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New Kobalt screwdriver set

1982fxr

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This thread is making my week.

"Same as Mac"

""Doubt it"

"Definitely not the same"

"Oh yes, they're the same"

"They are shiny I ordered some"

"I got mine, they are pieces of ****"
 
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Fedwrench

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SK screwdrivers are made by Western Forge, just like the current Craftsman USA stuff, but nobody ever complains about SK's quality... :dunno:

Not true. There are many SK threads in which people have been unhappy with everything from wavy wrenches, chrome peel, and mismatched socket finishes to name a few.

I don't care for the current crop of solid green handled SK screwdrivers. The French made versions had nice handles. However, the current US made versions handles are too large and are more like pry bar handles than handles made for turning or spinning. I think SK could & should make a better screwdriver but, that's just my opinion.:beer:
 

JMLangford

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attachment.php


I took the two T10's back to Lowes this evening to swap one for a T15.....
Told them the problem at the service desk, and the lady said to go look in another set and get your replacement and return to the service desk to do the warranty exchange.
They had 8 set remaining on the shelf......I opened ALL 8 sets and found NO T15 in any of them! :shocking: all of them had two T10's
Well, I told them at the desk and the 4 people behind the counter (one was a manager) could have cared less....
Since I still wanted the set, I told the manager about the online price being $19.99 and that if he'd give me the set for that price plus my military discount that I'd keep the set.......But instead of him going thru the whole refund/re-bill process (I think he was just lazy) he simply gave me back (in cash) $10.60 making my total cost $18 bucks vs $19.20 doing the refund/re-bill.

How many of you other guys have gotten two T10's?

If anyone has a T15......post a pic cause I'd like to "see" one.....:beer:

Anyone get two T15's in their set and want to swap?.....



.
 
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1982fxr

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Those 5 year olds get lazy

Lowes could care less about hand tools. Wait til you try to warranty kobalt
 

JMLangford

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Those 5 year olds get lazy

Lowes could care less about hand tools. Wait til you try to warranty kobalt

Yeah, this style of screwdriver isn't in their line-up yet (if it ever will be) so 6 month to a year from now, if you need a warranty replacement for one, they'll probably have a new vendor and totally new designed handles, etc.


.
 

1982fxr

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From another post of mine - Well, my sets going back and I will not be getting another. I own a lot of screwdrivers, mostly truck brands, with the exception of Mac. I can't say for sure, but I highly doubt Mac would sell screwdrivers like this. All the long blade screwdrivers were crooked in their handles. For all I know, the shorter ones are as well, it's just easier to notice on the long ones. Other than that, they're mediocre at best. IN MY EXPERIENCES, cheap Chinese made tools like this from Lowes, HF, etc are always inferior to the worse USA brand i.e. Craftsman and I should have stuck with my usual mind set of "don't even bother." I wish everyone else better luck with them though.

Another member also had similar experiences with his set, so it's not a fluke.

QUOTE]

mine were straight, but I only looked at a couple.

but worse than craftsman?, I totally disagree, craftsman hasn't made a decent screwdriver since the 80's (excluding pro). I HATE the standard craftsman screwdrivers. stinky outdated acetate handles with crappy finish and stamped tips that snap off. if china can make decent screwdrivers I don't understand why usa made are such ****. even the freebie HF drivers are better than std. craftsman.

US made are generally pretty dang good. I'll open a screwdriver factory in the US and you open one in China.

While my government taxes me into oblivion, cuts backstabbing trade deals, gives tax breaks and subsidizes big box stores that have incentive to sell cheap imported junk over quality domestic products sometimes even for the same price, and I get sued by a worker with animal ******** because I didn't provide the correct style of bathroom...

You will get a free factory, be helped by a country that manipulates its currency, and have access to a slave workforce including children, and legally put up suicide nets around your factory so the workers cant jump off the top and kill themselves.
 

1982fxr

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Yeah, this style of screwdriver isn't in their line-up yet (if it ever will be) so 6 month to a year from now, if you need a warranty replacement for one, they'll probably have a new vendor and totally new designed handles, etc.


.

And if you don't have your receipt they will say sorry we closed those sets out at 49 cents so we can offer you 49 cents towards a replacement.

But it's a warranty item not a return I should get a replacement at least...

Next! Next in line please!
 

KnurledNut

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I don't care for the current crop of solid green handled SK screwdrivers. The French made versions had nice handles. However, the current US made versions handles are too large and are more like pry bar handles than handles made for turning or spinning. I think SK could & should make a better screwdriver but, that's just my opinion.:beer:

Ditto.
 

Engine

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Maybe Lowes is headed toward becoming the Horror fright of home improvement stores.
 

RBFD415

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I rate this entire thread- amazingly entertaining !

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 

chevy302dz

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attachment.php


I took the two T10's back to Lowes this evening to swap one for a T15.....
Told them the problem at the service desk, and the lady said to go look in another set and get your replacement and return to the service desk to do the warranty exchange.
They had 8 set remaining on the shelf......I opened ALL 8 sets and found NO T15 in any of them! :shocking: all of them had two T10's
Well, I told them at the desk and the 4 people behind the counter (one was a manager) could have cared less....
Since I still wanted the set, I told the manager about the online price being $19.99 and that if he'd give me the set for that price plus my military discount that I'd keep the set.......But instead of him going thru the whole refund/re-bill process (I think he was just lazy) he simply gave me back (in cash) $10.60 making my total cost $18 bucks vs $19.20 doing the refund/re-bill.

How many of you other guys have gotten two T10's?

If anyone has a T15......post a pic cause I'd like to "see" one.....:beer:

Anyone get two T15's in their set and want to swap?.....



.

I'm not able to take a pic right now but my set has a T10 and T15 as it should. The only obivous visible difference is the stamping.
 

JMLangford

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I'm not able to take a pic right now but my set has a T10 and T15 as it should. The only obivous visible difference is the stamping.

Yep! I must admit I haven't tried them yet on a fastener to see if one is really a T15 mis-stamped......but comparing them end to end they look the same to my old eyes!
I might have two mis-stamped T15's :lol_hitti



.
 
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gdocktor3

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Not true. There are many SK threads in which people have been unhappy with everything from wavy wrenches, chrome peel, and mismatched socket finishes to name a few.

I don't care for the current crop of solid green handled SK screwdrivers. The French made versions had nice handles. However, the current US made versions handles are too large and are more like pry bar handles than handles made for turning or spinning. I think SK could & should make a better screwdriver but, that's just my opinion.:beer:

1. I'm talking about screwdrivers. Not sockets, wrenches, etc.
2. That's your opinion. Personally, I like the fit of the handles in my hand.
 

gdocktor3

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US made are generally pretty dang good. I'll open a screwdriver factory in the US and you open one in China.

While my government taxes me into oblivion, cuts backstabbing trade deals, gives tax breaks and subsidizes big box stores that have incentive to sell cheap imported junk over quality domestic products sometimes even for the same price, and I get sued by a worker with animal ******** because I didn't provide the correct style of bathroom...

You will get a free factory, be helped by a country that manipulates its currency, and have access to a slave workforce including children, and legally put up suicide nets around your factory so the workers cant jump off the top and kill themselves.

Did you read my post correct? Inferior - lower in quality. Who's talking about all this legal mumbo jumbo, slave work force and suicide nets?? :wtf:
 
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gungatim

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Did you read my post correct? Inferior - lower in quality. Who's talking about all this legal mumbo jumbo, slave work force and suicide nets?? :wtf:

ummm...I didn't post that, someone else did but you attributed it to me. all I was saying was that everyone raves about US made tools, but there are just as much **** that has been made here (and still is) as in Asia. craftsman screwdrivers most specifically. sure there is great stuff made here, but the outdated cheapo craftsman screwdrivers are not one of them. once upon a time they were decent, but they've been value engineered to the point that even freebie china screwdrivers are better IMO.

I've posted this before, and will say it again. not everything made here even in the "good old days" was great. that 1920's morticing machine I restored and posted up a few times is a great example. when I blasted it down and restored it, the castings were a joke. porous, voids, horrible machining, out of square, etc. compare that to a Chinese delta and they are worlds apart. it's a great piece of history, but then, like now, there are always different tiers of quality manufacturers. top that with the fact that making something good enough is different than over-engineering something and building a higher level of quality in which the consumer doesn't need.

at one time, the extra robustness may have been a selling point, but not anymore. for the most part, people don't need a drill motor with an aluminum housing, replaceable brushes, and ball bearings and gears that will last a century. it could be built today, but why? the average consumer can get by with 2, at most 3 $20 drills in their lifetime. what would it cost to build something like they used to, or, what did that drill (or any other tool) cost in today's dollars?

sorry for the rant, but I love quality as long as it meets the value proposition. some things are just fine at a lower tier, others are not. the area of the world it is made really is completely irrelevant (in terms of quality, you can argue economics separately). something as simple as a screwdriver can be made at the bottom end of the scale for the occasional homeowner or disposable tool set, in the middle of the scale (like Craftsman USED to be considered) at a decent price and with a warranty 90% of users SHOULDN'T need to use, or at the top end of the scale like snap-on for heavy users/pro's/factory use.

The Kobalt's feel, to me, like they are in the middle, and the price point is great. today's craftsman are at the very bottom.

now I gotta go check and see if I got the proper torx or not:headscrat
 

gdocktor3

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Gungatim - That was for 1982fxr. He originally quoted your name in his post and It carried over to mine when I quoted him.
 
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1982fxr

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Yes, that was me somehow the quotes got messed up.

I try to buy as much USA made as I can and I can't remember the last time I was disappointed in a product. Certainly can't say the same for asian imports especially chinese. Craftsman is a horrible measure for domestic product quality.
 

