Cracking Craftsman

[seber]

Yesterday I cracked two more USA made Craftsman sockets. This has been happening a lot since I have started using more metric. My SAE are SK and I've never had a problem with them. Is this common or did I just get a bad set? This set is about 35 years old.

 

[sberry]

Typical of them. Once you stress test them they have held up but I had them bust out of the box from that era. Most broke on first use. They changed in about 80, we're **** thru early 90s. Replacement have held up, I changed a small collection in a few yrs ago not too long before the local Sears went **** up.

 

[Mechanical Noise]

Yesterday I cracked two more USA made Craftsman sockets. This has been happening a lot since I have started using more metric. My SAE are SK and I've never had a problem with them. Is this common or did I just get a bad set? This set is about 35 years old.

I got my Craftsman metric socket set about 40 years ago. I crack one every few years and I don't think I use them very hard. Pretty sure I'm on like my third 15mm. Exchanges have always been easy but now I'll get a different set if I have more problems.

 

[stonesfan68]

I’ve cracked a couple since I started using a longer ratchet. I’ve put them in a drawer and bought SK socket sets as a replacement.

 

[finn]

They were pretty thin wall sockets.

If in doubt, I tend to use a 1/2” drive on tough fasteners. Never cracked one of them.

 

[Jason280]

It happens, I've cracked 2 or 3 Snap On sockets.

 

[LNKMK8]

What series are they? 35 years old would put you right in the EE-Series which were made by Stanley and didn't really match any of the others produced over the past 50 years from other manufacturers (-V- -VV- -VA- -G- -G2- -GK-). In fact, most of the Craftsman ratchets of that period were not made in USA. I'm not a fan of the EE-Series tools at all.

 

[DFB]

Ya not of unheard of...agree Craftsman are fairly thin wall socket and especially with the 12pt

Also curious to what the letter code is

And the application

 

[bobcatdan]

I have retired pretty much all of my craftsman other than 1/4" drive. Everything I have I bought in 90's. I never had any complaints with craftsman sockets until 3-4 years ago when I started breaking them left and right. Sears was still around, but half the time they had to order a common 3/8" drive socket. I think the metal expired. Ended up putting them aside and bought different ones.

 

[finn]

I have retired pretty much all of my craftsman other than 1/4" drive. Everything I have I bought in 90's. I never had any complaints with craftsman sockets until 3-4 years ago when I started breaking them left and right. Sears was still around, but half the time they had to order a common 3/8" drive socket. I think the metal expired. Ended up putting them aside and bought different ones.

Metal doesn’t expire, although there could be cumulative damage and low cycle fatigue going on. The metalography of the tool is stable with time, though.

More likely you started eating more Wheaties for breakfast or spinach with dinner.

Or else got a longer handled ratchet somewhere along the way.

 

[lardy1]

My first domestic socket set was a mid 80's 3/8 set. I don't remember breaking any but I remember how disappointing it was. I was excited about getting what I thought back then was damn good stuff and it was not like the Craftsman sockets I was so envious of my friends over.

I lived differently back then. They were misplaced here and there until eventually they were just gone. I've never missed them a bit.

 

[Legion Prime]

What series are they? 35 years old would put you right in the EE-Series which were made by Stanley and didn't really match any of the others produced over the past 50 years from other manufacturers (-V- -VV- -VA- -G- -G2- -GK-). In fact, most of the Craftsman ratchets of that period were not made in USA. I'm not a fan of the EE-Series tools at all.

Who are those manufacturer codes for? I have a couple sets of VA my father got me but everywhere I manage to find only seems to list older codes or references the newer ones but never has what manufacturers they are for. I'm just curious and google just hasn't been doing it for me.

 

[Flyordie]

Never had issues other than some with flaking chrome.

Mine are circa-2010-2012 though.

 

[MarvinBerry]

Who are those manufacturer codes for? I have a couple sets of VA my father got me but everywhere I manage to find only seems to list older codes or references the newer ones but never has what manufacturers they are for. I'm just curious and google just hasn't been doing it for me.

