Budget Tool Brands

[CC268]

Hey guys,

Been reading up on different budget tool brands (HF, Husky, Kobalt, Tekton, Craftsmen, etc) and would like to get some feedback on what the best budget brand(s) seems to be now a days.

I have basic tools (ratchets, sockets, wrenches, screw drivers, pliers, etc) all from HF (Pittsburgh Pro) that I got several years back as a starter set of tools. They've been alright - certainly have got the job done, but I've been thinking I'd like to replace the HF stuff with something a little nicer. I've always though the Husky brand was quite nice and seemed to be a step above HF (although some people would say the opposite).

If you guys were going to start your tool collection today, buying "budget" brands, what would it be?

Thanks!

 

[nmantas]

To be honest (in my opinion)......I don't think any of those listed (also include Gearwrench and Carlyle) are much better than Pittsburgh Pro and not worth the investment to outright replace. Now Tekton and Carlyle are probably upgrades that could be mixed in when you need to replace stuff but probably not worthy of the investment of outright upgrading. (decent sized investment for minimal jump in quality)

 

[CC268]

To be honest (in my opinion)......I don't think any of those listed (also include Gearwrench and Carlyle) are much better than Pittsburgh Pro and not worth the investment to outright replace. Now Tekton and Carlyle are probably upgrades that could be mixed in when you need to replace stuff but probably not worthy of the investment of outright upgrading.

I don't have that many tools right now to be honest. What I'm thinking is I'd like to pick up a nice ratchet/socket set and then supplement screw drivers, pliers, etc on their own (not through a kit). For instance, I LOVE my Wiha precision screw drivers that I use for small hobby work and would consider purchasing a set of nice full size Wiha screw drivers. Maybe some nice Knipex pliers, etc.

Maybe I ought to look at a Tekton ratchet/socket set.

 

[TrailHawkZ71]

Unfortunately, in my experience, there are no "pro-sumer" hand tools. You either have hobbyist-grade (HF, Kobalt, Craftsman, Husky, etc...), or professional-grade (SK, Matco, Proto, Snap-On, etc...). The cheaper stuff usually works just fine unless you are using and abusing it day in and day out.


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[Chucktin]

I went from all Craftsman to DeWalt and Kobalt.
Why? Cause ... My Cotractor's Saw is a good example.
After replacing the Fence and the Miter Guide I've got a useable tool. I can set it up and get 45* angles for corners or use it to rip down wide stock (and be within 1/32"). But could I repeat that setup tomorrow?
Not without going thru the setup again.

Would I be better off with a Jet saw or better? Probably. But I'm not doing original furniture pieces.

 

[Blind1]

I don't have that many tools right now to be honest. What I'm thinking is I'd like to pick up a nice ratchet/socket set and then supplement screw drivers, pliers, etc on their own (not through a kit). For instance, I LOVE my Wiha precision screw drivers that I use for small hobby work and would consider purchasing a set of nice full size Wiha screw drivers. Maybe some nice Knipex pliers, etc.

Maybe I ought to look at a Tekton ratchet/socket set.

Unlike Pittsburgh pro - Tekton doesn’t have skips In the big sets.

As far as quality, some have different features, but overall are very similar.

 

[jdlong]

I completely, 1000 percent agree with Tailhawk. Some budget tools are better than others but there is no single brand that is the best across the board. You have to do your research and shop around.

 

[PR1Gneon]

Any ratchet, socket, screwdriver made by Apex are better quality than HF.






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[Magnum440d100]

Pittsburg pro is nice. My shop box is a conglomeration is Pittsburg pro, husky (USA and China), Craftsman (USA and China) and some SK, snap on, proto, Mac, etc. Hell, I even have some socket with just the words “Sri Lanka” on them.....

I’m taking out all my name brand stuff (snap on, proto, Mac, etc) from my shop box though and only having the Pittsburg pro and Craftsman.

It all boils down to warranty.

I had 2 broken Husky USA sockets. They gave me hassle when I went to swap them. I felt bad going from USA to Chinese, but what’s better? A broken US tool, or a usable Chinese tool....

Craftsman and Pittsburg (harbor freight) have never given me hassles when swapping tools.

 

[CC268]

I’m thinking I might purchase GearWrench or Tekton ratchets and some sockets...seems like a good starting point.

 

[M6erfan]

I’m thinking I might purchase GearWrench or Tekton ratchets and some sockets...seems like a good starting point.

Lots of threads about Tekton and GW socket sets. Here's a recent one...

