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Cowcatcher

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I know SK is good stuff, especially for rachets, but I haven't finished moving into my new shop to take inventory of sockets. I bought a large tool chest full of old Craftsman, mostly 1/2" drive years ago.

Where did you get yours second hand?
Farm sales or “buckets o stuff” off craigslist.
 

dennishoddy

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Bonny tools as mentioned by the OP don’t need a warranty. My dad bought a complete tool set in 1946 after getting out of the Navy that he used in diesel mechanics and I used them for forty years after in industrial maintenance after he was done with them. Zero failures of any and I put them to the test.
Second choice is Proto Professional tools.
Never needed warranty on any of those with daily use.
I did sucker into snap on screwdrivers once.
Never again. Craftsman screwdrivers far out lasted and out performed snap on.
Don’t know about Craftsman screwdrivers these days though. Most of mine were bought in the 80’s and 90’s.
The entire shaft was hardened to a 46 Rockwell and could be used for light pry bar jobs that would destroy a snap on that only hardened the tip.
 

Glock 40

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Never again. Craftsman screwdrivers far out lasted and out performed snap on.
Don’t know about Craftsman screwdrivers these days though. Most of mine were bought in the 80’s and 90’s.
The entire shaft was hardened to a 46 Rockwell and could be used for light pry bar jobs that would destroy a snap on that only hardened the tip.
I can't speak for the 80s era of Craftsman you have but I have a set of Snap-on screw drivers I bought in 1994 and compared to some craftsman I bought in 1992 there is absolutely no comparison. These were USA made Craftsman along with a set of their black professionals bought later. The craftsman were no where the same tool. I am really surprised you said this. The two things that I have always thought Snap-on were leaps and bounds above were their screw drivers, and ratchets.
 

dennishoddy

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I actually put the snap ons on the same Rockwell hardness tester that the Craftsman were tested on.
The shafts barely made a 20 hardness which is just mild steel vs 45 Rockwell hardness for a craftsman which is tool strength. Snap on shafts bent easily when I took them to the truck for warranty, the guy just put the blade into a vise, pulled it out and pushed a new blade in.

Both models were 10” long shaft drivers used in working live 480 volt circuits typically.
I wanted my body parts way away from energized components. 1/4” tips.
 

HFS

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Also, Cripes is a good online dealer of quality stuff..
https://cripedistributing.com/

And probably my favorite online place that also has a store front in Kansas City, MO that's absolutely worth stopping at if you're in the area is Harry Epstein. LOADS of USA stuff here.
https://www.harryepstein.com/
If I get to Kansas City I'd like to stop by there. Thanks for the link.

Off topic but I'd like to stop by Lehman's Hardware of Kidron, Ohio, (Amish/Mennonite store) if I get the chance although the don't have too many mechanics tools. Sadly a lot of the stuff in their catalog no longer has a manufacturer in the USA and only source is from overseas.
https://www.lehmans.com
 

Glock 40

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I actually put the snap ons on the same Rockwell hardness tester that the Craftsman were tested on.
The shafts barely made a 20 hardness which is just mild steel vs 45 Rockwell hardness for a craftsman which is tool strength. Snap on shafts bent easily when I took them to the truck for warranty, the guy just put the blade into a vise, pulled it out and pushed a new blade in.

Both models were 10” long shaft drivers used in working live 480 volt circuits typically.
I wanted my body parts way away from energized components. 1/4” tips.
Okay so it does sound like the truck guy warrantied them even though you put them through something out of warranty. I have never had an issue with their shafts and try and avoid using them as pry-bars since they tell you not to. Plus a nice set of praybars can take some serious abuse. The thing I have always been most impressed with is how hard the tips are. The fact that the fit in to screw heads so much tighter and don't wollar out a head like a cheap screw driver will.
 
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xseler

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Off topic but I'd like to stop by Lehman's Hardware of Kidron, Ohio, (Amish/Mennonite store) if I get the chance although the don't have too many mechanics tools. Sadly a lot of the stuff in their catalog no longer has a manufacturer in the USA and only source is from overseas.
https://www.lehmans.com


I spent an entire afternoon in there one day! It's worth the trip just to see this (this destination was the starting point of a 'nondefined' vacation)!


:clap3:
 

Dale00

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I remember one hilarious LawDog post about the thief who stole a construction crew's tool trailer. Then the next day he came back to the same site to try to sell them their tools. He had to call the police to be rescued after locking himself in his vehicle.....the construction workers were in the process of cutting the top off his vehicle with their recip saws.
 

SoonerP226

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And, I called Steve's Wholesale and they had only Chinese.
I'm not sure why they'd say that. They have a lot of pure Chinesium, but that's not all they have. I'm pretty sure they carry Klein Tools, which are American made, and I have a pair Irwin Vise Grips lineman's pliers that I bought there a two years ago that is pretty clearly stamped "Made In Germany" (they're actually sitting on the end table next to me now). I'm pretty sure I saw SK tools in the locked glass wall cases, too.
 

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