Must have tools and sets

>>1161818
>actually buying chinese craftsman

Expensive, poor quality, who knows whats gonna happen to their warranty now that they are Stanley tools.
But hey, theyll be sold at Walmart before you know it so thats gonna be a good thing.

I would buy a Kobalt mechanics tool kit before any Craftsman one
Also realize that you can never have too many sockets, its never overkill.

>>1161824
>I would buy a Kobalt mechanics tool kit before any Craftsman one

Thanks for this info. I didn't know craftsman was Chinese nor did I know it was sold off. I always year people talk about craftsman being good and having the lifetime warranty.

I see Lowe's has a sale on the 300 piece set for 149.25.

>>1161826
Craftsman is Sears tool brand, just like Kobalt is Lowes tool brand. The thing is, Sears is looking more and more like it is going to go out of business soon. Lowes is doing okay and will be around for a while yet.

While Craftsman will continue on, it is because Stanley Black & Decker bought it out from under Sears. They say they are building a new factory in the USA to make tools but there is no telling when those tools will be hitting the street. Probably years from now.

I received the craftsman 311 piece set, plus a couple other odds and ends, for Christmas two years ago. My advice would be to stay away from giant sets, and pick up smaller ones one at a time. It's slightly more expensive, but you don't end up with as many skipped sizes and tools you don't like or need.

>>1161826
Just realize you cant buy one kit and be done, unless you buy like the $1000+ craftsman kit (which I think they stopped selling years ago)

The way these kits work, they give you gapped tools.
You want to strive to have everything you might ever need.
You notice how none of the kits have a full set of wrenches? Theres your gaps, you buy a kit that is missing 5 metric wrenches and 5 SAE wrenches so you have to buy them separately.

Then you realize walking into sears that a single wrench costs 7$ a piece.
Youll most likely get a full set of 3/8 and 1/4 sockets with these sets, but you wont get a full set of 1/2. And you wont get a full set of 12 points, and you wont get anywhere near a full set of deep wells
But you will get a bunch of filler like screwdriver bits and allen wrenches.

There is no free ride when buying tools, you can buy a kit like these and then pay out the fucking ass to fill in the gaps, or you can buy more expensive full separate sets in the first place and be better off in the long run. Not only that, any blown case you have wont fit all the new tools you buy.

Piecemeal your shit together and dont get too OCD about mixing and matching brands.

Thanks for the advice.

I'm probably going to go with the Lowe's 300 set and I read the reviews people gave and someone listed some common sizes that are missing from it.

>>1161836
Id suggest for just starting out, buying this gearwrench set, and both SAE and Metric tekton wrench sets
You will have every wrench you need, and every 3/8 socket you will need
Itll do most of the work youll need. You will eventually need 1/4 set (which is dirt cheap) and 1/2 ( which is expensive but needed for every kit you buy)

https://www.amazon.com/GearWrench-80550-Piece-8-Inch-Socket/dp/B000NICEVW

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OZJN3PQ?th=1

Youlll be better off because youll spend a fortune trying to get a full wrench set to fill the gaps in the kit.

>>1161838
I mean hell, look at this 1/4 set
https://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-13001-4-Inch-6-Point-32-Inch/dp/B00RCYX504/

Remember that having a full range of deep and regular sized is important. And deep is what they jew you on

Instead of buying wrench sets, just buy a few adjustable "crescent" wrenches. One tool that is adjustable to the size you need.

File: 1490231769185.jpg (19KB, 400x400px) Image search: [Google]

19KB, 400x400px

>>1161840

>buying new tools

>>1161843
>implying there is a reliable source of quality used tools somewhere
Itll be great for OP to spend the next 5 years garage sailing and thrift shopping to get anywhere close to a competent tool set.
When he needs a tool he'll end up going and buying it new piece by piece at the store instead.

>>1161818

You should buy this set, it's the only one you will ever need.

https://www.amazon.com/Williams-WSC-1390TB-1390-Piece-Mammoth-Complete/dp/B001355MX6/ref=sr_1_21?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1492284304&sr=1-21&keywords=mechanic+tool+set

>>1161845
>5 years

oh come on now. 6 months of craigslist browsing at most.

>>1161848
>Spent $30k... still can't find the 10mm..
kek.

>>1161818
tools to do what? car/machine?

