had 3 small ones. The GP duo and regular impact 3/8 master is amazing but not USA made.
 

dnschmidt

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 3, 2014
Messages
7,282
Location
Phoenix, AZ
It's a socket set. At this time in the evolution of the human race there are any number of suppliers that make perfectly serviceable socket sets that will remove and install nuts and bolts. Most Taiwan stuff is as good as made in USA use to be so why break the bank over something that will gain you nothing. The Tekton set is fine. The Capri set is fine. Most other sets are fine. If you wanted to buy a Space Shuttle that could limit your choices of supplier but socket sets are as common as dirt.
 
Last edited:

scooby074

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 26, 2008
Messages
5,243
Location
Nova Scotia
Thing I hate about all these sets is that they say theyre 100 pieces , but 90 pcs are accessories like bits, extensions etc. Canadian tire is notoriously bad for this. That Hazet set is nice, but I can't tell you the last time Ive used a flat bit socket, short breaker bar, or a flex extension! So most of that stuff is a waste.

Thats one good thing about the Tekton, at least it cuts down on the un-needed fluff and gives usuable tools.

I swear that Snappy had a set that had shallow and deep sockets in a red plastic set, sort of in columns with the deep sockets on the outside? Maybe Im miss-remembering it.

Edit: Found it. 144TMPB is an example but in 1/4 . I guess they dont do it in 3/8??

Capture3.JPG
 
Last edited:

Samuel D

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 9, 2019
Messages
638
Love the style and packaging. Just so quirky tho.
Case is too big for the contents, though.

And quirky is a polite way to say terribly outdated.

All the big sets by German companies (and Japanese companies like Ko-ken) seem to suffer from this problem. It’s as if they hadn’t considered what to put in sets in half a century.

A bit baffling. Is it something inherent in the management culture? I can’t understand why they all do this. One or two, sure, but does even one company offer even one 3/8″-drive set built around a long ratchet?

You’d think Hazet of all companies would know how people use tools today and make clever sets for the main cases. The company collaborates with car companies.

Facom does better (and with innovative packaging: the long extension in this “Detection Box” set acts as a case handle, and holes in the lid let you see if any tool is missing without opening the box. Though dirt and weather also see the tools through those holes. More to the point, people like the modern look).

Traditional American companies do better too, albeit usually with dated-looking if functional enough packaging. I see the Proto J52353AS case above has a seal.

New guys like Tekton are very customer-centric, even when the customer is wrong (e.g. the “no-skip” obsession).

There’s clearly room to differentiate here with smarter sets. I predict things will look better in five years.
 

Samuel D

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 9, 2019
Messages
638
I have an awesome Master Mechanic 1/4 3/8 1/2 in case from about 1995 made in USA. It is a nice set. However, open it upside down one time and you’ll wish you had 3 small ones.
I can imagine.

And smaller sets give you more flexibility to travel with only what you need, to pack them in a tight place, to store tools in two different places, to lend someone a sub-set, etc. You never know what you might want to do in the future, and putting all your eggs in one basket is needlessly limiting.

On the other hand, those combined sets tend to be cheaper if you really need everything in them. Though there’s less in it as you go to more expensive brands.
 

Boogerman

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 28, 2021
Messages
833
Location
aspen cove hill
Hard to tell what your objective exactly is, but I'm presuming it's blow molded case? Other than that, it's just bunch sockets and few drive tools. Easy get Snap-on, Proto, Williams etc tools, but blow molded case to fit is harder.

Most mechanics abhor those cases, so the market is really for home gamers that want an all-in-one, and don't care that they aren't convenient for actual work, because the organization BETWEEN jobs is more important than the usability at the job. So, you end up with lower end manufacturers like the one the OP posted putting together nice sets exactly for that market. At the price of under $200, I'd recommend just get that and be happy with it. To get into similar US made quality set will cost 5 to 10 times more.

If you want/need better tools, then I'd recommend buying sets and putting together another way to store the pieces instead of a blow molded box. Like Mechanics Time Savers blocks for the sockets. Those are excellent both for storage between jobs, and on the job use.
 

Dave455

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 19, 2013
Messages
5,821
Location
Sussex, England
Love the style and packaging. Just so quirky tho. Outdated breaker bar (typical), 12 pt sockets, goofy tee bar. Screwdriver bits should be torx. WTH Hazet! I like the handle thing tho. I have the Snap On version, F50CSA and really love it. I think they don’t make it anymore.

I think there’s a bluepoint socket case my friends in the UK really loved. Not sure if it’s metric and imperial or either or.

I built cases like this in the past when I needed kits out of plastic storage boxes.
I don’t have any problem with the inclusion of a “breaker bar”, and a “Sliding T” is only goofy if you don’t have a lot of experience using one.

For smaller fasteners you can break the fastener loose using the full length, then switch to the mid position to spin the fastener off. Much quicker than a ratchet. Also works great one handed!

As to the rest, totally agreed! Any half way capable set needs to include a long ratchet, 6 point / hex sockets, and both hex and torx bit sockets!

Samuel D is spot on - European manufacturers have been supplying these sets for years, seemingly oblivious to higher torques that need long handles, soft fasteners that need 6 point / hex sockets, etc etc.

Yes, Facom do things a little differently. These sets include an extendable ratchet and 6 point sockets. They manage to make a more compact case too - those foam inserts in the Hazet set are complete space wasters, but I do prefer a metal case.
3082B8D8-613F-476D-AA0B-E0B7900704BB.jpeg
 

Attachments

  • 385FCBC0-1B09-4CD2-9C97-D96BF9852E5D.jpeg
    385FCBC0-1B09-4CD2-9C97-D96BF9852E5D.jpeg
    524.4 KB · Views: 11

jptbay

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 19, 2006
Messages
608
For blow molded ratchet kits, I've found it's hard to beat Gearwrench.

80700D

I like the 90 tooth ratchet kits. They can be had in 120xp and 12 or 6 point socket versions. I like separate drive size kits.

No skips, regular and deep. Good plastic case that has hinges and latches that hold up to abuse.
 

M6erfan

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 6, 2014
Messages
10,170
Location
'Merica!
For blow molded ratchet kits, I've found it's hard to beat Gearwrench.

80700D

I like the 90 tooth ratchet kits. They can be had in 120xp and 12 or 6 point socket versions. I like separate drive size kits.

No skips, regular and deep. Good plastic case that has hinges and latches that hold up to abuse.


I can't tell, is that made in Germany, or USA?
 
Last edited:

dchawk81

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 31, 2014
Messages
14,395
If only there was a place that had the purpose of allowing people to talk about tools...off to search the web to find it. Any recommendations, or is that too hard?
eBay message boards? Otherwise I got nothin. 🤷
 

Zewnten

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 11, 2017
Messages
1,826
Few manufactures in Europe or USA put as many sockets in one case has been my results. More of a value adding option the over seas companies offer. Plus when a guy gets that set they usually know what they're working on if they're a mill wright.
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
Top Bottom