made in china craftsman any good?

[CobraChevelle]

so looking at the 309 and 324 piece sets at sears last night I see there all made in china.. (i know old news).. I was hoping to find old stock usa made..

are the sockets still good? or like anything else made from china junk? the ratchets I was going to sell since i have enough all ready.

thanks

 

[theluke]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

They r fine. Still a lifetime warranty

 

[sberry]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

I think they are quite good and the price is super and then some.

 

[lightning02]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

My father has a cm China socket set for the truck. There lighter and thinner then my USA sockets I have noticed but he uses them all the time and never has broken one.

I'll sell off the China wrenches bc there huge and awkward and the ratchets and get either kobalt or HF to replace the China cm ratchets.

Just my .02

 

[928'er]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

Costco carries a "made in the USA" 150 piece Craftsman set for around $70.

http://slickdeals.net/f/6987572-craftsman-150pc-mechanics-tool-set-69-99-costco

 

[justme-]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

So far it's only the fit/finish I've noticed really lacking in the China Craftsman chrome stuff, however the black universal tools are noticeably softer steel. Stripped out a 5/16 1/4 drive socket and dinged jaws and handle on several combination wrenches.
Depends on what you're doing with them I suppose - the typical home user will have little issue with China made craftsman which is the same with Kobalt and Husky in that situation, but someone who uses tools for a living is likely to wear them out much faster than US craftsmens.

 

[CobraChevelle]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

would you spend $185 for the 309 pc made in china or spend $285 for usa made on ebay?

 

[sberry]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

The USA ones are no better, Sears tools have been poor since 1980. They are cheap and they work and after a while it doesn't matter. The quality has pretty much stayed the same, cant see how the China move could hurt but the upside is again,,,,,,,,,,,,,, the cost which has consistently dropped over the last several decades.
All this would be different if it was 1885$ or 2885$ but 185 is disposable for that amount of equipment which makes it rather good,,, or a good deal for someone needing some tools.
Compared to 5 grand for premium tools the 185 looks pretty good.

 

[zx2slow]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

There seems to be a group of people that feel craftsman is not worthy regardless of COO, not sure if its snobbery or what. The USA craftsman tools are better built and feel better in the hand, than their China counterparts. The Chinese lobster claws are ugly and have clearance issues. I try to buy US or German made tools so I have no experience with them. I don't hear about many busted Chinese craftsman tools, might be that they are good enough, or just so terrible that a broken Chinese socket isn't worth mentioning.

My experience is anecdotal. Grew up on a farm that also had a fleet of trucks. Most of the tools in the shop are 1980's vintage craftsman. We were too far out for a tool truck to even know we existed, and there was a sears in town so that's what we got.

These tools were not taken care of at all. They sit on top of a giant metal table covered in grime. There is just a big pile of wrenches to sort through and we try to keep the sockets organized. It was a busy shop even with our modest fleet, we bought used vehicles and equipment and drove everything into the ground. We've had some really sketchy guys roll in and play the part of a diesel mechanic with various degrees of success. Some beat the hell out of the tools, some knew what they were doing. We have rarely had any warranty replacements. They just work, I can only recall a few busted sockets.

I went off to school and became a engineer. I don't make it back home all that much but those tools are still sitting there, and I expect my siblings will take over the family business and continue to use them. While not the best in terms of build or reputation I went out and bought myself a large set of sockets and wrenches, all USA craftsman. I grew up using them, they feel right in my hand and have never once failed me.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

The USA ones are no better, Sears tools have been poor since 1980s.

Well that explains it. Most of my Craftsman hand tools are pre-1980 !

 

[sberry]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

I suspect the old ones came from the old SK plant. The fatty is about 81 or so the older one in the 70's I believe but not for sure. What I do wonder is where all the guys that have all the old tools have been getting the experience with the new China ones? They wouldn't be caught dead with it yet they seem to have intimate knowledge of the fit and finish and how well it works???????????

