Well, Blue Point really. This has probably been discussed before but I just found this one in my own box. It's a dull story but it has one of those "things that make you go hmmm" elements, for me anyway. A few years ago I needed to replace a part on my pickup that required a 7mm wrench. Due to the extremely tight access and the very limited range of arc movement, using my regular wrench would have resulted in much wailing and gnashing of teeth not to mention the wrench being cast into the lake of fire...er, I mean across the garage. So I deemed the investment in a ratcheting version worthwhile. The only 7mm ratcheting wrench I could find in a timely manner was the Craftsman offset double box 7x8. Bought the wrench, completed the task, and tossed the wrench into the "extra" drawer, all the while not understanding the odd marking on the back side. Since that time I have succumbed to the sickness and bought a very nice set of Blue Point offset double box ratcheting wrenches from a fellow GJer. Fast forward to the present where I was rummaging through the aforementioned extra drawer and noticed the little Craftsman wrench with the now familiar marking (thanks to GJ). That's right, a Snap On date mark. So I retrieved my BP 7x8 to compare and wouldn't you know, twins! Obviously the same OEM, whoever that may be. Anyway, here are some photos. Thanks for indulging me.
Another Craftsman-Snap On Twin Thread
- Thread starter toolmutt
- Start date
caper
Well-known member
Now there's something Lauver will be really interested in for his Craftsman manufacturer threads.Nice find!This should be interesting,the guys who bash craftsman will have a heart attack seeing Snap on date codes on a Craftsman wrench.
Fubar
Well-known member
There are no more Snap-On ratcheting wenches anymore, hasn't been for a few years now.
krusty the clown
Member Emeritus
i thought it was well known that KASTAR made those for almost everyone.
jdcompman
Well-known member
Fixed it for you. Snap on doesn't make that style ratcheting wrench anymore but they most definitely still make ratcheting wrenches.
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...em_ID=68073&group_ID=17480&store=&dir=catalog
Fubar
Well-known member
Actually I knew someone would be confused with that.....
lbgradwell
Well-known member
I find it odd (& surprising) that the SO date codes appear not only on the BP, but also on the CMan; I would not have expected them on either as I was under the impression that only SO-manufactured (or one of the SO-owned companies) tools featured such marks...
I figured it was. It was just new to me. Happy Birthday BTW.
wreckercologist
Well-known member
I've got a old set of Matco's and another set of Mac's and I believe they have the codes on them as well. Like krusty said, Kastar makes most of these style of wrenches.
lbgradwell
Well-known member
wreckercologist
Well-known member
Here's the background on these wrenches: The Mac and Matco's were bought by my father and were quickly swiped by his son after he retired in 1994. 
I don't have a date chart in front of me but they look like 1982's & 1985's to me. I threw in a couple of pics of a few SK's a coworker has too.
The Sk's are a little cheaper looking with lazer etched sizes and logo's, along with the laminate material that's sandwiched in between (plastic
).
The Mac's & Matco's are nearly identical except for the Mac's have sizes stamped on both sides of the wrench.
I don't have a date chart in front of me but they look like 1982's & 1985's to me. I threw in a couple of pics of a few SK's a coworker has too. The Sk's are a little cheaper looking with lazer etched sizes and logo's, along with the laminate material that's sandwiched in between (plastic
).The Mac's & Matco's are nearly identical except for the Mac's have sizes stamped on both sides of the wrench.
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Yea, KASTAR branded wrench is what Mac tools gave me as a replacement, when the MAC branded wrench broke. Now I have a MAC set of ratchet wrench with one 3/4-7/8 KASTAR. Its not the same quality.
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wreckercologist
Well-known member
I sort of had the same thing happen. I bought a set of Snappy's (A series......very nice), broke one and got a crappy "C" series in return. No where near the same tool. I bitched and moaned until they refunded the difference in price between what I paid originally and what the replacement cost.......over $17.00!!!
