Now-a-days Evercraft VS Carlyle

[Hantke]

I'm sure that this has been beaten to death, ALOT, but i haven't seen anything recent regarding it, is it worth it to get Carlyle (NAPA Pro) wrenches over Evercraft (Napa House brand)? My understanding is that you get the same warranty, and the new Evercraft wrenches are pretty damn pricey now (compared to Harbor Freight which is what i've heard they are). I have yet to see a Carlyle anything, except pry bars. After reading about how they are recommended by the school, I figured i'd look into them, even if i don't get any (though the SAE set seems pretty nice).
Note: I'm mostly referring to the Combo Wrenches

 

[SeanConklin]

The Carlyle combination wrenches are top notch as far as an import tool goes. They have a FDP style open end which works well unless you're working on air lines. The chrome is perfect, they're comfortable, it's a smart choice. Obviously you'll have the standard USA vs any other COO argument, but from my experience, great wrenches. Never had any experience with Evercraft wrenches except that of jumbo sizes.

 

[jim1987]

Not all Carlyle wrenches have fd+. My 6 points don't. But they're pricey too. $96 for a 13 piece set, on sale. $145 not. 6 point ratchet wrenches are about $160, on sale. If I had it, totally worth it.

 

[DTB]

I lost a raised panel Evercraft wrench from my farm tractor set. I do like those wrenches,and they take a lot of abuse. That being said, Napa has changed the Evercraft wrenches when they switched from their last tool line to the Carlyle line. The newest Evercraft combo wrenches are fully polished and they are also made in India. Definitely not in the same league as the old ones, or the Carlyle line. Fortunately I found the missing wrench.

 

[John in OH]

The Carlyle combination wrenches are top notch as far as an import tool goes. They have a FDP style open end which works well unless you're working on air lines. The chrome is perfect, they're comfortable, it's a smart choice. Obviously you'll have the standard USA vs any other COO argument, but from my experience, great wrenches. Never had any experience with Evercraft wrenches except that of jumbo sizes.

+1 !! I'm not a professional mechanic, but I have bought a few miscellaneous Carlyle sockets and they are quite nice. I'd buy more Carlyle sockets or combo wrenches without hesitation.

Here's a pretty good thread regarding Carlyle tools:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=158341&highlight=carlyle

 

[Haveblue]

The Evercraft made in india wrenches I have seen our store stock are the same thing harbour freight carries, but marked WAY UP! I dont have any Carlyle wrenches, but handling them, they seem to be of good quality. I think the Evercraft line has really dropped in quality. They werent the best to begin with,but I think NAPA would like to phase them out it seems. Our NAPA carries Carlyle, Armstrong,GP, And apparently Knipex now. Ask them if you can set up an account, or speak to a tool rep. Our store here will set a person up on a special account that will get you some great prices. As far as Carlyle tools..I dont own too much yet..just a few sockets and a long flex head 3/8 and 1/2 ratchets...I use them all day, and I think they are worth the money. Talk to em about an account, and go for the Carlyle!

 

[Hantke]

The Carlyle combination wrenches are top notch as far as an import tool goes. They have a FDP style open end which works well unless you're working on air lines. The chrome is perfect, they're comfortable, it's a smart choice. Obviously you'll have the standard USA vs any other COO argument, but from my experience, great wrenches. Never had any experience with Evercraft wrenches except that of jumbo sizes.

I have some flare wrenches for different lines, and i doubt i'll be working on air lines (then again, who knows?). In all honesty, COO argument is moot to me. If i pay a bunch of money for

Not all Carlyle wrenches have fd+. My 6 points don't. But they're pricey too. $96 for a 13 piece set, on sale. $145 not. 6 point ratchet wrenches are about $160, on sale. If I had it, totally worth it.

That's a bit above worth it for me, at that price i'll be able to get a whole set of Snap-On wrenches, though i do wonder what the student pricing is, we have student discounts at our napa's.

I lost a raised panel Evercraft wrench from my farm tractor set. I do like those wrenches,and they take a lot of abuse. That being said, Napa has changed the Evercraft wrenches when they switched from their last tool line to the Carlyle line. The newest Evercraft combo wrenches are fully polished and they are also made in India. Definitely not in the same league as the old ones, or the Carlyle line. Fortunately I found the missing wrench.

Dang, I was hoping they had gotten better not worse, glad you found it!

Thank you!

 

[mudflap]

Like Haveblue said.....If your shopping at NAPA much at all, you need to set up an acct. Walk ins get robbed......Just like at Grainger, Fastenall, Motion, Etc. Our shop gets 20% off list. As far as Carlyle goes....We really like them..very good quality... I just wish they had mid-length sockets in the linup...Our rep says coming soon......

 

[youngridge]

I have the full polish evercraft, no complaints, they are shorter, but take just as much abuse as the old evercraft, including the 4 foot cheater bar. But man I do want a full set of tge Carlyles, a tad longer and a bit thicker.

 

[Ruger_556]

I like Carlyle... Now Evercrap on the other hand Just buy the Carlyle and you'll be a lot happier.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

Yeah, the Evercraft is bottom barrel junk with a big markup. The Carlyle line is quality Taiwan import tools.

 

[Hantke]

Like Haveblue said.....If your shopping at NAPA much at all, you need to set up an acct. Walk ins get robbed......Just like at Grainger, Fastenall, Motion, Etc. Our shop gets 20% off list. As far as Carlyle goes....We really like them..very good quality... I just wish they had mid-length sockets in the linup...Our rep says coming soon......

My school has an account which extends to all AST, DST, AMT and other technical programs, we are supposed to get awesome account prices, but i have yet to experiment with it.

I have the full polish evercraft, no complaints, they are shorter, but take just as much abuse as the old evercraft, including the 4 foot cheater bar. But man I do want a full set of the Carlyles, a tad longer and a bit thicker.

Sounds good enough for me! i'd like to keep my HF tool's all together in the tool wrap, so i wouldn't mind an SAE set which is nicer than pittsburgh.


They have the same warranty in the end, right?

 

[BK13]

The Carlyle combination wrenches are top notch as far as an import tool goes. They have a FDP style open end which works well unless you're working on air lines. The chrome is perfect, they're comfortable, it's a smart choice. Obviously you'll have the standard USA vs any other COO argument, but from my experience, great wrenches. Never had any experience with Evercraft wrenches except that of jumbo sizes.

Not all Carlyle wrenches have fd+. My 6 points don't. But they're pricey too. $96 for a 13 piece set, on sale. $145 not. 6 point ratchet wrenches are about $160, on sale. If I had it, totally worth it.

I think the only Carlyle combo with the ASD/FD+ open ends are the long pattern, I don't think the standards have it

 

[sonvolt]

I only have a Carlyle breaker bar, but the quality is excellent.

 

[mudflap]

I think the only Carlyle combo with the ASD/FD+ open ends are the long pattern, I don't think the standards have it

That is correct...

 

[mudflap]

My school has an account which extends to all AST, DST, AMT and other technical programs, we are supposed to get awesome account prices, but i have yet to experiment with it.


Sounds good enough for me! i'd like to keep my HF tool's all together in the tool wrap, so i wouldn't mind an SAE set which is nicer than pittsburgh.


They have the same warranty in the end, right?

I bet your school discount is alot better than 20%...I would buy as much as i could afford....

 

[drabe7]

My school gets 60% on Carlyle. Its all I buy right now as a broke college kid. I got a 1/2" ratchet for $27 compared to $75 for the Snap On after my discount. Its not as nice as Snap On but for the price it's made very well

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

My school gets 60% on Carlyle. Its all I buy right now as a broke college kid. I got a 1/2" ratchet for $27 compared to $75 for the Snap On after my discount. Its not as nice as Snap On but for the price it's made very well

I think Carlyle is a great idea for students. If you have a Napa that delivers to your shop or one on the way home, you will have the fastest warranty replacement around.

 

[jdmstr]

I have the fd+ version of metric long pattern carlyle wrenches some of the best money ive ever spent love that set of wrenches. Evercraft in junk imho carlyle is top of the line as far as import tools go.

 

[Hantke]

I think Carlyle is a great idea for students. If you have a Napa that delivers to your shop or one on the way home, you will have the fastest warranty replacement around.

I have a local napa about fish minutes away, and a BIG napa about 15 minutes away, i'll have to go back and see what i find.

I wonder if i get the same discount

 

[DTB]

I will say that I used the hell out of the old Evercraft wrench set and never had a issue with any of them. I do not know what the price comparison was between them and the other Napa wrenches, but I'd put them against the basic Craftsman wrenches for quality.

 

[Hantke]

I will say that I used the hell out of the old Evercraft wrench set and never had a issue with any of them. I do not know what the price comparison was between them and the other Napa wrenches, but I'd put them against the basic Craftsman wrenches for quality.

Would you say that is better than harbor freight? they sure look a hell of a lot nicer, but then again;
you can chrome a pig, but at the end of the day, it's still a pig.

 

[Brownsfan]

I really wish the Napa's around me carried Carlyle in store. I have a account with Napa but I'm the type of person who likes to see and feel the tools before i buy them. I really dont have a need for.any tools right now. But that has not stopped me in the past.

 

[DTB]

Would you say that is better than harbor freight? they sure look a hell of a lot nicer, but then again;
you can chrome a pig, but at the end of the day, it's still a pig.

The old Evercraft wrenches in my opinion are light years ahead of harbor freight. The new ones, not so sure. The only HF wrenches I've ever used were the extra long ones, while they worked, the quality wasn't that great..but for like $20 a set vs $3 or $4 for a single Evercraft wrench...

 

[dede2897234]

I really wish the Napa's around me carried Carlyle in store. I have a account with Napa but I'm the type of person who likes to see and feel the tools before i buy them. I really dont have a need for any tools right now. But that has not stopped me in the past.

Brownsfan,

There is a Cleveland NAPA store with a moderately large Carlyle display. I have been to this store twice and the counter staff are friendly. They allow me to browse the display behind the parts counter when I politely asked. Here is their business information:

West Park Auto Parts
13445 Lorain Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44111
(216) 941 - 0550

Mon - Fri: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sat: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sun: Closed


Dave

 

[monomach]

Stopped in at Napa today. My shop doesn't do business with them, so no account or discount.

The Carlyle display is 3 feet wide and 2 feet tall...and by that, I mean tha's the size of the Carlyle sign behind the single ankle-level shelf. It has two small socket sets and one set of pliers. I asked whether they had just sold everything. Nooooooope. Three total pieces is all the store stocks. I really wanted to scope out the wrenches because someone told me that they're rebadged Toptul, but gee, that's just tough.

The Evercrap display is a FULL AISLE. I found the famous 9pc wrench sets...they are the exact same as the worst Harbor Freight wrenches; the same ones Menard's calls Performax. They all have the same packaging, just with different labels. All made with that awesome brittle Indian steel that you can break by throwing against a wall.

The difference is that you can usually walk into a Harbor Freight and get one of those sets on sale for $5.99 BEFORE using a 25% off coupon. Napa wanted over $40.

 

[BK13]

Man, that *****. Just about all of the NAPAs around here have at least a 12 foot long, full height display with a couple of moving boards three feet wide for an extra 6 feet of shelf area.

 

[John in OH]

I haven't found any rhyme or reason yet behind why one NAPA store carries a good inventory of Carlyle or not.

I frequent two different NAPA stores -- one in OH and one in VA. The VA store is an independent store and they stock no Carlyle tools whatsoever. Their only inventory is Evercraft. The OH store (don't know if it is independent or not) stocks a good inventory of Evercraft and a modest inventory of Carlyle such as loose sockets, ratchets and combo wrenches -- no sets of anything.

However, they can get super-fast delivery of the Carlyle tools. For example, I wanted to get a better set of 3/8 drive, 6-point, metric sockets for a specific job today. Went in to the OH NAPA at about 10:30am on the off chance they might have the twelve-piece set I wanted -- no luck, not in stock; but, they said they could have it by 1:00pm!! I went back in at about 2pm and shur'nuf, there it was! So, after about a 3 hour delay and $39 later I had my new set of sockets. And very nice sockets they are!!

Usually, I try to get Wright tools, if possible, but I can't get Wright locally so the NAPA Carlyle is now my go-to tool when I need something quickly. No experience with Evercraft.

 

[Brownsfan]

Brownsfan,

There is a Cleveland NAPA store with a moderately large Carlyle display. I have been to this store twice and the counter staff are friendly. They allow me to browse the display behind the parts counter when I politely asked:

West Park Auto Parts
13445 Lorain Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44111
(216) 941 - 0550

Mon - Fri: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sat: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sun: Closed


Dave

How in the hell did I miss this? I am heading there tomorrow. Do they have ratchets and wrenches and sets?

 

[bart1]

Not all Carlyle wrenches have fd+. My 6 points don't. But they're pricey too. $96 for a 13 piece set, on sale. $145 not. 6 point ratchet wrenches are about $160, on sale. If I had it, totally worth it.

At those prices, I would investigate other options. My Hazets were around that price. SK, Wright, Proto, etc should be similar?

 

[Haveblue]

our NAPA has a large display of Carlyle out were the customer can handle the tools. The Evercraft line has been cleaned out, and sent back. You can still order Evercraft, but they quit keeping it in stock (except for loaner tools). The focus at my particular store now is Carlyle, And NAPA service tools. I'm ok with that, I like both those lines. I have used a lot of the Evercraft specialty tool from our "loaners" and I am not impressed. The brake line flaring tool is the worst! I had two jobs in a row that required a lot of bulk brake line installation...the fkn Evercraft tool is ****! I borrowed the NAPA flaring kit to complete the jobs, the flares were ten times better, and the line doesnt slip in the clamp. I will be getting one soon! Since my last post, I have added a small amount of Carlyle..I like the tools, I abuse them a bit, and they are holding up very well. No regrets!

 

[jim1987]

At those prices, I would investigate other options. My Hazets were around that price. SK, Wright, Proto, etc should be similar?

I like my Napa guys. Id rather support local small business and have quick warranty then support some online vender. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[bart1]

I like my Napa guys. Id rather support local small business and have quick warranty then support some online vender. Different strokes for different folks.

You are right that having a local guy is good. I don't have a NAPA within 45 min of my house, so not as convenient for me. Also, I have never had any Carlyle tools, so they may be better than I think.

 

[Zeroek]

Evercraft isn't that bad with their sockets and stuff. I had a set of impact sockets that worked great and I have some crowsfeet that are nice.

 

[jim1987]

Evercraft isn't that bad with their sockets and stuff. I had a set of impact sockets that worked great and I have some crowsfeet that are nice.

Ya I have their line crowfoot sets. If anything they're a little too snug. But meaty, in a good way. I just wish they had detents in them


Bart1, Napa is 2 minutes from me. With a traffic light lol.

 

[dede2897234]

How in the hell did I miss this? I am heading there tomorrow. Do they have ratchets and wrenches and sets?

Brownsfan,

From what I remember, they stock individual Carlyle ratchets and wrenches. I do not think they stock any sets. I am sure the store can order any set and have it arrive within a day or two (if it is in stock at their local warehouse).


Dave

 

[Askme42]

Ok this seems like a good thread to ask this in.

Stopped by a small napa the other day to look for USA vise grips. I had heard napa carries armstrong just had never seen it before. Well they had a full 3/8 set. I asked how much and get the talk. Well list at $430 we sell for $350 but next month they are $186 when we have our tool sell. Ok whatever. Now here's what got me. The guy then said "I'd say a good 3/4 of the Carlyle stuff is made in the USA?!?!?!? I thought it was all china or tiawan.

 

[jim1987]

Ok this seems like a good thread to ask this in.

Stopped by a small napa the other day to look for USA vise grips. I had heard napa carries armstrong just had never seen it before. Well they had a full 3/8 set. I asked how much and get the talk. Well list at $430 we sell for $350 but next month they are $186 when we have our tool sell. Ok whatever. Now here's what got me. The guy then said "I'd say a good 3/4 of the Carlyle stuff is made in the USA?!?!?!? I thought it was all china or tiawan.

No Carlyle stuff is USA. None.

They actually had the Armstrong set.in store? Did you ask if it was normal stock or something that wasn't picked up?

 

[gtermini]

This feebay seller has a assortment of new Carlyle stuff for pretty good prices.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_odkw=&item=161243445174&pt=Motors_Automotive_Tools&_osacat=0&vxp=mtr&hash=item258adbb7b6&_ssn=kerryvilleusa&_from=R40&_trksid=p2046732.m570.l1313.TR10.TRC0.A0.H0.Xcarlyle&_nkw=carlyle&_sacat=0

Greyson

 

[Askme42]

No Carlyle stuff is USA. None.

They actually had the Armstrong set.in store? Did you ask if it was normal stock or something that wasn't picked up?

That's what I thought. I'm not sure if it was actual stock or not. Like I said its the first armstrong stock I've seen. I know of one napa that supposedly has a lot of Armstrong in store but haven't been there yet.