Gilbert wrote in with a question I don’t think I can handle in a quick or easy fashion. Awesome ToolGuyd readers – if you’ve got an opinion about this, please chime in!
I am interested in buying a socket set. I’ve read your postings on the subject, but I must say, I’m still confused as to what set to lean towards. I’m not necessarily looking for an inexpensive, but a good quality set with good ergonomics. I’m also looking for Standard & Metric. I’ve been leaning towards the Wera Zyklop set. Does the price justify the means or do you recommend any other sets..?
Who makes the best socket set? Probably Snap-on, but you would pay dearly for it. I say probably because I don’t own a single Snap-on socket. The only Snap-on drive tool I have is a small 3/8″ extension, and that’s because my father found it on the street a couple of years ago.
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I have a lot of Craftsman sockets, a couple of Beta sockets, an increasing number of Wera sockets, and a handful of sockets by other brands. I also have some Kobalt sockets that I bought for testing, but lost track of them.
In recent months I have checked out JH Williams (USA-made), Wright, and SK Hand Tool sets. The JH Williams and Wright sets were purchased and then returned, the SK Hand Tool set was supplied by the company.
I returned the JH Williams and Wright sets because of a couple of unacceptable chrome issues – chipping due to shipping damage, and a couple of manufacturing flaws. For the amount of money those sets cost, they should have been in far better condition. Cosmetic issues are one thing, but chipped chrome due to damage or dimpling is not really something I could accept. Who wants to warranty individual sockets out of a brand new premium socket set that costs big bucks?
The SK set I’ve been checking out is very impressive. Aside from rough interior hex recess of one shallow socket, it’s perfect. You’ll see more about this set later this week.
Now, as for the sockets I’ve owned and used for a few years now:
Craftsman socket sets offer – or offered – the best bang for the buck. These days, with Craftsman sockets being made in Asia, the brand has lost a lot of their appeal, at least in my eyes. They’re still decent, and still offer very high bang for the buck, but they’re not as great a bargain as they used to be.
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To be fair, some of my USA-made Craftsman sockets look rough, some are imperfect, and I was wrong to buy into the laser-etched markings hype. But they’re strong, durable, and as functional as I can ask for. And they were very inexpensive, at least for USA-made sockets.
Beta makes some beautiful sockets. Inside and out, they’re perfect. But they’re also pricey and availability in the USA – while growing – isn’t quite the same as with other USA, European, or import brands.
Wera Zyklop sockets are exceptionally well machined and finished as well.
As with Beta, other European brands are not as well-established in the USA as domestic brands, meaning warranty exchanges might be lengthy or complicated.
I am happy to have purchased my three Wera socket sets – inch sets in 3/8″ and 1/4″ sizes, and a very small mixed 1/4″ set. But, Wera sets don’t include deep sockets. Wera doesn’t even make deep sockets. And there are no socket-only options, and so you have no choice but to buy duplicate drive tools and accessories with each set. And then you still have to buy a pass-thru socket set or a deep socket set for those times when shallow sockets just won’t fit the fastening application.
Wera is not the best choice to build up a socket collection with. It’s the brand you choose when you want one or two super-portable socket sets for particular purposes. The same goes for Felo, Facom, and other European brands I would otherwise recommend.
Right now, I’m rather indecisive about what to recommend. Craftsman sets still offer great bang-for-the-buck. Gearwrench these days is a step above Craftsman, but you still don’t have quite the same number of sets or configurations as with Craftsman. Actually, I don’t think there is any other brand that offers as many options as Craftsman does. Maybe Kobalt, but I find Craftsman tools – even the imported ones – to be a step above Kobalt.
These are my current thoughts and recommendations, but I must remind you that I’m still a little wishy-washy about this.
Low budget: Kobalt, Tekton, Stanley, Craftsman
Medium budget: Craftsman, Gearwrench
High budget: SK Hand Tool, Wright, JH Williams, Proto, Proto Blackhawk
Very high budget: Snap-on
I plan on looking into the matter further, but didn’t want to leave Gilbert’s question unanswered in the meantime.
Everyone’s got something to say about sockets, so please chime in with your experiences and recommendations in the comments!
BikerDad
You left out Armstrong (USA made), Husky (Home Depot’s house brand – import), Carlyle (NAPA’s house brand – import), Duralast (import), DeWalt (Taiwan import) and of course, Pittsburgh (Harbor Freight’s house brand), and the rest of the truck brands. (Mac, Matco, Cornwell)
Based on what’s currently being sold/produced, Armstrong’s sockets are comparable/a bit better than Craftsman’s USA stuff (they apparently produced the Craftsman sockets), while their ratchets are top line. Husky, at least to my sensibilities, is a step up from Kobalt, but not actually up to ‘medium budget’. Pittsburgh is comparable to Kobalt, but a better value, Carlyle & Duralast are solid medium budget.
I’m sure some of the folks from GJ will come trundling over to add their perspective. What you said about the variety of Craftsman sets is certainly true, I doubt you could take any 3 of the other brands and have as many different sets as Craftsman offers.
Full Disclosure: I have a Craftsman set that’s 20 or so years old, and just recently acquired some Armstrong MAXX ratchets.
Stuart
Those were intentional omissions, as I feel mostly ambiguous towards those brands.
I haven’t used Armstrong sockets, but always figured Craftsman’s Professional and Industrial lines were Armstrong tools in disguise.
Never used Husky, Carlyle, Duralast, HF, or other truck brand sockets either. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Cornwell tool or truck.
If I need something in a pinch, say a breaker bar or replacement socket, I know that the local Lowes probably has one under their Kobalt brand. I can’t say the same about Home Depot and their Husky brand.
I have seen numerous reports about quality and design changes in Craftsman’s tool ranks, and would be a little hesitant to invest too heavily in their newer sets. But that’s me now. The me of 5-10 years ago probably wouldn’t have cared. The me of 5-10 years ago spent a lot of money on Craftsman and Craftsman Professional tools. But now, if any of those tools break or fail, I won’t be able to warranty or replace them since Craftsman clearanced out many if not all of their Professional and USA-made tools.
Here’s the main problem – you got more for your money back when Craftsman’s mechanics tools were made in the USA. Now, you get your money’s worth, which – I know it’s unfair of me to say – isn’t enough. I want the Craftsman of a few years ago, where you could get what seemed to be rebadged Armstrong tools for a fraction of the price. That’s why I have a problem recommending Craftsman wholeheartedly these days, even though they still offer great bang for the buck, because I cannot help being influenced by how things have changed in just a couple of years.
cody
If i had no limit to spending money i would pass up Snap on and go with companies like Facom, Hazet, Wurth and Kraftwerk they are all European companies that make flawless tools
Judd T.
I was initially disappointed when Napa went to the imported Carlyle line for their premium tool offering. That being said,I was in a pinch the other day and needed a socket that had disappeared from my cabnet and I picked up some of the Carlyle tools while I was picking up some parts at Napa.I was extremely impressed with the fit and finish and they did a fine job. Just my 2 pennies.
david watkins
BOY WOULD I LIKE TO BUY SOME OF THEYRE MAXX line ratchets! I have alot of they’re sockets but just weird sizes like 11,14,17,19,21,24,27, and 1-3/16″ and
1-3/8″ all being half inch drive deep sockets so I bought a 3/8″ complete set deep standard and it’s very nice I couldn’t be more pleased I set they’re standard at SK standard well almost to they’res lol SK sockets are BY FAR my favorite. I just got back from this store called goodwill that’s a secondhand donation store and found a complete metal box and socket set of billings and they had a few extra snap on sockets in there also I couldnt believe it 4 dollars! And then I picked up a Garret metal detector for 14.99 the thing is mint anyway to who ever is listening SK SOCKETS WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN IM A CERTIFIED STANLEY PROFESSIONAL MADE IN USA DEALER AND MY FAVORITE IS
STANLEY PRO /SK / ARMSTRONG / AND PROTO because I’ve been collecting they’re ratcheting wrenches and I just can’t seem to break them man lol neither can I break Matcos ratcheting wrenches lol anyways good luck and anything that is made here in this country won’t go wrong man support our tool guys they need all the help they can get with america going Chinese it’s something I hate about us and our habits but hey its a box a chocolates right?
