Best approach to buying tools?

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Also switching from SAE to metric works well when dealing with rounded off fasteners. 3/8 headed fastener with rounded head? Beat a 12-point 9mm on and you're good.

I second the sears toolsets, when I bought my tools, I had a sears autocenter job. They gave a 40% discount for 'shop use' 10 for being an employee, and 15% craftsman club discounts came around often too.
 
Most of my stuff is older craftsman although about all of my impact sockets come from HF. The last set of craftsman wrenches I bought was about three years ago were made in china. If I'm going to buy china made tools I'm going to pay china made prices, not sears.
 
Craftsman tools sometimes are on special sales at K-Mart. One major tool is a long 15" breaker bar for 1\2" sockets for those stuck bolts. They save ratchets.
 
justinp61 said:
Most of my stuff is older craftsman although about all of my impact sockets come from HF. The last set of craftsman wrenches I bought was about three years ago were made in china. If I'm going to buy china made tools I'm going to pay china made prices, not sears.
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Exactly my thoughts. I'm not going to pay double to have my floor jack painted black with a Craftsman sticker when it's the same exact jack, from the same factory, as the orange one at HF for half as much. Yes, I'd rather buy American made. But I'm not going to buy junk and pay more for it just because it says Craftsman on it.

Even the US made Craftsman stuff isn't that good anymore. I stripped the gearing in a US made, "professional series" craftsman ratchet. Only ratchet I've ever stripped like that, and I've used a lot of tools. The action of the ratchet mechanism on the replacement they gave me felt like crap right from the store. It works ok, but it doesn't feel like a quality piece. I've been beating on a set of HF "Pittsburgh" ratchets for a few years now, they're the ones I take to the salvage yards. They get thrown in the dirt, bang around in my car, and used on the nasty, rusty junk at the salvage yard. Never had an issue, the ratchet mechanisms still work great. And that's not even trying to take care of them, just figuring they're "cheap" throw away tools. And now they have a "no questions asked" return policy. How times have changed.
 
krazykuda said:
For specialty tools like double flaring tools, pipe benders, etc, go with professional Snap-on, Mac, Matco, etc as the cheaper ones do not work as well and will give you fits....
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That ^^ I will agree with, I bought a cheapo double flaring tool, it worked but not well.

I was able to score a set made by Snap On, and night and day difference.
 
First off, drop the ha ha. What does that mean? Either you are serious about this or not. It makes you sound stupid and from all your other posts, I know you are way smart.

Secondly, asking other people what to buy for tools is not going to net you the best results, because not everyone uses the same tool for the same job.

Thirdly, lose the Pittsburgh total crappola. If you cannot afford the best, such as Snap On, Mac and the like, I suggest Husky from Home Depot or Kobalt from Lowes. Both great tool lines for the money.

Start with the basics. Sockets, ratchets and wrenches and go from there. Will you be working on things with metric fasteners? From there ask yourself if you will be working on things with specialty fasteners such as Torx, Tamper Proof Torx, Clutch fasteners, Allen fasteners or any other specialty fastener.

Tool storage is probably more important than the tools themselves as a poor choice here can lead to poor security. The last thing you want is an easy to break into box.

Determine your budget first. Then realize that unless you are rich, your tool collection will take years to amass. I have almost a 40 year collection and still don't have everything.
 
Thirdly, lose the Pittsburgh total crappola. If you cannot afford the best, such as Snap On, Mac and the like, I suggest Husky from Home Depot or Kobalt from Lowes. Both great tool lines for the money.
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Wrenched for seven years straight, 60 hrs a week in a fast paced shop, broke one Pittsburgh ratchet (like a 2 foot long quarter inch drive) and a dozen or so craftsman, a pair of snap on ratchets and a handfull of stanleys. Also shattered or split a good number of snap on sockets and countless craftsman, had to get several name brand wrenches warranteed as well.

This isn't the 80s or 90s anymore, the chinese/taiwaneese etc are making decent products, I'm not the only one that had good experiences with their stuff either. Now if it were the difference between a six point wrench (best choice) and a 12 point (okay, just not for breaking things loose) yeah there's a huge difference. Jumping on a bandwagon because its 'usa' made and therefore untouchable isn't always right anymore. A budget USA toolset would be awesome, but... We can all see what happened there.
 
Always one in every crowd. I don't give a fig about anyone else's experience when I recommend something. I recommend what I recommend. Period.

Pittsburgh is junk. Always has been junk. Always will be junk. I never said anything about USA made or not. In fact, I think I recommended Husky or Kobalt, both of which are imported. In fact, a lot of Snap On and Mac are imported now, yet still carry the same high priced price tag.
 
ok thank you for the advice on staying away from Pittsburgh and i was well aware of everybody using different tools and differing opinions was more looking for a guideline or best way to get the best bang for my buck sales etc.
 