File: IMG_20170415_130941.jpg (1MB, 3264x1836px) Image search: [Google]

1MB, 3264x1836px

>>1161818
Cordless drill, great in the toolbox or kitchen

>>1161849
Dude craigslist is the epitome of an unreliable, overpriced source of stolen tools. Especially hand tools.
Better off paying the highway robbery prices at a pawn shop

>>1161848
>gonna spend $30k
>not just signing up for a community college mechanics course
>getting snap on student discount
>spending the 5k limit on tools and buy the limit of 1 toolbox
>drop out of the course with your tools

Youll be coming out ahead with better tools

>>1161824
i have some craftsman wrenches, they seem to work fine. then again, pretty light use, but theres been no sign of the ends bending or metal chunks or anything so far

on a different not, where would i get a decent drill? what would you recommend for cheap + efficient? ive got/ have access to pretty much every other tool, but drills are pretty multiuse and my dad takes his with him wherever he goes

>>1161864
:^)
>sell them for market price
>buy more craftsman tools

>>1161865
>craftsman were reliable cheap tools
>as time goes on, cheap chinese hand tools flood market + inflation and in general price of everything increases
>craftmans tools are noticeably more expensive than chinese tools, but you pay the extra because Made in USA with warranty
>late 2000s prices keep hiking because of USA manufacture, but its still worth your extra money because tools may not look or feel as nice but are still workhorses
>sears starts making the hand tools in china, but DOESNT LOWER THE PRICES

At this point metallurgy and manufacturing processes are pretty damn good and chink wrenches can be as good as the QC and raw materials put in them.
Are chinese craftsman wrenches as good as the USA made ones from a functional standpoint? Especially with medium to light use?

Probably. Most people can get by with Stanley wrenches from walmart.

Is it worth paying 4x the price when Harbor Freight has the same exact warranty?
When harbor freight has a lot of Taiwan made tools (which is better than chinese)?
When Craftsman literally got bought out by stanley, the looming Sears shut down, who knows what they are going to do and how long the warranty will be honored?

No its not.
Doesnt mean that your wrenches are shit, it just means its not worth money to buy them.
Also make a new thread to talk about drills, youll have people yelling and screaming about shills the second you post a brand name.

>>1161824
>Chinese

I got a craftsman drillbit today that says "Made in USA" on the back of the package.

I also got a mach t-handle screwdriver that says "Made in Taiwan" on the package. Taiwan is not China, they actually make ok products.

>>1161875
>chink wrenches can be as good as the QC and raw materials put in them.

Which is nothing. Because chinks either make them all out of pot metal or mix and match some pot metal ones in with the sets.

>>1161843
>>1161845
>>1161849
>>1161861
The shitty part about used tools is not finding decentish ones, it's restoring them. You can find loads of diamonds in the rough if you know what you're looking for. You'll know what to look for with some quick reads of a couple articles and watching some videos, maybe a book or two for your trade. But it's a royal pain to restore tools. You can either vinegar them (and potentially cause damage) or spend extra money, time and space rigging up an electroplating setup for derusting.

>>1162061
>You can either vinegar them (and potentially cause damage) or spend extra money, time and space rigging up an electroplating setup for derusting.

There's also a third option - just use them as is.

A little surface rust on a forged steel tool isn't going to affect its functionality, and it's not going to rust much more within your lifetime unless you store it in water or something.

Old tools that are covered in rust and pitted as if they were buried in mud for decades aren't really worth picking up and restoring unless they're something special. I frequent flea markets and I've had no trouble finding plenty of good tools that were in fine shape as found.

>>1162061
>>1162067

Phosphoric acid is the best stuff I've found for most things. Removes rust quickly and doesn't hurt the steel, just leaves a durable black iron phosphate patina.

File: ura.gif (2MB, 300x200px) Image search: [Google]

2MB, 300x200px

>>1161840

>>1161859
>whisking with a fork

DIY yourself a wire whisk

File: IMG_20170415_130237.jpg (1MB, 3264x1836px) Image search: [Google]

1MB, 3264x1836px

>>1162093
The cream needed to be whipped at 2:00 and it was 2:05

>>1162072
Evapo-Rust my man. Wonderful stuff.

>>1161818
Personally i find craftsman to be the best bang for the buck. S-k is better but $$$$.
And matco has a 144 tootg 3/8ths drive ratchet that is fucking money. Its like $200 but eorth every penny changing spark plugs and shit on the back of the motor.
You can never have too many tools. Looking back a solid 144 tooth rachet is a must. A few dozen extensions and swivels will help. A good 6 point socket set is good for shitty old bolts. A good wrench set that goes 3/4 or higher down to baby 1/4 size.

Judt go to work on something and think aboyt what tools woyld best help u acomplish this. Buy the biggest set u can afford with those specific tools in it. If it doesnt say, have 6 point sockets and u need them, biy a little set of the. With it. Just mix and match and start with rhe biggest kit you can afford.

I spend $200 on sets all og the time when i could have soent 3k and been done with it.

>>1161828
Craftsman sold to stanly. Wait 3 months and viy stanley?

>>1161850
>buys 6 1/2" because done with losing them.

Borrow wifes pink china tool set for 1/2" wrench.


Rees

>>1161864
This. Or use a few buddy's tool accounts they dont max

>>1161818

Craftsman was only worth it because you can bring your broken tools in and replace them no questions asked. They haven't made high quality tools in years. I have a sneaking suspicion that they are going to do away with that soon all together, not to mention they already give you hell when you try to exchange anything and try to get you void the policy "did you put a cheater bar on this wrench" "did you put this socket on an impact gun" ect.

Would not recommend buying $200+ worth of craftsman tools.

