by "Tristan" (casselts)
Published 05/23/2017 at 01:43
by "Tristan" (casselts)
Published 05/23/2017 at 01:43
No Tags
STARS: 0
Specifically, the Craftsman 254-piece set vs. the Kobalt 227-piece set.
Craftsman Pros: Better selection of tools in the kit. Craftsman warranty. $179 on sale currently, and I may be able to take advantage of Sears’ 20% military discount on tools on top of that, so it’s way cheaper.
Craftsman Cons: It’s all made in China now. I’m not that big of a fan of ratcheting combination wrenches. How good will the Craftsman warranty be when Sears inevitably goes tits-up in about 6 months?
Kobalt Pros: Made in Taiwan... Most tools I’ve used that were made in Taiwan are better quality than those made in China. Similar warranty to Craftsman from a store that’s doing a lot better than Sears. I like the big empty drawer on the bottom for adding extra tools as needed. Lowe’s gives a 10% military discount, but the retail on this kit is $199.
Kobalt Cons: Doesn’t have the “name”. The kit is very light on combination wrenches. The box seems to be thinner plastic than the Craftsman, and the drawers have even less retention.
If anyone has any other similar suggestions in the sub-$200 range, chime in! I’m looking to replace my worn out portable Stanley kit that has served me well. I like these kits where everything has a place- I’m an aircraft mechanic by day, so a box that’s easy to inventory at a glance just sits right with me.
"RallyWrench" (rndlitebmw)
05/23/2017 at 02:30, STARS: 8
I love ratcheting wrenches in the automotive world, they’re a lifesaver. Don’t know what kind of access issues you face on aircraft though. You don’t want to put too much force into them, regardless of application.
I would honestly go with Kobalt, Craftsman is not what it once was. Their Pro series stuff was ok for awhile, not actually professional grade, but better than most, and fine for portable or home stuff. Sears made the dumbass decision to sell the brand though, so the warranty really means shit now given their troubles, and you’re not wrong about Taiwan vs mainland China quality. What good is a wrench warranty if you break your finger using it anyway? My work boxes are filled with Snap-On and old Matco, I wouldn’t use Craftsman or Kobalt day to day, but for weekend stuff, most of my home repair stuff is from one of the two brands. Going forward, Kobalt is the bittersweet choice. Sucks, I’ve had Craftsman since I was little, and my starting apprentice set was all Craftsman so there’s some brand loyalty, but facts is facts.
Also, you’ll probably never use the additional 27 pieces Craftsman is using to sound like the better deal, and it looks like those are mostly Allen keys. Big deal, shitty cheap Allens strip easy anyway, so the Kobalt kit likely has better tools for the money. Also I’ve always felt that Craftsman ratchets had much too few engagement points, but haven’t tried Kobalt. Worth considering for tight spaces.
"Tristan" (casselts)
05/23/2017 at 03:12, STARS: 2
This will be my throw-it-in-the-Jeep-and-go-wheeling, gotta-do-a-brake-job-on-a-friend’s-car or junkyard-shopping-trip box, not for any kind of aircraft maintenance... That’s a gubmint-owned Snap-On stuff that I get to use at work.
I always put off buying Craftsman in the name of saving money... I really wish I could have snagged a set from the end of the Made In USA run. My grandpa used Craftsman and my dad always has, too. It’s definitely a sign of a rapidly-sinking ship when a corporation starts selling off its most famous brands. RIP, Sears. Still, my mainland-China, Walmart Stanley set has done okay over the last few years... although both the 1/4 and 3/8 ratchets are unoriginal to the set/non-Stanley.
"merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc" (merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc)
05/23/2017 at 07:10, STARS: 0
I have a set of the gearwrench ratchets and multiple sets of their ratcheting wrenches. The ratchets are nice, over 80 teeth, so they have a small arc to get them to rachet. And their open end wrenches with the ratcheting box end are wonderful. Maybe make up a set of those for yourself. Doubtful that you need both metric and sae sizes, but depending on what you’re wrenching on, you may need both types. I’m pretty much down to all metric with my home tool sets, but I still have my sae stuff as well, I just never use it. I would recommend the ratchets no matter what big set you buy, and similar to what the other commenter said the extra Allen keys are junk. They work, but they come in bags and it’s near impossible to find the right size when you need it. I’ve got t-handle craftsman allens, but I normally go to my kobalt Metric Allen key set. It’s got all the sizes and a nice organizer carry handle. So my advice would be to look for the best value for sockets only, then add gear wrench ratchets and their open end ratcheting wrenches, then if you need the Allen keys, just pick up the kobalt set as needed.