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=408914&highlight=tekton+gearwrench

 

[CC268]

Lots of threads about Tekton and GW socket sets. Here's a recent one...

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=408914&highlight=tekton+gearwrench

Thanks I read that thread a few others earlier. Definitely thinking about GearWrench for ratchets, sockets, and wrenches. Just need to determine which models. So many different ones.

 

[ChrisLS8]

Any ratchet, socket, screwdriver made by Apex are better quality than HF.






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Nope

 

[Gurp]

Thanks I read that thread a few others earlier. Definitely thinking about GearWrench for ratchets, sockets, and wrenches. Just need to determine which models. So many different ones.

Go GW for your ratchets and sockets but tekton for your wrenches. I used (abused) a set of metric tekton wrenches for 6 years. Beat them with hammers ofter for stuck bokts and never broke or bent one. Liked them so much bought a second set. And you cant beat the price on them

 

[Jbullfrog]

I started with Craftsman 20 years ago. I have since added to my tools from pawn shops, auctions, and online ads. Set a price and bid what you are willing to spend. Truck tools can be had for the same cost as new cheaper tools, if you have the time to wait and know what you are looking for. Ex-wives and widows often unload full sets of tools at great prices, you just have to keep an eye out.

 

[John in OH]

IMHO, hand tools come in three "general ranges" of quality and price:
-- Top quality & top price are the truck brands such as Snap-On, Mac, etc.
-- Top quality & moderate price are the brands such as Wright, Proto, SK, Carlyle
-- Moderate quality & low price are Tekton, Channelock, Gearwrench, Craftsman etc.

I'm not sure whether HF fits in the third category or lower as I've used very few Pittsburgh Pro tools.

 

[Angry welder]

If you are starting out go with impact sockets. Regardless of what brand you get the impact sockets are going to stand up to a lot more abuse than anything else. For ratchets I would stick with Gearwrench, mainly because of their warranty and the availability at local stores. For open end wrenchs I would stay away from the cheaper brands because the jaws will open up on you. For everything else you need to do your homework because no single tool manufacture makes the best of everything, even though the Snap-On fan boys will try to convince you other wise. When you do buy screwdrivers look for JIS and Hollow ground drivers.

 

[mudflap]

I would go GW or Carlyle.. With Advance auto dropping GW..might be harder for regular working folks to warranty.. But if you have your bases covered..i would buy some really nice individual things.. SO line wrenches, and snap ring pliers are the real deal..so far above everything else..then just add top of the line things when you can...I wouldnt bother with Matco or Mac..some of their stuff is nice....but not SO level.. Look on ebay at the big 3 truck brands..Just say Snap on........the ******* drop and the money comes out...

And what welder said...for 1/2 in sockets..just forget about chrome..go straight for impacts..The thicker walls wont be an issue places you would be using 1/2 in

 

[CC268]

Thanks for the help guys. Think I will start with GearWrench 81206P set and some GearWrench SAE & metric sockets. Probably will go with GearWrench ratcheting wrenches as well (maybe Flexhead). That should start me off pretty well I’d think.

 

[Negen]

Shopping around you can find great deals on proto and sk. They seem to have lower selling points on eBay or third party tool discount sites. Koken is probably the best price for quality tools for sockets. I really kieba , engineer , Wilde, facom , channel lock, and knipex for pliers. Vessel makes some of the best screwdrivers you can find. Tone is probably the best for budget wrenches. Some of the good Taiwan brands are getting close to Wright or sk. Prices. Wrenches double box or combo I would buy proto Wright or sk.

Depending on what your working on you may be able to start with limited amount of tools. I worked for 3 years with just 3/8 drive sockets and some wrenches. Maintenance on a fleet of ten trucks brakes, oil changes , belts filters. Just simple stuff. A proto 5250p is helpful. Long breaker bars. If working as an auto tech skip getting chrome sockets and just get impacts and save money that way.

Budgets are relatve to ones needs or ones profits their tools make. Tools used for profit are tax deductible if you live in USA and itemize your taxes.

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[Tallpilot]

Go GW for your ratchets and sockets but tekton for your wrenches. I used (abused) a set of metric tekton wrenches for 6 years. Beat them with hammers ofter for stuck bokts and never broke or bent one. Liked them so much bought a second set. And you cant beat the price on them

The Tekton non ratcheting combos are the best deal in wrenches. I also like the extra long double box end ratcheting. Gearwrench flex and non-flex ratcheting combos are a little smaller than the Tekton equivalent so better for clearance.

