Craftsman vs Blue Point

[bbshriver]

Hey everyone,
I'm new here, I've done some searching and general poking around but have a few questions that weren't easily answered.

I'm basically a hobbyist, I enjoy working on cars and other projects. Just graduated college in December so just starting to get out "on my own", and build up my lifetime tool kit. Worked for years with a Craftsman "leather pouch" kit (I think 50pc?) my brother got me for Christmas years ago and added to it over the years with specific tools I needed, outgrew the leather pouch then a 24" Craftsman metal carry-along box. Since I'm living on my own and have a house/garage etc I recently got a Craftsman Ball Bearing tool chest combo they had on sale (list $500, sale $270!), and noticed that I really don't have many sockets or wrenches.

Anyway, I'm looking to fill that up. I've worked for years with Craftsman (that's what both my dad and brother use) but I keep hearing Snap-On is WAY better (but also 10x the cost). My degree is in Mechanical Engineering with an automotive concentration and my long term plan is to get into racing as well as I'd kind of like to do high-performance/race-prep mechanic type work as well so I'm thinking over the years my tool use may increase a lot.

So I'm looking at Craftsman, Snap-On, and was just made aware of "Blue Point". Is Blue Point any better than Craftsman? How do they compare to Snap-On (since it looks like they are owned/sold by Snap-On). Are they just Taiwanese Snap-On, or are they totally different?

My 2 leading ideas right now are to
a)start buying Snap On tools one at a time (can't afford a set). starting with common use sockets (7/17-5/8 or so) and see if I really find them to be worth the extra $. If so maybe continue the one peice at a time for the next few years eventually having mostly snap-on tools.

b)buy a $200 or so Craftsman set should be 200pc+ and will have 95% of the tools I ever need. Possibly upgrade with Snap-On ratchets etc.

Any thoughts/suggestions are greatly appreciated! I just can't afford to go spending $1k on a tool set right now. Building up a snap-on set over a few years maybe not so bad. Also I know about Snap-On credit, but would rather not be in debt. We do have a Snap-On truck delivery to my workplace once a week, but I don't know what kind of specials we get.

 

[Wood]

I would definitely start with the ~200 piece Craftsman set. It's not like they're bad, they just aren't great. Then buy whatever one or two tools you use the most in Snap On to see if you think it's worth it. If you think it is worth the money, then gradually replace/add to your Craftsman with Snap On. If it's not worth it then continue to go with affordable stuff.

 

[Kurt4440]

If I were in your shoes I would save my money until I found some good deals on quality used tools. I would not limit myself to a particular brand, and I would be prepared to purchase a complete set of tools with a box and sell off items that I did not want or need.
Be selective, take your time, buy quality, and have cash ready to close on a great deal.

 

[rsanter]

to start building a tool set I would start with a basic 200pc or 300pc cman set that you can get on sale.
the stuff is not as good as SO but for most uses theu are good enough.

once you have established that basic set I think you will want to get into a really nice ratchet. go for the top of the line cman or just get a SO and you will be good for a while.

at some point you will want to step up in wrenches. the cman pros have worked well for me but I still like the fit and feel of my SO wrenches better

basically what you want to do is get your feet into it with a decent set with a bunch of stuff and then whatever you use the most of is what you will want to upgrade to the top of the line stuff on.

bob

 

[Mike83]

Blue Point is imported and priced too high in my opinion. What I have done is purchased lots of Craftman sockets for cheap (they go on sale as good as 50% off). They have served well for occasional use and are easy to warranty for me.

I also went with Craftsman Professional for combo, offset box and flare nut wrenches. I don't think you can find a better value for these tools. Many of my other wrenches are SK which I got for cheap off ebay and Gearwrench I got 50% off at Sears. SK makes nice stuff.

For things like some ratchets, pliers and screwdrivers which are used more often, I went with Snap-on, either used off ebay, this board, or in some cases off their website.

The key for me was slow but steady accumulation of quality tools. Craftsman makes good stuff, you just need to know what it is that is good and sales make the value better. Craftsman Professional is generally the way to go - better quality for a marginal price increase. For the most often used tools, Snap-on quality will make the price worth it in the long run.

Happy shopping!

 

[ATTappman]

One hobbyist to another - go with idea (b). You might find your Craftsman tools always do the job well, or you might find certain situations where they come up short. At that point, invest in better tools. Whether Blue Point is better than Craftsman depends on the specific tool and the person.

