Craftsman set

[seagullplayer]

I have a lot of socket sets, but many are incomplete. My wife offered to get me a new set for Fathers Day.

I picked up this 165 piece Craftsman set at lunch today, on sale at Kmart.

At first glance I am not real impressed.
I remember Craftsman when it was the cat's meow. I don't see these as much better than my HF and Stanley sets. It is more complete. I am hoping it will grow on me.

Everything was there and I am sure it will give me good service, and my wife knows the brand name...

The ratchets are pretty rough, I have heard you need to pull them apart and lube them?
It does offer a six point in everything, I like that.
This is for my home garage, so its not like I make a living with them.

 

[countryroad82]

I started out with a set pretty similar to that. I fixed a many a junk cars/bikes with those tools. I have mine put up now and get them out every now and then just to reminisce about the good ol' days lol.

 

[Mk3Mike]

I bought just about the same set in the mid 90's. Yes, the socket wrenches **** and there's no getting around that. Get a couple composite ratchets from Harbor Freight or a Kobalt "spark plug ratchet" and you'll round your set off nicely. As far as quality, since most of the kits are made in China, it'll depend on how hard you use them. Good thing is if you break a socket (I have yet to break a US Cman socket) when you warranty it out a lot of the individuals are US made. I do have to say that I'm a fan of that 1/4" driver though.

 

[Stuey]

The ratchets are Craftsman's basic ones, but you can always upgrade one or all of them as needed or finances permit. The problem will be getting a different ratchet to fit inside the same case as the sockets.

 

[wornoutoldman]

You are just a few combo wrenches (in larger sizes), pliers, duck bill, needle nose, side cutters, ball pein hammer, prybar, and screwdriver set away from being able to tackle ninety percent of any job you may run across.

 

[Pumpman1968]

I bought a set like that on or around 1984. The hinges on the plastic case finally gave out a few years ago. Bought a new case.......added a few things and I still use them everyday.............some 30 years later!

 

[Fordman7795]

I have a lot of socket sets, but many are incomplete. My wife offered to get me a new set for Fathers Day.

I picked up this 165 piece Craftsman set at lunch today, on sale at Kmart.

At first glance I am not real impressed.
I remember Craftsman when it was the cat's meow. I don't see these as much better than my HF and Stanley sets. It is more complete. I am hoping it will grow on me.

Everything was there and I am sure it will give me good service, and my wife knows the brand name...

The ratchets are pretty rough, I have heard you need to pull them apart and lube them?
It does offer a six point in everything, I like that.
This is for my home garage, so its not like I make a living with them.

Is that a chinese made set?

 

[bofe954]

Those are nice sets to have even if you upgrade down the road. Work great to grab and throw in the car to fix something away from home.

 

[seagullplayer]

I lubed the 3/8" ratchet last night, I don't know that made it any better or not. But it did have some light oil in it already.

I am not a fan of the blow mold cases. I will probably break the set down and put it in the drawers of my garage tool box. I have other sets I take places.

Looks like the pins would come out pretty easy, might just lay it open in the drawers like that for now.

I just wanted a more complete set, and this is that.

One of the guys I use to work with I still see several times a year. We both worked industrial maintenance for an outfit that made floppy disks.

He bought one of the Craftsman sets back then, it was a 200 and some piece set, it just came loose in a cardboard box. I told him last week about my plans to buy this set and he told me he still has every piece of that set he bought back in 1984!

I loose far more tools than I have ever broken. I was a traveling technician for almost ten years, you "loose" a lot of stuff working on the road. There was a time that anything with Craftsman on it was a high theft item, I think those days may be over...

 

[Awitte58]

That set is good for the price indeed! I got that set to be in my truck just in case.
But yes I would get different ratchets. My 3/8 Snap-on is kept in the truck with it.

IIRC I paid right under or at $100 for that.

 

[ihateminimumwage]

I have a set very similar to that behind the seat of my truck. As said, the ratchets are ****. Sold mine on ebay and currently have an old Fine tooth round head that actually fit in the case. I just missed a full set of 1/4"-1/2" round head ratchets on ebay for $28, so it's not hard or expensive to upgrade.