Vinko
Well-known member
I sort of had the same thing happen. I bought a set of Snappy's (A series......very nice), broke one and got a crappy "C" series in return. No where near the same tool. I bitched and moaned until they refunded the difference in price between what I paid originally and what the replacement cost.......over $17.00!!!
I bought almost all of the A series SO for a little over dealer cost with the proviso from the dealer that if they broke he'd have to replace them with "c" series, which he said he thought had Chinese guts.
I also picked up some old stock BP metrics (USA), off-set. I like them all.
What I was never able to figure out is what about the SO ones without a series letter. Are these pre-A series? Or did they come sometime after?
Also, has anyone collected examples from the 30's onward? I'd like to see a comparison.
lbgradwell
Well-known member
So am I the only one who's surprised by the use of those date codes over so many brands?! Is this the only tool where this occurs?
mrshaun
Well-known member
I am surprised people still use those. I do not keep them on the truck. only order them for warranty, and that has been a few years since one has been brought to the truck.
Ducky
Well-known member
I went digging through my "extra" drawer and came up with these two.
The larger one is clearly a Kastar. It has the same pat. ## on it.
The smaller one is an Indestro and appears to be built slightly different.
My question is, is this also a Kastar model or did Indestro actually build their own or was there yet another Mfg?
The larger one is clearly a Kastar. It has the same pat. ## on it.
The smaller one is an Indestro and appears to be built slightly different.
My question is, is this also a Kastar model or did Indestro actually build their own or was there yet another Mfg?
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Tool Pants
Well-known member
I have a Craftsman set of 7 in metric I bought a long time ago. Think it came in a package of 5, and I bought 2 more as open stock to complete the set. Noticed the funny looking numbers on them, but never gave it a thought. Funny looking 2s and 3s for 1992 and 1993 if they are Snap-On dates codes. That seems right for when I bought them.
The patent goes to A&E Manufacturing Company which sells tools under the Kastar brand.
http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=sJQyAAAAEBAJ&dq=4748875
http://www.biztimes.com/news/2006/9/15/a-e-hand-tools-has-edge-over-chinese-competitors
The patent goes to A&E Manufacturing Company which sells tools under the Kastar brand.
http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=sJQyAAAAEBAJ&dq=4748875
http://www.biztimes.com/news/2006/9/15/a-e-hand-tools-has-edge-over-chinese-competitors
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Vinko
Well-known member
Did you notice a resurgence of these at any point over the years?
I'd be curious if they were really popular in the 30's, and then at some pointed faded away and then came back, and when and why.
Vinko
Well-known member
Thanks for posting this. A lot of interesting observations can be had from this article.
I wonder how different in quality the the wrenches they make for Hazet are....
superautobacs
Well-known member
Nope, I'm intrigued by it, too.
I've since found the same style of laminated offset wrenches from Proto and Unitool with date codes as well.
Having no affiliation at all, I wonder how and why Kastar is using Snap-on issued date codes.
Check the patent # on the Indestro. Craftsman sold the exact same one with their name on it so perhaps the OEM is Indestro.
Because it's cheaper and easier to make 1 mold with date codes, then 2 molds one with and one without, since Kastar is the oe for bluepoint.
lauver
Well-known member
Gang,
Thanks for breaking the Kastar codes. I've noticed these wierd symbols on all the Kastar made tools and assumed they were Craftsman series codes that changed every so many years. Now to find out they apply to a specific documentable year is a real bonus. I'll update the Kastar Series/Date codes shortly, but ask that you guys keep posting new and different examples as you find them in your tool boxes.
Thanks again and great work!!!
Thanks for breaking the Kastar codes. I've noticed these wierd symbols on all the Kastar made tools and assumed they were Craftsman series codes that changed every so many years. Now to find out they apply to a specific documentable year is a real bonus. I'll update the Kastar Series/Date codes shortly, but ask that you guys keep posting new and different examples as you find them in your tool boxes.
