How did you collect your first several sockets?

[bobemmerich]

I believe my first "set" was craftsman. My first socket/ratchets were cheaper "Sears" branded they used to sell. I no longer own any of it as my original tool box was stolen out of the back of my Plymouth Horizon way back in 88 or 89. Too bad too, cause it was a 3 drawer Craftsman hand box fully loaded.

 

[bobemmerich]

AHH, the old Benchtop brand. I had a set of those in that box. They were good quality tools and decently priced. Too bad KMart stopped selling them...

 

[RedFordTruck]

Mine was a Craftsman set my dad got me. 80ish pieces with no filler. 1/4'', 3/8'' and 1/2'' drive.

I lost 2 sockets out of it but I still have it and use it

 

[pipsters]

Dad bought me a Craftsman set for Xmas. 263 pc set. Still have it. Done a lot with that set. I'll keep it until I can hand it down, although now it's mothballed.

I lost one socket, a 13/16" spark plug socket IIRC, and it was bugging me so much I bought another even though I highly doubt I will ever use it, ever.

90% of my tools are Craftsman branded.

 

[countryroad82]

The first set I would call my first real set that I took care of my sister bought for me when I was about 11 for Christmas. A 64 piece Craftsman set that I still have to this day. It stays in the same box it came in and has officially been retired. It currently resides on a shelf and other than some of my Dads tools and Granddads they are some of my most cherished possesions.

 

[kiatech]

from my grandpa

 

[ndoran]

I bought a HILKA 1/4 inch drive set in 1979 for 5 pounds in Halfords, it had a full set of metric up to 12mm, SAE up to 1/2 inch and BA from 12BA to 0BA. came with extensions, ratchet, sliding T and breaker bar. I still have itand the metal case. I used it at work on electronics and at home on cars and everything else. I later bought a Kamasa 1/2 in drive SAE set at Halfords and used it for over 20 years before it disapperaed. Never broke any of the items in either set. The 1/4 in ratchet still works perfectly. I used to use the 1/4 in set on exhaust manifold bolts with the brass nuts that always seemed to freeze.

 

[bart1]

Partents got me one of those hundred and something piece Craftsman sets for Christmas. Still have everything, including the crappy blow molded case, but have it split up into different places.

 

[jacked_72]

My first tools after moving out of my parents' house were bought in a pawn shop. I bought a small number of metric sockets and a few combo wrenches. I still have most of that stuff and use the 14mm combo wrench to remove the drain plug on my Toyota every time I change the oil. That was an "Ace" wrench, made in Taiwan.

Once I got done with school and got a job in '91, I bought a Craftsman set that had an assortment of 6 point and 12 point SAE and metric sockets with 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" ratchets and some combo wrenches. It was probably one of those $69 specials. I still have that set and use the sockets all the time. I broke the 1/2 drive probably a half a dozen times using it with a cheater bar and hammer trying to get the flywheel bolt off of an old VW. Finally had to take it in and have someone with an impact wrench get it off in about 2 seconds.

 

[Hanen42]

I had always used my dads tools to fix my bicycle and stuff. When I got my first real tax paying job at 15, I blew my first paycheck on a big craftsman set.

 

[redm18]

Bought a hole bunch of cheap *** tools from Harbor Freight before going back to college my sophomore year of college including the $5 3/8 socket set. Those tools were great for the Frat house I lived in they did some work but I didn't care if they walked away. Everyone in the house knew I had some tools so they borrowed them. That sets still in my trunk today. Once I graduated I bought the craftsman 3/8 shallow sets metric and standard. Since I got on garage journal I have been buying more sockets.

 

[rusty65]

I got my first set when i was around 10 years old for 50 bucks from sears the 155 piece.

 

[03protege]

My grandfather gave me a 100ish (don't know for sure sticker came off) Craftsman socket set for Christmas after my 16th birthday.

Currently I'm working on building up a more vintage Craftsman socket set to use as my work tools and I want to retire the set he gave me.

 

[E.T.Privott]

now hear meout before you throw me out, ask your friends and co-workers if they got any old tools or any mis-matched stuff they don't use or need anymore. well they sale or kick anything in to help you get started on your tool box (we have all helped one time or another get someone started in the wrench bid-ness), right now is a great time to pick up/buy a few tools from people as christmas is coming up and $ is always needed. ask fathers/uncles/brothers/cousins for any tools they might sale cheap. get to know your local pawn shop owner as tools & boxes come in all the time. watch for tools on the CL site - just watch what you buy as not all tools are made best, a cracked wrench can give you a broken hand !! used tools are how we all got started, just remember to return or pass along the helping hand when the time comes for you to help the newbe......

 

[Mavawreck]

Napa 3/8 drive set for my 6th birthday from my dad. Still have it.