You might pick a size that you use often and buy a wrench and a socket in that size from three or four different brands. See if you can tell the difference. Little things wind up mattering in some situations, like exactly how long a certain size wrench or socket is, or whether a ratchet/socket combination can fit in a tight space. But you don't really know until you encounter enough of those situations and try some of the different brands yourself.

 

[dan1552]

I was in your shoes not too long ago and was dead set on craftsman as my grandfather swore by them and worked and retired from a machine shop of 30 yrs. I am gradually realizing that there are differences in commercial grade and base line craftsman. For instance finish , with the pro line stuff your fully chromed out.This is good and bad , good for cleaning tools, bad for when your under a car and power steering fluid or coolant is dripping down your arm and you cant keep a grip of that shiny tool. I dont have the problem with my base line craftsman wrenches. However I now swear by my Snap-0n f80 ratchet which only requires 5-degrees of rotation when im replacing a power steering pump wedged between a frame rail and the block. So all tools are good in some instances. Craftsman has the defect warranty, but snap-0n will too depends on where you are in reference to the supply. I personally dont care when it comes to sockets c-man or pro series I have both. Any thing you plan to use with extreme torque go pro. Its not worth the bllody knuckles!
I guess that about sums up my 2 cents.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

You will find times that two wrenches of the same size are handy, etc. Then you will be using your other (aquired later at a bargain) set. Otherwise Craftsman is a good start, and can also make a great portable set.

I use mostly Craftsman although I don't like/use the standard ratchets. I prefer the Fine tooth roundhead style (old catalog/online only), or the thin pro line. Then I also have Snap-on more specialized (3/8" in a 1/4" body, and spark plug ratchet). For me, I use the trucks for specialized tools (longer locking extensions, some impact stuff, 5.5mm deep socket, extra long spark plug socket).
While Snap-on USED to mean made in the USA and the Bluepoint was thier imported line, the waters there are getting muddied. I would also look at Williams tools, (subsidiary and industrial tool maker), if you like the fit of Snap-on, but not the feel (not everyone likes the feel of Snap-on or any other brands wrench). You will find other good brands just by looking at old posts and hanging around this site.

 

[MarkIowa]

Go with plan b) and get a used tool truck ratchet or two on ebay right away...

 

[metal1313]

im sort of in the same boat, i have gotten by for years with a cheap craftsman set and some wrenches. because i dont use wrenches very often i'll prob buy toptul wrenches. i will spend the money for cornwell extra long wrenches, and i already have bought a few snap on ratchets.

that said if your not using them everyday i dont really see the logic in buying snapon, certianly not new.

 

[fordracing200]

I'm all craftsman except for my 80 tooth ratchets and 1/4" npt swivel for my air gun, the cman swivel fell apart, the blue point is worlds better...otherwise I'm pro-cman just because of the price and ease of warranty.

 

[r6_cannibal]

I agree with plan B. Start off with craftsman. There are good sales and if you are near a major city you can find good deals on craigslist for used tools to supplement. I agree a good ratchet is a must, as well as a good torque wrench.

 

[tw33k2514]

You might also consider option C. that option being SK tools, they are decently priced and the quality is great, They also make an excellent fine tooth ratchet.

go to http://www.skhandtool.com/Default.aspx?fusemode=2 find the tool you want and type the item number into amazon.com. Pay no attention to the prices on SK's website.

 

[wrenchr]

Craftsman would be my choice!! And welcome to the club!!!!!!!!

 

[back2class]

My sears flyer just came for this weekend and it has the $200 set for $100 this week.

 

[vartz04]

craftsman, A lot of guys preech about snap on on here, and really its a waste unless you really work on stuff all weekend long.

My dad has some snap on stuff, but mostly craftsman, he has a 3/8" ratchet that is older than me that gets used on a regular basis, (im 23)

the stuff is good, buy it, get the pro stuff if you can afford it.

My buddy is a honda mechanic, i go in there sometimes to shoot the ****, or to get tires mounted/compress a strut/get an alignment done for $free.99 and I look at the guy's tools, lots of them have craftsman stuff.

