Craftsman 52pc 6 Point Socket Set - $55. Best Value?

[Skeptic68W]

So I am wanting to get away from my 12 point sockets and start using 6 points.

I see that Craftsman sells these, and it looks like a damned good deal.

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-52-p...SellerId=Sears&prdNo=9&blockNo=9&blockType=G9

I like the easy read feature, but at the same time, this is a socket set I plan to use pretty frequently for the next 50+ years and then hand off to kids...so if there any tools I feel justified in spending good money for quality on, basic 6 point sockets seems like it. I'm not a fan of spending up just for a name though, so if more expensive sets aren't substantially better, I'll buy these. I currently have evolv and craftsman 12pt sockets, and HF impact sockets. Have yet to break any of them, so I'm not overly concerned with strength. I don't use chrome on impact tools or big breaker bars generally. More interested in a set that will fit well and resist rounding.

Any suggestions for alternatives? I'm not a huge fan of Gearwrench's sockets (their standard depth is tall and I prefer the style that allows you to get the bolt head deeper into the socket). Looked at Carlyle, like those, but damn that's a big step up and without putting socket to bolt head...I don't know if they are actually any better than the CMAN.

Would like a big set like this in 3/8 and 1/4.

 

[ssdave]

this is a socket set I plan to use pretty frequently for the next 50+ years and then hand off to kids...


This set isn't that type of tool. I get these in used lots of Craftsman occasionally that I buy to high grade out the good tools from. They wear badly; after a bit of use they are unreadable.

If you like easy read, get newer Proto sockets. The large number stamping on them is great, and they are sockets that will last 50 years. But, if you have sticker shock at Carlyle, they're not the ones for you. It's hard to find anything very good in the Craftsman to Carlyle price range. Usable, yes.. But not 50 year heirloom tools. To get that, you'll have to step up the bar a bit.

 

[Skeptic68W]

this is a socket set I plan to use pretty frequently for the next 50+ years and then hand off to kids...


This set isn't that type of tool. I get these in used lots of Craftsman occasionally that I buy to high grade out the good tools from. They wear badly; after a bit of use they are unreadable.

If you like easy read, get newer Proto sockets. The large number stamping on them is great, and they are sockets that will last 50 years. But, if you have sticker shock at Carlyle, they're not the ones for you. It's hard to find anything very good in the Craftsman to Carlyle price range. Usable, yes.. But not 50 year heirloom tools. To get that, you'll have to step up the bar a bit.

When you talk about wear, are we just talking about the easy read wearing off, or the socket itself starts to wear and interfere with fastener engagement?

In terms of price, I was just shocked at Carlyle's price for Taiwan made sockets. Maybe they are more reasonable on sale, but the sets are small and pricey. Easily 3-4x the CMAN price. They're about on par with SK pricing...

I honestly don't know how to tell the difference between a good and a bad socket without putting it on a fastener and testing the slop. I mean if you've got something that's really big and thick and would be in the way, or that has a poor finish, that's one thing, but you can't really judge quality by brand/price very well anymore with these things it seems(generally a Snap On will be better than a Pittsburgh, but in the middle, price isn't a great indicator of quality).

 

[Skeptic68W]

Honestly, I like Carlyle, and I like the knurling on the sockets for spinning down bolts by hand, but I would hate to buy them and have one fail in 20 years and Carlyle not be around as a brand to warranty it. (Guess I should have thought about that before buying 2 sets of long pattern combo wrenches haha).

I've said before, I'm not sure how successful Carlyle is or is not sales wise, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it go away and be replaced by Gearwrench or something similar if it doesn't sell that well. My local napa guy says he doesn't sell much of it. "It's just too expensive" he said. Not sure if that is indicative of elsewhere or not.