Thanks again and great work!!!
petty4243
Well-known member
this is by far one of the more interesting reads i have found on here to date...I have an old set of buffalo ones at work, will look at them tommorrow to see if they have codes on them as well(do not remember seeing any in the past)
There not Kastar codes, their snap on codes. Snap on puts their codes on blue point tools, kastar makes those ratcheting wrenches for blue point, they also make them for other manufacturers. the backside etching or stamping which ever it is does not have a branding on it ie blue point of craftsman, so it is cheaper and easier to reproduce the same piece for both wrenches then it is to make two different ones, one with a date code one without.
The craftsman wrench is 2006 the blue point is 2002
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14884
alex71
Well-known member
I have a Mac and a proto, both with date codes. the Proto has the "4" date code, same as a Snap-On set that I have, with new script.
Other than the date code, the SO and Proto have nothing in common. The proto is clearly of a different design--much longer beam, and the gears are zinc plated, while the gears on the SO are black.
I don't mind using this style wrench. Sure, if something decent comes along that's cheap enough I'll replace them, but I find the snap-on laminated ones to be better performers than gearwrench. I've never had to smack one of the SO on the ground to get the gears to unlock, like I've had to do with my early GW wrenches.
Other than the date code, the SO and Proto have nothing in common. The proto is clearly of a different design--much longer beam, and the gears are zinc plated, while the gears on the SO are black.
I don't mind using this style wrench. Sure, if something decent comes along that's cheap enough I'll replace them, but I find the snap-on laminated ones to be better performers than gearwrench. I've never had to smack one of the SO on the ground to get the gears to unlock, like I've had to do with my early GW wrenches.
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crewchief888
Well-known member
I sort of had the same thing happen. I bought a set of Snappy's (A series......very nice), broke one and got a crappy "C" series in return. No where near the same tool. I bitched and moaned until they refunded the difference in price between what I paid originally and what the replacement cost.......over $17.00!!!
i had an A series wench strip a few weeks ago, and got a C series for replacement. Definitely not the same quality, i'll keep searching for an A replacement
i use 1/2-9/16, 3/4-13/16 12mm-13mm quite a bit.
wreckercologist
Well-known member
I've already got 'em, so that's why I use 'em. I can't justify buying several new sets of wrenches in the newer style when I barely use these. They are handy at times, and surely have their place in my toolbox, but I always grab my OEX's or OEXM's first.
Niether the old, laminated style or the newer, forged style will work for many of the applications I see due to the thickness and girth of the ratcheting box end.
i had an A series wench strip a few weeks ago, and got a C series for replacement. Definitely not the same quality, i'll keep searching for an A replacement
i use 1/2-9/16, 3/4-13/16 12mm-13mm quite a bit.
You and me both. They seem hard to come up with on Feebay.
I've also got a Wilde brand wrench as well as a set of Powrkraft's (Monkey Wards) and maybe a set of J C Penney's too. I'll have to see if I can find them and snap a few pics.
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Adam McLaughlin
Well-known member
WOW Snap Mom, didn't know that this style of ratcheting wrench has been around for so long.
Adam
Adam
crewchief888
Well-known member
I've already got 'em, so that's why I use 'em. I can't justify buying several new sets of wrenches in the newer style when I barely use these. They are handy at times, and surely have their place in my toolbox, but I always grab my OEX's or OEXM's first.
Niether the old, laminated style or the newer, forged style will work for many of the applications I see due to the thickness and girth of the ratcheting box end.
You and me both. They seem hard to come up with on Feebay.
I've also got a Wilde brand wrench as well as a set of Powrkraft's (Monkey Wards) and maybe a set of J C Penney's too. I'll have to see if I can find them and snap a few pics.
maybe it's what i work on, but theres so many places that a ratchet/socket wont fit. i have a couple spots where i cant even swing a ratchet wrench, and end up using a swivel socket, 2 swivel joints, and 24" ext to get a ratchet out where it can be turned.
