Tools

hey everyone

so i think its time for me to start buying tools. I'm 24 and i continue to do DIY projects without the proper tools. i have a standard cheapy socket set, 2 adjustable wrenches, cheapy screw driver set, a few vice grips, hammer and channel locks, a nice set of standard and metric allen wrenches.

I want to buy a set...i went to home depot and they have the 50, 100 and 200 piece sets. my problem with these is they dont include all the socket sizes (they skip on the unpopular sizes and most dont have deep sockets). they also come with 50 driver tips (which ill never use) and a bunch of CRAP. after talking to the guy at Home depot he said he gets his stuff at SEARS mainly craftmans because of the warranty and selection. they sell more individual stuff. anywho

I want a complete socket set, with 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" in standard and metric. regular and deep socket. I think instead of a wrench set i will upgrade to the racheting wrenches and a decent screw driver set, short regular long in the assorted sizes of flat and phillips.

so my question do i just buy one of these sets (one that has minimal crap) then individually buy the sockets its missing. or am i better off just buying sleeves of each kind and size. The things they sell that have like 12 sockets of the particular size ex assorted 1/2" deep sockets. i know this will be more expensive. Im not a mechanic and i dont use my tools everyday but i always am doing some sort of project or fixing something. Im handy and looking for a good tool set or advice on what i should get.

I thought about going to harbor freight or northern tool and getting a big cheapy set as i dont think ive ever worked on anything that was torqued tight enough to break a tool. (except for maybe brakes on my car, stubborn caliper bolts).

If anyone has bought a good all around kit, or has bought one and hate it, or would recommend a better one or tools i should get please chime in with your opinion. I Dont need snap-on or mac tool type tools. I figured craftsman would be perfect for me. but maybe that is even over kill. I dont particulary want a walmart kit. The Husky ones (black chrome) that my brother uses are nice and we use those on the boat, and they havent broke...and they are lifetime. the problem is the kits they sell lack the some sizes. I am not buying all at once, im slowly building up what will eventually fill a tool cart (air tools, clamps, specialty tools). but i need a good set to cover the basics for now


So if you were gonna build a set, what would you include?

what brands would you consider, and wouldnt (consider my needs and uses, some automotive work(havent taken an engine apart, but i wouldnt be opposed to it either) but normal maintenance.

Also if you upgraded your tools, and are looking to get rid of your mid grade tools send me a PM.

I have also searched craigslist but around my area its mostly people selling entire tool carts of mac tool or snap-on for 5000.

Re: Tools

Having the proper tools is the key to a successful project. Pay a little more for tools now, and they will last the rest of your life. Check out the sets that craftsman has, and buy the best one you feel comfortable with. You can add to it as you go. Buy a tool box that is "too big" and you have room for more in years to come. The tools that you get from "discount stores" will cost you a lot of bruises and cuts when they strip out. Good hand tools are an investment, and will pay for themselves over time.

BTW: There are other brands than craftsman, but they are the most popular mid-grade tool. You can replace them in almost any mid to large city in the US. That is my main reason to suggest them.

I would also get a regular set of wrenches before the ratcheting. The ratchet wrenches are nice, and what I use more often than not, but there are places that they do not fit.

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Craftsman are very good tools. I've had some for between 35 and 40 years( cripes am I old), and they still work the same as the did when new. A couple ratchets have been replaced over the years, they don't question it, they just hand you a new one. If you watch the flyers, they have good sales occasionally. A lot of the cheap tools that I have bought ended up breaking and being replaced. If you can buy decent ones the first time, they will last a lifetime. And you are right, most of the sets are half stuff that you will never use.

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Sounds like you already have the basics covered. Personally, I like my Craftsman stuff, but the newer stuff is getting to be very cheaply made. I like to look around at yard sales and auctions. Pawn shops are a smorgasbord of tools, usually very cheap to obtain. I look for MAC, Snap-On, Klein, Crescent, Channel-Loc, Sta-Kon, and to a slightly lesser extent Cobalt. For daily use, the Walmart tools are just fine, and cheap enough that if you do break one, you can just replace it. I buy complete sets, even if I already have some of the sizes, because you will ALWAYS lose them. Purchase specialty tools as you need them or find them on sale, and just keep them for later. Even if you only use it once every ten years...when you need it - you NEED it. The sets you find will have the most popular sizes, and you should just simply fill in with those you need when you need them. Odds are, you never will. Make sure you have standard and metric sockets, in regular and deep-well, with extensions of various lengths. 1/4', 3/8', and 1/2' drives, with adapters to go from one to the other. Make sure you have long and short handled ratchets. A torque wrench is a necessity. GOOD screwdrivers of both standard and phillips are required, with the #2 phillips being the most needed...you should have several of these in differing lengths. A cordless drill with at least 14volts and two batteries is an absolute necessity, and be sure to get a large selection of drill bits and nut drivers. A Dremel tool is very useful. A sawz-all is a necessity. Hacksaws with different blades. Hammers of different types like claw, ball-peen, and one with a brass head are necessities. A set of standard and metric allen wrenches. A set of Torx bits. Various types of rulers and marking devices. Various types of bladed cutting devices (carpet knives, x-acto, etc). A set of regular (not ratchet headed) standard and metric open end/box end wrenches. A flashlight that straps around your head...for hands free light...is a must! Duct tape. Super glue. Epoxy. Hi Temp RTV. Razor blade type scraper. Rags. Go-Jo. Oh...and a good volt meter.

