Need a new tool set. I was looking at craftsman's stuff on sears.com but alot of their tool sets come with 12 point sockets which I dont really like. Any recommendations for something not too expensive?
Need a new tool set. I was looking at craftsman's stuff on sears.com but alot of their tool sets come with 12 point sockets which I dont really like. Any recommendations for something not too expensive?
Used pro stuff on ebay?
What's wrong with 12 point sockets?
For under $200 its hard to go wrong with the Craftsman sets. Our "travel set" was a craftsman 255 piece set with a case that on sale was right at $200. It has the 6 and 12 point sockets.
There are times a 6 point just wont cut it so having both options is nice.
It was this one, which is on sale for $209 right now. http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00935255000P?prdNo=2&blockNo=2&blockType=G2
Earlier this week the 263 piece was on sale for $200.
Some of the tools @ Harbor Freight are adequate for most jobs. Look for sales on sets and ask to talk to the manager to make sure you're getting the best tools for the best price.
most of my tools have been gifts... my starter kit was around $100 craftsman set... set of screw drivers... got a set of metric and standard combination wrenches (Pittsburgh or whatever brand (harborfreight stuff)... and a metric set of gear wrenches
add odds and ends as the need arises... (also had a few odds and ends from my dads extras that he gave me)
as for 12pt stuff... my kit came with a solid selection of metric 6pt and then it had a bunch of doubles in 12pt... which is very nice at times...
buy something you can grow into... while not the best crafsman is easy to get ahold of and to a store to replace stuff if/when you kill it... I have a few screw drivers I need to exchange at some point
I have Craftsman 12- points I bought over 35 years ago as a starter set and they're holding up fine. To add on my sets I waited for sales (and there's always a sale), I rarely bought a tool full price unless I needed it yesterday. Only a few broken pieces over the years: deep wells, adapters, universal.... but a cheater was always involved. EZ return too.
Best to buy larger sets so you don't end up w/ duplicates when smaller sets overlap.
my tool collection started out with a 100 or so piece Craftsman tool set in a plastic case that my mom bought me as a birthday present in the fall of '94. then i needed some screwdrivers, so i bought one of their screwdriver sets for something like $20.. then i needed a tool box to hold them, so i got a small plastic toolbox at Wal Mart for $5 or so.. then i needed some bigger sockets, so i bought a set of 1/2" sockets and a ratchet.. and on and on.. one of my favorite purchases was a mechanics specialty tool set from Craftsman for like $700 that came with a big box of all sorts of weird tools that i really haven't found a use for 12 years later, but they do look cool in the toolbox..
what started out as a small set of tools my mom gave me for my 20th birthday has grown to this over 16 years:
this is probably 1/2 of my stuff.. i need another tool box because the pegboard really annoys me, and i think i need a cart for the jackstands because it's a pain to move all of them just to sweep the floor under the bench.. i'm still trying to figure out how i wound up with a drawer full of mostly Craftsman screwdrivers, since i've only ever bought that one set.. but a guy can never have enough screwdrivers, right?
either craftsmen or lowes.... kobalt is suprisingly good stuff. most of thier stuff is actually identical tooling wise to bluepoint.
I've had good luck with the Kobalt and the Northern Tool stuff. The last time I bought Craftsman, both the ratchets exploded way too quick for me. Yes, they will replace them, but I'd rather have one that doesn't self destruct to start with.
Thanks I guess I will take another look at Craftsman or maybe lowes. I like the Harbor Freight stuff but their stores are to few and far between to make it convenient to replace broken tools. I don't really like 12 pt stuff because I feel like they strip bolts too easily.
you're right in that 12 pt will lend itself to nut / bolt rounding of corners... but sometimes you just can't get a 6 pt to do the job.... it's always nice to have the option
You are correct about 12 points- they are more prone to strip bolts/ nuts. Most Crafstman sets come with both, although it will be a small quantity of 6 points.
12 point sockets are perfectly adequate for most applications. I don't worry about the difference, unless I'm working on a stuck or rusted bolt/ nut. Then I look for the 6 point.
Lowes carries Kobalt. Neither Kobalt nor Harbor Freight have replacement warranties. Craftsman has lifetime replacement.
You won't get much better bang for your buck in that price range than Crafstman.
SVreX wrote: Neither Kobalt nor Harbor Freight have replacement warranties. Craftsman has lifetime replacement.
Not quite
All Harbor freight hand tools have a lifetime warranty.
http://www.harborfreight.com/warranty-info
They have never turned down anything I have walked in with. The employees just don't care enough to say no. Walk in hand 'em busted piece, They tell me to get a new one and wave goodbye as I walk out. I have never had to show a receipt either.
OK, I stand corrected.
The OP still said there are no HF stores convenient, so I stand by my statement that he won't get much better bang for his buck in that price range than Craftsman.
12 pt sockets are good for ARP nuts.... 
kendall
I have a 200+ piece set that I bought used for $80 at Cash Converters. Do you have those in the U.S.?
we've got one here in Asheville .... never seen anything approaching a deal like that..
... good find
Asheville... has the cutest airport I've ever seen. Love those giant rocking chairs, and the people working there must not have gotten the memo that airport staff are supposed to be rude – they're so nice!
Kendall_Jones wrote: 12 pt sockets are good for ARP nuts....
And VW flywheel bolts and some headbolts and a lot of BMW fasteners
I run into quite a few 12point bolts on 80-90's import cars. I consider a 12pt socket set critical
SVreX wrote: I stand by my statement that he won't get much better bang for his buck in that price range than Craftsman.
Agreed. Especially if there is a sale going on. Avoid the "Evolve" line of tools and get what you can that is still USA made. The Cman rasied panel ratchets are my least favorite ratchets ever so splurge for the Craftsman pro line ratchets.
Sears is 15 miles away, HF is less than a mile from my house so I tend to hit them up for "Crap! I need it now" type stuff.
For the last year I have been using the money I would usually spend on Craftsman and ordering Toptul stuff online. I love their Euro style combo wrenches, sockets and ratchets. Especially in the "Module" trays.
Used pro stuff is nice but if you are not a pro it can sometimes be hard to get onto a truck for warranty replacements so you are stuck with mailing it all back to the manufacturer.
Advance Auto has pretty good deals on the Gearwrench stuff. It's actually pretty stinkin nice. ~$130 gets you a pretty nice 1/4 3/8 1/2 set.
Gearwrench Set
Kobalt and Northern Tool are two companies i tend to prefer over Craftsman these days.
The Craftsman stuff feels awful in your hand, and i go through their ratchets like they're going out of style.
That said, the warranty is convenient, and i just bought a 309 piece craftsman set for $270 on Thursday. Got that and a Stanley 5-draw box w/ riser for $411 out the door, tax included. Can't really go wrong, there.
ditchdigger wrote:Kendall_Jones wrote: 12 pt sockets are good for ARP nuts....And VW flywheel bolts and some headbolts and a lot of BMW fasteners I run into quite a few 12point bolts on 80-90's import cars. I consider a 12pt socket set critical
No kidding, and what is up with that? I was told the machines/robots that built cars at that time could grip 12 point bolts easier, is that true?
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