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Husky versus Kobalt for wrenches and sockets

oldschoolcraft

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I’d like to put together a road box set of wrenches and sockets. Something if it’s gets stolen it’s fine. And if I lose a tool on the side of the road it’s fine. And if I’m home and have access to good tools but want to smash a socket with a hammer to get it in a damaged fastener or cut a wrench in half to jerry rig a custom tool, I can use one of these. Or as a backup for a lost/broken quality tool!

I‘m currently evaluating husky and kobalt as my two main options. Theres far more Home Depot and Lowes than HF and I personally hate going into HF.

I assume both husky and Kobalt are similarly priced. And I think both sell singles which is another reason to avoid Icon/HF to replace a lost or intentionally damaged/modified tool.

Unless Kobalt or Husky is particularly much better than the other in quality, then my main factors of consideration are:

1. how much of a hassle is the warranty? I assume you just bring the broken tool to customer service. And if they have the replacement in stock, you’ll get it free.

2. How good are each store at keeping stock of wrenches and sockets? If one has better supply chain/stock than the other, it’s a big benefit.

3. Which is more likely to not go away or get ****** in the future? I used to have a bunch of US made Craftsman tools and got the rug pulled out from under me. If I get husky or kobalt, which is more likely to be there in the future and give me a similar quality tool?

Home Depot is bigger than Lowes so I’d guess Husky is more likely to be around in 20 years.

Personally I find Lowes stores to be cleaner, easier to find stuff, and more of a pleasure to shop at than Home Depot and the brand name and blue color scheme of Kobalt stuff resonates with me more than orange husky but I’m leaning toward husky since I assume HD will be in business longer.

Then again I can get an old socket set at a flea market, some old US craftsman or SK or something decent quality From the past for cheap. And on the rare chance I break or lose one, just go to EITHER Home Depot or Lowes and buy a single wrench or socket of the same size, and not bother dealing with customer service nor with needing to go to the right store (HD or Lowes, I can go to whichever is closer), and just spend the $5 to $10 On the replacement which honestly I may need to do once every 5 to 10 years max Since I wont Use my road box often.

But still curious on Husky versus Kobalt! 😀
 
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decableguy2000

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I have older Kobalt and some Huskys. Out of these two choices for new I'd go with Husky. They seem to have a better selection. I recently purchased a Dewalt socket set and Tekton wrench set for traveling.
 

fourjeepin

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Having worked there for 19 years, I am biased toward HD for most things, but have never bought Husky ratchets or sockets and have bought Kobalt. Neither is in any danger of going away, though sales were down this quarter.
 

Spud McGee

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I have a ton of kobalt ones. The black ones with the little fingers inside instead of hex *****. I hate that whole set.

One one set, i broke a star socket. The only way lowes would honor the warranty is if i found all 300 pieces and brought the entire set back so they could swap it out as a whole. Well you know nobody has their 10mm, so the warranty on the rest of the set is useless.

And across the board, 90 percent of the kobalt ratchets i have all do the thing where they reverse direction as you use them. I bought ratchets from different brands to replace them.

The sockets are good, ratchets are annoying, and the warranty support *****. Some of the replacament ratchets i got are husky and i'm happy with those.

Also, the set that comes in the 3 tier black and blue blow molded case, that case *****. The sockets shake around and dont stay in their spot. Then when you go to pull out a drawer, a socket is blocking it like a spatula in your kitchen drawer.
 
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Old Donn

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Bought a few Kobalt socket sets when Lowe's was selling out the USA made stuff. Gave a couple to my son, kept one to carry in the old Chevy. No complaints so far.
 

mrvm

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IMO the quality is similar with both brands boasting a "lifetime" warranty. Since you're not troubled if lost or stolen then either brand will suffice as a on-the-road tool kit. Buy whats on sale and roll with it. I'd rank HF Pro similarly with the Husky/Kobalt tool quality.
 

finn

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I bought two sets of Husky sockets for something like $50 (200 piece set) each after Christmas a year and a half ago. They seem functional, although not the greatest. I would buy them again, for sure, at that price.

I also picked up a long pattern Kobalt flex head 1/2” drive ratchet for about $50. Again, it’s perfectly serviceable, but not as nice as my $290 SnapOn. I would buy that again too.

