Very disappointed with Craftsman Cross-Force wrenches (Pics)

[twincam00]

I bought the Craftsman Cross-Force 8-piece wrench set today from sears. It was 50% off so I figured I would give them a try for $40. They were on the top shelf and I had to get the cashier to unlock them for me. Anyways I get home and tried to clean them up and realized that it seems that it was poor chrome plating, not just dirty.

Maybe Ive just been using too many snap-on tools lately but this is really poor quality. The chrome is rough all over and has several bad spots. Another thing that I find odd is that the 13mm wrench is longer than the 14mm one. The 8mm and 10mm are the same length, but that isn't too out of the ordinary for smaller wrenches. The open end of the wrench is also very bulky. I know that the chrome could be buffed out, but its just not worth the hassle. I will be returning these.

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[Buckgnarly]

The daily Craftsman bash thread huh?......

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=128047

 

[Jim85IROC]

Did you buy these to display them or use them? If you bought them to use them, it seems that your rationale for returning them should at least involve, well, using them to see how well they work.

 

[WRX/Z28]

Wow, $40? Still USA? Pretty good deal. I'm going to pick up a set tonight.



*EDIT Do you have a part # for these?

 

[HandyManny]

$40 Still USA? comes at a price. Not much is a deal anymore. I'm beginning to sound like a broken record about the chrome plating done my Danaher on their Cman tools lately. But yeah, it's gotten pretty bad. Shame on them. Sad that many imported tools have much higher quality chrome plating.

 

[WRX/Z28]

$40 Still USA? comes at a price. .

Yeah, That price is $40.


I'm saying all my wrenchs look worse than that from normal use. I'm a sucker for pretty chrome too, but come on guys, they're tools, not women's jewelry...

 

[pipsters]

The Danaher made Craftsman polished and pro wrenches I have bought have been bad. I even had the older style head, the thinner one, and they were extremely sloppy. They are not worth the $$ IMO. I kept my RP's, they fit TIGHT and while short, for the few times I use them I can deal with that.

 

[twincam00]

Yah yah I know im starting to turn into a little tool polisher, part number is 46521. Honestly I was very surprised they are still made in the USA. I thought since most of the other 'full polish' wrenches went to china these would be too.

Ive been to sears 3 times in the last week, hence the extra whining

 

[HandyManny]

Yeah, That price is $40.


I'm saying all my wrenchs look worse than that from normal use. I'm a sucker for pretty chrome too, but come on guys, they're tools, not women's jewelry...

Tools are tools to me as well. I'm not a wrench polisher, I use them. My beef with shoddy chrome is having it end up under your skin. A quality tool, especially one made in USA should have quality plating. Shame on Danaher.

 

[WRX/Z28]

The Danaher made Craftsman polished and pro wrenches I have bought have been bad. I even had the older style head, the thinner one, and they were extremely sloppy. They are not worth the $$ IMO. I kept my RP's, they fit TIGHT and while short, for the few times I use them I can deal with that.

That's at least a valid complaint, However, my pro wrenchs are very accurate, even by comparison to my Snap on SOEX. RP's are great wrenchs too, especially when a longer wrench won't fit, and for cheap wrenchs to leave out above the workbench.

Yah yah I know im starting to turn into a little tool polisher, part number is 46521. Honestly I was very surprised they are still made in the USA. I thought since most of the other 'full polish' wrenches went to china these would be too.

Ive been to sears 3 times in the last week, hence the extra whining

Thanks for the part #. Just wanted to make sure I was getting the same ones.

Nothing wrong with clean shiny tools I guess, I keep mine clean too, but the minor flaws and what looks like warehouse water/condensation stains aren't worth worrying about when the same thing will happen to any wrench kept in a garage or shed that's not climate controlled.

Tools are tools to me as well. I'm not a wrench polisher, I use them. My beef with shoddy chrome is having it end up under your skin. A quality tool, especially one made in USA should have quality plating. Shame on Danaher.

Flaking I would complain about too. I didn't see any flaking unless I missed it. US chrome plating is significantly more expensive than over sea's simply due to environmental regulation differences. I'm not surprised US chrome is getting shoddier, but as long as it protects the tool from easy rust, I'm not worried.

 

[pipsters]

Yah yah I know im starting to turn into a little tool polisher, part number is 46521. Honestly I was very surprised they are still made in the USA. I thought since most of the other 'full polish' wrenches went to china these would be too.

Ive been to sears 3 times in the last week, hence the extra whining

I don't think you are asking too much of a NEW product. Yes they will get used but IMO a new product should come in the form of a brand new product and the finish on those is disgusting.

