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Shop Break in

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Ree75

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Recently The shop I work at was broken into and I need to replace about $1500 in tools. I'll be starting with my standard combo wrenches and I am wondering what opinions everyone has to my possible choices:

Napa- Carlyle or evercrap oops evercraft
ace hardware- craftsman
carquest- gearwrench (standard box ends, I don't want the ratcheting ones)
oreilly autoparts- ???

These are going to be bought on the company account, so thats why those are the stores listed. I will be replacing an older craftsman set, which I will miss and was also wondering if their new wrenches are thicker and fit in tight spots poorly like their newer sockets.
 
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EOC_Jason

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Yeah the raised panel chinese cman wrenches aren't much to write about... The full-polish are thinner but wider.

Craftsman Industrial are made in USA
 
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Ree75

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EOC_Jason said:
Yeah the raised panel chinese cman wrenches aren't much to write about... The full-polish are thinner but wider.

Craftsman Industrial are made in USA
Click to expand...

I wonder if craftsman's quality is going to further decrease. I just found out stanley/black and decker bought out craftsman. I've broken a lot of stanleys newer ****
 
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EOC_Jason

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O'Reilly looks like GearWrench, Performance Tool, and PowerTorque??? Never heard of those last two... Guessing Chinese though...
 
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VRStrickland

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Guy in my last shop had full SAE and metric GW non-ratcheting sets, and they were pretty good tools. Of those you listed, that's what I would go with.


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woody 73

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That ***** sorry about the loss.

For what it is worth I do not own any of the Napa Carlyle tools but I have seen them in the napa stores and they look very nice. I do however own older napa tools and when they fail I have never been turned down by napa they always make good, so for my two cents napa would be the way to go.

I do own some gearwrench and again napa would take care of them also!

Craftsman is another story call it a crapshoot as of this posting.

Hope this helps you out.
 
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TK-421

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I'd head for Gearwrench, they're excellent quality for the money. So long as you're not expecting Snap-On then I think you'll be quite happy.
 
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T45

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x3 on Napa

More valuable to have a deeper business relationship with one quality vendor like Napa, than spread your self thin with contacts at the other places.

Of course if your napa guy ***** and the ace people are awesome, reconsider which one you give preference tool. Our local ACE carries wright tools and is awesome, so I would consider it a closer choice.

Buying GW from advanced or autozone or whatever is not going to be a total disaster, tho.Would avoid anything chicom for combos at all costs...
 
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T45

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And personally, I would put a caliper on the 10mm ring end and make sure its 15.0-15,5 or less otherwise you will be not fitting on bolts in modern applications and throwing toys.
 
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Farmall450

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John in OH said:
I've been pretty impressed with the Carlyle tools from NAPA. If I had to build a set from the suppliers you listed, Carlyle would be my first choice.
Click to expand...

If they're paying lol.

I'd go with Carlyle or GearWrench as well, although I suspect that latter would be easier to warranty outside of NAPA's banker hours.
 
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BK13

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Unless you're working on show cars where fastener damage is an issue, Carlyle long pattern is the way I'd go. If it is an issue, then the standard pattern.


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Ree75

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oh, btw I live at Napa and followed by prairie-land partners John Deere. I'm at Napa at least twice a week on the way to work. I have a great relationship with them. I get most of my welding supplies and a sh1t ton of parts from them.
I did a side by side comparison of their 5/8' GW and Carlyle this morning, and am definately getting the Carlyle. the Carlyle ends are a little bit smaller/thinner. To most it doesn't sound like a big deal but if you work on anything John Deere, especially older broke down ****, thinner is the way to go. For prime example I was working on a water pump for a john deere 4010 tractor. I had to use some of the **** as shop tools, and the one that pissed me of was a 9/16" box wrench. It would not fit over a bolt due to the boxes thickness because it hit the housing on the water pump.

While I was there I also replaced/ordered some other tools. I replaced my IR 231c with a Napa Pro Power composite wrench (I'll look for another old 231c on craigslist/ebay). I replaced my GW screwdriver set with a nice high visibilty green ones by Carlyle. Ordered a IR W7150 to replace my Dewalt 20v impact (oops :)), figuring since the boss and owner are only replacing one of my drills, they can cover the cost difference :)
 
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Empty Pockets

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Ree75- If I am limited to those choices, I would go with Gearwrench first, then Carlisle. If the company is buying, I'd look at SK then Wright

Richard- You ain't the only one who hates a thief
 
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Ree75

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Empty Pockets said:
Ree75- If I am limited to those choices, I would go with Gearwrench first, then Carlisle. If the company is buying, I'd look at SK then Wright
Click to expand...

Well for vanitys sake I would prefer to go with the williams high visibilty set in Red(for sae, yellow for metric) but there isnt a store we have an account with that sells them
 
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