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Sears Craftsman Club Sale

M

Mike Armstrong

Bronze Level Sponsor
Hi guys, thought I'd post this sale starting today. Sears Craftsman Club Members Dec. 7-13th up to 50% off tools and equipment. Membership is free and you can join online.

I need to get a Torque Wrench. Anybody using a Digital? Working on the Conversion, should I buy the 3/8" 5-80lbs or 1/2" 25-250lbs?

http://www.craftsman.com/?i_cntr=1354899132473
 
gordonra

gordonra

Donation Time
Mine is a clicked style that came from Harbor Freight. I used it side by side on a project and compared it to a similar Craftsman. It performed identical.

While I'm not a big fan of sending our industry out of the country, it'one of those tools that I don't need very often, and would probably borrow rather than pay a lot.
 
M

Mike Armstrong

Bronze Level Sponsor
gordonra said:
Mine is a clicked style that came from Harbor Freight. I used it side by side on a project and compared it to a similar Craftsman. It performed identical.

While I'm not a big fan of sending our industry out of the country, it'one of those tools that I don't need very often, and would probably borrow rather than pay a lot.
Click to expand...

Hi Rich.

Ya, I hate to spend money on tools I know I'll rarely use, but when needed you've got to have it. Like the Craftsman 1/2" Impact Wrench I bought recently. I spent 2hrs, broke a socket handle, stripped two sockets and skinned knuckles trying to get the bolt holding the crank pulley out:mad:. The impact wrench spun it out in 3 seconds:eek:.

I like Harbor Freight. Bought my Foldable Shop Crane and an Engine Stand from them, I was actually impressed at the quality. I'm a little leery of buying anything precision related from them though.
 
puff4

puff4

Platinum Level Sponsor
It's getting harder and harder with fewer and fewer 'good' tool makers around, but I still try to buy the best tools I can lay my hands on. Yeah, they're more expensive, but they've lasted me a lifetime and will last my sons as well. Craftsman, Proto, Walker, OTC, Cornwell... expensive, but very, very good, and have saved many a skinned knuckle. I'm not a fan of Snap-on, however... they are good tools, but overpriced for what you get, IMHO. I do have a set of their ratcheting open-ends and their BS/Whitworth wrenches and sockets, all of which they no longer make, but I would not sell for the world.
 
M

Mike Armstrong

Bronze Level Sponsor
As my old tools wear out I'm gradually switching to all Craftsman. Every time I've thrown an old stripped tool into the trash and grabbed the Craftsman next to it it's been a relief that it was there.

I have a brother that has worked on expensive yachts for many years. He almost always uses Craftsman. The only exceptions are specialized, quality (and expensive) tools that he says only Snap-On makes.
 
puff4

puff4

Platinum Level Sponsor
Yeah, Craftsman does make nice tools, however there are certain tools that other brands have that are better designed.

For example, their ratchets... I hate the feel of the Craftsman ratchets in my hand, and I vastly prefer Cornwell for these, since the handle is designed to nicely fit your hand with no sharp edges to dig into your fingers - Craftsman's have that rectangular pattern that kills you after several hours using them. Cornwell also make a fantastic small-size ratchet, model #TR-32 - it's a 1/4" ratchet housing with a 3/8" head - that neatly fits into LBC spaces.

263gbi8.jpg

Full size 3/8" drive ratchet

$(KGrHqF,!n8FBY)T47FSBQ,R!T4ryg~~60_57.JPG

The smaller, TR-32 ratchet, 3/8" drive

Similarly, I like Snap-on's hammer, model HSPD16, a dead-blow hammer with a stainless head on one side and a rubber one on the other... there's no other hammer like it on the market and it delivers a solid, bounce-free punch.

