Cornwell Tools Any Good???

[hguerrero]

Specifically the ratchets and the sockets.*
Yes, I realize it's a truck brand....
But I've also read the ratchets only have 30 teeth?
Chrome looks nice enough....
How do these tools hold up?
What about warranty service?
Do I have to chase the truck or can I mail stuff in?

And the subject everybody has an opinion about,
How does Cornwell compare to Snap-on?

*(looking for a response from people who have actually used Cornwell Tools)

 

[Fedwrench]

They are classic old school. Their base ratchets are 30 tooth models. They are well built and built to last. Their chrome sockets bother the **** out of me beacuse in their classic old school design, their sockets only have a retention ball hole on one side instead of a scalloped area on each of the four sides, drove me to sell off my Cornwell stuff.
Be advised that their hex/torx bits are rebadged VIM products made in Taiwan. Screwdivers are rebadged German Witte.
I've had great Cornwell dealers over the years. They might not last too long but, they're nice people. As for comparing Cornwell to Snap on, don't. You should judge Cornwell tools on their own merits. The world's tools aren't judged by what Snap on makes.

 

[Bull]

My favorite ratchet at the moment is a blue-handled Cornwell 3/8 flex. I just don't find myself needing lots of teeth in many cases. Some people hate the hard handles, but i like them.

If you get any deals on the hard-handled tools, let me know.

 

[mikevango]

Their ratchets are low tooth count but very smooth and built to last. Their combo wrenches are the best.

 

[Davefr]

Specifically the ratchets and the sockets.*
Yes, I realize it's a truck brand....
But I've also read the ratchets only have 30 teeth?
Chrome looks nice enough....
How do these tools hold up?
What about warranty service?
Do I have to chase the truck or can I mail stuff in?

And the subject everybody has an opinion about,
How does Cornwell compare to Snap-on?

*(looking for a response from people who have actually used Cornwell Tools)

Their hardline tools are rock solid but not particularly innovative. (nothing like SO dual 80's). I don't think they even offer a full lineup of fine tooth ratchets

Some really like their wrenches.

I'm happy with my Cornwell but I would not deviate far from their hardlines.

If price and avail. was close I'd choose SO in a heartbeat.

I don't have a clue about warranty. Cornwell would probably say to find a dealer but they're very scarce so you might be SOL.

Used Cornwell for a good price is what I'd consider buying unless you have a phenominal dealer.

 

[hguerrero]

i wonder if anybody has put cornwell's warranty to the test by mail?

 

[Bull]

i wonder if anybody has put there warranty to the test by mail?

I have. Had a ratchet with chrome that was peeling. I e-mailed and asked them what my options were. Nice lady told me to mail it in, as peeling chrome was a warranty issue. Sent me a new ratchet in the mail within a couple weeks. Their chrome is good enough to shave in.

 

[hguerrero]

I have. Had a ratchet with chrome that was peeling. I e-mailed and asked them what my options were. Nice lady told me to mail it in, as peeling chrome was a warranty issue. Sent me a new ratchet in the mail within a couple weeks. Their chrome is good enough to shave in.

bull, that's what i was hoping to hear...i only work on cars as a hobby not as a professional so i'd rather not have to chase a cornwell truck around.... don't see cornwell trucks around here.....

 

[Bull]

bull, that's what i was hoping to hear...i only work on cars as a hobby not as a professional so i'd rather not have to chase a cornwell truck around.... don't see cornwell trucks around here.....

Understood, as I am in the same category.

Sue Cleckner is the lady with whom I dealt for my warranty issue. Very quick to reply, and very helpful.

 

[Lump]

When I was a young wrench-turner, about a million years ago, I recall that we had three truck brands come into the Goodyear store where I worked. There was a Snap On, a Mac, and a Cornwell truck every week.

To the best of my memory, in those days Snap On and Cornwell were more expensive, and a little more "polished", in the sense that their tools were much more detailed in appearance. But as I recall, Cornwell was the most expensive at that time. I bought a lot of Mac and Snap On off of the trucks, but usually came off of the Cornwell truck without spending any $$$. Today, I eagerly seek Cornwell tools at flea markets, yard sales, auctions, and estate sales, because the "average Joe" vendor/bidder will often set values HIGHER for Craftsman tools than they will for Cornwell (or Billings, Blackhawk, Proto, Plomb, New Britain, etc). Indeed, many of them never even heard of Cornwell!! So with Cornwell I can get a used truck-quality tool for less than used C-man prices. Nice!

 

[Skin]

i thought someone said their ratcheting mechanisms have since been outsourced but i could be wrong. Maybe it was only the 72s?

 

[Davefr]

Today, I eagerly seek Cornwell tools at flea markets, yard sales, auctions, and estate sales, because the "average Joe" vendor/bidder will often set values HIGHER for Craftsman tools than they will for Cornwell (or Billings, Blackhawk, Proto, Plomb, New Britain, etc). Indeed, many of them never even heard of Cornwell!! So with Cornwell I can get a used truck-quality tool for less than used C-man prices. Nice!