This seems sorta complete?

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=191889&postcount=69

 

[WittHay]

Craftsman EE sockets are noticeably thicker than the US counterparts. Worn out some 12 points but have never cracked a 3/8 or 1/2 drive EE socket

Have some US sockets, a lot are in the junk socket can. Never did warranty them as the later ST sockets were made in China and not as good as the EE. The majority of cracked, bad US sockets are G series

I like the EE wrenches and keep using the EE sockets. The import industrial brands up here match up well with the EE sockets. There are so many version of US Craftsman with different lengths and socket thickness

 

[mfewtrail]

The majority of cracked, bad US sockets are G series

I believe some of the ones I cracked by hand with standard length ratchets years ago were G series.

 

[WittHay]

I believe some of the ones I cracked by hand with standard length ratchets years ago were G series.

According to that Craftsman code list G series was made by Easco from 1980 to 1989. Seems to be the right vintage for the Op and what Sberry was referring to

I am no US Craftsman expert. just have a small can of broken, cracked and worn out sockets from different brands collected over the years.

 

[David99]

Craftsman EE sockets are noticeably thicker than the US counterparts. Worn out some 12 points but have never cracked a 3/8 or 1/2 drive EE socket

Have some US sockets, a lot are in the junk socket can. Never did warranty them as the later ST sockets were made in China and not as good as the EE. The majority of cracked, bad US sockets are G series

I like the EE wrenches and keep using the EE sockets. The import industrial brands up here match up well with the EE sockets. There are so many version of US Craftsman with different lengths and socket thickness

Purchased my first set of craftsman tools new in 1984, the sockets are EE and marked made in USA, Don't think I've broken any of them or the combination wrenches that were in the set, also the 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 inch drive tri-wing ratchets are still working fine (now that I've said that...).

 

[Mechanical Noise]

Craftsman EE sockets are noticeably thicker than the US counterparts. Worn out some 12 points but have never cracked a 3/8 or 1/2 drive EE socket

Have some US sockets, a lot are in the junk socket can. Never did warranty them as the later ST sockets were made in China and not as good as the EE. The majority of cracked, bad US sockets are G series

I like the EE wrenches and keep using the EE sockets. The import industrial brands up here match up well with the EE sockets. There are so many version of US Craftsman with different lengths and socket thickness

I'll concur on the G series cracking for me. To be fair, most of my Craftsman sockets in regular use are probably G series. And most of my G series sockets are early ones which lack the off corner engagement. I don't have much confidence of off corner engagement magically removing rounded bolts but I'm sure it reduces stress at those corners.

I have a few EE series sockets, too. They are a bit thicker but they seem cruder. Haven't broken them, though.

 

[Legion Prime]

This seems sorta complete?

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=191889&postcount=69

Thanks, that actually seems to have more codes than anything else I could find through google. Still nothing for the VA code though. I guess it will remain a mystery. LOL

 

[LB-1911]

Thanks, that actually seems to have more codes than anything else I could find through google. Still nothing for the VA code though. I guess it will remain a mystery. LOL

VA or is it possibly V with the second V inverted?

Craftsman "VA" question

Last Updated: 11/13/15
Craftsman Hand Tool Manufacturers & Date Ranges

 

[JR 42]

It's on lauver's list as " V^(2nd V inverted) "- there's no letter A in the mark. I've got Craftsman combos from 1995- no more US wrenches around 2013 with that mark. I've never seen anything actually marked VA.

 

[jgromada]

I've only broken 1 Craftsman socket in like 30 some years. I tried using it with an electric impact which was entirely on me.

 

[DFB]

I just had a chance to look over my Craftsman stuff all bought thru out an 18 yr span figure 1980- 1998

So all my sockets run from 1/4" to 1/2" drive, have shallow and deep and standard and metric.

