How did you collect your first several sockets?

[volunteers]

folks, I know a lot of you guys are professionals, but how did you buy your very first ratchet and socket set?

Is it a good way to invest more to buy a whole set which includes 1/4,3/8,1/2 and all different size of sockets, or you just buy one small set of you need currently, such like a 3/8'' metric set, then add more and more with the new requirements? Thanks for sharing experience.

 

[Squankum]

I'm no pro, but I started with a medium-sized Craftsman set. Looking back, I realize that the bigger the set (with sales, coupons, etc etc), the greater the value.

OTOH, you can live in 3/8" land for a long, long time, unless you work on teeny stuff or burly stuff. Bicycles? Electronics? Big American cars? Tractors? Hay balers?

 

[Outlawmws]

It probably depends on what tools you are buying. Sears always has a deal on the bigger sets, and if that is where you are headed, a large set is cheap. you can get by for a dollar a tool fairly easily. off the tool truck I don't think they do much on volume buys.

I bought my son a "starter set" of 155 craftsman tools in a blow mold box, and it was definably less than a buck a tool 6 years ago.

 

[bimmer630]

I remember my first socket set was a craftsman, I got it from a home shopping network on TV. 1/4 3/8, and 1/2" drive iirc. Metric and sae and all for about 150.00. I think 90%of those are lost now haha

 

[tbobbo]

I got mine out of desparation, I got craftsman. Some 450 piece set, I was starting a new job that required me to have my own tools.

 

[mattwgrizwald]

I was working on a 1980 ford granada, installing a new muffler and was tightning the last bolt on the muffler clamp and my cheap chinese ratchet slammed my fist into the frame. I had enough and went and bought a 6 pt 150 piece large craftsman socket set that is still use alot of at home today

 

[Mike14k]

In 1975 I graduated from college with a degree in Geo-physics. Took my graduation gift money and bought a Bonney standard/deep 3/8 socket set w/ ratchet, a set of Proto SAE long combo wrenches, a Kennedy upper 7-drawer tool box and a couple Jensen screwdrivers. Still got it all, just keep adding.

 

[diesel research]

$3 40pc set I bought from one of those traveling tool tent sales. Maybe age 12 or so. Was horrid junk, even at that age I cracked several sockets and stripped out the ratchet.

Some smaller 3/8 set from benchtop when kmart was closing. Wish I still had it.

254pc set when I first got "into the trades". Don't particularly miss it at all.

A big pallet of SK/proto/armstrong used tools given to me for free. Do miss them but have slowly rebuilt the collection to resemble the former.

_________________________

Since none of those tools are still with me, I had to start over. I will say that A good selection of impact sockets, seems like the best way to start out for me. I use them with my ratchet whenever I need. I use them with air tools. I use them with cordless tools. They are strong and serve multiple purposes. They aren't as slippery, and are easier to remove from ratchets, too!

I now view chrome sockets as a "specialty tool" only for when the application calls for something low profile. My 1/4" stuff is mostly chrome for that reason.

The same goes for other socket accessories. Extensions, swivels, etc. I now think of chrome accessories as specialty-only too, and it has really streamlined my latest collection. Saved a LOT of space by not having nearly as many of them.

Same goes for screw drivers. Most think they are basic "hardline" yet I consider them specialty-only, for the times my battery is dead or impactor doesn't fit. Again, with said mentality, I saved a lot of space. I don't have a drawer full of screw drivers, nor do I really need to, to work on trucks or most cars.

 

[boohocky]

I bought mine all in bulk in the beginning. Craftsman mostly, the more you buy, the less you pay most of the time.

The actual first set of tools I bought was a craftsman 154 piece set, it was on the clearance aisle because someone had opened everything and returned it. So I bought it and everything was there, from then on, anytime they had deals going on I went and bought some.

 

[volunteers]

Thanks for reply.
I work occasionally around my house, and some simple work on my two cars.
I feel I am in a bad situation in tools collection right now because of no experience. I bought a cheap Stanley 1/4 and 3/8 socket set, and two set of Gearwrench revertible gear wrench. Now I saw some Craftsman 150 or 200PC socket set for sale, but they have many duplications with my current Stanley collection and gearwrench. Then how to deal with this situation

 

[relic7680]

My first ratchet/socket set was a 3/8 and 1/4 no name Taiwan deal that I got at a swap meet when I was about 13. It was absolute garbage and I broke sockets quickly doing light work on my lawn mower and what not. Then my older cousin gave me a well used Craftsman set that I completed in short time. Together with some extra bits that my father gave me, that's how I got started.

 

[ChrisF250]

My dad gave me a Kmart socket set all 3/8 drive, all standard. Worked great for a long time.

 

[rowbow41]

Re: How did you collect your first several sockets?
My 1st set was a 1/2 Thorson set i bought from the local hardware store owner when I was a sophomore in high school. I think I traded a automatic 22 rifle that I had bought from from him. I still have most of the set.

