Looking for a good alternative to Craftsman tools

[cloper91]

Ok sears has pissed me off for the last time. First it was a problem with my floor jack. They would not do anything for me at all. And this "National Customer Service" **** they have going is a total joke. Now I can't even find hardly any tools at my local Sears store anymore. They used to have about
6-7 isles of tools on both left and right sides. Now they are down to about 3. It is a joke. I don't know if all Sears stores are this way but mine seems to be.

Anyway I am now looking for a good alternative to Craftsman for tools. I thought maybe Lowe's with there Kobalt brand. I went there today. They have half a isle. Not kidding here. I was lucky to find a 3/8 drive ratchet. HomeDepot is not much better with there Husky brand.

I guess I am going to have to go with Snap-on, Matco, or Mac but I am just a garage enthusiast and not a professional mechanic so it is not like they stop by every week and they have not stores so I have to have my buddy buy the tools from me as he is a tech at a dealership. but when I need a tool I need a tool. I can't wait a week or more to get it. I need it now. The price doesn't bother me that much. I will pay more for a quality tool but it had better be quality if I am dropping that kind of cash for a tool.

Who is out there that I can go to

 

[trovato]

You need to have a chat with your local Snap-on, Matco, and Mac guys. They are usually willing to work with you, even if you are not a professional mechanic, if you want to buy tools. He may tell you that on Tuesdays at 2 pm he usually stops at the garage down your street. Or if he lives near by, he might let you come by in the evening. Once you actually make a purchase or two and it becomes clear that you're not just wasting his time, you will probably find him to be helpful. Snap-on sells on the internet as well, but that may not help you for the "need it now" situation.

 

[mulepackin]

I'd try to find an SK dealer in your area. But even at that, where I am, I can only find a very basic inventory, not like what my local Sears store still carries (fortunately). Some of the farm supply stores here carry SK, as well as an occasional parts store and hardware store. Nothing consistent.

 

[ba614]

There are several good tool stores on the internet. Most ship pretty quick. Do a search for tool stores and check them out. I live in a small town and have bought from several dealers on the internet. All but one have worked out well for me. SK tools are of pretty good quality and in a similar price range to Craftsman Professional.

 

[ImportTuner]

Check out www.thetoolwarehouse.net or www.tooltopia.com; both have free shipping, good prices, and a very good variety of stuff ...

 

[-lecroix-]

www.ebay.com ... any sort of tool you want at discount prices ... well, most times.

 

[cloper91]

Those are all very good ideas. Thanks guys. Keep them coming. I guess it is not so much of the "I need the tool now" type thing I just like being able to go to the store and just pick it up. I will check out SK. That sounds like a good option.

 

[chevy302dz]

If you have a CarQuest, NAPA, or good independent parts store in your area they all will usually stock good tools (NAPA, BlackHawk, SK). Napa can be pricey though.

 

[wythors]

If you have a CarQuest, NAPA, or good independent parts store in your area they all will usually stock good tools (NAPA, BlackHawk, SK). Napa can be pricey though.

My local NAPA is a good source of USA tools. I'm also an eBay shopper.

 

[Uncle Buck]

If I were looking for an alternative, I would look to the professional contractor supply places. Many times they do not have full sets of everything you want in house, but they can usually order anything from the product lines they carry which more timed than not will be Proto, Armstrong & Williams I have purchased bits and pieces this way for years.

 

[edl]

OK - at the risk of being absolutely flamed - and going in the other direction from snap on, mac, etc. - HARBOR FREIGHT TOOLS - yes some of their stuff is cr&p - but alot isn't - and at their prices plus cupons, you can buy 3 before you reach Craftsman prices, let alone snap on - and if you really do your research, you can find some unbelievable stuff - for example, i bought their largest compressor "US General" - 7.5hp (max) 80g - and guess what, it is made by abac right here in the US - with a baldor motor!! - and the best part, with a 20% off cupon, plus getting them to start with a sales price, the 1400 unit cost me 900 and change - beat that!! - thanks, ed

 

[Coach James]

If you don't care about country of origin, Husky, Kobalt, Stanley and Westward are all decent tools. As far as retail selection though, Craftsman is hard to beat. I buy Wright wrenches and ratchets from my welding supplier. He sells me Wright wrenches for the same price as Craftsman raised panel. But still not the selection of tools at Sears.