 

[sberry]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

I also wonder where they got the golden arms,, that nothing else fits. Or is the lead arm, break every other tool and round off so many nuts,,, ones the next guy can seem to get off with a 12 inch Crecent?
Cheapest **** I got is USA, some wrenches called lectrolite. I just cut one off with a bad end the other day, very soft and only reason I have them is they were given. Would trade all of them for a 3/8 Olympia from TSC that cost 1.49 and after beating it severely with a 20oz nail hammer still works fine.

 

[Tronyadorable]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

I always recommended gettting a Craftsman starter set for young grease monkeys and adding to it with whatever was needed of any brand they liked, found a deal on or ?.I still believe that methodology.The brand game has changed. Lots of good starter kits out there from lots of "new"(3-4 decade old) companies.
Get a base kit with some 1/4, 3/8,1/2 sockets---std + metric, some allens, some wrenches, some screwdrivers, some pliers and build from there.

Looking around I'd say Cman is STILL the way to go. $250 and you can get some serious work started and add as you go.
http://www.craftsman.com/craftsman-...p-00935283000P?prdNo=7&blockNo=7&blockType=G7

 

[sberry]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

Well that explains it. Most of my Craftsman hand tools are pre-1980 !

I have some real old ones, not exactly sure but in 3/4 drive and they are as good as any. I got my new ones in about 81, broke a couple right off the bat with very little effort, the same as a couple ddozen others in the same large set. It wasn't abuse, most popped on first use.

 

[kiatech]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

Lobster claws are so 2013, they fixed that awhile ago

 

[wild cowboy]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

why not just get a new old stock USA set or sets on ebay? - they might cost a bit more, but China is no USA or Taiwan, and sockets & wrenches and ratchets are some of your primary hand tools! - Everything Craftsman ever made, pretty much, is available on ebay at nice prices, and much of it is new, not used.

 

[rednotch]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

Lobster claws are so 2013, they fixed that awhile ago

there still out there, most of the stuff in my local store is still lobster claw style. I don't think they updated the open end of the full polish one's either yet.

 

[T45]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

USA sockets are decent. But even those you aaneed to sort through them to get a nice set. Some of the sets are china and the look to be pretty different. I could have bought the whole set for less if I went with the China. But then they would have been taking up space in my box, and I didn't think they were worth it.

I think it matters a bit what your application is. Other applications, i like a harder metal with more feedback. You have to pay for that tho, and its not needed on a lot of tasks. Bring a decent tolerance fastener and play around and this will let you judge if the tolerancs and the softer metal will even matter or not. Most stores have open stock usa and some China somewhere also in the store.

Consider how this is going to fit into all of your tools as you go forward. Very few people need every size in the top of the line quality. Buf just about everybody needs full coverage with at least some passable quality of tool. So if you are planning on adding on top of this (especially in your go-to sized) than that gives you more options.

I will say thay my US cmans are better than I thought they would be in actual use. They also have very respectable thin-wal measurements. Who would believe a cman usa deep is thinner than a snappy in a standard size like 10mm? I have not done a detailed measurement on the china stuff (could always bring a caliper to the store) but if this is something you may need as a consideration, maybe someone here could chime in and measure the wall thickness for you.

 

[KinzeMech]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

Lobster claws are so 2013, they fixed that awhile ago

True enough, but given the turnover time, it'll take another year to get them all out of the system.

 

[stage20]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

Lobster claws are so 2013, they fixed that awhile ago

ive yet to see a china wrench that wasnt lobster EXCEPT the max access wrenches

 

[Cold N Dusty]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

Just picked up a 3/8 set with rp ratchet in standard and metric for 9.99 each can't buy the cheap junk for less than $20 and get 2 ratchets and 20 sockets. Perfect glove box sets. I have no problem paying the money for better ratchets but for the money it's hard to beat in my opinion plus a no questions asked 7 day a week 4 stores in my town alone no tracking down a truck warranty.