hspd16.jpg

Snap-on model HSPD16
 
puff4

puff4

Platinum Level Sponsor
One other tool set that you'd need to pry out of my cold, dead hands is this set of Snap-on ratcheting open-end wrenches. I'm not sure they make them anymore, so eBay is your friend on these, but they are *wonderful*. They're especially suited for manifolds, carbs, etc. where space is tight and you can't get a normal ratcheting box-end or socket in there. Their short-pattern also adds to their ability to fit into small places.

ipo60y.jpg
 
65beam

65beam

Donation Time
sale

kevin,
the wife and i wear gloves when working on the cars so rough edges wouldn't hurt our hands. try it sometime. craftsman makes a rachet like your cornwall. the same goes for the rachet wrenches. i have both. for home use craftsman is a great buy. they have an unbeatable warranty plus it's a matter of economics. for home use i would rather spend half the money on tools. that gives me more money to spend on beams. some of my specialty tools are mac and snap on but that's because craftsman doesn't make them. one thing i showed my wife last saturday and asked if she wanted it was the pink roller cabinet and top chest that sears has on sale. she bought a craftsman bench last year that allows three roller cabinets to set under it. the price on sale was very reasonable. more bang for your buck!
 
Ron67Alpine

Ron67Alpine

Silver Level Sponsor
IMO, craftsman hand tools are great. When I bought my 1st car for $250, I bought a set of mechanics craftsman tools for $100 and replaced the valve cover gasket. Still have many of them, unfortunately have lost many in the past 40yrs. If I want something of quality, still buy craftsman, and try to find broken craftsman tools at yardsales and fleamarkets. Can't beat the warrenty. There is much to say about buying the cheap Harbor Freight tools for things not used often or quality not important.
 
B

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
Sears might make good, reasonably priced tools, but they are bastards if you are in their supply chain. A favorite trick is to entice a small manufacturer into depending on Sears as their only market, then Sears lowers the economic boom. The belt tightens each year until the small guy finds another outlet for the product or goes belly up.

They've also been known to straight arm inventors, or just out and out steal the idea. So there's nothing new here. There was a big lawsuit, which the plaintiff eventually won, over the Sear's fine toothed ratchet.

I feel dad gave me good advice about 50 years ago when he said "Leave those guys alone. You can generally do better elsewhere". I do have some Sears tools, but not all that many.

Bill
 
puff4

puff4

Platinum Level Sponsor
Yeah, Bill, I think that lawsuit was actually over the push-button release for the ratchet. Same claim... guy designs it then Sears steals it. I believe in the end he won, though.
 
65beam

65beam

Donation Time
sale

i can see you guys have never had dealings as a vendor rep to the mass retailers of the world as i have! they work vendors hard for the best cost they can get. that means whatever it takes. they also rotate buyers around on a regular basis in order to keep vendors on their toes. otherwise you would pay much more for the products you buy. it's a brutal world, but that's the way it is. profit is not a dirty word.
 
MikeH

MikeH

Diamond Level Sponsor
sharong said:
I liked craftsman tools, have used them for years and still have a tool box full. But there have been some issues lately that have made me rethink what I buy and from where. I now look closely at most everything I buy, epically from Sears and this is why:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/MadeInAmer...aims-sears-stole-idea-china/story?id=17720122


Not such a nice thing to hear about a store I have used and trusted for most of my life.

Sharong
Click to expand...

Also now when you return a broken ratchet you get one that's been fixed, instead of a new one.
 
65beam

65beam

Donation Time
sale

tell the whole story. if it breaks, you get another. i took back an 18" ratchet that stripped while working on my weight distributing hitch and did get a new one. not rebuilt.
 
B

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
In my book, there is a big difference between negotiating for a better deal and getting a small business stretched over a barrel, then bleeding it dry. (gotta keep this clean)

Bill
 
socorob

socorob

Donation Time
I've gotten both new and rebuilt. The guy told me they give you a rebuilt one first, or rebuild yours right there if they have the parts, or give you a new one.
 
65beam

65beam

Donation Time
sale

bill,
we were talking about the retail business. you described the federal and state governments.
 
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