25yo craftsman vs something new + upgrades

[chtucker]

I have Craftsman USA made ratchets.. They have lived with me for probably 25 years. Sockets have changed over the years, but I have held onto the ratchets I also have the same vintage craftsman wrenches.

I just bought a large Tekton 214 piece socket set https://www.tekton.com/1-4-3-8-1-2-inch-drive-6-point-socket-set-214-piece-shd99202. I am tired of missing or skipped sockets. I have a Husky 1/2 impact socket that is just fine.

My screwdrivers are either Wera or Wiha.

I have Husky brand ratcheting wrenches, but the set has skips in metric (makes me upset).. Is there a complete ratcheting wrench set that you would recommend>

How do the old craftsman wrenches compare to new stuff? Tighter tolerances? Definitely better finishes. I am thinking of replacing them with this https://www.tekton.com/combination-wrench-set-wcb90301

What about ratchets? Is the new finer toothed stuff better than the old USA made craftsmen? I was thinking of new 1/4-3/8-1/2 in straight and flex from Gearwrench in the new 120 tooth.

Just bought a new Icon box and I am trying to load it up.

 

[Kaervak]

Honestly, almost anything is better than the old raised panel Craftsman stuff. I used to use the RP Craftsman exclusively, over 20 of them in total between various tool boxes. I've since changed everything over to SK, they're significantly better. The only Craftsman ratchets I have left are the round head fine tooth variants, those are nice. Any current US or foreign made mid level or higher ratchet will be a massive upgrade over the old Craftsman RP stuff. An SK 3/8 ratchet with a DT80 is very VERY nice.

 

[ike]

I have Craftsman ratchets that are in the 15-20 year old range and still use them frequently. Old doesn't mean bad, but on my newer vehicles flex head ratchets are pretty much a must have (since everything is pretty much 10 pounds of **** shoved in a 5 pound bag). All my old Craftsman stuff still works just fine, but I don't have the raised panel ratchets. Those sucked 25 years ago.

 

[d.mcfarland]

All my old Craftsman stuff still works just fine, but I don't have the raised panel ratchets. Those sucked 25 years ago.

Hate to break it to you, but that far left ratchet is a raised panel in sheep's clothing. Same head, different handle.

 

[ike]

I'm aware of its internals , but the function and shape of it are far better than a raised panel ratchet.

 

[dchawk81]

For me the only thing that matters is whether the backdrag is bad enough to be a problem. That's determined by what it is I'm doing exactly.

I have a long handle Snap-on 3/8 for when it's important and might get the other ones eventually.

Otherwise it really doesn't make a difference. I have some Hart that are really bad for it but it doesn't always mean they're unusable.

 

[ScaryFatKidGT]

For wrenches Wright hands down

For ratcheting wrenches it’s harder, and depends on how much you wanna spend, Gear Wrench, Milwaukee, ICON, Snap On

Ratchets Snap-On and Nepros are best, cheaper ones there all millions of options

 

[Old Donn]

Won't debate there are much better options, I've upgraded my own inventory over the years. That said, got a lot of work done with the much maligned RP ratchets when they were the best I could afford.

 

[Gunfixr]

I don't have any 20yr old craftsman ratchets, all mine are more like 35yrs old. The old coarse, 8 clicks per turn ones. Most of my sockets are the same age.
I did get a set of the gearwrench fine tooth not long ago, they are nice, and cover my needs. Now, the craftsmans sit in the box, in case I want to put a cheater bar on a ratchet........
But, I have breaker bars.

 

[qqzj]

Won't debate there are much better options, I've upgraded my own inventory over the years. That said, got a lot of work done with the much maligned RP ratchets when they were the best I could afford.

Same here. Old cman rp ratchet works pretty well. I mostly use flex head version. If anything seems stubborn, out comes a breaker bar. Having common sense and good habits beat constantly looking for better tools

 

[m6z]

I replaced my old craftsman ratchets with Carlyle and Proto 90T's. I've also got a VIM long 1/4" and a bent Die Hard spark plug ratchet as well. They all seem to be quality.