 

[Cold N Dusty]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

Btw I can't tell the difference when I am actually working with them (sockets) compared to other brands or coo. I use mine professionally and have not broken a single china made one yet even with occasional misuse.

 

[sberry]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

Btw I can't tell the difference when I am actually working with them (sockets) compared to other brands or coo. I use mine professionally and have not broken a single china made one yet even with occasional misuse.

I tend to agree with this, I cant tell either.

 

[stage20]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

the china stamping drives me nuts. but its good for peole with bad eye sight. you can tell the difference in workmanship right there.....

 

[justme-]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

I bought a 309 piece to keep in work (rather than spending big $$ on better stuff for now for various reasons, but I wasn't going to bring my good stuff from home and not have tools at home.)
Bought in June this year - china coo and lobster claw ratcheting wrenches. Quality is definitely noticeably lower, especially in the hand... very easy to tell them apart by feel. China are rough finished, poorly deburred edges, and different thickness of the RP... if you're used to handling Craftsman RP tools you'll know what I mean. They'll suffice for the foreseeable future in that role - tho the ratcheting wrenches sit unopened destined for someone else's toolbox. The lobster claw is too big for what I work on and I dislike non reversible ratchets. I've also found I got a few unfinished or poorly forged sockets in the set - broach didn't open the center hole enough. My 10mm 3/8 won't fit over the rod in my Hansen tray and a couple others won't allow a bolt of the correct size to pass through.

 

[Toyota mechanic]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

I bought a 309 piece to keep in work (rather than spending big $$ on better stuff for now for various reasons, but I wasn't going to bring my good stuff from home and not have tools at home.)
Bought in June this year - china coo and lobster claw ratcheting wrenches. Quality is definitely noticeably lower, especially in the hand... very easy to tell them apart by feel. China are rough finished, poorly deburred edges, and different thickness of the RP... if you're used to handling Craftsman RP tools you'll know what I mean. They'll suffice for the foreseeable future in that role - tho the ratcheting wrenches sit unopened destined for someone else's toolbox. The lobster claw is too big for what I work on and I dislike non reversible ratchets. I've also found I got a few unfinished or poorly forged sockets in the set - broach didn't open the center hole enough. My 10mm 3/8 won't fit over the rod in my Hansen tray and a couple others won't allow a bolt of the correct size to pass through.

What I noticed also, but......... the more recent stuff is better... I bought some so as not to sacrifice my USA stuff if a warranty issue arrived... I bought the Cman China 1/2 drive ratchet, long flex head, breaker bars... stuff that does break now and then, I didn't want to break my classic USA stuff lol... They seem to work okay and be strong, just, not as good fit and finish....

 

[nicksnothereman]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

so looking at the 309 and 324 piece sets at sears last night I see there all made in china.. (i know old news).. I was hoping to find old stock usa made..

are the sockets still good? or like anything else made from china junk? the ratchets I was going to sell since i have enough all ready.

thanks

Wasn't that great to begin with (sockets; at least the low end us made stuff craftsman sold). 1/2" and professional (set) stuff look fine to me but the prices on those are absurd.

I don't know about buying sets this big...seems like a bad idea because the quality might vary on individual pieces and there's probably a lot of filler in the box (hex keys, bits...meh meh meh meh meh!)

The outlets might have us stock sets still but again don't know if they're worth owning. Good if you got nothing else. Not good if you do because it probably won't be better than your other stuff.

 

[XxToolAholicxX]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

For the price and warranty you just cant go wrong. If you use the right tool for the right job you should have no problem. Any tool will break if misused no matter where they are manufactured. I have seen those expensive truck brands break when misused and good luck warrantying those out from the truck driver/representative.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am a Toolaholic,Sometimes I regret it,Especially when the Toolman wont give me no credit

 

[Conductor562]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

The USA ones are no better, Sears tools have been poor since 1980. They are cheap and they work and after a while it doesn't matter. The quality has pretty much stayed the same, cant see how the China move could hurt but the upside is again,,,,,,,,,,,,,, the cost which has consistently dropped over the last several decades.
All this would be different if it was 1885$ or 2885$ but 185 is disposable for that amount of equipment which makes it rather good,,, or a good deal for someone needing some tools.
Compared to 5 grand for premium tools the 185 looks pretty good.