The nicest reasonably priced combos are the Carlyle reversible ratcheting with the FD+ style open ends.

I’d personally wait for the Tekton refresh before buying sockets. Gearwrench is probably a slight upgrade from Pittsburgh Pro but I think Carlyle or USA Williams would be more worth the money.

 

[Tonyuk]

Every brand has its gems, and its turds.

Buy decent tools, stuff like ratchets, sockets, spanners, screwdrivers etc.. aren't hard to make and a good manufacturer will churn out quality items no problem.

Brands i would class as mid-range price wise but great quality;

Toptul
Tekton
Gearwrench
Tone
Channellock
Estwing

Brands i would say are full professional grade but less than the tool-truck names;

Gedore
Stahlwille
Wera
Wiha
PB Swiss
Nepros
Koken
Hazet
Williams
Heyco
Facom
Knipex

Most of the top German tools can be had here for surprisingly less than stuff like snap-on especially if ordered from amazon.de

I find the finish on some of my cheaper tools to be better than the more expensive stuff. My facom 440's were flawless finish-wise, as were my long toptuls. However my SK flare spanners, snap-on spanners and gearwrench spanners all came with either unfinished parts to the chrome or points were it was clearly thinner etc..

 

[crewchief888]

when buying tools, (or pretty much anything else) i like to get my hands on them before i buy.

my top 3 choices would be

kobalt

gearwrench

tekton

 

[zendriver]

Probably about 95% of what's in my garage is from Harbor freight and since everything seems to "get the job done"I could never even imagine getting rid of it wasting money on something else.

I don't really worry about the ego part of it, and if someone happened to look down their nose at me for using HF tools, maybe i'll just give them a ride in my paid-for bass boat.


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[MarvinBerry]

I'm honestly surprised at all the love for HF on this forum over & over...

Total budget tools user here. Will never buy snapon can't afford or justify that level for my uses even if I did have money to burn. There is a difference yes. No denial

All of the HF hand tools I've used, and I had a neighbor who bought a bunch of their junk all felt cheap and or outright broke.

Only pair of channel locks that fell apart in my hands were HF. Had a stuck #3 Phillips on one of his dirt bikes. End twisted right off. Grabbed a husky out of my truck box and screw came loose on the 1st twist...

I've always equated HF with cheapo no name & Wally World junk tools. Stuff that's good to use once or twice a year... The kinda krap you get from the bank when opening a checking account.

While I don't make a living with tools I also can't afford stuff that's as cheap as it is cheap...

Like I'm not about to put a $2 wrench on a $2000 guitar or drum kit and strip or break something.

Have quite a few husky tools never had an issue with any. Also have 90s craftsman which are still going strong in my carpenters kit. Plenty of others too including Milwaukee hand tools which are nicer then either...

I dunno. If I wanted really cheap bargain basement junk to use once and throw away I'd see the value in HF, maybe, but would probably buy Wally World brand first.

What am I missing?! If anything..?

 

[alteredpilot]

I make my living with my hand tools. All of my daily use stuff (ratchets, wrenches, 3/8 and 1/2 sockets) at the shop is snap on. Period. Mainly because I have tools that are older than I am, they feel the best in my hand, they flat out perform and my tool man has never given me a hassle.

That being said, my 1/4 socket stuff is blue point and Mac expert because they will never get abused and I can't justify paying twice as much for a tool that I use 1/3 as much and still carries the same warranty. My micro wrenches are craftsman.

I have vintage SK, Proto and Alltrade which again are all older than me ( extensions, wobble sockets, etc...) and still work like new.

If I need a socket or something that I know will be a one time or rare use, I buy craftsman. Warranty, price and I can go to the store and get it instead of waiting for the truck to show up on Monday.

This past Black Friday I bought a husky tool kit as a travel/utility box. Dollar for dollar I couldn't be happier. I'll probably never open it or use it, but you never know. The ratchets are noticeably not on par with my fine tooth snap on, but stuck on the side of the road, they will do just fine.

I keep a harbor freight basic kit at home for fixing my kids bike or whatever random stuff but they would be just as welcome in the garbage. But I have a little different perspective than the average user. That said, I've been glad I had them more than once. I throw them in the car if I'm going distance. Better this than nothing. That said, adding that I'll likely replace with husky only because the HD is closer to home than Sears or Lowes, and walking distance from the shop. AND the husky stuff is miles ahead of the HF stuff in appearance and hand feel.