Maybe someone else knows more than me on the subject, but to me Sears going tits up + craftsman name being bought out by b&d = caution.

>>1161818
Get a soldering iron

>>1162340

Oh yeah, it's good stuff! The main reason I've always liked phosphoric acid for the cheapness of it and versatility, I mix it into gel or paste to use on large and oddly shaped things or as liquid to soak, sometimes with citric acid as well.

>>1161826
I really don't like kobalt branded tools. I've worked various trades the past 10 years and only their wrenches are worth a crap. I bought a husky socket set last father's day and have been pleased with them.

>>1161818
Also people will screach about craftsman. I consider it the best all around. There are better tools for higher and cheaoer tools for less. But as far as to teir hobby or bottom teir mechanic start eith a legit set of craftsman and go from there

>>1163163
This makes me sad. 30 years into craftsman i look towards this and nope the fuck out.

>>1163194
>people will screach about craftsman
>I consider it the best all around.

Its pretty clear why people complain about craftsman.

Why do you think they are the best? They have to be doing something good for you to keep buying their stuff.

>>1161818
What do you all that for? Most people need 1 adjustable spanner, a drill and 4 screwdrivers.

Sounds like you're looking for an excuse to waste money.

>>1163243
>the state of /diy/ in bongland

>>1162439
You think when they go under i could wait a year or two and get raoe price on cl and fb? Should be stable enough to get a bigass pro mechanic box and sk tools in a couple years making my beloved craftsman un needed spares or a gift for the nephews.

>>1163208
They are a big step up on the china sets and my dad is the best mechanic i know. Craftsman os okay because you can jump on 2 wrenches or lose a socket and its nt the end of the world.

Best all around not best as in top of the line. May ditch them soon but i want to biuy a good mechanics set instead of 400 little sets. Probably just get by with what i can and try to get 3k out of my shitty blazer for tools.

>>1163243
Youd be surprised how nice it is to wiggle a ratchet in a 1 inch space or reach a tranny bolt with 4 feet in extentions

>>1163270
Anything else would probably be classified as a weapon.

File: IMG_2594.jpg (182KB, 1242x1592px) Image search: [Google]

182KB, 1242x1592px

Those toolsets always make me cringe due to the setups. Take my advise, the number one tool you'll use as a homeowner is a screwdriver. Tightening cabinet/door hinges, assembling furniture, tightening the toilet lid, taking apart the roomba to clean it out, on and on and on. Get a quality screwdriver set. Ratchets are really just for working on the car and whatnot, even then you'll mostly only being using the one size needed to take the oil bolt off. Don't get me wrong ratchets are good to have, but you won't use them nearly as much as you think. Get some quality screwdrivers, they are your most used tool for general maintenance around the house. This set from Lowes works great and feels good in my hand. Pro tip: don't get those screwdrivers with the interchangeable bits they're a waste of time

File: black.png (838KB, 703x722px) Image search: [Google]

838KB, 703x722px

>>1161840
"ahhh yo dad, where da wrenches at?"
"i just organized them what size do you need?"
>my face when i tell him
"2 adjustables"

i could feel a mixture of hate and disappointment from him, as well as a sense that he failed as a father

File: original.jpg (309KB, 864x567px) Image search: [Google]

309KB, 864x567px

>>1163390
>They are a big step up on the china sets

lol
Despite being made in a chinese factory from an existing OEM, they changed the tool patterns to have large lobster claws with more material because they went to cheap chinese steel.
Other chinese brands, probably coming from the same factory, dont have the large claws and are actually polished chrome while being much cheaper.

People will point out that the shape of the heads in the 5 years have changed a few times already. Think about that. They are changing tooling around so you have no clue what you are going to get.
That is one of the BIGGEST knocks against chinese tools, it was a big reason you bought the unpolished ugly looking and feeling USA made craftsman. Consistency. Now its just like every other chinese brand, just a whole lot more expensive.

And think, they literally just sold their whole brand to another tool maker.

It sure is great knowing that if I lose my chinese craftsman 10mm wrench I can go back into sears and buy a new one for 7.48$
Its a much better idea than buying a Taiwanese made Crescent branded 10mm wrench, which has the same warranty, is nicely polished, doesnt have a lobster claw, and costs $1.77. And yes I have both a full Crescent branded wrench set and USA Craftsman. The crescents are supposed to be a backup set, but I wrench with them regularly and really like them.

Let me put it to you a different way
I can literally go into Menards and buy a Masterforce 10mm wrench for $5.51

Masterforce is made in the USA by Danaher. Danaher is the old Craftsman OEM. They look and feel just like the 2006 era made in the USA Craftsman wrenches, BECAUSE THEY ARE IDENTICAL.

You were paying for the craftsman name when they were made in the USA. Now you are paying more for Chinese tools than you can buy USA made tools that you considered "best all around"

Baffling to me.

>>1162296
>cream needed to be whipped
what were you making?

File: hqdefault (1).jpg (12KB, 480x360px) Image search: [Google]

12KB, 480x360px

....so i went to sears
ruh ruh ruh