"Good Enough" Shop/Auto Hand Tools

[dverna]

If I was buying now, likely the Lowe's Kobalt brand. Back when I was growing up, I bought Craftsman as I could not justify the really high end stuff.

Working at a job that needs tools every day is different than needing tools once in a while.

[country gent]

With tools it depends on what it is and how often it gets used. On tools that are used often I buy the best I can afford. On tools that may cause injury if they fail again the better. I've been tired of busting knuckles with cheap wrenches along time ago. On tools that get used only occasionally I may opt for a cheaper brand. A lot depends on how you're using it and how hard. If your buying a 1/2" socket and planning on a cheater pipe of any length being needed you better buy a good one. Same with other tools if you plan on using it up to its upper end limit. If your using a 1/2" ratchet for simple assembly of smaller bolts and are just using 1/2 the handle length or less then about any one will do.

[Traffer]

The only cheap tools I have ever had any trouble with were Harbor Freight torque wrenches. When new the darn things would not do the slip click thing... leading to massive overtightening. To make it worse, it lead to overtightening some front end bolts on my car when replacing ball joint ends, swing arms, strut towers, tie rod ends and the works. Grrrrrr. For the first year of the rebuild I was waiting for overstressed bolts to let go. But so far all is well. I did take the wrenches apart and rebuild them, now they work without fail. I can't recall what exactly I found was causing the problem but I am confident that I got them working properly now.
I always buy the very cheapest stuff, now before the hate mail starts coming, I fix my own car because I cannot afford to take it to the shop. So I also cannot afford to buy the better tools. It's about necessity for me not preference. I shop eBay a lot also. My machining tools are from there. Can't beat the prices, especially if you shop right. I recently got a bunch of large dies and die handles for probably less than scrap price. I think there were about 25 dies ranging from 3/8" to about 1" and two die handles that were in the 26" long range. I think I paid about $15 delivered for the stuff (very old stuff but still in great shape). Just a couple of days ago I got some Bahko orange hack saw blades. These are top of the line blades. Now there is a great difference between these and the cheapo's. I paid 10 cents per blade for the cheapo's and $1 per blade for the Bahko's. I think that is still a great price. So far the Bahko's are so much better there is no comparison. It took 2 cheapo blades to cut through one 7/8" grade 8 bolt. Hah, all the teeth would strip off. I cut through the same bolt with the Bahco blade and other than some paint coming off, I can't tell that it has been used. Anyway, I ramble...

[starmac]

Even a snap on torque wrench has to be recalibrated now and then, when I was wrenching every day I had a pretty good feel for torque specs, and would have probably just done without one before trusting a cheap one.

[Omega]

Most tools now days are made in China. Some are of better quality than others, but made in China none the less.
I have quite a few Craftsman tools from the made in America days that are quite good. I have a few China Craftsman sockets and end wrenches that I don't think are any better than Harbor Freight tools. I have purchased a few Harbor tools thinking they were a one and done tool that have turned out to be surprising in quality. "Lifetime Warranty" tools doesn't mean your life time, as the company who stamps their name on them likely has changed hands, or quit making "that" tool. I bought a lifetime 1/4" socket set from Autozone to put in my junkyard scrounging tool box only to find they had discontinued that set when I broke the ratchet.
I think the 159 piece "Mechanics tool set" from anywhere is mostly junk, but if you pick and choose sockets and wrenches from the same store you can get good enough tools.

I had the same thing happen with Snap-on and Craftsman, the tool was discontinued and was replaced with a "like" tool. One was a come-along, I bought a craftsman for what I could have purchased two or three of the brand it was replaced with. Kobalt has some decent tools, but I hear their lifetime warranty is going to change. I don't mind breaking a tool, as long as I can replace it with as little problem as possible. Harbor Freight tools are hit and miss, but their return policy is decent so far, many of the tools I got for a one time use are still going.

[brass410]

I have had good luck with the black sockets in 3/8 and 1/2 drive from northern tool as well as the great neck wrenches. I use these daily along with my snap on and mac and what have you brands. some are just what they are junk (you don't mind heating and bending to fit one time use kinda stuff) I really hate having to weld a 60.00 socket on to a wheel lock that is stripped off but a 5.00 from northern tool, meh. add it to the job price. Some stuff is kinda junky but use a bit of discression you probably wont be to disappointed. Like jimlj says 159 piece tool set for 10.99 probably under bench trash.

[EDG]

I bought my first set of Craftsman combination wrenches as a teenager about 1965. Since then I worked 5 years as a machinist and 40 years as a engineer. My long use of tools at home and in industry has given me a good eye for quality.
I bought many name brand tools for back ups in the most common sizes at flea markets. I bought some house brand Asian brand forged tools when they were a configuration that might work better on starters and exhaust manifolds.
For my most used impact sockets I bought import sets that had a gap or 2 in the metric sets. I filled the gaps with Blackhawk impact sockets.
My 3/4" drive sockets are some cheap import but I don't have the sand in my pants to break them.
My 3/8" impact sockets are imports since they are super heavy walled they are in no danger of damage.
My original plated 1/2" drive sockets are Indestro brand that were palmed off on me for a bargain. They have taken a beating.
I have many specialty tools that were bought for ebay and flea market prices.
I have had excellent service out of all of them. I do not buy junk tools or measuring instruments.
My only issues are people that get into my stuff and keep it.

