Basic Christmas tool kits on a budget

[Leprkon]

Well here we are, November 5th, and it's time to get those Christmas wish lists worked through. This thread is not really meant to help out anybody on this forum, but for the outside world who lucked on to this by an internet search. If you have a shrine to Snap-On or Mac or whatever in your garage, you can (and should) stop reading right now.

My target audience is the people who don't have a lot of money to spend, but once a month or so need to fix something. And maybe their wives/mothers/girlfriends/SOs who could use a little help understanding this world, or really, no understanding but at least a little advice.

So before I run off the Christmas shoppers who did find this kind of help, let's get started. We're assuming a) your budget is $100 plus or minus and b) the set of tools your giftee currently owns came off a table at Ross or Big Lots. You want tools they can count on, but don't need to count on them everyday.

Category 1 - low cost, excellent value, no intimidation

Craftsman 155 piece mechanics tool set at Sears or online. Can usually be had for around $75 shipped. Case fits easily in a car trunk or under a truck seat.

Kobalt 227 piece set at Lowe's. Should be right at $99. comes with a tool box that takes up more space

Category 2 - a little pricier, still an excellent value, maybe a little more work involved.

GearWrench 118 piece set, part number 83001D. Can be had for around $120 on Amazon. Also comes in a case. If you are more adventurous, you might find better on-line deals at places like The Tool Warehouse or Tooltopia. If you are really lucky, Northern Tool has been known to sell the kit as low as $70, but I haven't seen that for the past few months.

Each of these kits has the three most-used ratchet sizes... 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2. In general, the larger the drive size, the more oomph you can put on the fastener.

Please keep in mind these are not great tools, but they are good enough for weekend warriors or fixing the sink. I'll follow this up with some additional information as to why these are good choices, in case you want to learn or just sound smart when they open the packages.

 

[moon_tanner]

Great write up!

 

[Leprkon]

OK, if you came this far, here's a little more information.

Sears sells 65 (or more) different tool kits, which is part of the problem for Sears... Nobody can figure out what to buy, so they go elsewhere. Other people get hung up on Sears not being made in America anymore, but that's a problem addressed other places. The long-term viability of Sears is also up in the air, but for now, if there's one on your map, they'll honor the warranty.

The 155 piece kit is the undisputed value leader in the Craftsman line. There's a smaller 108 piece kit that doesn't have what you really need, and there's a 216 piece kit that has more pieces, but, oddly enough, LESS capability. In the same general price point, there's also a 230ish piece set in a toolbox. That set is painted, rather than plated, and has a much shorter warranty than the other 3 kits.

The 155 piece kit has 75 tooth ratchets, which mostly means that you don't have to move the ratchet very far for it to click. The more teeth, the less you need to be able to move. Inside a car's engine bay, there's usually not a lot of room, so, the more teeth the better off you are. Most ratchets from "the old days" run between 36 and 45 teeth. The 216 piece kit has the older style of ratchets.

The 155 piece kit is made up almost exclusively of 6 point ratchets. The "points" refers to the number of faces on the bolt or nut you're trying to take off. A 6 point works with any 6 point (hexagonal or "hex-head") nut or bolt. A 12 point works on any 6 point nut, but also fits on a square (4-point) nut or bolt. This was important back in the 80s, but very few people use square nuts any more. A 12 point socket can't help but be weaker, as it has more cuts in it. It also has less grabbing area, and is much more likely to round off the fastener. A final argument for a 12 point socket is that it can grab in more positions, but the larger number of teeth on newer ratchets has pretty much done away with this advantage.

The 155 piece kit includes 8 wrenches. Half are metric and the other half are standard. The kit includes a 10mm and 13mm, which are the sizes most used on today's cars. Or at least most used on what most people will be working on, like a battery terminal or an alternator anchor bolt. If your honey is going to bust out on some frame work, they'll be needing some bigger toys. The wrenches are what is called "full polish". Full polish wrenches have chrome plating over the entire wrench. This makes them very easy to clean and are less likely to cause blisters or scratches.