 

[Shark Pilot]

Like you, after shopping ratchet handles I ended up buying Carlyle. I also bought metric sockets on rails (1/4, 3/8 & 1/2) to replace my old Cman sockets. The Carlyle sockets easily outperform my old Cman stuff on rusted difficult to remove fasteners that I routinely deal with on older vehicles in the Northeast. Definitely buy them on sale - not currently so may have to wait until Q1 2018. Unless you need SAE for automotive work I would just get HF or something cheap for the usual SAE homeowner stuff and put the money into metric.

 

[Skeptic68W]

Like you, after shopping ratchet handles I ended up buying Carlyle. I also bought metric sockets on rails (1/4, 3/8 & 1/2) to replace my old Cman sockets. The Carlyle sockets easily outperform my old Cman stuff on rusted difficult to remove fasteners that I routinely deal with on older vehicles in the Northeast. Definitely buy them on sale - not currently so may have to wait until Q1 2018. Unless you need SAE for automotive work I would just get HF or something cheap for the usual SAE homeowner stuff and put the money into metric.

I plan do do resto work on 60's/70's muscle cars at some point, so SAE will be required, but I'll probably wait until that day comes before ponying up. I've got a full CMAN SAE 12pt set that would be fine for a while.

Sears really doesn't put much out on their sockets, but Carlyle does. I know Carlyle offers off-corner engagement (like flank drive) which is huge. No idea if Cman has that or not...

 

[Jtels85]

If you’re not going to spring the extra $$$ for Carlyle, stick with the Craftsman. I have USA Craftsman in my primary tool chest, but the road box is China Craftsman sockets. They’ve taken quite a bit of abuse and held up well. The laser etching ***** and seems to wear down.

Carlyle makes great tools. I have some of their wrenches, sockets and Power 90 ratchets. The quality is impressive, but the prices are discouraging. It would not surprise me either to see Carlyle get replaced at some point in the future. Our local NAPA has a full wall and the owner said they barely sell any. Only me and one other guy come in from time-to-time and buy tools... Other than that, it’s just your average Joe who’s in the middle of a project and needs a single tool to complete the job. Their sales are also spotty and not well advertised. The whole way they don’t advertise or offer discounts is a real turn off. Carlyle Club? They look at me like I’m retarded whenever I bring it up. Not worth going to NAPA.

I’m just trying to wait patiently to see what Stanley does with the new Craftsman line. Trying hard not to buy any tools for awhile.

 

[Al Borland]

Spent a little time at a friend's house using a set of numerical punches to re-mark some "Easy-Read" Sears sockets. The size markings appeared to be etched, but could be rubbed off with a fingernail. Maybe some kind od decal???
Thought the whole thing was kind of fun/funny.
(There might be a socket or two marked F*** You.)

 

[Yarpo]

Any suggestions for alternatives? I'm not a huge fan of Gearwrench's sockets (their standard depth is tall and I prefer the style that allows you to get the bolt head deeper into the socket). Looked at Carlyle, like those, but damn that's a big step up and without putting socket to bolt head...I don't know if they are actually any better than the CMAN.

Would like a big set like this in 3/8 and 1/4.

As others mentioned, the easy read portion will wear off, but those look to be stamped as well as laser etched, so it's not a deal breaker. We have some in our work box that are not stamped and ONLY laser etched, can't tell what size it is.

Also, broaching depth on all my gearwrench sockets seems to be great, comparable to the depth on my craftsman ones.

GW semi deep 14mm / Craftsman deep 14mm

Broach is very close to the bottom in both, only difference is one of the sockets is deeper due to it being...a deep socket instead of a semi deep

That said, Gearwrench sockets are nothing SPECIAL, chrome is fine and the knurling is good, but then again I don't really find anything that exciting about any socket. I've had great luck with sockets from Stanley -> HF -> Craftsman -> GW -> Snapon, they all work for me.

 

[Mr_B]

gearwrench taiwan sockets i used seem be good balance between cost design and size range and easily purchased. carlyle over priced on sockets for nothing exceptional . premier do good design and range taiwan sockets and about my favourite lower cost sockets as pro usable features and cheap in rail sets .

