SnapOn, Craftsman, Carlyle Wrench comparison

Recently I purchased a new set of wrenches, it's Napa's Carlyle Long Non-Slip Combination SAE #CWL1218. I'll be comparing the 3/4" size to craftsman and SnapOn, since those are the only other 2 wrenches I have left that are matches on the same size. The Carlyle is #cwlns124, SnapOn #oex24b, Craftsman USA 44701.

I did choose Carlyle over GearWrench because of the difference in dimensions of the open head side. GearWrenches open head diameter is noticeably larger, which for strength purposes is probably better, but when there are possible clearance issues it would cause poorer bolt/nut engagement. Unfortunately I didn't have a normal box-end GearWrench to do a side by side comparison to the Carlyle, just GearWrenches normal ratcheting wrench, so I was not able to compare the box-end in store. I am also assuming that GearWrenches open ends are of the same designs so I might be mistaken in that assumption.

On the SnapOn and Craftsman compared to the Carlyle open side, the dimensions are incredibly close, the main differences being the non slip grip on the Carlyle and a slight, probably irrelevant, squared off head space for the nut to go into vs the rounded head space for the SnapOn and Craftsman. The head thickness on the Carlyle and SnapOn are almost identitical with the Craftsman is a little thicker. Unfortunately the battery on my micrometer is dead so I can't get an accurate measurement of thickness.

On the box-end of the wrenches, The Carlyle's diameter is really close to 1.1", SnapOn is just slightly Over 1.1", and the Craftsman diameter is closer to 1.15". This might not seem like a lot to most people, but when working on some equipment, my least beloved farm equipment especially (I'll give you a hint, it's green), that stupid little 0.05" is enough of a difference to not allow me to get the box end of the wrench on a nut, and the open end of the any wrench was definately not going to be able to get onto the bolt. As far as thickness of the box end, The Craftsman is the thinnest, with Carlyle and SnapOn being almost identical.

As far as lengths the Carlyle and SnapOn are both long panel I believe and the length is identical as far as I can tell. The Craftsman is a standard length

Pics won't load... Just attach them to your post.

I have those Carlyles and Snap On FD+......I can't honestly say one is nicer or better than the other. I absolutely love them both.

pics

Is the angle of the box-ends all the same?

the craftsman might have a degree more angle, the carlyle and the snapon are the same

Ree75 said:

Recently I purchased a new set of wrenches, it's Napa's Carlyle Long Non-Slip Combination SAE #CWL1218. I'll be comparing the 3/4" size to craftsman and SnapOn, since those are the only other 2 wrenches I have left that are matches on the same size. The Carlyle is #cwlns124, SnapOn #oex24b, Craftsman USA 44701.

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I too have those Carlyle wrenches but in metric. Somewhere around here there is a thread that mentioned it but they are made by Infar, a company in Taiwan. The wrenches are also available as SP Motorsport(Australia) and Channellock(only at a Do It Best hardware) likely a few others too. It's pretty crazy how close they are, they may have set out to "copy" SO design but that's just a guess.

Something that's a little strange about mine is that some of the box ends are counter sunk on the top while others aren't but maybe I have a mix of old vs new stuff as I bought them individually.

It's interesting to see the numbers you came up with tho.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Its nice you took the time to write this comparison out for us, but I'm not sure if it is a reasonable comparison.

By the time you get up to a 3/4" wrench you have quite a bit of metal there for strength, and clearance is less likely to be an issue.

A more useful comparison would be, at least in my eyes, a 10mm.

With a 10 you don't have so much mass, so a wrench made of weaker metal is more likely to be larger than one made of better quality metal if they are to reasonably comparable for service life/accuracy over time.

Plus 10mm are more likely to have clearance issues over a 3/4" being far more commonly used for the majority of what one is likely to need a wrench for these days.

I have an older plain snap on 10mm and a craftsman usa wrench, though I've never directly compared them, and they live on different ends of the shop normally, from my memory the Snappy is longer and thinner and has a smaller head.

I don't know if its enough difference to justify the price difference, at least for what I paid anyway.

The snappy is a replacement I bought off ebay for like $18 shipped I think, the craftsman usa I bought on sale some years ago. It was like $20 for the set, 10 piece I believe.

So not the best comparison there either, not sure if snap on sells a plain wrench anymore, the tool truck only seems to have flank drive on it, and of course you can't buy a usa craftsman at sears anymore so the price for one of those will be pretty variable.

Our shop actually shares a parking lot with Napa so I've looked at the Carlyle tools. They seem ok in general, not great, but not terrible either.

The prices were fairly steep for what they were I thought. I also don't know about how much I trust Napa's warranty either. Carlyle is there third house brand in about that many years or so give or take.

I haven't needed to replace any of the few tools I've bought there, so I don't know if they would honor the older ones. Probably a good chance with the ones that are actually Napa branded, don't think I actually bought any of whatever they had after that so I don't recall the name.


