When have you broken a craftsman tool?

[Nickshelby]

I'm just curious that with all the bitching and moaning that goes on with craftsman moving some production to china. Especially the entry level ratchets, some wrenches, and sockets.

When have you actually broken a craftsman tool? USA or china made? What was it? And what were you doing?

I personally have 90% of my tools as USA made craftsman tools. With 5% china and the rest kobalt and husky and I have never broken a single tool.

I do anything from maintenance, to engine rebuilds, anything in between.

 

[G_P]

I stripped out a 1/2" ratchet working on the front end of a Blazer.

But then again it was up on a lift and I was hanging my whole weight off of it so......

 

[duneslider]

I broke a selector off my 3/8 ratchet by carelessly leaving it on the garage floor and backing my jeep over it. That's the only craftsman tool that I have broken.

I just inherited a set of 1/2 deep sockets that my wife's grandpa has been using with his air impact gun for years and they are beat up/abused. I don't know if I should get them replaced or not since I didn't buy them and I know they were abused/used improperly.

 

[TinKnocker]

I have broken too many raised panel 3/8 ratchets. All with miss use. I dont think i have broken any sockets even though i have miss used them. I will never break a china craftsman tool because i will not own one.

 

[Paladin]

I cracked a couple sockets. I was using 3/8" drive when I should have been using 1/2" drive, IIRC...

 

[toolaholic]

I was using a 5/16 USA box wrench to seat tapcons screws to hold a metal frame of a "mini" cloth/metal frame gazebo to the concrete on our concrete patio. It kept slipping off tapcons skinning my knuckles. I threw it at the concrete. Wrench got a big chip out of it. Sears replaced znd I learned to use a impact driver to drive tapcons screws.

 

[OHMS LAW]

My ratchet never broke but the selector switch is loose so it would switch from right to left and free wheel. Absolute junk. Never looked back when I got my f80

 

[Nickshelby]

Seems like a growing trend of breaking under misuse...

 

[fflintstone]

I broke 2 1/2-3/8 reducers, spilt a few sockets, 1/2" breaker bar. wont own a raised panel ratchet but I could break one easy.

 

[OHMS LAW]

Besides pros use power tools when possible dont waste time fighting with one bolt. Or apply one of many breaker bars.

 

[DTB]

In years past I've used plenty of cheater pipes on the 3/8" and 1/2" ratchets and never broke one.The ratchets are probably 10 years old now.Basic raised panel ratchets,nothing fancy.Cracked a 5/16" 3/8 drive socket once.That's about it. They are stouter than some claim them to be,atleast from my experience.Don't get me wrong,I have Snap On,Mac,and Matco ratchets now,and don't use the Craftsmans but I find it ironic some people have $100 quality ratchets and break out the Craftsmans with a cheater pipe to get a stubborn nut or bolt...

 

[keithh2oskier]

I broke a 6mm mini wrench trying to remove the spokes off my old dirtbike wheel. I dont know if I would say it was mis-used but I ended up just using a grinding wheel to cut the spokes off to save time...

 

[sevnd3z28]

I have only broken one Craftsman tool....a 13/16 socket trying to loosen a rusted lugnut. Split the damn thing and tore the skin off my knuckle, a couple of neighbors got to learn a few good curse words! I don't count the many #2 phillips drivers that the tips gave out on....probably the worst drivers out there.

 

[rusty65]

I have broken one craftsman socket a 3/8 ratchet and a ratcheting wrench 9/16 and several adapters.

 

[blackz26]

I broke a selector off my 3/8 ratchet by carelessly leaving it on the garage floor and backing my jeep over it. That's the only craftsman tool that I have broken.

I just inherited a set of 1/2 deep sockets that my wife's grandpa has been using with his air impact gun for years and they are beat up/abused. I don't know if I should get them replaced or not since I didn't buy them and I know they were abused/used improperly.

In a word, no!

