other What brand of tools do you like?

[B-Merry]

I inherited most of my tools from my dad. He passed when I was 27 so I hadn't accumulated much at that age. His brand of choice for hand tools was Belzer from Germany, but he said they were expensive. Much of what he had was Craftsman. He said they weren't as good as the Belzer, but they were fine and they came with a lifetime warranty. They are mostly from the 60s.

Jim

[avoirdupois]

So many posters place great emphasis on tools with a lifetime warranty.   But this warranty can be a bona fide tail chaser, if not worthless. 

 

For example, my 1964 X wrench breaks and when I attempt to get it replaced, I discover the manufacturer no longer carries that tool, or the manufacturer no longer exists, or the manufacturer disavows ever selling the tool despite it being embossed with the manufacturer's name and internal part number (tool had older style logo ).  And then there is the retailer who insisted his store never sold or warranted the tool for life  -  and when showed his store's vintage catalog - with the tool as part of a set, he offered to reimburse the pro rata cost of the tool in 1952 dollars ($1.29),  and despite the fact that the set would now be incomplete.  Fortunately, most older tools, up to and including the age of my '02s, were well made and do not require replacement.

 

The Craftsman name seems to have stood the test of time yet Sears' free standing tool departments are no longer what they once were.  Do they still print catalogs?   Gone are other big stores with comparable tool departments such as JCPenneys and Montgomery Wards.  Fortunately, HF, HomeD and Lowe's has taken up some of the slack, but for anyone with a gray hair, this does not cover those older lifetime warranted tools.

 

 

   

 

 

 

Since it is unclear Jonny wears socks, maybe this is what is in that drawer?

 

 

Before the neu klasse?

[2fast4u]

Swap meets are the bomb. I find awesome old school tools in people's one buck bins I never come home empty handed as far as tools go. Amazing finds, check out when your local swap meets/flea markets take place and have a look around.

Thanks,

-Sevag

[Harv]

Flank drive sockets.

John

[JohnH]

Socketry and spanners are Elora

 

Ratchet spanners are Carolus (Taiwanese sold by Gedore)

 

Screwdrivers, CK and Halfords

 

Torque wrenches by Britool

 

Also Craftsman sockets and industrial wrenches and six point combo wrenches.

 

 

 

[gary]

Hazet

[Thevilla]

My favorites:

Hazet wrenches

Snap on ratchets

Stahwille sockets

Witte screwdrivers

Infrequently used tools: Craftsmen

In a pinch: Harbor Freight

[LimeySteve]

I have Snap On 3/8 sockets , ( my new 3/8 drive snap on ratchet & 1/2 socket is in a customer's car somewhere )1/4 drive set & screwdrivers, a full Mac Tools set I won on Monster Garage when we built the Limo Firetruck , some King Dick & Gedore plus other makes  from England & Harbor Freight for metric junk yard tools . I have the Craftsman Professional wrench set which is ace.

[avoirdupois]

If you're going for strength, I did some testing and found that Kobalt and HF tools give you the most strength for the dollar. (I had to do some research for an engineering class) I also proved that current USA made Craftsman box end wrenches are weaker, yes you read the right, than the current Chinese Craftsman box end wrenches.

 

But overall, I own some Snap-On (all purchased used at garage sales), lots of Craftsman, plenty of HF (I LOVE their air impact gun and sockets!!), as well as a few off brands (Arcan jack, ACDelco wrenches and jack stands, misc brand garage sale tools). In the end, the stuff you get at the auto parts store and the cheap stuff at the hardware store is junk. The rest, not so bad.

 

Oh, and a little picture because why not (Snap-On 1/2 box end with about 900lb of downward force on it, it started close to horizontal)

 

 

 

Some bent tools are mass produced for those who do not care to bend their own.  

(Couldn't resist.)

 

 

[roadhog0]

Some bent tools are mass produced for those who do not care to bend their own.  

(Couldn't resist.)

 

 

 

LOL! This was the joke amongst all my friends after I did this