RE: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

[thooks]

RE: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

I stopped by Lowe's tonight to scope them out.

IMO, these are priced correctly as a 'normal' price for these.

1. They are not very long. Basically a standard pattern wrench with a funky box end that has had the handle twisted 90 degrees from the open end.

2. They are nothing special

3. They are imported. Imported tools at an imported price.


I passed. Whoever the moe-ron was in Charlotte that thought these should be $80 hopefully is unemployed at this time. I'd fire them if they worked for me and did that.

The store I stopped at had two large crates (over 200 pkgs) of these things.

I did almost buy the $10 stubby set. Someone convince me I need those and I'll go back.

 

[Garage-Junkie]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

These are in the Hot Deals Index, page 486 or something

 

[thooks]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

Perzactly. Why I started a new thread.

 

[purplezr2]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

Who's the chick in your avatar, I think that is the 10 dollar question.

Looks like Giada from the food network

 

[Honda 1]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

I also stopped at Lowe's to check out these wrenches. I agree with everything stated by thooks in the review of these wrenches. Additionally, I found the ends on the open end of the wrenches had very sharp, rough edges.
As a result, I passed on buying them!

 

[Coach James]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

......I did almost buy the $10 stubby set. Someone convince me I need those and I'll go back.

My stubby wrenches have bailed me out more than once. Last time it was changing the EGR valve on my Grand Caravan. Without the open end of a 10mm stubby and the patience of Job, I would have never got the last bolt out.

Coach

 

[ishiboo]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

My stubby wrenches have bailed me out more than once. Last time it was changing the EGR valve on my Grand Caravan. Without the open end of a 10mm stubby and the patience of Job, I would have never got the last bolt out.

Coach

It's important to note then that the Kobalt stubby set does not have a 10mm.

 

[Lomotil]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

I checked them out a couple days ago on my way home, I agree. Passed on them, too.

The wrenches just didn't seem to be very well finished before being chromed, and you'd have to bastardize a few sets just to get a complete set with no flaws. Not to mention, they were missing a few sizes that I use.

Don't know why, but I was also expecting them to be a bit longer, too.

 

[RodneyPierce]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

I checked them out a couple days ago on my way home, I agree. Passed on them, too.

The wrenches just didn't seem to be very well finished before being chromed, and you'd have to bastardize a few sets just to get a complete set with no flaws. Not to mention, they were missing a few sizes that I use.

Don't know why, but I was also expecting them to be a bit longer, too.

both of my sets that I picked up have a near perfect finish on them... perhaps some are just better then others? I couldnt ask for more wrench for the price....

 

[Coach James]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

It's important to note then that the Kobalt stubby set does not have a 10mm.

I noticed that when I was looking at them and thought that was odd to leave that size out. My first stubby sets were C-man bought several years ago.

Coach

 

[Lomotil]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

both of my sets that I picked up have a near perfect finish on them... perhaps some are just better then others? I couldnt ask for more wrench for the price....

Maybe this store had a bad batch? The chrome itself seemed ample, but on a noticeable number of the wrenches, it looked like they just chromed over rough spots and sharp edges. I'd be curious to find out how well they wear after a year's worth of use & if the chrome will start peeling on the sharper edges.

Have you had a chance to get yours dirty yet? If so, how'd they feel? Sale runs through the end of the year, and the closest Lowe's is only 2 miles away from me...

 

[Grogan14]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

Passed on the Crossforms. There's more to a tool for me than how super shiny it is.

 

[closetoreality]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

I'm going to check these out tomorrow you really can't go wrong with spending $30.00 for both sets getting 16 wrenches.

 

[cajunfirehawk]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

Passed on the xforms too and almost got the snubbys, finish was mirror like but NO 10mm!


BTW- my local lowes has a ton of this stuff left, I predict more $ cuts...

 

[geologist]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

I did almost buy the $10 stubby set. Someone convince me I need those and I'll go back.

I've got the STANDARD and METRIC ones in my tool box right now. Couldn't pass it up at that price. I also got the crossforce wrenches. When you feel the stubby in your hand, you'll know its for tight places. That totally sounds subliminal and ******** connotative, which is why you should just buy the damned wrenches.

 

[mojo3120]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

I passed. Whoever the moe-ron was in Charlotte

Mooresville

 

[Butters]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

I saw the crossform wrenches today and passed as well. +1 on the observations of the others: nice chrome over a poorly finished tool. $15 is a fair price for that set. Regardless of its original price, it's basically a $15 wrench set. Not a Hot Deal.

I didn't see a set of the stubbies. If those were $15 for the set I might have grabbed them. Only because I don't have a set. But not having a 10mm is kind of a dealbreaker.

 

[Stuey]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

I think the design is interesting, but see it as below X-Beam and CrossForce in terms of usability. In terms of quality, I think that $25 per set is a good value. $15 is better. Higher than $25 doesn't seem justified.

