Kobalt Tools

[dr of mechanical wizardry]

I was in Lowes yesterday looking at Kobalt brand hand tools. Does anyone have any idea of the quality of their hand tools like sockets, ratchets and wrenches?
Are they comparable to the Husky that HD sells. Does anyone else carry Kobalt so you could shop for cheaper prices? I found them a bit expensive for what appear to be another Chinese made throw away and get a free new one tool.
Any thoughts

 

[kctyphoon]

Kobalt is the house brand of Lowes. Your only other option might be eBay, but no other retailer should have them. The sockets and wrenches are suppose to be decent from what people say, but like you said they are a bit expensive. They do have some nice chrome on them from what I've seen in the stores.

If you don't have your mind set on getting Kobalt, I have a thread posted in the hot deals forum for a gearwrench promo that's been running for a long time now. IMO - it's the most for the money for a complete 3/8" and 1/4" socket set. You can get every socket in sae and metric, both shallow and deep 6 points without having any sizes skipped. That's for their complete 3/8" kit, and you get their complete 1/4" set free. The 3/8 set comes with two 84 tooth ratchets, and the 1/4" comes with their 120xp ratchet. It's only like $109, which is almost what the sets for separately. I have pics of the sets and the link of where I bought them posted in the thread I'll link below. Pics are on page 2.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=321931

 

[valentine]

The only Kobalt tools I have at the ones I bought at ridiculously marked down prices. Socket/Ratchet sets for $10, combo wrench sets for $5. Everything made in Taiwan and nicely finished. None of these tools are in my garage box. They are in travel sets to throw in whatever vehicle I'm in. Also I bought some to give to each of my Sons for inexpensive Homeowner starter sets. Haven't had a problem with anything yet but they really don't get all that much use. In my opinion, the Taiwan made Kobalt stuff is better than what you can currently get from Craftsman and about the same as Husky. I probably wouldn't have purchased any of it at full retail but for the stupid prices I paid, I think I scored well. If Kobalt has moved production from Taiwan to China I'd think twice about a purchase.

 

[555]

I use Kobalt tools on the farm. Lowe's was the closest "tool place" to my house for several years. It was easy to stop at Lowe's when I needed something and then either head home or go to the farm. I have a mix of USA and China made and they have worked well.
I recently purchased a bunch of 10mm sockets, Craftsman, Harbor Freight Pittsburgh Pro, Kobalt and Husky. The Husky sockets are the best looking, but I have not used any of them enough to make a fair judgement. The price was near the same for every one of them.

 

[Tenex]

Kobalt ratchets are junk. They are the same 72 tooth, Taiwanese ratchet everyone else makes, but with a head that's 3/4" thick. Gearwrench is light years ahead with their 84 tooth and 120XP lineup.

Everything costs much more than it should. Most Kobalt tools are no better than Harbor Freight.

I won't buy any hand tools from Lowe's. The only American stuff they sell is Vaughan hammers and Channellock pliers.

 

[gdocktor3]

Cripedistributing.com sells nos USA made Kobalt. I bought a few spark plug sockets from them a few months ago. The only other stuff I have from them are the pass thru sockets that I bought when on sale for like .25 cents each, which I was told were the same as BluePoint, but can't say for sure if that's correct.

 

[Infinia]

The Lowes mechanics sets regularly go on sale, sometimes more than 50% on-line.
I picked up a nice compact case 19 pc 3/8 all metric short and deep + ratchet extensions, all 6 point. Less than 20 bux shipped, which is a much better collection than HF. I would rate them same as Husky. These sockets these days seem chunky compared to older US brands, the ratchets are thick n-heavy but gives a general feeling of quality, is it quality? who knows.

 

[joebachor]

the main problem with Lowes is the warranty . they are very flakey when it comes to their lifetime "warranty", its a hit or miss regarding replacement, often times they will give you a refund of the last price the tool was sold for (usually very cheap). I would avoid Kobalt for this reason alone.

 

[WhiskeyRanger]

I used the Kobalt 200 or whatever piece mechanic's tool set in the blow molded case for about 5 years as my primary set of tools. No complaints, they worked great. Recently I was working on my bike and had very little room to get a ratchet in to remove the oil pump. I was using my SO 30 whatever tooth count ratchet and it was driving me nuts. Went and grabbed the Kobalt and had the bolts right out. The head is a bit thicker, but less back drag and a finer tooth count than the SO. I still might order an 80/80, but honestly, the Kobalt has done a fine job for years and even now that I have my "real tools" available in the garage again I still find them to be excellent tools. The fact that I got the whole set for $100 makes it even better. They still run that sale every once in a while, so hold off if you're thinking about buying them.

 

[pendragon1998]

I like my Kobalt ratchet. It is a bit thick, but it is crisp and works well. The sockets are fine, but they are 12 pt and I prefer 6 pt, so I don't use them much. The wrenches seem nice, but I don't use any since I have USA made ones that I prefer to use. The socket extensions seem well made.

