Opinions on better quality tools - not off a truck

[ArmyVW_GuyInTX]

I am looking for suggestions for populating a large toolbox with hand tools from Strictly Toolboxes (fantastic thanks to Frank and Robert).

I do not want nor need tools from the professional truck folks-unless they are willing to make a donation to the 501c where I volunteer.

I'm looking for decent quality - not chinese crapola, but also more budget friendly than Snap on or Hazet.

impact sockets,
flex sockets
combo wrenches
various 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" drive tools
various pliers
screwdrivers
torx male and female socket type drivers
hex drivers, including straight and ball end
pry bars

opinions on brands, where you bought them, likes / dislikes ease of warranty in the event of needed replacement is greatly appreciated.

I am moving away from horror freight. No chinese craftsman please.

 

[CJM8515]

Gear wrench, sunex, grey pneumatic, williams, sk, vim, atd, come to mind.

 

[packet]

SK, Proto, Bahco, Williams, Hazet, Gedore, Stahlwille, Wera, Wiha, PB Swiss, Knipex

 

[catalytic]

Wright! Very surprise that Wright is missing from the two lists above. I have all Wright sockets and combination wrenches and the quality is second to none. Everything is made in Ohio.

For hex/torx tools I love Bondhus, and their sets are dirt cheap when on sale. I have seen a thread here that said the newest ones made this year don't have as nice of a tip of the hex tool as the ones I bought 2 years ago. Also all USA-made, and when they claim they are all 'gorillaproof' they aren't kidding -- the handles on my hex wrenches are all welded-on steel bars instead of the glued on plastic that many mfg's use.

For screwdrivers, start with a couple of Picquic screwdrivers, which are both excellent and cheap (esp. from Harry Epstein) and have the 7 bits that you will use the most. Then add some sets of bits for whatever you need. I have Wiha, Bondhus, and Zephyr tips, and all of those are great (as you know, it pays to get the good quality tips that really fit the fasteners properly).

Or, if you're really starting from scratch, then buy a nice used military GMTK toolkit. These can be had complete for a few hundred dollars, are full of USA tools and have the stuff you will reach for maybe 90% of the time you need a tool except for impacts, and there is IMHO no way you can assemble a set like that for that money from scratch (not even counting the amount of work it takes to buy all of the individual types of tools). I would have done this when I started buying tools if I had known about them.

 

[gdocktor3]

impact sockets, - Sunex or Grey Pneumatic
flex sockets - SK, Williams (I rarely ever use flex sockets) Sunex or GP if talking impacts.
combo wrenches - SK, Williams,
various 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" drive tools - Drive tools worth buying Snap On dual 80 on ebay
various pliers - Knipex, Klein, USA made Craftsman, SK, Channellock.
screwdrivers - Vessel, SK, Williams, Proto
torx male and female socket type drivers - VIM
hex drivers, including straight and ball end - Bondhus, Eklind
pry bars - Craftsman USA

 

[Briancapecoral]

I have several SK ratchets I bought when I was upgrading, 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2. They are a great combination of quality and price in a USA made product. Their sockets are great also, but I only have standard chrome, not flex or impact. Their wrenches are great also, but I have found myself looking for a longer set recently. I bought from a combination of Epstein's, Tooldiscounter, Ebay, and Zoro. Google search the part number and find the best price.

 

[ArmyVW_GuyInTX]

Thanks for the ideas!
I am not starting from scratch, but am clearing out the chinese junk HF. I volunteer at a local non profit workshop that has an automotive area.
Recently I asked for funding to buy a new high quality tool box to replace the Husky brand unit that was outgrown and already there.
I'm looking for more better quality tool availability than the previous guy that ran the automotive dept sourced.
We have some Knipex pliers - def my fav brand, followed by channelock.

I haven't heard of VIM, Vessel, atd, or pb swiss.

The goal is two or three sets sets worth of hand tools. neatly organised, better quality. My spending stipend is getting an additional $4000 injection next month, to start with the new toolbox.
USA & Europe are my preference for country of manufacture and Japan, and Taiwan

 

[ArmyVW_GuyInTX]

The pics of the new tool box:

Third pic is the 2 addition laser cutters that arrived the day FedEx brought the green boxes

 

[gregpack]

zoro.com is usually good place to pick up SK, Knipex,Klein, and Proto when you use a dicount code. Join their mailing list and 20% coupon codes are almost always available. 25% off codes come around probably every 60 days. As always,price check.

