Where to buy tools for tinker?

DrSweden
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DrSweden
Edited Date/Time 1/27/2012 6:38pm
I don't know your brands. I use Kamasa in Sweden, but where not able to find any here. Also I don't want the standard size since both car and bike are from Japan. So I wonder if any of you know a good metric tool kit at any of these common dealers. I have checked Sears, Home depot, Walmart, but I haven't found metric only?


I saw that Walmarts "Stanley" has life time warranty? I guess they can be that bad despite low price? If so I can buy one of those and ditch the standards without crying...



Any suggestions?
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kardy
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kardy 5/11/2010 8:41pm
5/11/2010 8:41pm Edited Date/Time 5/11/2010 8:41pm
Craftsman from Sears has always been good enough in my humble little world... and anything bent or broken is replaced no questions asked, for life.
CamP
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CamP 5/11/2010 9:03pm
5/11/2010 9:03pm
Craftsman X3
ASH510
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ASH510 5/11/2010 9:08pm
5/11/2010 9:08pm
Craftsman X4
MX45
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MX45 5/11/2010 9:35pm
5/11/2010 9:35pm


The Shop

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BAD10
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BAD10 5/11/2010 9:45pm
5/11/2010 9:45pm
Craftsman is good for most, but if you want the really good stuff, go for Snapon. Unfortunately its very $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
teggers
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teggers 5/11/2010 9:47pm
5/11/2010 9:47pm
Craftsman can be replaced at K Mart too!
cdm806
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cdm806 5/11/2010 10:25pm
5/11/2010 10:25pm
I make my living with Craftsman tools. They've never let me down. Can't say the same for other brands of tools.
oldschoolmxr203 5/11/2010 10:26pm
5/11/2010 10:26pm
I like Craftsman from Sears also,, and im fairly sure you can buy metric only sets i did but yrs ago.Still have the tools and only broke a few, but they always replaced them, even though i used the half inch ratchet for a hammer lol

Snapon and Mac tools are great but expensive.

Doesnt Sears own Kmart now, ? or vice versa
Pitbull Equipment 5/11/2010 10:46pm
5/11/2010 10:46pm
I buy alot of tools at Harbor Freight. Some, ok alot of their stuff is worthy of their reputation. However, they do have different levels of power and hand tools, the better stuff is pretty good, it is all very cheap. I have a mechanic friend and a relative that sells industrial tools. They have both been suprised/shocked and some of my tools when I told them where I bought them.

bullpen58
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bullpen58 5/11/2010 11:07pm
5/11/2010 11:07pm
Craftsman all the way but if you can afford it, Snap On is the way to go.

Nothing wrong with Craftsman. The Snap On tools just have a little more polish. haha.
robkinuk
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robkinuk 5/12/2010 2:34am
5/12/2010 2:34am
Check out the Snap On catalogue!, it's about an inch thick full of mechanic's porn, pictures of some of the coolest tools.
I have a few snap on wrenches, screwdrivers etc, somehow they just feel quality when you pick them up!
xnationalwrench 5/12/2010 3:55am
5/12/2010 3:55am
I used to use both Snap-on and Craftsman but I kept those at the shop I used Harbor Freight tools at the track that way if a wrench got "borrowed" and didn't make it back I wasn't so unhappy.
Racer92
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Racer92 5/12/2010 4:05am
5/12/2010 4:05am
Snap-On makes a little better tool, but for the money you cannot beat Craftsman.
DrSweden
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DrSweden 5/12/2010 4:33am
5/12/2010 4:33am Edited Date/Time 5/12/2010 4:34am
I get a little indication here that Craftsman is the shit! Tnx for the input lads!Smile
txmxer
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txmxer 5/12/2010 5:24am
5/12/2010 5:24am
There are several very good options. If you are going to go buy tools on any given day, Craftsman is the way to go.

If you have a little time, you could post something on Craigslist and keep your eye out for someone who's selling off a lot of tools. Then it's open market.

