Craftsman Ratcheting Box Wrenches with Snap-On Date Codes (Here's Why)

[designer485]

I am not sure why I never noticed this until the other day, but all of my Craftsman ratcheting box wrenches have Snap-On date code stamps on them. Yours probably do as well.





I did a little digging, why would a Craftsman wrench have a Snap-On date code. Snap-On didn't make these for Craftsman.

Enter A&E Manufacturing out of Racine, WI. According to alloy-artifacts.org, Daniel M Lang founded the company back in 1932. In the 1940s they introduced a patented line of ratcheting wrenches and later became the go to contract manufacturer for both straight and offset ratcheting wrenches. They produced wrenches for their house brand, Armstrong, Craftsman, Klein, OTC, Snap-On and Williams.

Because they produced for wrenches for Snap-On, they ended up including the date code stamps for a few decades on all of their production wrenches making it possible to have a Craftsman, Armstrong or Klein wrench with a Snap-On date code. This also makes it possible to date products from companies that don't typically have year to year date codes.

I figured I would share as I found it interesting, especially because my wife's hometown is Racine, WI. Small world.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Nice detective work.

What year range did the brand produce for snap on? Any year reflected in the date code range, would have been a year they also produced for snap on?

 

[designer485]

Nice detective work.

What year range did the brand produce for snap on? Any year reflected in the date code range, would have been a year they also produced for snap on?

My Snap-On SAE set (dated 87') of these wrenches match design wise to my Craftsman metric versions (date 06', 07' and 08').

I haven't seen a current Snap-On version, but I am guessing that A&E still makes them.

 

[captain14]

Are you reading the 43XXX number as a Snap on code?

I’ll go down and look at my offset wrenches in the original tray later tonight.
I have others but will have to locate them.

 

[designer485]

Are you reading the 43XXX number as a Snap on code?

I’ll go down and look at my offset wrenches in the original tray later tonight.
I have others but will have to locate them.

In the first image, you will see a stamped icon roughly in the shape of a 7 and 8 in between the patent info and size marking. That is the date stamp.

 

[bryanrj]

My Craftsman 14/15mm , #43369 has Snap On date code of 2002. Interesting...

 

[merkyworks]

Only have one but here is my 3/8 x 7/16