Looking for a good socket set that i can keep for years. My boss has a Craftsman set he got at Orchard Supply for about 130 iirc and it seems pretty solid.
I dont know anything about what names are quality but i know i wont be buying some snap-on 400 dollar set.
Any suggestions?
>>1004347
You didnt specify a price range, or what kind of sockets you are looking for.
All you have said is that you want good sockets that will last, and then contradicted that statement by saying that a chinese craftsman set seemed solid.
>>1004347
>craftsmen
>from OSH
I doubt he got a Sears brand from Orchard
>>1004355
>Sears brand
The CEO that moved all production of Craftsman to china, he also started farming out Craftsman sales to other hardware stores.
Getting ready for the inevitable of killing Sears off completely.
>>1004349
Whats the best set I can get for 100 in your opinion?
It seems solid yes to me, but like i said i know jack about determining quality sockets smartass.
>>1004357
Since you still refuse to tell us what size socket sets you want, ill just have to guess.
http://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-1115-4-Inch-Socket-21-Piece/dp/B000JNA88W
>>1004365
Okay good point dude i didnt specify what sizes I want. but >http://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-1115-4-Inch-Socket-21-Piece/dp/B000JNA88W
85 dollarydoos for only 3/4"?
The craftsman set included 1/4,1/2, and 3/4 with metric and inch for all of them and 12-point inch/metric for the 3/4 drive, extensions and pivots and crap.
Is there a =<$100 set that covers at least metric/inch for at least one drive, with extensions, and, in your experience, isnt shit quality?
Really should have been that specific in OP my bad.
>>1004373
*meant 3/8 not 3/4
>>1004347
I have a Stanley 40 piece 1/2" socket set with imperial and metric.
Using them for general maintenance. Very happy with them.
$120 dollarydoo's at SuperCheap
Tiny url zt6zgqz
>>1004347
Although most would argue that Snap On are the best, if you're not using them daily they aren't worth it.
However, a shitty set will just make the job more difficult.
I'm a handyman and do all my own auto repair. I've been using Craftsman for about 15 years and love them. I would check the box to make sure it's USA made because I've read that they have been shifting some of their manufacturing to China recently.
>>1004347
>I dont know anything about what names are quality but i know i wont be buying some snap-on 400 dollar set.
can you even get any 'complete' size of ratchet set from Snap-on for $400?.... I know, maybe,,, 10 years back, a little 3/8" socket wrench set (with about 14 sockets, complete in a little steel box) cost $300.
The socket wrench I use the most is a semi-old (20 years maybe?) regular, standard-style Craftsman wrench, and the reason is because it spins backwards the easiest (but still catches solid when you spin it forward) and that makes it generally nicer to use. If you want to be picky, that is the MAIN basis I can see that would make sense.
If I had to start over buying tools, I would go to Harbor Freight and start from there. If the Harbor Freight one breaks or doesn't appear to work well in the store, THEN I'd start looking at more-expensive/better-review brands.
But I'd probably never go beyond Craftsman prices, because there's just not a great amount of difference these days.
Being a tool snob is an expensive hobby, and some of the cheapest stuff works very well. Or at least, well enough.... Go look at the reviews of the PLASTIC ratchet wrenches that Harbor Freight sells. And then go buy yourself some, because they have a couple major advantages that most other brands don't, and they cost almost nothing.
>>1004347
Most I've ever paid for a set of sockets was £30 ($45) from Halfords back in the early 90's, I remember because it was a lot of money to me back then, I still have it and it's doing just fine, most mid range sockets will be fine for the casual home user, you only need to spend out more if you are a pro user who will be beating on them every day.
>>1004373
>85 dollarydoos for only 3/4"?
3/4 sockets are expensive
>>1004403
> they have been shifting some of their manufacturing to China recently.
USA made doesnt exist anymore, they made the switch 8 or so years ago. Everyone has bought the NOS shit long ago.
Its all Chinese craftsman for the USA craftsman prices (which were steep for the quality in the first place)
>>1004347
I used to live near a motorcycle breakers in London, they had two 55 gallon drums of bike tools and shit people had left in/on bikes they sent to be broken, I would go in there and root through those drums for tools I needed, I have a ton of sockets from a hundred different makers, they would charge me 5 pence (7 cents) a tool, and they would give me a big discount on my stuff if I found any really good shit they could use them selves like snap on stuff, they never had the time to look through those barrels them selves, I found some cool shit there like old Brit bike kits complete in their tool rolls, Swiss army knives and special tools for certain bikes.
Vehicle breakers often will do this, have you asked around?
>>1004347
That 165 piece kit for 130 at orchard is meh
I wont get into the lower quality of the chinese or the principle of buying them.
The standard raised panel craftsman ratchets are terrible, you will end up wanting to replace all 3 for how truly awful they are.
It comes with a 1/2 ratchet, but only comes with about 10 sockets for it.
It has almost no deep sockets (only a gapped 1/4 set NO 3/8)
It gives you only a handful of wrenches.
What these kits are designed to do is rope you into the brand, and the make you fill out the gaps.
You need a wrench that didnt come in the kit, you are supposed to go and pay 9$ for that single wrench or that single deep socket to add to your kit. Craftsman is really bad about their single tool prices more than other low end brands.
Then you realize that its much cheaper in the long run to just buy a whole 3/8 deep socket set, or just buy a whole combo wrench set which leaves you with multiples of wrenches.
Either way, in the end you are a ton more for your stuff by buying singles, or paying a appreciable amount more by buying single sets of stuff like a metric deep socket set. You get stuck when you NEED the tool.
You didnt actually save much money in the long run buying the small set, its an illusion which pretty much every brand and set does.
Save up and buy the biggest and most complete set you can. You will have these tools a very long time, and the sticker shock will wear off quick compared to how long you plan to use them.
If you are dead set on a kit in the 100$ range I would buy the 227 piece Kobalt set thats 119$.
The ratchets are much better than the craftsman right off the bat, and it has 30 more sockets so less gaps.
That and you wont have the guilt of giving sears/craftsman money.
>>1004347
Buy Harbor Freight sockets.
They are made in Taiwan and are actually really decent, while being a good price.
>>1004531
Meh, bought all my sets 10-15 years ago. I guess I didn't notice that they had switched over so long ago. Damn time flies the older you get.