 

[Bigred1999]

Kobalt is decent stuff. I've had their basic line of tools for almost 2 years now and have only broken a screw driver which I was using as a pry bar, so that was my fault. If you have the choice between husky and kobalt I personally would go with the husky. Husky the same sockets you buy there are rebranded as the expert brand from Matco. Also seems like husky is quite a bit cheaper

 

[thool]

Kobalt is the house brand of Lowes. Your only other option might be eBay, but no other retailer should have them. The sockets and wrenches are suppose to be decent from what people say, but like you said they are a bit expensive. They do have some nice chrome on them from what I've seen in the stores.

If you don't have your mind set on getting Kobalt, I have a thread posted in the hot deals forum for a gearwrench promo that's been running for a long time now. IMO - it's the most for the money for a complete 3/8" and 1/4" socket set. You can get every socket in sae and metric, both shallow and deep 6 points without having any sizes skipped. That's for their complete 3/8" kit, and you get their complete 1/4" set free. The 3/8 set comes with two 84 tooth ratchets, and the 1/4" comes with their 120xp ratchet. It's only like $109, which is almost what the sets for separately. I have pics of the sets and the link of where I bought them posted in the thread I'll link below. Pics are on page 2.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=321931

I have to thank that thread and the advice given here for steering me toward that GW deal. I have both with box tops removed in my tool chest drawers, and am completely satisfied. Can't beat the price at all.

 

[Brownsfan]

Kobalt is decent stuff. I've had their basic line of tools for almost 2 years now and have only broken a screw driver which I was using as a pry bar, so that was my fault. If you have the choice between husky and kobalt I personally would go with the husky. Husky the same sockets you buy there are rebranded as the expert brand from Matco. Also seems like husky is quite a bit cheaper

Husky sockets are IDENTICAL to Gearwrench. I have a 1/4 drive Gearwrench set and lost a 5/16. Replaced it with a Husky and you can't tell a difference. Except for the name. Of course they are both made by Apex tool group. So it makes sense that they are the same . Husky tools are actually a pretty good value and decent for China made tools. The 100tooth ratchet are pretty nice as well.

 

[stonesg]

Last year I found one of the larger sets (1/2,3/8,1/4 drive) both SAE and Metric, wrenchs, allens and bit driver and bit for a stupid more than half off price.

I've been surprised by the quality over all.

The ratchets and socket are pretty nice and have the red/blue markings for SAE/Metric. The wrenches are just a TAD bit not as nice as the gearwrench ones I have but it's not by much.

TG

 

[tonyciambrone]

Same story: the older Kobalt stuff is like Williams, Kd, Allen, newer stuff less quality. I have a kobalt rubber mallet, filer holders, 1/4" sockets, and about 30 plastic socket rails, all of which I like. Only the rubber mallet and file holders were purchased at lowes, and for $4 and $2 each respectively. I wouldn't buy anything full price new in store these days. Go with Husky for big sets or ratchets

 

[zendigital]

I have a $30 3/8 flex head ratchet that I got back in May as a beater. It's held up pretty well considering the abuse it's taken. Other than it being bulky as all hell, it's not a bad ratchet.

 

[winlinmac]

For Kobalt Tools, check Cripe Distributing, they still have Kobalt USA tools, some which are likely Danaher and others "maybe" Williams USA

 

[HomeTheaterMan]

Most of my Kobalt stuff is older and I don't have much of it, so I'm not sure my opinion matters much. I have breaker bar from them that is stamped "Made in the USA". I love it, it's got a good feel, has held up well, etc. When I bought it I didn't like how the Craftsman felt in my hand so I went with this one instead.

I also bought a set of hex sockets that are also stamped "Made in the USA". I'm not really impressed with these, but they work okay I suppose. The first set I broke fairly quickly. When I took it back to Lowe's they wouldn't exchange just that one. They made me get the whole set and return them all. They still couldn't do an exchange, but gave me the amount that the set currently cost. I then had to go get the tools off of the shelf and pay for them again (with the money they'd just given me). It was the weirdest warranty exchange I've ever had, but they did warranty them so I guess that's all that matters. The second set has help up well for the past several years. I have several sets of hex keys that I leave in the cars s well. I don't really have any complaints with those although they definitely aren't the quality of the Snap On set I had. (They got stolen and I still miss them.)

I also have some crowsfoot sockets that I got for like $.50. These are newer and aren't made in the USA. I've only used one of them, but it did work well when I needed it to get a stuck tie rod end loose.

Edit: I forgot I have a set of large channel lock style pliers that are made in China. They grip well, but they do have a bit of slop in them. They work for what I use them for and are decent for the price. I've had this set of 7 or 8 years as well.

