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Craftsman tool questions

J

Juicegoose

Well Known Member
Guys as most of do at least once in our lifes i've got the itch! I'm wanting to upgrade my current mismatch tool set with a full out craftsman laser etched set. My question is how well do the larger 26" tool boxes hold up. I'm looking at getting the ball bearing grip latch(might as well be nice right). Aside from that i know craftsman is always having sales i'm just concerned about when the best sales are. Any body with long term craftsman experince have any ideas?
thanks

Adam
 
My vote? Why bother! Spend the money on your plane. You already have tools; so they don't match-so what? Want show tools? Sell your plane and buy Snap-On's. Then, everyone will say,"Oooww, pretty tools! Where's your plane?"
Just giving you a hard time, but if you have old, nasty-looking tools people will think you can use them!
 
na problem is the set doesn't have all the sockets and stuff it's a pain. I'm not paying for them anyway so it's no regard to me.
 
Craftsman tools

The craftsman tools certainly are NOT the quality of Snap-on; but they do offer good value IMO. Believe there are some good sales going on right now. If you break one, Sears will replace it. They provide excellent service if you are NOT a professional mechanic.

A sales point for me is that Sears takes real GOOD care of their employees who are serving in the military reserves and National Guard.

That's my two centavos...:)

Deal Fair
RV-4 flying
George West, TX
 
Craftsman

I have three 'homeowner' grade tool chests w/o ball bearing slides. One has survived 15 moves and is ready for replacement since it's been dropped a few times. I use the base unit as a tool stand for a wood planer and store stuff I don't use on a regular basis...

The others have survived seven and three moves respectively and are doing okay. I might spend the money on ball-bearing slide units when I replace them, but will wait until they die and then buy on sale.

Go with six point sockets vs. twelve point sockets if you're buying Craftsman. I've had twelve point sockets split under high torque working on cars, etc. Sears will replace, no questions asked, but it means another trip to the store. Probably not a concern for the low torque used on aircraft, but you'll use your sockets for other projects.

Regards,
Mike
 
I have used Craftsman tools for many years with no complaints. A huge plus to me is the lifetime replacement policy - no questions asked. I recently took in some 30-year-old ratchets that had basically worn out, and they were replaced for free. Perhaps they are not as good as a few other brands, but for the average guy they make sense.

greg
 
Tools

I really feel that the Craftsman line is the best value around. This is coming from the fellow with a full set of Snap-On tools in his garage. Back when the earth was still cooling, I owned an auto repair business and accumulated my tools over a period of years. The Snap-On stuff is beautiful, but some of the higher line Craftsman is close, and cheaper. One of the appealing parts of Snap-On, when your are in the car business, is that they come to you. Now that I am long since out of the industry it is difficult to find a big white truck when you need something. My advice is to wait for the sale, go to Sears and have a ball!

John Clark
RV8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA
 
As another person who has a Snap-on box full of Snap-on tools for work, my home kit is mostly Craftsman. The wrenches, sockets, extensions, etc. are good enough for general home use. The one place I would absolutly recomend stepping up to Snap-on is screwdrivers, particulary the philips. The tips are ground to the perfect shape, hardened enough not to round off, and there is a hex on the shaft next to the handle so you can put a box wrench on it to help budge stubborn fasteners. Trust me, just one boogered up philips screw, and the resulting mess to get it removed is not worth the $30 it takes to buy a #2 and #3 Snap-on philips.
 
have used

many craftsman tool boxes over the years. never wore one out. even the with the slides. the last one i bought i used in a dealership for 7 years. have it at home now and it still works fine. make no mistake about it they do not even come close to Matco, Snap On or Mac. but they will last forever at home. and for a long time in the industrial environment. most hospitals use craftsman boxes. and they run em up and down the halls like crazy. the rolling of the full tool box over rough groung as in a large hangar is the undoing of them. YMMV

P.S. my craftsman box is full of snap on, mac and matco tools. i could never justify the 10,000$ tool box. but the tools were another story. they are far superior. if im trying to fix my airplane or your car and the tool breaks a warranty still wont get the nut off. but i havent seen anything on an airplane yet that even harbor freight tools wouldnt get off.
 
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Make sure you are a member of the "Craftsman Club" for the best deals on Craftsman tools. I bought a large ball-bearing slide Craftsman chest when I graduated from High School (1969) and a large ball-bearing slide roller cabinet when I graduated from college (1973) and they are still going strong. Absolutely no problems in 38 years. Buy the ball bearing slides you'll be glad you did. I've upgraded wrenches and ratchets with the higher level polished stuff lately and I've been really happy with it.
 
Craftsman is great

I have a box of craftsman with the exception of a few items. I like the Snap-On ratchets and their screwdrivers are an absolute must. If you want to save some cash go the e-bay route or go to a local pawn shop. They typically pay 5 to 10 cents on the dollar. Offer them half of what they are asking and you just might find a good deal. I purchased a set of MAC 40 degree offset wrenches that I use mostly in the wing roots.

For the most part the craftsman will last your lifetime and if it breaks you get new for no hassle.

As far as toolboxes go you cannot find a better deal than Costco. Their big boxes are far and away the best deal out there.

All are good choices.
 
Thanks guys for your awsome comments and opinions. As i was In the military for 6 years as a crew chief on F-16's GO 147th! I know that snap-on tools are awsome. I just think for me that justifying the cost of a set of snap-on tools isn't to easy to do. And like most said with craftsman i can just bring it on back and get another. Thanks guys and i will definatly check out the craftsman club stuff. Anyone else heard about this secret society?
 
Gary Bricker

I bought a 12 inch #1 phillips from Snap On to use in the radio trays. $18 but worth the money. You don't need it often but when you do. I could not find one anywhere else. I use Klein screw drivers other wise from the orange box.
 
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