"Old Craftsmen Tools" very good! Source at garage sales,local Craig's List for big savings. Pawn Shops are aware of prices an values so best to know your prices before walking into one of them establishments...! New "Craftsmen Tools" I'd compare to Harbor Freight. Sears store warranty a pain in the ass,with their sub standard wage slave employees. Waste of time. I've found the Kobalt line to be pretty good,equal to the old American made Craftsmen line. Haven't a need to return any yet,so can't comment on their warranty policy. But,Lowes who carries them in my neck of the woods,has decent store hours for when you need that special something.
It's a shame, but all the low end Craftsman ratchets are really awful. Not just "not up to Craftsman standards", but just awful. The current raised panel ratchet (the one that comes in all the bulk tool kits) is probably the worst ratchet out there. I still have my 30 year old raised panel from my first tool kit and it is still going strong. new ones are crap from day one. If you're going to buy an imported ratchet, there are certainly better options out there. I like Gearwrench as a good low end ratchet. But my favorite ratchet is the $9.99 composites from Harbor Freight:http://www.harborfreight.com/3-8-eighth-inch-heavy-duty-composite-ratchet-66313.html Unless I know I'm really going to be torquing on something, it is typically the first one I grab. And I have some nice options between home and work. I do have a Craftsman Thin Profile ratchet that I like, other than the weight. But I think these are now imported as well. It's a shame to see what is happening to Craftsman
Picked up this husky 38 piece set while back for $20 when my old craftsman 3/8 ratchet finally died. Should have done it a long time ago. The shorter clicks on this one are so much nicer in tight spots.
Harbor Freight Composite Ratchets This line of ratchets is really excellent. They feel good in your hands and operate very smoothly.
as mentioned, the old Craftsman was good stuff & most of the new is crap, especially the Phillips head screwdrivers. I replace my broken & missing Craftsman by a visit to the pawn shop. nobody beats SnapOn for screwdrivers that work.... worth the money
I have a drawer full of different brands of ratchets, some from the 70's. Last year I bought a couple of these HF composite ratchets, now I find myself grabbing them over the top shelf stuff. Pretty nice for the cash.
I have one of the older versions of this and it is my go to ratchet. It's a very fine tooth, long reach swivel that provides a lot of torque. It's also pretty elegant for a ratchet. Made in France. http://www.amazon.com/Facom-J-153A-Reach-Hinged-Ratchet/dp/B001C3RCN2
LOwes isn't really good about honoring the warranty without a receipt. Sears was fantastic about honoring their warranty. I hear now that they are a bit of an asshole about honoring their warranty.
Same here. They are the best. Light, strong, grippy, comfy, fine action, non-conductive, non-scratching, not freezing in winter or hot in the summer. Just a very useable tool. Also; cheap. I have high-end "professional" big name ratchets. I barely use them anymore. Really only for oddball applciations that are very sensitive to volume or require something conductive or over which a pipe can be slipped as a cheater. Everything else? Composite ratchets all the way. I'd give up my fancy pro ratchets long before I got rid of the cheapo plastic ones.
I have a couple different Facom Locking Pliers... Nicely made but decidedly different. Sort of like French cars.
I saw a guy bringing back a broken Craftsman tape measure once. I have used tape measure's almost daily for over 30 years, if one breaks you usually break it yourself. Suck it up and BUY a new one.
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Kobalt ratchets are made for Lowe's by Snap-on. Used to work for a subsidiary of Snap-on. Great tools but very expensive for the value. Sears older ratchets and wrenches were quite well made, the new ones not so nice.
The ones with the flippers are pretty stout, but they are ugly and the ratchet is definitely coarse. The wrenches were also ugly and they ended up being "modified" for special services. The newer ratchets with the spinner are crap, heads are too big and also teeth are too coarse. The newer smooth long wrenches are as good as my MAC or $nap-On wrenches though. I've got a 1/2" drive ratchet/socket set from Grand Auto with lifetime warranty from the mid-70's that still work great. Broke the breaker bar back then and they replaced it, still using it. G/A is long gone, but my set still works.