 

[tyyost]

Any modern 72 or 90 tooth ratchet beats the old craftsman raised panels. That said, my go to 1/2“ is a 18” flex head raised panel ratchet. Like others on here I’ve got snap on 3/8 flex heads and a variety of others. Frankly, if I can use power tools I do, so I try to minimize my time spinning a wrench and focus on other important tasks.

As far a wrenches, we all feel the pressure to upgrade to new and shiny, but I’d look for something that makes work easier or more efficient. For me it was long pattern combos followed by a set of extra long box ends. I’d love a set of the ratcheting/fixed extra long flex heads but can’t justify it when there are other priorities on the list. I have a mix of craftsman, SK, DeWalt, gearwrench, carlyle, sets with a few others sprinkled around. I dont think you can go wrong with a good set of long combos if there aren’t specialty sets that scratch an itch for you.

 

[jonshonda]

You will really really appreciate (did I say really enough times?) the improved back drag on a high engagement ratchet, regardless of the brand. Especially with smaller fasteners

 

[Wiz02]

I know that the following is totally against GJ philosophy, but for most of us, money doesn't grow on trees. If you don't make your living wrenching, and it takes a few seconds longer to r&r an assembly is it really worth while to upgrade?

FYI I succumbed to garage journal pressure and bought new sockets and ratchets. Are they better? Yes, but realistically I should have spent the money on other tools and kept using my 80's vintage Cman, with job specific upgrades as needed.

 

['52Chevy]

I have Craftsman ratchets that are in the 15-20 year old range and still use them frequently. Old doesn't mean bad, but on my newer vehicles flex head ratchets are pretty much a must have (since everything is pretty much 10 pounds of **** shoved in a 5 pound bag). All my old Craftsman stuff still works just fine, but I don't have the raised panel ratchets. Those sucked 25 years ago.

These thin profile ratchets have been my go to for 10 years. I now have a set of Tekton 90tooth that I've started using, but I will always love these ratchet. I should probably get some rebuild kits while they're still(possibly) available. These are 10x better than the RP cman stuff for sure.

 

[Kscardsfan]

I still use my RP Craftsman stuff for some jobs, but honestly it’s for nostalgia more than anything I think. My Snap On, SK, Icon, and Mac fine tooth stuff gets brought out way more often than anything else for real work.

 

[VolvoRyan]

If it works for you, it's fine. I still enjoy using SK round heads that are between 2 and 50 years old..... and the design is practically 100 years old. I have Matco and Snap-On.... SK LP90's and DT kits in some round heads..... but I still use the 2 year-old 40-tooth SK round head wherever I can. It's nostalgia, but I love the round, knurled handles.

I'm genuinely surprised at how many places the SK round heads fit and do the job just fine on relatively modern Volvos. Yet on the 30-40 year-old cars, I have to use the Matco flex-head ratchet with Snap-On shallow sockets in some places. I don't know why that is....

-Ryan

 

[Dakotadadv8]

My opinion depending on the price points newer Craftsman from Lowes are as good or better than my CM USA. For instance big difference in quality: 1/2 drive standard ratchet 36T for $25 vs. V series ratchet at $65. IMHO the Snap on tool ratchet is better but $165. DIY projects Craftsman are fine especially the V series.

 

[chtucker]

I am going to sell my 25yo Craftsman/Kobalt 30" tool box combo with the the tools I don't want or need. Probably just going to throw in the old craftsman stuff. I have almost a full set of mixed sockets plus the ratchets. Probably just buy the Tekton ratchets. I might spring for the Wright wrenches.

More pics to come over the next week when the Icon box gets delivered

I am

 

[Citation]

I have Craftsman USA made ratchets.. They have lived with me for probably 25 years. Sockets have changed over the years, but I have held onto the ratchets I also have the same vintage craftsman wrenches.

