I haven't kept up on this thread in a while. So what's the consensus on the C3 line now that it's been discontinued? Useless to buy C3 tools? My 4yr old C3 batteries are still going strong as are the C3 tools. I know there are imitation C3 batteries out there but for how long will those be around? I'm slowly switching over to Ryobi as a need arises for new tools (like a brad nailer, and a jigsaw).
Craftsman 19.2v C3 Fans
- Thread starter coleman10
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lafester
Well-known member
I don't see any reason to switch until they die. I looked at the 3/8 impact today and they looked new. Had about 6 of them.
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I was going to go the Dewalt way anyway, so as I need something else, I'll just get the new Craftsman stuff, but I'm going to hold onto the stuff I have until it dies, I think. I may sell off a couple of the C3 tools I don't use such as the fan and the cutout tool, though.
If buying into a tool line for the first time, it makes no sense to buy C3. At the same time, if one already has C3, it makes no sense to switch. There is a large selection of tools, they're good tools, and although most are out of production, only a few are hard to find on the internet. Batteries are still available, will be for quite some time, and even if someday they aren't, they can always be rebuilt with new cells (I now have 2.5ah XCP slim packs and 5.0ah XCP double packs). My C3 stuff has worked well at work and home for over 10 years now, and I know it will for decades to come. Some of it looks rough, but have only managed to break one tool (the heavy duty 1/2" impact, which I was able to repair). Spending over a thousand dollars to buy all this stuff again in another tool line that itself probably won't be around in a few years makes no sense.
Why would you spend "over a thousand dollars" buying C3? Use SYWR points! I probably have less than $50 in my complete set, got most of it free by shopping clearance and using points.
Hard to beat for the price, well worth considering.
EOC_Jason
Well-known member
Yeah I got one of those jigsaw's when they were available. Have yet to use it, but I grabbed it while it was available, and of course had tons of points to burn so I think it was only a few bucks OOP...
I'm going to head to my local Hometown later this week to pickup some stuff. It's going to be closing in January so I don't know if all the stuff will get shipped back to Sears or if it's going to be liquidated... Going to talk to the owner and find out more details.
I'm going to head to my local Hometown later this week to pickup some stuff. It's going to be closing in January so I don't know if all the stuff will get shipped back to Sears or if it's going to be liquidated... Going to talk to the owner and find out more details.
vette-kid
Well-known member
Jigsaw is pretty good, I used it a lot to make holiday cut out decorations. Including 3/4 plywood. No complaints. I'll never use a corded jigsaw again!
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C3 inflators are also still available from Summit Racing for $68. Shipping is only free on orders over $99. I have one already, but bought one for my dad.
I assumed it would just be an item Summit has had on the shelf for years as most people probably don't shop Summit Racing first for Craftsman tools, but I received it, and lo and behold it has a January 2018 manufacture date on it. So these were also apparently briefly back in production. I don't recall ever seeing them in Sears though this year. If anyone wants one, I'd buy one before Summit runs out of stock. I doubt they are getting any more.
I assumed it would just be an item Summit has had on the shelf for years as most people probably don't shop Summit Racing first for Craftsman tools, but I received it, and lo and behold it has a January 2018 manufacture date on it. So these were also apparently briefly back in production. I don't recall ever seeing them in Sears though this year. If anyone wants one, I'd buy one before Summit runs out of stock. I doubt they are getting any more.
Speaking of C3 inflators. If anyone hated that automatic shutoff at some psi (I can't remember exactly what psi) when the trigger lock was on, it is dead simple to open it up and wire around the switch on that lock. It will then inflate to whatever psi you have set on the LCD screen. Just be careful not to overheat your inflator.
I have had c3 for years and it servede well. I recently abandoned it for milwaukee, it was ungodly expensive to replace but a few of my tools were on thier last legs and one of my batteries quit.
