What is a good basic tool set, and why?

[_brian_]

This is just a general question to see the opinions of others. Say one wanted a basic tool set... one like those sought when I was younger (~30 years ago) and a nice Craftsman set was the go to set. I obviously refer to a DIYer, not a professional working in a shop of any sort where they tend to lean to the tool truck. We are talking about a set of common sized sockets and wrenches, maybe some screwdrivers, at least a 3/8 ratchet (obviously matching the socket selection), etc. Kind of a set for one who might be changing oil, wipers, battery, alternator, etc. The more simple and basic stuff on a car.

Today, Craftsman is not what it was. While many disregard them now simply on COO, I am looking at actual performance and reliability of the tool. We also have other brands like Tekton, Gearwrench, Capri, Williams, DeWALT, etc... an assortment of options that some never existed before, and others have improved their product offering becoming a real competitor for the share of the market that was once dominated by Craftsman.

I will start this with my opinions. First off, Craftsman. I still have and use a lot of my old USA Craftsman tools, which makes approx 70% of all of my tools. I have no issues with them and would recommend them. The Sears China Craftsman, I am cautious with. Some items like the more recent wrenches and sockets (not the original change ones) are quite good, but others still are poor at best (like anything with a ratchet or detent ball in it). SB&D made SOME improvements, but just as many mistakes.

I believe Tekton to be the best current value for the dollar. This is keeping in mind that the prices of Tekton tools have been rising lately. Their warranty I believe to be top notch, no hassles and fast responses. I used to like Gearwrench more than I do now. Since their transition on many things (like their ratcheting wrenches) from made in Taiwan to China, the difference in quality is obvious just by looking at the tool. DeWALT for me is my go to brand for sockets to fill in gaps. I was using Tekton, but find DeWALT to be slightly better overall... mostly the look, feel and finish.

 

[MarineScott]

I started with a 300 pc Craftsman set almost 40 yrs ago. I started my professional career working on cars at age 40, and still have most of them and the have held up better than most. I still use them daily. I would look at the warranty on sets, and customer service for any issues. I like the value of Husky, and their return policy, but I own few of them, as I am nearing my retirement.

 

[LOW1]

I recently put together a basic tool set for my two boys who are leaving home to start careers. To me it made more sense to “pick and choose” among multiple brands rather than trying to find a “one size fits all” set.

 

[Fedwrench]

I feel Dewalt mechanics hand tool's quality isn't what it used to be either. They no longer have the anti slip open ends on their wrenches. On larger combination wrenches are more of a standard length than a long pattern. Instead of nice cutouts on the square drive ends of their sockets, Dewalt went that heinous double detent style found on later US made Craftsman sockets. The only bright spot in their mechanics hand tool lineup is the redesigned 72 tooth ratchets.

 

[tez929rr]

I also started with a Craftsman set in the late 70’s, and that set (in the box with the socket dividers in the top tray) lasted a good ten years until the box wasn’t big enough for all the stuff I had added to it. Everything from that set is still in use except for a #2 Phillips that finally wore out. One upside to those old sets was actual screwdrivers instead of the handles with 60 bits. As much as I like that old stuff nowadays we have so many other good choices we are way better off IMHO.

 

[dr_clyde]

Over the years I have purchased several of the various Blue Point sets that come in the blow molded cases as portable socket sets or to outfit service vehicles. They are an outstanding set for the money. A bit more money than the hardware or farm store brands, but you get SO truck service. And they are of good quality, good selection, and the cases are actually very nice and not just fancy packaging. They can take some abuse.

 

[IndyGarage]

Most any set will do the things you describe in your post.

A couple times I've been traveling and needed tools, and gone to Walmart and bought a Stanley set for whatever they charge - like $59.99, and they work fine. I think it includes wrenches and sockets and one of those cheap bit drivers with a bunch of bits. I usually buy a set of screwdrivers to go with it.

When my son needed tools I bought him one of the Kobalt sets. It's got most of what you need to do basic stuff.

I think most everyone of a certain age grew up on Craftsman tools. I bought my last set about 12 years ago, and I still use the sockets every day - haven't found a need to replace them. I've replaced the wrenches, screwdrivers, and ratchets with better ones. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another set today.

 

[Walkers]

It is hard to go wrong on DIY level tools. All those brand names you mentioned are decent tools. Just pick one that is readily available to you, and that you like the feel and look of and they will perform just fine. I have Gearwrench and Craftsman right next to my Snappys, neither has picked a fight or jumped out of the box, and both have worked fine.

 

[_brian_]

Great content here! I understand it is hard to go wrong on a basic DIY set. I had an experience with my uncle maybe 25 years ago, shortly after I started acquiring my own tools. He would tell me how Craftsman is the worst as he is always breaking them. At the time, they were still a USA made Craftsman brand. He worked on his cars only, maybe 5 times a year. To this day, the only Craftsman tools I have broken are 2 of the same model 1/2 inch 36 tooth ratchet. This was in my younger days and that ratchet (replaced twice) has since never broke. Point being I am sure it was ¨user error¨.