 

[geologist]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

I picked up a pair of the crossform wrenches and the chrome is nice and smooth with no rough spots. Based on other comments, there is probably a QC issue. Mine were nice though. However, the chrome is a bit white for me.

 

[kngelv]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

Looked at the Crossforms and was not super impressed. I did pick up a Kobalt 51 piece 1/4 drive set and a 40 piece 3/8 set for 19.95 each less Veterans 10% discount. At 17.96 a set I paid 35 cents for each 1/4 tool and 45 cents for each 3/8. Both had 72T ratchets plus extensions. There is no filler in the 3/8 set. Its ratchet, extension and sockets.

James

3/8 http://www.lowes.com/pd_338512-2232...Rail-_-Spcl_Value|BUYME_Kobalt_40pcMechnanics

1/4 Can't find it on the website but all the local Lowe's have them.

 

[kngelv]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

Looked at the Crossforms and was not super impressed. I did pick up a Kobalt 51 piece 1/4 drive set and a 40 piece 3/8 set for 19.95 each less Veterans 10% discount. At 17.96 a set I paid 35 cents for each 1/4 tool and 45 cents for each 3/8. Both had 72T ratchets plus extensions. There is no filler in the 3/8 set. Its ratchet, extension and sockets.

James

3/8 http://www.lowes.com/pd_338512-2232...Rail-_-Spcl_Value|BUYME_Kobalt_40pcMechnanics

1/4 Can't find it on the website but all the local Lowe's have them.

 

[sjotis]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

Not impressed either.... poor quality finish. These are a sorry imitation of the Craftsman or GearWrench versions.

Kobalt is in a race to the bottom fast.

 

[bhclark]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

I would pick up the stubby's, but I've been to 3 local stores and all they have is the metric. No SAE in stock???

 

[BUCKNERBUCK2]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

Checked them out after viewing this thread. I wouldn't put them in my toolbox. Pretty pathetic, can't believe they were $80.
They are almost a stubby wrench. Which is funny because the crossbeam design is supposed to be more comfortable when really pulling/pushing on a wrench. What a joke.

 

[t1r2u3s4t]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

Second that. The wrenches are really short.

Checked them out after viewing this thread. I wouldn't put them in my toolbox. Pretty pathetic, can't believe they were $80.
They are almost a stubby wrench. Which is funny because the crossbeam design is supposed to be more comfortable when really pulling/pushing on a wrench. What a joke.

 

[supra90turbo]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

Skips, not ok. Metric wrenches that skip 10mm... SERIOUSLY not ok...

My 2¢

 

[Lomotil]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

Looked at the Crossforms and was not super impressed. I did pick up a Kobalt 51 piece 1/4 drive set and a 40 piece 3/8 set for 19.95 each less Veterans 10% discount. At 17.96 a set I paid 35 cents for each 1/4 tool and 45 cents for each 3/8. Both had 72T ratchets plus extensions. There is no filler in the 3/8 set. Its ratchet, extension and sockets.

James

3/8 http://www.lowes.com/pd_338512-2232...Rail-_-Spcl_Value|BUYME_Kobalt_40pcMechnanics

1/4 Can't find it on the website but all the local Lowe's have them.

I finally got around to the store and looked at the 51pc 1/4" set. I don't typically like 12-pt sockets, as are in all their larger (drive size) sets, but was pleased to see that all of these are 6-pt (except the three 8-pt oddballs.)

Overall quality seems decent, although I did notice the stamping on the handle was a bit too harsh on one of the set's ratchet - to the point where it had deformed it. Other than that, seems to be a very nice set, and at a great price. Even the case seems sturdy.

 

[BBQ&Love]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

Mooresville

Ha! I caught that too. Lived in a zip code that adjoins Mooresville for 5 years.

 

[DodgeZ]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

I bought a set. I even used them to drop a motor and trans out of a car the same night I got them. Shockingly they didn't' break in half instantly upon first use. Some people will ***** about anything. The chrome isn't 100% perfect. LOL Do you all put them in a case and stair at them or do you use them to work on stuff? Hell the whole set is cheaper than one SnapOn wrench.

 

[wave180]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

I grabbed a metric set 3 days ago, not bad for $15 with lifetime warranty and Lowes is only 3 minute drive from our house.

 

[Lomotil]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

Another quick note about that 51pc 1/4" socket set - I took the ratchet apart and it was bone dry inside - not even a light coat of oil. Packed it with grease and it's smooth as silk.

Anybody else notice this with the newer style (Taiwan) Lowe's ratchets?

 

[WR250F]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

I bought a set too.

I've been using them a bit over the last week or so.

No, they aren't work of art masterpieces, but, damned if they don't fit fasteners just fine, and so far, that's what I use wrenches for.

$15 to try out the whole X force thing was worth it to me.

The box end 'shroud' is kind of unusual, but it just so happens to work pretty well for the application I've been using them on.

