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craftsman usa made sockets

ozaudio

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Jun 8, 2020
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uk
given im from the UK i never look or pay attention to brands i cant get over here , but i have seen some for sale in the uk and given they are USA made is the quality of them pretty good? im been looking for some 3/8 6 points as i only have 12 points in 3/8 both deep and shallow, so the chance to buy some shallow and deep in 3/8s is a good time now.
 
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Lesserstore

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Mar 18, 2020
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Texas
Yes most of them are good quality. However I would steer clear of most G series from 1978-90 which can be identified by lack of flank drive and thick walls
 

gearhead1

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Oct 14, 2013
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NC
They will be fine. Craftsman was the US made brand for a long time. Back in the day anything coming from Southeast Asia was junk. Tool truck brands like Snap-on were expensive, so Craftsman was a brand that filled the niche where guys wanted quality but not Snap-on prices.

The vast majority of my stuff is US made Craftsman.
 

Jtels85

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May 3, 2017
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Location
Ohio
Craftsman USA sockets are great tools and were a great value when they could be had at Sears. Mine were bought new from 2005-2011ish and have held up just fine. I haven’t broken a single one.
 

BlakeTheCarGuy

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Oct 10, 2018
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Roanoke Virginia
They are great tools. My favorite brand to use and collect actually. Since you are in the UK if one did happen to break it would be harder to get replaced. And now the Craftsman warranty requires you to send the old ones back which they weren’t doing before so that might be an issue.
 
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Badgerstate

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Nov 15, 2020
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Columbus, OH
given im from the UK i never look or pay attention to brands i cant get over here , but i have seen some for sale in the uk and given they are USA made is the quality of them pretty good? im been looking for some 3/8 6 points as i only have 12 points in 3/8 both deep and shallow, so the chance to buy some shallow and deep in 3/8s is a good time now.
Theyre of good quality. I wouldnt say theyre any better than any of the Chinese or Taiwanese made ones though.
 

corn chip

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Jul 15, 2021
Messages
672
Yes most of them are good quality. However I would steer clear of most G series from 1978-90 which can be identified by lack of flank drive and thick walls
g and g2 seem to have a cheesy cheap china look and feel to them if you ask me. v and vv seem alot less cheapish.
 

genog

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Sep 4, 2021
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Location
Silicon Valley
I have years of use (decades) on several sets of Craftsman G sockets
They have served faithfully and have held up extremely well over the years
Never a problem
Never broke one
Thickness nor looks have never been an issue or impediment and I've never worried about any features that they have or didn't come with

I would buy them over China or Asia made sockets everyday of the week and twice on Sunday
 

seber

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May 31, 2016
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Deep East Tx.
They are reasonably good quality, but definitely not the best. I started out with Craftsman and finally got tired of cracking them. Eventually went to SK. They gave me much better service.
 

Mechanical Noise

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Apr 25, 2014
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Southeast of O'Hare
its these to be exact


I've used a very similar set of Craftsman metric deep sockets for over 30 years. Probably one of the G series sets and I don't think I've ever cracked one. I have cracked other Craftsman sockets of both the V series and G series. Mine have been reliable and they fit well.

I like that the sockets are broached deeply. Other people prefer shallow broaching.
 
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FMB4

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Jan 19, 2017
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2,926
Imo, all but the cheapest sockets will do as long as you first loosen fasteners with a box end wrench. But yes, the older/vintage CM sockets are pretty good as long as you don't pay too much for them. I, like many in here, have been using CM with good results, for the price, since the early '70s.
 

wazzabie

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May 9, 2010
Messages
424
If it turns a bolt that is all you need. Nothing wrong with the 70s Japan sets. They can be found cheap on ebay NOS.
 

exmaxima1

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Jun 25, 2011
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6,339
Location
Midwest
They are reasonably good quality, but definitely not the best. I started out with Craftsman and finally got tired of cracking them. Eventually went to SK. They gave me much better service.
I like my SK sockets alot but still have a crapload of Craftsman USA sockets just like in the op's ebay pics. My biggest issues are that they are VERY hard to read for my old eyes, they fit a bit sloppy, and they are soft. The latter trait is also what makes them useful for certain tasks: they are pretty easy to hammer onto a wheel lock nut if you lose the "key" socket. You sacrifice the socket but get the job done in seconds. Also when they swell under load they slip gradually on the bolt head instead of snapping. The last Snap On socket I broke sounded like a firecracker when it let go and was a knuckle buster.
 

GTO

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May 8, 2009
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Location
NJ,FL
All my Craftsman sockets are from the late seventies through the early nineties, and they are still kicking.
 

csp

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Mar 23, 2010
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5,719
Location
Franktown, CO
Never had any reason or noticed a difference to bother to look at what series my metric Craftsman sets were until now.

Sure enough, four different sets and all are G or G2. Can't say that I ever noticed a difference between them and v or vv sets that I have.
 

genog

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Sep 4, 2021
Messages
1,997
Location
Silicon Valley
You'd buy low-bid entry-level sockets over Ko-ken (or Nepros)?

Really?

Okay, then.
I guess you missed the point
I already bought them AND they've worked
They've done their job

Never had a worry about thickness or thinness
This that or the other

So YES
I would indeed buy another set of USA craftsman sockets for what I used them for
REALLY
OK, then!
 

putergod

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Joined
Jan 28, 2021
Messages
82
Location
At my house
US made Craftsman is good quality. Sears Craftsman didn't actually make anything, and the US forges that make other high end tools made theirs as well.
However, "new craftsman" (since say 2010 or so, whenever they started sourcing from overseas) is hot garbage. Current Craftsman is basically rebranded Stanley (not Proto or Mac).
 

Jeepster04

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Jun 25, 2013
Messages
3,094
I imagine my USA craftsman tools will last me the rest of my life... No idea how long that will be though.

Just wish I could go back and buy more. I'd buy everything they made, some stuff twice...
 
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