 

[Skeptic68W]

If you’re not going to spring the extra $$$ for Carlyle, stick with the Craftsman. I have USA Craftsman in my primary tool chest, but the road box is China Craftsman sockets. They’ve taken quite a bit of abuse and held up well. The laser etching ***** and seems to wear down.

Carlyle makes great tools. I have some of their wrenches, sockets and Power 90 ratchets. The quality is impressive, but the prices are discouraging. It would not surprise me either to see Carlyle get replaced at some point in the future. Our local NAPA has a full wall and the owner said they barely sell any. Only me and one other guy come in from time-to-time and buy tools... Other than that, it’s just your average Joe who’s in the middle of a project and needs a single tool to complete the job. Their sales are also spotty and not well advertised. The whole way they don’t advertise or offer discounts is a real turn off. Carlyle Club? They look at me like I’m retarded whenever I bring it up. Not worth going to NAPA.

I’m just trying to wait patiently to see what Stanley does with the new Craftsman line. Trying hard not to buy any tools for awhile.

I think I'd be willing to pay up for Carlyle if A. They went on sale more often and with deeper discounts. B. I felt more certain that they would be around to honor the warranty (with the same tool, not whatever brand theoretically replaces Carlyle). I really like their stuff, and when on sale the price isn't THAT bad...but it's still not great.

I too am anxious to see what Stanley rolls out under the Cman name. I seem to swing from hopeful and optimistic (quality improvements without big price hikes, more US/Taiwan production, tech carryover from Mac/Proto/etc) to jaded and pessimistic (they will just use the name to sell junk like Irwin and Black/Decker).

I do feel a little more certain that SOMEONE will be around to warranty Craftsman products, even if it's not Sears, for a long time. Carlyle...idk...but I'm probably overthinking it.

Spent a little time at a friend's house using a set of numerical punches to re-mark some "Easy-Read" Sears sockets. The size markings appeared to be etched, but could be rubbed off with a fingernail. Maybe some kind od decal???
Thought the whole thing was kind of fun/funny.
(There might be a socket or two marked F*** You.)

Yeah, I would never buy sockets that were only easy read. These are stamped too.

As others mentioned, the easy read portion will wear off, but those look to be stamped as well as laser etched, so it's not a deal breaker. We have some in our work box that are not stamped and ONLY laser etched, can't tell what size it is.

Also, broaching depth on all my gearwrench sockets seems to be great, comparable to the depth on my craftsman ones.

GW semi deep 14mm / Craftsman deep 14mm

Broach is very close to the bottom in both, only difference is one of the sockets is deeper due to it being...a deep socket instead of a semi deep

That said, Gearwrench sockets are nothing SPECIAL, chrome is fine and the knurling is good, but then again I don't really find anything that exciting about any socket. I've had great luck with sockets from Stanley -> HF -> Craftsman -> GW -> Snapon, they all work for me.

O interesting, the GW I've seen had a really shallow broach(thanks for reminding me of the terminology here). I've seen Snap On sockets that were the same way. It's not better or worse, just preference.

I'm going to take another look at Gearwrench. Their selection is great, prices are good, and are a bit of a safer bet (probably) in terms of long term viability. Apex seems to have really invested in the brand.


Would you guys say that SK is worth the premium over GW/Carlyle in this case?

 

[Mr_B]

^ GW you seen probably the newer china junk .

Your kids will prefer the SK in 50 years ...

 

[Skeptic68W]

^ GW you seen probably the newer china junk .

Your kids will prefer the SK in 50 years ...

They've gone to China with their sockets now too? Well, they're out.

I predict the ratchets will be next.

 

[7avalon7]

I like the easy read feature, but at the same time, this is a socket set I plan to use pretty frequently for the next 50+ years and then hand off to kids

IMO if you looking for something valuable to pass to your kids down the road, you should invest in something like stock and mutual funds. No offense here, but socket sets is not something that I consider heirloom that I want to pass to my kids, but that is just me.