Overall, I think they made decent tools, but I most of my stuff is older. These days I do think you can get better tools for similar prices at other places. I'm also skeptical of the warranty after reading so many complaints, but they did take care of me when I needed it.

 

[kctyphoon]

OP - if your trying to put together a decent tool set, one other suggestion I have is to beware of some of the "mechanics tool sets". Often times, the tool count is brought up by including a bunch of junk, like screwdriver tips, Allen keys and stuff like that. Most often those little things are complete junk, and are there just to satisfy the advertising for a larger set. Also, take note of exactly what sockets, and what style sockets come included. A lot of these kits come with mostly 12 point, or both 12 and 6 in the same sizes.. That's a waste, cause you'll never need both, except for certain uncommon cars that are few and far between as far as a homeowner is concerned that NEED 12 point. Beware of skipped sizes, very small amounts of deep sockets, no deep metric sizes... Things like that.. A complete 6 point kit with nothing missing is more valuable to you then a kit with doubles of 6 and 12, or an incomplete 12 point set.

IMO, you'd be much better off getting a socket set that just includes SOCKETS, and a pair of ratchets. This is why I suggested those gearwrench sets earlier. There is no filler "****" included..

If you are trying to put together a decent tool kit, this is what I'd suggest for a decent inexpensive set:
Gearwrench deal with the complete 3/8" and 1/4" set (as posted) $110
Tekton 15 piece metric and 15 piece sae open end wrench set ( Home Depot. Com) $90
Harbor freight 8 piece professional screwdriver set ( blue and red handles, $10 set)
Channellock 10" pump pliers, diagonal cutters, needle nose, slip joints (HD or eBay @$50)
Or supplement with Pittsburg pro for even less $$ for the time being.

For about $250 that's a pretty complete and capable set of basic tools.. Anything else you can just fill in later, or take a trip to HF or HD and get what you need when that need arises.

Hope that helps.

 

[lightning02]

there older USA stuff is good (usa ratchets are junk tho imo).

there newer Taiwan made stuff is good but only the sockets. the rest is junk.

there china stuff is even worse. just stay away from all that.

 

[toyotadriver]

My main sockets and ratchets are Kobalt and I like them. Haven't had any issues with then. I'd recommend them.

 

[jeepboy4life]

My main set at work is Kobalt, that is what my company provides for me. The are actually nice tools. Most of my sockets are the Chinese made ones as well as my wrenches and I have yet to break any of them, and I am rough on my tools. The one thing I like about them is the chrome is outstanding and doesn't fade or chip. The ratchets leave a lot to be desired though. I also have a few pliers and screwdrivers, the pliers are okay, handles are bulky. I will not buy kobalt screwdrivers though, they are cheaply made and do not grip screws properly.

 

[Cope]

the main problem with Lowes is the warranty . they are very flakey when it comes to their lifetime "warranty", its a hit or miss regarding replacement, often times they will give you a refund of the last price the tool was sold for (usually very cheap). I would avoid Kobalt for this reason alone.

Also, my local store doesn't have a good selection of individual sockets and wrenches.

 

[sberry]

That junk in some of the sets is useful and at sale prices still hard to beat. 4$ for a Hex key set, so what? The Husky is that Apex stuff and very good, Asian version of Western forge and think they may have bought some old dies.
Any of the prices in this type of store are higher than HF, duh but like Sears when they are on set sale they almost pay you to carry it out. In the Cman 309 at 200$,, well you can part it out at a flea and they do. 150 of the tools are 10$ from single shelves and another 50 of them 5$. While it doesn't have the finish of hi truck brands the set would cost 7000$ dollars instead of 200, maybe more.
Its not really fair to the modern vendor to accuse them of robbing them, be different if they charged 2000$ too. But to imply someone is wasting anything by getting this stuff even at more retail prices is simply faulty advice. If they need something and have a use should have no hesitation to buy off the shelf from Lowes as needed.
Does anyone really need to worry about a warranty on a socket they paid a buck for and is so well proven? Is it worth 10$ to get the same service?
I bought a couple impact singles from Lowes, they seem great.
If I break a Sears socket tomorrow how much am I really out?

 

[Derek420]

I like the Williams kobalt stuff it even has a snap on date code very well made what little I got and also have some of the other Taiwan and USA stuff and all seems nice to me I like danaher's chrome of the older era just like on the craftsman it's a darker color not as bright and is durable.I have used them when I worked at a junk yard on the worst rusted seized up bolts even on an impact and did not break and I love them. I got some of the Taiwan and it's the same as the Williams and blue point even the quick release button looks identical on the ratchet. It's all okay to me.

 

[Al Borland]

I have a bunch of Kobalt both USA and Taiwan, USA stuff is as crappy as the last of the USA Craftsman. Taiwan stuff is better in my opinion. nowadays, Lowes Kobalt is being shifted to China production, and at that point APEX Husky china tools are very good for 2/3 the cost of Kobalt.

