Mid Grade Hand Tools

[Jigstick]

I’m currently reorganizing my garage to open up more space. Mostly getting stuff off the sidewalks and such. In the process I picked up a new tool cart as well as some socket trays to try and get my tools organized. While doing so I came to notice that my Craftsman Kit is a big mishmash of 12pt and 6pt, with sockets missing etc.

I’d like to purchase a complete set of 1/4 - 3/8 - 1/2in drive shallow and deep 6pt sockets...accumulating them over time if need be. I’d like a step up from Craftsman as now I’m making much better money compared to when I purchased my original craftsman tools. The problem is I have a buddy who builds race cars and works on corvettes who uses nothing but Snap On. And he’s busting my balls pretty hard. I can’t afford Snap On. But I can definitely do better thank Craftsman.

I’m madly confused on what I should be looking at because a lot of them come from the same factory. I was looking at BluePoint but they don’t seem to make 3/8in drive 6pt deep chrome sockets.

Any advice on what I should be looking at? I work on our trucks, motorcycles, boat.

 

[sberry]

There is nothing wrong with Snap-on tools but find something to bust him back over and to shut the fuk up. There isn't anything wrong with Sears. Mine are a mix, absolutely doesn't matter to me. Go to a pawn or flea, fill in the missing, get the box to keep them organized.
Really mess with him, get a couple Harbor Freight ratchets,.

I’m madly confused on what I should be looking at because a lot of them come from the same factory

There is no need to spend more than you need because you are confused. This is the fear the marketing types play on when they take the same tool out of a white box and stamp a brand on it, 3x the price and babble on about warranty.

 

[woody 73]

You are going to get 10,000 answers and all good from every GJ member, but my choice involves an easy in and out the door should your tool ever fail you and you need a replacement that day. Napa makes a decent tool called the Carlyle brand of tools out of Taiwan and now on sale I might add.

If it breaks just stop in any napa store and out the door you go easy as that and should they not have the exact model, they will get you the next best replacement no questions asked.

Just my two cents.

Others will say great names but getting replacements will take more time your money your call.

 

[bobcatdan]

SK, Wright, Proto and Williams. Top quality USA at as reasonable as you are going to get USA tools. All these brands are available from many sources online so shop for best price. Also if you have and industrial jobbers stores in your area, you may have a brick and mortar store close than you thought. Don't forget Harry Epstein.com either.

 

[Robinson1]

I've got William's 50663 and 50665 sets that have been on my service truck for about 5 years now. No complaints they get used fairly regularly. Nice compact cases and no ******** filler. Same thing as Blue Point can buy both sets for around $120 shipped.

SK 94547 would also be a logical choice. Looks like there's a set on Ebay right now for $194.49 and free shipping

 

[Zewnten]

My vote for USA made is Proto, Williams, Wilde, Mayhew. Problem with Carlyle is warranty can be a pain if your Napa is as problematic as mine (that being said their long locking flex head 3/8 is a great buy). If you don't care about COO then Pittsburgh Pro sockets and extensions are good, taiwan made, Channellock wrenches (same manufacturer as Carlyle's) also Taiwan made. Generally it has been my experience that if it's made in Taiwan, recently, it's a decent tool.

 

[archirelic]

the search feature is your friend.

 

[Jigstick]

Thanks guys. I have searched. But the threads keep ending up saying “this brand is the same as that brand which is implies to this other brand but not as nice as this other brand”. And it’s just confusing. FWIW another friend of mine uses nothing but Harbor Freight sockets, ratchets, wrenches, and impact guns in his 3 bay shop. And hasn’t had a problem. Like I said I could certainly buy something like that...buts let’s face it we all want the nicest we can afford. And I have a decent budget and I just want to spend it wisely and not on marketing gimmicks


Are those Williams kits 6 or 12pt? Doesn’t say in the description.

 

[finn]

Just make a list of the sockets missing from your kit, then go to the Craftsman socket display at your local Ace, select the missing pieces, pay for them, and be done with it.

Seems like you don’t have a real need to “upgrade” from what you have, but are succumbing to peer pressure, both from your Snapon buddy and posters on this site.

The fact that you’re making more money now isn’t relevant.

 

[Citation]

What, other than missing sockets, is wrong with the current tools? I can see replacing the Cman raised panel ratchets. They may be serviceable but no as nice as newer 72+ tooth designs. I'm quite fond of finding deals on Husky ratchets. They are made to the same design as Gearwrench but with a few less teeth and a quick release button. I'm also not alone in preferring the lower tooth count version (72 vs 100 for Husky, 84 vs 120 for GW) because they have less back drag and a lower profile head.

I grew up using Snapon and if cost were no object that's what I would have. Cost is an object and I'm not breaking rusted bolts all the time. I might have been held back because I didn't have the right swivel socket or something like that but I've never been held up because my Craftsman tools weren't capable of doing the job a Snapon tool could do.


*One exception, jam nuts. Dad's Snapon open end wrenches were thinner and thus easier when dealing with jam nuts.

 

[driz]

I always laugh when someone starts breaking someone’s chops over tools. It’s just a take off on which kid has a bigger marble or my dads tougher than yours. It’s all a crock for the most part furthered and fostered by companies themselves for more [emoji383][emoji383][emoji383].
In the last 45 yrs of doing nearly all my own everything I’ve used a mix of about all of them . I still have and use regularly a set of old MT Chinese impacts. All my I put,pacts come to think of it are Chinese and I never busted a single one. Their sole crime is being thicker. That’s where they can cause you trouble very rarely.
One place I just won’t go cheap is Vise Grips, the small mouthed ones both big and small that I use as a last chance beside torch time are Irwin’s. The jaw teeth stay nice and sharp. But wait, all those other weird style Vise grips they’re Cheap ones. Why cause the good versions cost a fortune and I never need to abuse them, they’re just for clamping, holding ect. Pliers are another thing you should buy good ones, especially long nose ones. The pivots loosen easily on cheapos and you’ll eventually feel it.
My big advice when it comes to messing things up with tools is only use 6 Pt sockets. That right there if you live in the rust world is the best advice you’ll ever get. Same goes for end wrenches . Sure you need some 12 points but for breaking nasty stuff loose GO 6 or Go[emoji81][emoji81].
Large hammers and such, 2-4 lb ect why buy a name brand? My oldest is a 1981 with not a chip in it just like the Bluepoint body hammer my father gave me dating back to the 50s. whoop tee doo they all hit fine. HF makes nice ones just try for wooden handles for when you miss and bust it off, easy replacement.

My new go to Of late is Teton. I really like much of their stuff and the price is right. Lifetime guarantee too. I’m with Sberry just buy what you can find that feel and look like quality. Better yet buy em on SALE Not just a name and tell the tool snobs to piss off.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[rlitman]

...*One exception, jam nuts. Dad's Snapon open end wrenches were thinner and thus easier when dealing with jam nuts.

If you deal with this sort of thing regularly, you can get narrow "cone wrenches" made for the purpose.

 

[ngk22r]

I’m currently reorganizing my garage to open up more space. Mostly getting stuff off the sidewalks and such. In the process I picked up a new tool cart as well as some socket trays to try and get my tools organized. While doing so I came to notice that my Craftsman Kit is a big mishmash of 12pt and 6pt, with sockets missing etc.

I’d like to purchase a complete set of 1/4 - 3/8 - 1/2in drive shallow and deep 6pt sockets...accumulating them over time if need be. I’d like a step up from Craftsman as now I’m making much better money compared to when I purchased my original craftsman tools. The problem is I have a buddy who builds race cars and works on corvettes who uses nothing but Snap On. And he’s busting my balls pretty hard. I can’t afford Snap On. But I can definitely do better thank Craftsman.

I’m madly confused on what I should be looking at because a lot of them come from the same factory. I was looking at BluePoint but they don’t seem to make 3/8in drive 6pt deep chrome sockets.

Any advice on what I should be looking at? I work on our trucks, motorcycles, boat.

Williams is your answer if you are looking for a mid grade with high end. If you are wanting a few Snap-on ratchets just buy those and save money on the sockets. But then again you should be buying them if YOU want them, not your buddy.

 

[sberry]

Vise Grips are not extremely expensive,,,, in fact are priced well.

