Craftsman mechanics tool set BAD QUALITY

[firebox40dash5]

Re: There is a reason that Craftsman is also called CRAPS-man now!!!

Just go to Sears and pull out one of those cheap sets. The sockets they put in them just ain't up to snuff. I've yet to see a dual marked CM socket that's A)not US made and B)has such visible quality issues. I'm not bashing CM as a whole at all, my entire socket drawer, my regular combo wrenches, and most of my screwdrivers are Craftsman... you just have to watch what you buy more than in the past. As long as you do that, it's still a good value. I filled my socket drawer (including 3/8 and 1/2 full impact sets) for something like $600, which might have bought me my 1/2" impact sockets off a tool truck.

 

[RCStocker]

You can pick up some blue point pretty reasonable also. just a thought.

Blue point is all made in China now from what I read. C man's tools were really good 40 years ago. They are the bottom of the barrel now.

 

[dsmnickk90]

Re: There is a reason that Craftsman is also called CRAPS-man now!!!

Just go to Sears and pull out one of those cheap sets. The sockets they put in them just ain't up to snuff. I've yet to see a dual marked CM socket that's A)not US made and B)has such visible quality issues. I'm not bashing CM as a whole at all, my entire socket drawer, my regular combo wrenches, and most of my screwdrivers are Craftsman... you just have to watch what you buy more than in the past. As long as you do that, it's still a good value. I filled my socket drawer (including 3/8 and 1/2 full impact sets) for something like $600, which might have bought me my 1/2" impact sockets off a tool truck.

Im pretty sure they are phasing out the non dual marked stuff. Alot of their non dual marked stuff is mark out of stock.

 

[firebox40dash5]

Re: There is a reason that Craftsman is also called CRAPS-man now!!!

Im pretty sure they are phasing out the non dual marked stuff. Alot of their non dual marked stuff is mark out of stock.

As open stock, yes. They're still in those cheap kits, like the one(s) that come in the little 3 drawer plastic box that go on sale for $100-150.

 

[pipsters]

Re: There is a reason that Craftsman is also called CRAPS-man now!!!

You guys realize there is no difference between the dual and non-dual marked sockets right? Some just go thru another step of laser etching.

When I ordered the 299 socket set a good 15% or so of them were bad. The rest were excellent. That's the main problem with them.

 

[BBC71Nova]

Re: There is a reason that Craftsman is also called CRAPS-man now!!!

You guys realize there is no difference between the dual and non-dual marked sockets right? Some just go thru another step of laser etching.

When I ordered the 299 socket set a good 15% or so of them were bad. The rest were excellent. That's the main problem with them.

What type of issues did you have with the sockets? I recently picked up the same set and inspected and inventoried every one upon arrival. I was not missing any sockets fortunately. I had 1 socket that had light/half visible stamping so I had the local store swap it out. A few sockets had very slight imperfections, e.g. dents or scratches beneath the chrome but not anything worth worrying about.

Just wondering if the sets vary that much or maybe I didn't do a good job inspecting them .

John

 

[firebox40dash5]

Re: There is a reason that Craftsman is also called CRAPS-man now!!!

You guys realize there is no difference between the dual and non-dual marked sockets right? Some just go thru another step of laser etching.

When I ordered the 299 socket set a good 15% or so of them were bad. The rest were excellent. That's the main problem with them.

I bought the all 6 point dual-marked set, and 0% of them were bad. Compare that to the one I'd bought before that was just stamped, where every one I looked at looked like ****. Of course, I only opened a couple bags, then decided screw it, I was returning it... so maybe the rest were all good.

I don't buy for one second that the laser etching is the sole difference. Mine have than nice, satiny finish inside, whereas the ones I returned had that rough as-cast unfinished look inside, as well as generous casting flash.

 

[dsmnickk90]

I think so guys are expecting a little much out of these sockets. They are craftsman not snap on. SK has the same thing with the finnish on the inside of them apprently lacquer thinner taste it off. But does it really matter use it and its gonna get filled with dirt grease and grime as long as it dosnt rust its not really a problem.

 

[lowbucktruck]

Re: There is a reason that Craftsman is also called CRAPS-man now!!!

