slipjointed
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 31, 2011
- Messages
- 665
In all fairness, future warranty replacements for the USA made Craftsmans will probably be made in China.
HOT DEAL Index!!
- Thread starter Stuey
- Start date
- Status
In all fairness, future warranty replacements for the USA made Craftsmans will probably be made in China.
Garage-Junkie
Well-known member
most of it is made in china now anyway. At least you can supplement your regular, expensive, quality, USA-Made tools with some of these. That way you can take the cheap chinese stuff to parts yards, and if you lose or break them, you haven't lost much. This is called the Hot Deals Index, not the top-quality-USA-made-for-hella-cheap index
I don't think that CM RP is better than the Kobalt Crossform set because they are made in the USA. I have the CM RP metric set for over 10years and I put it through hell, including using extension (cheating) to break tough frozen bolts. The open ends on the Kobalt set look flimpsy in comparison as they thin out towards the tips of the open ends. It's hard to tell how they would hold up though. Look can be deceiving. If I didn't have the CM set, I wouldn't mind trying the Kobalt set out. As it is, I'm just hoarding tools as I don't see the Kobalt set being superior...
Knipex 3821200 Angled Long Nose Pliers without Cutter, 8 Inch
$23 via Amazon, or $21 shipped via marketplace vendor
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003RWS9K6/?tag=atomicindus08-20
$23 via Amazon, or $21 shipped via marketplace vendor
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003RWS9K6/?tag=atomicindus08-20
I checked out both this summer when looking for some home garage storage and they are extremely similar. Between the examples I saw the MasterForce has slightly better fit and finish regarding paint, likely better prep before shooting, with fewer imperfections. The HF could have been bought about $100+ cheaper at the time. Both drawer slides feel about the same and they should both handle about the same weight. I've heard nothing negative from those I know who own either. Both are better than anything new that I could find in the price range. I think these come pretty close to the newer Montezuma boxes with the most obvious concern being the casters themselves and their bracing. I would only hesitate to use either in a shop type environment where they might be loaded to max weight and repeatedly drug around concrete joints or debris but that is more a case of anything that can be built can be broken. For what it is worth I was going with the HF to better match the color of an older box and storage shelving I already brought home from the shop (the Menards is a "unique" shade of green) but I ended up buying an older Waterloo built CM chest locally that was too cheap and nice to pass up and complimented it with a HF five drawer tool cart.
This ^^^. If you are limited to one tool storage chest the wide drawer is the most valuable real-estate in the box. I have since picked up some cabinets and drawer storage from the old S-K plant (green) from another member here and I would like to have gone with the MasterForce in hindsight. My point is that either are the best non-professional option on the market now in my opinion.
I bought this set last year specifically to brace a deck and farm awnings with threaded bar stock and it worked great for this. The flex handle of this larger set adds some clearance in tight spaces but I have never used the fixed handle version of the smaller one for comparison. The micro ratcheting screw/torx driver included with my set is convenient for occasional home electronic repairs and is not included in the smaller set which has more pass through sockets if I remember correctly. The ratchet itself is very solid but a bit on the tight side regarding movement. It should hold up well but is not really the best option for most work. Honestly, I rarely use the ratchet or sockets since the initial project as I don't even remember I own them. You can never have too many tools though, and these make great loners for the neighbors who show up mid-project with the puppy dog look. If I had to do over I would buy it again but would go with the smaller cheaper set with more sockets since pass-through is the primary function of the set and I have plenty of small screwdrivers and torx at home. Knowing me I would probably find a way to buy the flex handle ratchet too but nobody here would understand that sort of compulsion, right?
Hope this helps, and damn this tread.
MOJoWales
$55 for set of three, are you sure about the NWS source?
If so I think I could spend $100 that guy easy on stuff I already have.
Jeff
Well-known member
Someone needs to show these to Monte to confirm, but these don't look like NWS pliers to me.
Check the "tools from the old world" thread. They have some Proto's in there just like this they are talking about. That's how I got to looking on Ebay for them.
ishiboo
Well-known member
Well then I guess the decision is easy...buy both!
Okay, I actually did... and I'm returning both.
Chrome finish on both sets *****, there's MANY rough areas. The ratchets feel like cheap junk and the 1/4" ratchet in the 49-piece doesn't work... when you're tightening the pawl gets stuck and it won't ratchet.
The 49-piece DOES have more pass-through sockets than the 7x-piece, and it has the 1/4" stuff in addition to the 3/8".
I also bought the ratcheting screwdriver, I like this a lot better although again it feels like cheap ChiCom and not the quality I'm used to from the Taiwan stuff. Fit and finish is okay, nothing spectacular. The one thing that bugs me is it does not have a female 1/4" on the opposite end of the handle, which I think is ideal for these, you can use the handle to push the bit in hard and use a ratchet on top to turn like some similar drivers.
volunteers
Well-known member
I think the 49pc has the 1/4" female handle (the red one) that you complained for the screwdriver?