 

[pipsters]

Flaking I would complain about too. I didn't see any flaking unless I missed it. US chrome plating is significantly more expensive than over sea's simply due to environmental regulation differences. I'm not surprised US chrome is getting shoddier, but as long as it protects the tool from easy rust, I'm not worried.

FWIW the chrome plating on the Craftsman pro/polished US wrenches were picture perfect. Great looking wrenches. It really is a SHAME they were broached so poorly and spread in the two different sets I bought.

I'm a huge pro-Craftsman guy but Sears Craftsman has really started to put out **** as of late. The last holdout that I have experienced has been their impacts - not one issue with any of the 90 or so that I have.

Honestly, if they do switch the sockets to foreign sourced, I do believe the single complaint about them, the finish, will improve dramatically. But then you lose the sole reason for buying them - US made.

 

[jjjrmx5]

Yah yah I know im starting to turn into a little tool polisher, part number is 46521. Honestly I was very surprised they are still made in the USA. I thought since most of the other 'full polish' wrenches went to china these would be too.

Ive been to sears 3 times in the last week, hence the extra whining

I noticed the same finish problems when I was buying a single open stock 19mm C'man ratcheting combo reversible wrench on black friday.

I looked at them and went, WTF, is that overspray on them? I then thought maybe it was floor wax that the floor buffer tossed up when the employees were scrubbing the floor.Then I grabbed one and could feel the texture.
Mine buffed out with a little rubbing compound but I hope the corrosion does not come back.

It's either an issue of inferior plating or a bad batch or bad prep and the humidity caused slight corrosion.

I'll keep you posted but for me paying $30 for a single C'man wrench and getting a ****** finish does not bode well.

 

[HandyManny]

Flaking I would complain about too. I didn't see any flaking unless I missed it. US chrome plating is significantly more expensive than over sea's simply due to environmental regulation differences. I'm not surprised US chrome is getting shoddier, but as long as it protects the tool from easy rust, I'm not worried.

Quality plating (in a better substitute for chrome) can still be done here in the USA and still be more friendly to EPA regs too. It's just a matter of if a company want to do it right. Just look at the Cobalt plating process that Western Forge uses. They do it right here in my state. It results in a quality (durable) plating that's not quite as white as chrome, but still silvery, very even,and very durable, more durable than chrome plating. Western Forge puts this plating on most of the adjustable wrenches they make for Craftsman, Ridgid, Wright, SK, and others. Its a process they pioneered in th early 1990's (20 years ago).

 

[Octarine]

The offset broaching on that end you showed (10mm?) is way more troublesome than some rough chrome. I wouldn't trust that end with any sort of pressure.

 

[plinker]

Quality plating (in a better substitute for chrome) can still be done here in the USA and still be more friendly to EPA regs too. It's just a matter of if a company want to do it right. Just look at the Cobalt plating process that Western Forge uses. They do it right here in my state. It results in a quality (durable) plating that's not quite as white as chrome, but still silvery, very even,and very durable, more durable than chrome plating. Western Forge puts this plating on most of the adjustable wrenches they make for Craftsman, Ridgid, Wright, SK, and others. Its a process they pioneered in th early 1990's (20 years ago).

It does look pretty good too. Maybe not a mirror finish, but lot of people like "satin" type finishes.

Mostly chrome finish boils down to cost. They (Sears) want a product at a certain dollar amount and I'm sure the finish is on the list of things to cut back on, dollar wise.

FWIW, In regards to the cost issue, I bought a S-O GS936 ratchet back in '06, at the time it was new 85$ (I got it for 45$ shipped), the chrome version was another 20$.

 

[Notwerk]

Quality plating (in a better substitute for chrome) can still be done here in the USA and still be more friendly to EPA regs too. It's just a matter of if a company want to do it right. Just look at the Cobalt plating process that Western Forge uses. They do it right here in my state. It results in a quality (durable) plating that's not quite as white as chrome, but still silvery, very even,and very durable, more durable than chrome plating. Western Forge puts this plating on most of the adjustable wrenches they make for Craftsman, Ridgid, Wright, SK, and others. Its a process they pioneered in th early 1990's (20 years ago).

I'm not too familiar with the processes involved or the EPA regs, but I've always had trouble swallowing that as an excuse for bad chrome simply because of how nice SK chrome has always been (and from what I can tell, still is). Seems they do it right, regs or no regs.

 

[HandyManny]

I'm not too familiar with the processes involved or the EPA regs, but I've always had trouble swallowing that as an excuse for bad chrome simply because of how nice SK chrome has always been (and from what I can tell, still is). Seems they do it right, regs or no regs.

