good screwdriver set/socket rails

[bayoutoolguy]

whats a fairly well made, affordable, screwdriver set available? i will eventually get some snap on ones, i ve heard nothign but good about them, cant stand my craftsman ones. also looking for a good set of socket rails (3/8 and 1/2) that i can put in my road bag when i go on a job so i can keep them all organized and not have to dig through mounds of tools to find the socket i need. thanks for any info.

just out of curiosity, the other day i called snap on and asked them whats the max force a dual 80 FHLFD80 3/8 long handle, which i own could take. they called me back the next day and said 300 ft lbs. so does this mean i could crank down 100-200 ft lbs on this ratchet day in, and day out, all day without it breaking, or would premature tooth wear occur first? not planning on using a 3/8 outside of it means, thats where my 1/2 stuff comes into play, just wondering for that situation where i wont have the right tool and ll have to use the 3/8 to get the job done.

 

[nateplumb]

For screwdrivers checkout Pratt Reed, Stanley or Klein. All of them still have some good qaulity US made tools at reasonable prices. What is it you don't like about the craftsmans the grip or the tip?

 

[cderalow]

Home depot has a $20 set of like 40 pieces made by Husky. Most of them are US made inside the set. traditional plastic fluted hard handles.

 

[nateplumb]

Home depot has a $20 set of like 40 pieces made by Husky. Most of them are US made inside the set. traditional plastic fluted hard handles.

I can't say for sure but the HD stuff sure looks and acts like western forge which is who makes craftsman

 

[powertrip]

I can't say for sure but the HD stuff sure looks and acts like western forge which is who makes craftsman

If you are talking about the husky pro versions they have a completly different grip than clear cman screwdrivers and blades like the cman pros with the hex at the handle. Also they are made in the USA.

 

[nateplumb]

If you are talking about the husky pro versions they have a completly different grip than clear cman screwdrivers and blades like the cman pros with the hex at the handle. Also they are made in the USA.

Sorry I was talking about the regular line. Are the pros made in us?

 

[bayoutoolguy]

i dont like the tips on the craftsman, they get messed up too easily

 

[nateplumb]

If you just use it for screws it is hard to beat a klein (us made). However if youpry with it it will snap easy. Stanley is reasonable and even the $1.99 phillips and flat US made set at home depot or lowes is a very rugged screwdriver. I buy the stanleys and keep em with my tools to loan out or beat on they are actually very good but a small grip. The step up stanley electricians set made in US are fantastic as far as I'm concerned stanley tough with a klein like grip. Pratt reed also makes great american products I have several around the garage and they work flawlessly but I personally haven't used them daily. The older black handle craftsman pros have also served me well for years in my roll a way toolbox in the garage. Not sure of the qaulity or COO of the new craftsman pro drivers.

 

[fivespdcat]

I went with the craftsman pro (red handle) and wiha heavy duty. I like them both. The wihas a bit more because of the handles but both are really nice sets. My kleins are not anywhere near as good, the warranty is pointless and the tips on my Phillips were soft.

 

[Even 11]

Williams

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002NH5F30/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[shoturtle]

Which set of craftsmen do you have, their professional ones are quite good. Allot better then the clear plastic handle ones.

 

[Butters]

At home I have that Williams set. At work, we have Wera Lasertips and Wiha Cushion Grips. I like all three for different reasons. If I had to choose one, it would probably be the Williams, certainly as a garage/heavy duty set. If I wanted a lighter duty set for cleaner jobs (electronics, household) I'd probably get the Weras. But you can't go wrong with the Wihas. Here's my take:

Williams: They're hard handled and don't get as dirty looking as the others. The tips seem very strong. The "square" handles don't feel as nice in my palm, but I can grip them better and turn them with more force.

Wiha: Tips are nice and the grips are comfortable. The handles get really dirty.

Wera: The lasertips are fantastic from a fit standpoint. You can literally hold a screw and suspend the screwdriver from it. However, the laser etching seems to wear easily (although the tip itself seems okay). The handle is fairly comfortable, not as nice as the Wiha, and gets dirty too.

 

[shoturtle]

The Wera chisel kraftform is a very heavy duty screwdriver. That is my heavy duty screwdriver set and I have a insulated wiha for my electrical stuff and wiha eds for electronic work. When I am working on my bikes, the wera is my screw driver of choice.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001NQQCC/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Jwrightkustomz]

Just buy the Wera chisel driver set, and then buy the Wihas. You'll never buy another screwdriver again. Did you try search? This has only been asked a few hundred times.

Oh and Ernst socket rails will be the victor in the socket rail debate.

 

[William Payne]

I like the socket rails that come with snap-on sockets the sockets don't fall off easy on those and require a good tug to get them off. I recently got a set of craftsman sockets on an ernst rail and not the same at all the sockets fall off in comparison.

 

[camarotoolman]

For $.99 the hf socket rails are good, but they wouldn't hold 1/2" deep sets. For screw drivers, I buy old c-mans at yard sales and take them back for new.

 

[powertrip]

Craftsman pros and husky pros are made in the USA. Screwdrivers are a wear item. Consider ease of warranty when purchasing.

 

[karl1672]

I got this Whia 12 pc set (30297) recently, good quality and nice selection. Was around $55

For socket rails, I like the Ernst locking ones.

 

[slob]

If I didn't already have about about a hundred screwdrivers I'd buy the high visibility Pratt-Read set from McMaster-Carr.

 

[woody 73]

on the williams screwdrivers they are very nice.

 

[RRmech]

I like the Klein screwdrivers myself.
Good quality, not too expensive and available almost everywhere.

Steve

 

[Risin_Outlaw]

the home depot screwdrivers that are marked usa are made by western forge. At least thats what my buddy tells me who works at h.d. I also heard for a time they used to make sk screwdrivers too before they started making them in germany when facom took over. Since stanley/proto/ black & decker company brought out facom, sk employees brought the company from stanley. If they didnt their jobs would have probably went overseas. I dont know if sk still making screwdrivers in germany still or not.

 

[PRH44]

I am pretty sure the screwdrivers made in the USA at Home Depot are made by Pratt-Read which also makes Menards Masterforce brand. Pratt-read was recently purchased by Ideal, lets hope they keep Pratt-Read in America as they have an American company since the 1700s http://www.prattread.com/

 

[crewchief888]

i'm not gonna get into the debate on screwdrivers, it's so much a personal "feel" to everyone.

for metal socket rails and clips, the best ive ever had came from SO.

 

[William Payne]

for metal socket rails and clips, the best ive ever had came from SO.

Yip same as what I said earlier. They also really don't cost a whole lot in the greater scheme of things.

 

[crewchief888]

Yip same as what I said earlier. They also really don't cost a whole lot in the greater scheme of things.

very true

i dont use many socket rails anymore at work, most of my sets are either in the original metal trays, or in MTS magnetic holders.
garage boxes have some hansen trays, original metal trays, and a few rocket rails.

i keep all my 1/4" dr stuff in a seperate molded plastic box that has a flat lisle holder, a blow molded CM box with loose sockets, allens, short extentions, and a SO bit set.

 

[William Payne]

For $.99 the hf socket rails are good, but they wouldn't hold 1/2" deep sets. For screw drivers, I buy old c-mans at yard sales and take them back for new.

99 cents? flip talk about cheap, anything under a dollar in this day and age is cheap.