We received word that Craftsman is coming out with a new C3 cordless 3/8″ impact wrench. The impact is powered by Craftsman’s C3 19.2V battery platform, and its compact size allows it to fit into tighter spaces than a standard 1/2″ impact wrench.

The new Craftsman impact wrench features a 3/8″ square drive with anvil retention ring, variable speed 0-2500 no-load RPM gearbox, 130 ft-lbs torque rating and it can deliver 0-2500 IPM. There is also a new mid-handle design with over-molded grip for improved comfort, and an LED work light helps illuminate dim work areas.

The impact wrench will be available as a separate add-on tool (32742) or as a kit (32741) that comes with a Ni-Cd battery and charger. MSRP is $80 for the add-on, $130 for the kit. ETA is said to be Q2 2012.

Check it out here via Garage Journal forum

(Remember, our Craftsman Max Axess socket set giveaway ends this Friday. So if you haven’t entered yet, get on over there and do so!)

We’ve been casually testing one of Craftsman Max Axess pass-thru socket sets for a couple of weeks now, and have really grown to like it.

What’s HOT:

• High quality ratchets
• Great build quality all around, perfect finish
• All-in-one system fits in a low-profile carry/storage case that we actually want to keep!
• Ratchets come with adapters for regular 1/4″, 3/8″, 1/2″ sockets
• Pass-thru sockets can take the place of deep sockets, wrenches, or specialty sockets in many cases
• Low-profile ratchet + shallow sockets = great for limited clearance applications
• Compatible with Gearwrench pass-thru sockets, screwdriver bits, and accessories (at least all the ones we tried)

What can be improved:

• What about a 11/32″ socket? (Yes, we’ve got unusual needs)
• Fit of spinner handle could be a little better
• How about a screwdriver bit adapter?

In all, there’s not much to complain about. As you can see, most of our criticisms are trivial. What we would really like to see come out is a smaller kit that includes the 1/4″ ratchet, a bit adapter, a few screwdriver bits and a storage case as nice as the one this set came with. The regular price of $70 is a little steep, but we feel that sale prices of $55-60 make this a great buy.

Buy Now(via Sears)

The Max Axess set is featured on page 5 of Sears’ 2011 Holiday Catalog.

Don’t forget to use coupon code SEARS2011.

Thank you to Craftsman for providing the sample for this review unconditionally. Review samples are typically returned, donated, or in some cases retained for further testing or benchmark and comparison purposes.

As part of Amazon’s holiday lightning tools deals promo, Wera’s bit-holding screwdriver and Koloss ratchet hammer will go on sale tonight at 10:30pm ET (7:30 PT).

We own and highly recommend the Wera screwdriver kit, which comes with an extendable removable bit adapter, 6 screwdriver bits and a carrying case. We also have a sample of the Koloss 1/2″ ratchet that we use for testing and occasional use. The Koloss is a phenomenally robust ratchet, that is well suited for heavy duty.

Wera Kraftform Kompact Bit-Holding Screwdriver
Wera Koloss 1/2″ Ratchet

The sale prices have not been released yet, but Amazon’s lightning deals are usually pretty decent. The deals will only be valid for a limited time, or until supplies sell-out, whichever comes first.

The screwdriver is currently priced at $35. In our opinion, $25 would be a great sale price. The Koloss ratchet is currently priced at $113 and change. Over at ChadsToolbox, it’s currently on sale for $92 shipped. Anything below $90 with free shipping would be a killer price.

Sears has dropped the price of this Craftsman 118pc dual-marked mechanics tool set to $70 from its regular price of $100. Today’s online-only 15%-off discount takes another $9.75 off the price. Follow-up with a SEARS2011 coupon code, and another $5 drops off the price. Final price is then $55.24 if you select in-store pickup.

Buy Now(via Sears)

Sears has offered to give away a Craftsman MAX AXESS socket set to one lucky ToolGuyd reader! To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment below. Your comment can be about what you would use it for, who you would give it to, or about your favorite hand tools.

To double your chance to win, peek into this year’s Sears holiday tool catalog, browse around, and tell us in a comment about any tool or tools that catch your interest.

You may combine your two entries into a single comment, or comment right away to submit your first entry and come back later to comment again after you browse through the catalog.

