Starting a Tool set
- Thread starter GC1187
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PAToyota
Well-known member
Without knowing what you are getting into, I'd say get the largest Craftsman set you can afford.
jimvannoy
Well-known member
I started 30 years ago with a Craftsman set and upgraded/added stuff over the years.
Uncle Buck
Banned
Another Crafty vote here.
Canadian Charlie
Banned
You sound like you're a young guy in his late teens or early 20's with a limited amount of money. Try and get the best quality tools for the money you have, Craftsman are in reach of everyones budget and warranty is never a problem. Higher end stuff such as Snap On and Mac cost more
DiStOrTiOn
Well-known member
I agree, craftsman is the way to go starting out, almost all my tools are craftsman (affordable, easy to get), and I love em. But a word to the wise, look at what they sell you in the however many piece set you buy, a lot of the time, hex keys are 30 or so of the "specialty tools" in the sets. If you want the best bang for the buck, compare all the sets in your price range, and buy the one with the most tools you'll actually use. Hex keys are relatively cheap, and a way for sears to make more money from the qualitative buyers.
punkabilly136
Well-known member
the hex keys they give you in those sets are junk as well!!!
boiler7904
Well-known member
Unless he's willing to spend $600+ for a Craftsman Pro set, he'll also be getting the always popular "raised panel" rachets. I think most would agree that they are junk too.
Uncle Buck
Banned
Sorry, Not to go down that road with anyone but I do not agree, I have been using my sets for years with no problems whatsoever and I have never had any problems with them.
I also use my tools heavily, I do not simply stand around and polish them, collect them, and organize drawers as some sort of hobby. So while I do not use them to make a living they have served me well in a hobbyist capacity.
So no, I do not agree.
(Hey! Now stop that......Throwing popcorn and beer at a guy just because he is not in sync with the troops is totally un-acceptable behavior!
)ColdDuckTime
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2007
- Messages
- 384
...I'd kind of start over on this and get away from the whole brand thing.
What does the original poster think they might do with the tools (or would be encouraged to do if they had the tools)?
What does the original poster think they might do with the tools (or would be encouraged to do if they had the tools)?
Are you moving out to school to
A) Automotive trade school?
B) Something else school?
You may find the work load in many universities precludes time to fix your car. The good news is that you don't need to go anyplace or have a social life.
A) Automotive trade school?
B) Something else school?
You may find the work load in many universities precludes time to fix your car. The good news is that you don't need to go anyplace or have a social life.
BadBloodRacing
Well-known member
I vote for Craftsman also. Started with a 90 some-odd set years ago and now have 3 tool boxs of tools.
punkabilly136
Well-known member
don't get me wrong, all i have is craftsman, but i just think the hex keys they give you in those "mechanics" sets are junk, you will def. wanna upgrade those
PAToyota
Well-known member
I do agree with Punkabilly... Do your homework and pay attention to what is included in that ***-piece set. Realize that they are counting hex keys and screwdrivers and such separately and don't just go for the larger number of items.
Uncle Buck
Banned
When I was in college I kept many of my tools in a box in the trunk of my car. I had a fairly substantial collection even then so some stuff had to stay at my folks place. I can honestly say that I had enough tools in that box to handle anything I was going to get involved with working in a parking lot which was the only option then. A guy can stuff a lot of tools into a simple box if most of the fluff and packaging **** is left behind.
Yah, but that ***** when you spend more time looking for a tool then working on your car. Been there done that. memories.
Uncle Buck
Banned
Yah, but that ***** when you spend more time looking for a tool then working on your car. Been there done that. memories.
Indeed, I must agree. Usually everything ends up laying on the ground and rolling around. Unless this guy is lucky enough to have a better situation that is likely what he is up against though. On the up side, I would prefer to have it that way than need something and not have it in the box 50 miles from home!
russlaferrera
Well-known member
This Sunday's Sears ad had many tools 50% off Now is the time to pick up some stuff
SpiderGearsMan
Banned
my neighbor in the shop shattered 4 craftsman sockets last week
SpiderGearsMan
Banned
funny , do you know how many snap on sockets I have that are over 20 years old ?