 

[smitty54017]

I picked up the Kobalt 227pc Mechanic's set yesterday. Black Friday price of $99. WOW! Nice set! I've been a lifelong Craftsman guy, and have tools dating back to the 1930's. The Craftsman ratchets have been junk for years. The teeth jump badly. I've returned a couple and the new ones weren't any better. I haven't put the Kobalts to use yet, but I can say from my initial impressions that the ratchets are 100x better than the new Craftsman stuff! Nice finish, and smooth operating teeth. Yes, they're made in Taiwan, but so is a lot of Snap-On stuff nowadays.

 

[1950mercury]

I picked up the Kobalt 227pc Mechanic's set yesterday. Black Friday price of $99. WOW! Nice set! I've been a lifelong Craftsman guy, and have tools dating back to the 1930's. The Craftsman ratchets have been junk for years. The teeth jump badly. I've returned a couple and the new ones weren't any better. I haven't put the Kobalts to use yet, but I can say from my initial impressions that the ratchets are 100x better than the new Craftsman stuff! Nice finish, and smooth operating teeth. Yes, they're made in Taiwan, but so is a lot of Snap-On stuff nowadays.

With posts Like that....thank you for only posting 5 posts in 6 years

 

[TheRealZeus]

Resolved

 

[TheRealZeus]

.

 

[nadogail]

If i didn't have a collection of "good enough" tools i would put Kobalt tools in the same class as Pittsburg and Husky tools.

 

[TheRealZeus]

If i didn't have a collection of "good enough" tools i would put Kobalt tools in the same class as Pittsburg and Husky tools.

Well thats the thing. They were founded in 1998 and came out strong. Then Danaher bought the brand in 2003, then proceeded to let China what they do “best.” Pump out quantity, not quality.

Kobalt has had many, many toolkits in the last 25 years. I have no idea where to begin to find a catalog, in order to discern what these things might go to.. they did not digitize old catalogs well, if they even bothered. They basically shifted to more of a mega store distributor house brand.

 

[KnurledNut]

If any of you are not plumber crack deep in an engine, or dead ..or done gone quit the forum, was wondering if anyone has ever seen these before? If so; Wondering if ya know what driver they go to? Maybe they were in a kit, or even if they may have been on a friggin’ keychain promotional gimic-hula gal thingy.. thanks for lookin’!!

In past times, Kobalt offered a line called Speed Fit that had a quick-change handle and hex shank attachments in both 1/4 and 5/16 shanks. They did some really unique tools like your wrenches.

 

[Hakeem]

In past times, Kobalt offered a line called Speed Hex that had a quick-change handle and hex shank attachments in both 1/4 and 5/16 shanks. They did some really unique tools like your wrenches.

Yes, I have their “hammer drill” attachment

 

[TheRealZeus]

In past times, Kobalt offered a line called Speed Hex that had a quick-change handle and hex shank attachments in both 1/4 and 5/16 shanks. They did some really unique tools like your wrenches.

Thanks for the prompt feedback! appreciate it!
By chance; Can anyone state/site a purpose, and/or use, for rotating an 12°-13° offset wrench head, on an axial helix?

Mechanically, I cannot resolve it’s intended function, nor reasonable state as to any practical application.

 

[dchawk81]

I was in Lowes yesterday looking at Kobalt brand hand tools. Does anyone have any idea of the quality of their hand tools like sockets, ratchets and wrenches?
Are they comparable to the Husky that HD sells. Does anyone else carry Kobalt so you could shop for cheaper prices? I found them a bit expensive for what appear to be another Chinese made throw away and get a free new one tool.
Any thoughts

Kobalt is the Craftsman of Lowes. When Craftsman was the Craftsman of Sears.

Edit: Who TF necroed this thread? Geez.

 

[TheRealZeus]

I understand there are six ways to install a hex bit in, but the ground down portion for a lock ball detent seems to suggest it should rotate. If it’s intended to supplement a wrench set, I have never found a single kit advertisement, from any of the kits I’ve looked through online, with a quick release handle, remotely close to what it would be befitting.

 

[TheRealZeus]

Kobalt is the Craftsman of Lowes. When Craftsman was the Craftsman of Sears.

Edit: Who TF necroed this thread? Geez.

sorry I am the Necromancer, this time.

 

[TheRealZeus]

Yes, I have their “hammer drill” attachment

This at least might pull a nail, when you think about it.

 

[RPH]

I have both sets of combo wrenches for sae and metric. Mine are USA made, not the finest tools in the world but cheap enough to travel with when tsa mandated no locking bags. All the good tools came out except the instruments. Even with tsa locks and belts they still cut them off. So cheap tools began filling the box. If it turns up empty, I’m not out much.