I just bought a large Tekton 214 piece socket set https://www.tekton.com/1-4-3-8-1-2-inch-drive-6-point-socket-set-214-piece-shd99202. I am tired of missing or skipped sockets. I have a Husky 1/2 impact socket that is just fine.

My screwdrivers are either Wera or Wiha.

I have Husky brand ratcheting wrenches, but the set has skips in metric (makes me upset).. Is there a complete ratcheting wrench set that you would recommend>

How do the old craftsman wrenches compare to new stuff? Tighter tolerances? Definitely better finishes. I am thinking of replacing them with this https://www.tekton.com/combination-wrench-set-wcb90301

What about ratchets? Is the new finer toothed stuff better than the old USA made craftsmen? I was thinking of new 1/4-3/8-1/2 in straight and flex from Gearwrench in the new 120 tooth.

Just bought a new Icon box and I am trying to load it up.

Assuming you aren't missing any thing (and it sounds like you are), you aren't really getting anything if you swap the 25 year old Craftsman like for like. You might be getting flank drive type sockets but I'm not sure. My Craftsman stuff dates back about that far.

The 25 year old RP combo wrenches are generally fine. Their tolerances are no worse than many newer wrenches and compared to some Kobalts I have, they are better. The two issues I have with the old wrenches is they are a bit on the short side (that's both good and bad) they are also a bit thicker than I would like. I've always liked that my father's Snapon stuff was lower profile.

If you want to get wrenches I would think about other types of wrenches that might be useful. Those really long ratcheting/combo wrenches or just ratcheting wrenches in general. Maybe some offset wrenches. Expand the range rather than trying to do a mild upgrade.

When it comes to ratchets I would argue the same. I started wanting to get something nicer than my old RP 32T ratchets. I tried the much nicer feeling Husky 72T ratchets. I like that they are smoother (gearwrenched based design) and a bit longer. However, in the end use my old Craftsman ratchet more. Why? Well it's a bit lighter and easier to spin fast because it's shorter. For those times that extra length is nice... well I bought two other ratchets that do those jobs better. I bought one of the Stanley flex head, extending ratchets from Walmart for like $20. It's great any time I need to break a stuck fastener. The other one I got was the Crescent branded 1/4 and 3/8 roto head ratchet set. Roto heads are so nice to use. I feel like they have the advantages of a flex head but better. So I still use my old ratchet for jobs where the fastener is easy to get at and I want to spin it out. I don't use it for job where access is hard or I need a lot of break away force. Those were jobs it didn't do well and were the reasons why I wanted a new ratchet. I just didn't understand that a nicer version of what I already had wasn't as good as a ratchet that did something much different than I had. Since you asked about the 120T gearwrench stuff, all of those are Apex Tools based mechanisms. Some are single pawl, while the higher tooth count are dual. I prefer the lower tooth count single pawl. The extra count going from say 72 to 120T isn't that big a deal (especially when backlash is considered). The single pawl heads are lower profile and seem to have a bit less back drag. So overall I prefer the "lesser" version... even if I rarely actually use mine.

Consider getting a few extra extensions. Really long extensions (24" or more) can be helpful when pulling the top bell housing bolts from a RWD car. Instead of reaching around the transmission you reach from the tailshaft end. 1" extensions can sometimes make all the difference when a standard socket isn't deep enough but a 3" extension is too long. Wobble adapters are also great when you can't quiet go straight onto a bolt.

I do really like the Tekton trilobe screwdrivers. I would suggest getting those if all you have is old Craftsman stuff. I've never liked the old CM screwdrivers and screwdrivers are somewhat a consumable. The tips get chewed up over time.

Anyway, the take away is don't think about replacing tools that work with nicer versions of the same thing. Think about the times that your existing tools don't quite work, ask why then think about what specialty versions would do that job much better (much longer, roto head, super long extension etc).