I have the 49 pc vortex set. I has come in hand a few times. Glad I bought it.
Either: my GearWrench sets from last year are above average examples, both of yours are below average, the quality has gone downhill in the last year, or likely some combination of the three.
The chrome is nice on my 70something piece pass-through set and the GearWrench ratcheting screwdriver set I bought at about the same time. The knurling is deep and the ratchet, while tight, functions well. One knock on the screwdriver set is that both of the ratcheting screwdrivers have 1/4 female attachment points and all the extensions have 1/4 male attachments on both ends preventing them from being useful with standard ratchets or extensions. Otherwise I think it is a decent set. I haven't used either enough to provide a longevity claim good or bad.
I'm not disagreeing with your assessment just providing my own details. At the risk of annoying people who have no interest in these sets I think enough people are buying/considering them now for it to be good to know if anybody else has issues with the newer ones?
MOJoWales
slipjointed
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 31, 2011
- Messages
- 665
The ones I purchased last year were above average quality also.
I'm guessing that they did the same thing they did with the ratcheting combo wrenches... probably moved production from Taiwan to China, and then cheapened them even further once they were in China.
The bean counters think it's just GREAT math to pull a bait and switch with their "stupid" customers, but people in today's internet tool market are going to catch on a bit faster than they're expecting, I think.
Soon2AdjustYou
Well-known member
So I went to Lowes to grab the crossforms today. Picked the demo up and checked it out. I was extremely turned off. It felt so cheap to me.
So I went over to Sears and grabbed these in sae and metric for $30 bucks each!
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00991298000P?prdNo=13&blockNo=13&blockType=G13
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00944040000P?prdNo=24&blockNo=24&blockType=G24
So I went over to Sears and grabbed these in sae and metric for $30 bucks each!
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00991298000P?prdNo=13&blockNo=13&blockType=G13
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00944040000P?prdNo=24&blockNo=24&blockType=G24
Last edited:
letz4wheel
Well-known member
That will teach you to listen to me...others learned years ago not too.
It is kinda sad the state of some of these tools nowdaysridestreet
Well-known member
i did not need to see that, especially in metric. i was just at sears yesterday to try and pick up a set of the stubby metric ratcheting wrenchs but they were out, got a rain check though for the online price
saw this there last night for $35 and went back to get it todayhttp://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00910172000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1
guess i am going back tmro
TitaniumLizzard
Well-known member
I think his first link meant to go here:
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00944041000P?prdNo=2
For those who are still up.....
Amazon Lightning Deal:
GearWrench 87329 SAE X-Beam 29-Piece Ratcheting Wrench Set $34.99 shipped.....
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004YKF2KU/?tag=atomicindus08-20
Amazon Lightning Deal:
GearWrench 87329 SAE X-Beam 29-Piece Ratcheting Wrench Set $34.99 shipped.....
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004YKF2KU/?tag=atomicindus08-20
8 wrenches and 20 screwdriver bits, but I saw the deal thing go from 12.8% to 13% used while I watched. SAE nixed it for me, plain X I think is what I prefer for those times when I want to apply more force.
Nitrile Gloves on for $4.99/100
Current Super Coupons from HF
http://widgets.harborfreight.com/ws...g&week=5011&campaign=a&page=5011a_retail.html
64 piece socket set in a case for $27.99. Includes 3 damned good ratchets (sale price for all three is $33 if bought separately), the rest is gravy. Not a bad option for a trunk set or to give that lazy brother in law
http://www.harborfreight.com/64-Piece-14-38-and-12-Socket-Set-67995.html?ccdenc=eyJjb2RlIjoiNTgxMTEyNDUiLCJza3UiOiI2Nzk5NSIsImlzIjoiMjcuOTkiLCJwcm9kdWN0X2lk%0D%0AIjoiNzc2NSJ9%0D%0A&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=5011b&utm_source=[KEYCODE]
The rest of the stuff on sale Dec 16- Dec 24:
http://widgets.harborfreight.com/ws...g&week=5011&campaign=b&page=5011b_retail.html
Current Super Coupons from HF
http://widgets.harborfreight.com/ws...g&week=5011&campaign=a&page=5011a_retail.html
64 piece socket set in a case for $27.99. Includes 3 damned good ratchets (sale price for all three is $33 if bought separately), the rest is gravy. Not a bad option for a trunk set or to give that lazy brother in law
http://www.harborfreight.com/64-Piece-14-38-and-12-Socket-Set-67995.html?ccdenc=eyJjb2RlIjoiNTgxMTEyNDUiLCJza3UiOiI2Nzk5NSIsImlzIjoiMjcuOTkiLCJwcm9kdWN0X2lk%0D%0AIjoiNzc2NSJ9%0D%0A&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=5011b&utm_source=[KEYCODE]
The rest of the stuff on sale Dec 16- Dec 24:
http://widgets.harborfreight.com/ws...g&week=5011&campaign=b&page=5011b_retail.html
Last edited:
itsvegas
Well-known member
64 piece socket set in a case for $27.99. Includes 3 damned good ratchets (sale price for all three is $33 if bought separately), the rest is gravy. Not a bad option for a trunk set or to give that lazy brother in law
http://www.harborfreight.com/64-Piece-14-38-and-12-Socket-Set-67995.html?ccdenc=eyJjb2RlIjoiNTgxMTEyNDUiLCJza3UiOiI2Nzk5NSIsImlzIjoiMjcuOTkiLCJwcm9kdWN0X2lk%0D%0AIjoiNzc2NSJ9%0D%0A&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=5011b&utm_source=[KEYCODE]
better deal:
http://www.harborfreight.com/64-piece-14-38-and-12-socket-set-67995.html
and use a 20% of coupon and spend $24. ;]
you can use a 20% on a sale but not on top of a coupon.
