I'm Sorry Craftsman / China....
- Thread starter Pudge87
- Start date
monkeyspanners
Well-known member
Do you mean 'open ended' by lobster claw?
Ignore me if i have the wrong end of the stick! I remember my Dad using open ended spanners when i was a child, they would date back 40plus years i expect so nothing new.
Ignore me if i have the wrong end of the stick! I remember my Dad using open ended spanners when i was a child, they would date back 40plus years i expect so nothing new.
I bought a set of Husky wrenches recently for work since I was in need of a quick set cheap and these seemed to be nice for how cheap they were.The only thing I hate about them is the fact they are the lobster claw style. From my understanding some places are getting rid of their regular styles and going to the lobster claw for some crazy reason.
woody 73
Well-known member
figure sometime after 57 and into the 60's.
MikeF2316
Well-known member
Everything else being equal the more steel of the lobster claw design makes it stronger. Of course in the real world there's other differences. Less material makes a wrench that will get into more places and/or allow a greater swing in other places. And of course better material and heat treating will make a stronger wrench.
arturo7
Well-known member
Perhaps lesser quality steel led to the use of more material to attain the same strength?
TireTracks
Well-known member
Ding ding ding.
With modern car's getting more and more cramped, the last thing I would want is a wrench with bigger ends on it.
TireTracks
Well-known member
We'll, proto usualy caters to the industral market.
A big open end might be stronger and alot of industral stuff isnt very cramped. All out strenght might have been more important than finesse.
Farmall450
Well-known member
Any US made wrench from way back when like the 1920's is a lobster claw. The metal was weaker and I've seen plenty of broken ones. There are two in my drawer.
Wrenches got much stronger and there is no way in hell a modern lobster claw is being bought by this guy!
Wrenches got much stronger and there is no way in hell a modern lobster claw is being bought by this guy!
For blaming you for starting the stupid lobster claw design. An older maintenance guy at work was repairing one of our machines when I noticed this. Some of you guys might be able to date the wrench, but maybe USA started the trend?
As much as lobster claws make me cringe, that old Proto is still in service aint it! That surely counts for something.
Howdy neighbor, I'm up the road just a ways from you in Cleveland County. Where you work? What you working on?
We have a winner!
These days manufacturers can opt for softer, less expensive steel alloys as well as reduce/skip steps in the manufacturing process, such as hardening (too many in the oven <if that's the method being used>, not run long enough, or not done at all). All done in the name of cost cutting.
Makes things feel like we're going backwards IMHO.
I think what you people are not realizing is, this is an OLD wrench, it was made in the time of when steel was steel.
I work at a gear manufacturing facility. We produce gears ranging from 1/2" up to around 20'. Amazing stuff if you've never been around industrial gearing.
I work at a gear manufacturing facility. We produce gears ranging from 1/2" up to around 20'. Amazing stuff if you've never been around industrial gearing.
justanengineer
Well-known member
Strange.....my understanding was that the "lobster claw" was in reference to the "ratcheting" open ended wrenches like the link, not a wrench with a bit of extra meat on it. Theyre a "claw" bc the notch makes the end a bit pointier and curved than normal, just like a lobster claw. FWIW, the style youre referencing has been around more than a century and is a vastly superior design IMHO, nothing to complain about there. Yes theyre a bit heavier on the end, but the jaws also tend to be shorter so they actually fit into many small areas better. I regularly use an old set of Williams single ended wrenches at work for exactly that reason.
http://www.sears.com/craftsman-4-pc-metric-open-end-ratcheting-wrench/p-00921937000P
3xpendable
Well-known member
Improvements have been made slowly over time in regard to metallurgy. For example, the steel in the 20's (think Titanic), was worse than after WWII, which was worse than what was produced in say the '80's and beyond.
Things like tighter control of content to produce a given alloy, and improved uniformity of grain structure became possible by improved heating techniques, equipment, and less contamination during production. It's expensive, so it didn't happen overnight.
It's even allowed for the creation of alloys that weren't possible in years past.
SMKS
Well-known member
When people on Garage Journal say "lobster claw" they're referring to the fat open end on some of the new Craftsman (and possibly a few other brands) wrenches.
There is a thread out there of someone asking Sears on "why" the lobster claw? Supposedly Sears response was to combat jaw spreading at higher than normal torques versus regular size wrenches and not due to inferior metal or forging practices.
ganymede
Well-known member
Unfortunately manufacturers don't necessarily utilize those advancements as often as used to be the case.
Were all lucky that Sears decided to clear that up for us.
Were all lucky that Sears decided to clear that up for us.
Versus what? People pulling comments out of their *** that it must be inferior metal for the lobster claw with nothing to back it up other than their opinion?
The point I am making is that nobody knows for sure.
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k p
Well-known member
My first instinct on why they might do this is the forming method used. They might use the same mold for a variety of wrench sizes (for example the 10-14mm wrenches might use the same mold but obviously have different widths machined from them). This may improve production speed by forming many wrench sizes all at once...
Just a thought.
Just a thought.
ganymede
Well-known member
Right, I agree but it seems even more "out their ***" coming from Sears than from someone else.
And you're wrong about no one knowing. Sears knows.
monkeyspanners
Well-known member
Farmall450
Well-known member
Taking my words out of context, I meant no one actively posting in this thread knows for sure. Like any legal construct in this country, it is on the accuser to prove the guilt and not the accused to prove their innocence.
Until someone who has their ******* bunched thinking it is inferior metal in these tools for the lobster claw design sends one out for lab analysis testing, the benefit of the doubt "should" rest with Sears and why they claim they are what they are.
Irregardless of the factual out come of why they have the lobster claw, I think it still is a hideous design from even a marketing standpoint.
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Farmall450
Well-known member
I believe someone on here offered to conduct a pull test.
Well whomever does that, I hope they have both a lobster claw and exact same size pre-lobster claw for a reference data point.
Pretty much. ALL wrenches used to be like this. I've got wrenches from really well-regarded companies from the 20s through the 60s that have ugly lobster claws.
Even now, it does not necessarily have anything to do with the quality of the steel. Until someone actually does some testing, everyone claiming the new Craftsman lobster claws are due to bad steel are just full of hot air.
ganymede
Well-known member
It could be by lab analysis or by use in the field.
The latter would take thousands of wrenches under as many different situations to give a valid conclusion .
I can't do either so I have to go with what I do know and make burden of proof on Sears.
I do know that Sears cares about majority of consumers not minority. Most people care about price first and foremost. That, along with other experiences supports my personal theory so I'll go with that and not take Sears word for it.
For most consumers I guess the burden of proof is on them and not Sears. This is demonstrated by continued purchasing.
retDAC
Well-known member
There is another thread with pix of several "lobster claw" US made wrenches from different mfrs.