Imagine the value of a well worn socket set after 50 years...regardless of CF or SnapOn or whatever. Great conversation piece I am sure, but nothing else... "yeah...grandpa used to fix his car using these sockets..."

 

[Skeptic68W]

IMO if you looking for something valuable to pass to your kids down the road, you should invest in something like stock and mutual funds. No offense here, but socket sets is not something that I consider heirloom that I want to pass to my kids, but that is just me.

Imagine the value of a well worn socket set after 50 years...regardless of CF or SnapOn or whatever. Great conversation piece I am sure, but nothing else... "yeah...grandpa used to fix his car using these sockets..."

Maybe I should use a different word. I don't mean invest in the Snap On "our tools are an investment" kind of way. I don't expect them to ever be sold, and could care less about their value. I am only concerned with lasting quality and the nostalgia factor of being able to say "****, that ratchet? I remember when I bought that 45 years ago. Look at it, works like new".

I do have more traditional investments

 

[Yarpo]

They've gone to China with their sockets now? Well, they're out.

I predict the ratchets will be next.

I think all my stuff is made in Taiwan except a set of wrenches, but they're certainly shifting some of their production to China unfortunately. Always check the reviews, usually has people asking where the COO is.

If you have a Menards or Advanced Auto parts nearby you can see if they have anything in stock, and then just check the packaging for yourself.

 

[cherrybomb]

No the craftsman is not the best value, if your thinking fifty years down the road.Spend your money wisely,go USA made SK.You will be glad you did.

 

[Skeptic68W]

I think all my stuff is made in Taiwan except a set of wrenches, but they're certainly shifting some of their production to China unfortunately. Always check the reviews, usually has people asking where the COO is.

If you have a Menards or Advanced Auto parts nearby you can see if they have anything in stock, and then just check the packaging for yourself.

Not interested in buying into a brand that's moving that direction. I don't like Apex as a company in general, but the GW tools look really good for the money and would be hard to ignore if Taiwan made and it looked like they would stay that way.

The quality on their chinese stuff is garbage. Played with some of their reversible ratcheting wrenches in a tractor supply last week and 2-3 were locked up in the package brand new. I bought some roto ratchets from them and the 1/4 was stripped right out of the box.

 

[Mr_B]

They've gone to China with their sockets now too? Well, they're out.

I predict the ratchets will be next.

Yeh if buying GW be sure try get taiwan, lot of sets and ratchets now china made and sockets have some design changes chrome sets and impact too .

craftsman china coo too ... cheap at about a buck a piece but I would buy taiwan made every time for midrange and be happy spend 2bucks+ a piece for good design features and nice usable quality .

 

[Yarpo]

Not interested in buying into a brand that's moving that direction. I don't like Apex as a company in general, but the GW tools look really good for the money and would be hard to ignore if Taiwan made and it looked like they would stay that way.

The quality on their chinese stuff is garbage. Played with some of their reversible ratcheting wrenches in a tractor supply last week and 2-3 were locked up in the package brand new. I bought some roto ratchets from them and the 1/4 was stripped right out of the box.

They're great tools and most my home box is filled with Gearwrench. Not been disappointed yet. That said its understandable avoiding them for those reasons, but I think most brands are going that direction unfortunately. Nobody is going to go backwards and increase their manufacturing costs. Imagine somebody going from China -> Taiwan -> USA, it just isn't likely to happen. These are companies, hoping they anchor in one area is the best course of action, but don't be surprised to see people cutting costs. If that's something that worries you, SK would definitely be a good bet.

I can't find anything that insists they've shipped their manufacturing over to china, but I, as you, have seen certain products made in China from Gearwrench. That said, looking at sets on amazon people all claim COO is still Taiwan.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NICEV2/?tag=atomicindus08-20

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NICEW6/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Mr_B]

Some of it still is taiwan or old stock, lot of product details and images online still of taiwan tools but you get the china ones and if you clued up you will see the design difference straight away .
Changing manufacture not an issue if keep spec same, change spec and it bait and switch tactics and pure profit greed over brand reputation and that leads you down path of craftsman etc which as history shows is not a good business plan ...