 

[finn]

Craftsman ratchets from twenty five to thirty five years ago are all over the place. Raised panels range from ok for a flex handle 1/2” drive, although it’s clearly not in the same league as my SnapOn, to pretty loosey goosey raised panel 1/2, 3/8, and 1/4 “ from the mid nineties that aren’t pleasant to use. The worst of the bunch was a non-raised panel that came with a small socket set in the early nineties. Spindley handle and generally miserable.

Some of the later round handles are quite nice, though.

I was getting tools from the Sears Oakbrook Illinois outlet that was open only Saturday mornings back in the mid to late eighties. I think those ratchets were engineering samples submitted by vendors that didn’t, in some cases have model numbers, and I don’t recall seeing them stores, but they were robust, tight, and smooth, if not on the heavy side compared to some of the newer Gearwrench, SnapOn, Matco, and other products I have.

 

[Tiny Jackson]

Craftsman ratchets from twenty five to thirty five years ago are all over the place. Raised panels range from ok for a flex handle 1/2” drive, although it’s clearly not in the same league as my SnapOn, to pretty loosey goosey raised panel 1/2, 3/8, and 1/4 “ from the mid nineties that aren’t pleasant to use. The worst of the bunch was a non-raised panel that came with a small socket set in the early nineties. Spindley handle and generally miserable.

Some of the later round handles are quite nice, though.

I was getting tools from the Sears Oakbrook Illinois outlet that was open only Saturday mornings back in the mid to late eighties. I think those ratchets were engineering samples submitted by vendors that didn’t, in some cases have model numbers, and I don’t recall seeing them stores, but they were robust, tight, and smooth, if not on the heavy side compared to some of the newer Gearwrench, SnapOn, Matco, and other products I have.

I remember that and I was probably in line in back of you back at that time. It was a tradition for me and my pops to go to that outlet 1 saturday a month.

 

[General Geoff]

What about ratchets? Is the new finer toothed stuff better than the old USA made craftsmen? I was thinking of new 1/4-3/8-1/2 in straight and flex from Gearwrench in the new 120 tooth.

Tooth count has diminishing returns. I find 72 tooth to be just great, anything more is fine but not necessary to me.

That said, there are SO MANY better options than an old RP craftsman. Roundhead SK, pearhead Dual 80 Snap-On, 84t or 120t Gearwrench, 72t Tekton, hell even most of the Pittsburgh Pro or Icon brand ratchets at Harbor Freight will be far superior in feel to a box-of-rocks RP Craftsman ratchet from 25 years ago. I know because I HAVE a mechanics set of Craftsman from about 2001, and the ratchets from that set feel like absolute relics compared to my other ratchets. They still work alright, but the significant back drag is a noticeable detriment in most situations.

You don't need to spend $100+ on a ratchet to do way better than what you have. But I will recommend one that is my go-to and isn't too terribly expensive compared to the tool truck brands, is made in Japan, and will take the Pepsi challenge against any other ratchet you can find for fit and finish.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005I7HVYS/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[richfinn]

I have Craftsman USA made ratchets.. They have lived with me for probably 25 years. Sockets have changed over the years, but I have held onto the ratchets I also have the same vintage craftsman wrenches.

I just bought a large Tekton 214 piece socket set https://www.tekton.com/1-4-3-8-1-2-inch-drive-6-point-socket-set-214-piece-shd99202. I am tired of missing or skipped sockets. I have a Husky 1/2 impact socket that is just fine.

My screwdrivers are either Wera or Wiha.

I have Husky brand ratcheting wrenches, but the set has skips in metric (makes me upset).. Is there a complete ratcheting wrench set that you would recommend>

How do the old craftsman wrenches compare to new stuff? Tighter tolerances? Definitely better finishes. I am thinking of replacing them with this https://www.tekton.com/combination-wrench-set-wcb90301

What about ratchets? Is the new finer toothed stuff better than the old USA made craftsmen? I was thinking of new 1/4-3/8-1/2 in straight and flex from Gearwrench in the new 120 tooth.