I just wanna see pictures. I have alot of Cman stuff and alot of Armstrong stuff as well and MOST of the Cman stuff is just as nice as the Armstrong stuff. Some stuff just had chrome flashing in the holes the just picked right out and you can never tell they were there. A few are miss stamped our have chipped chrome around the ends of the socket. But 3 or 4 sockets out of the 300-400 I have thats not all that bad.

I agree. We hear alot of complaints about quality on Craftsman tools here. But what type of quality issues, and where are the pics to show us? And do these quality problems effect the use or durability of the tool/socket? Are the new Cman sockets showing stress cracks after use? Occasional hobbyist use or pro/daily use? If you guys want to conduct some testing, I am all for it. Send a Cman basic, Cman Industrial and a Proto mechanic tool set to a diesel/heavy equipment mechanic and let him use and abuse the heck out of the tools, then report back (with photos).

To point out the obvious, the tool lines Sears offers are not all equal; The standard Craftsman homeoner/do-it-yourselfer tools are not the same quality as the Craftsman Industrial tool line. You do get what you pay for, most of the time.
We know that Sears does not manufacture its tools, Sears is only a retailer and relies upon a real tool manufacturer to produce its tool products. And quality can vary between mfg plants owned by the same company.

This is why I still buy older vintage Craftsman V tools when I see them.

 

[pipsters]

I think so guys are expecting a little much out of these sockets. They are craftsman not snap on. SK has the same thing with the finnish on the inside of them apprently lacquer thinner taste it off. But does it really matter use it and its gonna get filled with dirt grease and grime as long as it dosnt rust its not really a problem.

Peeling chrome/rust out of the box is being too hard?

I don't agree, oh and this was a replacement for one that was bad!!

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1426668&postcount=49

 

[pipsters]

Re: There is a reason that Craftsman is also called CRAPS-man now!!!

This is why I still buy older vintage Craftsman V tools when I see them.

Vintage Craftsman vs Harbor Freight

That was a VV socket if I saw that correctly

 

[RCStocker]

Re: There is a reason that Craftsman is also called CRAPS-man now!!!

I just wanna see pictures. I have alot of Cman stuff and alot of Armstrong stuff as well and MOST of the Cman stuff is just as nice as the Armstrong stuff. Some stuff just had chrome flashing in the holes the just picked right out and you can never tell they were there. A few are miss stamped our have chipped chrome around the ends of the socket. But 3 or 4 sockets out of the 300-400 I have thats not all that bad.

There is no excuse for a miss stamped socket. There is no excuse for bad Chrome. I don't care if it one out of a thousand it is bad.

I have use CM tools for 50 years and they have done a great job. I have tools made in every brand name. I have a full line of Snappies but my CM do just as good of job.

I hate to see good American tools turn into **** but I think that Craftsman is now gone to the junk pile.

Proto tools are ok but thier new sockets are thicker than their old ones and the wrenches are thicker. Their quality has gone way down in my opinion. I noticed this a few years back.

The crazy think is even the cheap tools get the job done for the most part.

I still will take my CM VF ratchets of a Snap-on one any day. The Snappie fine tooth are great and much better but the regular snappie ratchest I have are all clunkers and I hate the small round handle. I like the CM's handles better. The are larger and they don't tend to roll and twist in my hand. Craftsman specialty tools are the pits. The snappie break tools are a thousand times better.

Forget the tools going to hell, the world is headed there fast. It seems everything good is getting flushed

 

[pipsters]

Re: There is a reason that Craftsman is also called CRAPS-man now!!!

What type of issues did you have with the sockets? I recently picked up the same set and inspected and inventoried every one upon arrival. I was not missing any sockets fortunately. I had 1 socket that had light/half visible stamping so I had the local store swap it out. A few sockets had very slight imperfections, e.g. dents or scratches beneath the chrome but not anything worth worrying about.

Just wondering if the sets vary that much or maybe I didn't do a good job inspecting them .

John

The defects are obvious. I was sorely disappointed in my set. I'm still getting rust issues on some, but not all, of them. Leads me to believe steps were not followed for some sockets when they were made. I wish I had a set like you did, not one issue.

 

[PAPERMAKER]

Re: There is a reason that Craftsman is also called CRAPS-man now!!!

Vintage Craftsman vs Harbor Freight

That was a VV socket if I saw that correctly

Using CM sockets with an impact I assume and bitching because they cracked.:tard:

Welding a socket then bitching because it cracked around the weld.:tard::tard: