Stanley sockets at Walmart, early 2000's

[Chipm]

I was working on some European car that had 12 point caliper bracket bolts for some reason, so I pulled these out:

Sometime around 2000-2005ish Walmart sold Stanley tools, and actually had a pretty good selection. This 1/2" metric 12-pt set goes from 12mm to 36mm and was made in Taiwan. If I remember right, you bought three separate sets to get all of them. I used the heck out of them until I finally got a good set of 6-pts. It was fun digging them out again.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

I remember when they sold Stanley Tools. About a decade ago I remember they started carrying single Stanley sockets but they quickly disappeared I guess maybe a high theft item. I really like their old Popular Mechanics branded tools from Walmart I believe they were made by Stanley too. Very good tools I use many of them on a daily basis.

 

[CJM8515]

i have 1/4 and 3/8 sockets from them and some ratchets. worked super well for me at the time and i still use them today

 

[whateg01]

I bought their fine tooth 3/8 ratchet. Worked really smoothly but would get jammed up if you really gronked on it. I still use them today. Small head and get little back drag.

 

[CoogarXR]

My first rolling tool chest was a Walmart Stanley set. I bought it around 99-2000ish. It came with a socket set and some screwdrivers. I still have the top box from the rolling chest (I sold the bottom a while back), and I still have all the tools in my "house" box, and I use them all the time. I agree, they were pretty good for Walmart tools, lol.

 

[milkovich]

I remember this and still have a 1/4" set. They were well made and the price was great. I wish they would have kept going with this tack rather than buying Craftsman and shitting it up. Now Walmart has their own brands that are halfway decent and they can sorta compete with HF at the price points they occupy. Then again, everything looks easy from outside and in hindsight.

 

[David99]

Picked up one of the larger sets probably in 2001, Dead Battery was the motivation, and everything was available at Walmart. I still have them with some additions as the live in the trunk tool set. (my mothers Lumina APV, too far from home & couldn't just lift the battery out!)

 

[freudianfloyd]

When my wife and I were starting out, Walmart Stanley was all I could afford. I still have them and have no qualms about using them when the time arrives. I also have their wrench set, and though it is crude by Snap on standards, they have always worked, they fit nicely in a case, and have always been the set I throw in the truck when I need to do field work or go to the junk yard.

 

[Junkdrawer Dog]

About a decade ago I remember they started carrying single Stanley sockets but they quickly disappeared I guess maybe a high theft item.

That's correct. It was so convenient to be able to buy open stock sockets at Wally's. They started out on an open peg, then went behind a locked cabinet, then were removed completely. A friend who was a manager at Wally's at the time confirmed that they were flying out the door except nobody was paying for them.

 

[bdbecker]

My 1/4" set now lives in my house project toolbox. Still works great!

 

[toolmiser]

I have a metric/standard set that I bought there years ago on clearance. I keep it in my woodshop and it does what I need it to.

 

[cody1325]

I found a 30 year old coping saw at mine a month ago. Supposedly, someone returned it.

PS: this Walmart was built in 2003, so it probably wasn't old inventory.

Somewhere, I have a Stanley USA 7/8 wrench as well as a 1/2 drive 3/4 socket. The wrench looks suspiciously like my Blackhawk ones, and the socket Proto--so, did they use their forgings after the buyout?

 

[NC Fabricator25]

A small set of Stanley SAE wrenches, from the late 90’s, after the Proto / Stanley merger. Made in USA. They look identical to the Challenger wrench line up, which was Proto owned. This was my travel wrench set for many years and I’ve really enjoyed using this small set, only downside was the odd choice to not include 11/16”.

Shown with some other Proto wrench variants.

 

[Chipm]

A small set of Stanley SAE wrenches, from the late 90’s, after the Proto / Stanley merger. Made in USA. They look identical to the Challenger wrench line up, which was Proto owned. This was my travel wrench set for many years and I’ve really enjoyed using this small set, only downside was the odd choice to not include 11/16”.

Shown with some other Proto wrench variants.

The Challenger looks a lot like late 90's Husky wrenches.

 

[rust in the eye]

WalMart quit Stanley in favor of a house brand, Popular Mechanics which was marketed using the magazine's branding. They were Taiwan made and quite good for the money. I think Stanley got their foot back in the door a few years later, now again back to house brand Hart.

 

[ChevyEFI]

IIRC, I have an SAE 1/2 dr. 12pt 5 socket set in plastic holder, 1-1/8? - 1-1/2? Bought around 2000.

 

[Y00PER]

WalMart quit Stanley in favor of a house brand, Popular Mechanics which was marketed using the magazine's branding. They were Taiwan made and quite good for the money. I think Stanley got their foot back in the door a few years later, now again back to house brand Hart.

They (popular mechanics) were U.S. made before going to Taiwan. I still have some of my 1/4" drive sockets.

 

[HomeTheaterMan]

I have a set of Stanley impact sockets I bought probably 20+ years ago from Walmart. I didn't have the money for Craftsman at the time and they were a fraction of the price. I planned on upgrading them as soon as I could. To my surprise they ended to being fantastic. I'm still using them on a regular basis 20+ years later and have no desire to upgrade. I've also abused them beating bearings in/out, u joints, etc. and they've held up great to that abuse too.

To my surprise I was helping a relative work on his car the other day and he pulled out the same set with an almost identical story. He bought them when he was in college because they were cheap. He thought he'd use them until he got something better, but after using them, realized he didn't have any reason to upgrade. He's still using them today.

I also have some wrenches I use occasionally from the same time period. They aren't the most comfortable in your hand, but they also work well. They haven't bent, spread, etc. and they fit fasteners well. I definitely miss the days of decent quality tools at dirt cheap prices.