BTW, what size Sears store do you have? Our local Sears is a small independent owned one. Maybe 3,000 square feet of retail space. They sell a decent selection, but not many of each item in stock but will order anything you want at no shipping charge and have it within a week.

The Sears at the mall 35 miles up the road has a tool section that is at least 5,000 or 6,000 feet by itself.
Coach

 

[chicane]

There is no good alternative to Craftsman tools. For the money they are the best available. Craftsman tools are consistently ranked No. 1 in quality:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FNP/is_20_40/ai_79803244
http://www.indiatools.in/craftsman-tools.htm

 

[chicane]

My local NAPA is a good source of USA tools. I'm also an eBay shopper.

NAPA tools are not cheap and IMHO no better in quality than Craftsman.

 

[eschoendorff]

NAPA tools are not cheap and IMHO no better in quality than Craftsman.

True. They are Danaher sourced (unless you are talking about that NAPA Evercraft Taiwanese ****) and are generally rebadged Allen tools.

 

[chad s]

There is no good alternative to Craftsman tools. For the money they are the best available. Craftsman tools are consistently ranked No. 1 in quality:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FNP/is_20_40/ai_79803244
http://www.indiatools.in/craftsman-tools.htm

Do we have to go through this again? Consumer reports, etc, are rarely reliable. Who cares what they think? how do you gauge their accuracy?

But I do agree, that for price to quality ratio, Craftsman is the best there is.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Ya Craftsman still supplies the best bang for the buck generally speaking when buying new for the weekend wrench.

 

[chicane]

Consumer reports, etc, are rarely reliable. Who cares what they think?

They are pretty reliable actually and I care as well as thousands of subscribers.

 

[wilbilt]

There is no good alternative to Craftsman tools. For the money they are the best available. Craftsman tools are consistently ranked No. 1 in quality:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FNP/is_20_40/ai_79803244
http://www.indiatools.in/craftsman-tools.htm

Uhhh...the first article deals with consumers' choice of brand loyalty. It has nothing to do with quality. Just because "Craftsman" ranks up there with "Martha Stewart" doesn't mean the average consumer knows a damn thing about tools.

The authors of the second article seem to be confusing Sears' US Craftsman brand with Craftsman Tools, a UK company. The two have nothing to do with each other. The authors also appear to have borrowed most of their information from the Wiki, which does nothing to enhance their credibility.

Craftsman Tools, Ltd. is known as Chevin Tools in the US, and is not affiliated with Sears.

http://www.chevintools.com/index.html

If you are going to post stuff like this, at least do some research.

 

[wilbilt]

Do we have to go through this again? Consumer reports, etc, are rarely reliable.

Agreed. They represent the uninformed and clueless.

 

[chevy302dz]

Agreed. They represent the uninformed and clueless.

Truer words have never been spoken.

 

[MAD]

Do we have to go through this again? Consumer reports, etc, are rarely reliable. Who cares what they think?.

Consumer reports is a great place to start when researching consumer products. I have purchased several major appliances that were CR "best buys" and have been very pleased with them. I have on occasion noticed when reading CR they will sometimes not take certain important features of the products they evaluate into account because it does not fit in with their testing criteria. This will sometimes skew the results unfairly. CR is expert in testing products but they are often not experts on the products they test. They are great but they can totally miss the boat on stuff sometimes.

 

[chad s]

Agreed. They represent the uninformed and clueless.

I dont think this guy gets this place. We come here to talk tools, get advice, share info. I havnt been around for for that long, but enough to know that this isnt a "consumer reports" kind of place. When it comes tools, this place is MUCH better than consumer reports could ever be, so what do we need them for? Well, we dont. I think the general consencus will be that CR just doesnt work for real tool guys, when it comes to tools.

 

[eschoendorff]

Uhhh...the first article deals with consumers' choice of brand loyalty. It has nothing to do with quality. Just because "Craftsman" ranks up there with "Martha Stewart" doesn't mean the average consumer knows a damn thing about tools.

The authors of the second article seem to be confusing Sears' US Craftsman brand with Craftsman Tools, a UK company. The two have nothing to do with each other. The authors also appear to have borrowed most of their information from the Wiki, which does nothing to enhance their credibility.

