Honestly, when was the last time anyone here on yotatech, saw the oldschool quality Chrome Plated v-notched "division of snapon" wrenches on display?!?! I work construction, and am in and out of different lowes all over ohio every week. I haven't seen the quality KoBalt wrenches in 2 years or more. I'm curious what happened to them, because those were certainly quality wrenches.

 

I'm with this one, if you are going to use them everyday or for work, you need quality. Why not spend a little more and get a good quality set. I get the same argument all the time, "Craftsman replaces my tools!" "Mastercraft replaces my tools!"

Well Westward replaces my tools too, but spending the extra money means I have to get them replaced a lot less than the other guys!

 

I guess i'll throw in my 2 cents, I wrench everyday for a living and i'll tell ya sitting at the shop in my 6 ft tall snap-on toolbox is 90% Craftsman( all wrenches, ratchets, and sockets), 5% snap on tools, and 5% Matco tools. I work on 18 wheelers with big ole Diesel engines too not little light duty cars and trucks. With craftsman the few tools ive managed to break, rust, crack, round, or whatever they traded me for a new one instantly with NO QUESTIONS ASKED. in fact usually it goes like this, i walk in this broke, the sells man says oh just grab you a new one off the self and your good to go.

 

I have a classic 78 snap on box that is about 75% crafts mans, 20% random and the last 5% snap on. Im not to picky but from my experiance. Craftsman rachets have not been good to me, as of any of there impact tools. I buy all IR air tools now. I really hate paying or charging snap on tools these days with how money is. Also knowing that i can get the same tool for half or a little more with the same quality elsewhere.

When i wrenched i was pretty hard on tools. Worked on snow cats so they spent alot of time in water. Also did some construction equipment. So who knows what was on the machines.

 

I know this is an ancient thread but...+1 for Craftsman. Great quality and warranty, and in my opinion, Craftsman Professional rivals Snap-On in quality.

 

IR pneumatic tools all the way buddy!

 

I guess I'll jump on the resurrection bandwagon haha.

Craftsman has been hit or miss with me, but they replace the tools no questions asked, so that works for me.

The only tool I will not buy from craftsman is the torque wrench, go to the sears website and every single review says that it breaks almost immediately and is not covered by the warranty for very long.

I bought CDI made by Snap-on torque wrenches, so basically a snapon without the awesome customer service, but whatever, it's a quality tool and I am careful with them. Use them all the time and never had an issue. Not bad for half the price or less.

 

I used to have a set of these

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...7864&hlp=false

I ended up selling them, but i would recomend them. Althou its pretty hard to make a bad wrench.

 

Sears still has the lifetime tool replacement. My dad just replaced a socket that he had for about 20 years that just broke. They replaced it, no receipt no questions asked. I have used Kobalt tools and I like them, but I have always preferred the Craftsman, just because of the quality and warranty. I'd watch out though when trying to replace tools. We had a tap and die set and a few of the taps were broken so when we took it back they wouldn't trade it in because they no longer sold that set. They had sets with more and less pieces in the kit. Granted the set was a good 30 years old and it did seem stupid to try and take it back, but we thought we'd try xD

 

Looks like I'm going to be busting out my craftsman tool to repair my headgasket that I blew today on the way to work, got to work no problem and back home with no issues, #1 spark plug was covered in coolant.

 

I know snap on is over priced on a lot of things but the quality cant be beat. I work in a shop where the tools are provided and ive been working at my job for 4 years and have been through 3 craftsman ratchets. i bought my toolbox from my dad last year and he bought it new. . .33 years ago and has used it almsot every day of his life. Quality isnt expensive. . . Its priceless!

 

I personally use craftsman tools. They are what dad used so...

I also read recenly that because of Sears' horrible financial problems, they are going to be licensing the craftsman name to other companys to put on their tools. It's the trend of the "Made in the USA" brands. Who would have thought that Chevrolet would go bankrupt, Dodge would be owned by a german company, and then an Italian company. Like buying an American flag made in China.

 

Do you mean letting other businesses selling the Craftsman tools or businesses making their own tools and just putting the craftsman name on it? Because I work at an Ace Hardware and we've just recently been selling a lot of Craftsman products.

 

should try to take the individual taps back and swap them out for new ones maybe?

 

I know they are expensive but I love snap on tools! SO NICE! I even have their socks lol. EBAY.

 

kobalt sucks. a buddy of mine has a couple of their ratchets he just got last year. we've broken almost all of them except the 1/2 in. no problems out of my 20 year old+ craftsmans. although craftsman quality has gone down over the years, as i have a couple that my grandfather had, and a set i got this past christmas. but they are still solid. id go craftsman any day as long as it isnt the evolv craftsman. i havent heard good things from buddies who have em. if i had the money id just go get some bluepoint, matco, or snap on.

 

Price wise the Kobalts and Craftsman are about the same, but you have to remember, most of the the Craftsman hand tools have lifetime warantee. That sells it for me which to get

 

Neither... Matco

 

I used the home depot orange caulking gun for years at work. I tried a kobalt one from lowes and it broke with normal use in 3 days. Thats just one example ive got. I have absolutely zero complaints with any of my craftsman tools. IMO kobalt is a lowes version of harbor freight, Chines JUNK.

 

I wonder if Jimmie Johnson's build team uses Kobalt tools on the #48?