As for combination wrenches, they both feel like HF Pittsburgh wrenches to me. I have the Pittsburg, and hate them. I go out of my way to avoid using them. My SK, Old Craftsman, Wards Powercraft, Wright, Proto, even inexpensive Crescent or old Master Mechanic, and of course the SnapOn and Matco all seem to be higher quality.
 

BlakeTheCarGuy

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Either one for sockets. I think the Kobalt sockets are better in my opinion but both I’ve used with good luck. The Kobalt are also made in Taiwan and not China like the Husky. Wrenches both brands are junk but the Kobalt is the better one. Both brands now made in India instead of China for wrenches which is an automatic red flag. I’ve bent every India made wrench I had pretty much. You can still find the old stock Husky China wrenches in singles though in the less common sizes. The problem with Husky is the lobster claw open ends unlike the Kobalt. But I’ve bent both even with just light use. Personally I’d get Kobalt over Husky if you want both to be the same brand. I think if it were me I’d be getting either brand socket and going to a flea market or pawn shop to get some older well made wrenches.
 

Pig_Pen

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Having worked there for 19 years, I am biased toward HD for most things, but have never bought Husky ratchets or sockets and have bought Kobalt. Neither is in any danger of going away, though sales were down this quarter.
Having worked at Lowe’s through college I’m biased towards HD too.

To answer OP’s question, for a mobile set you can’t beat Tekton’s cases. Complete sets and still compact.
 

VolvoRyan

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To answer OP’s question, for a mobile set you can’t beat Tekton’s cases. Complete sets and still compact.

Such a good point. Tekton's cases are really good. I like that they have all metric in cases... or all SAE.... as well as both.

If the OP has to chose, HD is so more fun to go into. I always leave Lowes empty handed and a bit frustrated.... and that's Lowes in three states. The HD seems to carry more kinds of stuff.

Does Kobalt still exist as it used to? I know it was always a moving target as to "who made it", but it seems to be displaced by the Craftsman push.

-Ryan
 

ecotec

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Such a good point. Tekton's cases are really good. I like that they have all metric in cases... or all SAE.... as well as both.

If the OP has to chose, HD is so more fun to go into. I always leave Lowes empty handed and a bit frustrated.... and that's Lowes in three states. The HD seems to carry more kinds of stuff.

Does Kobalt still exist as it used to? I know it was always a moving target as to "who made it", but it seems to be displaced by the Craftsman push.

-Ryan
It does, but it is not the same.

I don’t collect Kobalt, but I often run into the Williams made Kobalt wrenches at estate sales. They are really quite nice.
 

dnschmidt

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They are just about the same. If we want to argue about Snap-On vs. Mac vs. Matco vs. Cornwell that's one discussion. At this price point they are all coming from China or Taiwan and possibly being made in the same factory.
 

MarvinBerry

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Probably neither and I say that as someone who owns a bunch of husky & kobalt...

Do you have an autozone nearby? Go look at Duralast. Seriously. And maybe hazard freight too...

My main no skips wrench set is husky I bought several years ago. Made in China... they're not bad but I didn't know any better at the time. Not in any rush to replace but knowing what I know now? After being a forum member I'd have bought something else.

The husky of today wrenches are made in India and look & feel like cartoons... and I say that as someone who just ain't picky about this junk. I wanted to add some & fill out another box but passed... bought other stuff.

Not sure about sockets & don't have many of them again, aside from older stuff. And fwiw I've seen made in Vietnam tags on a lot of new husky... which... that might be an improvement.

Kobalt? I have a couple rails of sockets I bought in 2019... breaker bars etc. They opened a new store about 4 miles away and immediately put all the Kobalt on clearance to make room for craftsman..!

Today stock is a joke. Most times I go in there and wind up driving another mile to Autozone... especially for singles & open stock. Duralast is made by Apex... aka gearwrench SATA etc and has a lifetime walk in warranty.

The hazard freight Quinn sockets look & feel exactly like Kobalt. I'd swear they're coming out of the same factory in Taiwan. Same red & blue stripes, dimensions blah blah. They're also less expensive!

If at all possible go put your hands on the stuff yourself & don't just blindly order off the interknot.
 