I like what xnationalwrench said about track tools. People are always borrowing stuff and you don't want your $30 dollar wrench going for a walk at the track.

SteveS
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SteveS 5/12/2010 6:29am
5/12/2010 6:29am
Unless you're planning on taking the tools home when you leave, I don't know that longevity and lifetime warranty are so important.
Cygnus
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Cygnus 5/12/2010 6:37am
5/12/2010 6:37am Edited Date/Time 5/12/2010 6:38am
I was a mechanic in bike shops for 10 years. I used mostly Craftsman. I do only use Snap on screwdrivers though. I did build a small box for the track and got a lot of it from HF. The Pittsburgh tools from harbor freight that I have are really good for the price. I bought a set of metric deep well sockets that I have had for almost ten years and use them in my impact and have never broken one. These are standard sockets not impact. I am actually going to go pick up a few more things there today. I just got a new Makita 18V LI ion impact driver that I absolutly love. Got it at the pawn shop for 60 bucks. Pawn shops are good too.
xnationalwrench 5/12/2010 7:42am
5/12/2010 7:42am
There is a web site that sells almost anything you can think of from race cars to tools and shop equipement not to mention trailers and rv's its call racing junk.com sorry for the spam but it has some interesting stuff for sale.

Pit Row

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HuskyEd
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HuskyEd 5/12/2010 7:54am
5/12/2010 7:54am
You can get some killer deals on Craftsman on E-Bay. Just do your homework because you can buy them for a killer price but then ream you on the shipping charges.
englishman
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englishman 5/12/2010 7:57am
5/12/2010 7:57am
You can always get belting deals on Snap On via E-Bay or Craigslist. I was a Mechanic for many years and Snap On is the only way to go IMO.
I have wrenches that are 25 + years old and are still perfect.
88sdad
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88sdad 5/12/2010 8:30am
5/12/2010 8:30am
Cygnus wrote:
I was a mechanic in bike shops for 10 years. I used mostly Craftsman. I do only use Snap on screwdrivers though. I did build a...
I was a mechanic in bike shops for 10 years. I used mostly Craftsman. I do only use Snap on screwdrivers though. I did build a small box for the track and got a lot of it from HF. The Pittsburgh tools from harbor freight that I have are really good for the price. I bought a set of metric deep well sockets that I have had for almost ten years and use them in my impact and have never broken one. These are standard sockets not impact. I am actually going to go pick up a few more things there today. I just got a new Makita 18V LI ion impact driver that I absolutly love. Got it at the pawn shop for 60 bucks. Pawn shops are good too.
I got the impact and the drill together, they're sweet..

Most of my tools are Craftsman, I have a few Snap-on wrench's, wish I could afford more. My ratchets and sockets are all Craftsman.

I did score a Snap-on tool box from a trade for an old truck I had.


Kinetic1
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Kinetic1 5/12/2010 8:40am
5/12/2010 8:40am
There is no sustitute for Snap-On. The Craftsman tools you can buy today are not nearly the quality of the old Crafstman your dad had. I bought a set for home use (I have about 95% Snap-On and 5% Mac at work) and they suck. The jaws on the wrenches spread on really tight stuff causing rounded bolt heads and the sockets break with alarming regularity.
If you can find old Crafstman stuff at a garage sale or something they are good but I wouldn't walk into a Sears or Kmart and buy new ones.
Also, Snap-On sells a lower priced tool called Bluepoint that are pretty much the same as the regular tools but don't have quite the pretty finish on them. Good stuff also. It is what I have bought for home to replace the Crafstman crap as it breaks.
Tiki
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Tiki 5/12/2010 9:06am
5/12/2010 9:06am
Kinetic1 wrote:
There is no sustitute for Snap-On. The Craftsman tools you can buy today are not nearly the quality of the old Crafstman your dad had. I...
There is no sustitute for Snap-On. The Craftsman tools you can buy today are not nearly the quality of the old Crafstman your dad had. I bought a set for home use (I have about 95% Snap-On and 5% Mac at work) and they suck. The jaws on the wrenches spread on really tight stuff causing rounded bolt heads and the sockets break with alarming regularity.
If you can find old Crafstman stuff at a garage sale or something they are good but I wouldn't walk into a Sears or Kmart and buy new ones.
Also, Snap-On sells a lower priced tool called Bluepoint that are pretty much the same as the regular tools but don't have quite the pretty finish on them. Good stuff also. It is what I have bought for home to replace the Crafstman crap as it breaks.
Word!
I use Craftsman, if I had the money I would buy Snap-on but here is the reality. For people like us Dr. we don't need the Snap-on quality or longevity. We just use tools on the weekends. People like Kinetic use them daily.