Catadj78

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I got mine in today. Some shafts do not appear to be inserted straight however for the price I am happy
 
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Brownsfan

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This has progressed nicely. Even some Craftsman bashing. To clarify I said the appear the same with slight cosmetic differences. The piece count is even the same. Looking at them my opinion is the OEM that made the Mac in Taiwan shifted production to China or a China oem stole the design and changed the cosmetics slightly. The only difference in the foam tray is the left/right orientation of the torx and the wording. Who knows
 

Catadj78

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attachment.php


I took the two T10's back to Lowes this evening to swap one for a T15.....
Told them the problem at the service desk, and the lady said to go look in another set and get your replacement and return to the service desk to do the warranty exchange.
They had 8 set remaining on the shelf......I opened ALL 8 sets and found NO T15 in any of them! :shocking: all of them had two T10's
Well, I told them at the desk and the 4 people behind the counter (one was a manager) could have cared less....
Since I still wanted the set, I told the manager about the online price being $19.99 and that if he'd give me the set for that price plus my military discount that I'd keep the set.......But instead of him going thru the whole refund/re-bill process (I think he was just lazy) he simply gave me back (in cash) $10.60 making my total cost $18 bucks vs $19.20 doing the refund/re-bill.

How many of you other guys have gotten two T10's?

If anyone has a T15......post a pic cause I'd like to "see" one.....:beer:

Anyone get two T15's in their set and want to swap?.....



.

Mine came with a t10 and a t15 with correct markings on the shaft
 

555

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Mine have both the T10 and T15 drivers. I just checked their actual size after reading this thread and both are OK. My friend is out of town, but I am taking care of his animals. I'll check his set tomorrow.
Regards,
John
 

gungatim

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checked mine and used them over the weekend. t10 and t15 are correct. all shafts straight. used a couple Phillips and a flat blade, they are nice, feel a lot like the set of HF with red and blue handles everyone raves about, but I like the Kobalt handles better and the length is better. we'll see how they hold up and if I end up keeping them in my main box.
 

dodge610

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Just ordered a set of these for store pickup. Will scoop them up tomorrow hope they are as nice as all the reviews say they are.
 

stage20

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checked mine and used them over the weekend. t10 and t15 are correct. all shafts straight. used a couple Phillips and a flat blade, they are nice, feel a lot like the set of HF with red and blue handles everyone raves about, but I like the Kobalt handles better and the length is better. we'll see how they hold up and if I end up keeping them in my main box.
Length better as in longer than the harbor freights?
 

gungatim

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Length better as in longer than the harbor freights?

yep. I like the longer drivers, especially the #2 Phillips. the only craftsman drivers I kept in my main box is the long #2, and the extra short flat. retired the Philips but added a spot for the really short flat blade since nobody else has one that size.
 

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Tundruz

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Well these sure didn't last very long. Can't find them at Lowe's anymore..

They're still available at my store in CA. 4 in inventory on the shelf. I went back a few weeks ago to get my $difference back. I bought them in Jan for 29.98 and they dropped to 22.48.
 

BellyUpFish

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They're still available at my store in CA. 4 in inventory on the shelf. I went back a few weeks ago to get my $difference back. I bought them in Jan for 29.98 and they dropped to 22.48.

That's weird. I can't order them on the website and my store has none.

Regional things I guess..
 

granadojl

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Sorry to bring back an old thread, I stumbled on this set watching Youtube vids.. I figured I'd get myself a set. Only thing is that the only damn store that had them in stock is 40 miles away. I was going shooting and happened to be near the Lowes that had them in stock.... so I figured I'd get the set. I bought them online for 22 bucks and thing they fit pretty decent in my hand and I figured for only 22 bucks, I can't go wrong with these in my tool box. After reading everyone's comments.. I'll definitely go home and check each one for straightness as well as correct sizing.

How does everyone like their set after owning them for a while?

I'm thinking of getting my dad a set as well.
 

dodge610

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Sorry to bring back an old thread, I stumbled on this set watching Youtube vids.. I figured I'd get myself a set. Only thing is that the only damn store that had them in stock is 40 miles away. I was going shooting and happened to be near the Lowes that had them in stock.... so I figured I'd get the set. I bought them online for 22 bucks and thing they fit pretty decent in my hand and I figured for only 22 bucks, I can't go wrong with these in my tool box. After reading everyone's comments.. I'll definitely go home and check each one for straightness as well as correct sizing.

How does everyone like their set after owning them for a while?

I'm thinking of getting my dad a set as well.

I like my set best set of screwdrivers i have all mine are straight and they are my go to set now. Very comfortable in the hand also. That is allways a plus.:thumbup:
 

jimreed2160

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I use mine almost daily and they are great. Of course, they replaced worn out mis-matched junk. But still--it is nice to have a good set of drivers handy.
 
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Brownsfan

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I wish I would have picked up a set. They would have been perfect for my service van tools. I ended up buying the Craftsman"diamond" tip set for the van. I needed a cheap set because tools easily get lost when doing service calls. I actually have been really impressed with them. I may buy the stubby and long reach set soon. The tips are really good for a China made screwdriver. I liked the Kobalt handles better though.
 

gdocktor3

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I can't say I've had any problems with mine either, but they sure don't bite like a laser etched tip does.
 

gungatim

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west mich
I wonder how they will handle the "lifetime warranty" on those drivers if they no longer carry them (??)

I'm not holding my breath...but for the money I won't shed too many tears either when they are worn and ready to get demoted into a junkbox.
 
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