Craftsman combo wrenches.

[Appleyard]

I've seen a lot of members flagging these wrenches as bad quality or subpar. My question is simply why? I'm considering expanding my wrench sets and if there's a genuine problem with these wrenches, then I'd like to know about it so I can invest in some decent wrenches.

<a href="http://s850.photobucket.com/albums/ab66/akombuchamushroomman/?action=view&current=40a3f9d2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab66/akombuchamushroomman/40a3f9d2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos" /></a>

 

[John316]

Check out this recent thread:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=88571&highlight=raised+panel

To me they seem short and they are not comfortable to use. I have some sets from the mid 90's and they seem better than what sears is selling now.

 

[Appleyard]

Thanks. I did a search of the forum before I posted this but I must've looked right over it.

 

[LawnDart79]

I've seen a lot of members flagging these wrenches as bad quality or subpar. My question is simply why?

I wouldn't say they're "bad quality" or "sub-par", but there are better options out there if a person is willing to shell out the cash.

I think the biggest reason people don't like that style of wrench is because of the length. I know that holds true for me.

When I was working on cars professionally, I upgraded to Snap-On flank drive plus in my metric collection because I felt they would suit me better for what I do. The main reason I did so was the length.

Now for my SAE collection, I still have the ol' trusty Craftsman raised panels.

In my honest opinion, for the weekend warrior, the Craftsman raised panel is a good value for the money. Overall, I feel they're a good quality wrench. If you're working professionally, you may want to consider nicer options.

 

[ecotec]

i have a lot of these wrenches. they may not be the best, but they work for me. i have had some of mine for 20ish years. raised panel craftsman have absolutely no *** appeal, but they do the job.

i have enough things that i actually need, that i see no reason to replace them. i think i have only broken one or two ever (replaced under warranty).

 

[Stuey]

There's no problem with them. It's just that many prefer the feel of longer full-polish wrenches.

 

[Gary S]

I love my old 70s Craftsman wrenches. I've been using them for 40 years with no complaints.

The only thing I see wrong with the one in your picture is that it says 18mm on it. Mine say 7/8, 13/16, etc.

 

[RLYoung]

To me the steel these wrenches are made of seem a bit softer than other comparable options. If I had to do it all over I'd probably go with Williams. Don't get me wrong, they work well but when funds are available I'm definitely upgrading to a higher quality wrench. IMO they just show wear and tear a little to soon.

 

[kc-steve]

I agree with LawnDart. I also like the old Craftsman wrenches as well, and have newer Craftsman sets too. I'm not a professional user though.

Most any tool brand has pluses and minuses. I recently purchased the Bahco long-handled full polish SAE wrench set and think it is a good one, however, after also buying some used full-polish S-K wrenches I noticed how badly the full-polish finish gets after a few years of use. And also those older S-K raised panel wrenches are not even as long as the Craftsman wrenches. So I guess it really boils down to personal preferences because in my experience the Craftsman have never been bad quality as far as utility.

Steve

 

[W650Mike]

I look at value for my dollars and C-man raised panel is still a good value for the price. I’ve had mine for many years, and have yet to spread or break one.

There are a bunch of them out there - doing their job day in; day out.

 

[Wakefield]

Once in a while you find one of these wrenches where the box end opening is not centered well,that is there is a thin spot around the open end that could break. Other brands might have better quality control? But if it breaks because of this there is the guarantee. And they don't cost so much.

 

[pipsters]

I bought the 43 piece set

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00944048000P?prdNo=19&blockNo=19&blockType=G19

For $150 out the door including tax in January or February of this year. So far they have been excellent, and I sold off my older raised panels to have a complete set of these newer ones. The newer ones seemed to be machined a little bit better and the nickel plating is more consistent. For $3.50 per wrench up to 32mm and 1-5/16", I thought they are an excellent deal and haven't deformed on me yet just doing basic stuff with them. Total out of pocket cost after selling my small older set on ebay was around $115 so I can't complain.

 

[Aberdale]

I believe one of the reasons Cman wrenches get bashed on this site is because they don't say "Snap On" on them. I've owned Cman raised panels for 40 years, and have multiple sets for the shop, trucks, and tractors. Some sets are older, some sets are newer. There's a big difference in beam width between the older and newer, with the newer ones being wider. I cannot remember ever breaking one, but I don't abuse tools either.

I also own several other wrench sets, including SO, SK, Barcalo, Cman professional, and MAC. Some posters said the Cmans are too short. My answer is, "It depends." Shorter wrenches require more effort to achieve the same torque. Of course, that means it's pretty easy to overtorque with a longer wrench. If you are not very strong, then maybe longer wrenches would give you an advantage. My wife likes the longer wrenches because it easier for her to break bolts loose.

Shorter wrenches can also be an advantage if the swing area is limited. There are some places a longer wrench just won't fit. As to feel, the raised panels (Cman, SK, Barcalo), all feel about the same to me. The fully polished (SO, Cman professional) are smoother, which is nice until they get oily. Then they can be pretty slippery. The MACs are smooth (no raised panel) but are not a shiny chrome finish. The beams are the narrowest of all my wrench sets and have a squarer edge profile. This can be an advantage in tight spaces.

As for the bling factor, there are two things that matter: First, the shinier the better. Second, the more they cost, the bigger the bragging rights. It has always been, no matter what product is being compared, whether it's wrenches, cars, or women.

As to Cman raised panels, I believe they are a good wrench at a good price. It's like going to McDonalds for a hamburger and fries. It may not be the fanciest meal, but it's a good value and you know what you are going to get every time.

Dale

 

[wafrederick]

My father has the raised panel Craftsman wrenches from 1972,came from a set his mom gave him for a graduation present in 1972.3 of them are box end wrenches,still in great shape and none of them broken yet.