A winner will be selected at random on Dec. 9th. 2011. Only those with contiguous USA addresses will be eligible to win.

Thank you to Sears for sponsoring the giveaway! Here’s a summarized recap about how things went down:

Sears: Hey ToolGuyd, did you check out our holiday tool catalog?
ToolGuyd: Yea, it’s totally awesome! We told all our readers about it when it first came out!
Sears: Oh, cool! What did you like most?
ToolGuyd: Definitely the new Craftsman hand tools and Nextec 12V cordless tools, as well as a couple of the other brands’ new products.
Sears: Glad to hear it! We love your readers and really want to show it. How about a giveaway?!
ToolGuyd: Sounds good! We think that the Craftsman MAXX AXESS set would be a hit with our readers!

Tool/prize info via Sears

Home Depot’s winter holiday tool sale displays went up a little early this year, giving us a chance to see what new tools they will enticing Christmas shoppers with. One of the more interesting tools we came across was this Husky 44-piece open socket set with SAE/inch sizes.

At first glance, the Husky open socket set looks to be heavily inspired by the Craftsman Max Axess and GearWrench pass-thru socket system. But instead of a proprietary ratchet and socket design, Husky went for a hexagonal thread-cutting die-type form factor.

Husky’s ratcheting handle features a flex-head and cushion grip. When looking at the demo model, which has only been on display for a couple of days, we noticed that it was slipping off the ratchet. The ratchet was also a bit short for our liking, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing as stubby ratchets have their place can be very useful.

The set comes with 11 inch sockets, 1 bit adapter, 1 double-sided 1/4″ and 3/8″ square drive adapter, and about 30 screwdriver bits if our math is correct and we’re not missing anything.

Testing it out in-store, we found the flex-head to be a little wobbly (nothing a little hex-bolt tightening cannot fix), and the 6pt hex form factor required a little concentration to mate the ratchet with sockets and adapters. This could partially be due to the design of the demo try-me display, but could also be because of the hexagonal form factor.

The ratchet is not reversible, so to change from forward and reverse modes you must flip the ratchet over, as you would do with a zero-offset ratcheting wrench.

A 1/4″ hex screwdriver bit adapter and 1/4″ and 3/8″ square drive adapter is included, allowing the ratchet to be used with standard bits and sockets. There were no price tags on the display and we didn’t have time to check with customer service, but believe the set to be priced in the $20-25 range.

Overall, the 44pc Husky open end socket set looks interesting. From our few minutes testing it out in-store, we concluded that it does not match up well to Craftsman’s Max Axess open socket set. The Husky tools do not seem to be built as robustly, and the omission of metric sockets hurts its versatility.

But at less than half the price of Craftsman and Gearwrench sets, the Husky socket set will still likely sell well as a stocking stuffer or gift item.

Buy Now(via Home Depot)

This GearWrench 39-piece screwdriver bit socket set offers a good selection of hex, Torx, Phillips, and slotted bits. Although designed for GearWrench’s own Vortex and pass-thru ratchets, these sockets can be used with any regular 1/4″ or 3/8″ ratchet, depending on size.

We have a couple of bit sockets of this style, and they are VERY useful. A lot of the time we will also use bit holders that accept any 1″ insert bit, but dedicated bit sockets like these are quicker and easier to use.

GearWrench 39pc Bit Socket Set via Amazon (avg price $45-50)

First, there’s a new 309 piece mechanics’s tool set that includes 201 sockets and 16 full-polish ratcheting wrenches. The regular price is $400, but the set is currently on sale for $200. The list of full contents shows that there is a mix of 6pt and 12pt sockets.

There’s also a 10-drawer ball-bearing storage combo that is on sale for $280. Or you could just pick up either the top chest or rolling cabinet, both are separately discounted.

We double-checked, and the two small socket sets we mentioned the other day are still on sale for 50%-off as well:

Craftsman 10pc standard 3/8″ socket set
Craftsman 10pc metric 3/8″ socket set

During a quick check on AceTool to see if they fixed a rather amusing pricing error, I noticed that they are accepting preorders for the new Milwaukee M12 cordless ratchets. These ratchets are due out later this month, and look to be aimed for automotive and general purpose wrenching tasks.