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
05/23/2017 at 07:14, STARS: 1
I’d spend a bit more and go for the Kobalt. Craftsman has gone to crap. The ratchets in particular are hot garbage that break if you look at them funny.
Also the big empty drawer is clutch for those few extra things you need that aren’t in the kit.
"kanadanmajava1" (kanadanmajava1)
05/23/2017 at 07:41, STARS: 0
Both of those sets seem to be quite good for the price. But I do spot a lot of 12-corner socket in both. I really dislike those.
I have been trying to gather some quality tools. My favorite brand is Facom but they are quite expensive. Here’s an awesome flared nut wrench set that’s priced $165 in one webshop.
"LongbowMkII" (longbowmkii)
05/23/2017 at 07:55, STARS: 2
Most of my disorganized set is old craftsman pieces. Better than the other brands though I’m starting to wear out some common items like the 14mm socket.
"CalzoneGolem" (calzonegolem)
05/23/2017 at 07:57, STARS: 1
At one time I would have said Craftsman without question but not any longer. Kobalt kit.
All things being even the empty drawer tips the scales for your throw-it-in-the-Jeep-and-go-wheeling, gotta-do-a-brake-job-on-a-friend’s-car or junkyard-shopping-trip box.
"themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles" (themanwithsauce)
05/23/2017 at 08:22, STARS: 0
I have that craftsman kit and all my tools survived a freak rainstorm interrupting a brake job and drowned my tools that I forgot outside.
I love the kit but I have had to supplement it with some odds and ends to be really useful. I think my biggest additions have been more extensions and a long/bent handled 3/8" ratchet. Somehow the ratchets and extensions and adapters included never *quite* worked out when I needed them.
"BKosher84" (bkosher84)
05/23/2017 at 08:30, STARS: 2
Craftsman is no longer owned by Sears, they are now owned by Stanley Brand (who also make Black & Decker, Irwin, Lenox, and Hilmor tools along with Stanley’s own line of tools).
You also get a lifetime warranty with Kobalt (It’s the same warranty as Craftsman.. You walk into Lowe’s with a broken tool and they’ll replace it no questions asked) so the lines are the same when it comes to warranty.
I would personally go with Kobalt. I used to sell both (worked for Sears and Lowe’s respective tool departments back in the day) and Kobalt is hands down better quality than Craftsman (at least in terms of the new products out there).
"Captain of the Enterprise" (justanotherdayinparadise)
05/23/2017 at 08:50, STARS: 2
I love my Kobalt set. FYI Craftman got bought by Stanley tools so they will still be around after Sears goes under.
"ateamfan42" (ateamfan42)
05/23/2017 at 09:52, STARS: 3
You don’t want to put too much force into them, regardless of application.
That is good advice. For those fasteners inaccessible with sockets, I always use a non-ratcheting wrench to break them free, then switch to a ratcheting one if needed.
"Justino6969" (justino6969)
05/23/2017 at 10:17, STARS: 0
The Kobalt box is kinda thin, but that extra drawer is nice. I have a set of Kobalt pliers/vice grips/wirecutters/screwdrivers in mine. Both have a lifetime warranty, and as others pointed out, you can just walk into Lowes with a broken part and they’ll replace it on the spot. They’re good tools, I wouldn’t pass them up just because they don’t have the stigma that Craftsman does.
"Sovande" (sovande)
05/23/2017 at 10:32, STARS: 0
Have you considered looking into the cost for individual sets of sockets and wrenches to get what you need? I have been using a lot of Tekton tools and have been very impressed for the price point. You could get full metric and sae wrench sets plus ratchets and sockets for about the same cost. Of course then you would need a box.
"RallyWrench" (rndlitebmw)
05/23/2017 at 11:56, STARS: 0
One thing ratchet wrenches are good for, actually, is breaking things loose in hard to reach places, where you may be limited by the angle of a conventional wrench. If the teeth are fine enough, you can get more swing on a gear wrench than you would otherwise. But I do try to limit that to no larger than 6mm fasteners, light duty 8mm at most. The flex-end ratchet wrenches are magic in some situations, but that pivot adds another weakness that limits the force you can use.