I agree, it can be done, and some are currently doing so. Makes me wonder too.

Don't know, all I can say is that corners are being cut everywhere in most products. Maybe one day soon Sears will begin to market that shoddy chrome as a mark of quality, much the same way some products out there have their cut corners marketed.

The again looking back on some older USA vintage tools, there are examples that exist where machining and final grinding was not complete or not well done either. Just a mark of mass production. We invented mass production.

As far as broaching goes. I have a set of midgit Armstrong combo wrenches that came in a pouch. I've seen tool that were homemade by junior highschool shop class sudents that were made much better than these Armstrong midgit wrenches. That's really sad.

I look towards a company like Channellock and wonder how they seem to be able to produce high quality hand tools (pliers, etc) here in the USA, by American workers, and still manage to sell their tools at a fair price. In addition, make their tools readily available to most tool buyers. They prove that a quality tool can still be made here for a fair price and still turn a profit. There seem to be lot's of excuses for outsourcing of manufacturing, yet there are a few who seem to be able to stay within our shores and still make money. Good quality USA made tools used to be the norm here and not all were overpriced back in my day either.

 

[WRX/Z28]

The offset broaching on that end you showed (10mm?) is way more troublesome than some rough chrome. I wouldn't trust that end with any sort of pressure.

Looks like a very minor imperfection in the broaching to me (edit* it may not even be in the broaching itself, but in the face of the tool), but it's hard to tell from the angle. In any case, I'm sure that was an exception and would be warrantied out with ease.

 

[powertrip]

Those wrenches probably have been sitting at the store or a warehouse for years. What did you try to clean them with? Had the same problem and used some brake cleaner and a rag and mine cleaned up fine.

 

[Danglerb]

Both the 8mm and the 13mm look like they are from a different production run. That and the sloppy broach make me thing Sears dug through the reject bins to make up sale sets.

OTOH could be that set has been sold and returned a few times, and the local manager keeps putting them back on the shelf waiting for a sucker to not notice.

 

[HandyManny]

Those wrenches probably have been sitting at the store or a warehouse for years. What did you try to clean them with? Had the same problem and used some brake cleaner and a rag and mine cleaned up fine.

I think the crossforce are a relatively newer products in the Cman line. Introduced only within the last 4 years maybe. But I could be mistaken.

 

[twincam00]

Those wrenches probably have been sitting at the store or a warehouse for years. What did you try to clean them with? Had the same problem and used some brake cleaner and a rag and mine cleaned up fine.

They did look like they were sitting for awile, I tried cleaning them with alcohol first (a habit of mine, have to clean the fingerprints off anything that I just bought) then I tried paint paint thinner. Acetone or metal polish would have cleaned it, I just didn't want to spend the time

 

[twincam00]

OTOH could be that set has been sold and returned a few times, and the local manager keeps putting them back on the shelf waiting for a sucker to not notice.

really annoys me when they do that, I bought 2 wood doors from fleet farm last year and got them home and found that they were severely warped, returned them and talked to the manager about it (I brought in my level to show them how far they were off) Next day I'm at fleet again and I see those same 2 doors right back on the shelf

 

[ishiboo]

really annoys me when they do that, I bought 2 wood doors from fleet farm last year and got them home and found that they were severely warped, returned them and talked to the manager about it (I brought in my level to show them how far they were off) Next day I'm at fleet again and I see those same 2 doors right back on the shelf

That's nothing... did you see my thread about the Oshkosh Lowes who sold me a dryer converted to LP, which shot flames as it had been converted BACK to natural gas before they sold it to me?

Once I threatened them they finally took it back and refunded me and gave me a deal on another matching dryer for my set, then promptly put it back out for sale, for more than I paid for it, still saying "Converted to LP" on it.

 

[porphyre]

I bought the Craftsman Cross-Force 8-piece wrench set today from sears. It was 50% off so I figured I would give them a try for $40.

Maybe Ive just been using too many snap-on tools lately but this is really poor quality.

Dang gum! I dun had thar exact same problem!

See, I was comin' back from the Sears in the city and hit a dang ARMY-DiLLO. It busted my truck all up, on account of the ditch I drove into aftera hittin' it.

Anyways, I got my sister's friend's brother to drive me to the Chevy-rolet store to get me a new conveyance. I picked up a brang spankin' new AVEO. Dang car costed me $11,000! I remember back when my daddy would take me to Sears then the Chevy-rolet store in his Malibu, them cars only costed like $2,500!