The 155 piece kit does not have a lot of "filler" tools. Filler tools are things like very small wrenches (often called "ignition wrenches" for which there is absolutely no use on a car made after 1990), or allen wrenches, or screwdriver bits. These kinds of pieces normally just run up the tool count without adding much value. They can also be bought at very low cost on the aisle at Walmart to fill up stockings. The kit does have a small space to throw in couple of things.

As far as missing pieces, the kit has no pliers or any special sockets for spark plugs. It does have a handle with swappable screwdriver bits.

 

[Leprkon]

The Kobalt kit again is the leader value for Lowe's. They have a number of other kits, but this one is the best bang for your money.

It comes with 90 tooth ratchets, requiring even less swing than the Sears.

The kit also has quite a few more sockets than the Sears kit (117 vs 92), but the net value is not so clearly cut. Many of the extra pieces are 12 point sockets in the same size as 6 point sockets. These are not, but do you need them ?

The Kobalt sockets are nicely marked with laser engraving. This is much easier to read for the optically-challenged. The markings may wear over time, but each socket has a dedicated slot in the tool kit to minimize rubbing and scratching. Sockets and wrenches also have color coded stripes to show if they are metric or SAE.

This kit and the Sears kit both have a button on the ratchet to release the socket. This keeps the socket secure until you really want it to come off. Hunting in an engine bay is not the most fun, and you usually need a magnetic pick-up to pull the piece out (another stocking-stuffers perhaps ?).

Again, there are no pliers, but the kit does have a swappable screwdriver and includes two spark plug sockets.

Either of these two kits provide excellent value for the price. The Kobalt kit has a few more toys, if you can swing the price.



Like the Sears unit, all the pieces are warranted at the nearest store.

 

[Fedwrench]

You've overlooked one of the better value tool brands, Tekton.

Amazon usually has some great Tekton deals around the holidays.

Tekton may not offer the mega piece count sets but, they lead the way in usable and durable budget priced tool sets.

Welcome to the journal!!!

 

[Leprkon]

Last but certainly not least is the GearWrench set. This has 118 pieces and is a notch in quality and design above the other two sets. This does come at a cost (literally) in a somewhat higher price and fewer pieces. This is, however, a set that can be built on with a certain level of pride. The Snap-On guys will still sneer at you, but, after all, they sneer at everybody anyway.

GearWrench does make a larger kit, but it is well beyond the price of this one, and it has lower-quality (45 tooth) ratchets. You will have to play close attention on price, as different suppliers on Amazon have this from $120 up to over $400 for the same item.

Let's go through the "bad" stuff first.

The kit is not designed well as a kit, though the individual pieces are very solid. Some things you would expect to see aren't there and some things that are there make you wonder why.

The set feels heavy, though it is virtually the same weight as the Sears kit (eerily so, in fact), due to a somewhat lower quality of case. The handle is not ergonomic.

The set has no pliers and no true screwdriver handle. Their solution is to use a handle that fits a certain socket, and you use that socket to hold the various bits. Unfortunately, you now have two pieces that can fall off, and neither has a magnet. Time to visit that Walmart aisle again...

The kit has five wrenches, which are all fully polished, but are of very strange sizes. The smaller wrenches are all inch system and the larger wrenches are all metric. One of the metrics is an 18mm, which is used possibly on flagpole mountings at the South Pole, but nowhere on any car I've seen.

Unfortunately, most of the sockets are 12 point. This is most glaring in the largest size (1/2 drive for a 3/4 socket), which is where you would expect to want the strongest possible piece. For the 3/8 drive, all of the deep inch sockets are 12 point while all of the deep metrics are 6 point.

The socket handle I spent the last paragraph abusing does have its favorable traits. It is a very ergonomic design, allowing for a solid grip that doesn't wear you out as the job goes on.

As with the Craftsman case, all the deep well sockets and wrenches are securely held, but the remaining pieces will fall out if you happen to bump the case. The case does not have very much room at all for any additional pieces, though it does split easily if you wanted to place each half in a drawer of a professional-type roll-around.

The final issue is the warranty. They are also warranted for life, but you might have to do some digging to find out where to take a damaged piece back. Sears carries GearWrench online, so their local store may be able to help, as will a nearby NAPA or Autozone parts store. These are POTENTIAL solutions, and you need to confirm. Telling them Leprkon said they would is probably not going to get you very far. It is entirely possible all of these places might be able to help, but you might still have to wait for them to order since GearWrench single pieces are probably not stocked normally.