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BlakeTheCarGuy

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Probably neither and I say that as someone who owns a bunch of husky & kobalt...

Do you have an autozone nearby? Go look at Duralast. Seriously. And maybe hazard freight too...

My main no skips wrench set is husky I bought several years ago. Made in China... they're not bad but I didn't know any better at the time. Not in any rush to replace but knowing what I know now? After being a forum member I'd have bought something else.

The husky of today wrenches are made in India and look & feel like cartoons... and I say that as someone who just ain't picky about this junk. I wanted to add some & fill out another box but passed... bought other stuff.

Not sure about sockets & don't have many of them again, aside from older stuff. And fwiw I've seen made in Vietnam tags on a lot of new husky... which... that might be an improvement.

Kobalt? I have a couple rails of sockets I bought in 2019... breaker bars etc. They opened a new store about 4 miles away and immediately put all the Kobalt on clearance to make room for craftsman..!

Today stock is a joke. Most times I go in there and wind up driving another mile to Autozone... especially for singles & open stock. Duralast is made by Apex... aka gearwrench SATA etc and has a lifetime walk in warranty.

The hazard freight Quinn sockets look & feel exactly like Kobalt. I'd swear they're coming out of the same factory in Taiwan. Same red & blue stripes, dimensions blah blah. They're also less expensive!

If at all possible go put your hands on the stuff yourself & don't just blindly order off the interknot.
Agree 100% all the Duralast stuff I have is amazing. I’d buy that over Kobalt or Husky any day. Really nice fit and finish. I use them professionally and have yet to have anything fail on me. They maybe a little more expensive than the HD or Lowe’s but it’s worth it. I’ve also had very good luck with Power Torque from O’Reilly and Carlyle from Napa. DieHard is nice too but I’ve had some chrome issues with mine. The India made Kobalt and Husky wrenches are awful. At least AutoZone Duralast is China.
 

toyotadriver

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I prefer Husky wrenches over Kobalt. Personally, seeing how Craftsman is taking over Lowes, I suspect Kobalt will be going away. I don't have any specific inside information that says that's the case but companies don't generally like to carry competing lines. Kobalt tools aren't getting any new tools from what I can see while Craftsman tool options are increasing. I doubt Kobalt sticks around. I have a set of Kobalt sockets and like them. Haven't had any issues with them. I did buy some Craftsman sockets and wrenches recently for a Jeep tool kit. I think I still prefer the Husky wrenches but the Craftsman seem fine. I'm not a big fan of the Kobalt ratchets. They work but just not great. My biggest hesitation to buying sets from Harbor Freight is, they don't sell individual wrenches and sockets. I like to have extra of the commonly used sizes of sockets and wrenches but don't want to buy any entire set.
 

PoorUB

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One one set, i broke a star socket. The only way lowes would honor the warranty is if i found all 300 pieces and brought the entire set back so they could swap it out as a whole. Well you know nobody has their 10mm, so the warranty on the rest of the set is useless.
Buy a individual replacement, and warranty the new one. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.
When I got some grief about tool warranty a store it is exactly what I did. I bought the replacement, walked over to customer service, stood there and ripped the new tool of the plastic hang tang, shoved the broken one on the hang tag, with the same guy I just talked to watching me. I handed him the tool and the two minute old receipt and said I wanted my money back. He just stared at me for a few seconds, like "seriously?", then gave my money back.
 

Spud McGee

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Buy a individual replacement, and warranty the new one. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.
When I got some grief about tool warranty a store it is exactly what I did. I bought the replacement, walked over to customer service, stood there and ripped the new tool of the plastic hang tang, shoved the broken one on the hang tag, with the same guy I just talked to watching me. I handed him the tool and the two minute old receipt and said I wanted my money back. He just stared at me for a few seconds, like "seriously?", then gave my money back.
The warranty doesn't give you a refund around here. If anything, you would still be paying full price for the replacement individual socket, then they swap out your broken one for the new one. Full price for a single socket is like 10x as much as what that same socket cost when you got it in the 300 piece kit.

Im not rewarding their **** warranty policies by overpaying for the replacement part. I'll give my money to a competitor.
 
