What did you do with your craftsman tools after upgrading?

[Houe]

Like many (most?) of you I started my tool collection when Craftman meant made in the USA and a good value in tools. Those sockets and RP wrenches have served me well over the years. However, over time I've upgraded my craftsman hand tools to snap on, mac, williams, SK, etc. etc.

My question is what did you do with your craftsman hand tools? Did you keep them? Sell them? give them away? Pack them in a box and throw them in the basement?

In my opinion it doesn't seem like they have a lot of resell value - even the USA stuff. Don't really want to start hording stuff, but it seems like it might be better to box them up and wait for a time that will present itself. Maybe hand them to my son in 16 years?

What did you do?

 

[kngelv]

Save them for your son. I started putting a tool collection together for mine when he was about 6 and am glad I never got rid of my old Craftsman stuff. He is now 12 and is a bicycle junkie with a half dozen bikes that he is constantly working on and has decent tools to do so. We are always working on something and he loves having his own tools and toolbox when he is helping me in the garage or house.

James

 

[johninct]

1970's stuff still in use and I am a Snap-On guy. Other stuff, cars, road box...

 

[shanny19]

I bought a gigantic everything possible socket set in 1998, and have since upgraded everything.
The sockets get used as press accessories occasionally, and may come in handy as slingshot ammo for the zombie apocalypse.
The raised panel ratchets....I can’t toss them, but they will never, ever, never get used. Ever.

 

[chris142]

I took all my craftsman and Matco stuff home. That way I have some tools at home. Dont have to run to the shop to get something.

 

[zendriver]

Ill use mine till the day I die.

I've never "upgraded" anything, unless it would not perform properly, which is never been the case with any cman, with maybe the exception of their **** screwdrivers.

I am giving a older craftsman roller tool chest to my son because I upgraded with Harbor freight, if that counts.


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[Skeptic68W]

I bought a gigantic everything possible socket set in 1998, and have since upgraded everything.
The sockets get used as press accessories occasionally, and may come in handy as slingshot ammo for the zombie apocalypse.
The raised panel ratchets....I can’t toss them, but they will never, ever, never get used. Ever.

PM me if you want to sell off odds and ends from that set on the cheap. I made the mistake of buying socket trays and the gaps are giving my OCD fits

 

[619DioFan]

I still have all of my USA craftsman tools that I started buying over 30 years ago, I use them all the time as a serious DIYer. they share space in my tool box with HF . husky , tekton and other non-truck brands. I can see no reason to not use them nor " upgrade " to a more expensive brand.

 

[Ty.]

They go in the cross box on my truck, don't have to feel bad about leaving them there and they have saved my *** a few times

 

[jonshonda]

Post them in the classifieds here for sale, and you'll get a hundred responses from guys like the above, looking for the unobtanium sockets that were never made for the Hansen socket organizers..... Been there, done that, answered the messages!

haha...sounds like a blast!

Keep them as back ups or an excuse to get another work bench area started in the basement or shed.

 

[Arkansas COB]

Im with zendriver.
They was good enough when I bought them in the 70's and 80's and have performed flawlessly over the years. Yes they are scratched up and ding up and look old and used but as long as they do the job they have earned the right to be top drawer tools. If they break or wear out then I'll replace with another quality tool.

Why would a person stop using perfectly good tools and buy newer and more expensive ones ?


COB

 

[Stooge]

Kept a mostly complete set of combination wrenches in the back of a drawer as backups, but blew the dust off the rest of the stuff, and put together a set of 3/8 metric and sae socket sets, a couple extensions, adapters, etc. and sets of metric and sae combination wrenches and gave them to a buddy who's getting his feet wet in working on his car, and so I wouldn't have to bring stuff over if I was giving him a hand with something. Last I saw, a lot of it had been ransacked, strewn about, misplaced by his young kids, but im not sure how much of it is actually lost for good, or just hiding somewhere though. His project car is at my house now, so atleast I don't have to rely on him having tools available for me to use

 

[Johnny Generic]

Im with zendriver.
They was good enough when I bought them in the 70's and 80's and have performed flawlessly over the years. Yes they are scratched up and ding up and look old and used but as long as they do the job they have earned the right to be top drawer tools. If they break or wear out then I'll replace with another quality tool.

Why would a person stop using perfectly good tools and buy newer and more expensive ones ?