Chad
First set was the husky brand from HD it got me by ( this was the first set i actually bought for my job as a car audio installer ) before that I used my dads set which was a collection of sk and craftsman.
While working as an installer the best thing that happened was the snap on truck would roll up every Monday and my eyes would roll form one shelf to the next from the nice shiny socket sets in those cool plastic cases to all the ratchets you could imagine. Never would I have to go out to a store to buy tools, the snap on truck would appear every Monday !!
I needed a set of 3/8″ sockets and ratchet then upgraded my 1/4″ sockets and ratchet before long I kept needing more sockets…. deep well 3/8, shallow 3/8, standard 3/8 all of which i needed in metric and standard, then onto the 1/4″ deep standard and shallow in both standard and metric with a mix of 12pt and 6pt
So yes they are a little pricy but they have been taken care of and only a few that have been abused a little and have some of the chrome come off.
It’s one of those things i need a good quality of tool for the job, yes i paid a lot of money for them but i have made way more money doing a good job with the right tool that didn’t crap out on me.
One day I will pass them down and they will still be in new condition!
adam
I’ve been please with my Craftsman 220 piece kit. All three size socket wrenches, and plenty more sockets to go along. I added 2 different sized sets of extensions ( 1/4 & 3/8) from Tekton (HQ is in my town, and they are reasonably priced for decent tools).
Now my experience with the Craftsman torx isn’t as nice (on sale for $30 from $100, wonder why). I used one hex bit other day, 1st project with it, 2nd screw, and the bit portion came out of the socket (and tumbled under the engine. the locking socket unfortunately wouldn’t have helped in this instance, so reading that article a day later didn’t hurt so bad).
http://www.sears.com/craftsman-42-piece-1-4-and-3-8-inch-drive/p-00934845000P?prdNo=1&sellerId=SEARS
Wayne Ruffner
Regarding Torx – I’ve used a lot of Torx power bits & drivers from Wiha and have never ever had a moment’s regret. I haven’t had a reason to try their Torx sockets but would do so without question if I had a reason to pursue them.
I’m eager to hear more about others’ experiences with Torx (sockets or otherwise), I think they’re as satisfying as a fastener can be (and yes, I know that sounds sorta weird).
Zachary
In my (limited mind you) experience is that as long as they are not super cheap then pretty much anything works fine. I have some really really really cheap 1/4 sockets and the fit and finish is absolutely horrible on them, I got them for free so I don’t really mind plus I got some better ones,but once you get past that dollar store quality level sockets then it does not make a huge difference in the brand. I got cheap 6 point Taiwanese sockets from the early 90’s that are no name and they work just as good as my allen usa sockets or craftsman ones. Not really an answer but just my opinion.
Jim
Has any one actually found something wrong with Harbor Freight’s “Pittsburgh” sockets? Unlike much of HF’s stuff, they look well made but I’ve always been a little afraid to try them. They look like a good value especially for environments where you might have to “involuntarily loan” them to others.
Zachary
I am thinking about getting the deep well pitts pro, when I checked them out they looked really good and the machining was good on the them for the price
Pete
I have a set of SAE 1/2″ impact sockets from harbor freight for $20. They work great, I have no complaints. The fit and finish is good, they are spec’d well and I have had no problems. What I really like is that they are $20. if I should loose one or even a whole set I shrug and go buy a new set without much remorse. They are pittsburg pro so they have a life time warranty and I can walk into any harbor freight and get a WHOLE new set if I were to break on or there be machining issues.
Brandon
We use a lot of Pittsburgh sockets. They’re cheap, no issues so far that I know of, and they take a ton of abuse. (18 wheeler maintenance by people who don’t own the tools. I can’t think of a worse way to abuse tools)
porphyre
As far as the mid-range “Name Brand” stuff, quality, I’d rank them Gearwrench > Harbor Freight > Craftsman.
Bang for buck is HF > Craftsman > Gearwrench.
If I’m buying an Asian tool, why spend $50 at Sears when I can spend $25 at HF and get a better quality tool?
Pete
The only thing I don’t like about the HF impact sockets is the metric only comes with 10mm, 13mm, 14mm, 15mm, 17mm, 18mm, 19mm, 21mm, 22mm, 24mm, 27mm, 30mm, 32mm.
I know that some of the SAE sockets are the same close size BUT If im working on a metric machine I would like the be able to grab my metric set without having to reach into my SAE set.
Steve
Have you EVER actually needed a 20 mm socket?
Tfaulk13
I have used a 20 MM socket several times myself. I admit it is not the most used socket in any of my sets, but I have had to.
Kurt
If you haven’t tried HF hand tools in the last few years, give them a try. I was a mechanic back in the day, and had the obligatory set of tool truck tools, but when I left that profession I gave my tools to the young fellow who was my apprentice.
In the last few years, I’ve started working on my own cars and a few friends. and have been accumulating a set of HF tools. The sockets have performed well, no cracking or other failures. Same with their pro line of wrenches. I really like the color coding on the sockets, though it tends to scratch pretty easily.
I’ve been adding a set every month or so, and have been able to get some nice additions – extra long wrenches, ratcheting box ends – that make the wrenching life a lot easier with a budget that might, on a good day, buy one Snap-On wrench.
A few months ago I finally got one of their Earthquake Impact guns, and it works way better than their more generic offerings. Now, I can get the lugs off of any car with the gun, which was not the case prior.
I haven’t tried their better quality screwdrivers, I kept a couple of my Snap On for home use and they are still doing the job after 20 years.
If I was just starting out, I would buy a nice selection of HF tools, and then upgrade as needed to better quality when you identify weak areas.
Tfaulk13
I have had 3 situations with Pittsburgh hand tools that were not good at all. I had a 24″ Pittsburgh drop forged steel pipe wrench and a Rigid (USA) 24″ aluminum pipe wrench and I was on a 16 ft extension ladder working to tighten two 2″ pipe fittings that were leaking on our fire sprinkler system in the plant. Using only the strength of myself ( no cheater bars), I was using about all the strength I could to tighten them when suddenly the head of the Pittsburgh pipewrench broke in half. I am refering to the piece that the round “nut” for adjusting the jaw turns on. I started falling but caught myself and fortunately I had tied my ladder off to a cross-brace in the building structure or it would’ve gone over sideways. The two other instances involve Pittsburgh ratchets: 1 being a 3/8″ drive and using only my hands I was loosening a bolt that was on pretty tight but not so tight to require a breaker bar. The ratchet popped then spun freely. I though maybe was inadvertently bumped moving the selector to the tighten side but the gears had actually broken. The exact same thing happened to me with a 1/2″ drive Pittsburgh ratchet. I do not abuse my tools and I keep them clean regardless of who made them. Of course in all 3 instances I was able to get a replacement for free with no questions asked but if you think about it, they sell so many hand tools and many have defects and for the price they pay for them it is still a big money maker if they had to give replacements to 20% of all those who purchased them. The one thing they cannot do is repair your body or bring you back to life if you are injured or killed by their poorer quality tool. Their sole obligation in any tool failure is to repair or replace at their descretion any hand tool that fails during the life of the buyer.
Thomas R. Smith
About me. I am a master tech grad from a top 3 trade school (30 years ago) I never worked as a pro but have been turning wrenches most of my life. I have SK, pre China Craftsman, Duralast, Gearwrench and Teckton in my rollaway.
I have found that the only place for HF and Cobalt sockets is in the box of my pickup truck (incase some one steals them) The other brands in the rollaway have preformed without issue. If it is made in Taiwan I have had no problems with it.
How ever, I am watching the emergence of the HF pro line with interest. We will see how that goes.
Ryan
I I have had Pittsburgh impact sockets for almost 5 years now used every day all day and still haven’t had a single problem, unlike my craftsman chrome sockets which I find myself replacing quite often
Garrick
I bought some Canadian Tire Mastercraft Maximum wrenches one time, and they were excellent. The sale price was about $20 for the 9 piece set. I later found out they were made by Snap-on.
Which leaves me wondering if Snap-on makes sockets for anyone else.
Flippin
I would encourage you to re-check your source of information. CTC Maximum Hand Tools are made overseas and certainly not made by Snap-On. I apologize in advance for contradicting your statement but unfortunately it just isn’t true.