BTW, do you train there? Would you qualify for a discount from the tool trucks like they give their tech schools?

 

[ArmyVW_GuyInTX]

zoro.com is usually good place to pick up SK, Knipex,Klein, and Proto when you use a dicount code. Join their mailing list and 20% coupon codes are almost always available. 25% off codes come around probably every 60 days. As always,price check.

BTW, do you train there? Would you qualify for a discount from the tool trucks like they give their tech schools?

Thanks Greg!
Yes, we hold basic auto repair / maintenance classes.
Many folks just use it to work on their own cars and trucks.

A couple of Jeep owners used the metal shop on site to cnc plasma cut and then mig or tig weld their custom front and rear bumpers.

I donated an older Rotary twin post lift, we have room for 4 "modern" sized cars inside. The garage area in air conditioned (this is Texas and that makes car work nicer in the 6 months of summer)

 

[Empty Pockets]

I'm a big fan of both SK and Wright.

Knipex pliers are AWESOME!

I have a few Proto and Williams, but I don't use them enough to offer a valid opinion.

While Tekton is for the most part imported, their warranty service is second to none

 

[ssdave]

impact sockets, --- I don't have a recommendation; mine are proto and wright, with some Snap-on but most any kind seem usable except really cheap imports. I owned Taiwanese ones before I got better, and except for fit being a bit sloppy they held up fine. I don't use mine heavily enough to see failures; so take my recommendation with some discretion.

flex sockets - I have been purchasing some Proto from ebay and zoro, I like them as well as my Snap-on ones. Anything less is a poor compromise; but I've not tried new SK ones. I've got a few worn old ones in tool lots and haven't kept them to try. They look good, though.

combo wrenches - SK, Proto, Wright. Get the ones that you like the style the best. I have a hard time deciding between Proto full polish, SK superchrome, and Snap-on OXE. So, I have all three.

various 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" drive tools - I'm in the minority here that think that the best quality matters for sockets. Mine are Proto and Snap-on. I also have SK and Williams. I like the Proto best, except for the 1/4" I prefer Snap-on. SK I also really like. My Williams are older, I like them but they're not as good as the newer Proto. I like SK ratchets for durability and strength. I have several Proto, but they're mostly not my favorites. I like the Snap-on I have real well. Again, go with a good brand for durability, and the style you prefer differentiates which is the best for you.

various pliers - Knipex, Channellock, Klein plus a hundred others for the style. I have a lot of pliers and they're the most diverse brand wise of my tools because of the unique styles and types of each brand.

screwdrivers - I prefer Snap-on for fixed blades, and use insert bits a lot where I use Zephyr in Snap-on ratcheting drivers. Depends a lot on what handles you prefer. The handle shape is as important as the durability of the drive end. I've really liked some of the SK random pieces I've got in toolboxes, but never had a comprehensive set. I used Proto yellow handles for years, but don't really like the handles. I just bought a large amount of Wiha to try, they seem nice enough but I surely DO NOT like the handle shape. I have about 80 of them and I'm going to pass them on to someone else.

torx male and female socket type drivers - I have Snap-on here also, have had a lot less problems than with the cheaper ones I've owned. This is one area where i think they rule in quality, and these tools need every bit of strength they can get.

hex drivers, including straight and ball end - I have Proto, and Snap-on. The Proto are a lot less expensive, and I prefer them to the Snap-on. All the less expensive ones I have had weren't as good and I've replaced them slowly but surely with Snap-on and Proto as I've broken and twisted them and cracked the bit holder socket, or the bits got loose and fell out, etc. Finally I just bought Proto sets and was done with it. The Proto don't break the holder, and I exchange the bits as needed, but they last better anyway and the bits don't come loose and fall out.

pry bars - Wilde. The sets that go on sale at Sears are a great deal on them. I have a few tool truck brands also, and I don't see them as any better than the Wilde.


Overall, the brands that I have found to be 100% reliable that are non truck are Proto, SK, Wright, Williams, Channellock pliers, Knipex, Zephyr and Apex bits. I have been consistently underimpressed with import brands such as dewalt, gearwrench, channellock sockets, and the various automotive house brands. The one exception to this is Carlyle from NAPA, they seem okay as long as you watch what they are. The sockets and wrenches I have used have been good, but I don't like their ratchets all that well.