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Fedwrench

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Lowes and Home Depot probably aren't going anywhere as stores but, what they stock in the way of tools is a **** shoot :bounce:
Old Husky used to be rebadged stanley blackhawk. New Husky is rebadged SATA or Gearwrench. Old Kobalt was Williams made. Current Kobalt is anyone's guess. Suppliers come and go over the years. A lifetime warranty gives you a lifetime of failed tools. open stock availability is also a fluid situation. :beer:
 

MarvinBerry

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Personally, seeing how Craftsman is taking over Lowes, I suspect Kobalt will be going away. I don't have any specific inside information that says that's the case but companies don't generally like to carry competing lines. Kobalt tools aren't getting any new tools from what I can see while Craftsman tool options are increasing. I doubt Kobalt sticks around.


Hard to say... in my bLowes last week there were a whole lotta yellow clearance stickers on the craftsman stuff. And I do mean a lot.

Everything from big chests to screwdrivers... snips... utility knives hammers blow mold socket kits you name it.

Not that the Kobalt section was fully stocked... it wasn't but it wasn't plastered with yellow stickers either.
 

retDAC

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Agree 100% all the Duralast stuff I have is amazing. I’d buy that over Kobalt or Husky any day. Really nice fit and finish. I use them professionally and have yet to have anything fail on me. They maybe a little more expensive than the HD or Lowe’s but it’s worth it. I’ve also had very good luck with Power Torque from O’Reilly and Carlyle from Napa. DieHard is nice too but I’ve had some chrome issues with mine. The India made Kobalt and Husky wrenches are awful. At least AutoZone Duralast is China.
:eek::eek::LOL::LOL:
 

milky2k

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If Kobalt and Husky are your only two choices, then go Husky. The current 90 tooth ratchets from Kobalt are made in *gasp* Vietnam! I think the jury is still out on their tool manufacturing ability. However, could I interest you in Duralast instead? I am a fan of Duralast and I have them for my road tool box as well. There are plenty of Autozones in the bay area and warranty exchanges are simple from the two times that I went in. Once to exchange a chrome socket that would no longer stay on a ratchet from being used in an impact and another when the magnet came off a spark plug socket. I just showed the broken tool and I got a new one. Apex make the sockets and ratchets for both Home Depot and Autozone so they are probably made in the same factory in China and so the same quality to me which is to say good, not just a good value. Husky usually scores up there in many unscientific youtuber tests and I assume Duralast will perform similarly. They both look fine, they both have the funky double socket detents and they both have the similar larger size markings. However, it looks to me like the Husky sockets are stamped lighter than the Duralast socket. Could be my imagination but that's what it looks like to me. The Duralast metric sockets have knurling which the Husky do not. The Duralast ratchets also have knurling while Husky do not. In addition, Duralast comes in cheaper than Husky, so if you do lose it or have to sacrifice them, it won't hurt too badly. You should also sign up for their rewards program and buy min $20 per purchase to get $20 in rewards after 5 times. For their wrenches, I think Duralast wins again. Their wrench sets are long pattern and have anti-slip open ends and look decent, while the Husky are made in India, are standard length, no anti-slip and don't look so hot.
Here are some quick price comparisons between Husky and Duralast sets:

Husky 3/8 socket set 6pt regular length 10-19mm: $26.97
Duralast 3/8 socket set 6pt regular length 10-19mm $16.99

Husky 3/8 socket set 6pt deep 10-19mm: $29.97
Duralast 3/8 socket set 6pt deep 10-19mm: $19.99

Husky 3/8 ratchet 72 tooth: $25.97
Duralast 3/8 ratchet 72 tooth: $23.99

Husky metric wrench set 10 piece 8-19mm but skips 9 and 18mm: $34.97
Duralast metric wrench set 10 piece 7-19mm but skips 9,11, and 16mm: $31.99
Both Husky and Duralast sell the missing wrenches individually if you want them. All the sockets are also sold individually if needed.

Duralast also have some ratchet and socket combos that might be worth looking at if you want some SAE sockets as well for good price. Husky from time to time has its deals too. I scored a 3/8 mechanics set that I ended up giving away and a 3/8 impact socket set that didn't have any Duralast equivalent so I went with them instead. I've attached some socket pics if that helps any.
 