^^^^That's the reason to buy Cornwell!!

If you care about warranty and are buying new then SO is a much safer bet for warranty service.

 

[vssjim]

Cornwell makes very good tools. I have been a customer for over thirty years and have had many dealers never been a problem finding one, and yes you can mail it in for replacements. The hard line products are great I like them way more than any other truck brand.

 

[wreckercologist]

If you get any deals on the hard-handled tools, let me know.

My dealer still has several brand new on the truck if you're interested....just an FYI.

As of late, Cornwell seems to be having trouble keeping chrome stuck to combination wrenches Both sets I've bought in the past year have chrome peel, one of those started a week after I bought them. Oh well, I guess I'll wear gloves. The dealer offered to exchange any tool peeling.......just ain't done it yet as it's not too big of a deal to me because it's on the open/box ends. If it was on the handle, that's another story.

On the other hand, they do make a few sizes and configurations that some other tool companies don't, and, as a general rule, they're a little cheaper on the hardline than Snappy, Mac, and Matco.........usually........depends on the item.

A word on their sockets: The newer 6 points are generally fine, and, as a bonus, the shallow Cornwell sockets are a little shorter than Snap-on's and Matco's. I have several sets of Cornwell impact sockets and they function fine/wear fine. Their 12 point sockets, are another story. They are an old school double hex.........as in not flank drive, the sixes on the other hand are a style of flank drive. That won't make a huge difference in the quality of anyones life, but Flank drive does add grip and make the socket slightly stronger. Just sayin.

As Fedwrench said, the 30 tooth ratchets are old school, no thrills and are good, solid tools. My only beef with their newer flexheads is the detent ball. I hate that on a flex ratchet.

The new fine tooth ratchet leaves quite a bit to be desired IMO. Skip it if you come across one.

Their new line of tool boxes are really sharp. Just saying. I bet you're not interested, but they are nice.

Lump has the right idea. I bought 3/8" shallow and deep metric impact socket sets on Ebay for $45 and $50. That's $350+ off a Snap-on truck new. Nobody knows Cornwell, and nobody knows they've been around longer than Snap-on, and in a sense, spawned Mac and Matco.

 

[Bull]

My dealer still has several brand new on the truck if you're interested....just an FYI.

Trust me, I'd love to. But see that guy in your avatar? I'm on his budget.

 

[wreckercologist]

Trust me, I'd love to. But see that guy in your avatar? I'm on his budget.

Understood. Keith Stone enjoys the smooth taste and the price. Leaves more for tools!

 

[Lump]

Interesting side note, related to Wreckercologist's avatar...

A couple of years ago I was in Golden, Colorado, and went on a tour of the Coors plant there. I ended up talking with a long-time employee a few hours later, at local classic car cruise-in. He told me that Keystone Light and Coors Light are actually the same beer; brewed in the same vats at the same time, just labeled differently to give Coors a price-competitive brand for certain markets. Since that moment, I'm always happy to have a good cold 'stone.

Anyone got one handy right now?

 

[DrkMtnDew]

Interesting side note, related to Wreckercologist's avatar...

A couple of years ago I was in Golden, Colorado, and went on a tour of the Coors plant there. I ended up talking with a long-time employee a few hours later, at local classic car cruise-in. He told me that Keystone Light and Coors Light are actually the same beer; brewed in the same vats at the same time, just labeled differently to give Coors a price-competitive brand for certain markets. Since that moment, I'm always happy to have a good cold 'stone.

Anyone got one handy right now?

to Lump's side note: that is very interesting, have to give keystone a test drive.


On the main note, the cornwell tools that i have are some of my favorite. yes they lack a little inovation, but they look great, have been very reliable, and they feel great in my hand. the driver is one of the friendliest I've met and is very good about warrenty items.

 

[Busted Bolts]

I have the extra long combo wrench set, stubbys, and a compact 3/8 ratchet, no problems. They rebadge a lot of stuff though,but they do make 12 point impact sockets which you dont see to much. Over all a good tool brand for the price

 

[ngk22r]

He told me that Keystone Light and Coors Light are actually the same beer; brewed in the same vats at the same time, just labeled differently to give Coors a price-competitive brand for certain markets. QUOTE]

Well if thats the case, time to try some keystone then. I love coors and coors light!!!

 

[bimmer630]

i wonder if anybody has put cornwell's warranty to the test by mail?

I sent in a bent and chrome peel combo wrench, two stripped out ratchets and a broken flex socket, to their main factory address and they sent me back all brand new tools, they didnt even rebuild the ratchets, they just replaced them.

 

[jontar]

I own some Cornwell sockets, they appear to be decent, they are for auto work as they are thin walled, I finally had to send the 1/2in deep (3/8dr) in last year for warranty, pretty smooth process, mailed into Cornwell, several weeks later, got replacement, no known dealer in Alberta, otherwise maybe inclined to purchase more

 

[wafrederick]

I have sent in wore out sockets,Cornwell sent me brand new replacements with no problem.I have a hose removal tool I sent in twice,the tip broke off of it twice and sent me a brand new one with no problem at all.Includes a couple 13mm impact swivel sockets.Their screwdriver bits are covered under warranty when they break.Their hardline air tools are rebranded Ingersoll Rands.

