Craftsman Cross-Force For The Win!

[kythri]

I know the Cross-Force stuff has taken a lot of flak as being a gimmicky hunk of chrome, but I just wanted to relate how immensely useful these bad boys came in this weekend.

Well, more appropriately, the 18mm one came in super-handy.

I was doing the brakes in my '02 Crown Victoria, and had to remove the caliper brackets/frames to get the rotors off, so that I could replace them.

The caliper bracket/frame is held on by two 18mm threadlocked-to-hell-and-back bolts (3/8" bleeder screw, 9/16" caliber-to-bracket bolts, and these are metric?!).

The way these are fitted, I couldn't get in there with my 1/2" impact gun, and I didn't have a 3/8" 18mm impact, so that gun was a no-go.

Well, amongst my cursing while pounding on a regular 18mm wrench with my dead-blow, I remembered that I bought these gimmicky hunks of chrome. I grabbed the 18mm, and between that and the dead-blow, I was able to get the bolts off. I wouldn't say it was "easy", but it was a lot easier banging the hammer on the Cross-Force than it was on the regular wrench.

Using the Cross-Force to bolt them back up tight was also a lot easier and more comfortable.

12pt ends, no issues at all with rounding the bolts, they're unmarred.

A win, in my book, and even more of a win considering I bought them on a Craftsman Club sale for $60 (8pc Metric for $29.99, 8pc SAE for $29.99).

Go Craftsman Cross-Force!!

 

[Chris Adams]

They work well for me also. I just pulled a compressor with lock tight on the bolts, way under where power wouldn't fit. The Crossforce saved some pain in my hands. They do make pulling easier.

 

[autoace]

I prefer long double box wrenches for those cases. I'm with the club, that says the "cross-force" is a gimmicky hunk of chrome. If one doesn't have access to alot of tools, I can see where they would think they are good. If you already have alot of tools, chances are there is a better choice i.e. with a long Snap-on HP box wrench, you would not have needed the deadblow hammer, since the wrench would have been long enough to do the job.

 

[Deafautotech]

I prefer long double box wrenches for those cases. I'm with the club, that says the "cross-force" is a gimmicky hunk of chrome. If one doesn't have access to alot of tools, I can see where they would think they are good. If you already have alot of tools, chances are there is a better choice i.e. with a long Snap-on HP box wrench, you would not have needed the deadblow hammer, since the wrench would have been long enough to do the job.

ahem!! i am agree with him but i have few 3/8dr impact wrenches and it is work great..

i dont own cross-force because i always work in tight area and no way that wrench will fit in with my big hands!!

 

[Chris Adams]

I prefer long double box wrenches for those cases. I'm with the club, that says the "cross-force" is a gimmicky hunk of chrome. If one doesn't have access to alot of tools, I can see where they would think they are good. If you already have alot of tools, chances are there is a better choice i.e. with a long Snap-on HP box wrench, you would not have needed the deadblow hammer, since the wrench would have been long enough to do the job.

Have to disagree. I have lots of wrenches. More than most people. OK, more than most sane people...
I needed a 9/16 to fit under a space where I could get my hands, barely, no hammer, no long wrench. The crossforce just barely fit. My Snap-On did not fit. My Williams did not fit. My extra long wrenches... wouldn't fit unless you cut them in half. My SK, Raised panel, TopTul, Plumb, would fit but would have been pretty hard to pull due to the narrow 'blade. Oh yeah, my Bahco would have fit but been a little too long to pull.
My point is, sometimes it's nice to have the extra wide beam to pull on, even if you do have plenty of wrenches, power tools, hammers, etc. etc.

 

[Fedwrench]

As a tool *****, it is my duty to have wrenches for every possible occasion. I also found the cross force wrench to be quite comfortable when trying to loosen tight fasteners with either a few whacks with the palm of your hand or a deadblow hammer. I find the reversible ratcheting versions to be better than sliced bread for removing drian plugs. They are not the end all to every other wrench design. However, they are another tool in a mechanic's arsenal to defeat fasteners. Pick em up on sale and you won't regret it later.

 

[Uncle Buck]

A win, in my book, and even more of a win considering I bought them on a Craftsman Club sale for $60 (8pc Metric for $29.99, 8pc SAE for $29.99).

Go Craftsman Cross-Force!!

When has Sears ever offered a set of those that cheap? If I had known I would have bought one set of each as you did to add to my pile.