The 1/4″ version, model 2456-21 kit, is priced at $159, and the 3/8″ version, model 2457-21 kit, is priced at $149.

And for your amusement, here is a screenshot of the pricing error for the Mikwaukee M12 Jig Saw. You save $4,001.00! (link to the product page)

Milwaukee M12 cordless ratchets preview and more info

First, Sears slashed the price of these Craftsman 9pc wrench sets by 50%. Normally priced at $30, these wrench sets are only $15 on sale. While not as long or good-looking as full-polished wrenches, they’re a great value. (We’ve got 2 of the inch and 1 of the metric sets laying around for use as beater wrenches.)

Craftsman 9pc standard wrench set
Craftsman 9pc metric wrench set

Sears has also discounted these 3/8″ socket sets by 50%. Standard and metric versions are both on sale, and include a ratchet handle, 9 sockets, and a plastic case. At $10 each on sale, these small socket sets make for great gift items, and are also a great base for a compact mobile tool kit. (Before upgrading to a larger socket set, we relied on two of these smaller sets for regular use.)

Craftsman 10pc standard 3/8″ socket set
Craftsman 10pc metric 3/8″ socket set

Who doesn’t need a new or extra tool box? We bought one of these a while back and are rather pleased with its quality. $30 is a little steep for a plastic tool box, but the $20 sale price is quite a bit better.

Craftsman 26-inch plastic tool box

After posting about the new Crescent Double-X pliers, we went out and bought a set. Naturally, the price dropped afterwards. Normally priced at $30 for the two pliers, the sale price drops it to $25, with another random discount bringing it to $21.24. At this price, we’re tempted to pick up a second set, that’s how useful they are.

Crescent Double-X Set (Price is actually $16.99 with in-store pickup for Craftsman Club members, with the sale price ending 10/20, thanks Andrew!)

NOTE: Coupon code SEARS2011 takes an extra $5 off $50+ orders. It also looks like (mailable) tool orders over $99 ship for free, no coupon code needed.

Craftsman’s Max Axess pass-thru socket set came out a few months ago, and looks to have become fairly popular with homeowners and DIYers, and as a second or portable set for advanced users. Targeting users looking for more of an all-in-one type of socket system, Craftsman has introduced a second set into the Max Axess lineup, which features a fine-tooth ratchet and 18 universal sockets.

The Craftsman Max Axess 19pc socket set includes a 72-tooth pass-thru ratchet, 9 inch sockets – 3/8″, 7/16″, 1/2″, 9/16″, 5/8″, 11/16″, 3/4″, 13/16″ and 7/8″, and 9 metric sockets – 10 mm, 11 mm, 12 mm, 13 mm, 14 mm, 15 mm, 17 mm, 18 mm and 19 mm. The entire kit is packaged in a reusable storage rack that sports removable socket rails.

Craftsman’s Max Axess universal sockets are designed to fit the following fastener types: 6pt hex, 4pt square, 12pt, spline, external Torx, and partially-rounded hex.

Learn more or purchase via Sears

Normal pricing for this set is $45.

Kobalt Impact Wrench

We will be looking at many of the new tools in detail, reviewing some of them as well, but for the time being here’s a lightly detailed preview to keep you up to date.

Kobalt Power Tools

If you recall from our Kobalt cordless power tools preview, Lowes is introducing several new cordless tool packages as well as two corded saws.

Kobalt Li-Ion Drill Driver

Cordless NiCad or Li-ion, Your Choice

Both NiCad and Li-ion kits will be available, with the tools differing slightly. The NiCad tools sacrifice advanced features in order to achieve a lower price point, but build quality and performance was still nice. The tools in the Li-ion kit have more features, better specs, more complex components, and a dual-chemistry charger.

Kobalt NiCad Combo Kit

If you’re thinking that the NiCad batteries look grossly oversized, you’re right – they’re huge. BUT they don’t weigh as much as it looks like they do, and the tools are surprisingly well balanced.

A separate premium-looking Li-ion drill/driver is also available, and looks to to be a competitive mid-to-high-end option. An add-on impact wrench is also out now, and I’m told that an impact driver is on the way.