Spookrider
Well-known member
S&K Has school starter sets that are a good price and the quality is good and what I use at work and school.
Vincent Vega
Well-known member
I knew a guy who, when he did parking lot repairs, dumped his tools out on the ground. First time I saw it I was quite puzzled.
He knew they were going to all end up on the ground anyway so he just got that out of the way first!
Uncle Buck
Banned
Indeed, I must agree. Usually everything ends up laying on the ground and rolling around. Unless this guy is lucky enough to have a better situation that is likely what he is up against though. On the up side, I would prefer to have it that way than need something and not have it in the box 50 miles from home!
I had some Craftsman set's in the plastic case, and my Brother decided to dump them all in a tool box together. He then thru away the case's. That was over ten years ago and I'm still mas as hell over that! That is why I became disorginized. Not no more.
Uncle Buck
Banned
I probably did not explain myself good enough. Years ago Sears 1/4 sets came in metal boxes, then blow molded cases that held each individual socket on one side and the drive tools on the other side of the box circa
1960's-1970's these kind of cases I always kept, but many other types are space eaters, that was always the stuff I ditched, but I never ever just had sockets just rolling around in the bottom of my boxes, I always used trays, or the metal strips with spring clips to keep my sockets organized.
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I understood you, The old metal tray's are nice. My cousin still works on his car from a small tool box cramned with everything from a torque wrench to gearwrenchs. When he is at my house he just goes for my tool box.
Charles (in GA)
Well-known member
If you are looking at Craftsman sets, be careful to note if the box ends are 6 point or 12 point. Craftsman has both and you DO NOT want the 6 point. You may be better off watching the sales, and buying a set of combo metrics, later a set of combo fractional, later a basic 1/4 drive set, and so on. That is what I did. Dad had a WWII surplus toolbox (built like a tank, I still have it) and we took that and started loading it with tools. Every time something was on sale, we looked to see if it was what I should have and bought. Build up a pretty good set of those "horrible raised panel wrenches" that everyone badmouths. Over the next 37 or so years I've accumulated a lot of tools and done a lot of work. All we had at home for a place to work was a single car carport and a tiny storage room. Its amazing how much work I did on the carport. Got screamed at by mom a few times for tracking up the kitchen floor, but the car got fixed.
Charles
that everyone badmouths. Over the next 37 or so years I've accumulated a lot of tools and done a lot of work. All we had at home for a place to work was a single car carport and a tiny storage room. Its amazing how much work I did on the carport. Got screamed at by mom a few times for tracking up the kitchen floor, but the car got fixed.Charles
Why wouldn't he want both the 6 and 12 point wrenches? I have wanted a set of 6 point combinations for years and just now got around to buying them.
daddylama
Well-known member
surprised nobody's mentioned this yet:
garage sales, yard sales and estate sales.
i've bought roughly 3/4 my tools at yard sales. craftsman, some old snap-on and mac... then some really old tools that i use daily. a lot of old tools... even a lot of old no-name stuff... was built much better than most of the ****, now.
i've even bought broken craftsman stuff for pennies... went to the nearest sears and exchanged it.
garage sales, yard sales and estate sales.
i've bought roughly 3/4 my tools at yard sales. craftsman, some old snap-on and mac... then some really old tools that i use daily. a lot of old tools... even a lot of old no-name stuff... was built much better than most of the ****, now.
i've even bought broken craftsman stuff for pennies... went to the nearest sears and exchanged it.
Uncle Buck
Banned
Trust me, several, myself included have uttered almost your exact words verbatim on countless occasions on this board!
Charles (in GA)
Well-known member
Why WOULD you want the 6 point wrenches? On the tight quarters of most autos, you would find them difficult or impossible to use. The only reason I can see for 6 point anything is for corroded, rusted, frozen, rusted undersize, nuts and bolts. The only 6 point I have or want are impact sockets, those need to be.