 

[Ditchdigger]

Around 1979 my grandfather took me to the coast to coast hardware store and bought me an Alltrade brand tool set. 3/8 ratchet, sockets, combination wrenches and oddly enough a full set of Saltus wrenches.

There were still some of the saltus wrenches floating around as of 10 years ago. I know I saw one of the combos this afternoon in the junk drawer.

 

[ajchien]

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

First set was a Costco crescent 3/8 set when I bought my first house. Picked up a few singles from sears to fill in spots when I did a little more DIY. Then, when I really knew I wanted to do more DIY, I picked up a big sears cman set. Since then, I've filled in blanks and picked up a few extras at flea markets etc...

There's no way around it. You're bound to wind up with duplicates, triplicates, and more. Have you seen those "show us your ratchet" threads? Frankly, I don't think you can have enough tools to turn a 10mm bolt.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Christmas. Age 15. I got a small Craftsman set, after complaining when Dad went "up north" he would take all of his tools. SAE standard depth 1/4 and 3/8. 3/8 ratchet and 3/8-1/4 adapter.

When I was 18, I got a job at Sears. Every week after getting paid (in cash back then) I would but $1 worth of warm cashews, and walk around the tool department. Almost everything I bought over the next few year was on sale and I still have all of it.

Still have those same sockets and ratchet and they are still probably used the most.

 

[jeffmoss26]

I remember being a kid and someone gave me one of those cheap crappy Chinese socket sets. Those are all long gone, having been replaced with my dad's 2 Tru-Test socket sets, and the rest Craftsman that I have bought.

 

[bkoz]

Cool to see so many guys starting with Craftsman tools.

I had just finished Tech collage and had needed tools to started my apprenticeship. Sears had their top of the line big set on sale for %50 off. I bought the set on a Sears credit card and was paying it off at a whopping $45 a week.

12 years later and I still have that big Sears set. Whenever I broke or wore out a tool I would replace it with Snap-on or Mac and get the original replaced by Sears. Now that I think of it not a lot has needed replacing.

I still think this was a great way to get tools to start in the trades.

 

[d.mcfarland]

Craftsman set from my dad for Christmas. It's my primary stuff and has never had anything replaced. I'll never get rid of it unless I pass it down.

 

[wellpoison]

I always used my dads tools when I was growing up and I always put them back and took care of them. Although it wasn't a big deal to him because most of his stuff Is craftsman. When I moved to Maryland he bought me a craftsman 1/4 inch set and gave me a couple other cheapo tools incase I needed them. After I moved back and went to electrical school I needed my own so I bought high end pliers, screwdrivers, wrenches etc but I really didn't need/use sockets. I bought a 3/8 craftsman module a little while back when they were on sale. I keep a list of sizes/tools I need in my phone and I'm always on the look out at garage sales and flea markets.

 

[Cameronl]

I'm in the "Dad got my my first Craftsman set when I was a teen" club.
1980 or 81 Christmas gift. 1/4", 3/8" & 1/2" set with wrenches. The ratchets were the round heads that turns out were probably made in Taiwan, but the sockets and wrenches were American. It's the core of my current outfit. I've continued to add on. My set is still about 90% Craftsman, with some Bonney, SK, Williams, Blue Point, and yes, Pittsburgh, mixed in.

 

[archirelic]

To make a long story short...at 14 I basically became "the man" of the house w/the exit of the crappy step-father. We weren't financially secure by any means and that often resulted in my having to fix a multitude of dilapidated and decaying things around our duplex and my mom's Ford van. Money was scarce, but I had a job to help out and realized I would soon need some tools. I remember purchasing a very "gimmicky" set of sockets with a 3/8" ratchet from Albertsons [grocery store] of all places. Needless to say, it that very first set of sockets saved our butts many times over. I had that set and only that set of sockets till I was about 19 when after a bitter break-up with a girlfriend of over 2 years left me w/o my "beloved" first set of sockets. She basically knew what that set meant to me, as crummy as it was, and tossed them upon her exit from the relationship.

 

[GirlnAgarage]

My dad bought me a Craftsman 127ish piece mechanics set from Sears for Christmas when I left home for college. I grew up helping him on the family vehicles and projects. I used his tools to learn to work on "my" truck, starting with oil changes and tune ups.

 

[joecon]

My first sockets I bought one at a time when I started pumping
gas when I was in school.I started with 3/8.

 

[premierplayer]

3/8 SK metric shallow set (in it's little tray) from the BX, bought a little more each month and a PARK hip roof box to keep it all in.

 

[SantaAna12]

Leonards Dept. store went out of business and put their S-K on clearance. I got the 3/8 set std. and long with ratchet and knurled 3inch extension when I was sixteen. These days I'm on my second 45170, and replaced a few sockets, but it is still along for the ride in the van. Well.....van number four.