As I work on cars often, many ask me what tools to buy for this and that. The one I struggle with is the tool set, the quick and easy one box solution. I personally have tools from Craftsman, OEMTools, Astro, Matco, Husky, DeWALT, Mac, Sunex, Snap On, Wiha, Vessel, SK, Tekton and a few others, plus the random tool here and there from other brands. Also a few of the no name or cheap brand stuff for this and that reason. As seen above from others, I have evolved to buying a custom set which is now two three tier and one two tier 26 inch Craftsman toolboxes worth. Yeah, there are better boxes and better sized ones, but for me they work.

All that said, I still struggle to suggest a nice tool set. Years back, Craftsman had some great kits in multiple sizes to fit your needs. Today however, I would not suggest them at all. The new Craftsman is a more selective process, at least in my opinion and experience.

A couple times I've been traveling and needed tools, and gone to Walmart and bought a Stanley set for whatever they charge - like $59.99, and they work fine. I think it includes wrenches and sockets and one of those cheap bit drivers with a bunch of bits. I usually buy a set of screwdrivers to go with it.

When my son needed tools I bought him one of the Kobalt sets. It's got most of what you need to do basic stuff.

I have one socket set from Stanley, a metric and SAE deep 3/8 drive. I have broken two of them, so I have a bad taste when it comes to Stanley. Only two sockets that ever broke on me to this day. They do have a low price tag though, and I suspect that for light use, those sockets would not have broken.

I have at most a handful of Kobalt sockets. I purchased them to fill in gaps of Craftsman´s ¨universal sockets¨. There were some sizes that Craftsman did not offer, but Kobalt has those sizes and the appearance was nearly identical. I have no real issues with them except for the fact that I get these weird spider web like lines on the exterior, they look almost like rust but shaped and as thin as spider web. This is not on any of the Craftsman ones and they are stored on the same rail.

 

[zze86]

I also started with Craftsman stuff which was quite decent many moons ago. I was gifted one of those Craftsman boxed sets ~2 years ago and maybe I'm just remembering my youth with roses or I didn't know what quality looked like back then or I'm just so used to the "good" stuff that the quality of this new Craftsman stuff seems really subpar.

Example, a few of the wrenches, the chrome plating has excessive material like runoff. The socket edges don't seem as well defined. The ratchets are (and always were) horrible.

If I were to start these days, I'd go with something else. The draw of Craftsman was that they were easily accessible to buy and to be serviced/replaced through Sears. That's no longer the case. Combined with the fact that there are more (quantity and quality) rivals out there with easy access (like through the net and other channels) Craftsman has lost its allure.

Honestly, I'd probably move through the HF stuff. There are two in my city and replacement would be easy. The Icon stuff looks like they are decent stuff. The "regular" line of ratchets are at least smooth and look nice unlike the Craftsman.

 

[theoldwizard1]

First, I don't like sets that come in blow molded boxes ! You can't add to them. Get a small/medium hand box and build as you need the tools. Even some of the medium sized boxes have a couple of drawers which will help keep things organized.

Most of my Craftsman tools are over 30 years old (some over 50). I have bought a couple of items that were NOT made in the USA and have found them not too bad. One of the best things about Craftsman is they have good sales around Christmas and Fathers Day.

 

[DOUGD]

I would not buy as a set, too many items you never use and missing things you need. Mix brands, no need to be loyal to one manufacture it's just a name in today's world. A set of combo wrenches in SAE and a set in metric of different brands to make them easy to identify. A good socket and ratchet set in 1/4 and 3/8 SAE and metric. A few good pliers,screwdrivers etc. and you will have most auto and home projects covered. So many fastener head types now days I would buy those as needed . By mixing brands you will end up with a much nicer set of tools that are more useful and easy to identify, add to it as needed.

 

[KnurledNut]

Dewalt went that heinous double detent style found on later US made Craftsman sockets.

You gotta be kidding me?!

 

[M6erfan]

When I was young and just starting putting tools together for personal use, I avoided "sets". To me they were bloated with a bunch of stuff I didn't want or need or missing things that I wanted, so I put together my own set to meet my needs. Back then it was mostly C'man from Sears. I still have some of it today but I added tools as I needed them and now I have many different brands. I started with a hand box for storage but quickly outgrew that and bought a 26" C'man stack, which I still have today (and it's still in great shape). I also have a rolling cart where I store a relatively small selection my most used tools.

I don't see that much has changed in the way of "sets", so if I was starting today I'd do it the same way.

To answer the OP directly, the "best" basic tool set is one you put together yourself. Why? Because one can customize the set to their needs, and in the end it's often a much better value.

