Need Socket Set--HF or Craftsmen

[monteu]

My hired man is wanting to purchase a socket set for his home shop. He is young and getting his first toolbox set up. He wants the 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 drive sets. He is not a professional, but wants something that will last him years. I have been telling him just to go to HF and get something there. I like their sockets. He says Craftsmen. Is one better than the other or should he consider another brand?

 

[bobbycos]

I personally would go to the HF sets since he is gonna use them in his home shop

I have HF socket sets at home and use them with no problem at all

 

[BeachBoy]

I have the 308 piece set from Craftsman.

Very satisfied for home use.

It's often $399 free shipping online.

 

[Askme42]

I'd go HF pro line but either are probably fine for home use.

 

[mrjaw14]

If it's USA craftsman set, I'd say buy that. Sears almost gives them away. Tell him to stay away from anything made in china. The tolerances ****, metal *****, just not good at all. Taiwan is generally making good stuff. I have a HF socket set, the color coded 1/2 set I use with my breaker bars, that the finish is coming off. If he has the money, have him look at SK or Armstrong. little more expensive, but will last a lifetime. If those are a bit out of his reach, have him look at Taiwan made GearWrench sets. priced more in line with craftsman and usually better quality, especially the ratchet it comes with if he buys a set.

 

[bleacht]

For his home shop, I would buy the set that was closest to his house. That way, if he ever needed the warranty, it's more convenient. What about Kobalt? There's a deal at Lowe's that might be enticing: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=277246

 

[MrGiggles]

Lowes has a lot socket sets on clearance.

If going HF, the 64 piece set is pretty good. All of the sockets are 6-point, no slip design. I've had it for over a year now and have only broke one. The ratchets are ****** but they work. You'll get both Metric/SAE shallow in 1/4 and 3/8, and 3/8 deep, 1/2 shallow in SAE. 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 ratchets included. There's three 8-point sockets too. It's a good basic set that he can expand on as he feels necessary. I believe you can get it OTD for around 30 bucks if you use a coupon, which is a bargain for what you get.

I agree that location is something to consider. Driving 50 miles for warranty is no fun.

 

[CobraChevelle]

I have bought both in the last month. I have bought 2 309pc CM set and bought the 300pc set from HF that came with the pro sockets. I like the HF sockets and ratchets better. Now my GF was gifted a cm set over a year ago and that was a USA set. My opinion her sockets were nicer vs the cm china but the ratchets seemed cheaper. I could be wrong. I have a USA CM set from 10 years ago and those ratchets are nicer to me. (even after being abused). If i was starting out, HF then move up to snap on or something else

another thing to think about is warranty. How far is sears vs HF. I dont see sears lasting long so how easy will warranty be? If you wont use it much, I doubt you will need to use there warranty, I think I broke 1 of each CM and HF tool over the 12 years of wrenching on the side.

 

[n8n]

I'd give the nod to Cman between the two but only if he can be assured of getting a USA set, but plan on replacing the ratchets with something better.

Personally with that dilemma I'd probably do one of two things - start haunting craigslist, pawn shops, etc. for used Cman USA sockets and piece everything together, or if he just wants something new and shiny consider spending a little more and get GearWrench or a little more yet and get SK.

Why not HF? simply because their sets skip sizes, especially in metric. You'll end up going to Sears or Lowe's to fill in the gaps soon enough with a HF set.

 

[Askme42]

Actually dewalt makes a very nice all 6 point socket set also.

 

[Kirbot]

Harborfreight is every bit as good as Chinese Craftsman.

I would get the SAE sets from Harborfreight but look at Gearwrench from Advance auto for the Metric. Harborfreight tends to skip sizes in the Metric stuff.

Use TRT25 for $20 off $50, or TRT41 for $40 off $100 at Advance, and the sockets come out silly cheap....

 

[BeachBoy]

Harborfreight is every bit as good as Chinese Craftsman.

Yes but maybe not as complete. Depends what OP wants.

 

[MR_T]

Harborfreight is every bit as good as Chinese Craftsman.

I would get the SAE sets from Harborfreight but look at Gearwrench from Advance auto for the Metric. Harborfreight tends to skip sizes in the Metric stuff.

Use TRT25 for $20 off $50, or TRT41 for $40 off $100 at Advance, and the sockets come out silly cheap....

X2, can be very cheap if you wait for sales and stack with coupons

 

[morgantm]

The HF Pro series sockets have worked fine for me at the house. For the price they are a great value.

 

[rockfordmarv]

Personally I'd never use HF sockets after I had a few disintegrate on some fasteners. **The impacts have never given me any issues.

 

[ChrisPace]

Taiwan GearWrench should be a good choice too. Probably best ratchets for the money. Probably considered the "Snap-On" of Asia.

I have a nice 1/4"-3/8" 120XP set in trunk of my car. I have the 299 piece Craftsman set at home. that's every socket they make, all sizes in both 12pt and 6 pt. Very happy with them all. HF tools all seem to be limited life span in my experience.

 

[expfcwintergreen]

Will the young man be working on recent model cars where he will need metric sizes or household aplliances where he may need fractional sizes, too?

If he buys this GP 3/8 drive setof Duo Sockets ( for use with impact tools and hand ratchets), he may not need the other drive sizes:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0029XKZKG/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1421423408&sr=8-1

It goes from 7-22mm and 5/16-1" for $172.98 and comes with aratchet and extensions.

 

[doan]

If I was starting over, I would either buy HF for cheap solution, or Gearwrench as more of a long term investment for a home shop

Gearwrench does a good job at selling complete 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 inch drive sets.

 

[Rickster]

As said above, if the Craftsman marked USA can be found then they would be worth the price. But otherwise why pay Craftsman prices for china tools?.... Just buy the HF tools.

 

[NC-Shaun]

I used Craftsman for about 20 years, then it came time to freshen up my sockets and add in some I needed. I discovered the Craftsman sockets are not as nice as the HF Pittsburgh Pro sockets ( based on quality of broaching, and plating ) I am happy I left Craftsman behind.

I just bought my mother the 301 pc Tool Set from Harbor Freight for about $150, if he needs a great kit and is starting fresh. This is the deal!

 

[CNGsaves]

Right now, best deal is the Kobalt 300 piece set at Lowe's for $129 less any discounts you can stack on (ie 10% moving coupon or convince Lowe's clerk to accept the 20% coupon from Harbor Freight).

Depending on location, also still worth the gamble to search SearsOutlet for big set that might still be Made In USA. YMMV

Harbor Freight composite ratchets would be improvement to above that he could also add while picking up freebies like magnetic tray, etc.

 

[kkasson]

I have the Harbor Freight ratchet/socket sets like this:

http://www.harborfreight.com/media/...b33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_24731.jpg

I have the 3/8 and 1/2 inch sets. The 1/2 inch ratchet is a great size. Both work well. I've seen two types of ratchets in the sets....looks like they may have upgraded recently. The type in the picture above is the one to get. The old one looks like this:

http://www.harborfreight.com/media/...b33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_24679.jpg

Stay away. It's very cheap and feels like the ratcheting mechanism is made of plastic. I got one by mistake, and I took it back and they swapped it for the newer kind.

No experience with the 64 piece set but it looks like a decent deal. Guess I'll have to pick one up now!

 

[Lassen Forge]

Socket sets are one thing he will be able to use for the rest of his life. I would say get the best he can afford - I started out with Craftsman (granted, that was some 35+ years ago) and have upgraded from there. Just beware Chinese Craftsman... and remember - you really DO get what you pay for.

Shorty (one of the guys I apprenticed under) used to tell me "Cheap tools give cheap results - do you want to be known as cheap?"...

One of the worst moments on a trip was losing a fan belt on my pickup truck in the Sierras, and not bringing my toolbox with me. There was an auto parts store a couple miles away (lucky me) - I went, got a tiawanic socket set, and hiked back to the truck. Halfway into the job, the ratchet (more like rat s#!t) handle failed. Hike back, get the replacement, hike back to the truck (gee, it's getting late), go to snug up the idler - and the socket breaks. Got back to the store - 10 minutes before closing on a Saturday night - bought 3 sockets, another handle, and a breaker bar, just to make sure I could get it back together. Those cheap tools - cost me more than a snap-on rachet and socket - and the time involved chasing broken tool replacements almost left me stranded for 2 days.

I have nothing against HF - or even Chinese Craftsman - if you understand their limitations. But if it's a lifetime toolset he wants - get tools that will last a lifetime.

 

[oldldh]

I'm a GearWrench person...

The total for all of the socket sets shown was $ 283.95 from www.tooldiscounter.com ...

The flex ratchet set was $ 94.97...

1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 inch drive SAE and Metric, with no skips...

And, they're in good trays, too...

 

[n8n]

I'm a GearWrench person...

The total for all of the socket sets shown was $ 283.95 from www.tooldiscounter.com ...

The flex ratchet set was $ 94.97...

1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 inch drive SAE and Metric, with no skips...

And, they're in good trays, too...

Do you have an opinion on GearWrench vs. Kobalt? I'm piecing together some socket sets for various needy people I know from old USA Cman stuff and I'm woefully short of 1/4" metric deeps; I don't even have a good set of my own. They're about the same price, and I assume both Taiwan?

Also, how are the GW adapters, universals, etc.?

I know the ratchets are actually quite good but I have none of their sockets save for the magnetic spark plug socket which is my favorite.

 

[Askme42]

I love how everyone says I'm not payng craftsman prices for China ****. Well the reason it's made in China is cause people weren't willing to pay craftsman prices. That 300 piece socket set from craftsman would be $600+ if it kept up with inflation.

 

[n8n]

I love how everyone says I'm not payng craftsman prices for China ****. Well the reason it's made in China is cause people weren't willing to pay craftsman prices. That 300 piece socket set from craftsman would be $600+ if it kept up with inflation.

And I'd rather pay that and get known good quality than get Chinese stuff of unknown quality. Oh, wait, I just bought a 3/8" SK set when I was directed to get a "starter set" for a young kid and in turn got a 1/2" SK set for myself...

Yes, there is a lot to be said for some tools are better than none, but *thinking* you have good tools and then having them fail on you the first or second time you actually use them hard is not much better than having no tools at all.

Now is the Chinese stuff really that bad? I don't know. But there are known quality options out there, and China is not a country known for good quality control and manufacturing processes.

 

[Askme42]

And I'd rather pay that and get known good quality than get Chinese stuff of unknown quality. Oh, wait, I just bought a 3/8" SK set when I was directed to get a "starter set" for a young kid and in turn got a 1/2" SK set for myself...

Yes, there is a lot to be said for some tools are better than none, but *thinking* you have good tools and then having them fail on you the first or second time you actually use them hard is not much better than having no tools at all.

Now is the Chinese stuff really that bad? I don't know. But there are known quality options out there, and China is not a country known for good quality control and manufacturing processes.

I agree. That's why I also went with all sk stuff. What I have issue with is "craftsman prices". They aren't craftsman prices. They are priced about where they should be for what they are. You get what you pay for most of the time.

 

[Kirbot]

One of the worst moments on a trip was losing a fan belt on my pickup truck in the Sierras, and not bringing my toolbox with me. There was an auto parts store a couple miles away (lucky me) - I went, got a tiawanic socket set, and hiked back to the truck. Halfway into the job, the ratchet (more like rat s#!t) handle failed. Hike back, get the replacement, hike back to the truck (gee, it's getting late), go to snug up the idler - and the socket breaks. Got back to the store - 10 minutes before closing on a Saturday night - bought 3 sockets, another handle, and a breaker bar, just to make sure I could get it back together. Those cheap tools - cost me more than a snap-on rachet and socket - and the time involved chasing broken tool replacements almost left me stranded for 2 days.

Just remember that there's a REALLY big difference between the garbage $.99 socket sets of 20 years ago, and the mid grade tools of today.

They might both be made in Taiwan, but the similarity ends there.

 

[n8n]

I agree. That's why I also went with all sk stuff. What I have issue with is "craftsman prices". They aren't craftsman prices. They are priced about where they should be for what they are. You get what you pay for most of the time.

I think we're on the same page here. I'd rather have C'man have raised their prices to keep up with inflation rather than try to hold steady in absolute dollars and cheapen their tools, because back in the day they were one of the best deals going. At least they sold the **** out of the old stuff so today I can hit a couple pawn shops and scrape together a functional set of tools for a couple bens still... (and yeah, I've just been doing exactly that, because trucking my own tools back and forth between my place and the girl's just wasn't working out, inevitably something was in the wrong place and she already had a top chest anyway)

 

[Lassen Forge]

Just remember that there's a REALLY big difference between the garbage $.99 socket sets of 20 years ago, and the mid grade tools of today.

They might both be made in Taiwan, but the similarity ends there.

You do have a point. I love (and occasioanlly abuse) my Gearwrenches, and those *are* Taiwanic, aren't they? In fact, if I had to get an inexpensive set that I would be pretty sure wouldn't let me down, that's what I'd go with... because they work, and work well for "in a pinch" stuff. So I stand (at least a little) corrected.

BTW, I think those sets were $29.99... but the decimal place was too far to the right, should have been 29 cents... When the outer sidewall of a ratchet handle breaks away, you know there was some quality steel involved... (gak)

What I suspect is the FLAPS in question made a fortune off of selling this crud to the locals... over and over again.

Still - my opinion - if the OP wants a lifetime set, ya grit your teeth, spend the dollars, and don't look back.

 

[rednotch]

if he's set on craftsman his best bet is ebay. he can get the usa full 299pc set that's every socket they make in 1/4"-1/2" for 340 shipped. He will need ratchets though, avoid the cheap standard rp craftsman as even the over seas basic one's are better. The craftsman chrome sockets from the 90's-2012 usa sets are fine, don't use them with long breaker bars or impacts and they will last forever for the most part. send him to HF for a cheap set of impacts and a set of ratchets.

 

[PJNJ]

Years ago I would have recommended Craftsman. I have two full sets of CM supplemented by SK, Snap-On, etc. Now I recommend either the closeout Kobalt set from Lowes for $129 or this -

http://www.sears.com/gearwrench-239...a=00933237000P&kpid=00933237000&mktRedirect=y

Funny how Sears price matched Amazon. I would lean towards the Gearwrench set as I purchased their mid-length sockets in 3/8 and 1/4 metric last year and they are holding up very well. I also have three of their ratchets and they also have held up and worked well for the last 8-9 months (I did a fair amount of wrenching on my cars last year). The finish was very good and they fit the fasteners well. I would avoid the chinese craftsman and I still believe (I can be wrong) that quality at HF can be hit or miss - one shipment of tools can be good and the next garbage. I am only a DIY'er so YMMV.

 

[LJSE34]

I'll give you my own experience.

I have the HF 301 PC set at home. It's excellent. It's a different production line than the other sockets at HF. The quality is very good. The only thing I didn't like about the set was its very limited number of wrenches.

I also have a 250pc USA made Craftsman set and I rate the HF set much higher. Especially the ratchets in the HF set are much better. In fact I would also chose the HF 301 set over the Craftsman 309 set.

 

[oldldh]

Do you have an opinion on GearWrench vs. Kobalt? I'm piecing together some socket sets for various needy people I know from old USA Cman stuff and I'm woefully short of 1/4" metric deeps; I don't even have a good set of my own. They're about the same price, and I assume both Taiwan?

Also, how are the GW adapters, universals, etc.?

I know the ratchets are actually quite good but I have none of their sockets save for the magnetic spark plug socket which is my favorite.

Kobalt and GearWrench are both Taiwan manufactured...mostly...probably comparable...I don't have any Kobalt to verify...

GearWrench 1/4" Drive set #80314 is the set on the top left...4mm to 15mm, and 3/16" to 9/16" deep, and 5/32" to 9/16" SAE for $ 37.47 from Tool Discounter...

GearWrench 1/4" Drive Metric Deep set from 4mm to 15 mm goes under # 80304 and is $ 26.64 including clip rail...

www.tooldiscounter.com

 

[n8n]

Kobalt and GearWrench are both Taiwan manufactured...mostly...probably comparable...I don't have any Kobalt to verify...

GearWrench 1/4" Drive set #80314 is the set on the top left...4mm to 15mm, and 3/16" to 9/16" deep, and 5/32" to 9/16" SAE for $ 37.47 from Tool Discounter...

GearWrench 1/4" Drive Metric Deep set from 4mm to 15 mm goes under # 80304 and is $ 26.64 including clip rail...

www.tooldiscounter.com

Damn, for that it's almost worth it to get the whole set, but I need more SAE sockets like a hole in my head...

 

[1950mercury]

Kobalt and GearWrench are both Taiwan manufactured...mostly...probably comparable...I don't have any Kobalt to verify...

GearWrench 1/4" Drive set #80314 is the set on the top left...4mm to 15mm, and 3/16" to 9/16" deep, and 5/32" to 9/16" SAE for $ 37.47 from Tool Discounter...

GearWrench 1/4" Drive Metric Deep set from 4mm to 15 mm goes under # 80304 and is $ 26.64 including clip rail...

www.tooldiscounter.com

Gearwrench and kobalt are going china. I bought a 1/4 gearwrench set at auto zone and had to go to 3 stores to find old stock to get Taiwan.

The thing i don't like about hf sockets is all the 3\8 and 1/2 shallows are 12 point. If you can live with that buy them. I think they are better than cm or kobalt china

 

[monteu]

He is a hobbyist. He thinks he is going to go with the 204 piece Dewalt set.

 

[Fugio]

I'd send him to a big pawn shop with a list to fill. He can dig through the loose socket bins and complete a set pretty cheap. And he'll likely find a few rare gems in there.

 

[d.mcfarland]

HF alternative is Tekton for better "completeness".