Good Quality and Priced Tools

[Hondarado]

Can anyone point me in the direction to a good quality set of tools(hand tools) for a decent price? I was thinking Harbor Freight, But i would like another good opinion.
I would like to use them to start doing all my own maintenance and repairs.

[92accord ex]

harbor freight tools suck, craftsmen is good and pretty good prices and have life time warranty on there hand tools. Then theres the higher end tools like mac and snap on

[Hondarado]

thanks man. Ill probably go to sears or maybe check the web for some good craftsman tools life time warranty is great tho. Are mac and snap-on made with better materials than craftsman? and that is one sexy EX btw.

[DunKrS]

I would suggest craftsman also. Decent quality, the sockets and wrenches fit well enough that stripping nuts and bolts is not a concern at all times as with much cheaper tools. Lifetime warranty is great. I like to replace the ratchets with SK or other higher end brand ratchets because of the increase in the number of teeth. More clicks = more rotation in tight spaces. I keep the craftsman ratchets for using cheater bars on so if they break the kid behind the counter at sears hands me a new one no questions asked and sends me on my way. The guys selling the higher end tools in my experience are more likely to assume abuse and be iffy about honoring the warranty. Yard sales are good for getting higher end tools for cheap too. Familiarize yourself with tool brands MAC and snap-on aren't the only expensive tool companies!

[Hondarado]

I would suggest craftsman also. Decent quality, the sockets and wrenches fit well enough that stripping nuts and bolts is not a concern at all times as with much cheaper tools. Lifetime warranty is great. I like to replace the ratchets with SK or other higher end brand ratchets because of the increase in the number of teeth. More clicks = more rotation in tight spaces. I keep the craftsman ratchets for using cheater bars on so if they break the kid behind the counter at sears hands me a new one no questions asked and sends me on my way. The guys selling the higher end tools in my experience are more likely to assume abuse and be iffy about honoring the warranty. Yard sales are good for getting higher end tools for cheap too. Familiarize yourself with tool brands MAC and snap-on aren't the only expensive tool companies!

Kinda weak that the higher end stuff is so picky..craftsman it is..i didn't want to invest in a bad set and regret it. and I will follow your advice about better ratchets and go yard hunting..good advice.

[92accord ex]

thanks man. Ill probably go to sears or maybe check the web for some good craftsman tools life time warranty is great tho. Are mac and snap-on made with better materials than craftsman? and that is one sexy EX btw.

ya all i use is craftsmen and i never had a problem, i see snap on more as if you own your own shop and use those tools everyday. Thanks for the comment bro i got alot of sweat and tears in her

p.s Black Friday is right around the corner sears always has bangin deals on tools on black Friday just to give you something to think about.

[sonikaccord]

I agree. I can see if you use the tools every weekend then I wouldn't go splurge on a $10,000 snap on toolbox.

IOW, take in consideration the frequency that you use the tool and what you use it for. If you're breaking axle nuts off all the time get something durable. I have a harbor freight torque wrench that I've had for 2 years and it hasn't broken. I just wish I could compare the accuracy of it. Torque wrenches are the only thing I would go quality on, IMO. Sockets, ratchets, wrenches don't have to be the best of the best unless you truly just beat on your tools.

[Granite CB7]

I have alot of craftsman stuff, I have been very happy with it. Try to stick w/ the US made tools. If you'll be getting into axle nuts and crank pulley bolts without an impact gun, 3/4" drive is a great way to go right off the bat, don't waste your $ on a 1/2" drive 36mm only to eventually upgrade to 3/4".

I also have been wicked impressed with Williams, which is made by Snap On but priced very reasonably and most to all are US made.

[5sp5drCB]

If you do enough research you will see that most of the higher priced tools are just rebadged. For example..Ingersoll Rand makes alot of tools for Matco. S&K makes tools for a few different big names. etc. etc. The big names also have a "lower" line too like Snapon has Blue Point, Matco has Silver Eagle(which I guess IR has Silver Eagle)...and don't forget about Cornwell, they have good stuff too.

I'm upgrading my Blue Point 1/2" impact and found out that the Matco 1769a is the exact same thing as the Ingersoll Rand 2135Timax...go figure.

I have nothing bad to say about craftsman though. I've wrenched on many cars with craftsman tools and they pull thru every time...and I love that they replace them no questions asked. Hell I've broken a few old ones on purpose just to get a new shiny one. Haha

X2 on the yardsale/pawn shop idea. Fill a box with old broken or rusted craftsman tools for cheap and just take them back for replacement. It can't get much better than that.

[bobbycos]

I have tools from Mac, Matco,Snap on, Harbor Freight and a few others including Cornwell. I have not had any problems with them and have been using them for years. The yard sale advice is good, I got some stuff that way too.

[illinois_erik]

lol if its not vintage craftsman, its forged in china. i was pissed when I brought in my collection of worn out ratchets and cracked sockets and a year ago theyd rebuild the pawl mech right there for you, now they are swapping again.

HF has a lifetime on handtools, break something bring it in and they trade up with a smile..just use common sense with certain tools. like their pullers and whatnot, sometimes the items chinsy, but theyre constantly "upgrading" their manufacturing process. Not to get on HF's nuts but Ive never had a problem with anything Ive bought and ive probably spent ~1500$ there and got myself 3.5K worth of "name brand" stuff. I really love my 1/2 inch earthquake impact, Ive zapped off 3 different accords axle nuts with no problems, except I was using too small of a hose at first.

What Id do is get what you need from HF, if it breaks or doesnt suit you then upgrade to name brand stuff. But if youre just going to be a shadetree mechanic HF tools will be more than enough.

good luck.

[deevergote]

I also have been wicked impressed with Williams, which is made by Snap On but priced very reasonably and most to all are US made.

I never heard of Williams, but I once borrowed my neighbor's ANCIENT Snap-on ratchet, and the thing was a work of art. If Williams is made to anywhere near the specs of that Snap-on tool, I'll have a new favorite!


Craftsman is good enough for most hobbyists. The tools aren't the best, but they're better than pretty much everything else in that price range (Kobalt and Husky are decent as well. They're essentially Lowes and Home Depot's answers to Craftsman.)

Mac, Snap-on, Matco, and a handful of other high-end tools are absolutely incredible... but they're intended for true professionals. If you're not making a fortune turning a wrench, you don't need to spend a fortune buying that wrench!
It MIGHT be worth picking up a few high-end ratchets, though. Especially the ones you use in tight spaces.

[Hondarado]

Thanks guys I have to do some research.. but yeah my buddy from Lincoln Tech has all snap on stuff..and hes got his heart set on them..but HF has good prices, I signed up for their mailing list and they send me a monthly coupon page. I might just buy my sockets HF and go with primarily craftsman ratchets. ill be spending my Black Friday at sears then haha. maybe hopefully with more experience and $ ill move on up to higher brands and work on my performance game .. then ill have questions about f22's and h22's and all that juicy stuff.

[SlimmTex]

I have mostly snap on/blue point stuff and it is all worth the money to me, I use them to earn a living though. I haven't ever had a problem getting replacement stuff from them but it may be different for people who don't have a snap on guy coming by every week like clockwork.

For the first several years of my career I had mostly craftsman and kobalt and they were ok, but they (ratchets particularly) never lasted that long. I still keep those tools and home and they get the occasional use, for which they are perfect.

So if you earn your living with em I'd say get the best, otherwise pretty good is good enough.

[High5er]

craftsmen all day. I use it, my father uses it, my father's father uses it and his father before him. No but seriously lol my dad has used craftsmen since I was a kid and I've kinda hopped on that train. Havent had a single complaint yet