Craftsman Tool Kits

[LowNFToy]

hey everyone hows it goin, my names Ricky im 18 years old.. and im starting to save some money from doing air suspension installs on a few friends trucks, and i think its time for a smart investment lol.

Right now i have the basic 151 Piece tool kit, and i am wondering if i should

sell it and put the money towards the 318 piece kit... or keep it and have duplicates of some of the most common wrenches/sockets. then id need to figure out where to keep the duplicate sockets/wrenches, ect to have room for ones i only have 1 of. anyone have suggestions? i also want to save for a nice tool chest, maybe like a 8 drawer top chest, and like a 5 drawer rolling bottom chest. would the 318 piece kit fit in this combo, or would i need an intermediate chest?

i was also wondering some tips for organizing, i want to keep my tools organized and clean.

post some price estimates, or good ideas, tips for getting started.. sorry for all the questions. thanks everyone

 

[michvee]

it is always good to have a few duplicate tools like wrenches and ratchets.
Check out the threads below for ideas on storage and orginization.
You can store alot of tools in a good top box/ chest combo. buy the best tools for the money!
http://www.garagejunkies.net/showthread.php?t=315

 

[LowNFToy]

whats the best way to organize, as in say one drawer for metric wrenches/one for standard, one for metric sockets, one for standard.. but the the sockets gotta be divided into 1/2", 3/8", 1/4" so i dunno how id do that lol.. any tips?

 

[michvee]

you can get socket racks that hold each individual drive size. I keep all my sockets in the top section of my box. I also use wrench racks and drawer dividers. One cheap trick i also use is to buy old kitchen cutlery trays from garage sales to use as drawer dividers.Check out the thread "lets see whats in your toolbox". Pictures of Toolcrazy's and my toolboxes.

 

[BetterDays]

Duplicates are great.. I have duplicates wrenches as well as sockets (and ratchets) and it helps a lot.. Since there is normally more than one person working on the car, we don't have to worry about waiting for a ratchet to work.

As far as organizing, I have a drawer set up for each size (1/4", 3/8", 1/2") and that makes it easier for me. I also use the socket racks so you can grab it and go.

 

[ChucksCrib]

Just last year for Christmas, at my request, my girlfriend gave me the 99 (i believe) kit with a traveling case from Sears(crafstman) . I consider those my traveling tools. I take it to the track or anywhere I think I would need them..........so yeah,.......I am also a member of the multiple tool club.

Oh to be 18 again :boobies:

 

[Wile1Coyote]

Never Ever Ever consider selling tools, even to buy more tools. Seriously eventually if nothing else you will want another set in the house, or in the car or ...... Remember tools don't go bad, just the people that use them. And the best tip I can give you is to never put a tool away dirty.

 

[Luckydevil]

what he said. ^^^^

I have lost more tools than I care to admit. They tend to walk off. Spares are always good!

 

[Satatic]

what he said. ^^^^

I have lost more tools than I care to admit. They tend to walk off. Spares are always good!

You didn't lose them, people borowed them (without telling you or planing on returning them).

 

[ZRWON]

You didn't lose them, people borowed them (without telling you or planing on returning them).

I AGREE! My boys always borrowed something from my shop but never returned it. I complained so they gave me an "engraving tool" so I could mark my stuff. Funny they've never borrowed the engraving tool but at least now when I visit them I can clearly see which tools on their bench WERE mine...

 

[dsprint2000]

And the best tip I can give you is to never put a tool away dirty.

B I N G O !!!!!!!

My friends always give me a bad time when I spend the extra 15 minutes to clean all my tools after working their car. I NEVER use theirs as I know that I'll come away with a handful of . Also, if ya put'm away clean, you won't get dirty next time using them.......

