Craftsman/Kobalt/Tekton/Pittsburg Sockets/Wrenches -- General Thoughts/Question

[chiefcook]

Anyone remember Globe Master?

 

[herm0016]

I purchased one of the big tekton canada made boxes and it is fantastic, especially for the price. way nicer than tool truck brands. same as a Rousseau box which is a Vidmar competitor, same style steel carriage and real ball bearings, not just balls in a track on a slide. when you buy from them direct you get 10% credit and once a year or so they do a sale where you get more credit. the large tool box is allowing me to upgrade all my sockets, a set of wrenches and a set of screwdrivers without paying any extra. the sockets are fantastic. the ratchets are pretty nice. have not gotten the the rest yet.

I also love that it is a family owned company in my home town, and they are very clear about where everything is made. I would like to pick up a set of the made in Michigan angle wrenches. they have also been getting rid of some of china made stuff and adding more and more to the line. I plan on buying from them for anything in the future that they carry. they also have fantastic customer service. I had an issue that was totally my fault. emailed them, and literally 10 min later the issue was resolved to my benefit and I had a shipping notification.

 

[Midniteoyl]

I purchased one of the big tekton canada made boxes and it is fantastic, especially for the price. way nicer than tool truck brands. same as a Rousseau box which is a Vidmar competitor, same style steel carriage and real ball bearings, not just balls in a track on a slide. when you buy from them direct you get 10% credit and once a year or so they do a sale where you get more credit. the large tool box is allowing me to upgrade all my sockets, a set of wrenches and a set of screwdrivers without paying any extra. the sockets are fantastic. the ratchets are pretty nice. have not gotten the the rest yet.

I also love that it is a family owned company in my home town, and they are very clear about where everything is made. I would like to pick up a set of the made in Michigan angle wrenches. they have also been getting rid of some of china made stuff and adding more and more to the line. I plan on buying from them for anything in the future that they carry. they also have fantastic customer service. I had an issue that was totally my fault. emailed them, and literally 10 min later the issue was resolved to my benefit and I had a shipping notification.

You make a good point about shopping directly as there are items and tools that you will find in some stores that are their 'lower end' stuff that is made just so a store can have 'lower priced' stuff (usually the China tools you talked of). These items make their way onto Amazon and Ebay as well..

 

[Tinhack]

Anyone remember Globe Master?

No, but I still have a full set of Power Kraft box wrenches from about 1968. For those that don't remember, Power Kraft tools were sold by Montgomery Ward. It was easy for me to buy tools there. They gave me my very first credit card at age 18.

Added: Oh yeah, I still have the 10-drawer Power Kraft tool box too.

 

[herm0016]

You make a good point about shopping directly as there are items and tools that you will find in some stores that are their 'lower end' stuff that is made just so a store can have 'lower priced' stuff (usually the China tools you talked of). These items make their way onto Amazon and Ebay as well..

yea, our local JAX farm and ranch stores have a full line of the tekton stuff, including some of the cheaper china made things, but it seems like they are slowly being phased out for quality items. most of that stuff is not even on the tekton website anymore, like the drill press vice, some bit driver stuff, etc.

 

[California]

Anyone remember Globe Master?

Sure! I still have my Globemaster 1" micrometer from about 1960.

Their stuff was sold from a big tray of miscellaneous unrelated tools at the front of hardware stores. Quality variable, some of it like early HF.

 

[California]

No, but I still have a full set of Power Kraft box wrenches from about 1968. For those that don't remember, Power Kraft tools were sold by Montgomery Ward.

Somebody said Powr Kraft?

I bought this 1960's Monkey Wards 230a AC stick welder 20 years ago from an estate sale. It runs same as new. There's nothing inside it but a 100+ lb transformer and a fan. Nothing to break or wear out.

Eventually I got a HF flux welder thinking that would be an improvement for small work. Nope! Soon sold the HF for a better one, but I'll keep this Powr-Kraft monster forever.

 

[WranglerX]

And then there was this.... Think it was more homeowner oriented than industrial...

Also have 7-1/4 inch circular saw with JC Penny logo/label....

 

[jyoutz]

Great replies. Thanks for the advice folks gave.

I think having what I'm running now is sufficient.

For what it's worth, Craftsman is still lifetime. Just if you were to trade a broken USA stamped tool, you'll get a Chinese clone with the exact same part number. Lowes has no problem doing it.

I also found out that there is a secret way to get "specialty" tools like for example shallow 1/2" drive 6 point sockets from Craftsman and that is by going to/calling one of their independently owned stores and special ordering them. I had a little time on my hands earlier this week, cause I was curious. Supposedly there is a catalog for Sears dealers only at least according to one Sears store owner I spoke with. Quite and interesting going about doing business. But if I recall correctly, even in a regular Sears store they had those Craftsman full catalogs with every single part number of tool.

There are a couple other Craftsmen special tools I might order... we'll see. It's just easier to go to HF and get the Pittsburgh. lol

I wasn’t aware that there are any Sears stores still operating?

 

[jyoutz]

And then there was this.... Think it was more homeowner oriented than industrial...

View attachment 713607

Also have 7-1/4 inch circular saw with JC Penny logo/label....

I have that set that I bought in the 1970s. That wrench set is actually pretty well made. I have never broken anything in that set.

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

I wasn’t aware that there are any Sears stores still operating?

The independently owned stores are still out there. I stop in at the one in Hamilton MT, anytime I’m headed over to Missoula, just to see what they have on sale. Got a 55-inch top box last year for half price because it had a dent, and scratch on the back. Put it up on a bench, and no one will see the back in my lifetime, so it is good for me.