 

[visionguru]

..... I've had great luck with sockets from Stanley -> HF -> Craftsman -> GW -> Snapon, they all work for me.

^^^
Same here. From noname brand->Craftsman->GW->Snap-On all work the same and well for me.

IMHO, sockets are among the type of things that brand doesn't matter, COO doesn't matter.

 

[Skeptic68W]

They're great tools and most my home box is filled with Gearwrench. Not been disappointed yet. That said its understandable avoiding them for those reasons, but I think most brands are going that direction unfortunately. Nobody is going to go backwards and increase their manufacturing costs. Imagine somebody going from China -> Taiwan -> USA, it just isn't likely to happen. These are companies, hoping they anchor in one area is the best course of action, but don't be surprised to see people cutting costs. If that's something that worries you, SK would definitely be a good bet.

I can't find anything that insists they've shipped their manufacturing over to china, but I, as you, have seen certain products made in China from Gearwrench. That said, looking at sets on amazon people all claim COO is still Taiwan.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NICEV2/?tag=atomicindus08-20

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NICEW6/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Several of their wrench lines were taiwan but have been china for a while now. The quality is poor. They LOOK great with nice finishes, but the tolerances are sloppy, the open ends are bulky, and the mechanisms aren't what I'd call reliable if they're locked up in store.

 

[Moparman390]

That's a pretty good deal especially if you combine it with SYW\Surprise points, I did a lot of that, got tons of Craftsman sockets real cheap. They will work just fine for you. Here's a thought I had, I have lots of Craftsman China sockets, they should hold up for me, but if they don't, SBD will be honoring the warranty, so (in a year or so) if any break I can exchange them for USA made ones. The opposite of what people used to complain about. Upshot is you build up a big set of China made sockets super cheap that are going to be backed with USA made sockets if any of the China sockets don't hold up. I don't expect the USA ones to be as inexpensive.

 

[mmason7764]

Would you guys say that SK is worth the premium over GW/Carlyle in this case?

YES !!!

If you want to shop around a little you can compare SK, Wright, and Williams. If Zoro is having a really good sale Proto prices may come into this range.

Mark

 

[fireball05]

You guys must've bought so many sets since the sears website now lists as out of stock!!

 

[Scout3918]

If you’re not going to spring the extra $$$ for Carlyle, stick with the Craftsman. I have USA Craftsman in my primary tool chest, but the road box is China Craftsman sockets. They’ve taken quite a bit of abuse and held up well. The laser etching ***** and seems to wear down.

Carlyle makes great tools. I have some of their wrenches, sockets and Power 90 ratchets. The quality is impressive, but the prices are discouraging. It would not surprise me either to see Carlyle get replaced at some point in the future. Our local NAPA has a full wall and the owner said they barely sell any. Only me and one other guy come in from time-to-time and buy tools... Other than that, it’s just your average Joe who’s in the middle of a project and needs a single tool to complete the job. Their sales are also spotty and not well advertised. The whole way they don’t advertise or offer discounts is a real turn off. Carlyle Club? They look at me like I’m retarded whenever I bring it up. Not worth going to NAPA.

I’m just trying to wait patiently to see what Stanley does with the new Craftsman line. Trying hard not to buy any tools for awhile.

any more news on Stanley and Craftsman? any updated info/link?

 

[Moparman390]

No news yet on SBD Craftsman, 2nd half 2018 is all we know now.

Reality is for non-professional use the Craftsman set will probably serve OP just fine, especially for $55. A conperable set from SK is like 3.5 times the price, I don't know if he'll see 3.5 the return in investment for home use. $55 is not that much to write off if he decides to upgrade down the road. Also, I don't know if there is any practical use difference between GW (Apex) and CM (Apex) other than where the factory is. I say go for it.