Where did you pull 1980 from? Easco bought Moore Drop Forge in the 60's and continued Craftsman production relatively unchanged until Danaher took over the Craftsman contract in the early 90's. There was a shakeup at Easco in the mid-80's if I remember the story right, but I don't recall any finite drop in quality.

To me the Danaher era stuff signaled the drop in quality much as it did for the Kobalt line in 2002.

I'm not saying you're statement is false, but I am curious what factors it's based on?

 

[jdoe213]

I haven't broken one yet.

 

[espyking83]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

The USA ones are no better, Sears tools have been poor since 1980. They are cheap and they work and after a while it doesn't matter. The quality has pretty much stayed the same, cant see how the China move could hurt but the upside is again,,,,,,,,,,,,,, the cost which has consistently dropped over the last several decades.
All this would be different if it was 1885$ or 2885$ but 185 is disposable for that amount of equipment which makes it rather good,,, or a good deal for someone needing some tools.
Compared to 5 grand for premium tools the 185 looks pretty good.

I think they are quite good and the price is super and then some.

These two replies are quite conflicting. Both are wrong though.

 

[NC-Shaun]

I made a living for many years using mostly Craftsman tools that were aquired during the mid 90s as a gift. I used these tools while also adding in more Craftsman items until about 1 year ago. When it was time to revamp my tool selection for motorcycle applications rather than automotive I discovered Harbor Freight. Very skeptical and not up to speed on Craftsman switching from USA to China I had my reservations so I held on to Craftsman or so I thought I was going to until.....

I carefully went through and bought ONLY USA made Craftsman sockets at what I thought high prices only to find that when compared to the Pittsburgh Pro Lineup at Harbor Freight the Craftsman (even the USA made) sockets looked like trash next to the Pitt Pro sockets. The chrome was non existent in the well of the Craftsman sockets, the stamping of sizes looked like they were done on worn out machinery. Since then I returned every new piece I had purchased, sold off the last of my old Craftsman stuff and switched all sockets and ratchets to Pitt Pro.

I have since built another custom motorcycle, and spent countless hours wrenching on my stuff and have never looked back on the sockets and ratchets that Craftsman makes.

I do still buy USA made odds and ends and have a full set of USA made open end/box end Craftsman wrenches that I have preferred to use for over 20 years now.

That is my insight from a guy that made a living with Craftsman when everyone else seemed to use Snap On, Mac, or Matco. I also sold my Craftsman Tool Box ( 2000 model) for a US General Pro.......

 

[Barrymaxx]

Craftsman ratchets are crappier than ever. I used to break them occasionally but every time I exchange it I get one that is not much better than the broken one. Used snap on and harbor freight pro ratchets work very well.

The china sockets seem to be weaker than the USA ones. I have lots of usa ones that I beat the **** out of and they never fail. Last weekend I was loosening valve cover bolts and split a china 8mm open with a tiny rachet.

The USA prybars are great, the china ones have awkward handles.

There USA reversible ratchet wrenches are great as well. Nice and tight, good feel. The china ones are laughable.

 

[wild cowboy]

people who break ratchets are breaking fasteners loose with them - use a breaker bar instead, that's what it's for!

people who break ratcheting wrenches are breaking fasteners loose with them - use a box end wrench instead, that's what it's for!

 

[sberry]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

These two replies are quite conflicting. Both are wrong though.