 

[d.mcfarland]

You are going to get 10,000 answers and all good from every GJ member, but my choice involves an easy in and out the door should your tool ever fail you and you need a replacement that day.

This. Very important for people.

And I have a decent budget and I just want to spend it wisely and not on marketing gimmicks

What is your actual budget and what exactly do you need. A full socket set it sounds like? What do you have now?

 

[sweet victory]

Fill your box with harbor freight and build a faster race car. Then we shall see whose balls have been bust!

 

[pennsylvaniaboy]

carlyle, tekton, gearwrench.....

 

[Pig_Pen]

Fill your box with harbor freight and build a faster race car. Then we shall see whose balls have been bust!

The problem with this is all the skips in the HF sets. He can buy every socket set they have and he’ll still be in the same place he is now, missing sockets or having an unmatched set. Why they do this is beyond me, it’s maddening.

 

[Brownsfan]

Does country of origin matter to you? You can get snap on quality sockets for much less from Williams. Go to Toolsdelivered.com. the USA made Williams is essentially the same socket as an equivalent snap on. Some say the chrome is different but who care if it is. At 1/4 of the price i sure dont. Now as far as everything else. Brands like SK. Everything they make is USA made and quality. Brands like Proto, Wright are mostly USA made. Some things in the catalog are not. Very limited stuff is not USA . Any of those will be as good or better than snap on and much less expensive. This is all if USA made is a priority. If not then a whole bunch of possibilities open up

 

[cherrybomb]

I would do either Williams or Proto ,in a frequently used two sizes,set your own test up.Reward yourself.Both excellent brands,Williams USA,Snapon owned..I happy with both.

 

[M6erfan]

Just make a list of the sockets missing from your kit, then go to the Craftsman socket display at your local Ace, select the missing pieces, pay for them, and be done with it.

Seems like you don’t have a real need to “upgrade” from what you have, but are succumbing to peer pressure, both from your Snapon buddy and posters on this site.

The fact that you’re making more money now isn’t relevant.

^^^This

 

[Citation]

If you deal with this sort of thing regularly, you can get narrow "cone wrenches" made for the purpose.

I don't but when I worked with my Dad we felt with them more frequently.

 

[Wamsutta]

Williams or Proto for sockets. The Taiwan sockets can be aggravating.

 

[Jigstick]

Just make a list of the sockets missing from your kit, then go to the Craftsman socket display at your local Ace, select the missing pieces, pay for them, and be done with it.

Seems like you don’t have a real need to “upgrade” from what you have, but are succumbing to peer pressure, both from your Snapon buddy and posters on this site.

The fact that you’re making more money now isn’t relevant.

I do need to purchase new tools. We now have a 2nd house located 150mikes away on Lake Erie. We spend a lot of time up there. And I’m constantly dragging all my tools back and forth to work on our boat, motors, boat trailers, etc

My plan is to move these craftsman tools up there. And get new tools for my primary residence.

 

[Jigstick]

Last year I was replacing bunks on my boat trailer. Removing some PB Blaster soaked rusted grade 8 bolts and nuts holding the brackets on. Stripped out a HF ratchet. And stripped out some HF sockets in the process.

 

[jeepinerdeep]

I do need to purchase new tools. We now have a 2nd house located 150mikes away on Lake Erie. We spend a lot of time up there. And I’m constantly dragging all my tools back and forth to work on our boat, motors, boat trailers, etc

My plan is to move these craftsman tools up there. And get new tools for my primary residence.

In that case.....lots of stuff to look around at. Proto, Wright, Williams USA, Bahco, Trusty Cook, Carlyle

 

[shirk]

There are some really nice made in Taiwan sockets if you are willing to order from Europe.

https://www.drapertools.com/product...etric-Deep-Socket-Set-on-Metal-Rail-(15-Piece)

https://www.drapertools.com/product/16492/3-8inch-Sq-Dr-Metric-Socket-Set-on-Metal-Rail-(15-Piece)

That 15pc 3/8 6pt is about $25 usd.

I ordered a full sets of 1/2 and 1/4 from the UK. https://www.lawson-his.co.uk/

For ratchets you can Stahlwille/Hazet/Gedore from Amazon.de for less money than SnapOn. Or get Koken or Nepros from Amazon Japan again less money than SnapOn.