 

[lbhsbz]

I think I'd be willing to pay up for Carlyle if A. They went on sale more often and with deeper discounts. B. I felt more certain that they would be around to honor the warranty (with the same tool, not whatever brand theoretically replaces Carlyle). I really like their stuff, and when on sale the price isn't THAT bad...but it's still not great.

I too am anxious to see what Stanley rolls out under the Cman name. I seem to swing from hopeful and optimistic (quality improvements without big price hikes, more US/Taiwan production, tech carryover from Mac/Proto/etc) to jaded and pessimistic (they will just use the name to sell junk like Irwin and Black/Decker).

I do feel a little more certain that SOMEONE will be around to warranty Craftsman products, even if it's not Sears, for a long time. Carlyle...idk...but I'm probably overthinking it.



Yeah, I would never buy sockets that were only easy read. These are stamped too.



O interesting, the GW I've seen had a really shallow broach(thanks for reminding me of the terminology here). I've seen Snap On sockets that were the same way. It's not better or worse, just preference.

I'm going to take another look at Gearwrench. Their selection is great, prices are good, and are a bit of a safer bet (probably) in terms of long term viability. Apex seems to have really invested in the brand.


Would you guys say that SK is worth the premium over GW/Carlyle in this case?

I can't stand deep sockets broached all the way to the bottom like that...which is why I guess I'm a snap on and mac socket guy.

Any decent quality socket will last damn near forever if used in a halfway sensible manner outside of a professional environment.

While I dislike the deep broaching of most deep sockets, it's simply an inconvenience in most cases, and for a hobbyist, makes little to no difference. I think that craftsman set will suit you fine.

Ignoring the broaching, what I look for in user friendly sockets is good, deep stamping or knurling...gives it some grip. I use a lot of sockets with my fingers to get enough leverage when I can't grip the bolt head with my fingers, and I use deep sockets more often than not simply because they're easier to get on and off the ratchet, and offer some clearance between my hand and the workpiece without an extension.

 

[Mr_B]

Funny that I prefer deep broaching but also have shallow broached set for when useful. My socket preference is grip knurling and lower half satin finish, smaller sizes proper stepped down diameter all way down to drive end. good clear stamping, good detents and nice chamfer on drive and hex ends . only lower cost sockets I like are premier taiwan .

 

[Skeptic68W]

I ended up stumbling across a deal on ebay for some nearly new Carlyles.

I bought short and deep metric from 10-19mm in 3/8 dr (6 point)
short and deep sae 3/8 - 7/8 in 3/8 dr (6 point)
and short metric 10-19mm in 1/4 drive (6 point)

Paid $76 shipped for ~50 sockets(no rails). Not gonna complain about that. I'd have bought more but it was just a pawn shop that was selling what they had.

So if I went into Napa and bought the remaining sockets individually to create an equivalent set to the Cman, I'd probably have $80-$90 in the 3/8 set (remember the 76 included a 1/4 set). Worthy upgrade to me. I'm happy, just wish I could have got more haha. Guess I'll just have to wait and hope the 1/4 stuff goes on sale in the next quarter "real deals".


O and I like the deep broaching for those circumstanced where you're backing a nut off a long bolt and don't have room to back the ratchet off. With the deeper broach it just works it's way deeper into the socket until it's free and can be taken off. What's the advantage to the shallow broach?

 

[Mr_B]

shallow broach is good to keep a load on fastener .

 

[EOC_Jason]

If you really want them to last through a lot of use and time, then SK or Proto would be a MUCH better choice...

I'm not saying the $55 CMan set is bad, but their Chinese sockets just don't hold up like the old USA ones did...

Things have been kind of quiet on the SBD front with them buying Craftsman... Not sure if in the future they will warranty sockets or not...

 

[Skeptic68W]

If you really want them to last through a lot of use and time, then SK or Proto would be a MUCH better choice...

I'm not saying the $55 CMan set is bad, but their Chinese sockets just don't hold up like the old USA ones did...

Things have been kind of quiet on the SBD front with them buying Craftsman... Not sure if in the future they will warranty sockets or not...