 

[zendriver]

I'm honestly surprised at all the love for HF on this forum over & over...

Total budget tools user here. Will never buy snapon can't afford or justify that level for my uses even if I did have money to burn. There is a difference yes. No denial

All of the HF hand tools I've used, and I had a neighbor who bought a bunch of their junk all felt cheap and or outright broke.

Only pair of channel locks that fell apart in my hands were HF. Had a stuck #3 Phillips on one of his dirt bikes. End twisted right off. Grabbed a husky out of my truck box and screw came loose on the 1st twist...

I've always equated HF with cheapo no name & Wally World junk tools. Stuff that's good to use once or twice a year... The kinda krap you get from the bank when opening a checking account.

While I don't make a living with tools I also can't afford stuff that's as cheap as it is cheap...

Like I'm not about to put a $2 wrench on a $2000 guitar or drum kit and strip or break something.

Have quite a few husky tools never had an issue with any. Also have 90s craftsman which are still going strong in my carpenters kit. Plenty of others too including Milwaukee hand tools which are nicer then either...

I dunno. If I wanted really cheap bargain basement junk to use once and throw away I'd see the value in HF, maybe, but would probably buy Wally World brand first.

What am I missing?! If anything..?

IMO it's The obvious..

Chinese tools were always inexpensive, but the quality and design were marginal at best. That's all changed now especially since the "name brand" companies are having many of their products made there. The prices are higher in most cases but so is the quality, which is way higher.

For me personally, I don't know what to say.

I've done all of my own maintenance and repair for 50 years and all my stuff I work on, is just as stuck and Rusty as anybody else's.

I've done at warranty return on some locking pliers that the teeth or ground off (just like every pair of vise grips I've ever owned) One impact socket that I flogged the piss out of, A dremel like grinder that I paid $8 for and a wheel seal puller that I knew was a ************* when I bought it but I was in a pinch. That's about it.

Maybe I'm just special.






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[giants]

Pittsburg pro is nice. My shop box is a conglomeration is Pittsburg pro, husky (USA and China), Craftsman (USA and China) and some SK, snap on, proto, Mac, etc. Hell, I even have some socket with just the words “Sri Lanka” on them.....

I’m taking out all my name brand stuff (snap on, proto, Mac, etc) from my shop box though and only having the Pittsburg pro and Craftsman.

It all boils down to warranty.

I had 2 broken Husky USA sockets. They gave me hassle when I went to swap them. I felt bad going from USA to Chinese, but what’s better? A broken US tool, or a usable Chinese tool....

Craftsman and Pittsburg (harbor freight) have never given me hassles when swapping tools.

What were the circumstances, eg problem with the sockets and the nature of the hassle?

Thanks

 

[Gurp]

The best deal in combination wrenches is hands down Tekton.
The 120 XP are very nice esp in a tight spot.
Pittsburg Pro composite ratchets are very tough.
Sockets from them all seem about the same in my hobbyist exp.
HF impacts will get you through as a hobbyist.
Gearwrench reversibles are a great deal on sale.

I own everything from no brand chineseium to a few snap on pcs. My go to stuff is hobby grade tools except my favourite 1/2 drive ratchet. Its a low tooth count proto with a 18in handle. Picked it up used.
At the end of the day its what's convenient for your situation and affordable for you.

 

[Handyandy23]

If you want to save a few dollars check out the Kobalt hand tools at Lowe's. They're on clearance in most stores now. I just picked up a set of ratcheting flex head wrenches for like 65% off. You'll likely be SOL for warranty, but they seem to make tools that are as good as any other budget brand, and you can't beat clearance prices on already budget priced tools.

 

[BillMoney]

Every brand has its gems, and its turds.

Buy decent tools, stuff like ratchets, sockets, spanners, screwdrivers etc.. aren't hard to make and a good manufacturer will churn out quality items no problem.

Brands i would class as mid-range price wise but great quality;

Toptul
Tekton
Gearwrench
Tone
Channellock
Estwing

Brands i would say are full professional grade but less than the tool-truck names;

Gedore
Stahlwille
Wera
Wiha
PB Swiss
Nepros
Koken
Hazet
Williams
Heyco
Facom
Knipex

Channellock & Knipex are rebranded on Trucks, Williams is made by Snap On I'd say there stuff is better then a lot of the Blue Point stuff on Snap On trucks

 

[nichocha33]

VIM
OEM
Carlyle
Gearwrench
Koke
Tekton
Toptul

All of these tools are a little more budget friendly, I’m a huge fan of Carlyle but Koken is very nice too just a little kore pricey. Lots of good tool websites out there just browse around and find something in your price range and look here and other places for reviews


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[JulianMorrow]

In regard to budget tools, a lot depends on what you're buying. You can get Truck Tool Equivalents like Williams for a lot less than Snap-on. But I wouldn't consider Williams to be "budget". My budget list would look something like this, based on the budget tools I've recently purchased.