I do have 3 or so of the Carlyle tools I needed right away, so I just walked across the parking lot rather than hunt down a tool truck. An odd sized large socket, another odd sized large hex bit socket, and a mid length 6mm one.

They seem like decent tools and all did the specific jobs I bought them for. Given the situation I wasn't concerned with price really so I didn't pay much attention to what I paid for them.

bdelmar2 said:

Its nice you took the time to write this comparison out for us, but I'm not sure if it is a reasonable comparison.

By the time you get up to a 3/4" wrench you have quite a bit of metal there for strength, and clearance is less likely to be an issue.

A more useful comparison would be, at least in my eyes, a 10mm.

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I'd be more than happy to compare 10mm wrenches, all you have to do is send me a 10mm SnapOn, Carlyle and whatever other brand you want compared
I do still have my old craftsman mm set. The thieves didn't get those along with my 3/4" Snappy and spare CMan

So, to ask a somewhat rhetorical and trolllike question, but I mean it in all seriousness.

Given this comparison, why would Snap-On be able to sell wrenches, when Napa stores and Carlyle wrenches are so readily available and a lot more economical? NAPA will deliver to the shop just like a truck brand, in fact will deliver there several times a day instead of once a week. They will also warranty instantly and on site just like a truck brand. Are there differences that other than a superficial side by side picture shows up?

Myself, I have that answer for me; I buy Carlyle when I need something that I don't have and need it NOW. They're okay, look quite good, NAPA warranty service is fantastic, and I've had good luck with all their tool lines over the years, including Carlyle. But, they're not Snap-On quality. Given a choice and being able to afford it, I prefer Snap-On. But, you won't go wrong with Carlyle; they're quite good and will definitely get the job done.

For those that worry about getting them warranted once NAPA changes to another brand: NAPA will warranty any of their old brands with the current one.

I did a similar 'living experiment' in the shop with an old Mex ñade SO, a Hazet and all the other import 3/4" wrenches in the shop.

The Hazet wins by being on the work areas the most. But I realized its an invalid result as SO Mexico ceased to exist in 1964, the Hazet is older than that and most of the import stuff is unavailable now under those names. None failed but not being current product you can't buy on my result.
Hell, I can't get the rest of the sets of any of it myself. Lol.

As hard to find the 40 to 50 year old premium product is we use the bits we have. Its only worth something making us money.

ssdave said:

Given this comparison, why would Snap-On be able to sell wrenches, when Napa stores and Carlyle wrenches are so readily available and a lot more economical? NAPA will deliver to the shop just like a truck brand, in fact will deliver there several times a day instead of once a week. They will also warranty instantly and on site just like a truck brand. Are there differences that other than a superficial side by side picture shows up?

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I'm not a daily wrench guy, so my assumptions could be way off... But I believe the reason SO is so popular (and commands a premium) is two key factors, the durability of the wrench and the precision / fit of the size. Cheap wrenches will bend, break, mushroom, etc. because they are made from cheap steel. Likewise I've seen cheap wrenches that are sized too big and thus loose on a bolt, or a box-end that isn't centered and will eventually break because one bit is paper thing.

So, you could pay less and just warranty things out. But what if the tool you were using broke, and it held up getting the job done? Even if you could just use something different, or borrow someone elses... If you had to do that on a daily or even weekly basis even I would think about getting better tools at that point.

The op wrote the following post a few days ago:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=350562

Just to set the record straight I told him even though I do not own any Carlyle tools, napa had a fantastic warranty not to worry in fact he could even take back his gearwrench tools.

Not sure why some people are getting all bent out of shape napa will make good on any of their tools; as far as wrench comparisons that is another ball game.

Looks like Snap-On will be going out of business, I know I'll be dumping my Snap-On and Bonney wrench sets and upgrading to Carlyle.

YUP ... Those Carlyle combo wrenches are pretty much identical to SO flanks. I would choose carlyle brand over my SO and Craftsman Pro wrench collection if I have to start over. Their catalog on hand tools is huge

I like Carlyle tools a lot. I don't really get into the whole this brand is better than that one unless it's really just junk (like from Target or something).

But the Carlyle stuff I have is really nice fit and finish and it seems to be really good quality. And I enjoy the selection and prices and the easy warranty exchange option (though I've never had to use it).

Originally, when I was forced to replace my old craftsman wrenches, through no decision of my own, I wanted to replace it with a quality tool that could fit in tight spaces. During my time without wrenches I was forced to use "shop wrenches. The wrenches are a variety of non name brands and crappy brands including evercraft. I didn't pay attention to the brand at the time, but I know it was a 9/16" wrench. I was removing a water pump from a john deere 4010 tractor. On three of the four bolts you could get either a socket or any wrench you wanted on it without a problem. On the fourth though, there was 0 room for a socket with a ratchet, u-joint or not. The first wrench I had in my hand would not fit using the open end, so of course I tried using the box end. because of where the bolt was recessed into and the thickness of the box end, the wrench wouldn't work, I couldn't get the box end centered over the bolt. So essentially this post is more for those who have clearence issues and are wanting a slightly informed decision. I would imagine that for most people, any old wrench will do, but sometimes size plays a very important matter. Tommorrow at work I will try figuring out what brand that crappy wrench was, although it might be a no name china **** one.