Unfortuantely you weren't asking this about a month ago, I sold 2 different 180 piece sets on ebay for about $50 that I got for $25 from my uncle who work's where they make craftsman tools

 

[79pacecar]

My Dad bought me a 200 piece set when I was still in high school (I graduated in 85) & I still have them and I still like them I have no issues with C-man tools.. over the years I have added Snap-On, MAC and a few others and to be honest to me they all seem about the same sooner or later you will break/wear them out and for me it is easier to go to my local Sears store and get them replaced then is to ship them back or find the right tool truck

Just my $.02

 

[PowderKeg]

Darn hard to beat the Craftsman sets when they're on sale. One BIG word of caution though, be sure to thoroughly research EXACTLY what's included in the set you finally settle on. Sears offers a bewildering array of sets with wild variations in value for your money. They've got standard sets, promotional sets, seasonal sets, catalog/online-only sets, sets organized in progressive add-on modules, sets with boxes, sets without boxes, SAE only sets, metric only sets, ad infinitum... They've always loved the "200 tools for a buck each" or less type of sales mantra, but they don't point out that 40 or 50 or more of those "tools" are often multiple hex key sets (each key counted separately), nutdrivers, screwdriver/hex driver bits (counted separately), hacksaw blades (counted separately), key fobs, and whatever else they can loosely describe as a "tool" thrown in. They also tend to bulk up on multiple ignition wrench sets (wrenches counted separately) and 1/4" drive sockets with 6 and 12pt size doubles while short changing you in 1/2" drive with a very limited range, and/or a limited range of combo wrenches.

Best thing to do is get a catalog and photocopy the pages that list individual sockets, drive tools, and wrenches, and start highlighting the individual pieces/sizes included in the sets you're pondering, as well as list the little stuff - aka the "cheap" stuff (that's still cheaply priced when purchased separately from the set) - thrown in to inflate the piece count. You'll likely find that you'll need to spend a little more than you first expected (as first lured by the 200 tools for $200), but you'll get a more complete set of sockets and wrenches at a better value for your dollar. If you're not in an immediate hurry, watch the sales for a little while first, especially with Labor Day coming.

Finally, after all the research and settling on a set, figure on using the basic raised panel ratchets most likely included in the set for what they're best suited - paperweights or fishing line sinkers. Get a set of the slim-pro's or the online-only round head fine tooth quick release ones. Or any other high quality brand of your choice.

Get your pliers, screwdriver sets, and such in separate purchases rather than in an all-inclusive set. Better yet, skip the Craftsman screwdrivers altogether, unless you need paint can openers/stirrers, small prybars/wedges, narrow scrapers, and things to pound random holes thru stuff with.

One final comment - I generally have a bad attitude about Craftsman sockets - my first sets many years ago were IMHO lousy quality control-wise (lotta bad chrome peel and other issues) and have been mostly replaced over time with used Snap-On bought at irresistible prices. Quality hopefully has improved since way-back-then, but even if it hasn't by much they're still good enough to get you going.

 

[wrenchr]

Darn hard to beat the Craftsman sets when they're on sale. One BIG word of caution though, be sure to thoroughly research EXACTLY what's included in the set you finally settle on. Sears offers a bewildering array of sets with wild variations in value for your money. They've got standard sets, promotional sets, seasonal sets, catalog/online-only sets, sets organized in progressive add-on modules, sets with boxes, sets without boxes, SAE only sets, metric only sets, ad infinitum... They've always loved the "200 tools for a buck each" or less type of sales mantra, but they don't point out that 40 or 50 or more of those "tools" are often multiple hex key sets (each key counted separately), nutdrivers, screwdriver/hex driver bits (counted separately), hacksaw blades (counted separately), key fobs, and whatever else they can loosely describe as a "tool" thrown in. They also tend to bulk up on multiple ignition wrench sets (wrenches counted separately) and 1/4" drive sockets with 6 and 12pt size doubles while short changing you in 1/2" drive with a very limited range, and/or a limited range of combo wrenches.

Best thing to do is get a catalog and photocopy the pages that list individual sockets, drive tools, and wrenches, and start highlighting the individual pieces/sizes included in the sets you're pondering, as well as list the little stuff - aka the "cheap" stuff (that's still cheaply priced when purchased separately from the set) - thrown in to inflate the piece count. You'll likely find that you'll need to spend a little more than you first expected (as first lured by the 200 tools for $200), but you'll get a more complete set of sockets and wrenches at a better value for your dollar. If you're not in an immediate hurry, watch the sales for a little while first, especially with Labor Day coming.