Moral of the story is I realized why my buddies made fun of me. Milwaukee blows the c3 stuff out of the water. Non fuel grinder is light years ahead of the c3 and dont even get me started on the fuel circular saw vs c3. Clearly in a different league
Moral of the story is I realized why my buddies made fun of me. Milwaukee blows the c3 stuff out of the water. Non fuel grinder is light years ahead of the c3 and dont even get me started on the fuel circular saw vs c3. Clearly in a different league
blown383
Well-known member
Could you elaborate on this? The inflator is always about 2psi off when shuts off and won't go over 40psi.
-B
-B
Open it up, cut the wires off of the lock-on switch, and wire them directly together bypassing the switch. It can then go over 40 psi with the trigger lock on.
deberly12
Well-known member
Same experience for me...I still have some c3 till it dies but yeah it is a whole different animal.
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Barnabas
Well-known member
vette-kid
Well-known member
Good luck! People are asking insane prices for stuff, especially discontinued items. They're tools, not fricken cars or baseball cards.
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I bought a bunch of C3 stuff off a guy switching over to DeWalt. I bought 4 mint chargers, 2 C3 lithium batteries. All of it was pristine -- $25 for the lot. Traded it to a friend who has C3 stuff for a nice set of tires.
The guy said he had 10 batteries but a guy bought 8 of them for $20. lol. I told him I would've paid way more.
vette-kid
Well-known member
I was looking at a box of C3 items all nicad era, 3 or 4 batteries, couple old style chargers, mono radio, hacksaw, leaf blower, drill, impact, fluorescent light, 7.25 saw, and maybe forgetting something, wanted $160 with no takers for months, and I am still chewing over offering $100, which is loball, but I have my doubts the batteries are still any good and have plenty of drills and the impact.
Mostly I would like a leaf blower, and corded models seem a lot smarter what to go for my limited distance from an outlet uses.
Mostly I would like a leaf blower, and corded models seem a lot smarter what to go for my limited distance from an outlet uses.
Here2Learn
Well-known member
The batteries won't be worth fooling with.
Depending on condition of tools, $160 does not sound too far off to me.
It could be that it sold already and the seller didn't remove the ad.
If you don't have to go far from an outlet, don't get cordless.
Depending on condition of tools, $160 does not sound too far off to me.
It could be that it sold already and the seller didn't remove the ad.
If you don't have to go far from an outlet, don't get cordless.
Yeah. Forget the Ni-Cad batteries and chargers. They're junk. That being said though, the leaf blower alone goes for about $100 on eBay. The 7.25" saw is also rare and goes for close to that. If you could pick it up for low 100s, that would be a good deal.
TTMotorsports
Well-known member
I just ordered a 19.2v to m18 adapter from China. Will report back when it arrives in a few weeks
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Here2Learn
Well-known member
For me, I already have tools and a few batteries. Sears is still open for now and sell Li-Ion batteries. NiCd battery packs can be rebuilt with high quality batteries to 2.2 Ah. There are a lot of sellers on eBay for Li-Ion and Ni-Cd batteries. One can buy Ni-Cd aftermarket batteries for $18 shipped. I assume they would run a light, drill or radio just fine. I am not committed to C3 only, as many tools are discontinued or only available on eBay or Amazon for a high price. For example, I would love to have a Craftsman fan, but I can pay for gas money to go to Home Depot, buy a Ryobi fan, battery and charger for the eBay / Amazon price.
Sounds good. Go buy a corded leaf blower. Someone else will buy those tools and put them to use or resell them for a profit.
cstmg8
Well-known member
Here2Learn
Well-known member
I definitely have to many to justify switching. I'll keep buying the occasional lithium ion battery, and just replace tools with Milwaukee as they burn up.
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SWEET! Congratulations on the stash!
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impactsocket
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Craftsman 19.2v C3 impact wrench = 300 ft.-lbs. of Torque
Craftsman 20v impact wrench = 350 ft.-lbs. of Torque
Kobalt 24v impact wrench = 650 ft.-lbs. of Torque
Ridgid 18v impact wrench = 450 ft.-lbs. of Torque
I love Craftsman but they are way behind with cordless impact wrenches.