I don't think the folks at Williams or SK are shaking in their boots about Kobalt chinesium wrenches, but for $15 I'm OK with them

 

[-Brent-]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

I bought them for a gift exchange gift and someone with very little tools got them and was excited to have them. To me, that's the clientele for these wrenches - someone with a small collection of tools that would only use them occasionally.

 

[robertwhite]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

Skips, not ok. Metric wrenches that skip 10mm... SERIOUSLY not ok...

My 2¢

I don't know what cross form set ya'll are getting, but my set sure as sh!t does have a 10mm (8,10,12,13,14,15,17,18), and the finish is quite good (for a full polish cheapo wrench). Damn sure not $80 worth, but for $15, they are fine.

 

[wait4me]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

I don't know what cross form set ya'll are getting, but my set sure as sh!t does have a 10mm (8,10,12,13,14,15,17,18), and the finish is quite good (for a full polish cheapo wrench). Damn sure not $80 worth, but for $15, they are fine.

I believe its the stubbies they're referencing that skip 10mm.

 

[ishiboo]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

Not impressed either.... poor quality finish. These are a sorry imitation of the Craftsman or GearWrench versions.

Kobalt is in a race to the bottom fast.

I'd disagree, and I have a bunch of Kobalt including some of the USA stuff, and the quality on the Taiwan stuff seems much better. I think the QC difference on all these brands is why some people have poor experiences. The only thing I did not like in Kobalt were the multi-fit wrenches, the pebble black paint IMO looked awfully cheap and they didn't feel good, I returned them.

Wow, I thought the Kobalt's have much better finish than the GearWrenches. Everything Kobalt chromed I have purchased has been great, maybe there were some QC issues on the cross-forms but the ones I got are fine. I have MANY of the ratchets/probably 200 sockets/extensions/u-joints/etc. which are all awesome.

Meanwhile, the Craftsman full polish wrenches were just about as nicely finished, but all the USA-made Craftsman sockets I looked at (and I looked at a bunch of sets) were poorly finished compared to the Kobalt's.

The GW ratcheting wrenches I bought are nicely finished, but not as nice as the Kobalt's. For the money though they were much better values from the recent Sears sales (and more in the set) than the Kobalt racketing wrenches.

The GW ratcheting screwdriver I bought is nice, but doesn't have a 1/4" drive in the top. The sockets are poor quality and one came with a hunk out of it from the stamping process.

VERY unimpressed with the 2 GW Vortex sets I purchased. Rachets feel CHEAP, sockets have poor chrome consistency (just about every socket is a mix of good chrome and rough/mischromed areas), and one of the ratchets came broke.

 

[geologist]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

The only thing I did not like in Kobalt were the multi-fit wrenches, the pebble black paint IMO looked awfully cheap and they didn't feel good, I returned them.

I agree. They look like they've been painted with a ratty old paint brush, using left over rubber undercoating that has frozen a time or two.

 

[ishiboo]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

I agree. They look like they've been painted with a ratty old paint brush, using left over rubber undercoating that has frozen a time or two.

Haha. Very colorful (and accurate) assessment

 

[lineman88]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

I was looking for an inexpensive set of combination wrenches and was considering the $15 Kobalt set for 8 wrenches. One of the other members in a separate post suggested CMan RP wrenches ( 9 wrench sets)

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...=0&redirectType=SKIP_LEVEL&prop17=00947234000

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...=0&redirectType=SKIP_LEVEL&prop17=00947235000

If you add something else to get it up to $50 like the great prybars

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...=0&redirectType=SKIP_LEVEL&prop17=00943278000

and the 99 cent screwdriver you can use the SEAR2011 coupon and save another $5.00

I think this is a better deal and better wrench. I personally didn't care for the design of the box end of the Kobalt wrenches ( Who initially priced these at $79?!)

 

[ishiboo]

Re: $15 Kobalt cross force wrenches

I was looking for an inexpensive set of combination wrenches and was considering the $15 Kobalt set for 8 wrenches. One of the other members in a separate post suggested CMan RP wrenches ( 9 wrench sets)

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...=0&redirectType=SKIP_LEVEL&prop17=00947234000

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...=0&redirectType=SKIP_LEVEL&prop17=00947235000

If you add something else to get it up to $50 like the great prybars

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...=0&redirectType=SKIP_LEVEL&prop17=00943278000

and the 99 cent screwdriver you can use the SEAR2011 coupon and save another $5.00

I think this is a better deal and better wrench. I personally didn't care for the design of the box end of the Kobalt wrenches ( Who initially priced these at $79?!)

Looks like a nice set for the money, 9 piece 6-point wrenches are a much better deal than the CrossForms. Do note a lot of people prefer the 12-points in the box ends for more starts.

However, note those are the new Made in China wrenches and you can usually find them for cheaper than Craftsman from HF/etc., if you are not local to Sears to take advantage of the Craftsman warranty. The fit/finish on the Kobalts is better, though being pretty is not that relevant for most of you