Kobalt Li-Ion Combo Kit

When asked about whether the cordless tools from the kits will be available for purchase separately as bare tools, I was told that plans to do so aren’t on the table, but it has not been ruled out.

Corded Saws

There were quite a few things I liked about these saws. The 12-amp reciprocating saw features a tool-free blade change, 360° quick-change rotating head, 1-1/8″ stroke length, 12-foot cord with live wire indicator on the tool itself, orbital action, and tool-free shoe adjustment. The recip. saw is available now and is priced at $94.

Kobalt Corded Recip Saw

The 15-amp circular saw features a magnesium shoe and blade guard, 12-foot cord with live wire indicator on the tool itself as with the recip. saw, 2-3/8″ 90° cutting depth, 1-13/16″ 45° cutting depth, and on-board blade tool change. The circular saw is also available for $94.

Kobalt Corded Circular Saw

Kobalt Hand Tools

Mechanics’ Tools

As we briefly discussed, Kobalt recently overhauled their entire mechanics’ tool line. The new wrenches, ratchets, sockets, and other mechanics tools are already in stores nationwide. We’ve been using and passing around a few of these new tools that we purchased a few months back, and… they’re actually pretty nice.

DIYer Tools

Lowes also introduced the new Kobalt Double Drive screwdriver at the event. The Double Drive is not meant for heavy duty professional use, but it seems to hold up well and is actually a lot of fun to use. We liked it so much that were already set up a Double Drive or Lowes gift card giveaway!

The Kobalt Multi-Drive wrench was also showcased at the event, but I’m not too fond of it. When I discussed my displeasure with the tool’s design, it was explained that the tool is more intended for homeowners or DIYers that don’t already have full wrench and socket sets. The question that still hangs in my mind is: how many DIYers regularly come across 12pt, e-Torx, or spine fasteners?!

Kobalt Multi Drive Wrench

There’s also a new Kobalt tool box with built-in Zerust corrosion inhibitors. I’m more a fan of sealed tool cases or drop-in desiccator cartridges, but the Kobalt tool box looked like a nice portable kit box. The Zerust might sweeten the deal for some, and anyone not interested can just ignore that feature.

Conclusion

Lowes and Kobalt describe the new power tools as providing professional-grade power and as the next generation of tough tools. Although initially skeptical, I have a new understanding of what they’re going for, and for the most part I really liked what I saw.

Disclosure: Lowes set us up with a hotel room for the night and sent us home with a bag, screwdriver, and flashlight.

Without a doubt, Wera’s Zyklop ratchets are among my favorite hand tools. The Zyklop are swivel-head ratchets that can be used at right angles, completely straight like a screwdriver, or at in-between angles. A free-spinning sleeve you hold with your other hand means they’re great for quickly loosening or driving in fasteners inline.

Right now the 3/8″ and 1/2″ ratchets are available on Amazon for a surprisingly low $55 and $60, respectively, including free shipping. Normally these ratchets are priced at $90 or so, although you can find them for maybe $65-75 if you wait and search hard enough.

The 1/4″ ratchet is also available for about the same price, but if you ask me, it’s more economical to pick up the 28-piece socket and bit set for ~$90 if you want the smaller sized ratchet. Plus that gives you a handy bit holder and a taste for Wera socket and bit quality.

Wera Zyklop 3/8″ Ratchet via Amazon
Wera Zyklop 1/4″ Ratchet via Amazon
Wera Zyklop 1/2″ Ratchet via Amazon
Wera Zyklop 1/4″ Ratchet plus Socket & Bit Set via Amazon

FYI, these ratchets feature a quick release as well.

Just a minor FYI – the Craftsman premium ratchets that we reviewed a few months ago are now available as a complete 3-ratchet set. Previously the 1/4″, 3/8″, and 1/2″ ratchets were only available separately. If you want all three sizes, the set saves you about $30.

After the review, we also did a size comparison, comparing the 3/8″ premium ratchet to the Craftsman Professional thin-profile ratchet. The test showed that the premium ratchet was actually a hair thinner.

Craftsman Premium Grade Ratchets via Sears:

Complete Set | 1/4″ Drive | 3/8″ Drive | 1/2″ Drive