Are USA made CMan Pro combo wrenches worth picking up?

[Lt CHEG]

I am visiting my mother and father in law with my wife for a couple of days for an early Christmas. I stopped by their Sears tonight to kill a little spare time and saw that they still had 1 package of USA made metric CMan pro wrenches and 3 sets of USA made SAE wrenches. I picked up the metric set on a whim and am wondering if I should keep them and pick up the SAE wrenches tomorrow. I only have raised panel Cman's now and would definitely like some longer pattern wrenches to round out the collection. There's no way I'd pay $100 for the new Chinese wrenches, but the USA made ones seem to be universally loved here and are considered a bargain. Now that the USA made CMan pro wrenches are gone, do you think these USA made ones at $100 are still a good deal or should I just hold out for some Snap On's? I guess I'm just looking for some validation that these wrenches are going to hold up and I won't likely have to ever change them for the Chinese ones. I'm just a shade tree guy, not a pro but I really do want some longer wrenches especially for the smaller sizes as the raised panels are pretty short for a lot of those smaller fasteners. So the question is should I keep these? Should I keep them and get the SAE set too? Or should i return them and pick up some snappy's? Thanks


PS: I'm kind of hoping that I did good with these as I feel like I'm on a bit of a lucky streak. Just yesterday I ran into my Snap On man while going to pick up my ATV and when I ordered a THR72 to add to my collection I was given my first Snap On calendar and a nice pair of Snap On socks. It might seem trivial, but it feels nice to be appreciated as a Snap On customer even though I'm just an amateur and not near as big a spender as a bunch of you guys are.

 

[ImportTuner]

You did good ... I have a set of Craftsman Pro that I use all the time (I also have Snap On, Matco, Williams, etc.. )

 

[pipsters]

Just an FYI, I do this as a friendly PSA on here. I picked up two different sets of those wrenches and my RP's are far better in terms of strength. The USA polished/professionals are too wide on the open end and spread easily. You might want to pull them out of the package and use a couple to make sure they were manufactured correctly.

 

[GoBlue]

I also have found Rps to be of higher quality...fwiw Never used the SK made version but im sure they were fine.

 

[obsessive]

This "module" set still contains USA-made Cman Pro wrenches and is on sale right now for $53.99 with discount code sears2011:
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00934273000P?prdNo=2&blockNo=2&blockType=G2

It doesn't contain the 7, 8, and 9mm from the 13 piece metric set (if that's what you bought), but those can be added for less than the price difference between the sets, AND you get the SAE wrenches.

Yes, the USA-made Cman Pros are universally loved here with the exception of the 2 people above.

For the set above use the store pickup option, as it seems there are no more available by mail.

 

[GoBlue]

Well...heres to us Pipsters!

 

[wrh3]

For the set above use the store pickup option, as it seems there are no more available by mail.

This is what a Sears customer no-service rep told me last night but they still have a ship option available on the website so you could always try it and see if they cancel the order......I heard a lot from this rep that turned out to be misinformation.

I agree the RPs appear to be more robust but I have not used either of the new sets enough to compare/contrast.

 

[pipsters]

Well...heres to us Pipsters!

 

[WRX/Z28]

Still no issues w/ my craftsman pro's. I used one to snap the head off a 14mm exhaust manifold bolt not too long ago.

 

[Lt CHEG]

Well, my GJ friends didn't let me down. I tried to order the above referenced set but the order got cancelled by Sears. There was no option for waiting for one or for ordering online and waiting for shipping either. I was doing some shopping though today with the wife for some last minute gifts and decided to check out Sears for the heck of it. There it was, one last 18 piece set, and USA made and Professional marked. I showed the associate my cancelled order on my cell phone and they matched all the online discounts. I ended up picking up all the individual wrenches that weren't included in the 18 piece set and altogether everything was about $50 cheaper than buying both 13 piece sets. So for a grand total of $167 I got 26 USA made professional long pattern wrenches. I'm happy with trying them out at that price.

I'm going to go with the majority opinion on these wrenches. It is not like I'm going to get rid of my raised panel wrenches, so I will now just have more. I plan on these being my go to wrenches and will do most of what I need. If I need something that can handle a little extra torque I can break out the raised panels if necessary. I just wanted something nicer for most of my wrench work and something a little longer too. Whether it was these USA made CMan pros or a set of Snap Ons for 3 times the price, the raised panels were getting retired in favor of something longer, thinner and more comfortable for primary use. At $167 roughly, it was worth the gamble for these wrenches. Thanks to all for the input.

 

[blarf]

At $167 roughly, it was worth the gamble for these wrenches. Thanks to all for the input.

Will it be worth the gamble when you lose or break one and can't replace it?

 

[GoBlue]

but there shiny!

 

[dieselmike]

these are tough wrenches, beams are not as thick as snap on, much less money, do the same thing. works on salted rusty nuts and bolts.

 

[Lt CHEG]

but there shiny!

I'm just an overgrown child, I'm impressed with shiny things! Make it shiny and there's a good chance I'll like it. It can be a real handicap at times.

 

[GoBlue]

Me too! Id be fibbing if i said anything different!

 

[crewchief888]

i have a few CM (usa) pro wrenches i bought to replace lost SO wrenches.
the only real difference in quality between the 2 is that the CM's chrome finish is showing wear faster than the SO's.

they do have a slightly different feel in the hand, the edges on the SO's are slightly rounder, and slightly thicker beam.

 

[volpster31]

i have the full set of s.a.e and metric and love them.... i got them a couple years ago when they were 60% off online. i cant compare them to other brands because i dont own any new wrenches from the other brands(only have old snap-on and plomb) but id recommend them to anybody

 

[WRX/Z28]

Will it be worth the gamble when you lose or break one and can't replace it?

On the very off chance you actually manage to break it, you can warranty it. You might end up with a china wrench, but at least you still get a new one.

Worst case, you can buy a new one via ebay, or other used means if a chinese replacement wasn't good enough...