 

[TWX]

My first non-electronics tools were a 150ish piece Craftsman mechanic's set that my dad gave me for a birthday or Christmas when I was eighteen. It had 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2" ratchets and a sets of sockets for each. I can't remember if the kit had combination wrenches, but I think it did. It actually formed the base of my current mechanics set.

If you buy a set with a blow-molded case, get one that has a pivoting hinge, not a flexing plastic type. The type with the flexing plastic will break eventually. It might outlast your use of the case, or it might fail early when you're carrying it at the junkyard, scattering all of your handtools on the dirt. That last part didn't happen to me, but did happen to a friend.

 

[2oolhound]

My 1st socket set was a used SK WAYNE 1/2 set I got in a junk store for $80.00, pretty much complete in a simple box with other mis-matched misc. tools. I still have most of it 40 years later.

Since I've returned to this type of work I bought a 250 piece CM set set, again used, but like brand new condition for $135.00. Gotta love junk stores. Here's some pics of the deal:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=91655

You have to watch the CM big bundle packages because they toss a lot of little things in like - allen wrenches and ignition kits, just to get the tool count up. Sometimes a smaller kit has more of what you actually need and less little ****.

I wouldn't advise against getting just the 3/8 set to get you started because then you can afford to wait for a deal to come along. Be careful not to get sets that are incomplete because it's not always easy to find just the missing bits without paying top dollar for them.

 

[boostedgt]

my grandpa bought me a craftsman set around '93 i think

 

[hammergodthor]

Every year for Christmas, I received some Craftsman tools from my dad; socket sets, RP wrenches, screwdriver set, etc. My first tool purchase was a SO torx set from a pawn shop. Was replacing a wheel bearing, and broke 2 or 3 torx sockets doing it.

I had no other access (besides Evilbay) to SO tools, so I bought them from where I could. My current driver doesn't understand that mindset, but I digress.

 

[Danglerb]

I don't recall having a set of tools growing up, just a few wrenches and screwdrivers in boxes. Some kind of project came up where I worked so I bought a small SAE/Metric set of sockets at Kmart that were Kmart branded with a lifetime warranty. 40 years later I still have it, no issues. Ratchet sure was a big improvement over old open end wrenches.

 

[TireTracks]

My first socket set was this little 1/4" drive Tawaines set that had ASE and Meteric sockets up to 5/8", a little ratchet, little nut driver type 1/4" drive handle and a 3" extention in a little silver roll up pouch. My grandpa gave it too me, though I havnt been able to find it.
It went in a little black metal toolbox my dad gave me. I tore every old dead thing around our house apart with those.

for chistmas when I was 13/14 I got a 193 piece craftsman tool set from my mom and dad. I drooled over the Cman Club flyer that had that set in there.

 

[jeffmoss26]

Someone gave me a real junky socket set when I was 4 years old.
I eventually replaced it with Craftsman and various others. Don't use sockets too much but they sure come in handy when I need them. I also have two Tru-test sets (3/8 and 1/4) that my dad bought 30-40 years ago. They still have all the pieces too!

 

[49tandc]

My dad was an A&P mechanic for National airlines and cares for his tools. I used his "house" tools to fix my bikes (14 yr old or so.) & stuff out in the yard and leave them in the grass when I was done. He'd 'find' the missing tool with the lawnmower & bring it to me saying "this one is your s now, I deducted the replacement cost from your allowance..." Shortly I got my first car - 1968, he gave me a pretty nice Craftsman set for Christmas (his stuff is Snappy/Mac/Matco). he said "This is YOUR toolbox" and pointing to his - "That is MY toolbox..." I said, "but what if I need a ...?" He said "This is YOUR toolbox, that is MY toolbox" and was pretty damed adament about it. I repeated, "what if I need a......?" He told me "now that you have a car, you can go to Sears and buy whatever you need there, but That is YOUR toolbox and this one is MY toolbox..." That was in 1968, and I still have 98% of those original tools (plus his "Work" box) today.

He taught me - never borrow tools, get you own... If you have to, bring them back clean, & not abused. If it can be sharpened, sharpen it and clean it before you take it back. If it runs on gas, bring it back clean and with a full tank.


49T&C

 

[byoungblood]

I got one of those Craftsman 150 piece sets one year for Christmas when I was 15-16 years old. I've lost and replaced a few of them here and there, but I still have most of the set intact after 17 years. A year or two later my mom's father gave me most of his mechanic's tools, which included a pletora of 1/2" drive stuff, along with some other oddball 1/4 and 3/8" drive sockets.

 

[KCarGuy]

I was always loosing my Dad's Tools as a Kid. So when I Graduated 8th Grade, My Grandfather bought me a Basic Craftsman tool kit with a 2 drawer Tool Box.
Which I still have...and use.
That was 1969.
It helped me work on my first car back then...a 1962 Ford Fairlane.
I have continued to add to the tool collection ever since...and tool Boxes!
(I now have all my Dad's tool also)

 

[paullie]

My dad gave me a nice sized craftsmen set for Christmas when i was 16, that was just after we had pulled and rebuilt the motor of my 67 ford pu that we pulled out of a pig pen. Still have all of it except the 1/4'' 6 point, had to buy a new one.