 

[anndel]

Carlyle, Tekton, Sunex, Knipex, Channelocks, SK, Koken, Toptul

 

[packet]

Wright! Very surprise that Wright is missing from the two lists above. I have all Wright sockets and combination wrenches and the quality is second to none. Everything is made in Ohio.

Yeah, Wright as well. I have a full set of metric and SAE wrenches and they're good stuff. I'm not a huge fan of their ratchets and their sockets tend to be overpriced, but they're quality tools.

 

[packet]

hex drivers, including straight and ball end - I have Proto, and Snap-on. The Proto are a lot less expensive, and I prefer them to the Snap-on. All the less expensive ones I have had weren't as good and I've replaced them slowly but surely with Snap-on and Proto as I've broken and twisted them and cracked the bit holder socket, or the bits got loose and fell out, etc. Finally I just bought Proto sets and was done with it. The Proto don't break the holder, and I exchange the bits as needed, but they last better anyway and the bits don't come loose and fall out.

Try Wera. Hex plus is a huge improvement over the standard hex. I can get stripped screws out with a hex plus driver that others just spin in.

 

[mmason7764]

My favorites:

Wright: Harry J Epstein

SK: Harry J Epstein or Tool Discounter

Williams: Tools Delivered

Proto: Zoro (sorry)

Channellock: Everywhere

Wilde: Bowers Tools, Harry J Epstein

Good luck and good hunting.

Mark

 

[vssjim]

SK Tools , Proto, Wright and Channellock

 

[pdxgearhead]

quality USA made - SK, Proto, Wright (never used them but mentioned here), Channelock, Estwing, Bonhus, Mayhew


quality import - Carlyle, Gearwrench, Sunnex

 

[nutjob]

Can you post a couple of pictures of the hf type tools they busted so we can see how they broke?
Many to most of us have never broken one and we'd love to see your broken tool pit.

Where did you read that he has a "tool pit" of broken HF type tools? Or any broken tools? Did I miss that?


Kevin

 

[Fedwrench]

I'm looking for decent quality - not chinese crapola, but also more budget friendly than Snap on or Hazet.

impact sockets: Sunex, Grey Pneumatic,Carlyle, Proto
flex sockets: Impact: gearwrench pinless 3/8 drive, sunex,
Grey Pneumatic. Chrome: 1/4 inch drive SK maybe.
combo wrenches: I don't like SK combos so, I'll run with Dewalt, Carlyle, Wright, or Proto
various 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" drive tools: NAPA Carlyle 90 tooth series
various pliers:Knipex, Channellock
screwdrivers: I'm partial to German witte, wera, wiha but,
these get pricy.
torx male and female socket type drivers: VIM
hex drivers, including straight and ball endVim or Carlyle
pry bars: Mayhew Dominator, wilde made Craftsman on sale

opinions on brands, where you bought them, likes / dislikes ease of warranty in the event of needed replacement is greatly appreciated.

I am moving away from horror freight. No chinese craftsman please.

Where do you get your parts from?
The NAPA Carlyle stuff is good quality, competitively priced with a commercial account or on sale, and very easy to warranty if ever needed. I know you don't want Chinese stuff but, there are some really great Taiwan made tools out there. Is this going to be a community box?
Tekton might be a decent source for some of the items on your list too.
On a side note, not knowing the details of your facility but, has anyone canvassed the local parts places to see if they might sponsor/donate to your facility with fluids, chemicals, tools, etc? worse that happens is they say no.

 

[Tallpilot]

I think it would also depend on what the place has from HF. The ratchets are pretty decent. The India made wrenches are hideous garbage. The snap ring pliers are junk as are most of The other pliers. The pro line of impact sockets are pretty good. But since the organization has some generous benefactors it makes sense to buy the sweet spot of quality/longevity vs price. I believe that is his question but I won’t presume to speak for him.

 

[davethorik]

I like how OP simply stated they were getting away from HF, and here comes the lynch mob. And people are still recommending HF anyway! I think there are a lot of zealots on this board with poor reading comprehension skills, a big chip on their shoulder against brands that aren't the cheapest, and an air of smug superiority because they saved all that money buying the cheapest tools available.

It isn't the OP's money. He already stated no HF. Not hard to understand.

Back on track, hard to go wrong with most of the suggestions already given in this thread that meet the criteria.