I have never seen a 2 ft. 1/4 drive ratchet. If I did I would expect it to break regardless
of brand. I still have every snap on socket I started out with 40 years ago and have never
split one. 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2" sets. If you split a snap on socket you did something wrong.
I've put 3/8 drive chrome sockets on a Ingersoll rand 1/2" impact and never split one. Thinking the whole time I know better. Bolts break off first.
 
Proto is also a very good brand that is commonly overlooked. Proto, SK, Husky, Kobalt, Craftsman (1980s and prior) are just a few good choices and all can be found used as well. We have a local large flea market that I have found a lot of good deals from in the past. You just have to know what to look for. And what to stay away from.
 
toolmanmike said:
Tools for hobby/ home use? Buy what has warranty and convenience. You don't need the best. I sell MAC but a quality MAC ratchet won't be any good for you if it needs a kit and you can't find a dealer. Home Depot/ Cobalt look good although I don't know about their warranty. Craftsman isn't as good as it once was but inexpensive and convenient. Catch my drift?
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I do. Buy what you can afford that has an easy warranty.

In that you're looking at Sears, Lowe's, Home Depot, Harbor Freight. Even the parts houses like Auto Zone, NAPA, Advance (selling Gearwrench)

Here's the deal with buying tools from the parts houses. If you're looking at a set, say, like with a set of Gearwrench wrenches, check to see if each wrench is sold individually. If it's not, walk away. If the tool isn't sold individually, then it's a pain in the *** to warranty as you have to warranty the whole set.
 
Buy what you can afford, what feels good in your hand........it don't mean s**t if the tool is Craftsman, Snap-On, Mac, etc and it is uncomfortable to use because then you won't. I have a very wide range of tool makers products; Craftsman, S-K, Thorsen, Mac, Snap-On, Lisle, Husky (old and new) Proto, Bonney, Armstrong, you get the picture and some of this I've had for 50 years.

CL, estate sales, flea markets, garage sales are the places to shop....I got my favorite 1/4 inch drive S-K ratchet at a garage sale for $5.00, I use it ALOT!

As already stated good tool storage is important, not so much to guard against theft as to hold what you put into it, drawers that open and close well; roller ball bearing glides are the best, though simple slides that are clean with a light grease lubrication work well also.

A thing about warranties.........Some (not all) Mac and Snap-On drivers are not real happy with doing warranty exchanges with people who are not weekly customers as they aren't making any money on the deal. Just something to think about.

For pliers, you can't go wrong with Channel Lock products, don't cut a corner there.

Good luck!
 
RustyRatRod said:
Proto is also a very good brand that is commonly overlooked. Proto, SK, Husky, Kobalt, Craftsman (1980s and prior) are just a few good choices and all can be found used as well. We have a local large flea market that I have found a lot of good deals from in the past. You just have to know what to look for. And what to stay away from.
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Part of the problem, Rob, is GETTING them (these brands). "In a previous life" I worked for nearly 17 years in auto parts. We SOLD these brands, as well as Armstrong and Thordaarson. Now, NO auto parts I'm aware of in the area sells anything mentioned above in the old brands except maybe Kobalt. You NEVER see Proto, SK, or any of the other "old" brands in any store.

You mentioned Husky at HD. Is that the "same" Husky as "we" always knew, or is this, too, a new, improved chineseoated version? Also, the problem with Lowes and HD is that they are NOT an automotive store. Unlike real parts stores, they are more into "the popular" tools rather than what mechanics really need.

It's truly a really sad state. Our local NAPA store is an insult. an INSULT. Went in the other day to get some 3/8 cooler hose for the White Whale, and they had ONE FOOT in a box. They said "they order some" I went down to O'Reallys
 
most of my stuff is craftsman. just easy to get.. i do have some snapon and matco specialty tools thrown in and even some cheap junk too..

stuff at home depot looks a lot like craftsman stuff. probably easier to deal with depot these days though..

in your shoes i'd buy craftsman or husky brands to start. probably get by on 90% of what you need to do. when you need a specialty tool then see if you need top of the line or can you go cheap and get what is needed. no need to buy everything at once of from the same place...
 
if you live near the country, find whatever paper/ shopper fsr, suctions sre listed in. farmers, die, move, sell out a farm, .... around here there will be a flat trailer or two full of boxes of tools.... box of wrenches, another full of sockets...... $ 5-6 a box.... 25 pounds o wrenches !
if you bid on bigger items, look them over good, and know what a new one costs. I have seen old stuff bring more than what it does new! if say,.. there is a hydraulic press, if you might want it, if you can, find the auctioneers helper, and ask what they generally sell for. he will know.... will be a range. or if he says they always sell stupid high, don't waste your time on it.
a farm estate sale will usually have a lot of good older brands. a high end farm will generally have quality tools.
 
