Craftsman replacing Kobalt?

[Jim Oaks]

I was in Lowes recently and saw Craftsman tools everywhere. While I grew up with Craftsman, and loved their lifetime warranty, I have switched to Kobalt. I just like them more.

My daughter's fiance' just got a big set of Craftsman tools. The box says made in China. The ratchet kept locking up, and I had to slide the lever to correct it.

So is that it? Is Lowes replacing the Kobalt hand tools with Craftsman? I hope not.

 

[black_demon69]

Well I guess that they think that we need more Chineseium ?

 

[Grumpaw]

Stanley/Black and Decker bought the Craftsman name and rights, and Lowes is in a partnership with Stanley/Black and Decker...
So, Lowes now carries and sells Craftsman.
Yes, the majority of Craftsman tools are made in China, and their quality has gone down,
I worked at Lowes for a # of years part time after I retired. Worked in the hardware and tool dept. Very familiar with Kobalt Tools.
While they are made overseas, their quality is way above Craftsman. Tools are better finished and made to much closer tolerances
Kobalt tools are being phased out of Lowes, but their still available online, and their lifetime warranty is still good.
Grumpaw.

 

[sgtsandman]

Not many of the tool brands are what they used to be. Bottom line is the main driver. Even though I like DeWalt tools myself, I know they aren’t what they used to be.

As far as hand tools, I stopped caring about brand. As long as they have a lifetime warranty, I’ll buy and use them. They are all pretty much Chinesium anymore. Unless you give an arm and a leg for Snap On or Mack type tools. They make sense for someone who makes a living off them. For the average shade tree mechanic, Chinesium will get the job done most of the time.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Im to the point i just buy pittsburghs.

If i blow apart a 3/8 ratchet cause i got a 6ft bar on it trying to break loose a radius arm nut i still get free ones.

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

Just a heads up, bought some of the newer Icon stuff from HF. Pretty sure it's snap on.

Happy with it so far. Time will tell.

 

[Dirtman]

I've been buying alot of sunex and gearwrench stuff lately. Moderately inexpensive and quality is on par with the higher end stuff. I don't find it worth it to buy stuff from Lowe's, home depot, harbor freight etc...

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

I've been buying alot of sunex and gearwrench stuff lately. Moderately inexpensive and quality is on par with the higher end stuff. I don't find it worth it to buy stuff from Lowe's, home depot, harbor freight etc...

Used to think that about the HF stuff. Some of it is crap.

The Pittsburgh pro stuff is exceptional. Even their regular Pittsburgh impact sockets are excellent. Have yet to damage anything, even using a mini sledge (brass) on them.

I'm hell on tools.

 

[Dirtman]

I use some HF stuff, my truck tool box and machining tool box is mostly HF. Really hard to screw up making a wrench. Buy my work box I prefer higher quality stuff. I can tell the difference, especially when using the smaller 1/4" stuff. I dont buy snap on anymore and most of my older stuff is SK and Williams but like I said there's companies out there like gearwrench selling stuff that matches snap on for about 1/3 of the price so I go with that now.

 

[91stranger]

I used to work at Sears and would actually rebuild the ratchets that had busted gears. We would rebuild anywhere from 5-25 in a single week. Can probably get the kits to rebuild them, it was really easy with some basic tools. I have a craftsman mechanics set I use a lot because unlike Pittsburgh tools, the craftsman set doesn't skip critical sockets like 16mm or 18mm. I don't know how many socket sets I've passed up because they skip 14mm or 16mm... Ridiculous. I found Ebay has mechanics set for pretty cheap. I bought my 193pc craftsman mechanics set for like $80 or something like that. I do like how you can buy a nice variety of socket ratchets at harbor freight now a days. I've yet to break a harbor freight ratchet too, even with breaker bars on them. Guy at work buys nothing but snap on and he says he has about 15k worth of tools in his toolbox and there's not that much stuff in it... Bragging about spending $100 on screwdriver bits because they have a lifetime warranty and it came with a free screw driver HAHA sucka!!

 

[Grumpaw]

I do have many Craftsman hand tools, but they are 25-30 years old, and still of top quality. They were made in the USA back then and matched quality of any other tools.'
My tool chest is so over flowing with tools that I rarely buy anything new, but if I did, it would be a Kobalt, or Pittsburg from HF.
But I had a motorcycle repair shop for a # of years, and also have a nice collection of Snap On, USA made (yes, now even Snap On carries a cheaper line of outsourced overseas made tools) that I love.
Never ever ever will I loan those puppies out.
Grumpaw

 

[Dirtman]

Once you get your basic hand tools (sockets, wrenches, screw drivers, pliers etc) what really kills you is the speciality tools. All the weird one use stuff like 3v spark plug repair tool, or cam locks, range sensor adjusting tool, blah blah blah... good luck finding most of that kinda stuff cheap!

 

[BlackBII]

Stanley Proto for me when it comes to ratchets. They're great ?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I was in Lowes recently and saw Craftsman tools everywhere. While I grew up with Craftsman, and loved their lifetime warranty, I have switched to Kobalt. I just like them more.

My daughter's fiance' just got a big set of Craftsman tools. The box says made in China. The ratchet kept locking up, and I had to slide the lever to correct it.

So is that it? Is Lowes replacing the Kobalt hand tools with Craftsman? I hope not.

Actually sounds like my one Kobalt rachet... brand new out of hte box. two driveshaft bolts in and it started locking up.

I have pretty good luck with Stanley of all things. I haven't bought one for 10 years so I don't know about the newer stuff but older has treated me well.

 

[Josh B]

One of my Craftsman tools.
1935 1/4" Ratchet