SK Tools?

[Chamkila]

Hi guys i am new to this forum And i did try to search but it wouldnt let me search saying its too short to search etc etc but what do you guys think of sk tools

 

[Elroy]

what do you guys think of sk tools

Their chrome is nice. Other than that Elroy will reserve comment.

Welcome to the board. Be advised; Just look past that Elroy fellow. He's kind of a "gut"

 

[krusty the clown]

there are varied opinions about s-k tools here.............the search function doesn't work well under three letters so get ready.


i'd pay attention to elroy btw..........he knows his stuff

 

[Paladin]

Personally, I have no problem with SK whatsoever. All the SK tools I've used were very high quality. Some here have seen issues with SK quality control, but I like them. Great tools for the money.

 

[wrenchr]

SK used can be had for cheap, if you are going to buy new just buy craftsman and save some dough!!

 

[Merkava_4]

Their chrome is nice. Other than that Elroy will reserve comment.

LOL!!!

 

[philw]

Think along the lines of Craftsman Pro. In fact, SK has made tools for the Craftsman Pro line in the past (wrenches.)
Ratchets are good. Nothing spectacular, just good solid tools.
I own quite a few and never had a quality control problem but a few on the board have had issues. Unless you have a SK dealer nearby it's probably easier to do Craftsman Pro and fill in with SK what Cman Pro doesn't have.
In the lower $ end Cman Pro and SK are probably your best deals.

 

[davestlouis]

David's with Elroy on this one...S-K tools sure are shiny. I must say, I less of an issue with their wrenches than their ratchets...I detest the ratchets.

 

[cruiser808]

My SK tools are really Craftsman tools from the mid 90's when SK was supplying Sears with their upscale offerings. At the time, I bought lots of SK/Craftsman wrench sets and crowfoot sets, including the the stubbie wrenches which I love. Look at the C-man stubbie wrench replacements; they **** and not in a good way. I guess it's being in the right place at the right time. Don't know about SK now as everything is Proto or Snap-on for me.

 

[davestlouis]

I tried that 3rd person thing, couldn't even do it for a whole paragraph without messing it up. Must be the ghost of Sister Consolata, my first grade teacher, helping me along.

 

[Uncle Buck]

I do not have many SK tools, but I really have no complaints about those I have though. As to the chrome, most of the chrome was gone 20 years before I laid eyes on most of the SK tools I own so I will take everyone's word on how shiney they are when new!

 

[kartracer55]

Look back a page or two and you'll find a similar thread explaining them.

I really like their tools. Sure, some people are going to trash them but the bottom line is Craftsman is bit lacking when it comes to offering a range of sockets other than "basic". Their half inch drive impacts only go up to 1 1/16, metrics randomly up to 27mm, skipping a few. Doesn't cut it for a serious DIY'er, and neither does Snap On or Matco's pricing. SK fills the void nicely.

Ratchets are an excellent mid-price item. Not a high end snap on, better than a craftsman. There ya go.

 

[a390st]

They aren't bad. I have a few, and they do the job. I will tell you that when I broke a ratchet, they took care of it no questions asked, and fast. Their old round head ratchets aren't the newest thing on the block, but for backups and out in the rain and mud ratchets, they're perfect.

 

[cruiser808]

I do not have many SK tools, but I really have no complaints about those I have though. As to the chrome, most of the chrome was gone 20 years before I laid eyes on most of the SK tools I own so I will take everyone's word on how shiney they are when new!

+1. I bought mine many years ago and they have done me well. Don't know about the new stuff.

 

[81Seca]

Pretty much what kartracer said. I have some sk sockets that have outlasted many others. I love their ratchets, especially their 3/8 roto-head. Also like the expert screwdrivers a lot. IMO, better than Craftsman, and for my use, as good as anything else Ive owned.

 

[Bolster]

I don't have complaints about my S-K items either.

I'm trying to remember who on this board hates S-K and why. I think it had something to do with a slip in finishing quality a few years ago? Somebody refresh my memory here, but I got the impression that the early 2000s were not a good time to buy S-K, but that maybe they are back on track again?

Anybody remember this discussion, or what thread it came from?

 

[davestlouis]

I seem to recall that someone kept getting wrenches that were bent and mis-shapen right out of the box. My main issue is that the newer ratchets all rattle, like the guts are loose in there. I wonder if the tooling isn't worn out from building the silly things for 50 years, so things are looser than they should be.

 

[Diesel-Mech]

I don't have a whole lot of S-K stuff but I am pleased with what I do have. Some of my favorite wrenches are double box end ratcheting S-K's and I have no complaints with the imperial and metric sets of stubby combination wrenches I have.

 

[LoneGunman]

I'd rather have OLD SK than Cman, I do have one deep 3/4" socket that cracked in two locations, I believe it is a newer one though. 99% of my SK tools were my dads, he bought them in the early to mid 70's while working on trucks. I have never had a problem with the older ones, they reside in my work truck, trail tool kits, junkyard toolkit, ETC.

 

[BigChevy80]

I dunno about S-K totally, but I have quite a few of my dad's old tools from the 1960's when they were called "SK Wayne." Top quality stuff in my opinion.

 

[Valsmere]

I have one of their flex head wrench set, metric. I really like that set, I feel better than the c man set. Just watch your prices, ebay can run hot and cold. I have found that Amazon has some decent pricing. I'm not crazy about their ratchets I like the snap on ones. But the SO prices do ****.

 

[cruiser808]

As I recall, BMW and Nissan received some sub-par quality SK offerings at a premium price. I can't speak to a comparison as theirs were alot newer than my tools and I remember SK going through several changes since I bought from them. But, BMW and Nissan have very detailed experiences of bad SK quality and I value their critiques. Their problems have stopped me from buying SK products.

 

[Bull]

Check out this thread:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25853

 

[Vinko]

Bought this set:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000MAOQVC/?tag=atomicindus08-20

It arrived in perfect shape. It's proved useful for general maintenance.

 

[T56 Impala]

Doesn't FACOM own S&K now? Aren't they all owned by Stanley? I seem to recall reading this somewhere.

 

[Fedwrench]

Doesn't FACOM own S&K now? Aren't they all owned by Stanley? I seem to recall reading this somewhere.

No. Facom used to own SK a few years ago. SK is now self owned. Stanley acquired Facom a year or two ago.
SK tools are great mid priced tools if you shop around. If you pay close to retail or the prices on the Sears website, then, you are hosing yourself. Every manufacturer has quality issues too include the truck brands. I feel SK wrenches are too fat around the boxed end but, that's me. Their round head ratchet is a classic design that is over 40 years old. Shop around for the best deal and they will give you years of great service.

 

[T56 Impala]

Okay, I knew there was some connection to FACOM and Stanley. It all turns to garbage once it gets inside my head anyway!

I agree that S&K are decent tools. I also agree that you can find great deals on them. I do put them in a class below the Craftsman Pro line. I have one of the classic round head ratchets. (Actually, I almost tossed it as junk before I started coming here!) I guess it is a very sturdy tool. I don't like using it as it is very course and the action is rough, but I can see where it could stand up to some serious usage.

I see S&K stuff all the time for sale. Real cheap too. Look at your local pawn shops, eBay and Craigslist. You will find good deals too!