Joe M
Gonna back this up a bit. Mastercraft Maximum are made by Stanley Canada. They’re imported, but they absolutely do have the exact same standards and design as the Stanley sets.
I will say it is easy to transpose the Stanley name to Snap-On, but it is unfortunately not true for these Mastercraft family tools. They’re made by Stanley, and probably have a few designs from the Mac line in there somewhere. They have, most definitely, been rebranded from the Stanley Black & Decker family, but luckily for us Canadians, we got all the best meanings of that. The better Stanley and Mac tools, with the Mastercraft/Mastercraft Maximum/Maximum label instead.
Yadda
I have a Craftsman set. Craftsman has served me well for over 30 years. I don’t have much need for anything other than the basic 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 inch drives and the standard and deep well sockets for each drive set. I like Stuart do not have any SnapOn tools except the 3/4 inch crive 1 and 3/4 socket I found that I use as an ornamental paperweight on my desk at home.
John
The Craftman Set of 30 years ago is not the set of today.
I have a regular set of Craftman screwdrivers from the early 1980s. The steel is much higher quaility then anything Craftsman made in the last 10 years or more. Since Craftsman went to China , Sears is no longer my “go to” store for tools .May as well shop all other brands( the world) now.
I have purchased a set of Napa Carlyle wrenches and rachet and they perform quit nicly . Yes , Carlyle is made in Tiawain .
Mac
Chad hits on it… If you use them every day to pay your bills, get the best you can afford, and take care of them.
Or, if you have the money and want the best, by all means, spend it.
I don’t have (nor need) much Snap-on stuff, but what I have a value very highly (e.g. torque wrenches!, line wrenches) more for the better tolerances and calibration. Have some other odd stuff picked up here and there (yard sales, estate sales, auctions, etc.), but only if I’m getting a serious deal.
Barry
I have one complete socket set, 268 piece Husky a few xmases ago. Two level carrier, has 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2″ drive in deep well and standard as well as the usual selection of combination wrenches. My only complaint with it is that it’s just too much weight in one package. Kind of wish that I had purchased the 1/4 and 3/8ths set and then a separate 1/2″ drive set. It’s very rare that I would actually need all the different drive sizes together.
In addition to the one complete set, I’ve got something like a half dozen partial sets. Some old hand me downs, one big box “handymans” tool set missing a few pieces, and a plethora of mismatched parts.
My two favorite socket handles would have to be my Wera Koloss Hammer Ratchet and the random Snap On that I’m not sure where it came from. The Snap on is just a good ratchet, feels right in the hand and works all the time.
The Koloss is definitely not the ratchet handle for everyone, but it has it’s niches. I find it’s excellent when I’m putting together things like scaffolding, where I might want to give something a little tap to knock it into place and don’t want to carry a hammer as well. It has a place on my elec/mech tool belt.
Cody
Where’s Mac, Matco, Cornwell and Blue Point?
jesse
I know. Good point.
Stuart
The answer’s in my first comment.
Nick
I prefer Husky. Quality has come way up in the last few years and now they have most sockets/bits/wrenches sold individually for easy lifetime warranty replacement if needed. I haven’t needed to replace any so far, but if I do there’s always a Depot nearby.
I also have a Craftsman set, but I’m not a fan of how much play is in the ratchet and sockets once put together. I also don’t like the rectangular handle on the Craftsman ratchets. Not sure if they all are that shape, but I prefer the round handled like on Husky and Snap-On
Admin Note: We believe that Nick works for The Home Depot.
Zachary
I like husky too, the prices are good compared to kobalt, for some reason lowes thinks that their tools are the shit and can charge insane prices for, look at his 1/4 socket set, http://www.lowes.com/pd_266590-1074-23085_0__?productId=1076353 $40, for $5 less I could get a Jh williams 27 piece set on amazon.
Coach James
I’m curious if that set is made in USA as their website states. I have two of those sets and both are taiwan made. I also got them for $19.99 each as they often go on sale for half price.
david watkins
Haha!
Josh B.
As far as bang for the buck, I’ve been quite pleased with the two GearWrench sets that I’ve purchased. They’re both fairly complete, come with decent ratchets, and have both regular and deep sockets.. Be forewarned that the cases that these sets come in suck. If you shop around (ebay and Amazon for me) you can get them for a decent price. I’ve got the 1/4″ drive (Set 80300P) and 3/8″ drive (Set 80550P). The sets that end in P include the 120xp ratchets which are nice. If you don’t care about the ratchets you can look at the basic sets to save just a little bit of money. I haven’t purchased it yet, but they also have a 1/2″ drive set (80700P) if you’re looking for those. I paid about $170 for both the 1/4″ & 3/8″ sets. I’ve also had Pittsburgh Pro sockets from Harbor Freight and had no issues with those either.
John
So far I have 3 Craftsman USA sets – a 33 piece set that stays in my car for small tasks when I get sent to a jobsite, a 53 piece set that is set aside for my son, and a 122 piece set that I’ve added to over the years. All have done anything I’ve asked with no breakage. Sure some of the sockets have imperfect chrome inside but I can live with that. My biggest problems with Craftsman is that it’s all been offshored as of late and Sears’ future is dismal at best. The number of allen keys and screw driver bits as fillers to increase the piece count on a set isn’t a bonus either.
I picked up an old stock Gearwrench set at Home Depot on clearance this summer for 60%+ off what other sites were listing it at. I didn’t really need the set but the price was too good to pass up. I’ve only used them a couple of times but quality seems to meet or exceeds Craftsman and the 84 tooth ratchets are smooth. They did some quirky things when it came to socket size ranges and matching deep to standard sockets for a given drive and fastener size but again for the price I’m OK with it. I’ve also had one of the ratcheting screwdriver sets that includes a number of 1/4″ sockets for 4 or 5 years and love it for small jobs around the house – it’s become a go-to tool when I know there will be multiple sizes / styles of fasteners on a small project.
My latest two purchases were a 1/4″ and 3/8″ drive SK set during Epstein’s SK Day in September. Both are going to live in my electrical tool kit since I was tired of making multiple trips to the garage during a project. The 1/4″ set was nicely packaged in a compact case and will get more use than the 3/8″ set but they’ll both have their uses. Like some guys on the GJ observed, the sockets in the 3/8″ set have varying chrome finishes inside the sockets but no chipping so I can live it. Based on these two sets, I’m considering upgrading to SK for my main box in the garage and either setting them aside for my son or relegating them to the shed.
scottthetec
I have craftsman at home. And at work I have Garant, made in Germany. I really like the Garant tools, great quality – darn expensive though. The ratchet looks like it’s made by whoever makes Felo, PBSwiss, etc. I’d like to try Beta, just haven’t had the need to spend on hand tools in a while.
Allen
I would suggest going to HJE and buy from the close-out section. You will end up with a mismatched set, but they are good buys on good quality. I don’t really care if things match, but others might. To each their own.
Josh
What defines the “Best” socket set? I got a USA made craftsman 100pc set a few years ago, it’s got a wide variety of sockets in a mix of 1/2, 3/8 and 1/4″ drive. This is pretty handy for anything inside the house… but it’s heavy enough that it rarely leaves the house, unless I know I’m going to need it. Individual sockets tend to get thrown into a tool bag and brought with me. The giant blowmoulded case doesn’t help matters – It’s very nice to have at home but ridiculously space inefficient to bring with me.
Are there any space efficient, less expensive socket sets out there? I love Wera products but their prices are a bit unforgiving.
Pencil Neck
Grey: http://www.gpsocket.com/
I’ve got 3 different kits now, my first about 20 years ago. They are a great bang-per-buck ratio. I’ve never had them fail. The 17mm 1/2″ deep socket is polished up from years of use, I was a VW tech, 17mm lug bolts day in and day out. I would purchase more Grey sockets if needed.
The kits come in nice blow molded cases as well… unlike the Snap-On waffer thin plastic tray.. what is up with that Snap-On?
BikerDad
My guess is that the Snap-On sets are primarily being sold to guys who are going to put them into a tool cabinet/chest. Most don’t need/want a blow molded case that only takes up more room. Nor does the driver want to waste space in his truck with the case.