Craftsman 20v impact wrench = 350 ft.-lbs. of Torque
Kobalt 24v impact wrench = 650 ft.-lbs. of Torque
Ridgid 18v impact wrench = 450 ft.-lbs. of Torque
I love Craftsman but they are way behind with cordless impact wrenches.
impactsocket
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CRAFTSMAN V20 20-volt Max 1/2-in Drive Cordless Impact Wrench (1-Battery Included) $189.00 is already on clearance at lowes:
The v20 gives you 50 ft.-lbs. of torque more than a 19.2v C3 but the v20 is big and bulky.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/CRAFTSMAN-V20-20-volt-Max-1-2-in-Drive-Cordless-Impact-Wrench-1-Battery-Included/1000578229
The v20 gives you 50 ft.-lbs. of torque more than a 19.2v C3 but the v20 is big and bulky.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/CRAFTSMAN-V20-20-volt-Max-1-2-in-Drive-Cordless-Impact-Wrench-1-Battery-Included/1000578229
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The C3 1/2" impact was rated 300 lbs Ni-Cad or the regular lithiums. It is rated 325 ft/lbs with XCP packs.
The Kobalt 24v is rated in "nut-busting" torque. Whatever the hell it really means, it is always a much higher rating the the maximum working torque rating. That being said, I've used that Kobalt, and it is a hoss. It does have a lot more power than the C3 impact, but it is also huge. It's a lot bigger and heavier than the C3 impact. I do like that Kobalt and really all of Kobalt's 24v max tools are winners, but it's worth mentioning the size. Kobalt sells a baby 1/2" with a lot less power.
Like our C3 stuff, most of the Ridgid 18v tools are Ryobi tools. That's why the Craftsman C3 ID2030 1/2 impact, the Ryobi P261 1/2 impact, and the Ridgid 86010 1/2 impact all look identical except for colors, (and all share the 300-325 ft/lbs rating) is because they are basically identical. The part numbers for the internal parts like the motor, hammer case parts, etc are all the same. TTI/Ryobi is now making the 86011 for Ridgid. It is a slightly larger and brushless version of the 86010 and is rated at 450 ft/lbs. They have been selling it for over a year now. I have not used it and cannot comment on if it's really more powerful. I imagine it is. I'm surprised they still have yet to release it as part of their own Ryobi One+ line. I suppose it's only a matter of time.
That Craftsman V20 is a rebadged DeWalt DW889 1/2" (Stanley Black and Decker owns both Craftsman and DeWalt). It is rated 400 ft/lbs in DeWalt Yellow. It is terrible. One guy in the shop has one and it is weak. He use to work next right to me and I would get mad when he would continue to hammer on bolts with that hunk of **** just failing to bust them loose. He'd sit there and continue to make noise hammering away when it clearly wasn't working. The C3 has noticeably more power. The C3 is also a lot smaller. The DeWalt 20v line has since replaced the DW889 with a brushless version. My brother has it and it is more powerful than my C3. But that V20 tool is a joke. The entire V20 line is garbage.
The C3 1/2" impact is really not a bad tool despite its age. It is fairly powerful, and not overly huge. Yes, there are better ones, and yes, it would have been nice if C3 was still being made and we could get our version of the brushless 450 ft/lb rated impact, but I can live with the ID2030.
The Kobalt 24v is rated in "nut-busting" torque. Whatever the hell it really means, it is always a much higher rating the the maximum working torque rating. That being said, I've used that Kobalt, and it is a hoss. It does have a lot more power than the C3 impact, but it is also huge. It's a lot bigger and heavier than the C3 impact. I do like that Kobalt and really all of Kobalt's 24v max tools are winners, but it's worth mentioning the size. Kobalt sells a baby 1/2" with a lot less power.
Like our C3 stuff, most of the Ridgid 18v tools are Ryobi tools. That's why the Craftsman C3 ID2030 1/2 impact, the Ryobi P261 1/2 impact, and the Ridgid 86010 1/2 impact all look identical except for colors, (and all share the 300-325 ft/lbs rating) is because they are basically identical. The part numbers for the internal parts like the motor, hammer case parts, etc are all the same. TTI/Ryobi is now making the 86011 for Ridgid. It is a slightly larger and brushless version of the 86010 and is rated at 450 ft/lbs. They have been selling it for over a year now. I have not used it and cannot comment on if it's really more powerful. I imagine it is. I'm surprised they still have yet to release it as part of their own Ryobi One+ line. I suppose it's only a matter of time.
