The only Craftsman stuff I've had fail on me in the last 10 years or so have been during some SEVERE abuse. i.e. using a 1/2" chrome socket (3/8" drive) with an adaptor on my 1/2" impact wrench.

Or when I stuck a 10' cheater pipe on my breaker bar, backed it against the ground, then started and moved the car to break an axle nut loose..
snapped the breaker bar off and shot it so far in the air, it took 5 sec before it hit the ground. fawk!

Now their screwdrivers are a different story.. I keep a shoebox of dead 'prybars' in the garage so I can exchange them each time I go to Sears.

 

LOL @ Matt. I'll admit that personal and 2nd hand stories about ratchets and wrenches failing were due to mis-use.

What about torque wrenches? I understand they need to be calibrated every once in a while. Craftsman would rather you buy a new one instead of calibrate it (local store quoted me $50 to calibrate, when I could buy a new one for less during their sale).

Are there any brands that will calibrate for free or cheap?

Dr J

 

Spend the additional money on a godo one if you're going to be doing engine builds.

If you're JUST torquing wheels and non-critical engine stuff with it, then a $19 one from harbor freight will work.

Your wheels don't care whether they're at 80ft lb or 120ft lb, as long as they're fairly evenly torqued.

your head bolts DO care, however.

Anyway, I've had a Craftsman for years. IT does the job. I bought it new when I rebuilt my engine and just use it for wheels and such now. If I were to rebuild another engine, I'd get it calibrated or buy a new one. I will go Mac/ Proto/ Snap on next time I buy one for the engine though.

Craftsman torque wrenches only have like a 6 month or 90 day warranty. one of mine failed at like 8 months. head free-spun on it. grrrr. They wouldn't take it back, so I bought a new one just like my old one. waited about a month and took the old broken one back to a different store. got a new one under warranty exchange and then sold it on fleabay.

 

Heh... yup, my craftsman broke w/the same circumstance, and I did just as u did. LOL!
Dr J

 

The majority of my ratchets were returned and replaced due to the spring loaded ball going out. Always a nice treat to use the ratchet and have your socket fall off. Only one of the replacements were due to the gear mechanism. Not junk by any means, but it remains a substantial inconvenience.

 

I'm curious - how did you end up getting that nut loose when the bar failed? Is it safe to heat up the nut & spray penetrant - or will it hurt the wheel bearing. I noticed when I sprayed penetrant on the rear hub cap thing protecting the rear bearing, when I opened it up I noticed it leeched into the wheel bearing. I hope it didn't thin the grease.

[Another brand you guys may want to check out is Armstrong. Great stuff - I just bought a 30mm impact socket. Pricing is lower than Proto. Also a mid grade brand Jonnesway - I don't know how good the stuff is but the pricing is decent. I need to get another torque wrench for the front axle nut so I'm going to try the $140.00 Jonnesway model, seems like a good price, the Proto ones are way too costly for me. I checked the Armstrong too, and it's more than the Jonnesway but less than Proto]

 

I broke down and took it to the Sears 1 mile from the house. Showed the guys my broken Craftsman breaker bar and the cheater pipe I was trying to use. When they got done OMFGing about it, I asked if one of the guys in the shop could hit it with an impact wrench and break it loose for me.

They wound up using a 3/4" drive impact (i.e. truck wheels!) before anything in the shop had the ***** to break it loose.

Yeah... That was the LAST time I ever let a transmission shop work on my car..... (They replaced the tranny, clutch, and axles a few months earlier, and the CV boots were torn and the clutch was done in 6 months. Cheapest !@#$)*! parts they could throw on it.)

 

Crazy - that must have been one of those 600+ foot lb things. In some ways I now wished I bought a 3/4" impact instead of the 1/2", because of these very scenarios. I could have just used a 3/4" to 1/2" adapter for all the smaller sockets, that way it's backwards compatible. Anyhow, let's just hope the 425 ft-lbs burst mine can put out will do it. In fact before I even try to remove the axle, and move all the tools outside, I should test if I can get that thing loose first.