Pencil Neck
IMHO, the plastic trays that some of the Craftsman sockets can in are the best.
https://i.imgur.com/9dxY5gf.jpg
Cut off the top (red part) so it doesn’t take up any extra space. The sockets “snap” into the tray. Why can’t Snap-On do something like that?
Mike It
I think this question should read “Who makes the best socket set -for you”. If you have the money to spend then buy the most expensive set you can find and be happy with that. However, if you are like many of us, then cost is an object and paying super premium prices for a big name tool does not always make sense. I have a mix of Craftsman, Gearwrench, HF, Duralast and Husky tools that I’ve accumulated over the years. The biggest factor in selecting my tool was making sure that if it ever failed, I could walk in to a store and get an instant exchange. I know stuff from the tool truck is considered some of the best but I am not a professional and I don’t have time or money to be waiting around for the tool truck to come by, especially on a Sunday afternoon when I decide to tackle projects. I echo what others have said about HF tools and find them very appealing in price and quality. I would be interested to see someone test them to failure against other big name brands a see how they hold up. By the way, don’t let anyone tell you that X brand is cheap because they hammered on the ratchet to remove a stuck bolt and it ended up breaking the ratchet/ socket, therefore that brand was cheap. That person was not using the correct tool for the job. No one in here said that but I just see it from time to time in other places and I don’t think its right for someone to trash an inexpensive brand ( or any brand really) because it did not withstand some hammering/ cheater bar that it was never designed to handle.
Thomas R. Smith
Agreed. Cheep tools (quality not price) are cheep tools. But it really crisps my bacon when someone kills a perfectly good 1/4″ ratchet by stacking adapters on it and uses it in a 1/2″ drive way, then says the wrench is junk. I just want to slap them.
Glenn
My vote would have to be for Stahlwille although they are extremely expensive.
My father was given a sets of Stahlwille sockets and spanners when he started his apprenticeship. He is now 78 y.o. and still has and uses the same sets.
Glenn
I should have added that while I think Stahlwille are amongst the best available, I use a mix of other (cheaper) brands, most of which are brands not available to you guys in the USA. ie Sidchrome, Kabo, Minimax, Repco..
My boss has a Bahco set, which I think represents great value and are well made, but again, not sure if you can get them over there.
Mike
Bahco, I found that they make the absolute best adjustable wrench availible wish I could buy a total set of there tools they take some serious abuse , I have been able to find them in only one refrigeration supply house?
Jordan Zoot
You realize that Bahco is owned by Snappy right?
fred
I started buying sockets in the 1960’s when Craftsman seemed to dominate the consumer market, Snap-On the auto shop market and Williams and Armstrong (perhaps Proto too) the Industrial market. I took a look at my inventory and I see that I bought a lot of SK (called SK-Wayne back then), I also bought Craftsman, Williams and Proto. Moving ahead quite a few years I see that my buying became more eclectic with Gearwrench and Vim dominating – perhaps for more specialty items. Of some of the other brands mentioned I see that I bought only 1 impact socket from Cornwell, only 2 Armstrong items, and 20 pieces or less each from Elora, Hazet, Stahwille, Facom, Blackhawk, Thorsen, Wright, Kinkup, Beta, Herbrand, Martin, Husky (Pre Home Depot), Heyco, Ko-Ken, Titan (Star Asia), Powerbuilt (Alltrade), Owatonna (now OTC), Motion-Pro, and Kobalt . Also more recently I bought sockets from Wiha , Wera and Sunex.
Here’s an excerpt of my list of major buys:
COMPANY Pieces
SK HAND TOOL 223
WILLIAMS 197
VIM (Durston) 146
CRAFTSMAN 117
GEARWRENCH 111
PROTO 91
SUNEX 86
If I were to buy again today – I’m guessing that I’d bee looking at SK and Gearwrench.
don
gearwrench-craftsman-husky are all made by the same company!
apex tool group makes them. I don’t buy craftsman anymore.
why pay for the craftsman name when they are all the same!
all have a lifetime warranty. gearwrench and husky are the
ones that I prefer! harbor freight are ok but they skip to many
sizes in their metric sockets and wrenches!
John
This comment may appear too late in the discussion to get many replies, but I’d like to add this question to the discussion: How to decide which size range of sockets to get in a set. Leaving aside the allen keys and screwdriver bit add-ons, each manufacturer still offers a range of socket sizes. How to know how big a set to get (again, not counting allens and screwdriver bits) for a homeowner who likes to build and fix stuff?
John
All depends on what the person is doing. Biggest I’ve used regularly on a car repair was 19mm but installing a hitch mounted bike rack required 7/8. For general household and construction, I don’t think I’ve gone larger than 9/16 or 5/8 in a long time except for an electrical knockout punch that required a 1″ socket/wrench. I would think that a general set should start with 1/4″ and go up to 1″ and relative metric equivalents. You can always add larger sockets as new project requirements change and skills increase.
Sets from Gearwrench and Craftsman tend to overlap a lot of sizes between 1/4″ and 3/8″ drive. For instance, I want to say that my sets go up to 9/16″ or 5/8″ in a 1/4″ drive and then 3/8″ drive starts at 3/8″, duplicating the first few socket sizes. Same thing happens in step between 3/8″ and 1/2″ drive. Obviously there are some applications where you’ll want the ability to put extra torque on a bolt that a 3/8″ drive will allow compared to a 1/4″ drive.
To me, a socket set piece count doesn’t mean jack if the set doesn’t have the right sizes in the right drive sizes for what you want / need to do. You’ll also want to customize whatever starter set with the right accessories like extensions, universal joints, adapters, etc. for hard to reach areas.
Thomas R. Smith
I use every thing from the smallest 1/4″ drive to 2″and up 3/4″ drive.
Remember “no matter how many tools you have you will not have the right tool to finish the job at hand.”
I filled out all sets so there are no holes. Whether they are of the same brand or not.
Stuart
That’s another tough question.
Having to run out and buy an individual socket often means an extra $4-6 that could have gone into the set. Over time, 2-3 individual socket sizes could have meant an extra 5-10 sockets in a set, or something to that effect.
Then there’s the question of what combination of inch and metric sockets.
I started off with two $10-20 Craftsman sets, then a ~$50 1/4″ and 3/8″ set, and then I bought small ~10-piece 1/2″ drive sets in inch and metric sizes. After that I bought 3/8″ deep socket sets to help fill things in. I probably should have bought a larger set all at once, but I didn’t know.
I now needed small portable kits, and bought Wera because they offer complete size ranges. More than I really need, but those few sizes I don’t use often will come in handy.
I learned the value of sets years ago when two wrenches I needed would have cost $13 while a 9-piece set cost $20. And that was the start of my Craftsman collection.
99 sport
I may be an outlier, but I would say buy the largest set you can reasonably justify. I work on cars, so my advice comes from that frame of reference – having the odd specialty tool already in your tool box can be a huge time saver. Plus making a trip to the store to get a tool you didn’t know you would need is going to take an hour or maybe two away from your valuable weekend and possibly mean the difference between getting the car back on the road before the work week resumes. What is your time worth? From a cost standpoint, the larger sockets and wrenches cost much more than the smaller ones. If you get a bigger set, you get those large items (which can cost $10 or $20 each for a Craftsman tool) for a couple of dollars each and you are much less likely to find you don’t have a tool you need. Larger sets also often come with truly useful tools like a flare nut wrenches, pliers, screwdrivers, Torx bits, etc, that you will probably end up buying at some point anyway.
Regarding your original question – for a homeowner, you could probably get by with a reasonably complete set of combination wrenches, a 3/8 inch ratchet and socket set, a couple of adjustable wrenches, some pliers, and a good screwdriver set. Plus some power tools (cordless drill +/- cordless impact driver, maybe a circular saw, etc). But as I mentioned earlier, buy a large, good-quality set from the outset – it will last you a lifetime.
Daniel
My first set was a Husky 3/8″ and 1/”4 drive with ratchets. The Husky stuff is (was) made by Stanley and while the ratchets immediately had issues, the sockets have been as good an any others I have. Black finish is good making the laser markings easier to read, and machining is nice. Those are now relegated to my track toolbox for racing and were replaced with mostly Craftsman. You are right in that thye are the best bang for the buck and offer wide varieties of sets. Machining quality of mine are fine but my most used ones have started to show rust and most of them are dimply. My SK sockets are a good notch above the Craftsman and I got a great deal. If they can be found for a good price, SK is hard to beat. If money is no option, Snap On, Mac, Matco, etc.