Craftsman Tools, Ltd. is known as Chevin Tools in the US, and is not affiliated with Sears.

http://www.chevintools.com/index.html

If you are going to post stuff like this, at least do some research.

OUCH! Got his foot caught in the door....

 

[Fast Orange]

Consumer Reports is a good source of information on normal consumer items,such as appliances.When it comes to more specialized items, where personal feel and taste are involved, the testers inexperience in the real world shows.

FWIW,the best bang for the buck AFTER Craftsman is SK.I feel the quality is a little better than Craftsman,and the slightly higher price is worth it.
Now,everyone go get some fresh popcorn.
If price is secondary to quality,the best are SO,Mac,Matco and Proto in that order.
Best bang for the buck is Craftsman,SK,then the big box store brands.

George

 

[chicane]

Uhhh...the first article deals with consumers' choice of brand loyalty. It has nothing to do with quality.

Uhhh...the point is they are excellent tools for the money and to the original poster he is not going to find a comparable set of tools in quality in that price range.

 

[chicane]

Agreed. They represent the uninformed and clueless.

Or, as an alternative opinion, they represent a non-advertisement influenced, independent third party who conducts tests on common consumer items to assist people, as one factor, in their purchasing decisions.

 

[chicane]

Consumer Reports is a good source of information on normal consumer items,such as appliances.When it comes to more specialized items, where personal feel and taste are involved, the testers inexperience in the real world shows.

FWIW,the best bang for the buck AFTER Craftsman is SK.I feel the quality is a little better than Craftsman,and the slightly higher price is worth it.
Now,everyone go get some fresh popcorn.
If price is secondary to quality,the best are SO,Mac,Matco and Proto in that order.
Best bang for the buck is Craftsman,SK,then the big box store brands.

George

You are talking apples to apples with some of this stuff because the SK and Craftsman and even I believe some of the Matco are the same stuff. So you are really paying extra for a name.

 

[wilbilt]

OUCH! Got his foot caught in the door....

Well...I'm not about to run out and buy a bench vise because it says "Martha Stewart" on it. Even if that's a well-known brand, I am going to be looking at other aspects, such as "is this Chinese POS going to break the first time I use it?" and stuff like that.

I'm not trying to be difficult...but I think you know where I am coming from.

As far as Consumer Reports is concerned, I have looked at some of their articles that "compare" products that are identical except for the brand name that is stuck on them. Even though the products are obviously the same, they manage to find strengths and weaknesses among them...

I just don't buy into that kind of ignorance.

 

[chicane]

I'm not trying to be difficult...but I think you know where I am coming from.

Actually you are.

This is not a Craftsman vs. Snap-On debate. The guy asked for an alternative to Craftsman. I, and others, told him for the money, there was none. You can go real low and get Chinese POS or real high and get Snap-On.
But for the money you are not going to find that kind of quality and selection (AND a lifetime warranty) any other brand. Which is one of the reasons Craftsman is so successful.

 

[wilbilt]

That's the main reason Craftsman has been so successful over the years...but...today's Craftsman is not your father's Craftsman.

Due to pressures based on the price point, Sears has been ever more receptive to the Chinese sourcing of this brand. The number of Asian-sourced Craftsman products has been increasing steadily. At this point, Sears is riding on the laurels of the Craftsman tools of years past. Most more-than-casual wrench turners realized this a long time ago; the CR types have not.

The last set of Craftsman tools I bought (car trunk set) are absolute junk. I would have been better off buying the same set from HF. The quality is comparable, but the price would have been cheaper.

 

[tweety652]

craftsman sockets are good as are their pro series of tools. the rest is junk. i have s-o,mac,proto,armstrong,stanley,blackhawk,wright,craftsman and many otherbrands that i use as an industrial maintenance technician everyday, so thats the opinion i have based on "my" experience. not "consumer reports".

 

[-lecroix-]

Due to pressures based on the price point, Sears has been ever more receptive to the Chinese sourcing of this brand. The number of Asian-sourced Craftsman products has been increasing steadily.

Name one tool company that HASN'T been more receptive to Asian sourcing. Hell name ONE company PERIOD that hasn't ... regardless of the goods they produce.

At this point, Sears is riding on the laurels of the Craftsman tools of years past.