TitaniumLizzard
Well-known member
GearWrench 20PC Ratcheting Wrench Set, $49.99
GearWrench 7 pc. Full Polish Ratcheting Flex Head Combination Wrench Set, $29.99 in cart:
Fractional
Metric
Stubbies are still on sale half off:
Metric
Fractional
GearWrench 7 pc. Full Polish Ratcheting Flex Head Combination Wrench Set, $29.99 in cart:
Fractional
Metric
Stubbies are still on sale half off:
Metric
Fractional
wrh3
Well-known member
I've been using them since KD came out with them and I like them. Zero degree offset and the Taiwan versions seem unbreakable even when applying a decent amount of torque. I was a skeptic at first but my local small auto parts store convinced me to try a set and try to break them
You do have to be conscious of the fact that when you are removing a nut/bolt against a wall or obstruction to allow room to remove the wrench or you'll get stuck, only had to happen once to me to learn my lesson.Refractometer
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2011
- Messages
- 135
Lizzard, What zip code are you in? I have been trying to add the 20 piece GearWrench set to my cart for a week, but it always says "temporarily unavailable". Thanks!
NoSloCoupes
Well-known member
Same here with the 20 piece GW. I did go into the local store and couldn't find them either...so they must have sold a **** load of these everywhere,lol.
Same here, it's been 'unavailable' in my browser for a week or so.
jakeb
Well-known member
why do I keep coming to this thread...??? It is really the main spot I go to on GJ these days. Too busy on LS1tech (e28 ls1/t56 coming soon)
Do I really need that large size metric gear wrench set. hmmm I'll see how they look in my car and go from there.
Do I really need that large size metric gear wrench set. hmmm I'll see how they look in my car and go from there.
I picked up some metric cross forms, and the plier set, I had the multi fits in my cart but put em back.
I'm arguing it's only a buck a wrench, but I can't help but think it's a gimmick that'll round hex. That's when I noticed even the last plastic bolt you can try it on, was rounded.
I'm arguing it's only a buck a wrench, but I can't help but think it's a gimmick that'll round hex. That's when I noticed even the last plastic bolt you can try it on, was rounded.
87Pomona
Well-known member
ha! Another 'tech guy over here. Me too. I'm building a 403 with LS3 heads for my IROC.
Andddd another one here! 89 Notchback ls1/4l60e build coming soon
TitaniumLizzard
Well-known member
I'm in 59715. They were in stock when I posted. Guess you guys cleared them out fast
!
Last edited:
Stanley 9" Torpedo level at Amazon for $5.00 shipped with prime (and probably eligible for free shipping with $25 min order).
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BQR7TU/?tag=atomicindus08-20
Usually sells for around $8-9 and has good reviews (6 reviews, 5 stars). Can always use another level, right? And the price is right, particularly if you have prime. Lifetime warranty too, FWIW.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BQR7TU/?tag=atomicindus08-20
Usually sells for around $8-9 and has good reviews (6 reviews, 5 stars). Can always use another level, right? And the price is right, particularly if you have prime. Lifetime warranty too, FWIW.
archirelic
Well-known member
I've had that level for going on 4 years now I believe. I've definitely put it through its paces while working construction. It's more than paid for itself.
87Pomona
Well-known member
volunteers
Well-known member
If you want to order that level, maybe take a look at following one at lowes:
Stanley 26' LeverLock Tape Measure for $7.98
same level plus a big tape.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_314789-355-...=AFF_CJ-_-FatWallet,+Inc.-_-358129-_-10934708
Stanley 26' LeverLock Tape Measure for $7.98
same level plus a big tape.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_314789-355-...=AFF_CJ-_-FatWallet,+Inc.-_-358129-_-10934708
Last edited:
ridestreet
Well-known member
holy large picture
- Status