Anyways, I'm not likin' this car too much. My other sister has a husband and he's one a them attorney-in-laws. He's got hisself a 2012 Mercedes S-class. Compared to that car, this AVEO is a piece of junk. I jes don't get it...they's both 2012 model year cars. $11,000 is a lot of money for a car! What's the deal??

 

[twincam00]

That's nothing... did you see my thread about the Oshkosh Lowes who sold me a dryer converted to LP, which shot flames as it had been converted BACK to natural gas before they sold it to me?

Once I threatened them they finally took it back and refunded me and gave me a deal on another matching dryer for my set, then promptly put it back out for sale, for more than I paid for it, still saying "Converted to LP" on it.

Now thats something to complain to corporate about, can't believe people get away with this ****

 

[Techniker]

It must have been either just that particular set or the batch that the store received.

I purchased mine here after going through several of them (and I had looked at them in other stores before finally buying them as well) and all of them were in great shape, especially the polish.

I don't write off a brand name with sample size n=1.

-Techniker

 

[twincam00]

I don't write off a brand name with sample size n=1.

I'm not trying to write craftsman off completely, I keep giving them a chance but keep getting burned for doing so

 

[ctb]

Personally The finish wouldn't bother me as it would look like that after being in my tool box for a while anyway,

What does bother me is the broaching on the one wrench (which implies a lack of quality control) and the fact the wrenches only go to 17mm. The minimum small set I would buy would go to at least 19mm. There's a lot of missing sizes in this set for what it is.

 

[powertrip]

That wrench looks like one of the china made versions. I would check them all for usa stamping if you havent already.

 

[twincam00]

They all had the USA stamp, I was sure to check that before I got them

 

[Jim C.]

I'm a big Craftsman fan, and usually don't like to bash them, but if those wrenches are brand new and unused, they do look sort of crappy. In the one photo, is the box end off center, and is there a pit in the casting? If so, that alone would be enough for me to return them. I'm sorry to see that. I really don't buy new Craftsman any more. I pretty much stick to used tools. The price is right and the quality is at least as good, if not better, than the current stuff being sold at Sears.

Jim C.

 

[ishiboo]

Personally The finish wouldn't bother me as it would look like that after being in my tool box for a while anyway,

What does bother me is the broaching on the one wrench (which implies a lack of quality control) and the fact the wrenches only go to 17mm. The minimum small set I would buy would go to at least 19mm. There's a lot of missing sizes in this set for what it is.

IMO the smaller sets are basically a sham for you to piece together more at full-price. Sales on individual wrenches/sockets are just about nonexistent at the box stores. If you just need the common sizes great, otherwise realize the cost of buying the additional sizes

 

[Skin]

Personally The finish wouldn't bother me as it would look like that after being in my tool box for a while anyway,

What does bother me is the broaching on the one wrench (which implies a lack of quality control) and the fact the wrenches only go to 17mm. The minimum small set I would buy would go to at least 19mm. There's a lot of missing sizes in this set for what it is.

They're affordable wrenches. Every company has their QC issues [bad chrome, offset broachings], even the truck brands. As far as the missing sizes, i find that annoying as well, but again they arent the only ones.

Now personally i dont find that finish on those cross-force wrenches acceptable [they look pitted], but i dont find it thread worthy either. Just exchange it and move on.

 

[tjmonsen5]

These wrenches seem dumb to buy in small sizes (19mm and under) I have the big set (19-24) because they are designed to give you extra pulling/ pushing power.


For 40 bucks I thought those were ratchet wrenches, seems kind of expensive for regular cman wrenches.

 

[Ign]

Did you buy these to display them or use them? If you bought them to use them, it seems that your rationale for returning them should at least involve, well, using them to see how well they work.

Yep, as cliche as it is, chrome don't get you home.

I've never understood why some people consider tools display pieces.

 

[Ign]

These wrenches seem dumb to buy in small sizes (19mm and under) I have the big set (19-24) because they are designed to give you extra pulling/ pushing power.

That's exactly my reasoning too. I've got the bigger fractional set but I don't see the need in smaller sizes, AND I think the taller profile of the wrench will get in the way or limit access far more often than it would ever help. I think these would be obnoxious in an engine bay.

 

[SMKS]

To the OP-

Did you try cleaning the wrenches with solvent and a rag? I've had several different brands of wrenches that had a lot of junk on the finish from manufacturing, storage and transportation. They were all very improved with some cleaning.

 

[twincam00]

I didn't try any solvent. I know it probably would have cleaned them up decently, but I just didn't feel like wasting my time. Its finals week for me and I'm stressed out and irritable