How you figure? What has always made Sears good in this respect was cheap. The tools are OK, still are. I am not sure about all the dates as I am not a Sears historian but in about 1980 bought the biggest set they had, it was about 3 grand then. I broke a fair amount of sockets and I cant recall if it came with round ratchets or the pears,,, I think the pears and as someone else said, downhill all the way and then some especially in the small sizes. I just traded a couple and the same problem, new no better than the old.
I bought a couple other sets in the 80's and several 3/8 deep etc most when they were 10$ sales and about 1 out of most of those had a fault. They were fine when replaced or I just didn't need or use it etc.
But,,,,,,,,,,,, I was actually disappointed in the quality in 80, I had some older as was in the pic I posted above and they were good. The idea was to get some foundation I could afford, what worked I never replaced and in the grand scheme of things it was a bargain as its still in service.

 

[sberry]

I know we got some real golden arms here but 2 things. When it comes to stuck rusted and busted almost no body beats up on me period,, and that includes those with every tool they ever invented from a truck sale and,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, no one ever looks at what brand sockets I have. Cant ever recall anyone ever having a concern or asking, some have commented that it seems to have it all and is well stocked and I have had masters work for me that never once mentioned we need better hard line tools, not one single time. The only place this nonsense is heard is here and maybe from some beginners in a dealer

As a side note,, I think of it when I read about specialty wrenches I bought some sockets we didnt have a while back and my master said,,, ok,,,, but we seemed to get along until now just fine without them. It wasn't expensive and I have used a couple times, different than going out on a limb for several hundred and then sitting on a pin till you find a use.
I have a few truck tools, a few for those rescue situations and they are fine but I don't need a 2 inch flank drive and don't need them for every bolt. After reading here I am all the more convinced that they are not for me, buy a ratchet and worry about it forever. How much to oil, how many reman sets to stock, how is the warranty, that is endless. Compare it to a Titan I overpaid under 20 for 20 years ago and worked hard in a toolpool with several men that looks like it will go another 20 more before it needs oil, not so much as a loose screw.

 

[byoungblood]

Craftsman's RP ratchets have been notoriously bad for years and years. Probably the last decent RP ones were the ones with the round machined retainer and teardrop shaped selector and the RHFT ones.

IMHO, they should have just dumped the RP ratchet entirely once they came out with the 60t low profiles. I think the RP ratchet and their non-pro screwdrivers from the past 15 years or so have been the persistent black eye in their tool lineup.

 

[sberry]

No one user would likely to ever be able to put the service on hand tools like some of ours get. The live a hard life, most don't have a home and don't spend time riding around a box in a hanger.
Now days ours are more spread out on several trucks so many do no0t see the duty they once did. But I know what nonsense most of this isd when I see a half a doxen guys fighting thru the box in a redneck class 8 truck shop for the "9/16" HF socket.

 

[fivespdcat]

Craftsman's RP ratchets have been notoriously bad for years and years. Probably the last decent RP ones were the ones with the round machined retainer and teardrop shaped selector and the RHFT ones.

IMHO, they should have just dumped the RP ratchet entirely once they came out with the 60t low profiles. I think the RP ratchet and their non-pro screwdrivers from the past 15 years or so have been the persistent black eye in their tool lineup.

This is so true. The RPs have been garbage forever, but then what would they stuff in the cheap sets? It goes to show that quality doesn't always sell in tools. Cheap and plentiful does. A lot of people will never reach the limits, but if you do it's sure to hurt.

 

[ganymede]

Re: made in china craftsman anygood?

Where did you pull 1980 from? Easco bought Moore Drop Forge in the 60's and continued Craftsman production relatively unchanged until Danaher took over the Craftsman contract in the early 90's. There was a shakeup at Easco in the mid-80's if I remember the story right, but I don't recall any finite drop in quality.

I don't think there is a point at which quality suddenly drops. I think a loss in quality is from continued lowering of grades of material, tolerances and fitting.
Some people notice faster than others.
Sberrys 1980 set kind of sucked but others may have bought stuff after that and had no problems with it.