 

[Lelandwelds]

Anyone know if Neiko S2 sockets are actually made from S series steel? Anyone use or own?

 

[APS2000]

Another vote for NAPA Carlyle. Reach out to NAPA to see if they offer a student program discount or can donate.

They offer an extensive product range as well as individual sets, pieces. Having a main supplier migtht make it easier to manage warranty and inventory tools.

You can check out https://www.napaonline.com or http://www.carlyletools.com or download the Carlyle Tool app or the real deals flyer https://realdeals.napaecatalog.com/app.php?RelId=6.2.3.0

Sample of tool sets below:

MTS153 $619.99
• 100 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" drive tools
• 14 Combination wrenches
• 39 Additional hand and service tools

MTS223 $939.99
223 Pc. Advanced Automotive
• 146 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" drive tools
• 22 Combination wrenches
• 55 Additional hand and service tools

MTS329 $1429
329 Pc. Medium Duty
• 197 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" drive tools including impact sockets
• 22 Combination and specialty wrenches
• 98 Additional hand and service tools

MTS433 $1899
433 Pc. Master Technician
• 229 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" drive tools and accessories
• 33 Combination and specialty wrenches
• 143 Additional hand and service tools

 

[ArmyVW_GuyInTX]

'I am moving away from horror freight.'

This was my only clue.
I did have to extrapolate that his replacement plan was due to failure and not just a general want for no reason.

Or
He hasn't broken any tools and really doesn't have a reason to
'Move away'

So since he writes well and logically the only determination I could come up with is they break enough hf tools to warrant the added expense of other brands because his writing and skill and position within a charitable organization belies him wanting more expensive tools due to a simple want.

HF tools are not made well - for example, I reluctantly "opted" in to help a young girl (21) swap the engine out of her dead Dodge Caliber for a known good used one that a coworker gave her. To my surprise the swap went well and we opted to swap ac condensers - the line flats on the condenser require a 16mm wrench. The HF 16mm was very loose. Part of a "how to" for the car work included the proper use of tools, I opted for using the USA made craftsman open end wrenches from our machine shop section in order not to destroy the condenser. Case closed on HF due to poor quality.

For ratcheting combo wenches - I am hoping to find something comparable to my snap on sets( I bought two sets from my dealer back when they were $130 a set, and another set as a gift for my USMC pilot brother) I bought ages ago with the angled end on the box end - something gearwrench and the others don't offer. Some offer the "flex" head end but the detents are terrible if present at all.

I am after better quality not quantity but I do need to acquire two sets of basic hand tools.

Specially gear is one my list as well.

 

[ArmyVW_GuyInTX]

Where do you get your parts from?
The NAPA Carlyle stuff is good quality, competitively priced with a commercial account or on sale, and very easy to warranty if ever needed. I know you don't want Chinese stuff but, there are some really great Taiwan made tools out there. Is this going to be a community box?
Tekton might be a decent source for some of the items on your list too.
On a side note, not knowing the details of your facility but, has anyone canvassed the local parts places to see if they might sponsor/donate to your facility with fluids, chemicals, tools, etc? worse that happens is they say no.

I have accounts with O'reilly, IMC(they deliver up to 9 times a day) and Worldpac.
Not against tools made in Taiwan - but would prefer USA or Europe.
Community box yes
For those interested here is the website to the place I volunteer:

https://dallasmakerspace.org/

We offer guided tours every thurs night starting at 1900 / 7pm

 

[PugetDude]

OPM brand.
Perfect for this application.

 

[bcradio]

HF tools are not made well - for example, I reluctantly "opted" in to help a young girl (21) swap the engine out of her dead Dodge Caliber for a known good used one that a coworker gave her. To my surprise the swap went well and we opted to swap ac condensers - the line flats on the condenser require a 16mm wrench. The HF 16mm was very loose. Part of a "how to" for the car work included the proper use of tools, I opted for using the USA made craftsman open end wrenches from our machine shop section in order not to destroy the condenser. Case closed on HF due to poor quality.

Much to learn you have!

It's ok, stick around here and we will teach you...

Lesson 1: A specific brand does not make all bad (all poor quality) or all good (all high quality) tools. It will need to be looked at on a tool-by-tool basis.

 

[ArmyVW_GuyInTX]

Much to learn you have!

It's ok, stick around here and we will teach you...