Ratchet = Titan
Impact sockets = Craftsman
Torque wrench = Tekton.
Screwdrivers = Craftsman Cushion Grip.

 

[Professional Tool User]

For budget tools, it really depends on the type of tool. Every brand, professional ones included, have their strengths and weaknesses. There are a lot of tools like impact sockets where it doesn't really matter where you buy it from.

 

[mudflap]

These kinds of threads are always all over the map... Ask 34 different people..get 37 different answers.. But Carlyle is a big step up from HF, and i think GW is too. maybe even Tekton..? The OP has probably long moved on from this, or made his decision. But i havnt been in a HF in a while...so maybe their new lines, Quinn, etc are nice..? I know if i were starting over as a new Tech today..i would go all Carlyle, seen them used in a pro environment for yrs now and they run right with the truck brands, and i could have skipped 10yrs worth of weekly payments to the snap-mac-matco monster..But we didnt have all the good quality options the kiddos do now. But thats just my opinion to pile on top of the other opinions... Could also have alot to do with our NAPA rep, shop discount, and payroll deduct option we have. No tool trucks coming to the County shops now..so i dont worry about the kids getting lured onto that endless cycle of easy truck debt, and payments. There is always SO online if they really, really want to flush some $$ down the crapper.

 

[ATC]

Everything I own is "budget brand" tools. USA Craftsman and Gearwrench make up 90% of my box.

The rest is a mix of SK, MAC, Knipex, Channellock, Klein, Kobalt, etc...

 

[RWilcox42]

Hey everyone, sorry for making a late post. This post really interested me.
A best budget tool brand in my opinion is Tekton. I use them everyday under heavy circumstances at work. They truly hold up. They take a beating. I believe they are a good step above Pittsburgh, and even Craftsman. I've seen several different tools fail when my Tektons did not. I really like these tools and from my experience they are worth the money. My only gripe is that the impact swivels are not great. I buy proto swivels. That's the only tool I've had a problem. They do have lifetime warranty and the customer service is great. My next pick would be gearwrench and craftsman. Gearwrench offers some really good sets for instance their 84 piece hex and torx bit socket set is amazing. I use it at work alot.

My home garage I have a mixture of Craftsman, Gearwrench, and Tekton.

My work truck, I use Tekton, Proto, Lang Tools, Ridgid, Klein Tools, Greenlee, Gearwrench, Milwaukee power tools, and Fluke measuring equipment

 

[lardy1]

When retirement income dictated import tools, I look to Tekton a lot. However, I just ordered a 3/8" drive Carlyle locking flex, quick release ratchet from a UK eBay vendor. I bought the same in 1/4" drive a year ago and I really wanted the 3/8. I love that ratchet. Bear in mind that it's in a line of ratchets in my drawer that includes two SK's, a Cougar (nice ratchet, too, although quite course gear count) and a couple El Cheapo imports I dragged home. I nearly always pass over the others for that Carlyle.

My local NAPA stores don't stock Carlyle so I can't fondle their products. By reading others reviews and my experience with their low profile ratchet leaves me with an impression of pro quality tools, although priced higher han some of their competition.

Can anyone explain why I can buy these ratchets from a UK seller at a lower cost than the US sellers? I have accepted that I will likely never get warranty coverage.

 

[bonneyman]

Unfortunately, in my experience, there are no "pro-sumer" hand tools. You either have hobbyist-grade (HF, Kobalt, Craftsman, Husky, etc...), or professional-grade (SK, Matco, Proto, Snap-On, etc...). The cheaper stuff usually works just fine unless you are using and abusing it day in and day out.


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Interesting observation. I wonder why nobody comes out with a mid level consumer grade? A step up for the serious DIY, as well as an entry level for the aspiring professional mechanics.
Or do I already know the answer - the almighty dollar?

 

[lardy1]

I think the higher end budget brands are already supplying that market. Tekton, Gearwrench, etc. Pretty good tools at a pretty good price.