 

i have everything snap-on from the toolbox down to my socks. i can honestly say ive never broken anything and i use the hell out of them everyday. i even ran my compact drill over with a cadillac and all it did was scratch it. snap-on is definitely worth the extra money

 

This had me scratching my head 'til I noticed you're a hoser. Canadian Craftsman sockets are indeed Chinese, made under contract with Stanley. The US Craftsman sockets are made by Danaher (Matco, Armstrong, etc) in the US. The closest we can get to US Craftsman up here in Canada is Kobalt sockets at Lowes (also made by Danaher in the US), or maybe Craftsman branded stuff at Fastenal.

Indeed. I've been meaning to buy SK for a while and now that I'm ready to take the plunge their prices have gone up. Damn.
The one negative thing I've heard about SK is that their deep sockets aren't really that deep. They're like having a short socket with an extension. Kinda defeats the purpose.

 

Only snap on thing i own is a tool box and its great. I looked around and every other tool box seemed so cheap and the floor model was already broken. My buddy has only snap on/matco and the fit finish are great but gotta stay in your price range. Also use tools correctly and they will last. Like no chrome sockets on a impact gun. don't use 12 point when 6 point are needed. Buying tools is like buying car parts. I shop around and buy the best of what each part store has.

 

me my self like snap-on, as a auto mechanic we get discount and all that, plus i use them to earn food on my table, so yea. i also have used craftsman wrenches to be honess, they are pretty good stuff too, but after a while i broke some after i double wrench it, that was when i switched to snap-on. again they both are good, depends on how you use them.

 

I tried this cordless snap-on impact wrench yesterday and today....I was really impressed with the power. The guy paid alot for it, over 500 bones....but it seems worth it if you decide to go electric over air....or for just portable use it's great - in location where there's no air.

I think it was like 600 ft-lbs burst or 625 or something.

 

Vote for Snap On.

Snap On if you can afford them, you do get what you pay for. Never had a socket break on the air ratchet or impact when I used to install seat pedistals and seatbelt bars, etc. in custom vans. Broke a couple of craftsman in my time. For heavy duty you can't go wrong with SnapOn. For your every day stuff, Craftsman is just fine.

 

Snap on tools are also the mark of an professional!

 

I agree Snap-On is a pro's tool. But craftsman is also a very good tool company. Snap-on use steel that can only be found in Snap-on tool and NASA space ships. That one of the many reasons why Snap-on cost so much. i do have to say that I wouldnt give up either of my snap-on or craftsman tools for anything.

 

Snap on if you have the dough cant be beat. For weekend use only you dont really need them...but do you really need a car with 300+HP...probably not but it is nice

 

Alot of it is marketing...Snap-On make good tools, but they certainly aren't the best, in fact there is no single 'best'...but their steel isn't any better than other top tier tool makers. One of the main reasons they cost so much is because of their marketing and their on-site support and vendor trucks etc..... You pay premium because when a garage gets stuck, they need it then and there, and they can service the garage super fast. These input costs are factored into the end users cost.

 

I'll add one thing - not to argue with you or anything, but i'm sure you'll all agree - that it's not the tools that mark a professional - it's the professional. A pro could use all Craftsman and still be a pro. An idiot could use all Snap-On and still be an idiot.

 

nice.

 

Um, no, just no

 

By far no comparison. The newest Snap on Dual 80 Technology ratchets are far superior to any out there. Craftsman is way at the bottom of the list.20 years ago when I started in the business I bought the Craftsman super duper 300 piece for 400 dollar tool set. Can't beat the price or the warranty ,like many have said. But over time you realize that there are many individual applications that are better suited for a tool that works very well not just one that works. Like that really tight space your trying to ratchet a bolt out of and the ratchet just goes back and forth instead of ratcheting, but when you reach up to turn it out you can't move it by hand . Very frustrating. Long story short you get what you pay for with Snap on hand tools.

 

And matco one upped snap on with their 88 tooth ratchet. I'll be piecing together a kit using matco and snap on, the 50% discount they both give me cant be beat. Craftsman is just fine for home use, but if your a mechanic go with the best.