Just bought a new Icon box and I am trying to load it up.

Money to burn?

Mountain XL flex head 120t spline drive ratcheting wrenches (I don't bother with the regular ratchet spanners anymore)

Stahlwille 14 series combination wrenches are great value (and use a version of flank drive)

Ratchets have come a long way, dual 80 Snap-On flex heads are very nice (but expensive) consider Ko-ken 72 tooth as a quality budget alternative. I use flexheads almost exclusively for better access.

Don't be scared of Japanese brands like Ko-ken sockets or Vessel screwdrivers, they make fantastic quality tools and are fairly affordable.

 

[Tynee]

OP, you seem to have an affinity for Tekton stuff, and I can see why. You asked about complete sets of ratcheting wrenches. I have a set of their flex head ratcheting wrenches and have not liked them as well as anything else I got from them. Of course, all that is probably a moot point since they are selling off their stock of ratcheting wrenches. Who knows what their new product will be like?

When it comes to combination wrenches, I looked forever for a long pattern, no skips, full polish set. I finally settled on Carlyle from Napa. I like my metric Carlyle as well as my SAE Snap-on, and I don't say that lightly. Both sets are great wrenches. Unfortunately, Napa has essentially doubled the prices on their Carlyle tools. You won't get anywhere near 46 wrenches for $289. That Tekton set it probably one of the best values available for a LOT of decent quality wrenches. I still think the long-pattern, non-slip Carlyle wrenches are a better tool, but it would cost more like $1000+ to get what you're getting in the Tekton set.

Good luck, and be sure to use the heck out of whatever you get.

 

[ecotec]

I started with early 90’s Craftsman ratchets. Almost anything is better. I was replacing them twice a year, or so, on warranty. Mostly, I was ripping the anvil right off them.

I moved up to round head SK and other ratchets (Williams SUPERRATCHET, Wright, Snap-on Dual80, Proto, Armstrong, Pittsburgh Pro composite, lots of others) from estate sales.

I took the raised panel Craftsman out of my work hand box about 20 years ago. The SK roundhead was a terrific upgrade. I never broke another ratchet. It was a much better ratchet in every way. A few years ago, I ordered a dual pawl Wright. It is a great leap forward” My contention, at this point, is that any of the modern high tooth ratchets would be worth it for my work (electrician). There are many times that I am working in tight spots. The Wright has been a joy to use.

If they made the Pittsburgh Pro composite Snap-on copy at the “standard” length, it would be a perfect ratchet for winter work, but the length is a problem in a tight spot. I used the lobular handle older version, but the handle is too big in tight spaces. Anyways, neither of these are perfect for electrical work, but they are lovely ratchets to use. These are great cheap ratchets.

 

[Woody1320]

I've got a Craftsman set that's 15 or so years old, all US made. I've got no issues with it, but the number of wrenches is quite small. I would probably upgrade to Tekton socket sets and wrenches, but I haven't necessarily needed them, yet lol. The ratchets haven't failed me thus far, but I have had my eyes on quite a few options mentioned above.

 

[Komet]

Old Craftsman USA wrenches compared favorably in recent combo wrench shootouts, I wouldn't be replacing them unless it was for tool truck quality and even then, I don't replace tools unless they break. You're better off getting stuff you don't have like long patterns or flex heads.

I roll with a no-skip set of combo wrenches and deal with the horror of turning bolts by hand if I encounter a size that was skipped by my ratcheting sets.

It's easy to do better than RP Craftsman ratchets. Gearwrench rates highly for the money, really any fine tooth unit with low backdrag is a winner in my book.

 

[bb29510]

i think all my craftman rachets are broken, but then some are 50 years old