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#11 |
Mugwump
Join Date: Oct 2003
Carmudgeonly Ride: E46 330i, Chevy Colorado, Tesla Model 3
Location: NY
Posts: 16,793
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There's a sears near me. Maybe I should exchange it to help them go bankrupt faster.
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#12 |
older fart than ZBB
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: On the road again
Posts: 7,122
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Don't go throwing a wrench in their financial plans
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2017 GMC Sierra 1500 SLE 2016 Focus SE |
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#13 |
What ev's
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 2,416
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Are you kidding me ... they have a warranty on these things ... for some dumbass reason i’ve gone through 2 or 3 ratchets over the years when removing the lug nuts from my cars. I had no idea I could go back to Lowe’s and get a replacement
![]() No kidding around I literally just bought another one a month or two ago ![]() |
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#14 |
Mugwump
Join Date: Oct 2003
Carmudgeonly Ride: E46 330i, Chevy Colorado, Tesla Model 3
Location: NY
Posts: 16,793
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Yeah, app those broken wrenches could have been free.
But why are you using a ratchet p wheel bolts? Buy an impact gun for removal and a torque wrench for tightening! Not necessary, but way more fun. |
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#15 | |
What ev's
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 2,416
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Quote:
I bought an impact gun but didn’t like the way it bangs against the bolt and dings it up. |
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#16 |
No more BMWs
Join Date: Apr 2005
Carmudgeonly Ride: 987S, Ram, MS3, CX-5, RX-8
Location: Glenwood, MD
Posts: 12,477
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I'm just about to the point of throwing away the last of my craftsman ratchets. The quality on the new ones is extremely poor. I exchanged two of them last year for various issues and the replacements are just junk.
On a whim I bought a new 1/2" and 3/8" from Harbor Freight around Christmas and so far I really like them. I intended for them to live in the travel toolbox (full of cheap tools that I don't care too much if I lose one of or if one walks off with a competitor). We'll see how they hold up, but there is a lot less hysteresis in the ratcheting mechanism - they're both really close to as good as the Matco 1/2" that I have. |
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#17 |
Doctor Mudgeon
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,411
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Speaking of non-Craftsman tools, what's the line on the premium-level tool market? Among the Snap-Ons of the world, what's the best compromise between cost and quality?
I love my 15-year-old Craftsman tools, but I agree that the newer stuff is disappointing. Plus, as I mentioned earlier, it's getting less and less convenient to even find a Sears worth shopping for automotive tools. If I'm going to deal with ordering stuff, I might as well go whole-hog... |
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#18 | |
Old Fart
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Bethesda, MD
Posts: 8,850
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Quote:
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/...d.php?t=136120 https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/...d.php?t=249851 The tool truck equivalent threads. It’s not like Snap On or anyone else actually makes much for itself.
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2006 GMC Sierra 2500HD 4WD LBZ/Allison 2002 BMW M3 1999 323i GTS2 1995 M3 S50B32, S6S420G, 3.91 1990 325is 1989 M3 Hers: 1988 325iX 1996 911 Turbo ![]() |
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#19 |
Chief title editor
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 23,114
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Dunno if those Garage Journal threads get into it, but there's also been a lot of tool company consolidation and shifts in production (factories and countries). Worth checking this out:
https://pressurewashr.com/tool-industry-behemoths/ ![]()
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OH NOES!!!!!1 MY CAR HAS T3H UND3R5T33R5555!!!!!!1oneone!!!!11 Team WTF?! What are you gonna do? ![]() |
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#20 |
Doctor Mudgeon
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,411
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I'll have to check out those threads when I'm on a computer that isn't so dumb about "security." But, yeah, I know that relatively few tool companies have their own factories. For as long as I'm aware, Sears never did, either, and I know there are some real tool geeks who know which companies made Craftsman tools at different times.
Still, it seems to me that branding does make a difference, in some cases. The same factory might push out open-end wrenches for three different labels, but to what tolerances and design specs are each of them manufactured -- even if they ship from the same building? |
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