 

[kythri]

chances are there is a better choice i.e. with a long Snap-on HP box wrench, you would not have needed the deadblow hammer, since the wrench would have been long enough to do the job.

Not in this case. There wasn't a ton of room in the wheel-well for me to dink around. I also tried the longer Craftsman Professional 18mm that I had, and the extra length there didn't help things.

Really, the only better choice would have been if I could have gotten the impact in there.

 

[kythri]

When has Sears ever offered a set of those that cheap? If I had known I would have bought one set of each as you did to add to my pile.

Nearly a year ago, if not longer, on a Club sale...

They don't seem to do too many sales quite as nice as that these days...

 

[paramudduck]

A wrench for every job. Get enough variety in your tools and you will have one.

All too many times I have had to go and buy a tool just for the length or beam thickness.

I like the cross forces in some situations. In others a long double box or some other is better.

 

[rsanter]

I do think that they are a bit gimicky but that does not mean that they are not a good product.
what I do not like about them is that they do not let you interlock wrench ends for more leverage. if I was in your spot that is what I would have done verses beating on a wrench

bob

 

[Elroy]

what I do not like about them is that they do not let you interlock wrench ends for more leverage.

Yep. You can't "cheat them" unless you use a piece of pipe. Hitting a wrench with a hammer, even a dead blow is typically a little on the cave man side.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Yep. You can't "cheat them" unless you use a piece of pipe. Hitting a wrench with a hammer, even a dead blow is typically a little on the cave man side.

Hey now! Go to yahoo, there is a guy in Missouri who turned a cave into a home, and now he has to sell it! Hard times economy etc. Check it out......................on second thought I will go get the link and inset it here!

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?cl=12135317

So cave is not all bad...............it's the sloping forehead, dragging knuckles, and that wee bit of drool coming from the corner of the mouth that really gets ya! LOL

 

[speed bump]

Yep. You can't "cheat them" unless you use a piece of pipe. Hitting a wrench with a hammer, even a dead blow is typically a little on the cave man side.

Cmon, A 60" pipe wrench and a 12lb sledge has saved many a poor crews behind on large piping.

 

[kythri]

Yep. You can't "cheat them" unless you use a piece of pipe. Hitting a wrench with a hammer, even a dead blow is typically a little on the cave man side.

Cheating a wrench is less caveman then breaking it loose via a dead-blow?

Oh well. It got the job done, done well, and I stand behind the Cross-Force stuff.

 

[Elroy]

You did just fine and yes there are witness marks on more than one of Elroy wrenches.

 

[zuspiel]

I have a set of ratcheting ones and they ARE really comfy for stuff that takes a bit of force. However, they don't usually fit in the tighter spots...

 

[bchee]

Armstrong has a line of those too. I just gave away a set of Armstrong Maxx Beams to a friend. I can't remember if I listed them here in the classified. I never used them but they were comfortable to hold.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00986034000P

 

[kythri]

Makes sense - they're made by Danaher. If slapping the Armstrong name on it means more sales, it's a cheap way to do it.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

I have a set of ratcheting ones and they ARE really comfy for stuff that takes a bit of force. However, they don't usually fit in the tighter spots...

Those are the ones I have been wanting to see (considering). Are yours flex head? (what I want)
Are they lever reverse (my other want)?

 

[autoace]

Don't get me wrong, if I catch them on sale, I will get some for the right price, but they would never be my first goto's for sure. For non-auto jobs, where clearance is not a problem, they might be good. For calipers I have some long 45 and 60 degree offset box wrenches or some impact swivels that would do it.

 

[zuspiel]

Those are the ones I have been wanting to see (considering). Are yours flex head? (what I want)
Are they lever reverse (my other want)?

They are NON-flex but lever reverse. I've never seen any Cman flex cross-force ones. I don't think they make them... Even non-crossforce lever reverse flex ones will be hard to find from any manufacturer. I haven't come across any (not that that means much... ). For the ratcheting flex wrenches, I like the GW locking XL ones. They are just a touch longer than the regular ones but the locking lever is much beefier and not so easily unlocked by accident. They also have knurling on one side of the beam so you can tell by feel if you have it the right way 'round. I can post pics if you're interested.

 

[mkdive]

As a tool *****, it is my duty to have wrenches for every possible occasion.

Ah heck, I feel a addition to my signature with that one!