"loki03xlh" (loki03xlh)
05/23/2017 at 12:27, STARS: 0
Most of my tools are Craftsman, and are old enough that they were made in the USA. Never had a problem with their ratcheting wrenches, and I use them whenever I can. Their regular ratchets are shit. I need to replace them with something better and more teeth. Lately, I have been buying sockets from Harbor Freight. I haven’t had any issues, and the store is 5 minutes away if I have to return any of them. Lowes is also close if I need to to buy any Kobalt tools in the future.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
05/23/2017 at 12:45, STARS: 0
Sears is supposedly selling Craftsman to Stanley Black & Decker, and the warranties would carry over with the sale. But if they go bankrupt before the sale closes then the deal could be void .
Harbor Freight has this 225 piece kit for $129 . Its case is more briefcase style than drawer style but hey it’s cheap.
If you like the drawer style case, Home Depot has this Husky 200 piece kit for $99 .
Amazon has this DeWalt (Stanley Black & Decker’s premium brand) 204 piece set for $155 .
"RallyWrench" (rndlitebmw)
05/23/2017 at 13:04, STARS: 0
Perfect for that, then. All my Craftsman stuff that I’ve had all these years is US made, can’t kill it and don’t want to because I don’t want to get a Chinese piece as a warranty replacement. Not precision at all, but it gets the job done around the house. I don’t like Stanley hand tools, but that’s partially my prejudice against MAC tools because Stanley owns them and MAC has fucked my area numerous times. My main roll cab is a big old MAC box, and I can’t get wheels, drawer slides, or anything for it. Should have just bought a Snap-On back then, but my rep was a jackass. Also I refuse to ever spend a dime of my money at Walmart. Tool brand loyalties must sound like the dumbest thing ever to people who don’t wrench. A guy who used to work here actually had a Snap-On tattoo.
"RutRut" (RDR)
05/23/2017 at 13:23, STARS: 1
I keep a similar Kobalt box (purchased a few years ago) for similar use; rides in the truck, access for doing things on my camper, junkyard trips. The warranty has been stellar, had a friend bust a 3/8" drive ratchet with a giant breaker bar and was in and out of Lowes in maybe 10 minutes. The big thing for me is I don’t have a Sears close, and K-mart no longer exists. But I now live close to an Ace Hardware that carries Craftsman so they may start getting some space in my garage box.
TL;DR: went with Kobalt for the same use and am satisfied.
"Pistol Whipped Cream" (heynickhere)
05/23/2017 at 17:01, STARS: 0
I bought the craftsman one last black friday. I haven’t met a job I haven’t had the tool for yet. Not saying it wont happen, I have just been really happy with mine so far.
"Decay buys too many beaters" (decay)
05/23/2017 at 19:54, STARS: 0
Neither, HF Pittsburgh pro makes better tools these days and have an equivalent warranty.
"Orange Exige" (OrangeExige)
05/23/2017 at 21:39, STARS: 0
I’m very happy with my (new school - not “the good ole”) Craftsman mechanics set a year and a half later - it’s about half the size of that kit though.
But come on...
not that big of a fan of ratcheting combination wrenches
Really?? Those would be so damn useful!! I have a crappy, bulky - but usable - small set of racheting wrenches not nearly that nice so I don’t have great motivation to buy new ones. But I would certainly never look at is as a bad thing! You cray!
"Divindad" (divindad)
05/02/2019 at 15:07, STARS: 0
Only wrenches I ever broke were snap_on. Now if I find one in my tool kit I give it to my friends. I dont trust them. I have a Craftsman kit that is about 20 years old. Had to replace several I misplaced or lost. But even ovr hauling engines and transmissions I never had an issue.
"Divindad" (divindad)
05/02/2019 at 15:10, STARS: 1
Thanks for the info. I passed on my craftsmen set to my son. Was looking to buy one with less in it because I dont that much any more. I saw Kobalt, and k now nothing about them. MAC tools always seemed way too expensive for my budget and I was around mechanics who always seemd to be breaking them. ( like I did snap-on tool), So knowing about the changes in ownership and makers is helpful.
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
05/02/2019 at 15:41, STARS: 0
Glad to help! Although since I’ve written this post, Stanley bought out Craftsman and is supposedly investing heavily to bring the quality back to the brand. I have not gotten a chance to sample any new Craftsman tools since then, so I can’t say if that has happened yet or not.