99 sport
I have many Craftsman sets, and I have been pleased with all of them. These days, I do my tool set purchases at Sears.com. Typically, the first (promoted) online review addresses whether or not the set is made in the USA and I only order sets with reviews stating that say they are USA made (which are New Old Stock at this point) or, once in a while, ones with no mention of origin. I have ordered 10 sets in the last few months (I’ve been filling out the few remaining missing pieces of my hand tool set while the USA made stuff is still available) and 8 out of the 10 sets I received have been 100% made in USA. If I get a set made in Asia it gets returned to my local Sears store.
Of note, at my local Sears every loose socket and wrench is still made in USA, and there are a half a dozen Sears within driving distance of me, so I can still get USA made warranty replacements. Conversely, EVERY socket and wrench set and all of the drive tools (except the 84 tooth ratchet) at my local store is made in Asia. It is too expensive to buy individual (USA made) sockets in store, and the wrench selection is very thin in-store, so I would recommend Sears.com for someone looking for a new set. Last month I bought a 250 piece set from Sears.com which was all USA made. It had a very complete selection of 1/4 and 3/8 inch SAE and metric sockets in standard and deep plus a decent selection of wrenches. It had enough 1/2 drive standard sockets to be truly useful, but 1/2 drive variety was a little thin. Unfortunately, I cannot find that set online anymore – although you may be able to find it at Searsoutlet.com. On the topic of Sears Outlet stores, I have two near me, and every tool in there is made in USA – and extremely cheap. I picked up another set of combination wrenches last week (that I didn’t need) because they were made in USA and about $1 each. I also got a bunch of drive extensions. I see some of the Sears Outlet stuff listed on ebay, so I know people are buying at Sears Outlet and then flipping the USA made stuff online.
As for recommendations, the 250 pc set I bought last month for $138 would be an ideal starter set, but the listing in Sears.com is now gone. The best value you can get is the 413 piece set. It was all USA made when I bought it two years ago, and I would bet money that they are still shipping US tools. The last review (from March 2014) states it is still USA made. It is $420 now and is an unbeatable value. It has combination wrenches all the way up to 1-1/8” and 24mm. It has sockets up to 1-1/4” and 32 mm (Honda axle nut size). It does not have 1/2 inch drive 6 point deep metric or inch sockets or 3/8 inch 12 point metric sockets, but is otherwise complete. It includes a full selection of drive tools and specialty sockets and even a couple of pliers. Another recommendation is the 299 piece easy read set, which includes every Craftsman socket made in 1/4 through 1/2 inch drive (including 19/32 23/32 and 25/32 – which I have never found a use for – even on my 80 year old Ford). A review from August 2014 states it is still USA made.
As for quality, the chrome plating on the inside of the sockets is not as even on the recent Craftsman USA made sets as on the ones I bought 20 years ago (those were marked E or EE and the current sockets are G2 or GK). Also, I have gotten a few sets with a bluish tint to the Chrome. In all, the new ones tend not to be as good looking as my older sets, but this does not affect their functionality. If you can still find the Craftsman professional sockets (I bought some last week they were clearing out), the chrome is flawless. The current USA made wrenches are absolutely indistinguishable from the ones I bought 20 years ago (the new ones are typically marked V (inverted)V).
I also want to echo Stuart’s comment that Craftsman hand tools used to be an amazing value – 1/3 the cost of tool truck brands for amazing quality and the easiest replacement process imaginable. It used to be that if someone asked me what kind of hand tools to buy the answer was simple – Craftsman. Now my response is full of qualifiers and rambles on for a full page. As I mentioned, I have been doubling up on USA Craftsman tools while I can still find them. I figure they will last the rest of my life and hopefully get passed on to my children. I do wonder who will buy the Craftsman brand when Sears goes bankrupt (which seems nearly inevitable now), but I have so many duplicates, and can always buy some other brand on Amazon if needed, that I can live without the famous Craftsman warranty.
(When I was younger I broke dozens of imported sockets, but I can count on one hand the number of Craftsman tools I’ve broken – and those were usually my own fault: ie pounding on a screwdriver with a sledge hammer. I had such poor luck with imported tools growing up, that my first paycheck from my high school job was spent on Craftsman tools. My first paycheck after college was spent on a Craftsman roll-away tool chest and a Craftsman air compressor. It is sad to see the brand in its current state, but nothing lasts forever I suppose. )
Tfaulk13
Sears and the Craftsman name along with it were bought by K-Mart of all businesses. Just that info says it all and explains everything.
Thomas R. Smith
If memory is correct Craftsman is now made by the Danaher/Apex tool group. That is why you can buy Gearwrench as Sears now.
John
Hello Jeff,
I am a fan of Carlyle Tools by NAPA. They are designed for automobile repair. Some of the tools feel like Smap- on clones . I started using Carlyle tools when my Crafrsman became to fat and “clunky ” for tight engine compartment work. Carlyle tools are medium priced and seems a good value for more serious wrenching.
I have since avoided purchasing Craftsman . They have been dropping in quality, getting fatter, and priced too high , and have dropped there Profession line since being made in China.
Cheers
John
Yes , No.. maybe.
Back in 1998 , I was on a tour of Danaher tools NW Arkansas. That day Matco and Craftsman wrenches were being forged and chrome plated from the same steel .
I believe that factory has since closed.
Craftsman tools are mostly made in China with standard USA pricing. I avoid Craftsman tools today. Might as well purchase Kobalt or Husky , HF .
Derek
I have a 40ish piece 1/4 and 3/8 Husky set and a 154 piece Craftsman set, both are good. I prefer the round handle style of the Husky ratchet, but I knew that when I bought the Craftsman set. My dad has an older Kobalt 24 piece set that’s just fine too. Not wrenching professionally these work fine.
I’ve used Matco, Mac and Snap-On before my cousin sold all his tools but the Husky/Craftsman work just fine for me. All of the HF stuff I have has been junk, doesn’t fit right and got rusty sitting inside in a case.
I like the blow-molded cases. I keep my tools in the basement since I lack a garage and I’d rather do one trip then 154.
Dave
As a farmer, I use my sockets hard and often- most things have to be TIGHT.
Many of my sets- I have maybe 45-50 sets of sockets–are USA-built Craftsman and they’ve seved me well, but I won’t set foot in a Sears since they sell imported junk now.
Lots of my stuff is 25-30 years old so may not reflect the company’s current offerrings, if the company still even exists. SK stuff is hard to beat. Proto, Wright, and Blackhawk are good. I have a set that say “Mustang, made in USA” and an old set of “Western” ( Western Auto) and they’re both of really high quality- made back before CRAP was imported.
If I was setting up shop today I’d search Craigslist and auctions for used-there’s very little really good stuff still being made.
Hang Fire
I share your disappointment concerning Craftsman imports, but many of Sears Craftsman pliers are still made in USA by Western Forge, and they also sell US-made Channellock tools as well.
Benoit
Not many mentioned Dewalt’s sets. I have the big 204 pcx set and I beleive it to be of excellent quality. I used to have some old Craftsman ratchets and sockets sets, but gave them to my father-in-law when I got the Dewalt. I’m not a mechanic, just a DIYer, but they are plenty enough for me, and their price is hard to beat considering the quality.
Joe M
I have to start this with… I’m Canadian, so a lot of what I’m about to say will be completely wrong for the USA, because we have entirely different brands available to us. THAT said… I agree it depends on the usage.
Everyone seems keen on saying what they’ve got, so… I’ll do the same. When I started getting tools in my 20’s, I was in College, and I got a Canadian Tire Jobmate kit that had 300 pieces, and just had a socket set with it. It wasn’t extensive, and it is now in my closet, covered with dust because I never use it. It was, however, EXTREMELY good to me over the years, and had what I needed when I needed it. There was then a sale at Canadian Tire for a 109 piece Black-Chrome Stanley Socket Set, $299 at the usual price, on sale (probably clearance) for $63. I didn’t need sockets at the time, but my Dad bought them for me anyways, and I haven’t regretted it much. It doesn’t have the largest size pear-head, or the sockets to go with it, so it is far from complete. Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t buy another Stanley Black Chrome set in a heartbeat though. I definitely would.
