1st Gen Kobalt socket set (1/2")

[guzziee]

Hi I like tools in general, most of my tools are old snap on and crafstman. I knew about the 1st gen williams US made kobalt tools but had never found any in the wild. Picked up this almost complete box (missing 1 ) from the local FB for $100 bucks , will clean them up and they will get used.

 

[B_Bimmer]

Wow, that was a steal. You ****.

 

[mikey03]

The metric being 12 pt and sae being 6 point hurts my brain

but yeah man us made Kobald is awesome to see where it started. What year did they do this

 

[KnurledNut]

Awesome find, guzziee!

What year did they do this

Williams/Snap-on started making these for Lowes in 1998 and it ended in 2002/2003 when they switched to Danaher as the supplier.

 

[KnurledNut]

1/2" 9 - 28mm on old Kobalt socket organizer:

Reverse side is 3/8 - 1-1/4":

 

[willf650]

I hate to say it but I have a 1/4” set of that generation and the ratchet is bad.

I have the American made generation after that is 3/8 and the ratchet is better. I think its literally a Kobalt branded “Allen” tools set as I have an Allen brand 1/2” that the ratchet mechanism looks identical.

The sockets are fine but neither set has a great ratchet but I give the advantage to the ”Danaher/Apex” made ratchet.

Unfortunately I believe the “Allen” tool brand is gone at this point as are 70% of the American made industrial tool brands.

 

[KnurledNut]

I hate to say it but I have a 1/4” set of that generation and the ratchet is bad.

I have the American made generation after that is 3/8 and the ratchet is better. I think its literally a Kobalt branded “Allen” tools set as I have an Allen brand 1/2” that the ratchet mechanism looks identical.

The sockets are fine but neither set has a great ratchet but I give the advantage to the ”Danaher/Apex” made ratchet.

Unfortunately I believe the “Allen” tool brand is gone at this point as are 70% of the American made industrial tool brands.

Which 1/4 drive set do you have? They made a compact one with shallow sockets only and a bigger one with deep sockets. I have both.
I like the little empty spot they added on the bigger set. I filled mine with the x/32" sockets they skipped, a universal, and PH2 bit socket. I also added a few more extensions and a 9/16 socket.

 

[Schurkey]

I have the American made generation after that is 3/8 and the ratchet is better. I think its literally a Kobalt branded “Allen” tools set as I have an Allen brand 1/2” that the ratchet mechanism looks identical.

The sockets are fine but neither set has a great ratchet but I give the advantage to the ”Danaher/Apex” made ratchet.

Unfortunately I believe the “Allen” tool brand is gone at this point as are 70% of the American made industrial tool brands.

Allen, Armstrong, Matco (for awhile) Craftsman (for awhile) and Kobalt (for awhile) were all made by the same parent company. Essentially identical tools, perhaps with different handle designs on the ratchets.

 

[willf650]

Which 1/4 drive set do you have? They made a compact one with shallow sockets only and a bigger one with deep sockets. I have both.
I like the little empty spot they added on the bigger set. I filled mine with the x/32" sockets they skipped, a universal, and PH2 bit socket. I also added a few more extensions and a 9/16 socket.

View attachment 2497730

The compact one. It has metric and SAE shallow sockets only and I believe it has one short extension. I think I bought it about 1998 when I needed an 8mm socket on a job.

 

[KnurledNut]

The compact one. It has metric and SAE shallow sockets only and I believe it has one short extension. I think I bought it about 1998 when I needed an 8mm socket on a job.

Here's my little set:

 

[KnurledNut]

These original Kobalt tools are a personal favorite if you can't tell. I always enjoy when the topic comes up.
I was hoping this thread would get more input but I know a lot of the guys interested in them are no longer active here.

Here's my 3/8 set. It's got a few missing pieces substituted, but mostly original:

 

[willf650]

I guess this is the second generation which is the same ratchet guts as the Allen brand set I have. I like this ratchet better than the previous.




This is the set I throw in my truck when I'm headed somewhere to work on something or when dirt biking.

You'd get jealous over the American made Kobalt impact sets I picked up. I'm fairly certain they are Williams sourced.

 

[mikebaker1129]

I am one of those that are interested in the 1st generation Kobalt tools .
They have been difficult for me to find in the wild.
I do actively search for them.

 

[KnurledNut]

You'd get jealous over the American made Kobalt impact sets I picked up. I'm fairly certain they are Williams sourced.

Nice!
They will have Snap-on date codes if so.
I only have one set of impacts: 3/8 drive metric 6pt shallow.

 

[Callelle]

That's pretty neat to see that it straight up says it was made by Williams.