[Thundarstick]

Ok, I went tool shopping today. I bought a 1/2 drive Craftsman low profile ratchet, 1/4,3/8,1/2 wobble drives. Looked at a bunch of stuff. I would be willing to bet 90% are made in the same 3 or 4 factories by the looks of them! Still looking for 1/2 drive sockets. I'm thinking about starting with single larger sized ones.

[Blanket]

Been in the trades for over 40 years, grew up on farms wrenching before that. Buy the best you can that will do the job. Have box store tools in the house for fixing hinges, Better ones in the shop for when you really need them

[OldBearHair]

Went to work for Land-Air Company in 1959. They told me to report to work on airplanes with this list. Went to Sears and bought everything on the list. An eggbeater drill that been used to drill many holes. A few of the other tools I still have, shears, duckbill small channel lock pliers, etc. I learned as did Mold-Maker (The good tools in my box are made to use. The cheap ones are to loan. Unlike the good stuff, the cheap ones always come home.) that when I needed something else, go to the Pawnshop and find the unchromed stuff, that had the tendency to stay in my toolbox at work. Once two fellows bought huge craftsmen tool boxes full of tools. Mobile Ala. Brookley Air Force Base. Friday came and we all locked our boxes to a big cable, one new box on one side of mine and one on the other side of mine. Monday we came to work to find their toolboxes missing and mine still as I left it. Mine was second handed and didn't look worth stealing .

[shootmore]

I believe I only worked at one place that the Snap on truck stopped at. I thought there tools we're a little rich for me but I did buy a few of the most used tools from them. I liked Craftsman and Proto but I could only get them mail order from Sears and Grainger. I found that USA made Napa tools are a very good quality and there is a Napa store in most towns. The local Napa would have a yearly farm sale and the tools we're greatly reduced in price.

[abunaitoo]

My Dad bought me my first set of tools.
Craftsman.
Have added to the set through out the years.
Mostly Craftsman.
Through out the years they, for the most part, have never let me down.
Not sure how good the newer Craftsman tools are, as I still use my originals.
Buy good tools, take care of them, and they will last you a lifetime.

[mpkunz]

Harbor Freight - They may break after only 3 uses, but they are still cheaper than renting. )

[EMC45]

As a side note....My Craftsman tools came to me when I turned 16. My mother asked me if I would rather have Nintendo (THE "thing" to have back then) or a comparably priced Craftsman tool kit. It was a "no-brainer" for me.

[Lloyd Smale]

sk, snap on and matco are professional grade. My son in law is a lead mechanic at a big diesel repair shop here localy and trys to by SK more then any other. that said like you I'm not professional mechanic and don't use my tools daily. theres probably tools in my chest I haven't used in 5 years or more. I used to by craftsmen tools. they were good serviceable tools but have gone way down in quality since they went Chinese. Today I look first for any tool I buy at lowes. Ive had good luck with there "cobalt" tools. Fit and finish is much better then craftsmen of late and are close in price. But they kind of a have two grades and don't adveritise it. Stay away from the large tool sets. some of it is junk.

[Blanket]

I have been in the trades for a lot of years and my advice to all the apprentices under me is to buy the best tools they can. Better to buy once/cry once. That being said there are a lot of good inexpensive tools out there. It is just getting harder to sort out the chaf. Snap-On makes several off branded tools that are sold thru other outlets such as box stores. How do I know? Working with them on projects. Craftsman tools went down hill several years ago. SK, Blackhawk, Proto, Mac, Williams, and many others were very good and I own a bunch of them. That being said I have bought and used many house brands for uses other than making a living. In my wife's tool drawer there are everything from a harbor freight tape measure to a snap on screwdriver. In my basement toolboxes Allen to high end, in my good tool boxes they are mostly high end.

[fatelk]

I've been following this thread with interest. I'm going to be buying a bunch of tools for work soon and wasn't really sure what to get.

We don't use our tools every day, sometimes not even every week, but we do want decent tools. Fortunately I don't have to buy my own, just put in on my purchasing card. I don't know what my budget will be yet, but it's not extravagant.

[Hannibal]

Most of my stuff is Craftsman with only a few pieces of snap-on (and I mean few). I'm talking 10-50 year old Craftsman stuff

These days, if you can find old Craftsman stuff at an estate sale or farm auction, that's probably your best bet. I feel fortunate, as I've got about everything I'll ever need.

[Petrol & Powder]

By virtue of the expansive U.S. market that Sears controlled for almost 100 years, there's a LOT of Craftsman stuff out there. The Craftsman stuff is good and the old Craftsman stuff is better but don't overlook the other stuff.

The amount of high quality hand tools previously made in America is impressive. There's a lot of old stuff other than Craftsman that is very high quality; you just have to know what you're looking at. There are also some foreign made tools that are exceptionally high quality. If you have some knowledge, you can pick up some excellent old tools.

Knowledge is key.

Caveat Emptor

[.45Cole]

Look into some of the higher Taiwan stuff, most of the larger mfgs actually use these Taiwan companies to make their tools. Also some of the great older brands are overlooked, PowerKraft, Indestructo, Herbrand, New Britian and yes old TAT. These will be good tools and can be found cheap. One word of warning, buy nice wrenches and sockets. It's amazing how a bad brand will round a nut, then my SK socket will grab on it and pull it out. Look at Grey Pneumatic for sockets and splurge on SK ratcheting wrenches.