Got a deal so went with Carlyle.

I thought of piecing together a US set, but they only made US ones with the off-corner loading for a short time and that's a feature I like. I might still buy them up here and there for sentimental value/collecting for shits and giggles.

Agreed, I would have thought we'd see some waves being made by now, but it's been NOTHING. Outside of the whole Lowes thing.

 

[Yarpo]

I ended up stumbling across a deal on ebay for some nearly new Carlyles.

I bought short and deep metric from 10-19mm in 3/8 dr (6 point)
short and deep sae 3/8 - 7/8 in 3/8 dr (6 point)
and short metric 10-19mm in 1/4 drive (6 point)

Paid $76 shipped for ~50 sockets(no rails). Not gonna complain about that. I'd have bought more but it was just a pawn shop that was selling what they had.

So if I went into Napa and bought the remaining sockets individually to create an equivalent set to the Cman, I'd probably have $80-$90 in the 3/8 set (remember the 76 included a 1/4 set). Worthy upgrade to me. I'm happy, just wish I could have got more haha. Guess I'll just have to wait and hope the 1/4 stuff goes on sale in the next quarter "real deals".


O and I like the deep broaching for those circumstanced where you're backing a nut off a long bolt and don't have room to back the ratchet off. With the deeper broach it just works it's way deeper into the socket until it's free and can be taken off. What's the advantage to the shallow broach?

Nice pickup! Let us know how you like them, I don't own any of their sockets but have been happy with their ratchets too. Here's something you could have considered since you have a thread up for ratchets as well as sockets, two birds with one stone for 30 dollars more

https://www.coastaltoolsupply.com/product/KDT-80550F.html

 

[kythri]

tThis set isn't that type of tool. I get these in used lots of Craftsman occasionally that I buy to high grade out the good tools from. They wear badly; after a bit of use they are unreadable.

Feh.

They're dual-marked (stamped/engraved + laser-etched) so this is a non-issue.

 

[Finance Guy]

any more news on Stanley and Craftsman? any updated info/link?

Things have been kind of quiet on the SBD front with them buying Craftsman... Not sure if in the future they will warranty sockets or not...

I would have thought we'd see some waves being made by now, but it's been NOTHING. Outside of the whole Lowes thing.

The Craftsman roll-out will be in mid-2018 in Lowe's, Ace, and other retailers. I would not expect any news until their earnings announcements in February and again in April ... we may then get another update in May if they hold an Investor Day conference.

Regarding warranty, they have stated explicitly that they intend to honor existing warranties on Sears Craftsman tools.

 

[gdpolk]

Just my recommendation, but I wouldn't want the easy read Craftsman sockets. The "easy read" label or laser etching or whatever they use is really truly flimsy, even for a DIY guy and rubs off too easy.

If you can find a set that has the sizes stamped in at the bottom like the old way I would do those over an easy read any day, even if they cost more. For the average homeowner/diy guy the Craftsman will likely be just fine in terms of quality and ability to turn a nut/bolt. I'm an avid DIY guy and my box has a fine mix of Pittsburgh, Craftsman, Gearwrench, Williams, Channelock, Knipex, SnapOn, Mac, you name it. Almost all of my sockets are Craftsman and I've yet to find a nut/bolt that these couldn't turn; my only non-Craftsman sockets currently are a set of 3/8" SnapOn swivel SAE sockets. I must have almost every socket Craftsman makes. Of my Craftsman sockets, it is mostly older US made, but some current Chinese. The chrome on the older ones is thicker and more durable, but both are perfectly adequate.

 

[EOC_Jason]

All the easy-read sockets *should* also have traditional stamping on them, FYI... Don't believe what you see in those old stock photos... Heck, many of them still show USA products.

There was only a very short USA production run (I guess when they first came out) that were *only* the easy-read etching with no stamping. I guess people complained when they wore off so they added the stamping as a backup.

If you can find a set that has the sizes stamped in at the bottom like the old way I would do those over an easy read any day, even if they cost more.