OK, I've done a lot of whining for something I told you would be better, so I should probably get to that...

The ratchets are all 84 tooth, right between the two other sets, and feel well-machined. The ratchet handles feel very good, though they are a little shorter than their counterparts.

The wrenches have a couple of special grip teeth cut into the open end of the wrench. These act like a mini-ratchet and help keep the wrench on the nut when you are cranking on it. Each wrench is also about an inch longer than the same-sized Sears wrench, allowing more torque on to the nut.

The sockets are extremely well-designed and well-made. The deep well sockets have the fastener grip cut only the depth of a nut or bolt head, though there is room for the threaded part to pass through most of the socket. This can be either a) an answered prayer if you need a nut to sit in position while you maneuver it on to a bolt (normally working straight overhead); or b) an absolute nightmare, because the socket sticks out too far when you are trying to fit it into an engine bay. Each deep socket for a given size has more metal than its Craftsman and Kobalt brethren, and is correspondingly both heavier and stronger.

The sockets are designed with a very large radius cut into the drive side of the socket. The Kobalt and Craftsman sockets have much sharper corners to the drive. A larger radius reduces the stress into the corner, where the socket is by far most likely to crack. These things were planned to last for a while. Strangely enough, a slightly smaller design can also be found on Harbor Freight's Pittsburgh Pro sockets. I will admit this is from a single clip, and I can't confirm what is in their kits are the same quality.

The kit includes four extensions, two of which are "wobble". Wobble sockets are built with an intentional "slop" to them, effectively "bending" the shaft to allow you to work around some obstructions.

To wrap it all up, this is a very good kit, but it's the first building block. You still need quite a few things once you bought it, but the pieces you have are really solid.

 

[gdocktor3]

What's the catch here?? Joins GJ and makes a "Christmas list" that contains 3 tool sets. That's an odd way/reason to join GJ...

Why wasn't Husky mentioned?

 

[Leprkon]

You've overlooked one of the better value tool brands, Tekton.

Amazon usually has some great Tekton deals around the holidays.

Tekton may not offer the mega piece count sets but, they lead the way in usable and durable budget priced tool sets.

Welcome to the journal!!!

Thanks for the welcome. I don't have any personal experience with Tekton, and only a little with Pittsburgh, but if you have some specific kits to list, by all means, please do.

 

[theoldwizard1]

My target audience is the people who don't have a lot of money to spend, but once a month or so need to fix something. And maybe their wives/mothers/girlfriends/SOs who could use a little help understanding this world, or really, no understanding but at least a little advice.

These people do NOT need a 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2" drive socket set and combination wrenches.

Start with the basics. A cheap plastic tool box, but with double latches. A hammer, a small pry bar, a tiny pry bar, pliers, locking pliers, 2 or 3 flat blade screwdrivers, 1 or 2 Phillips, tape measure and 1 or 2 adjustable wrenches. Add a GOOD flashlight, hot/neutral/ground test plug, voltage proximity tester and a very cheap (<$10) DMM.

After that, add a 1/4" 6 point socket set (SAE and Metric) with a ratchet and a couple of extensions. An inexpensive (<$40) 1/4" or 3/8" battery drill and bits.

 

[jdlong]

https://www.carid.com/williams-tools/1390-pieces-mammoth-set-complete-mpn-wsc-1390tb.html?gclid=CL7fvNnkktACFRQbaQodOfcIuw

 

[Leprkon]

What's the catch here?? Joins GJ and makes a "Christmas list" that contains 3 tool sets. That's an odd way/reason to join GJ...

Why wasn't Husky mentioned?

I have no experience with Husky. If you have a specific kit in mind, please state your case.

The reason for the thread (as was stated in the original post) is that any quick internet search of a budget kit doesn't come up with much real info. I didn't push any specific brand or agenda (3 kits all from different sources), just listed my personal experience.

The people on the forum don't need my help (ie those who are not sick have no need of a doctor). That being said, and this probably will shock you, but some people really do live in a world of $100 tool Christmas budgets (some of them even live in a world of $100 Christmas total), and they need help too.

