tool question

[George Selby]

At 09:58 PM 3/25/04 -0500, you wrote:
>For the DIYer I recommend Craftsman or Proto.  Craftsman has a professional
>grade now which is still not top notch but plenty good enough.


I'll throw in my 2 cents worth here:  I generally don't like the craftsman 
"Pro" series tools.  For instance, on the screwdrivers, the handles are 
more rubbery, and I've noticed the Pro Phillips strip out the screwdriver 
head faster than the regular hard (red for flat and blue for Phillips) 
handle Craftsman screwdrivers do.  The Pro wrenches are longer than the 
standard Craftsman series, and are polished, which initially seems good, 
but they are thinner, and they actually hurt my hand due to the narrowness 
of the contact point when you are using the extra length for more 
torque.  So I just use a set of box end wrenches instead of the Pro 
wrenches I have when I need extra leverage.

On the other hand, the polished handle rachets are much better than the 
cheaper Craftsman ones, more teeth, and more leverage.

I do like some of the newer tools Craftsman is coming out with,  such as 
the thin head rachet wrenches (I don't even pull out my regular wrenches 
anymore if the racheting ones fit, and usually don't have to pull out the 
rachet either, unless to do use the socket for accessibility. The 
mid-length sockets are ideal for a lot of areas where a socket is too short 
to reach, but a deep well socket or extension is too long to fit.  Their 
sockets that claim not to round off heads generally don't, unless the 
bolt/nut was already rusted down a little in size.

The sets are a great way to start out, but make sure they aren't throwing 
in a bunch of stuff you don't need.  The best thing about Craftsman is you 
can walk into any Sears store, with no receipt, and get a replacement no 
questions asked if it becomes broken.

George Selby