 

[m6z]

73-Piece 3/8 Inch Drive 6-Point Socket and Ratchet Set | TEKTON

Includes: 1/4-1 inch (SAE), 6-24 mm (Metric) 6-point chrome socket with large stamped markings, 90-tooth ratchet, extension, universal joint, and case. No skipped sizes. SKT15311.

www.tekton.com

GEARWRENCH 1/4 in. and 3/8 in. Drive 6-Point Standard & Deep SAE/Metric 90-Tooth Ratchet and Socket Mechanics Tool Set (106-Piece) 83001 - The Home Depot

GEARWRENCH Mechanics Tools have all been designed with the professional user in mind to increase productivity, access, and strength. The ratchets and sockets are made from premium alloy steel and feature

www.homedepot.com

Here's a couple of decent socket sets. The Tekton give a very large range of sockets for a 3/8" drive kit.

GEARWRENCH 1/4 in. and 3/8 in. Drive 90-Tooth Standard and Deep SAE/Metric Mechanics Tool Set in 3-Drawer Storage Box (232-Piece) 80949 - The Home Depot

Complete all your hardest work easily and quickly by selecting this wonderful GEARWRENCH Mechanics Tool Set in 3-Drawer Storage Box. Easy to handle.

www.homedepot.com

This looks like a nice option as well.

Those boxed mechanics tool kits like the one above will handle most of your general household and automotive projects. Yeah, you'll probably have to add a wrench or sockets down the road, but they are nice to have and they keep everything together. I did a lot of work with my Craftsman version and it was small enough to throw in the trunk of the car, keep in a bedroom, etc.

 

[Davefr]

If I were starting out again, I would focus on Tekton. I think these guys really have their act together. I think they are the best "near" professional grade tools at a value price. However I don't like sets and I don't like going with just one brand. I like to choose the "sweet spot" in each tool category and it involves many different brands.

 

[Blind1]

You can get a lot of value out of some of the Tekton offerings. The Deep/Shallow SAE and Metric kits in 3/8 and 1/4 drive along with a set of 1/2 impacts would cover you pretty well. Add in some of their screwdrivers and then maybe a channellock pliers gift set and you’d be in pretty good shape for not a lot of money.

 

[plinker]

I had picked up a couple Napa socket sets quite a while ago, Gearwrench clones. 1/4 & 3/8 drive. I keep them for truck & junkyard duty. For the price you couldnt go wrong for pretty complete sets. The cases actually dont take up a lot of space, so unlike most blowmolded cases I actually use them.

The market has changed to where most tools you can buy these days seem to be decent. Pretty much all made in Taiwan stuff comes from the same factories so it's all decent enough or better. Anymore it seems to boil down to availability of replacments/parts, warranty and how accessible it is to buy.

I dont think there is a single do it all brand I would buy these days (IE carries all tool varities like Craftsman). I'd rather piece together a set with say certain pliers from different brands, Wilde prybars, ete... I do think I'd look into Channellock for things like sockets and wrenches if I needed them. Availability seems good around here and they are priced reasonably.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Youd be hard to beat walking into harbor freight with $200. Nothing wrong with buying basically anything with a brand name on it, if 2 oil changes a year, a few bulbs, and maybe brake pads are all you're doing.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Any of the brands you listed. Honestly in my experience with the new Craftsman is it’s not bad at all. I use the stuff professionally as do many of my coworkers. People who talk bad about it often don’t have any experience with it. The gunmetal stuff is especially nice. It’s all Taiwan made now except a few things. My go to for ratchets is Capri still. Honestly what I did for majority of my stuff is go to my local pawn shop where they let me fill up a box for $20. I’ve gotten over 1000 sockets now for my collection because of that and hundreds of wrenches.

 

[dar24601]

I recently put together a basic tool set for my two boys who are leaving home to start careers. To me it made more sense to “pick and choose” among multiple brands rather than trying to find a “one size fits all” set.

Yeah few years ago I put together a basic kit for my brother as housewarming gift. I looked around and found some good sets but they are always missing something. So yeah better picking and choosing tools from different companies

 

[Fedwrench]

You gotta be kidding me?!

Nope. I bought one of those nice compact Dewalt 1/4 drive sets from Costco last year and all of the common socket sizes had the craftsman double detent on the square drive. I'm still pissed

 

[Al Borland]

Although I agree those double detents look stupid, they don't seem to have any real issue with function.
Seen them on pretty much every APEX product from the last 10 years at one point or another.

Get the basic Taiwan-HF-Pittsburg type sockets, maybe a better ratchet. HF breaker bar.
The Sooty-looking HF impacts with stamped sizes.
Pick your poison on Combination wrenches, lots of decent, inexpensive choices.
"Lobster claws" really don't matter often in the real world. You're gonna use the box end anyway. The other end is for "Double-Wrenching"
Screwdrivers with the diamond grip. Real Channellocks and pliers.
A hammer that feels good in your hand and is "Square" to the handle.
Something to put them all in. (Personal taste issue)
that should get you started

 

[bonneyman]

Al Borland speaks alot of truth!