I really don't agree with the "everything HF or Pittsburgh is junk"

I have a good mix of all the homeowner stuff...Craftsman, Husky, Pittsburgh, and Kobalt.

For craftsman: I have broken 4 ratchets, a 26" breaker bar, and about 12 sockets, they warrantied all of them but as Sears/K-marts close it's a lot harder to get them replaced.

I've broken exactly zero Pittsburgh brand tools, and I have a lot of them. I use their ratchets pretty much exclusively now, because they function well and don't break. The "Pittsburgh Pro" marked stuff is about as good as anything you can buy at a store...if it said "made in taiwan" on it, I wouldn't hesitate.

Husky tools are pretty decent, IMO, they are definitely my go-to place if I need a single loose socket or wrench as they have by far the best prices on individual items. Have broke none of their tools. Satisfied.

Kobalt: I have broken some of their sockets and I have the "toothless" ratchet from there, which is a super cool tool. However, getting anything warrantied at Lowe's seems to be a total joke.

For air tools, spend money and buy a good quality USA compressor, and you can certainly get by just fine with HF air tools. The earthquake brand air tools have worked quite well for me.

I wouldn't even bother with the high dollar stuff unless you are doing this for a living. Since you work at HF, I wouldn't be afraid to use their stuff.

Now, for something precision or specialty, like flaring tools, it's worth buying the more expensive tool.
 
Just went back and re-read your original post. You work at HF. I'm a big believer in shopping where you get your paycheck. With sales, coupons, and 20% off coupons, you should be able to assemble a pretty good collection, pretty cheap. Being on a tight budget, that's my recommendation.
 
my favorite wrench was a craftsman 1/2-9/16 long box end combo. that thing fit about everything on a bike and the long handle (about 12") really made breaking bolts easy. I had a Kreauter (?) fine tooth ratchet I loved but it walked off one day. The smooth finish Pittsburgh line of HF are so much better than the rough INDIA crap you used to sell. Most of my stuff is mix and match but its always nice to have a complete set of 'spanners' in a graduated frame when your out there under the hood.
 
You mentioned Husky at HD. Is that the "same" Husky as "we" always knew, or is this, too, a new, improved chineseoated version?

Sadly, HD's "Husky" is not the same we knew from days gone by. Don't know for certain but more than likely HD bought the name from New Brittan Tool and lined up some one to make the tools. They seem to be decently made, years ago for Christmas my wife bought me a 1/4, 3/8 drive SAE/Metric socket set, I use it in my track box, or if I'm salvage yard shopping.
 
If you are on a budget HF isn't horrible the quality has improved. You can pick up the basics cheap. That being said their pliers suck. Craftsman and Channelock are still US made and good quality. The problem with the imports is the steel still isn't tough so the jaws wear really fast.

Screw drivers, Craftsman screw drivers are still US made and good quality. Craftsman wrenches are a shadow of their former self.

Once you get a few basics hit garage sales, flee markets, and pawn shops. I carry a small notebook with me that is full of little tidbits of information. One piece of info is a wish list of tools with their list price. You'd be surprised how many people think used stuff is magical and worth more than full retail.

Examples of things bought at pawn shops, Snap On angle head Wrences. A note about pawn shops, they are not in the business of selling stuff. They are in the business of loaning money, as a result the will list stuff for rediculous prices. So knowing list price, and for me I will only pay 1/2 list price for a used tool. Don't be afraid to negotiate. Don't worry about insulting them with a rediculous offer, keep in mind they probably paid 10% of its value.

Finally, buy a few expensive tools, a really nice Mac or Snap On ratchet is a joy to use. Snap On Mac universals are way better than Craftsman. Occasionally splurging is well worth it.
 
Option #1- Hit the garage sales. You can really score and get a lot of tools for your money. Once you have a complete collection you can upgrade a little at a time for the tools you use a lot and want better quality of.

Option #2- Borrow from your dad like my kids do and never return them.
 
As far as Pittsburgh being junk, most may be but I all of my impact sockets are Pittsburgh and I've beat the pi$$ out of them and never broke one. The older Williams ratchets are hard to beat, the newer ones are junk. The older ones have a spanner nut on the back that holds the mechanism in, there is a screw in the middle of the selector on the new ones. I picked up several NOS long and short old ones about five years ago at a yard sale.
 
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