Craftsman Raised Panel Wrenches

[bigjeff94]

I was in sears today poking around for some sales and I came across the 26 piece standard wrench set and a U.S.A made set to boot. I rang out it came to $60 I needed the bigger sizes for work and this fit the bill. Also i picked up a 9 piece metric set on sale for 15 also usa made. It seems a lot of guys don't like the raised panel wrenches maybe i just like them because thats what i grew up on my dad had pretty much all craftsman raised panel and some older SK-Wayne raised panels. Anyway i know these aren't the best wrenches out there but i never considered them a bad wrench and they've always gotten the job done for me. Because I came to the discussion late I just wanted to add my 2 cents.

 

[Jure]

i have metric set of US made RP's 6 point and i like them

 

[erty67]

for the regular DIYer, they're great.

 

[Parrothead]

I've got them, no issue from me.

 

[sonvolt]

Never any issues with craftsman raised panel wrenches

 

[Strouty]

I use them for more than homeowner work and they are decent. The smaller sizes have a really weak open end (they can spread), but I have never had the 12 point box end slip.

 

[oldldh]

My Wife bought all the Craftsman Raised Panel Wrenches available for my Christmas present three years ago...

All "Forged in the U.S.A."...

They work like a champ, and are the best bang for the buck out there...

 

[brass89]

Raised panel aren't bad and were the standard for a long time esp for diy home use stuff. It's not my personal preference, but to each their own. If it was just for occasional use I wouldn't mind, though I appreciated the polished wrenches using them 50+ hrs a week. Less blisters and just felt better with long hrs of repetitive use.

 

[Toyota mechanic]

for the regular DIYer, they're great.

I use long pattern box end, raised panels every day, and the regular 12 and 6 pt. combos, flare wrenches, and the older style Craftsman pros the stubby and the long pattern EVERY DAY! They are all the USA -VV- and -V^- ones...

Raised panels can stand up to professional use, one just needs more than the basic ones IMO..

Most of the guys that say they are not okay for pros, are not pros that use them!!!!!!!!!!

 

[espyking83]

They can take a professional beating, good tools for the money. Too bad they'll be replaced by Chinaman.

 

[Toyota mechanic]

My Wife bought all the Craftsman Raised Panel Wrenches available for my Christmas present three years ago...

All "Forged in the U.S.A."...

They work like a champ, and are the best bang for the buck out there...

The double box end ones are my first grab, almost every time! I bought double master sets years ago. I used to have 'better' wrenches, lol.. I didn't think they were better I guess; because I still used these even when I had 'better' I am happy with raised panels..... I have sets at home and at the shop.... I will have a heck of an estate sale one day, at least for the Craftsman tool crowd. I hate how Sears destroyed them with the China switch, the new ones are sub-standard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ruger_556]

They work great until they don't... I used mine at work until about 2 years ago. I had an issue and upgraded. They're not bad wrenches though.

 

[bigjeff94]

Just getting a chance to look at the chinese made ones vs the U,S,A made ones today the open end end has a lot more meat on it seems a lot more rough around the edges. Like I said these are the wrenches I learned on I think sentiment alone would stop me from picking up a chinese set I think i'd go stanley first.

 

[NUTTSGT]

The Cman RP wrenches have taken alot of abuse from alot of guys for alot of years.

Is there better wrenches out there, yep and they are worse wrenches out there too. For the money, the bang for the buck was hard to beat.

 

[erty67]

I use long pattern box end, raised panels every day, and the regular 12 and 6 pt. combos, flare wrenches, and the older style Craftsman pros the stubby and the long pattern EVERY DAY! They are all the USA -VV- and -V^- ones...

Raised panels can stand up to professional use, one just needs more than the basic ones IMO..

Most of the guys that say they are not okay for pros, are not pros that use them!!!!!!!!!!

I was speaking as a regular DIYer, not a professional. I love them and am glad to hear they can handle the extra abuse.

I have also added some larger sizes using USA Kobalt and KD satin combo wrenches from Cripe Distributing. They blend in very well with the raised panels and seem to be just as durable.

 

[wild cowboy]

some folks here have said there are "better" wrenches out there, well I have double box wrenches in nearly every USA made brand ever produced, and the Craftsman RP's have never failed nor rounded a fastener in 46 years of wrenching, part of that at the largest Chevy dealership in the world, so not exactly sure how you can get better than NEVER HAS FAILED - there are prettier ones though, if having them look like a mirror is your thing!

 

[wafrederick]

The box end is too fat in some applications.One is the adjustment nut for the rear band in the Chrysler 727 and 904 automatics,have found a Snap On 11/16 wrench will only fit so far.Good starter wrenches for the money,I have upgraded to the Matco wrenches recently.

 

[Loscaldazar]

They only problems I've had is that the open ends tend to be pretty prone to spreading (especially smaller sizes) and that they are too short to get a lot of torque with. Not bad though, seeing as how I rarely use an open end. They will be replaced with a long pattern set of wrenches soon, but they have gotten me through a few years (and no problems with rust like I did on CMAN sockets!).

 

[theoldwizard1]

... maybe i just like them because that's what i grew up on my dad had pretty much all craftsman raised panel ...

Same here. I bought my own, but they do bring back fond memories.