If you were a wife/girlfriend/mom who had no tool experience at all, how would you pick a kit ? Have you ever seen anything that ranked the 67 or so Craftsman kits against each other ? The people COULD use help don't have any where to go. Maybe now they can, just no thanks to you.

 

[bczygan]

Welcome to GJ!

First of all, if the person recieving the kit lives in a major metropolitan area or even within a reasonable distance from repair shops or will be traveling not too far from home, most repairs will come after a tow. I live in Detroit, and after stocking our vehicles with all manner of tools, I put most back in the garage. The car needs very little, unless we are going on a trip.

The things I leave in it are mostly for convenience. I keep a HF racing jack, 4 way lug wrench and 2 kinds of jump cables in there. Plus a wrench to tighten the side post battery cable and a couple of HF free screwdrivers. Also a piece of 2x4 and 4x4 for the jack and a pair of jack stands. This is in cast of needing a jump or change a flat. I haven't put a spare in there yet. I used to keep fluids in there, but it's just as easy to check and change or top them up at home. Some paper towels, a pair of gloves and a flashlight round out the supply kit. Oh, and a spare key mounted somewhere. Wife will never need more going to and from work.

At home, the list needs to be more extensive, but the pre-made kits waste so much in unneeded tools. And there is no need to go with name brands. Craftsman is an easy solution, but frankly they are no better than any other Asian made tools.

What I would do, is decide on what tools are needed for the particular vehicles involved, based on the kind of work the person will realistically do. No need for full sets of tools for someone who will take everything to the shop.

First thing to remember is that many of the Harbor Freight tools are the best bang for the buck.

Second thing is that for general work, you need a far bigger variety of tools than come in a typical set of ratchets, sockets and such.

For work under the car, in addition to jack and jack stands, remember a chock. And a creeper and rolling stool make life so much better.

A good light and extension cord are needed.

Extensions of different types and sizes, including locking.

Set of bits and holder.

HF screwdrivers.

Hex, Torx and Star sockets as needed for the particular use.

If needed, HF impact sockets.

Some electrical stuff starting with HF free meter.

Forgot to add fuses in the car.

Hammer

Vise grip

Some wrenches.

File

Wire cutters and pliers.

Note that I don't mention big name brands, like a lot on here do, for most things. Most any will do, but HF is the best bang for the buck in most cases.

HF breaker bar

Utility knife

Then some supplies. They are important as tools. Rags, electrical tape, oil, brake cleaner, anti-seize, wheel bearing grease, etc. etc.

More variety than a kit, but more specific to the vehicle.



Bill

 

[Citation]

This is $130 vs $100 (the $15 rebate expired) but seems like a very complete set for the price. I'm not in love with Stanley fit and finish but this is probably adequate for most people.
http://www.menards.com/main/tools-h...4425482794-c-9169.htm?tid=1962221337372515280

 

[Empty Pockets]

These people do NOT need a 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2" drive socket set and combination wrenches.

Start with the basics. A cheap plastic tool box, but with double latches. A hammer, a small pry bar, a tiny pry bar, pliers, locking pliers, 2 or 3 flat blade screwdrivers, 1 or 2 Phillips, tape measure and 1 or 2 adjustable wrenches. Add a GOOD flashlight, hot/neutral/ground test plug, voltage proximity tester and a very cheap (<$10) DMM.

After that, add a 1/4" 6 point socket set (SAE and Metric) with a ratchet and a couple of extensions. An inexpensive (<$40) 1/4" or 3/8" battery drill and bits.

Good suggestions, IMO, however, I would go with an inexpensive 3/8 socket set rather than a 1/4

 

[pendragon1998]

What is the thinking behind mom, who has bumpkiss for tools, suddenly deciding to crack the hood and start wrenching? Has she been doing it all along with her great neck tools from the dollar store? Buy her a hammer, a few craftsman pliers, a crescent wrench, and the nicer hf screwdrivers. Now mama can hang a picture, change a lightbulb, assemble a flatpack bookcase, and pull her hair out of a drain. If she seems interested, maybe add a Pittsburg pro wrench and socket set. Maybe a black and decker drill for $30.

 

[Infinia]

^=+1
lets get real
just get them a gift card at Advance Auto, Pep Boys, or O-reillys. At least let them decide, not us tellin them what they need, tools? Perhaps they can get the good battery vs crappy one they usually end up with.
A paid two year triple A membership can be more appreciated all around. IMO

 

[frankthezapper]

A decent sized piece of carpet to kneel on in the slush, a pair of garden gloves, a clean piece of rag, a few various sized cable ties. A small roll of duct tape.

 

[L.Cheapo]

The kit has five wrenches, which are all fully polished, but are of very strange sizes. The smaller wrenches are all inch system and the larger wrenches are all metric. One of the metrics is an 18mm, which is used possibly on flagpole mountings at the South Pole, but nowhere on any car I've seen.

I guess you've never seen a Dodge Ram. There are a number of 18mm fasteners on one.

 

[Bcom]

Go with the 3/8 set. I havent had a use for a 1/2 set for 15 years and i do quite a bit of automotive wrenching.Also,i would go with the Kobalt. Reason being is that if one breaks,it can be easily returned at Lowes. The Craftsman set im sure is good too but since Sears stores are getting scarce,where would you return a broken piece? The same with Gearwrench. Where do you return Gearwrench products if one breaks? Kobalt 3/8 set gets my vote.

 

[gdocktor3]

I guess you've never seen a Dodge Ram. There are a number of 18mm fasteners on one.

Caliper mounting bolts on my Chevy truck are 18mm. Actually, Google that and see all the pandemonium that has caused. I also believe I've used 18mm on my buddies Mazda. AND I recently installed a hitch on a Ford Explorer and I needed 18mm. I can prove this Required Installation Equipment:
Wrenches 15mm, 18mm, 21mm, 3/4 In., 15/16 In., torque Wrench
http://www.autozone.com/trailer-hit.../reese-towpower-trailer-hitch/94366_442971_0/

 

[creativecars]

For someone who wants/needs enough tools to get something done for the least amount of money I always recommend the HF 301 tool set. Current coupon for 156.21. That's about $.50 per usable tool. Not that magnetic bits are not useful, but when a set has 40 of them that kind of skews the comparison. I keep one in the old truck after my Craftsman box with a mix of tools was stolen. Would still need a full set of wrenches and a hammer. If you still had money get the professional ratchets.

http://www.harborfreight.com/professional-301-piece-mechanics-tool-kit-45951.html

 

[jd_1138]

For someone who wants/needs enough tools to get something done for the least amount of money I always recommend the HF 301 tool set. Current coupon for 156.21. That's about $.50 per usable tool. Not that magnetic bits are not useful, but when a set has 40 of them that kind of skews the comparison. I keep one in the old truck after my Craftsman box with a mix of tools was stolen. Would still need a full set of wrenches and a hammer. If you still had money get the professional ratchets.

http://www.harborfreight.com/professional-301-piece-mechanics-tool-kit-45951.html

That's a lot of bang for the buck for the average homeowner DIYer to do basic car repairs and fix stuff around the house, put items together, etc..

If the person already has the basics covered (sockets, wrenches, screwdrivers), then you can put together a grab bag of useful/cool stuff like an oscillating multi-tool (Ryobi has them for $30), maybe a pair of knee protectors, Channellocks, impact driver/drill kit (Ryobi 18V for $99). A lot of households only have one power tool (a regular drill) and that's it.

 

[sberry]

I can agree with most stuff here, the sets are a bargain and while the avg guy may not need every6 piece this is worth having sue to the price. It would be different if it was 1510$ but its 151$ and the Sears 309 can be had 200 or so on super sale. Who gives a rats azz about warranty for a 50 cent socket that has been proven pretty good.
It really does amaze me that we can find values in a 200$ ratchet but 150 for that stuff is somehow money pizzed away,,,, not. It doesn't take but a pinch of work to justify these sets, a great start at a price any cheaper they would pay yo to carry it out.

 

[sberry]

If it burned down tonight would march right to HF tomorrow to get enough stuff to get my feet under myself fast, worry about some superior quality another day, some point in the future if it came to that.