Snap on 3/8 ratchet wrench (wrench only) locally - $90

Craftsman gear wrench set,
full sae/metric 3/8 socket set
19 piece screwdriver set - $90

I spent some money on some good Allen sockets but simply for fit. Craftsman does seem to lack on the precision fit department. It's not bad, but I have found other sockets fit tighter. Tighter fits means no rounding. This is why I spend for more precision tools.

I have broken craftsman as well and on weekend use. The benefit is here in the US I can go to sears/Kmart on Sunday and have it replaced.
Cygnus
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Cygnus 5/12/2010 9:46am
5/12/2010 9:46am
One of the things I hated about crafstman was having to drive to sears and replace the broken ones. The snap on truck came to me once a week.
CRF STUFF
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CRF STUFF 5/12/2010 12:40pm
5/12/2010 12:40pm


If you enjoy working on your toys and appreciate great quality and function, get one of the above Snapon roto head ratchets. It is spendy, around $80 if I recall, but it doesn't take up much space in my tool box I take to the track and it can be used as a hi speed driver in the straight position and it is very strong. I use it on fasteners all over the bike up to 14mm. This and a set of high quality 1/4" drive sockets and 1/4" drive allen sockets covers most of the basic maintenance chores other than the axles.

Also, as Cygnus mentioned above, Snapon screwdrivers must be tried to appreciate what they are capable of. Treat yourself to a basic set and you'll be glad you did.

Lastly, I haven't bought any major Craftsman tools since hey hooked up with K-mart, but prior to that I noticed they seemed to have 2 or 3 quality levels that were priced accordingly.


xnationalwrench 5/12/2010 1:02pm
5/12/2010 1:02pm
Cygnus wrote:
One of the things I hated about crafstman was having to drive to sears and replace the broken ones. The snap on truck came to me...
One of the things I hated about crafstman was having to drive to sears and replace the broken ones. The snap on truck came to me once a week.
LOL they might show up more depending on how much you owe them.
Kinetic1
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Kinetic1 5/12/2010 1:09pm
5/12/2010 1:09pm
My guy comes to the shop on Tuesdays..... It's like an addiction. I have every tool I could ever possibly want. I buy stuff now just because I think it's cool. I had to tell my wife that the Snap-On bill would never go away because she kept trying to "pay it off" .Smile
plowboy
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plowboy 5/12/2010 1:39pm
5/12/2010 1:39pm
Cygnus is right on with the pawn shop dealio. Search through the piles of tools...pick out the snap-on and craftsman stuff (worst shape the better), buy it cheap and then take it to the snap-on guy or sears and get a new replacement. Harbour Freight is good for odd ball stuff you don't use a lot (like cyg said...their impact stuff is plenty sturdy though)...for heavy use, stick with the good stuff. Your knuckles will thank you.
DrSweden
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DrSweden 5/12/2010 5:04pm
5/12/2010 5:04pm
Some more post did appear while I went to Sears! I will have to add some separate sockets for rear and front wheel axle on my future bike (this set only goes to 22).



Yeah!!!
txmxer
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txmxer 5/12/2010 5:39pm
5/12/2010 5:39pm
cool!

Harbor Freight and/or pawn shops for the one offs you need.

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