David

 

[dwayne]

tool kits

don't waste money on kits,they contain a lot of allen wrenches that will be a lot of your pieces.they to get one of what you need first, then start doubling on things

 

[LowNFToy]

when dividing into 1/2", 3/8" and 1/4" drive drawers, do you have enough room for std and metric? reg and deep well? whats everyones opinions on the cut out foam?

im looking towards the 305 or 318 starter set.. i dunno which one, maybe someone knows.. i want the quiet glide 8 drawer top, 5 drawer roller, with maybe a 3 drawer intermediate.. whats everyone recommend for vise grips, screwdrivers, ect? i kinda like the "craftsman professional" red and black ones

 

[michvee]

As far as vise grips go, there is only one choice. Visegrips. Imitations do not work as well or are clumsy to use. For pliers in the retail world you can not beat Channelock brand. Strong, quality, selection and reasonably priced.

For a home shop or a young apprentice, Craftsman wrenches and sockets are well worth the money. Screwdrivers are a funny thing. I love the way a Snap-on screwdriver fits in my hand and works, so I use nothing else. I do not like Mac or Craftsman. But that is my preference. Then again I use only Mac ratchets.

When orginizing your box, there are no rules. Set it up how you like to work. I use alot of sockets and I do not want to open a drawer all the time, so I keep mine in the top. I also have one large drawer with all the tools I use on a regular basis. No hunting for tools.

 

[LowNFToy]

so craftsman vise grips, crescent wrenches and pliers arent as good?

 

[michvee]

Not in my opinion. But it is only that, my opinion.

 

[moparfreak]

LowNFToy,

What tools you buy, in my opinion, really does depend on what you plan on using them for.

If you plan on using your tools 20+ hours a week, then maybe it would be a good idea to invest in the higher quality tools.

As far as myself, and I'm sure there's a bunch other in my boat, I've got one old dodge i'm restoring, and a few other minor weekend projects that are always going on. Therefore, I don't see the need to buy the most expensive or quality tools out there. I started out w/ some core reliable brands (craftsman is a big one) and built the rest of my collection around them, some being cheaper, some not.

Get yourself started w/ some good stuff, but remember moderation. I've got a LOT of tools, and if they were all snap-on, I'd have no money for my car!! THAT would be a shame!

Good luck,
Adam

Btw, I have 3 vicegrips locking pliers, 5 craftsman, and 4 no-namers. There's a slight drop-off to the no-namers, but the craftsman and vicegrips have performed equally well thusfar for me.

 

[93sky4x]

i considered buying the craftsman 145 piece set once just b/c it's all sockets and a few other things. then my family gave me a bunch of little sets for christmas and i needed some other things before i needed dupilcates. i feel the same way as most ppl that most of the sets are just alot of stuff i don't want, or i want a better quality of.

 

[ranger_dood]

Looking at sockets and socket sets on sears' website, I can't understand buying single sockets. Their sockets are $2 a piece, if you buy them singly, and they drop down to $12 for a set of 10. How does that work? Nearly half the price for hte same stuff!!

Then there's some that are sets of 4 for $27. I guess i just don't understand sockets. They're all Craftsman, so what's the big deal?

 

[Distephano]

Personaly, I feel that the larger kits have a lot of things you will not use very often. Many sizes of nut drivers for example. (might just be because I'm not a big fan of them.) I would say, just keep the set you have and add on to it. Buy a set of screw drivers, a set of wrenches, ect ect. I wouldn't drop the money on a new full set after selling your old one. (You will lose money on selling the old set, I'm sure.)


I moved out this past summer. For Christmas this year, my Father got me, I think this craftsman set : LINK

I've since then added on some
I picked up this screw driverset LINK

This Pliers Set:
LINK

I added all this to the tools I already owned (Mostly very small stuff, allen wrenches, tin snips, jewlers screw driver set, ect.) and I've found that I have what I need to do most work on my car now.

Now I just add things bit by bit. $30 here, $50 there, maybe every other month or something. For example, one of my roommates wanted to change his spark plugs last weekend. I had the ratchet and I had the socket, but not an extension long enough. So I went over to sears and picked up a 3 pack of 6" extensions (1/4, 3/8, 1/2) and a set of feeler guages.

Good Luck!

 

[dsprint2000]

The Craftsman pliers are JUNK. Their visegrips seem to work OK.