 

[ChevyEFI]

I think they **** ergonomically, fail to fit places a SO will, and they give me more fatigue than reading the same thread against and again. That said, I am not replacing them all just yet.

 

[1950mercury]

Your first mistake was walking into sears

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

As mentioned, they are hard to beat for the price and will serve you well.

Also mentioned, they spread pretty easy. We use a lot of Craftsman tools in the race shop (because they are cheap), and anything with a "Raised Panel" tends to get worn out quickly. Nobody prefers Craftsman, but when you have a dozen guys sharing the same tools, **** tends to get lost. Our engine builder has his own stash of higher end tools locked away as he gets particularly pissed with the shop's Craftsman and HF tools.

 

[rsanter]

Any wrench that works for you is a good wrench.
I used them for years with very little trouble.
When I started wrenching professionally I started breaking more and that was the time to upgrade.
In the smaller sizes I have broken a bunch of them. Say 3/8 to 5/8.
I even broke a 1" box end, but two of us were pulling on it. No cheater bar

Bob

 

[nicksnothereman]

I was in sears today poking around for some sales and I came across the 26 piece standard wrench set and a U.S.A made set to boot. I rang out it came to $60 I needed the bigger sizes for work and this fit the bill. Also i picked up a 9 piece metric set on sale for 15 also usa made. It seems a lot of guys don't like the raised panel wrenches maybe i just like them because thats what i grew up on my dad had pretty much all craftsman raised panel and some older SK-Wayne raised panels. Anyway i know these aren't the best wrenches out there but i never considered them a bad wrench and they've always gotten the job done for me. Because I came to the discussion late I just wanted to add my 2 cents.

They are very serviceable wrenches...but there are a ton of those to begin with.

 

[wild cowboy]

if I had to name the 5 best mechanics I know in the United States, and I know many legendary mechanics including several engine builders for the big race teams, the best ones have more USA Craftsman -V- and -VV- than any other brand of tool. That says a lot right there!

 

[JAKE-THE-TOOL-MAN]

I started out with raised panel craftsman, they worked good until you get into tighter areas and the open ends tend to spread. No biggie if they did I would just warranty them. I upgraded to Matco and Snap On wrenches after a few years and gave my Craftsman wrenches to my buddy that was just getting into wrenching. I tend to give him my old craftsman stuff I upgrade from since its not typically worth much on the used market.

 

[1950mercury]

if I had to name the 5 best mechanics I know in the United States, and I know many legendary mechanics including several engine builders for the big race teams, the best ones have more USA Craftsman -V- and -VV- than any other brand of tool. That says a lot right there!

Those are alot better than the last of the usa and china rp wrenches. The newer ones are no were near the same quality

 

[Toyota mechanic]

Those are alot better than the last of the usa and china rp wrenches. The newer ones are no were near the same quality

True! All my staples are USA.... new old stock, when I bought them!

 

[Toyota mechanic]

You can get USA, Craftsman Industrial at Summit racing.... More money, but nicely made in black oxide or regular finish!

 

[zx2slow]

More money, but nicely made in black oxide or regular finish!

Or you could let the standard chrome ones get a natural coat of grease/oil/diesel. Black/Grunge coating that would prevent rust even at the bottom of the ocean.

 

[Davefr]

CM RP wrenches get a bad rap and it's undeserved IMHO. We've used them successfully for decades and they did just about every task asked of them. As a kid, having these wrenches was nirvana compared to some of the other **** out there.

Sure there are some wrenches now with more finesse for tool aficionados, but RP wrenches have served the test of time.

 

[jacked_72]

I've got the C'man raised panels in SAE and metric -v- versions. They're great wrenches and if you should bust one (I never have) they are the most common wrenches in the dollar bins at the pawn shops. Sears must have sold a jillion of the RP wrenches. I haven't seen anything in terms of volume that matches these wrenches. I've never spread an open end, but I don't use them that hard.

So put me in the pro RP camp, but I wind up reaching form my full polish wrenches 99% of the time. They just feel better.

 

[Wakefield]

Not the greatest but not too bad-perfect around the house-the first decent wrenches I had-occasionally a bad one (off-center box end) but not too often and if you busted it Sears would give you a new one -now that Sears isn't there any more-quality might have varied up and down over the years-not just a simple matter of older always better-there may have been times where they improved over the previous-real wrenches not junk stuff sold over the grocery store aisle-I think Wrights and Snap Ons are better

 

[CNGsaves]

Good snag to get USA batch of C-Man RP wrenches.
They are great tools quickly becoming harder to find.

However, price is not so great at $60 for that 26 piece set if it has all the little ignition wrenches. Several months back those were selling for $39.99 right when Sears was switching over to Chinaman version. I got both the metric and SAE sets, but one of mine was Chinaman.

Let's SEE pictures . . . gotta have the Made In USA flag on package !!

 

[Toyota mechanic]

Or you could let the standard chrome ones get a natural coat of grease/oil/diesel. Black/Grunge coating that would prevent rust even at the bottom of the ocean.

I am guilty of wiping my tools off well, lol... A little WD40 and a red rag, and good to go!

 

[otis66]

I've been using my Craftsman raise panel wrenches since 1988. I'm a diesel mech. Never had a problem.