Lesson 1: A specific brand does not make all bad (all poor quality) or all good (all high quality) tools. It will need to be looked at on a tool-by-tool basis.

I'm a former European auto tech (and I'm an older guy(over 50)).....so I don't claim to know everything.However I do know that HF tools are not on my list.

I do appreciate the fantastic replies and suggestions so far!

 

[MacMcMacmac]

Gray.

 

[Ohmthis]

There isn't much to ad to the list, but I have a question /thought. With the clientele using the tools, is there a tipping point in quality over quantity? How often do these sets get used? How are they treated? Is there supervision while using the sets? I can see a person using a ratchet as a hammer or a screwdriver as a pry bar, if you catch my drift. If you spent a ton of money on say SK fine tooth ratchets and someone is using a wrench on the end for more leverage. Wouldn't a cheaper (but still quality) tool like say a gearwrench (made in China I know) be a better return on investment? Just food for thought.

 

[seber]

In the industrial setting where I spent my working life we always supplied the production floor with Williams. Those gorillas could break most anything but the Williams tools held up very well. Also, they are available in black oxide finish which really cuts down on loss. As long as you are not in East Texas rust won't be a problem.

 

[Farmall450]

Where did you read that he has a "tool pit" of broken HF type tools? Or any broken tools? Did I miss that?


Kevin

I like how OP simply stated they were getting away from HF, and here comes the lynch mob. And people are still recommending HF anyway! I think there are a lot of zealots on this board with poor reading comprehension skills, a big chip on their shoulder against brands that aren't the cheapest, and an air of smug superiority because they saved all that money buying the cheapest tools available.

It isn't the OP's money. He already stated no HF. Not hard to understand.

Back on track, hard to go wrong with most of the suggestions already given in this thread that meet the criteria.

This. OP, unless you're willing to dig through eBay and hunt for deals/accumulate sets the aforementioned industrial brands covered all the bases. Check cripe distributing and sellular on eBay for sets tho.

 

[Farmall450]

Another vote for NAPA Carlyle. Reach out to NAPA to see if they offer a student program discount or can donate.

They offer an extensive product range as well as individual sets, pieces. Having a main supplier migtht make it easier to manage warranty and inventory tools.

You can check out https://www.napaonline.com or http://www.carlyletools.com or download the Carlyle Tool app or the real deals flyer https://realdeals.napaecatalog.com/app.php?RelId=6.2.3.0

Sample of tool sets below:

MTS153 $619.99
• 100 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" drive tools
• 14 Combination wrenches
• 39 Additional hand and service tools

I would HIGHLY recommend you not go this route. $620 is a ripoff for a wrench set, a few socket sets, some pliers, and a screwdriver set.

 

[Tonyuk]

impact sockets,

- Look into tekton, i bought a large set from them and they're good and come with a lifetime warranty, otherwise i'd just look for something reasonable off of ebay, most sockets are the same now and paying extra doesn't necessarily get you a better socket.

flex sockets

- If you dont find a need for flex sockets much i would just stick to impact joint sockets, i have a few pin-type joints and they're good and relatively cheap, my swivel socket set id from Mac and was more than i think you would want to spend unless you used them often.

combo wrenches

- I'm a big fan of the Facom 440's and use them every day in work, really good spanners with a tight fit on the fastener and good box end. I'd also recommend Toptul & Beta

various 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" drive tools


- I'm a fan of Facom again and their ratchets are really nice, i also have a 84 tooth gearwrench set and its also very good and longer than the facoms,
but over there id honestly look into those Pittsburgh pro ratchets for the cost and i think they come with a lifetime guarantee


various pliers

- Knipex, German Irwin, USA Tekton, NWS, Channellock all good brands but not sure of the cost over there

screwdrivers

- I'm a fan of wera, never had a problem with them and they're very good quality.

torx male and female socket type drivers

- Spend good money on these as how well torx works out for you is all down to how tightly the tool fits into the fastener, i like wera, mac, facom and a brand called Halfords over here. Ideally buy something with a lifetime guarantee as the ends of torx drivers can start to twist after a fair bit of use.

hex drivers, including straight and ball end

- Again i like long weras, facoms and bondhus

pry bars

- I would just buy whatever feels decent and is a good price, most of mine are off brands i've found online for a decent price, such as draper extert, sealey and a few others i cant remember.

Could of replies given above, don't spend too much as undoubtedly stuff will go missing with a few guys working out of the same box.