And all are a mix of V, VV, G, with a few GK which surprised me a bit but thinking back those few were purchased as separate single add ons after the fact and none were part of any multi pc kit.

Wrenches are either V, VV, or the inverted V^ mark


So I wonder if sourcing certain loose pack combination sets thru the old mail order tool catalog (which I did a lot) like a complete metric add listing vs buying certain packaged sets sold directly in a Sears retail store had any bearing on what codes you may have gotten during the same time period.

That metric set all 3 drive sizes are a V code.

And I have duplicates of many SAE sockets especially in 1/4" 6pt shallow/deep, 3/8" drive 6pt /12pt shallow and the 3/8" deep 6 pt.

Because I did purchase a large 3 drive socket/ ratchet set that came in locking plastic case which I subsequently tossed (almost wish I still had that storage box today in a small way) sometime in the 90's for mobile stuff long ago , and that's where the duplicates come from.

One thing I do see is the chrome finish is distinctly different on those later G series sockets from that boxed set. Maybe you can see that in the photo. I can easily tell them apart. These are all 1/4" "G" series sockets and thinking like close to 10 years between purchases.

For grins just checked wall thickness on a few sizes with a digital caliper and though it doesn't vary much between sets what I did notice was that wall thickness could vary around the socket does just a little bit...about .005 on average

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

My Craftsman 3/8" sockets date from the late '60s and early ' 70s. For stubborn bolts, I realized Craftsman weren't the best choice and picked up some 6pt J.H. Williams in the common sizes. They were taller, thicker walled, shallow broached with a reinforcing internal shoulder. My latest Proto, Gray, and SK are like that as well.

 

[MarvinBerry]

Because I did purchase a large 3 drive socket/ ratchet set that came in locking plastic case which I subsequently tossed (almost wish I still had that storage box today in a small way) sometime in the 90's for mobile stuff long ago , and that's where the duplicates come from.

You don't actually still want that case. If it was anything like my Cman case it dumped sockets all over the place every single time it opened. My case also became dumpster food.

I think it was part of Sears marketing strategy... guarantee that we'll lose sockets and will need to buy replacements. I ended up moving most of mine into a Gerstner box. Just as disorganized but at least I stopped losing them.

Most of mine are G and G2 code. Recently, like over the last several weeks bought some rails and went through that chest and all my other loose sockets sorting 'em out. Most came in a set around 1995? Some later...

What's really weird is I have a 3/8 shallow metric set that's mixed 6 & 12 point. All G2 code but only a couple 3 sockets, and its 3 in row are 12 point. The 13mm in particular. Like 12-13-14 and the rest from 10-19 are 6 point. Not sure how that happened.

 

[BigBoreFan]

I broke a few CM 14mm 3/8 sockets, but I was abusing them.

 

[wayne55]

I had a strange thing happen with Craftsman metric sockets about 15 years ago. I was replacing a water pump on a Taurus and I broke 2 sockets trying to remove the same bolt. One was a regular depth and one was a deep socket. I don't remember the size. Anyway, I had a cheap set of no name import sockets that I used and removed the bolt without any problem. So evidently I had defective Craftsman in two different types. The bolt was really not hard to remove, the Craftsman were just bad. I think it's the only sockets I have ever broken. Sears did replace the 2 sockets.

I went to my shop and checked. These were 8 mm regular depth and 8 mm deep, both in 1/4" drive. I can still spot them because the chrome finish is slightly different in tone.

 

[Legion Prime]

VA or is it possibly V with the second V inverted?

Craftsman "VA" question

Last Updated: 11/13/15
Craftsman Hand Tool Manufacturers & Date Ranges

It's on lauver's list as " V^(2nd V inverted) "- there's no letter A in the mark. I've got Craftsman combos from 1995- no more US wrenches around 2013 with that mark. I've never seen anything actually marked VA.

You guys are right, I'd never seen that "VA" post before thank you. I went out and took a good close look and it is indeed an inverted V and not an A. That's one mystery that's been stumping me solved!