I’ve been buying Gear Wrench brand stuff of the last couple of years, and it is holding up well enough. I have a pretty good set of Craftsman wrenches, sockets, etc, from the mid 70s. I was still living t home rent free, and going to college, had a part time job at UPS loading trucks, and was making just over $14/hr, which was really good money in those days. the only expenses i had was gasoline to get back and forth to walk and school, so I had quite a bit of spending money. I’d swing by the Sears catalog store, every Friday on the way home and buy tools that were on sale. Had to put some of the more expensive stuff on layaway, and pay it off over a couple of checks. I still have the complete set of wrenches, ratchets sockets etc. Had to replace a few that I lost, but have never broken any.

Every once in a while the local Ace Hardware has the Craftsman wrenches, and sockets sets on sale. And I have bought a set of 3/8 ratchet and sockets, and wrenches with a tool roll for each of he vehicles I drive. For about $25 invested, I can fix most stuff that is fixable on the road.

The Chiwanese stuff varies in quality, because they are very good at making exactly what you ask for. If whoever is having them make branded tools knows how to write good specifications, they will get consistently good to very good tools. If they don’t know how to spec out what they want, they will get inconsistent results. You have to specify anything you want, alloy, heat treatment, Rockwell Hardness, brittleness, tolerances, etc. And the manufacturers will give you what ever you ask for. Better brands, do a better job of defining what they want, pay for what they want, and get top quality tools. Lower cost brands, have less stringent specs, and pay less. So, they can sell for less.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I have all from 3mm to 3 inches. 100 different brands. I don't care who makes it, just that I have all the sizes. I have a shop and a truck with crane,and that is how I roll.

 

[IndyJay]

I wasn’t aware that there are any Sears stores still operating?

Funny you should mention that... from today's headlines...

Sears To Shutter It Last Store In Home State Of Illinois

(RTTNews) - Department store chain Sears is closing down its last store located in its home state of Illinois, CNBC reported. The company, which w...

markets.businessinsider.com

 

[JWR]

So I've got a very, very nice set of Craftsman USA made sockets with assorted goodies.

I bought a medium sized set of Craftsman not quite as extensive as yours with my first paycheck in 1962. Lifetime of good use. Never a problem. The only things I broke in those 60 years were my fault and really my abuse. I find it helpful that many places sell Craftsman tools these days including locally Ace Hardware, Lowes, and I think even some in Walmart. Obviously the name and the aura got sold a few times after the demise of Sears. I have not tried to get guarantee replacement of anything in the last 20 years but the website for Craftsman still say Lifetime Warrantee. I see no great advantages to any other brand.

 

[sunandsand]

Best place I've found to buy tools is a small-town flea market. That usually doesn't work if you need to replace something specific right now, but is a wonderful resource if you buy tools "just in case", or if you keep your eyes open for deals. I've bought three arc welders (c'mon do I really need three?) for under $50 each, I found an aircraft grade wire crimper which sells for $400+ (yes, it is that good!) for $20, and a week later, two more for $10 each. Sockets out the wazoo, I only buy good brands, not the cheap stuff, and I seldom have to pay more than 50 cents for a socket. I needed a half inch eight point socket (square nut), half a buck. I needed a 16mm socket, half a buck. Drill bits, files, punches, often four for a dollar, a few moments inspection will tell me if the item is sharp (or can be sharpened) or is junk - pass. A $65 safety wire twister for a dollar, I had to clean off a little surface rust on that one.

I also have a box of crap tools as loaners. I do not EVER lend out my good tools because they just don't come back. Most casual tool users ("homeowners") have no idea what good tools cost, how to use them, or how to take care of them. I lent a relative a screwdriver a year ago, it came back covered in rust "Oh, I left it out in the rain", I lent a neighbor a 1 1/2 inch socket, it came back with hammer marks on it, so now I say of course you can borrow tool X, and I tell them to pick whatever they need from the junk tool box. Asking to borrow the good stuff places their life in mortal danger . . .

Best Regards,

Mike/Florida

 

[Midniteoyl]

I lent a relative a screwdriver a year ago, it came back covered in rust "Oh, I left it out in the rain",

I lent out a 12" sliding compound miter saw once. When I stopped by to see how he was getting along, I found it in back covered in a soaked, collapsed, cardboard box. Stand not covered at all. 2 foot from the shed door.. When I confronted him, he was like "What? I covered it before it rained!". Threw it the back of the truck right there and then.

 

[crashz]

You guys are making me want to buy some new tools. One of my strongest addictions along with rusty trucks.

I have vintage Craftsman, and the lesser quality tools (HF and others) but I really like my SK tools.

 

[IndyJay]

My Dad's 50 year old SK ratchets are better than my relatively new USA Craftsman. There is absolutely no slop, if you move it even a hair, it clicks into a new "grab". I've got several of his old tools combined with mine, they are my "go to's" when reaching for a tool.

 

[California]

Best place I've found to buy tools is a small-town flea market. ... a wonderful resource if you buy tools "just in case", or if you keep your eyes open for deals. I've bought three arc welders (c'mon do I really need three?) for under $50 each, ... Sockets out the wazoo ... Drill bits, files, punches, often four for a dollar ...

You can over do it.

Dad was a yard sale junky. Then McClellan AFB auctioned or junked mountains of aircraft repair stuff over several years (had been the Pacific region aircraft overhaul site WWII through Y2k, before the base closed). I inherited so much stuff that I'm still sorting out what to keep, 20 years later.

Here's the photo of excess drills that I just posted over in the Estate Liquidation thread. The drill bits I use are in my tractor stall shop, another several sets are by the big drill press in a different shop, then there are these that are to good to get rid of but not needed for anything. There are other categories of tools with many duplicates, one example is a dozen Wiss tin snips. My daughters are going to cuss when they have to settle my estate!

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[cjvickers]

Attached is the Craftsman Warranty