There is soooooo much more, but this will get you a good start.

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Craftsman is okay but, compare the craftsman ratchets to a snap on or any other name brand. I just feel the ratchet quality has crashed over the last 25 years...... the newer ones are cheap and do not ratchet like the old ones. I have a few sets of craftsman sockets but I have the upper grade Napa ratchet handles.

Re: Tools

Thanks guys

quick question, on the craftsman site, there are NaN grades, 1 to 9 (i think, at least 7) I tried to google it with no success, what does this mean? is this the overall quality or hardness of the metal? ex. NaN 1

There are a few different types of craftsman, craftsman professional, a cheaper one. maybe the professional ratchet handle are better than the standard. im not to worried about the sockets. Maybe ill just spring for nice ratchets as they obviously get the most use where each socket may only get used a handful of occasions.

The volt meter sounds like a good idea....never had one and let me tell you without one its basically trial and error, having one would have saved me alot of time to this date.

other than overall build quality/ material quality what makes a ratchet a good ratchet? amount of teeth/ action minimum degree of movement, i would like a lower degree as i often work in hard to reach places with minimal room.

Maybe i should get an air ratchet/wrench

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better yet. any good tool websites with good prices/deals?

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I like ratchets that dont have alot of resistance on the ratcheting mechenism, smooth.W stiff ones ,when a long bolt gets loose you have to hold the drive still or the bolt will just turn w it.Some cheaper ones are really tight or stiff when you rotate them by hand.For stuborn bolts use a cheater bar(a piece of pipe maybe 2') slipped over the handle of your new 1/2" drive and add leverage,be carefull not to break the fastener though!Ive got a piece of Natgas pipe about 4' and it works very well on larger bolts/nuts.Craftsmans waranty is hard to beat but i agree the old ratchets are better.I have a cheap Husky Tools combo in a case w a tilt head ratchet thats holding up well and is great for tight spaces.it came w adj.wrench and ratcheting screwdiver w assorted,stan/met. 5 point sockets and drivers It all works well.

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I grew up with my dad being a mechanic, then I started my professional career as a Ford Tech. I own Craftsman, Snap-On, Mac, and a couple of other brands.
Like it has been said before you get what you pay for most of the time, but yes craftsman has not been holding up to their standard of the last few years. You mentioned the cheaper brand that sears carry, Evolve I believe is the brand name, they do not carry the life time warranty and I can not vouch for the quality of their products.

I have recently started to purchase the Lowes brand of tools (cant think of the name right now) and they have seemed to hold up pretty well. Although at this point I am no longer a professional mechanic anymore.

The only reason I would buy cheap tools is for the set that I keep in the boat, atv, POS 4x4 that I own. Mostly because there is a good chance that they could be stolen or lost. And it hurts to loose expensive tools.

The big sets are going to be your best bet, I recently bought a new set of ratcheting wrenches for $50, gear wrench, went to buy the 8mm separately that did not come with the set $20 craftsman.

oh heres a tip- buy quality screwdrivers and torx drivers, cheap ones only cause you to do 6 times the amount of work when you have to drill the darn things out.

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fed up, would it be kobalt, are they blue? i believe thats lowes brand

Re: Tools

Rellik546 said:

fed up, would it be kobalt, are they blue? i believe thats lowes brand

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Yes...Kobalt. I misspelled it earlier. Believe it or not, AutoZone sells some pretty decent hand tools in the Duralast brand. They carry a warranty as well. I bought a few of them when I worked there years ago, and they are still holding up well. The best ratchets you can get are the type you can rebuild. I havent found smoothness of ratcheting motion has anything at all to do with quality. I have smooth ones and rough ones in the same name brands. S/K is another high end brand that I have a bunch of, and like very well. I'm telling you bro...go to a pawn shop. You can buy a whole tool box full of pro-quality tools for pennies. Also...if you buy the Evolv brand from sears, they are good tools for light duty work, but they do NOT carry the warranty. On a side note...you can buy Craftsman tools at Kmart now, since Sears owns Kmart. You can find good sales on them there at times.

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+1 on Craftsman they may not be Snap on or one of the other high priced name brands but for the average Joe they are a great tool. Plus you only have to buy them once gotta love the lifetime warranty. As others here have said they do not give you a hassle either just the new tool very simple. Also I sent you a pm with a couple of suggestions as I see you are here in Mass.

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My stuff is all Snap-On and Mac. A great deal of it is 30+ years old. Overkill yes for a guy that does occaisional tinkering. None of it however is carried on board my boat, I have a Crescent set from Costco that's of decent quality for on water repars and tears won't come to my eyes if something goes overboard. But for serious work and the risk of your hands or the unobtainiable ancient part that you may be working on, I use the good stuff.

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Relik I can remember being in your shoes but at a little younger age and learning a lesson hard starting out as a rental equipment mechanic right out of high school bought a cheap set of tools to due the jod did'nt turn out to well ! started buying Snap-on and never regretted it to this day now don't get me wrong I have numerous tools from other brand names (craftsman,kobalt,s&e,pittsburgh) but there is one thing you must remember you only get what you pay for! and tools are the best things for guys to collect and make sure you don't have to collect the same thing twice because of lack of quality. Hands down Snap-on makes the best wratchets, wrenches and screw driver (you'll know when there in you hand) Channel-loc makes the best plyers, Snap-on,craftsman,kobalt and S&E make the sockets Allen wrenches are all made by a company named Bondus they make them for all the afore mentioned compaines except Mac. If you buy a box follow the advce mentioned earlier by a roll-away to store what your on your way to collecting. I personally own a Cornwell which is made by Waterloo who makes boxes for Craftsman, Kenndy and some of Snap-on's . Hope this helps also some of the hand tools from Harbor frieght are of good quality and are garaunteed for life and is a good start.

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You'll get a lot of different answers from everyone. There is no doubt (imho) that Mac and Snap On make the best tools. That being said, I don't own any. I am a shadetree mechanic and use mostly craftsman. Are there better ones out there? Yep, but there are a lot worse. I bought one of the sets then just rounded it out based on what I wanted to add.

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OK here's my take, Tools are one of those things that if you make your living with tools then you want the best MAC Snap-On you know the story but if your a weekend warrior work around the house and weekend DIY car maintenance that sort of thing then Kobalt Craftsman etc etc. I used to be a Craftsman guy but I have seen their quality and customer service fall to the point where I no longer consider them to be at the level with MAC and Snap-On, but I use my tools for work so nothing but the best for me. 20 years ago yes absolutely Craftsman had top notch quality and customer service, no questions asked if its broke bring it in for an immediate replacement and your out the door, Since that went out they slipped....

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I have an assortment of lower quality tools. The reason for this is every time I would buy a better quality set it grew legs and walked away, at least until I got myself a good lockable toolbox.

I've used Craftsman Kobalt and currently Stanley.

Stanley is the lowest quality that I will use anything cheaper and you just chalk it up to a throwaway tool. All though I have really torqued them pretty well the only problem I have had is the 1/4" ratchet gave up the ghost it's lifetime warrantied but I didn't fool with mailing it in.

Kobalt and Craftsman are really nice tools watch the Craftsman as other people have said they have really degraded the last few years. If it doesn't proudly state on the box Guaranteed Forever don't buy it, stay away from the Craftsman evolve line they are pretty much over priced Chinese junk tools and not covered by the same warranty.

Really for the standard homeowner for regular use any decent name brand set will do fine. I will say my full set of Craftsman Screwdrivers have really held up well especially the flat heads being used as pry bars none of them have broken.

I snapped one of the really generic brand sockets while wrestling with a brake caliper bolt and since have not bought anything less than Stanley tools and have been very pleased, they may be retired to a boat set soon and be replaced with a full Craftsman set of my Grandfather's. 30 years old and still look like they came originally and function like new.

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I am an HVAC tech thats works 3 1/2 miles from hell most of the time...Klein tools for hand tools are far and away the best...As far as wrenches and sockets I go to fastenal and they have some brands that I haven't broke yet...Jonesway sockets they offer are awesome...I only buy impact sockets because in HVAC work it isnt under a hood and space isnt usually an issue...Craftsman is good also...I avoid like the plague harbor freight...Husky and Kobalt are basically the same thing from what I can tell...They offer the same tools...A few of the screwdrivers look exactly the same with different labels...They are basically lower cost "Cheap" stuff that breaks easy...

Re: Tools

hrdwrkingacguy said:

I am an HVAC tech thats works 3 1/2 miles from hell most of the time...

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You work 3 1/2 miles from me? Why dont you stop by some time then? We can go to the DFAC and get some non-alcoholic "near beer" and some defrosted chicken wings.

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I worked a mechanic for years and always stood by Snap on BUT they are pricey and you do get what you pay for as far as quality goes. If you are not a profesional then go with what your buget will let and maybe get the few tools you will use most often in a little beter quality. I sold all my mechanic tools and now use craftsmaster from CTC and find them adiquite to say the least.