Now… to the opinion section of this… My PERSONAL opinion? Buy a cheap-as-hell set that is as complete as possible while you’re young and/or starting out with tools. It can be a house brand, it can be a bad brand, it doesn’t matter. Just get it cheap. Then… as time goes on, and you have more money, you will (Hopefully) also know better how much you rely on your Sockets and Wrenches to do what you do. This is true for both your personal tools, and your work tools. And don’t be afraid to buy something because it’s different than what you’re used to. It’s better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. If you wear something out, you know you need a better one of that one. Easy math there.
If you’re Canadian like me… Honestly… Go with a Canadian Tire house brand at first go. Jobmate or PLAIN Mastercraft will do. When it’s time to upgrade, the Jobmate and PLAIN Mastercraft tools will probably still have survived, despite being dirt cheap. Once you want to start choosing a better one… Honestly… You can’t go wrong with Stanley in Canada. Stanley/FatMax, and the Chrome or Black Chrome sets are fantastic for everyday/amateur home improvement/maintenance stuff. Stepping up to a dedicated Pro level? Machinist/Industrial stuff, you can still go with the Stanley family, or you can actually go with a Mastercraft Maximum line, and essentially be buying the same tools, with lifetime warranties. Stepping up to Automotive full time? On the Low-End, Mastercraft Maximum is great, on the High-End, invest in some Snap-On, even if it hurts.
For my American friends reading this… I can’t say anything better than what has been said before this post. We don’t really have the quality Craftsman tools you do, nor do we have easy access to GearWrench, Wera, or most of the other brands you’ve mentioned. The only solace I can give here, is that our “House Brands” for Canadian Tire are still really well made by some of the best brands in the world, just rebranded. We don’t have the selection, but we have the tools, and the quality, all in one place. The Husky and Kobalt and other American House Brands from Home Depot and Lowes are barely able to be qualified as dollar-store rejects here in Canada. And if we want to step up to “Brand Name”… We really have Stanley/Fatmax, and DeWalt to choose from. We have Snap-On too, but it’s hard to find. And you have to dig deep into the depths of the catalogues of the suppliers here to find any kind of “Brand Name” you’d recognize.
Benoit
I would not encourage buying the cheapest socket set to start with. By doing so, we encourage all the junk makers out there, to make even more junk because this is where the volume is. This explains why good brands get into the race to the bottom (Craftsman, Delta, Porter-Cable, B&D, etc.). If there’s a buck in selling crap, they will all try every conceivable tricks to bring the quality, and the price down, until we stop buying because it’s unusable junk.
My advice to young guys is the following : Those tools will stay with you for the rest of your life, so why not shell out the extra 50$ or 100$ to get something good? Trust me, you will never regret buying quality. By doing so, not only you do not encourage crap makers, but you stimulate R&D because tool manufacturers will know that coming up with better products means profit. That’s what I want to see.
Oh, and if you don’t know if you need a socket set, then you probably don’t.
Joe M
In the USA, I would agree with you. In Canada though… Even our cheapest “Junk” brands are the likes of Jobmate and Mastercraft. We have to go to an American company’s brand to get the actual crap brands you refer to. That’s not a slight against America in any way. In Canada, our “Cheap Junk” is really only available from American companies. Husky and Kobalt at Home Depot and Lowes, for example. The vast majority of products available in Canada are from Stanley/FatMax, and most recently DeWalt. Jobmate and Mastercraft from Canadian Tire are only a hair’s breadth below the likes of Stanley or the American Craftsman brands, and are quite a bit higher than Kobalt and Husky.
Now… With frequent sales going on… You can get a starter socket set that would usually retail for about $100, for… probably about $30. Not a Kobalt or Husky brand, probably a Mastercraft brand set. Or, potentially, a Mastercraft Maximum set (Or two) that would retail for $300-$400 on sale for about $80-$120.
Now… We’re talking a house brand that is made by a decent Stanley brand, so it’s not junk. Far from it. And when you’re getting up to $400 worth of Sockets for %60 off (which often happens)… you’re investing in some serious quality. If it’s Jobmate, you’re getting something that is just above the Kobalt or Husky quality, and for next to nothing. If you destroy them, then the same place you bought them often has the Stanley, DeWalt, and Mastercraft/Mastercraft Maximum sets for when you are making enough to replace them.
Again… this is a Canada thing. I’m sure in the USA there, all these other brands are better for you. But, WE have to import them, and we end up paying almost double what you do for those same tools. I’m also sure that Kobalt and Husky make better tools in the USA than they send to Canada, because they’re just gimmicky junk up here. I don’t know why, maybe it’s just my local stores, I don’t know. But Canada’s offerings of tools are a weirdly narrow, different animal than in the ‘states. We often have a Canadian branch of the same companies, like Wiha Tools, but they just don’t have the same selection at all.
Canada is weird when it comes to this stuff. I totally agree with the criticism voiced, and junk tools need to be stopped from being made or bought. In Canada though… We’re lucky to have the particular brands that we do, because we have next to no real junk or knock-off brands here. We have our china-town knock-offs, but they’re pretty obvious, and I don’t think anyone seriously buys them outside of China Town themselves. I wish there was a way to say that that didn’t sound so racist, but it’s an unfortunate truth that has to be told, even if it feels awful coming out of one’s mouth. I assure you, no racism is intended or meant by saying it, just a statistical anomaly that sounds worse than it is.
Benoit
I agree with you that in Canada, we don’t have as many “choices” as in the US. That being said, crappy tools can still be found quite easily here though. There are tons of stores selling ultra cheap imported junk tools, and you will find them if you look for them. I’ve never been to Princess Auto, but apprently it’s like Harbor Freight. You can also find a junk tool seller in every flea market.
I also agree that Mastercraft and Craftsman are very decent quality tools for DIYers, and even for mechanics on a tight budget.
All I want to point out, since this site is read by a lot of Americans, is that buying the cheapest you can find is a costly mistake at a global scale. If you are serious about tools, more over if you are young and have couple decades ahead to use them, you should buy good quality tools as you will never regret it. Also, what are we talking about in terms of differences? The big black set from Stanley you are referring to is selling for about 120$, what 120$ means over a life time? Why would someone go with a 40$ or 60$ junk set, when they can purchase something durable for 120$?
This is what I find illogical. People will blow 40K$ on cars, 350K$ on houses, and even over 100$ for a dinner at a restaurant in a blink of an eye, but they will skimp on tools that will serve them for the rest of their life. Go figure.
It’s all the bargain hunters and Kmart shoppers mentality that killed a lot of good businesses in North-America. We complain that everything is made overseas now, but we are the first ones to reward those who provide us with cheaper products without ever looking at the quality we are getting for that price. Don’t take me wrong, I’m all for bargains and good prices, but cost is always just one factor among others when I shop for a new tool, and it’s not first on my list.
Joe M
100% agreed there. Americans need to know I’m very much biased having bought exclusively from Canadian retailers, and their selection would be totally different. Americans can ignore me in a heartbeat, and that would be pretty ideal for them.
That said… In Canada you actually have a hard time finding tools that fit the actual “Junk” we’re afraid of. Like you said, flea markets and the likes of Princess Auto. Not very many of those left, but Canadian Tire, Home Depot, and Home Hardware are all over the place. It’s hard to not find them, and get an at-least-decent set that isn’t crap from them.
Then, you have the sales. Mastercraft Maximum/Mastercraft Plain are made by Stanley, and they’re pretty much identical except for branding. There’s also Stanley/FatMax themselves. So, a young tool user, just starting out, wants to invest in some quality tools. Yeah, they can invest in the tools that go for a bit more, and they should. In Canada though… they go on sale so often that they can get the exact set they need, that will last them for years, at ridiculously low prices. Even if it’s not Snap-On, or imported from the ‘States, investing $120 on a set that is actually worth $400 is totally the way to go. And if something does go magically wrong, they’re not out as much.