COB

WELL SAID

 

[GrayFlattop]

Most of them I've kept. Partly because I'm turning into a hoarder and partially because many were just completely beat to sh!t and just sad looking, but I couldn't bear to part with them.

Naturally, I put mine in a Craftsman tool chest.

And I've given some to younger guys at work, but mostly just items that I had multiples of.

 

[DFB]

Upgrade???:

Ill use mine till the day I die.

I've never "upgraded" anything, unless it would not perform properly, which is never been the case with any cman, with maybe the exception of their **** screwdrivers. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Boy some of the screwdrivers can **** hey

I am giving a older craftsman roller tool chest to my son because I upgraded with Harbor freight, if that counts.
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I always been fully satisfied with my ball bearing slide 41" combo since I bought it in the mid 90s but looking back on my early 80's non ball bearing slide tower unit the drawers do seem pretty cheap...and small

 

[logical]

I got the big set as a Christmas present from my parents about 4 decades ago. I've since moved on mostly to other brands, wide ranging or more complete sets and add ons.

I took most of that original set, added more USA Craftsman mostly from Ebay and put it aside in a Craftsman stack for my son. It's 100% USA Craftsman, half being my original set and I enjoyed putting it together. He's still bouncing around from one apartment to the next but once he gets a place with a garage he'll be all set.

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[mark.dziamski]

After my time in the military I got a job as a mechanic in the civilian world and needed to purchase a **** ton of tools quick. I spent a ton on craftsman and husky tools to get all the general hand tools. Since working I have upgraded most to snap on and moved all my store brand to my garage at home. No sense in using high dollar tools for DIY projects

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[woody 73]

Why on Gods green earth would anyone want to get rid of good usable tools is beyond me ? What the heck are you going to do if they ever stop making (you fill in the blank) tools just how long can you keep upgrading?

Oh look they no longer make Mac time to upgrade, oh look they no longer make snap on, time to upgrade...

 

[L.Cheapo]

I sneaked all the stinky handles into my dad's toolbox. Most of the rest I threw in a cardboard box under my toolbox "just in case".

 

[logical]

The smell is part of their charm.

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[Psychwarfare]

I used to drive around with the CM mechanic's set my father gave me, but have since stored that in the basement of my house for safe keeping and use it on small projects around the house.

I have a variety of USA and Asian COO CM stuff in my garage and it gets used with great regularity. The ratcheting wrenches (the 3/8 did break and was replaced) and 299 pc socket set have come in handy and I see no need to "upgrade" until something breaks/gets lost/etc.

I have legitimately upgraded my CM ratchets, but have also continued buying USA (mostly vintage) and Asian COO CM ratchets and other tools over the past couple months...cheap and fun...and the RP ratchet stuff never bothered me...its what I learned to work on cars with.

As of late I've mostly used my new SK ratchets...but still pull out the CM stuff depending on mood.

Even my go to screwdrivers are the clear handled CM jobs

 

[gtsgarage]

I have two complete sets of craftsman USA made sockets and I’d love to get some of the new stuff but these will probably serve me well for the rest of my life if not my kids lives.

 

[APEowner]

I have tools all over the place. In the race trailer, at work, in my house, in my truck... My old Craftsman stuff is in places like the house or my office where I may need a tool occasionally but it doens't necessarily have to be a good one.

 

[PugetDude]

Replaced the raised panel ratchets with Tekton, kept all the rest.

 

[larry_g]

I go right on using them. If they fail to do the job then they are scrapped, used in art projects, drawer pulls and such.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Jazz1]

My 40 year old SAE Craftsman set will be used until I don’t see anymore SAE nuts and bolts
Can’t imagine pitching them just because they old and marked up like me
You go ahead get shiny new set, keep the economy going

 

[Gmonkee]

I flip cm and snappy to buy older Stanley.

I am money ahead in a big way and the old workmaster and Fat Max stuff never wears out.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

I give tool boxes away, but don't mention that they are full of tools.

 

[Professional Tool User]

Giving it away isn't a bad idea. Keeping the tools at home for home use or as back up is also a good idea.

 

[Mr Ratchet]

Did the same thing with some of my CM as I did with some of my Armstrong, Blackhawk, SK and others. Gave them my brother and son. Mainly upgraded ratchets and some screwdrivers. Otherwise it was multiples that got sent packing.