Finally, after all the research and settling on a set, figure on using the basic raised panel ratchets most likely included in the set for what they're best suited - paperweights or fishing line sinkers. Get a set of the slim-pro's or the online-only round head fine tooth quick release ones. Or any other high quality brand of your choice.

Get your pliers, screwdriver sets, and such in separate purchases rather than in an all-inclusive set. Better yet, skip the Craftsman screwdrivers altogether, unless you need paint can openers/stirrers, small prybars/wedges, narrow scrapers, and things to pound random holes thru stuff with.

One final comment - I generally have a bad attitude about Craftsman sockets - my first sets many years ago were IMHO lousy quality control-wise (lotta bad chrome peel and other issues) and have been mostly replaced over time with used Snap-On bought at irresistible prices. Quality hopefully has improved since way-back-then, but even if it hasn't by much they're still good enough to get you going.

The complete socket set 1/4 - 1/2 is a nice deal!!

 

[BUBJEL]

Nothing wrong with craftsman as a starter set (your going to need multiple tools anyway); read all these informative posts; by so many; who take the time & help us all out; use the search feature on this forum;(its great) & will save you thousands of dollars in the long run; I wished this forum was around years ago when I first started making my tool collection. Since joining & reading this forum; I know longer stick to one brand of tool manufacturer; I like to try them all. Also, old used tools are great. Nothing like buying an old tool that has been used hard & knowing that it can still be for many many years. Like the old sayin goes. They just don't make them like use to. Good Luck. And once again thanks to all.

 

[sk farmer]

i am partial to sk also but a craftsman set is tough to beat starting out. like others have said, get one with as many sockets as possible and avoid the little bs peices to get a high tool count. invest in a good ratchet in each drive size and a breaker bar or two. cman usually never includes them. 9 out 10 times you will not notice any difference in sockets or extensions but you will alway know when you have a crappy ratchet or bar in your hand. if you find a better set you like later it will never hurt to have you cman set of sockets as seconds or backups on big jobs or in a second location.

 

[cruiser808]

i am partial to sk also but a craftsman set is tough to beat starting out. like others have said, get one with as many sockets as possible and avoid the little bs peices to get a high tool count. invest in a good ratchet in each drive size and a breaker bar or two. cman usually never includes them. 9 out 10 times you will not notice any difference in sockets or extensions but you will alway know when you have a crappy ratchet or bar in your hand. if you find a better set you like later it will never hurt to have you cman set of sockets as seconds or backups on big jobs or in a second location.

+1 to what SK said.

 

[X1 Mike]

Blue Point is the tool equivalent of a "gateway drug" once you start buying hem it's only a small step to Snap-on.

 

[Uncle Buck]

The complete socket set 1/4 - 1/2 is a nice deal!!

If you are just starting out, I would have to heartily agree with Wrenchr. The "Every Craftsman socket" Sears sells is a great deal for a starter that I too would quickly endorse if you want to get them all in one fell swoop. It took me many years to accumulate the sockets to equal that set. Speaking for myself, I have only broken a few Craftsman sockets, so I am a big fan. Most of my sockets are still Sears Craftsman.

 

[vartz04]

yeah I think ive only seen 3 broken cman sockets in our house as far back as i can remember (at least 10 years) and most were small sockets, being used on very rusty bolts, or standard sockets being used on the impact gun.

go buy it, put it in a box, and take pictures haha.

 

[Uncle Buck]

go buy it, put it in a box, and take pictures haha.

Sad but true!

 

[wrenchr]

If you are just starting out, I would have to heartily agree with Wrenchr. The "Every Craftsman socket" Sears sells is a great deal for a starter that I too would quickly endorse if you want to get them all in one fell swoop. It took me many years to accumulate the sockets to equal that set. Speaking for myself, I have only broken a few Craftsman sockets, so I am a big fan. Most of my sockets are still Sears Craftsman.

I would like to buy that set when money is more plentiful.