Again, name any company that doesn't use "the laurels of years past" to their own financial benefit. It's called Brand Recognition and it's just plain ol' good business.

 

[chicane]

That's the main reason Craftsman has been so successful over the years...but...today's Craftsman is not your father's Craftsman.

Due to pressures based on the price point, Sears has been ever more receptive to the Chinese sourcing of this brand. The number of Asian-sourced Craftsman products has been increasing steadily. At this point, Sears is riding on the laurels of the Craftsman tools of years past. Most more-than-casual wrench turners realized this a long time ago; the CR types have not.

The last set of Craftsman tools I bought (car trunk set) are absolute junk. I would have been better off buying the same set from HF. The quality is comparable, but the price would have been cheaper.

Yeah, I totally disagree. They are getting better, not worse. Not long ago all they had were the old school raised bevel hand wrenches and now they have more lines that I can count. Titanium, high polished steel, flex ratchets, ratchet wrenches (Not to mention their Pro Series).

What we have here are some Craftsman Haters (CH). Maybe they have a SnapOn truck, maybe they know someone who does, so they are personally vested in bashing Craftsman at every turn, I really don't know. What I do know is there is no justification or evidence for this kind of dislike of a group of hand tools.

And no I do not, nor do I know anyone who works for Sears or do I own Sears stock (disclaimer).

 

[tweety652]

hey chicane do you use your tools everyday to bring money home or just to save money by doing work yourself. yes there is a difference. real mechanics use their tools 8-12 hours a day 6 days a week and cant go to sears when a tool breaks. seems to me everything has a warrenty now, even things at a dollar store. the warrenty means nothing if someone gets hurt. most real professional mechanics know this which is why they buy from the trucks.

 

[ImportTuner]

hey chicane do you use your tools everyday to bring money home or just to save money by doing work yourself. yes there is a difference. real mechanics use their tools 8-12 hours a day 6 days a week and cant go to sears when a tool breaks. seems to me everything has a warrenty now, even things at a dollar store. the warrenty means nothing if someone gets hurt. most real professional mechanics know this which is why they buy from the trucks.

+1 yep, what tweety652 said ....

 

[mulepackin]

It seems to me he asked for an alternative to Craftsman, not so much because of quality issues, but rather due to local availability and service from his local Sears store. This isn't, doesn't need to be, and shouldn't be another Craftsman vs. the world thread.

 

[MarkH]

That's the main reason Craftsman has been so successful over the years...but...today's Craftsman is not your father's Craftsman.

My fathers 1st Craftsman set which survived years of daily farm use, a different type of tool use profession, cost him the equivalent of $1,000 in todays funds. The price for the set now at Sears is under $200. Just tools no box etc in the comparison. I can get the equivalent in truck tools today for a little over $1,300 and not have to worry about the 85 mile trip to Sears if something breaks. I think that comparison states where except for the pro line and the gimmic line where Sears prices the tools of today for. At that price something has to give vs the old pricing.

That is why dad bought Sears for everything. That is also why I have Sears raised panels and Wrights for the machines. Wrights (large wrenches and sockets), C-Man Pro, SK and Cornwell with some Mac, Matco, and Snap-On in the shops. Thanks ebay for the trucks that do not stop. The cheap junk that may work in someones once a month garage is ground to bits riding in the machinery tool boxes.

 

[chicane]

hey chicane do you use your tools everyday to bring money home or just to save money by doing work yourself. yes there is a difference. real mechanics use their tools 8-12 hours a day 6 days a week and cant go to sears when a tool breaks. seems to me everything has a warrenty now, even things at a dollar store. the warrenty means nothing if someone gets hurt. most real professional mechanics know this which is why they buy from the trucks.

Hey...did you even bother to read the orignal post?

 

[chicane]

It seems to me he asked for an alternative to Craftsman, not so much because of quality issues, but rather due to local availability and service from his local Sears store. This isn't, doesn't need to be, and shouldn't be another Craftsman vs. the world thread.

+2. The guy was looking for a source for tools that he didn't have to order, could buy locally, and it appeared that he wasn't in SnapOn territory. You can buy a set of wrenches at the Dollar Store. But it seemed as though he needed a decent selection and of decent quality. I have to tell you, it is hard to compete with the sears brand on both of those counts.