 

[Jim C.]

My dad bought me a Craftsman set back in the early 1980s. I still have all of them and a few more.

 

[e30bradley]

my father was a mechanic, and a car enthusiast, when he passed away my mom sold almost of his tools to feed my brother and I, but saved a few sets. So I have a nice set of 1/4drive S.O sockets, and 3/8 drive Mac sockets. also 3 ratchets. I'd trade it all just to know my dad though.

 

[Jim C.]

He taught me - never borrow tools, get you own... If you have to, bring them back clean, & not abused. If it can be sharpened, sharpen it and clean it before you take it back. If it runs on gas, bring it back clean and with a full tank.

49T&C

My dad is the same way, and still lives by the same rules. Me too!!!! Amen to all of that!!!

Jim C.

 

[RhodesSpeedShop]

Sad to say the first set I bought was a Stanley set I picked up on my way home from picking up my 68 Roadrunner. Gave dad back his old Elliots hardware tool set I used for years and started on my own collection. After breaking a 3/8 ratchet I bought a 250 something piece craftsman and never looked back. Most my stuff now is Snap On though but I still use craftsman.

Not a pro, just a hobby

 

[NJHandyGuy]

i stole my dads when i worked with him on my 10th brithday i got a starter set from then on kept building by 14 i had my first full rollaway (bottom) i got my dads when he passed i really miss him

 

[adcrawfo]

Got a 190some odd piece Craftsman set when I was about 14. Being young and dumb I kept all the six point sockets and left the rest to rot. I lost more of that set then I still have. Even now that I'm upgrading to snap on full sets I can't bear myself to get rid of the originals that I still have from that set. 90% of the grease crammed into the recesses of those sockets is older than me from working on my '51 resto project.

 

[CHRIS LUCKYMAN]

Got into buying and selling cars. Started buying older cars. Old cars usually came with a bunch of tools. Started hoarding them, sorting them, then buying pieces to make up a set. More cars bought, more work done on them, more tools to buy. Still buying tools, still buying cars.

 

[metaleltr]

In about 5th grade I bought a harbor freight tool set that had sockets,wrenches, screwdrivers and some other basic tools. At the time I didn't know better and HF seemed like a great deal. Close to that time period I also bought a 1/2" drive impact set from menards. A set of sae and metric, also bought an extension and a ratchet. The harbor freight tools got lost and broken. I broke the 1/2 ratchet with a pipe trying to remove a ball hitch. I still have the menards sockets and the extension.


About a year after I got the sockets from menards the rack broke, dad told me a could use the rails riveted in the top of his old tool box, that box was now mine. It was full of craftsman sockets that were not organized in any way. They lived in a box for about 4 year until this summer. Dad went to work at a body shop so his tools were not available. So I organised those old sockets. It turned out about 50 of them are missing. Sometime in the near future I intend to go to sears and complete this set.

In addition to the sockets I got a craftsman 1/4 3/8 and 1/2 ratchet off of ebay for $40 including shipping. This is about 15 less than what sears wants http://www.ebay.com/itm/3pc-CRAFTSM...414?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item588e936146


I am now in 10th grade and these craftsman sockets will probably be used when I start working in a body shop after graduation.

 

[Paco Pena]

I bought a medium sized craftsman on sale when I got my first car. 1972 Ford Ltd Country Squire wagon. It came in handy.

Paco

 

[scott4]

Dad bought me a 3/8 Cman set.

Still got it.

 

[Mr.Nutcase]

My dad bought bought a set from sears..

 

[FergusonTO35]

I got my first car when I was 18 and was pretty broke, even by Craftsman standards. At that time Walmart carried the Popular Mechanics branded Taiwan tools for cheap, they were actually pretty good quality. I Used them for a couple of years while gradually upgrading to Snap On.

 

[bhclark]

Dad got us an S-K set, I thought from sears, when we were kids. Came with an ugly green plastic toolbox. We spent the next few days engraving every piece so mine didn't get mixed up with my brothers.
When I needed a bigger set after moving out, I went with the craftsman 300 piece set.

I do like the idea of just going with impacts to start....before I owned any impacts, I figured...what do I need them for? All my sockets are craftsman, if I break one, I'll get a new one! (guess I wasn't thinking about steel flying into my eyes....)

 

[71flh]

I bought an SK 3/8" set at a Nichols dept. store around 1977. I think it was $15. It was in a green plastic case.

I had it until the first time all my tools were stolen. I never broke or lost any part of it.

I still think about that little socket set. First tool love ;(

 

[csargents1546]

I got my first set of cman tools for christmas from my parents. First tools I bought myself was a small rollaway from a pawn shop when I was 17. It was loaded with alot of machinist hand tools.

 

[illmatyk]

When I started taking auto classes we were required to bring our own tools, I was given a $20 Allied set( didn't have much money )...

After that, I got Benchtop set from Kmart...

About a year ago, I got the 299piece set from Sears to use at home..

I use most of the sockets still from the first 2 sets at work but have also added some impact sockets and replaced what has worn out/ broken over the past few years.