The sales happen in Canada year round. Statistically speaking, there’s no bargain hunting needed here. Just shop for the set you need, and chances are really good you can get that set on sale for a lot less, without compromising the quality.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t get conveyed well in the phrase “as cheap as you can get it” without it sounding like I mean the china-town crap. I do apologize for that, but I meant get the set when it’s on (frequent) sale, for as cheap as you can. Chances are that’ll be Mastercraft or Stanley in Canada, and those things are not junk. And they’re plentiful, so you can scale up as you go too.
Wayne Ruffner
I disagree with the “Buy a cheap-as-hell set” premise. I’ll say don’t go over your budget, of course. But crappy tools are just that, and going by “Good enough isn’t” is a good way to keep yourself on track.
Upgrading a tool is pleasurable to me in the same way my wife buys shoes, but it’s not as good as working with something that I’m confident with.
MJ
As can be seen from the answers, the “best socket set” and the best socket set for the price” and the “best socket set for me” are all different things. Personally I’m so glad I picked up a USA made 145 piece (three ratchets and 142 6 pt sockets) when sears was clearing them out six or so years ago. That was $85.
More recently I bought a small set of asian made 26-32mm craftsman sockets and while they a bit rougher finished inside, they do seem made to proper specs and work fine. I also had a small 3/8 drive craftsman set and sears replaced the ratchet after the ball retention system went kaput. The replacement was asian made, and again the finish is clearly a bit lower-end, but functionally it works the same.
Today, it looks like there is a better chance of Harbor freight being in business in fifteen years than Sears. So it might be a better bet to go with HF and rely on their lifetime hand tool warranty should anything happen. I have been very satisfied with pretty much everything I’ve bought there and obviously the prices correctly reflect the sourcing, not the branding.
Bill K
Depends on the use and application…….
After damaging the hex on a Honda engine aluminum oil cap using a 16 point socket, my top criteria for a socket set is 8 point!!!
fred
A few auto fittings are actually Penta (5 point)
MJ
Pardon my ignorance, but doesn’t a hex bolt need a socket that is a multiple of six points?
fred
I’m no expert on all the nuances of drive types or fastener or nut head styles but here is my take on female (as opposed to male or bit style) socket styles:
3 Point – some odd fittings
4 or 8 Point – for old style square nuts and lags
5 Point (Penta) – for some
6 or 12 point – for hex bolts – hex nuts etc.
6 Lobe (e.g. some Toyota belt tensioners)
10 Point (e.g. some Honda rear trailing arm)
33 Point (some diesel injectors)
Spline (sometimes sold as universal fit)
E-Torx and E-Torx Plus (female counterpart of Torx)
Ribe (more common as male bit drivers)
XZN ( a12 point variant) (male and female styles)
There are also male-bit styles like triple square and double hex (not exactly the same as 12 point)
Bill K
daaaaa…… I meant 6 point is now my optimum, not 12 point. Sorry for my confusing post!
My experience just reinforced a previous ToolGuyd post on the differences as I recall (dangerous)
Hang Fire
My SK sockets have given me good service, in 20 years of serious owner auto maintenance and repair, I’ve only cracked one of them, and the chrome on all has held up well.
I still wouldn’t vote for them for one reason. On many (but not all) of the deep 3/8-drive 6-points, the hex goes down only about 15mm. On others it goes down 3 or 4 times as far. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason for it. With automobile clearances getting smaller and smaller, I need a deep socket to be able to get on the nut at any depth.
These sockets are 20 years old, so they may not be made the same way, but they do look exactly like the current production. I also have some late 90’s SK sockets that look like very cheap imports, but none of them are deep, and these are no longer made. Fortunately this era is SK is long over.
Ola
Speaking from a European perspective I vote for Bacho (Owned by snap-on today) as a nicely priced quality starter brand.
Wera is expensive but I say they are worth it, superior quality and usability.
Bob dobalina
All these comments and no one is saying Nepros. I don’t own any but I am looking for someone to push me off the fence upon which I am sitting.
Nathan
sort of late to the question but I’ll comment anyway.
if you need to save on the money and have something you can use. for sockets, and ratchet, and even wrenches. On the cheap end I highly recommend the tools sold at Autozone. not the duralast but the OEM marked brand. Made in Taiwan, chrome. they aren’t fancy but they work and well. I wouldn’t buy harbor freight ones unless you plan to destroy them.
if money is no object – I would probably buy either SK tool or williams. I have an SK tool ratchet from somewhere and it’s a nice piece. I’d also be remiss in not giving a nod to MAC and Cromwell tool pieces and of course the Kobalt.
if made in the USA isn’t an issue for you the Wera stuff is quality as is their other competitor Stahlwille. I have both 1/4 and 3.8 drive stahlwille stuff and I have to say their sockets are top notch and then some. nice tight fit, 6pt or 12, ratchets are small headed and easy to fit into places. they have a break it replace it warranty problem is there’s something like 3 distributors in the US. which leads me back to the likes’ of SK or Stanley branded tools.
I’d say the same applies for the wrenches of the same brands I mentioned. again with the Stahlwhile being some of the best designed, cleanest wrenches I’ve ever used. but if I bought a set today I’d buy some SK tool pieces.
if automotive work I’d get 6pt metric is all the sizes you can afford – both 1/4 and 3/8. however I will say for suspension work I like a 1/2 drive ratchet socket set – because I always end up beating on them – so I roll Impact grade for that. but when I was a broke college student I used my 3/8 drive for everything.
I’d also suggest a complement of SAE sizes to go with – and with the 3/8 drive I’d recommend both standard and deep well in as many sizes as you can afford.
then a set of the same sizes of combination wrenches. I won’t say you need gear ratcheting combo’s – as I don’t even own a set. but solid is necessary
and while you are doing all of this – get you 2 adjustable wrenches of good soild quality – like a cresent or whatever. one that’s smaller sized say in the 6 inch handle area. and one larger say 10 inch handle area. they come in handy.
phe
With large amount of tools available it is hard to sort through them all.
BUT – i would strongly encourage to look in to proxxon hand tools. They are cheap – at least 1/2 of Beta but they are also very very good – at least for the price.
Stuart
Thanks for the recommendation! I completely forgot that Proxxon makes hand tools. Only their precision power tools typically come to mind.
Nate
After all of the posts on this board, I really can’t believe that Ingersoll Rand has NOT been mentioned. After all, they are one of the top manufacturers of Pneumatic air tools in which these impact sockets will be used. If I were able to choose only a SINGLE set to carry around it would be the Ingersoll Rand SK34C86. It’s an 86 pc set so it really has everything. Check out the reviews on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Ingersoll-SK34C86-8-Inch-2-Inch-Standard/dp/B000HGKR6O/
Other than Snap-On or a truck brand, there is no better set. These would blow away a HF, Craftsman, Kobalt, Husky, etc.
daniel
I use my Craftsman (USA) sockets regularly as an Auto Tech student and working on my own cars and frequenting wrecking yards, and have not had any issues other than having one in the set with no markings and very bad finish. I called them and they shipped a new one out no questions asked, that was a year or two ago. They came out of a 120 something mechanics set in a plastic case that I have dragged around everywhere I go, the case and tools have done me good for only $30 at a Sears Outlet(original price was $120), we bought 2 wish I would have gotten a couple more. I have had bad luck with HF sockets, I cracked quite a few and didnt know they had lifetime warranty, so I chucked them instead of getting replaced. HF is ok for some stuff, but I have had issues with their wrenches opening up on me when trying to loosen bolts and the cracking sockets while loosening, beating myself up pretty good. I enjoy Craftsman and go by Sears every now and then just to see whats on sale, with Shopyourway reward points and offers I have picked up a few items for a couple of dollars and even free. I just got their re-branded Knipex plier set(made in Germany) for around $20 which is a damn good deal. Im currently looking to get another full set of sockets for when I enter the field, but have not been able to decide on a company yet, but for my current use my Craftsman are just fine.
Greg W
I work as a battery tech for AAA, and honestly, I have one of the Husky 182 piece sets. They’re all of good quality, and I have to use pretty much all the pieces at some time or another ( I need all sorts of torx and hex bits, regular and deep sockets of varying sizes, etc. ). 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, with all the sockets you could really ever need, for 99.99, and if anything ever breaks ( which nothing ever has ), Home Depot will replace it. I initially bought it because Home Depot is ubiquitous, but tbh, I really like the set. My only qualm is that it doesn’t have enough extensions. You get two 3/8ths and one small 1/4, and I often need really long extensions. A trip to HF will solve all that within 10 dollars, though.
