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Old 03-27-2018, 07:37 PM   #11
rumatt
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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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Old 03-27-2018, 09:31 PM   #12
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There's a sears near me. Maybe I should exchange it to help them go bankrupt faster.
Don't go throwing a wrench in their financial plans
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Old 03-28-2018, 04:58 AM   #13
Alan
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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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Old 03-28-2018, 07:00 AM   #14
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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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Old 03-29-2018, 05:55 AM   #15
Alan
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Originally Posted by rumatt View Post
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.
I only use it to break the lug then I usually use a dewalt power thing to zip them off and on then a torque wrench to finish the job.

I bought an impact gun but didn’t like the way it bangs against the bolt and dings it up.
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Old 03-30-2018, 12:38 PM   #16
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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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Old 04-04-2018, 09:42 PM   #17
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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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Old 04-04-2018, 10:11 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by blee View Post
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...
Here’s the real rabbit hole:

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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Old 04-04-2018, 10:39 PM   #19
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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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Old 04-05-2018, 01:20 AM   #20
blee
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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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