After modifications too and using mine for custom situations, it’s finally time for a new and complete set of both standard and metric. I still have the medium stuff 1 1/8 & 24mm on up so just the smaller standard stuff. Not a full blown mechanic but if it breaks I’m the one so more than shade tree use. Forget snap-on, I don’t have enough bone marrow for that action. No more garage sale singles, at least for this buy. Thoughts, opinions or hands on experiences good and bad? Tekton, Gearwrench, Milwaukee, Husky, Icon, etc. Holy buckets I had no idea how many choices are available now days. Thanks Owl
I’ve just been buying wrenches at my local farm and fleet store. I think they are Protool brand. I’ve gotten both a standard set for when working with an impact wrench and also a gear wrench set too. Love those ratcheting box ends.
Gearwrench is good for the money and they stand behind their stuff. I have bought a ton of SK stuff over the years it’s held up well and the guy that sells it to me always replaced it no questions asked. he did kinda change his tune recently saying the company sold and he wasn’t sure how it would go from there. I haven’t looked into that.
If you can't afford a not made in china brand, buy a set with lifetime warranty from a store close to you that will exchange if it breaks. I bought my son a set of Kobalt from Lowes. Me personally, when I was younger, USA made Craftsman were good enough for me. Now, I look at FB MP and CL for old stuff I can afford if I'm in need of more. This set of 3 swivel head comfort handle ratchets I got for $150 from a marketplace meet up. Any Mac truck will repair or replace for a lifetime. I just looked up the 3/8 drive one. New they are just over $200, the 1/2" drive is @299.
HF for me 110% No hassle money back lifetime warranty, not that I break any. I will tell you that I use their 1/2" drive impact sockets on my Thor 1/2" drive impact (1400 foot pounds breakaway) and I('ve never had any issues. Busted Snap-On, Proto, SK and Mac before.
I always had good luck with Craftsman (back in the day). I've used sk a lot, proto ratchets, and I've had some Carlyle wrenches from napa.
It sounds like the big box store set of wrenches will be fine for you- from the lifetime guarantee bunch. Whatever one is closest to you. But I take the same road the wood wolverine takes. I scour ebay for tools I'm in need of. my last purchase was an 18 pc craftsman ignition wrench set for 18$. Scored a nice fluke 27/fm also from there at what I thought was a really good deal. same with sockets and ratchets, anything that was made in the usa, I'm not too brand biased.
far as I know, all Craftsman tools are now Chinese. Might as well buy HF, at least returning them is easier. I've had excellent luck with the up line HF stuff. Have some older Craftsman stuff, still works well but the smaller (1/4" drive) sockets are getting a bit sloppy.
real proficient at destroying sockets, I usually split them down the side. I replace a lot of snowplow wear steels in county plows and the dome head plow bolts are always corroded badly so the only way to remove them is twist the nuts off which is why I own a Thor as well as a 3/4" drive IR air impact.
there is a lowes near every harbor freight so it isn't any harder to replace those tools. Probably more lowes stores anyway depending on your geographic location. some are according to this article are going to start being made in the states again. Some are made in Taiwan I'd bet all power tools are chinese.
Most likely. read somewhere that the coveted and expensive Milwaukee cordless stuff is made in the same Chinese factory as the up line HF stuff. never had much luck with returning anything to Lowes or Home Despot where as HF is never an issue. I do know that the Chief line of air powered tools and the IR stuff comes off the same oriential line. but the IR tools are at least 1/3rd more in cost. I've had excellent luck with the Chief line, in fact, the Chief 4.5" air grinder and the IR grinder are exactly the same other than price of course. MSC offers the IR 4.5" air grinder for 265 clams, the HF is 105. No brainer for me and I use the Chief constantly. Like the IR, the Chief comes with external grease fittings, needle bearings in the gearbox and real grease inside, not soy sauce.
The one thing I do is, I watch the Torque Test channel on YT when it comes to power output. They are very non committal when it comes to actual specs. the main reason why I purchased a Thor 1/2" drive air impact. They are made across the pond but made to Astro Pneumatics specs and they perform. Not a cheap date but good stuff is never cheap least in my perspective. Astro also sells some nice sockets and other tools but again, warranty issues could be an issue. No one produces a 1/2" drive air impact that makes 1400 pounds feet of breakaway torque and 1000 pounds of tightening torque that I know of.
I keep one on the semi for that very reason. M18 FUEL™ 1/2" High Torque Impact Wrench with Friction Ring (Tool Only) my ingersal Rand air impact pretty much sits in the tool box ignored now.
I'm slowly going all battery with most tools. Corded and air. I still have an Ingersoll butterfly and pistol grip 3/8" drive air impact, a straight and 90° 1/4" die grinder and air hammer. They get some use still but eventually I'll phase them out. The only corded tools I have left are a sander and my miter saw, which will not be replaced. The saw that is.
The vast majority of my tools are original USA made craftsman from back when Sears had those big kits. Mid 90's mine were purchased. The sockets and wrenches have been great. The screwdrivers and ratchets are junk, in my experience, as well their swivels, where they used hollow spring pins vs solid hardened pins like the SK I replaced them with. The craftsman swivels broke more than once. I replaced the ratchets with SK and Proto. Very small degree of rotation per click compared to the craftsman they replaced. I'm a Channellock guy for almost everything pliers, side cutters, needle nose ect. I use Original USA made Vice Grips for locking pliers. I have a full set as well as several of their welding clamps. Screw drivers and T handles drivers ....Wiha are the finest I've owned and all I buy. Having been in the machine repair profession you figure out quickly what tools are quality and which ones are not.
The new, Irwin I believe, vise grips are totally pathetic. Probably close to 100 USA vise grips here at the shop and at home. All types, most 25-30 years old. Bought a 12 pack of the little "c" clamps with the swivel pads about 2 years ago and I think only 2 are left. The rest stripped, bent ect.