I've only broken one craftsman tool. It was a 1/2 drive 17mm socket on a Cadillac catera wheel. Didn't have access to an air compressor. -10• outside. So it wasn't craftsmans fault..

 

[MN Falcon]

I have split sockets on lug nuts. I had a new Chinese ratcheting wrench that broke the ratchet last year. My son got a Chinese set of flarenut wrenches broke one first use. I have replaced a bunch of bit sockets this year couple of allens and several torx. I guess I don't recall specifically what I was using them for I left them in my box and came across them recently, I can't say I have abused anything, I haven't used a cheater on anything since I was 15yo using my Dad's Proto stuff. I have no complaints about Craftsman stuff, I have lots of good use with the stuff I have. I have had lots of Chinese/Japan/Taiwan stuff that was cheap and broke the only time I used it, I still have some of the old stuff in my boxes to modify. All things considered I am no longer loyal to Craftsman because I can get similar quality stuff for less money. I have too many options to be loyal to them anymore and they changed the one thing that kept me spending more money for their stuff.

 

[BK13]

I stripped out two 1/2" ratchets (in one day!) removing rusty U-bolts from my first Jeep... Though at the time I was a 260 lb. power lifter... No cheaters. I'm not sure if that would be considered abuse or not.

 

[Lightfoot]

I don't remember ever breaking one, but i have worn the tips off a couple of phillips screwdrivers which were replaced no questions asked. No issues here.

 

[bobcatdan]

I have broke 1/2 craftsman breaker bars every time I used them. Upgrading to a Marco didn't workout to well, same drive end as a craftsman. I'm not muscle man, but can easily brake those without a pipe.

 

[volaredon]

where do we begin? I have cracked a lot of C-man sockets over the years, stripped/wore out 12 point ones to the point they don't grip anything, chipped screwdriver tips, stripped ratchets and probably the most aggravating? their extensions, when the ball won't hold a socket on any longer and you gotta work in a cramped area

 

[jmm]

Broke a few sockets over the years. The plastic selector wore out disappointing quickly on the ratchet I used (no longer) at the junk yard. Screwed up the tips on a screwdrivers once. All that was USA stuff that got replaced and is going strong, except for that god awful raised panel ratchet (gave it away).

Snapped a 1/2" (Chinese) extension the first day I had it. Weird thing was, it actually looked good. No cosmetic flaws. Then I leaned on it. I threw that thing away instead of trying to warranty.

 

[sparky5982]

The jaws of the new-ish RP wrenches (US Made) spread with the greatest of ease in the smaller sizes. (Looking at you, 9/16") No cheater-pipes or excessive torque involved. They're just soft. I got tired of taking them back for exchange and so invested in sets from Wright.

 

[Rezeppa]

I have split at least a dozen chrome sockets all of them have been nothing I shouldn't have been doing. I won't buy chrome Craftsman, Matco, or any other Danaher brand after the last time I almost broke my hand 7 months ago with a long handle 3/8 ratchet and a 5/8 socket. The sockets always split at the points and I always busy my knuckles. I broke a few of the newer ratchets so I just gave up on them. Craftsman tools used to be amazing for the money but I don't trust them for hard daily use anymore. Some of my fondest memories of working on anything with my dad and his old Craftsman tools are a memory of the past. The quality just hasn't been there I'm the past ten years.

 

[celticbhoy]

I haven't broken a craftsman tool yet. I'm looking forward to breaking a socket, bringing it sears, and have them just hand a new over... I want that experience that everyone talks about haha. Can only be a feel good move.

 

[53 hemi]

I've only broken one socket; a 3/8 drive "elbow hinge" socket. I won't say I was abusing it, but it was getting a workout. I've destroyed numerous screwdrivers.

 

[blackz26]

I haven't broken a craftsman tool yet. I'm looking forward to breaking a socket, bringing it sears, and have them just hand a new over... I want that experience that everyone talks about haha. Can only be a feel good move.

Sarcasm I hope?