Charles
Uncle Buck
Banned
I bought sets of Cman 6pt in standard and metric too, S/O and others have offered them for years. I like having them for the applications that will come up some day that I never could have anticipated. As an example I have had a set of tappet wrenches for years, I never recall actually needing them to do a job, or even using them; last week I changed the rear shocks on the wife's 91 Town Car, without a tappet wrench I would never have been able to reach the nut on top of the shock that secures it. Absolutely no other tool I owned could have done that job and I have a damned fine selection to choose from.
I guess it depends on what you work on. I work on antique tractors and old vehicles a lot (The pre-metric kind with carburetors, point ignition etc). They do have corroded, rusted, frozen, rusted undersize, nuts and bolts. See there you answered your own question.
Long live the V/8!When starting out I would be tempted to find a nice used "set" where everything fits in the big plastic case, or medium sized plastic case, Craftsmen, Husky, whatever as long as its lifetime warranty and easy to exchange all over. Once you have the basics covered then one at a time buy things you need specifically for the cars you have.
wrigh003
Well-known member
Get the one on the front page here:
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/v_10153_12605_Tools?adCell=AH&lid=nav_tools_h&sid=ie_11556_C_x20
It's what I would buy if I were starting from scratch- I have a couple different craftsman sets and have been very satsfied with them over the years for general work around the house, putting bikes together for kids, building stuff, etc., along with working on the odd car/motorcycle/lawnmower here or there. As it is, I want it anyway, but it would be a lot of duplication for me at this point. Mom and dad gave me an all metric ~160 piece set when I was about 16, and I still use it all the time, 12 years later. A few years on, wife's folks got me a combo metric/SAE kit, and I have more stuff duplicated from that.
The craftsman ratchets are a mixed bag- I think they have different companies manufacture them and so it depends on when/where you get yours. All my ratchets are craftsman raised panel. I have two 1/4in, two 3/8in, and one 1/2in. Both the 1/4in ratchets are pretty nice, though one is definitely smoother/better/nicer than the other. The 3/8in ratchets, one is pretty good, and the other is sloppy as hell, and the 1/2in is just plain sloppy. I'll probably eventually upgrade some of the stuff, but since I don't turn wrenches for a living, unless something breaks or quits working, I'll pretty much deal with sloppy.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/v_10153_12605_Tools?adCell=AH&lid=nav_tools_h&sid=ie_11556_C_x20
It's what I would buy if I were starting from scratch- I have a couple different craftsman sets and have been very satsfied with them over the years for general work around the house, putting bikes together for kids, building stuff, etc., along with working on the odd car/motorcycle/lawnmower here or there. As it is, I want it anyway, but it would be a lot of duplication for me at this point. Mom and dad gave me an all metric ~160 piece set when I was about 16, and I still use it all the time, 12 years later. A few years on, wife's folks got me a combo metric/SAE kit, and I have more stuff duplicated from that.
The craftsman ratchets are a mixed bag- I think they have different companies manufacture them and so it depends on when/where you get yours. All my ratchets are craftsman raised panel. I have two 1/4in, two 3/8in, and one 1/2in. Both the 1/4in ratchets are pretty nice, though one is definitely smoother/better/nicer than the other. The 3/8in ratchets, one is pretty good, and the other is sloppy as hell, and the 1/2in is just plain sloppy. I'll probably eventually upgrade some of the stuff, but since I don't turn wrenches for a living, unless something breaks or quits working, I'll pretty much deal with sloppy.
Uncle Buck
Banned
The only problem with that idea is you do not often find fairly comprehensive sets sold used in the blowmolded boxes the way sears does, which leaves you piece mealing together a used set. You can piece meal a set quite successfully, I know I did piece meal together a set for my truck inexpensively this way some years ago. All told I doubt I spent $200.00 and for that I got full sets shallow and deep in 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 plus full used sets of wrenches to 1 &1/4 plus all the extras. BTW, all good brands, no HF included. Most were not shiney, but I do not judge my tools by bling bling.
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