 

[volvo92906]

We have a Cornwell truck come to our shop.. I like them.

Their tools are made in Ohio, so local for me. Naturally, as with any company, there is outsourced stuff. My dealer can tell me everything that is made in the U.S though. Their prices are awesome, great quality, and of course warranty. He has only been coming to the shop a short time now, but I buy a lot from him any more. His prices are a quarter of Snappy's which is good for things like hammers and pick sets. I bought a 3/4" ratchet from him, lifetime warranty on it, for 150.00. Its a 3 foot ratchet. And in that case, fine tooth isnt really a concern for me.

 

[CWP1616L]

i wonder if anybody has put cornwell's warranty to the test by mail?

I sent in a 5/8'' combination wrench (I forgot the reason why) and the one they sent back to me is absolutely flawless.

 

[redwrench60]

I sent in a 5/8'' combination wrench (I forgot the reason why) and the one they sent back to me is absolutely flawless.

Couldn't help but notice that your user name is the part number for a Cornwell 1/2" long pattern combo wrench..........coincidence?

 

[jmm]

Cornwell tools are great. My first purchase on garagejournal was a STOUT SR-50 1/2 ratchet (thanks Franzdom). That thing is a beast. It beat out a fine-tooth model as my go-to standard 1/2 ratchet at work. At home I have metric and sae combo wrenches I got used -- very nice.

As mentioned, Cornwell is best judged on its own merit. They make very good tools.

 

[dankicksass]

On the truck their imports cost about the same as Snap-On domestic production. I don't find myself walking on very often.

 

[CWP1616L]

Couldn't help but notice that your user name is the part number for a Cornwell 1/2" long pattern combo wrench..........coincidence?

I chose that username because my Cornwell CWP1616L is my most favorite wrench.

 

[kool_BOY8323]

ive got their 3/8 blue power impact gun and the 1/2 is on the way. yesterday i took down an f250 super duty's entire brake system with the 3/8. including the lugnuts. ive seen the abuse that cornwell tools can take, and quality wise i see no difference from matco, or mac. snap on is a bit nicer but cant come close to cornwells value for the price. and my snap on driver is a ****, so we try not to buy from him anyway. cornwell hasnt even charged me for my gun yet, and its been close to 2 weeks...

 

[MG44]

I have the 3/8 impact gun from Cornwell, it is the most powerful 3/8 impact of any truck brand.

I buy from Cornwell because they are based in Akron/Mogadore where I grew up. As far as I know it is an employee owned company.

Lots of relabeled items though. I buy a lot of Cornwell, but sometimes it is not far off from price vs SnapOn. My Cornwell driver is okay, but you can tell if the guys don;'t buy from him for 2 or 3 weeks he may stop visiting to warranty tools, where as SnapOn is every Friday on the dot.

 

[joebachor]

i was given a quarter inch cornwell ratchet a couple years ago, it was my first tool from cornwell and since then ive bought several more tools from them because the quality is really high and their ratchets are very comfotable and smooth.

 

[Brownsfan]

The jr72 is my favorite ratchet ever. And I own a few snap on dual 80s. I own a ton of Cornwell tools. My Cornwell guy is great so it makes it easy to buy and warranty anything. I love the witte/Cornwell screwdrivers the tips are very strong. I even like the non fine tooth ratchets. They are only 30t but smooth as silk.

 

[crewchief888]

i had a small issue with cornwell trying to get a ratchet repair kit.

they 1st sent the wrong kit, ok maybe my fault, my desciption wasnt the greatest, i couldnt find a PN# on the ratchet
they decided to just replace the ratchet, wrong ratchet, sent me a 1/4" dr, instead of a 3/8" drive.
i finally checked the website, and found the ratchet i needed the kit for, emailed them again with the PN#

they sent me a new ratchet, and told me to keep the one they sent in error.

that was fine with me, this entire ordeal spanned 3 1/2 weeks.

 

[Andersonfarms]

I know Stacey Davids on gear uses a lot of Cornwell I believe.... at least some of his boxes are and they have showed their factory on the show before

 

[warmpancakes]

I have 2 sets of cornwell wrenches bought them to resell cause they were cheap, they are next to the bonney sourced matos in the box, I like them alot

 

[crewchief888]

I know Stacey Davids on gear uses a lot of Cornwell I believe.... at least some of his boxes are and they have showed their factory on the show before

cornwell supplies tools for his show,
just like matco is the official tool of the powerblock shows

corporate sponsorship

 

[bowtie3]

On the truck their imports cost about the same as Snap-On domestic production. I don't find myself walking on very often.

Any specific examples?

 

[texchappy]

Went and looked at their website. First glance is that they seem even more expensive than Snap-on. Am I wrong in that snap judgement?

 

[kiatech]

Most things on their trucks also have price tags, which I really like.