EOC_Jason said:

I'm not a daily wrench guy, so my assumptions could be way off... But I believe the reason SO is so popular (and commands a premium) is two key factors, the durability of the wrench and the precision / fit of the size. Cheap wrenches will bend, break, mushroom, etc. because they are made from cheap steel. Likewise I've seen cheap wrenches that are sized too big and thus loose on a bolt, or a box-end that isn't centered and will eventually break because one bit is paper thing.

So, you could pay less and just warranty things out. But what if the tool you were using broke, and it held up getting the job done? Even if you could just use something different, or borrow someone elses... If you had to do that on a daily or even weekly basis even I would think about getting better tools at that point.

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i have broken Snap-on Tools and i don't own that many of them. I wrench professionally. Just saying. Every brand tool breaks.

We get that all the time on late model auto. Recessed or boxed in fasteners that just one needs specific tools.

The shop has options and they all come out eventually. I find the L wrenches most useful in getting at them without needing 47 wrench sets in the Epiq condo. Or tote in my case.

The main reason people choose Snap-On for things like wrenches is brand recognition. Their ratchets are uniquely smooth, and their wrenches are at the top, but other wrenches will get the same results over the same period of time. As will other ratchets.

That’s not to say brand recognition is a bad thing. You know you can trust Snap-On. If you can afford them, it simplifies your life to establish a relationship with a Snappy guy or gall and have your needs met mostly at your convenience (if you have a good one).

If you can’t afford them or simply are of a frugal mindset and don’t mind doing research and shopping around, there are plenty of great options like Carlyle for a fraction of the price.

People talk about Snap-On being overpriced and expensive, but that also works in your favor due to resale value.

So my point is to each their own as long as it gets the job done and you don’t get in over your head in cost of doing business.

If I were to buy another set of wrenches I'd be tempted to get Carlyle since I already have Wright, Snap-On, Proto, Gearwrench, Craftsman, etc... and I'd like to see how well the open ends work compared to the Wrightgrip and SO FD+.

Mickey O said:

Looks like Snap-On will be going out of business, I know I'll be dumping my Snap-On and Bonney wrench sets and upgrading to Carlyle.

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How is Snap-On going out of business???

xin said:

How is Snap-On going out of business???

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I think there's a little sarcasm there.

Serious question here though- The Carlyle sets I see on Napa online are close or even higher than USA made Wright tool prices. Any reason I would choose Carlyle over Wright?

gregpack said:

I think there's a little sarcasm there.

Srrious question here though- The Carlyle sets I see on Napa online are close to USA made wright tool prices. Any reason I would choose Carlyle over Wright?

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Because NAPA is in your hometown and you can drive over there in 3 minutes and buy a tool.

If you aren't hung up on supporting local business, are comfortable buying online, and have the time; buy Wright and get a better, USA made tool instead.

NAPA competes on local availability.

Only for local availablility. If like me truck brands are only Ebuys I will opt for local purchase choices every time. I want to see the msn selling me the tools, see the tools before he gets cash.

Our entire shop runs on import economy **** from the 30's to the present and those imports include ancient US **** and Euro stuff.
My FD is a rust pitted open end or two that grips hardware well. No worries for warranty nor breakage as most of the weak ones weeded themselves out long ago.

Buy what calms the mind and makes you trust in it totally. No matter the brand or coo. When you have that the tool becomes invisible as jobs get done.

gregpack said:

I think there's a little sarcasm there.

Serious question here though- The Carlyle sets I see on Napa online are close or even higher than USA made Wright tool prices. Any reason I would choose Carlyle over Wright?

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Gotcha makes sense!

gregpack said:

I think there's a little sarcasm there.

Serious question here though- The Carlyle sets I see on Napa online are close or even higher than USA made Wright tool prices. Any reason I would choose Carlyle over Wright?

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I wrestled with this for some time when I decided to purchase new wrenches.

On one hand, tools made in the USA have a unique appeal to me dumbly because they are made in the USA. They would probably outlast me, and it’s very unlikely I would need to warranty a wrench anyway.

On the other hand, buying from my local Napa also supports a business in my home state and county, even though the tool was made outside the USA. However, if by some chance I needed to warranty a wrench, it’s a quick trip to Napa and back and no dealing with the postal service.

In the end, I opted for the Carlyle wrenches. I could lay hands on them before I spent the money, I didn’t have to deal with the postal service, and I actually got them way cheaper than the wrights when they were on sale in the Real Deals flyer. They are also the long pattern wrenches which I prefer, as the wrights look to be very short in the pictures.