 

[newchris]

i have raised panels wrenches but with the 6 point box end i use them everyday at work with no complaints except for maybe length occasionally

 

[BajaBound]

I upgraded to williams supercombo but I think that the craftsman raised panels are excellent wrenches that definitely have their place. Now they live in roll ups in m off road bag. There is nothing that the raised panels cannot due and the price/warranty is second to none!

 

[rocco]

atleast the raised panel wrenches you guys can buy are made in america. I can't even buy them in Canada. I do have a pretty complete set of them though that i've bought here and in the states in the last year or so and i find for the money they are great.

 

[Lomotil]

My wife likes the longer wrenches because it easier for her to break bolts loose.

Dale, does she have a sister?

 

[johnsdeere850j]

Nothin wrong with em.

 

[farmmech86]

I have a set of 'em and I like 'em. I especially like them because they are cheap and easy to get. And they are tough. Mine ride in a toolbox that bounces around the field. Full chrome wrenches (like a snap-on or a matco - which are fine wrenches, don't get me wrong) don't like bouncing around and rubbing and touching each other all the time. The Craftsmans don't look too much worse for wear!

 

[pipsters]

I just bought a caliper, had some fun today. My Craftsman raised panel wrenches are milled tighter than my gearwrenches.

 

[Trucky]

I just hope they aren't the plastic ones from HF

All kidding aside, they are actually pretty accurate.. for a bit.

I grew up using CM raised panels, so I don't mind them at all. Unless whatever we're doing takes a few hours, then the full polish ones come out of the bag.

 

[Aberdale]

Dale, does she have a sister?

Yes. Two sisters! (One is still available, but she's not a wrench turner.)

 

[lowbucktruck]

Well, since you asked... "decent" the C-man wrenches are indeed. I have several of older vintage and a set of the newer C-man combos, and I can notice the difference (however I believe the difference is the manufacturer and the quality of steel used). I've used 1970's era Craftsman wrenches on heavy farm equipment (long before I wore mechanics gloves) and they get the job done... but the raised panel can be uncomfortable at times.

I do have a preference for the satin-finish wrenches (Proto), because they are workhorses (and don't require as much time polishing). My Proto wrenches are a bit longer than the C-Man wrenches, so they have a bit more leverage. The beefy beams on my old C-Mans feel very solid though.

 

[bobcatdan]

What I have notice is they are not as tight of a fit on bolts, open and box. I'm not just comparing them to flankdrives, but SK, mac, SO and wrights I own. When I first started, I had almost all craftsman. One of my first real wrench purchuse was SK stubbies. I had tight drain plugs the the craftsman would start to round off, double wrench the stubby and the plug would come out. I"m not saying they are bad wrenches, the finish don't bother me and the lenght can be handy in cramp spots. I have said this before, craftsman is not what it use to be.

 

[ibedayank]

if its the made in the USA sets then the quality=price is there ... made in CHINA...not so much


craftsman will get the job done and cost alot less then snapon sk mac matco and others

 

[pipsters]

I just hope they aren't the plastic ones from HF

All kidding aside, they are actually pretty accurate.. for a bit.

I grew up using CM raised panels, so I don't mind them at all. Unless whatever we're doing takes a few hours, then the full polish ones come out of the bag.

I got this one for $10, figured it was worth a shot, never had one before so it's just neat to use.

http://www.harborfreight.com/6-inch-digital-caliper-47257.html

 

[williaty]

I can actually answer your question directly!

When I started buying tools 5 years ago, I bought almost entirely Craftsman stuff, including Raised Panel combo wrenches in 6 and 12 point. They were perfect for when I wasn't using them very hard and when I didn't know very much about what I was doing.

As my skill level increased and I started working on more and more challenging things, two big things jumped out at me:

1) The open ends a VERY weak. The open end will spread wider and slip around the fastener, often without even damaging the fastener.

2) The broaching of the box end seems to be either a poor design or poorly manufactured. The box end will sometimes round over a fastener when other wrenches will turn it just fine.

Basically, however, neither of those problems became a major issue until I started working professionally. When I was just working on my own car, I had all the time in the world to heat things with a torch, cut them apart, etc, whatever it took. Now that I'm against the clock and have to pay for other people's replacement parts, it's much better for me if the wrench just works on the first try.

 

[k-eg]

Length=fail no leveage what so ever.Thats why im looking to upgrade my wrench set.

 

[solitaire]

same here, they just seem too short

 

[BajaBound]

My supercombos are alot longer which actually took some getting used to. Lol

Like I said they have their place.

 

[ibedayank]

humm i wonder if i am the only one that will give the wrench a rap with the BFH if i cant use the 1/2 drive breaker bar?

 

[greasemonkey44]

humm i wonder if i am the only one that will give the wrench a rap with the BFH if i cant use the 1/2 drive breaker bar?

used to do it all the time at a junkyard, a set of wrenches is easier than remembering breaker bar and sockets

i dont like them because they are short, have to cheat or stack them to save your knuckles

 

[Appleyard]

Man longer wrenches would be sweet now that you mention it! I got so use to stacking them that it just became second nature to grab 2 wrenches everytime.

 

[GoBlue]

I have been using them profesionaly 50+ hours a week for the last 15 years and have had absolutly no problems what so ever with them...old and new wrenches alike. I have also found that about 65 percent of the employess i have had during that time use them as well with similar results. They are most definity the bread and butter wrench of S.E Michigan a least. Im not implying that they are better to or equal to Snapon, Mac, or Matco, but they always get the job done and that is all that matters. I have rps as old as 35 years and new ones as recent as last week. I for one dont find the new ones to be any lower quality than my old ones. They arnt long, they are ugly, but there strong, American made, have a great waranty and are fairly priced. IMHO the best "value" in wrenches today.