 

[Jigstick]

Oh I like that knurling. Never seen a socket like that. That’s nice.

 

[shirk]

Oh I like that knurling. Never seen a socket like that. That’s nice.

I wanted Hazet style on HF budget and this is what I found to meet that goal.

 

[bczygan]

Thanks guys. I have searched. But the threads keep ending up saying “this brand is the same as that brand which is implies to this other brand but not as nice as this other brand”. And it’s just confusing. FWIW another friend of mine uses nothing but Harbor Freight sockets, ratchets, wrenches, and impact guns in his 3 bay shop. And hasn’t had a problem. Like I said I could certainly buy something like that...buts let’s face it we all want the nicest we can afford. And I have a decent budget and I just want to spend it wisely and not on marketing gimmicks


Are those Williams kits 6 or 12pt? Doesn’t say in the description.

Your friend with the HF tools is a practical guy. But it sounds like you want a name brand you can also say the name of without people commenting.

And maybe you are USA-centric. If so, many of the names that will be mentioned here will be fine.

Frankly, you have so many choices right now, that almost anything, domestic or otherwise, will be serviceable. Then the only way to narrow things down is by being more picky about COO, fit and finish and name recognition.

Bill

 

[ChrisLS8]

Never understood why anyone cared what another friend uses for tools. There is nothing wrong with CM USA sockets but you can definitely improve the ratchets and wrenches

 

[VinceG]

I have a lot of different brands of tools that I used Daily repairing Semi trucks, if I was starting out now I would get most of my stuff from Teckton. Easy warranty, decent tools, some are USA made, I would get the box from Harbor freight.

 

[M6erfan]

Oh I like that knurling. Never seen a socket like that. That’s nice.

That's because no US manufacturer makes a great design like this. Hazet is the best of the best in this regard and OEM tools has a similar design and easily available in the U.S. Carlyle sockets are nice too.

 

[M_George]

For my mostly Craftsman set, I organized what I had and filled in the blanks either as I needed them or on the cheep at the local flea market. There's nothing to be ashamed of with the good old school Craftsman. One exception would be the ratchets. They have a tendency to slip so I use SK ratchets.

 

[joshmodelskidoo]

I would just use the craftsman stuff but if it was a need I would probably just go to tge local ace or box store and get some new stuff. I got a set of husky sockets for shallow 3/8s drive as a gift. Craftsman 3/8 deep. 1/4in is craftsman and kobalt mostly. 1/2 is yard sale sk that are pretty ugly and craftsman and master mechanic from the local true value years ago. I would upgrade your craftsman ratchet (assuming its 1990s or newer regular kit ratchet) i do really like the Pittsburgh pro long handle flex head rathets but there are definitely nicer ones for a little bit more $. Snap on is awesome stuff but to me it only makes sense to have them in a professional shop

 

[d.mcfarland]

For what it's worth, I have a HF deep 3/8" drive chrome socket set I exclusively use on a 1/2" impact (with adapter) to purposefully see what they can take. They still work fine and really haven't shown much wear. I'm sure they would work fine on a ratchet.

The key is going to be fastener fit with the lower end sockets. Stay away from no name sets and you will be fine. Tekton or HF all the way up to tool truck brands will all be pretty much the same for the average user. Hell, many pros use the cheaper sets day in and day out.

 

[Robinson1]

Are those Williams kits 6 or 12pt? Doesn’t say in the description.

The part numbers I mentioned are 6 point

 

[kctyphoon]

Your bolts will never know the difference.. if you want something just to get a new and complete set - do Gearwrench and be done with it.. then you can ask your snap on buddy to find a bolt your new sockets wont remove that the snap on’s will.

Gearwrench promo - complete 3/8 and 1/4” set for about $110 shipped.

 

[sberry]

Williams or Proto for sockets. The Taiwan sockets can be aggravating.

I gotta wonder sometimes,, how you come up with it? What is agrivating?

 

[M6erfan]

I gotta wonder sometimes,, how you come up with it? What is agrivating?

Detents... To Merck, It all about the detents...