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milky2k

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I forgot to mention, another reason I would avoid Lowes is that they never seem to have much selection in stock. At least not in my area in LA. The shelves seem kind of bare or maybe pared down or both. I understand there were supply chain issues, Covid, etc, but they seemed kind of light on inventory even before the pandemic. I also visited a Lowes in Las Vegas early last year and they had way more stuff on the shelves than my store in LA so I don't know what the deal is. Is it retail theft? Mismanaged? IDK.
 

Zewnten

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Like @dnschmidt said it's all the same low tier stuff. 5 minutes of searching would have shown you multiple better alternatives in that price range.
 

kngelv

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Thoughts: Lowes is awful for warranty issues and returns. Husky is just blah but with easier returns and warranty support. I personally boycott Autozone and Duralast because of Eddie Lampert's involvement. Tekton is the best place for good quality tools at reasonable prices and a good warranty/customer service. Nearly all their stuff is Taiwan except they do have some USA pliers and screwdrivers plus Canadian tool storage. They are such a pleasure to deal with that why anyone would look at Husky or Lowes is beyond me.

James
 
OP
O

oldschoolcraft

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I nabbed an Amazon prime deal set of tekton combination wrenches in SAE and metric for $127

It’s out of stock and had a 6 week delay so I have time to cancel my order if I change my mind. Icons would be $210 or so even after the 20% coupons.

Howe this Tekton set? Should I cancel the order and buy icons?
 

Schurkey

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Kobalt started with Williams-supplied tools. Friggin' fantatic stuff. Some (not many, you had to be really lucky) Snap-On dealers would warranty broken Kobalt, (probably with Blue Point (Williams) equivalents) since it all went back to companies owned by Snappy.
Then they dropped Williams as a supplier, and went to Danaher. Now the tools were USA-Craftsman quality.
Then Danaher went off-shore. Asian-Crapsman quality.
Then Danaher broke-up and got sold-off, I don't know who makes Kobalt tools any more. Last I saw, Lowes was advertising Crapsman. Do they even sell Kobalt now? If they do, I imagine they've followed the same trajectory they've been following all along--each new supplier produces crappier tools than the one before.

Far as I know, Home Despot owns the Husky name, but I don't imagine the tools are made "by" Husky, they'll be bought-in from whatever supplier is cheapest this month.
 

rockettauto

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I’d like to put together a road box set of wrenches and sockets. Something if it’s gets stolen it’s fine. And if I lose a tool on the side of the road it’s fine. And if I’m home and have access to good tools but want to smash a socket with a hammer to get it in a damaged fastener or cut a wrench in half to jerry rig a custom tool, I can use one of these. Or as a backup for a lost/broken quality tool!

I‘m currently evaluating husky and kobalt as my two main options. Theres far more Home Depot and Lowes than HF and I personally hate going into HF.

I assume both husky and Kobalt are similarly priced. And I think both sell singles which is another reason to avoid Icon/HF to replace a lost or intentionally damaged/modified tool.

Unless Kobalt or Husky is particularly much better than the other in quality, then my main factors of consideration are:

1. how much of a hassle is the warranty? I assume you just bring the broken tool to customer service. And if they have the replacement in stock, you’ll get it free.

2. How good are each store at keeping stock of wrenches and sockets? If one has better supply chain/stock than the other, it’s a big benefit.

3. Which is more likely to not go away or get ****** in the future? I used to have a bunch of US made Craftsman tools and got the rug pulled out from under me. If I get husky or kobalt, which is more likely to be there in the future and give me a similar quality tool?

Home Depot is bigger than Lowes so I’d guess Husky is more likely to be around in 20 years.

Personally I find Lowes stores to be cleaner, easier to find stuff, and more of a pleasure to shop at than Home Depot and the brand name and blue color scheme of Kobalt stuff resonates with me more than orange husky but I’m leaning toward husky since I assume HD will be in business longer.

Then again I can get an old socket set at a flea market, some old US craftsman or SK or something decent quality From the past for cheap. And on the rare chance I break or lose one, just go to EITHER Home Depot or Lowes and buy a single wrench or socket of the same size, and not bother dealing with customer service nor with needing to go to the right store (HD or Lowes, I can go to whichever is closer), and just spend the $5 to $10 On the replacement which honestly I may need to do once every 5 to 10 years max Since I wont Use my road box often.