I don’t know if you could do too much better for a Benjamin.
Allan
Well gents, I felt the need to post my 2 cents worth. I am 80 yrs old and I was a mechanic right out of HS. I worked at Chevy & Pontiac dealers (ran the hydramatic rack at Pontiac). Back then my source for tools was the tool truck ($1 down & $1 next week). I wound up buying SK 1/4″, 3/8″ & 1/2″ drive socket sets. I did so mainly because of the knurled grip on the ratchets. Snap on ratchet handles were too slippery for me. I did have some Snap On wrenches as well a Proto, Cornwell & Craftsman among others. Over the years I also bought sets of SK wrenches (SAE, Metric) which I was quite happy with.
I quit being a mechanic after a few years to get into electronics but continued to use my tools until my house burned down last year and they all went with the house. During that time (approximately 60 yrs) I repaired all of the cars I owned, and rebuilt a few too. The SK sockets never failed me except one 11/16″ socket that split because I leaned too much on it with an extended breaker bar. I did have to buy a new ratchet about 10 years ago but that was the extent of my replacements.
As old as I am and due to the fact that I no longer want to work on vehicles, I think I will wind up buying a HF 3/8″ socket set because of the comments on this forum. I did recently buy an SK 1/4″ set from Amazon and SK is still my tool of choice for a working mechanic.
Jon
I would not call myself a professional, but I have been working with sockets since I was a child. All of the above mentioned brands I have purchased over the years and each has worked well. Recently I purchased a Neiko 1/2″ Drive Metric Socket Set from www.handtoolworld.com and put them to the test. And even though Neiko sometimes does not get a good reviews, I found them to be just as good as my other sockets. I think a lot of a tool’s worthiness is based on how you take care of them.
Tfaulk13
There are companies that make tools very well consistently and there are those who make tools with varied results so you may have someone make a purchase of a set that happens to be decent and they will tell people they are a great tool set and others can buy the same set and find flaws and inconsistent quality throughout their set.
Unfortunately more and more things are being made overseas. The product can be made in the USA with fabulous quality and earn a reputation as a great product then some stupid upper management person or CEO, etc that will investigate the idea of manufacturing overseas because they know the cost is going to be lower, therefor increasing the profit margin and making investors and the like very happy. Unfortunately once it becomes well known that the company is now having their products manufactured overseas the consumers will react negatively to this. The true repeat customers who gained trust in the company will be the first to stop buying their products. Now perhaps they may gain a few new customers by offering the products at more places like partnering with other chains and allowing their product to be available in more markets but with all the other companies who have done the same they will end up in the list of companies whos products are cheaply produced and they will be just another company selling merchandise that is Made In China. The Made In USA label is becoming more and more scarce and it is a very sad situation.
Jeff
Not sure if this old post can still receive comments, but I thought I’d try!
I stumbled across this site and have found the comments very interesting. I appreciate all the varied responses.
I too am looking for another socket set to work on my car. I already have a Craftsman set of “standard” ones, but I like to keep these separate since I do lots of woodworking and want to keep them clean. I currently have the Craftsman Maxx Axxess which I don’t like since they are too fat to fit anything, especially anything auto-related. I’d like another set for the car and was looking at the universal fit sockets. I have some deep universal ones, but don’t have the black oxide wrench or the regular-sized sockets. Any thoughts on these?
I’d like something different from what I already have that will compliment my current set. I have regular sockets and a few universal fit, so I thought I might add to the universal fit or get something completely different. I figure if I’m going to duplicate sizes, I may as well get something different.
The other thought was to go with colored sockets, but only Harbor Freight has them and reviewers say the color wears off after awhile anyway.
I’d like something American-made. I’d be willing to look at other foreign-made stuff as well (German, Swiss, etc) , but would like to avoid Chinese-made, if possible.
Doc
Lots of nice options in the German tool lines. Gedore, Stahlwille, Hazet, Wera, etc. These can be ordered from North America via amazon.de if you can wait a little longer for a lot less than what they are offered for by the US retailers.
Kevin
When I started working on heavy duty buses, I had zilch to my name. I pieced together my dad’s old Craftsman socket set and made use of what I had.
I found out very quickly what the difference between home owner tools and professional tools was.
Now we need to make this distinction. 1, The small homeowner socket sets in the blow molded cases are not the same as that 500 piece all in one mechanics starter sets. Better ratchets, better screw driver’s, basically everything is better. But for Craftsman, the sockets were the same. Just the ratchets are better.
So if you are a diy guy. Get the Craftsman/Husky/Kobalt sets.
Now stay away from consumer grade Stanley sockets. There about as good as a Yugo on there worst day. Because of the money your gonna spend on any Wera set, I would recommend going with the Husky 301 piece mechanics set (owned by Stanley who also owns Proto and Mac).
This set comes with high quality sockets, long handle wrenches (5/16 -1″ and 8mm-21mm). It also comes with decent screwdrivers and Allen keys. It’s a bit more expensive, but your getting what you would need. Not some tiny set.
If you’re into putting your own sets together, Tekton makes great tools as well!
Toold
> And there are no socket-only options, and so you have
> no choice but to buy duplicate drive tools and accessories with
> each set
I didn’t read through all the comments, but this is not true. Wera sells 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2-inch sets in several variations, both in regular and fastener-holding variations.
Ray R
I have been buying Craftsman since a teen in 1975 working on personal vehicles. The Easy Read laser sockets have a much better fit,finish and chrome than the thinner walled sockets in the 200 Count tool sets which look like a mainland China product.
The laser is hard to read but the 6 point Easy Reads are more much robust and will damage rusty bolts less than the 12 points.
I have an a 71 Sears catalog with a 16 piece 3/4 drive ratchet set selling for 100 bucks when an Super Sport Camaro sold for 4 grand.
Today a 24 piece 3/4 drive ratchet sells for sells for 230 bucks. Go figure what a Camaro sells for today even if you subtract struts, 2 computers, radial tires, fuel jnjection side door beams, halogen lights etc.
Kirk Johnson
I don’t like the commen view that Snapon sockets are the pinical of the socket world. I have a full set of Snap-on 3/8th deep impact and have replaced all but 2 out of the set. They are very soft and wear out quickly. I use them every day and I know most people who don’t use them in there profession will not have issues with them. When I first started in the field of diesel tech I bought an older set of wright 1/2 impact deep sockets from a guy who was retiring. I don’t know how old they were when I got them, but 20 year later they have held up better then any socket I have ever owned. They are used with a IR titanium 1/2 impact with 145 psi and have not cracked or shown any sign of wallowing out. I have used them in the press to push bushings out. I have had to glow a 1 1/4 nut and hammer on it with the impact two to 3 times to rattle it loose and the socket is as good as when new. A neat feature of the socket it that the hex is as deep as the socket. You can keep taking nuts off and they just stack up in the socket then you can dump them out. I will stand behind wright impact sockets, they are the best in my opinion and I have put them through hell and they are ready for the next day or the next tech they get passed on to.
Brian Kennedy
Snap-On are good tools for the most part. They have about the best ratchets. However, they are over priced. They aren’t worth what they cost. And I’ll agree their sockets aren’t that great. I’ve got a few wright sockets and a 1/2 inch ratchet. I can’t complain about the sockets. They’ve been around for over 30 years. They are thin wall 1/2 inch 12pt. Up to 1 1/4 never broke one. The ratchet works good but reversing it can be difficult at times.
Brian Kennedy
Craftsman tools suck. They are one of the worst quality tools you can buy. They might be okay for a homeowner diy type situation. But if you use them every day and depend on them they definitely don’t work. The sockets wear out very quick. And they crack. The ratchets break and always need repaired. Screw drivers aren’t too bad but do wear quick. Sure they are warranted but if you have to make a trip every couple weeks to get replacements, it’s unacceptable. Plus if you use them for Comercial use, they won’t warranty them.
Bert Malenfant
Started off reading every comment but soon gave up and just skimmed them . I didn’t see any mention of USA made Thorsen sockets . I purchased my first 3/8 drive set in 1959 and have never had any problems with it . Anyone else have any ?