 

[expatriated]

With all the talk of the pros using the truck tools, I had the impression that craftsman had no place in the "work with tools for a living" crowd. Not true. The last couple of shops I checked had MOSTLY c-man tools. I was just in a very nice Ducati shop and saw every tool chest was craftsman and every tool I saw out was c-man as well. Maybe the snap-on stuff was locked in the vault, I don't know. But it certainly seems like c-man is out in the professional world, as well. Not just the home weekend warrior. Personally, I'm not impressed with their standard stuff, although I'm new at all this so my opinion is pretty much worthless. The C-man Pro stuff, however, seems much better than the standard.

FWIW, given your choices, I'd recommend B. "No debt with standard tools" beats "debt with awesome tools" any day, in my book.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

The complete socket set 1/4 - 1/2 is a nice deal!!

Complete socket set? Do you have an item number for that (I don't remember seeing it quite listed that way)?

 

[olds394]

my uncle who work's where they make craftsman tools

uh....you say your uncle works where?
You're in a unique position to answer a few questions around here.

 

[sk farmer]

Complete socket set? Do you have an item number for that (I don't remember seeing it quite listed that way)?

imop a complet set would include all sizes in 1/4 that go up to 1/2 or 9/16 and 12 or 14 mm. 3/8 that covers 3/8 to at least 3/4 and10 to 19 mm. 1/2 that covers 1/2 to 1 1/4 and up to mid 20's inn mm. overlap between drives is good sometimes cman omit some or leaves out larger sizes

 

[olds394]

Complete socket set? Do you have an item number for that (I don't remember seeing it quite listed that way)?

It's the 299 piece. On sale for $430 some odd dollars right now.

 

[wrenchr]

Go to sears.com and type this in.
009-35299

 

[rsanter]

from my experience I started out as a cman guy. price was reasonable and the breakage was minimal so I was happy.
the deeper I got into the hobby and the more I used the tools there was in increase in the breakage rate.
every step I took closer to bieng a pro wrencher, the more breakage I was having.
eventually I ended up getting into the snap on stuff and the breakage went to near zero. over the years I have had to warranty less than a dozen SO tools.

my advice. start with the Cman stuff and build your set from there. you have an advantage of having the option of thee Cman pro stuff which seems to be pretty good stuff (must say I have broken one box end though).
as you use the tools, the items you use the most you will want to upgrade as you can.

bob

 

[wrenchr]

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00935299000P?keyword=009-35299&sLevel=0

 

[wrenchr]

 

[cruiser808]

I think all would agree. For the least money and the most warrentee, Cman is the best bet for starting out. That's what I did. Later, I got a good deal on pro tools. I'm not special, hang in there and something will come your way.

 

[vartz04]

uh....you say your uncle works where?
You're in a unique position to answer a few questions around here.

he has nothing to do with making the tools so that won't help us out here.

He manages all the maintenance done by outside contractors on the facility as well as other contracted out services (cafeteria, grounds maintenance ect)

all i care about is the discounted tools haha. Only hand tools though

 

[bbshriver]

Thanks for all the replies! I think I'm going with a hybrid of the 2 as suggested.
I don't have any deep sockets at the moment so I thought I may get 3 or 4 snap-on deeps just to see what all the fuss is about, and then just get Craftsman. If I find the snap-on is better, then maybe I'll do a socket a month or something, ask as Christmas gifts, etc. Also, haven't had a chance to check eBay yet, have looked at the classifieds here. Craigslist has some good deals, but basically anything that has "Snap-On" in the description is $1k+

Craftsman has a 200pc set for $130 right now that is 128 sockets, 40 or so hex keys 10 wrenches and the balance is bit drivers. Seems like a good deal to me. Need to wait till next month though as I already blew this months budget. Will try to look into the SK as well and see how the price difference is, read quite a bit of positive about them here. I do want nice ratchets. I got a 1/4" gearless from Griot's Garage. No idea on how strong it is, but it works wonderfully! I find with a 1/4" I mostly like the smoothness and low effort of re-setting and the ultimate strength isn't as important. 1/2" ratchet needs to be invincible maybe not so "fine" feeling, and 3/8 is the balance between the 2.

 

[Joe Mamma]

I'll plug S-K again. I don't have a lot of S-K stuff, but they are excellent quality tools, and this is coming from a big Snap-On fan. Generally, S-K are much better than Craftsman or Blue-Point in my opinion.

Here's a cheap place to get them:

http://www.tooltopia.com

I have no connection to them. But, I've bought from them, the prices were excellent, and there were no problems.

Joe Mamma