 

[theoldwizard1]

What upgrade ?

All of my Craftsman hand tools are from the 70s and 80s. I still use them regularly.

 

[JUNK-MAN]

What i haven't sold sit in a hand carry box in the corner of my shop until I either decide to sell them or give them to someone who needs them.

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[mikegt4]

Ill use mine till the day I die.

I've never "upgraded" anything, unless it would not perform properly, which is never been the case with any cman, with maybe the exception of their **** screwdrivers.

I am giving a older craftsman roller tool chest to my son because I upgraded with Harbor freight, if that counts.


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^^this^^
They will be using my Craftsman ratchets, sockets and wrenches to close my coffin. Some of them I have had for 50 years and they will no doubt outlast me.

 

[Shane6377]

Ill use mine till the day I die.

I've never "upgraded" anything, unless it would not perform properly, which is never been the case with any cman, with maybe the exception of their **** screwdrivers.

I am giving a older craftsman roller tool chest to my son because I upgraded with Harbor freight, if that counts.
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Agreed. Still using most of my 80's Craftsman. I've acquired additional Snap On, MAC, Proto, SK, Armstrong and others...

I'm now handing down my 'extras' to my boys.

My Grandfather has Craftsman tools from the 60's. He's used his 1/2" chrome sockets on impact guns for years and has never broken one. Worked on heavy equipment and farm machinery his whole life. He never needed to 'upgrade' and neither will I.


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[mark.dziamski]

We upgrade cause not all of us have the good craftsman from the 70s and 80s. Some of us have the crapsman from the 00s and 10s. And they just done cut it in the brutal environment that we work in. There is a very noticable difference between my crapsman wrenches from 2012 and my snap on wrenches from 2015.

My crapsmans work just fine around the house or the occasional job on my truck but not for the over torqued rusted nut and bolts of the garbage truck world, so I upgraded to something that would.

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[marineman]

After I got to a full set at work and at home I started a bucket of sockets in case I need one for something other than a socket or if I lose one. Wrenches are in a drawer ready to be cut, bent and modified in anyway to reach a bolt that wasn't intended to be reached. Pliers and ratchets get sold in the rummage sale. There's a reason they're not my go to ratchets and it seems unused pliers rust remarkably fast so they're not worth keeping around.

 

[MarvinBerry]

Still using most of the Cman stuff I bought mid 90s when I was 17, in high school and learning how to swing a hammer and not cut my fingers off in votech program.

Lot of it's been broken up into multiple boxes at this point. Augmented?! Yah. Absolutely. Replaced? Upgraded?! Not so much.

On the flip side I got some new Stanley Cman for christmas and I'm placing no bets on its durability and longevity.

Sorry to say but pliers etc are dead nuts identical to the yellow & black bumblebee Stanley sold at wallyworld.

 

[impactsocket]

The South San Francisco Lowes just closed its doors last Sunday 1/13/19 and they sold out of all their Craftsman tools. Craftsman tools were all sold out when OSH closed their stores. There are buyers for Craftsman tools when the price is lower.

 

[Mikeske]

IN the early 1970's I was 15 and received a set of Craftsman tools from my older brother and father for my 15th birthday, no surprise as my father was a manager at Sears. To this day I still have the set and it will never leave my hands as it was a set from my dad. Sure I upgraded and the Sears U.S.A. set ended up at home and now that I retired I put the Craftsman set in a 5 drawer Harbor Freight tool cart and parked the set in my 2nd garage along with a 2nd Makita 12V impact screwdriver and drill that my grandson gave me for Christmas. That set is still handy as it has everything I need in the building it in and it has served me good over the years. Yes a lot of the tools are really worn and I have abused the hell out of them but they will be here long after I am gone.

 

[ChrisLS8]

Im with zendriver.
They was good enough when I bought them in the 70's and 80's and have performed flawlessly over the years. Yes they are scratched up and ding up and look old and used but as long as they do the job they have earned the right to be top drawer tools. If they break or wear out then I'll replace with another quality tool.

Why would a person stop using perfectly good tools and buy newer and more expensive ones ?


COB

This, in another thread people were saying that SK, SO, Wright etc are all upgrades over USA craftsman sockets yet there wasn't a single reason explained.

Maybe better chrome, maybe more expensive, maybe made of magic pixies who knows