But still curious on Husky versus Kobalt! 😀
1. Never had an issue warranting either, I just bring the broken and the preselected replacement to the counter and I'm out in 3 minutes. ( Ratchets and extensions, never broke a husky wrench, never bothered exchanging a socket from either)

2. HD only carries the one major line of hand tools while Lowes has duplicates of Craftsman and kobalt so I find husky to be more likely to have that " one thing".

3. Husky has already done all of it's getting crappy. It used to be a decent US made tool. Now it's mostly India.

For wrenches I'd get Husky. I recently got a 44pc sae and metric with standard and stubby for $90 ordered to the store from the website. It was largely complete.

Sockets, again, husky mainly because they are stamped in large format. I've worn the laser off my kobalt stuff very quickly.

All that said, their ratchets are about the same, husky might be a bit better. Sockets and wrenches are better in kobalt as far as form but stronger in husky ( usually thicker).

Also I see kobalt or Craftsman getting pushed out, since it never pays to have two basically equivalent things taking up shelf space for no real reason. The trend has been toward expanding Craftsman, most noticably in tool boxes. You don't see the kobalt anymore. A lot of kobalt stuff has been clearances while Craftsman has been expanded.
 

guitarbutt

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I prefer Husky and Home Depot over Kobalt and Lowe's. Husky can take beatings at work, as well as normal use just fine. Kobalt always seemed cheap and junky to me. I would never recommend parts store brands. They're always changing companies and they're hard to warranty, which is a big deal to me.
 

nbpt100

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I own some of both Husky and Kobalt. All with either COO China or Tiawan. They are about the same. Although I like my Kobalt ratchets better. Things change all the time with these brands. I would watch COO and stay away from the India wrenches.

I doubt the Kobalt brand is going away anytime soon. It appears to me, Lowes is trying to sell Craftsman as professional quality(I am not saying they are) and Kobalt as the homeowner quality. It is reflected in the pricing.

Things change faster than they use to. I would not expect everything to stay exactly the same, however I would bet Kobalt will be around for some time. For that matter, Who knows how long the Lowes Craftsman brand deal will last? SBD may decide to go to Home depot in 10 years. They are currently in Ace, NAPA and some other retailers. I am seeing Gearwrench now on the shelf at my local HD. Who would have guessed that 10 years ago?
 

micromind

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Slightly off topic here but why would you want chintzy tool for a road box? The last thing you need it to break a cheap tool or round off the corners with a cheap tool when there's nothing else around.

My road box has my best tools, mostly Armstrong and Wright. I really don't want to have to change a water pump in a parking lot and have my only 13MM wrench break.........
 

Skellyii

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Slightly off topic here but why would you want chintzy tool for a road box? The last thing you need it to break a cheap tool or round off the corners with a cheap tool when there's nothing else around.

My road box has my best tools, mostly Armstrong and Wright. I really don't want to have to change a water pump in a parking lot and have my only 13MM wrench break.........
Everyone's definition of a road box is different. Is this for working on fleet vehicles, family or friend vehicles, or "other"?

I no longer keep tools in any of my vehicles, my dailies are later model and fairly reliable, and I have AAA. I'm old, my days of working on a vehicle in a parking lot, or on the side of the road are over.

My road box is ONLY for pulling parts in a salvage yard, or working on a vehicle at a friend or family members house. I'm somewhat OCD about keeping track of my tools, and I constantly keep getting reminded how easy it is to lose tools, since I'm always finding other peoples tools at the salvage yard.

My SnapOns and other higher quality tools NEVER leave my shop. That's what the mid-level stuff in my road box/bag are for.
 

Rinspeed

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 26, 2020
Messages
1,837
Location
NY
I no longer keep tools in any of my vehicles, my dailies are later model and fairly reliable, and I have AAA. I'm old, my days of working on a vehicle in a parking lot, or on the side of the road are over.





Same with me my friend, best tool to have in a vehicle is a cell phone.
 

dchawk81

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 31, 2014
Messages
14,419
I carry tools in my vehicles more for others than for me. I would hate to have the opportunity and the knowledge to help someone get out of a bind, yet lack the resources.
Where do you draw the line? You can't carry everything. A dedicated service truck doesn't even have everything.
 
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