That Craftsman V20 is a rebadged DeWalt DW889 1/2" (Stanley Black and Decker owns both Craftsman and DeWalt). It is rated 400 ft/lbs in DeWalt Yellow. It is terrible. One guy in the shop has one and it is weak. He use to work next right to me and I would get mad when he would continue to hammer on bolts with that hunk of **** just failing to bust them loose. He'd sit there and continue to make noise hammering away when it clearly wasn't working. The C3 has noticeably more power. The C3 is also a lot smaller. The DeWalt 20v line has since replaced the DW889 with a brushless version. My brother has it and it is more powerful than my C3. But that V20 tool is a joke. The entire V20 line is garbage.
The C3 1/2" impact is really not a bad tool despite its age. It is fairly powerful, and not overly huge. Yes, there are better ones, and yes, it would have been nice if C3 was still being made and we could get our version of the brushless 450 ft/lb rated impact, but I can live with the ID2030.
impactsocket
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Craftsman 1/2" 19.2V Impact Wrench is over priced compared to the
Ryobi 18-Volt ONE+ Impact Wrench.
Ryobi 18-Volt ONE+ Impact Wrench = $ 103 20
3-speed design, 4.0 Ah Battery and Charger
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-18-Volt-ONE-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-3-Speed-1-2-in-Impact-Wrench-Kit-with-1-4-0-Ah-Battery-and-Charger-P1890/206736695
Craftsman 1/2" 19.2V Impact Wrench = $129.99
4Ah XCP lithium-ion battery
https://www.sears.com/craftsman-c3-189-8221-heavy-duty-impact-wrench-kit/p-00945195000P?plpSellerId=Sears&prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G0&adcell=hp_TLS_impactwrench
Ryobi 18-Volt ONE+ Impact Wrench.
Ryobi 18-Volt ONE+ Impact Wrench = $ 103 20
3-speed design, 4.0 Ah Battery and Charger
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-18-Volt-ONE-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-3-Speed-1-2-in-Impact-Wrench-Kit-with-1-4-0-Ah-Battery-and-Charger-P1890/206736695
Craftsman 1/2" 19.2V Impact Wrench = $129.99
4Ah XCP lithium-ion battery
https://www.sears.com/craftsman-c3-189-8221-heavy-duty-impact-wrench-kit/p-00945195000P?plpSellerId=Sears&prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G0&adcell=hp_TLS_impactwrench
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lafester
Well-known member
Pretty sure when I got mine it was about $75 after points and earned about $30 more. Home Depot does not offer deals like that.
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fordgasm
Well-known member
I once got the craftsman C3 3/8 impact wrench for $22 after points but I’m not gonna claim that as normal. Home Depot sells the ryobi impact wrench with 4ah battery, charger and case for $99 during the holidays and during other promotions. Take the $5 off $50 in store coupon that anyone can get emailed to them and it’s $94. Hard to beat considering it also has a 3 year warranty on the tool. I was heavily invested in the C3 lineup up until 3 or so years ago but saw the writing on the wall. Craftsman/Sears/SB&D are a mess. There is the Craftsman V20 line, the Sears Craftsman 20V line as well as remnants of the Sears Craftsman C3 19.2v and 12v Nextec line around. Talk about confusing to the average consumer.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Craftsman-...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649
Someone here should buy this. I have one already.
Someone here should buy this. I have one already.
Pretty sure Ryobi is still around unlike Sears and C3
lafester
Well-known member
Sears and c3 are still around.
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emeraldcoupe
Well-known member
any of you guys interested in a c3 grinder? it's the last c3 tool I have.
Roundhouse
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Won’t be for much longer
Sears is toast , they losing money faster the the post office
You may not be shopping efficiently, many of us bought when the C3 was under $50 for the kit, and I'm probably not the only one who got it free with points earned from sweepstakes.
Please show us how to get the Ryobi for free or money back, that would be a great deal if free is "overpriced".