 

[MikeF2316]

I've broken a few ratchets, all thorough over torquing, and all fixable with a rebuild kit. And a couple of sockets, including one that split exactly in half!

I was trying to turn the bolt through the lower control arm on my '74 Volvo to change the bushings. It was a large diameter, long bolt that went through both bushings and a tube in the crossmember. Add in 12 years of rust jamming that bolt in the tube, and it wouldn't turn. I had the socket on the bolt head (nut removed), an 18" breaker bar, and about 4 feet of pipe. I was standing on the pipe and bouncing up and down. All of a sudden, I heard a snap, and I was standing on the ground. I actually figured I'd broken the bolt loose, but I couldn't find the socket. Then I saw the 2 halves on the garage floor, and decided I wasn't changing those bushings that day.

 

[mossyboy6]

I have broken two chrome sockets and an RP wrench.

 

[0.511MeV]

Personally, I've only broken two Craftsman tools. A pair of hose clamp pliers broke at the tip the first time I used them. I was pretty shocked. Clearly defective. A small pin punch (1/16" I think) bent the first time I struck it. I would guess it missed heat treat or something. I use a 4 oz hammer for small punches like that, so it wasn't because I was being a brute.

 

[celticbhoy]

Sarcasm I hope?

Yeah. Sarcasm is impossible to detect over the internet haha. I know of a few people who were refused when they brought their ratchets in to be replaced.

 

[Fastbird]

Worn out a couple of 1/4" RP ratchets........broken one T30 Torx Bit, Twisted another T-30 Torx Bit using a hand impact driver......Split two sockets that I can think of.........Broken one hand impact driver bit......broke one CM Pro 90* pick end off. All in over a decade of using almost exclusively craftsman tools.

 

[blackz26]

Yeah. Sarcasm is impossible to detect over the internet haha. I know of a few people who were refused when they brought their ratchets in to be replaced.

Whys that? Didn't it haven't pipe marks on it?

 

[sberry]

I am with the broken socket crowd, a quite a few, 30 maybe out of 500 and as one here already said, nothing I wasnt sposed to do. Flawed right out of the box most of the time.

 

[77thor]

I broke one of their ratchets (don't remember how)... it was years ago.

 

[celticbhoy]

Whys that? Didn't it haven't pipe marks on it?

Probably haha also a couple of them are professional techs.

 

[Kev442]

2 sockets have cracked. 2 ea of 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 ratchet for various reasons. 1/4 broke the internals, the bigger 2 the selector switch or internals. Universal swivel broke at the pin. Extensions that the ball gets stuck and one broke. I have never said a bad thing about Cman wrenches or sockets, the ratchets are a joke though, I was breaking them without a cheater when I weighed 150 soaking wet. The ones I have now will last forever, I never touch them, and I don't use 12 point sockets anymore either.

 

[Bill Ramsey]

33 years using CM tools. Three failures...two sockets and one flex handle detent spring; one socket was my fault. Good track record IMO. No real complaints.

 

[crewchief888]

the only CM sockets i can recall breaking have been 1/2" dr 12pt chrome deepwells, 1/2" & 5/8"

and yes they were being abused....

nearly very time i break something , it's being abused.

the only exception has been impact wobble sockets, i have several spares for the ones i used to break constantly 3/8" dr 9/16" & 1/2" dr 15/16"

 

[Hiball]

A handful of sockets, Universals..I never broke a ratchet but I've worn a few to a point, where they would self reverse and slam your hand into immovable objects. I don't get all giddy about broken tools, it comes with the territory.. I will never go back to raised panel ratchets... Ever...

 

[NC-Fordguy]

Broke a few sockets- All deep IIRC
A couple ratchets
a couple torx bits
rounded some tips on clear handled screwdrivers

Really no more than any other brand I have. Just a by-product of using tools

I still have the V series wrench sets I started with over 30 years ago. I use them almost daily. Never broke any of them.

I got no complaints--money well spent