David

 

[jim m]

dupicates are great you can allso have them in difrent drives and 6 and 12 point allso you will want extras to keep in the car or truck
If you have a big lots near buy go in and buy there socket rails they have molded plastic handles with the drive size stamped into them. I paintd all my metric handles yellow easy to tell the diffrence from my seas and metric at a glance and you can still read the drive size I keep them all in the top part of my chest use wrench racks like the ones from snap on and drawer dividers to keep difrent size drive tools sorted out or just keep each drive in a difrent drawer like I do
keep your tools organized and never put them away dirty and they will last a life time I still have an use my grandpas tools


Jim

 

[jstbecauz]

How you organize your toolbox is determined by how you work, and how big your toolbox drawers are, and I agree, too many of one wrench is not a bad thing. I have three sets of metric 8-19 and three sets of american 5/16-1", same with sockets.

 

[BetterDays]

When it comes to organizing sockets, I am a fan of the socket organizer "strips" (can't remember the technical term). Look for sales at Sears, as I picked up a bunch on rainchecks for dirt cheap (4 for $5) . My friend likes to mix 6 & 12 pt on one strip, while I separated them into 6 pt, 12pt, SAE, and Metric. I think I may put 6pt SAE and Metric on one (or two), and then 12 pts together. Nothing like needing to crawl out from under the car to get an SAE when you only have the metric or vice versa.

As far as Craftsman, I believe they carry the same warranty as the rest. Break it and you take it back to Sears for a free one.

Extra sets of everything is nice, since you sometimes hit a point when you need a couple of the same items to keep everyone working (even in my home garage).

In my toolbox, I have a drawer for air tools, power tools, electrical stuff (wires, wire ties, wire crimpers, connectors), screwdrivers, 1/4" socket, 3/8" socket, 1/2" socket, pliers and such, hammers (top), and grinding discs, wire wheels, etc.)

All a personal preference, but I keep my wrenches on a pegboard, along with a lot of other stuff (levels, knives, tape, etc.) Being a home owner, I am beginning to purchase a lot of stuff that I never realized I would need (1 ft level, 2 ft level, 4 ft level, 2 different t-squares, etc.) to make different jobs easier.

I have never had Companion brands fail for me, as they are built by Craftsman for Sears, but come without a warranty.

Kevin

 

[BetterDays]

One thing I forgot to add, whenever I need "A" socket or wrench, I buy a set.

I needed larger wrenches (say 13/16" and 7/8").
Two wrenches - 40$.
26 pc Wrench Set (included mini wrenches, which may only be used once) - $45 on sale.

This is one why that I have ended up with duplicates, triplicates, and quadruplicates! (Bush Terms here)

Also, don't be afraid to label the toolbox (magnetic labels from Sears, labelmaker) as it will make it easier for others to find that tool and location that you are trying to describe.

 

[Mark in Memphis]

A lot of people will recommend that you buy the best name brand of everything, but I don't. A long time ago I decided to buy some cheap stuff and if I break it I'll replace it with a better brand. You know what? I'm still using most of the cheap stuff. I've got a lot of Craftsman stuff, especially things that I use most common, but I'm not afraid to buy a set of Harbor Freight wrenches to keep in the car or if I need a second wrench of the same size. When I was 18 I didn't have a lot of money to "invest" in great quality tools so cheap stuff had to work. On the other hand, I don't make a living with my tools and that's a different story. All I'm saying is don't be afraid to use cheap tools.

 

[kartracer55]

I have a 96 peice sears kit which is primarily 3/8 and 1/4 sockets. This comes to the track with me. My tools at home are all bought by the set. I bought a set of 3/8 drive metric deeps in chrome, then a set in shallow etc. As the need arises I buy them, so I get exactly what I am buying. I dont have the money for a huge box, so its important for me to know exactly what I am getting.


The most important things to have a duplicate of are Ratchets and Common Sockets

 

[Senorpablo]

Get the largest set possible.

I started with a 300+ piece set from sears, and I've added on to it over time. If I'd have spent the money up front on a larger set, I'd probably have twice the tools.

The larger sets are a tremendous value!

 

[mhoffm911]

It's funny how these threads get bumped back up. The original post was from 2005!

 

[boiler7904]

It's funny how these threads get bumped back up. The original post was from 2005!

I noticed the same thing. Wonder what the OP did?