Local place to buy mechanics tools?

[SPDguns]

I used to buy craftsman at sears but that’s over. I don’t know much about brands. I don’t need pro tools but just something that isn’t junk.

I just updated a tool ad I had a while back. If the price doesn't scare you, give me a shout...

 

[GeneW]

^^^^ Lowes does not and did not own Kobalt tools. Kobalt is a stand alone company.

The crappy thing is that Lowes promoted Kobalt for years and years, and the warranty, etc. Good warranty.

Then practically overnight they kicked Kobalt to the curb and starting selling Craftsman. Craftsman became a big dog in retail sales when Stanley bought the name and started selling them in a huge huge huge marketing campaign.

Walk into Lowes, Ace Hardware, and some other retailers, and you'll big displays of lots of Craftsman.

Black Friday was a huge promotion at Lowes and Ace, and this close to Christmas I think you'll find good deals. In fact I'm looking at buying a $100-200 packaged set of Craftsman hand tools, just because.

You can still buy some Kobalt tools, but it's not easy to find what you want.

 

[joegrizzy]

^^^^ Lowes does not and did not own Kobalt tools. Kobalt is a stand alone company.

>but i would imagine as they are still the only kobalt distributor as it's their brand they still honor the deal.

yeah i know, just nomenclature. i didn't really say they did.

 

[montesa]

^^^^ Lowes does not and did not own Kobalt tools. Kobalt is a stand alone company.

The crappy thing is that Lowes promoted Kobalt for years and years, and the warranty, etc. Good warranty.

Then practically overnight they kicked Kobalt to the curb and starting selling Craftsman. Craftsman became a big dog in retail sales when Stanley bought the name and started selling them in a huge huge huge marketing campaign.

Walk into Lowes, Ace Hardware, and some other retailers, and you'll big displays of lots of Craftsman.

Black Friday was a huge promotion at Lowes and Ace, and this close to Christmas I think you'll find good deals. In fact I'm looking at buying a $100-200 packaged set of Craftsman hand tools, just because.

You can still buy some Kobalt tools, but it's not easy to find what you want.

That’s a good idea. I’ll get to Lowe’s super early Friday and see if I can get a deal on a set.

 

[SoonerP226]

Steve's Wholesale is probably the first place I'd look. They have a mix of quality and Chinesium tools so you can get what you can afford.

Meridian Tool used to be a good place to find tools, but I haven't been there in many, many moons.

I'd also suggest perusing Project Farm's videos on YouTube; he tests a lot of tools.

 

[HiredHand]

I’ve gone down a bit of a rabbit hole watching videos from Torque Test channel. This is a playlist is on hand tools.

 

[Snattlerake]

I just updated a tool ad I had a while back. If the price doesn't scare you, give me a shout...

I was just gonna PM you.

 

[enuf]

watch the roads, you'll see them laying by the curb from where they get dropped in some hard to get to place, forgot about and then fall out while driving down the road

 

[Mr.Glock]

I amassed all my Snap On, Proto and Blue Points at Swapmeets, Garage Sales and Pawn Shops. I have a Ton of Craftsman from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.

 

[HoLeChit]

I’m gonna catch a lot of crap for this, but I’m just gonna say it. Craftsman tools are crap. The old stuff was pretty decent, but anything newer than mid 90s or so is crap. It’s just a small step above harbor freight. Even with occasional use, you’re gonna spread wrenches, flare out sockets, and all that other stuff. There’s many brands out there that cost just as much, or a few bucks more, that will not wear out under normal use. Everyone talks about the warranty too. The vast majority of reputable tool brands offer the same warranty.

Here’s a good list of tools to pick and choose from based on what tool you’re looking for. These are all tools I own or have used, and most of these you can find on Amazon if you want things to be convenient. Also, J&E fastener is another good place to get some tools locally.



Bahco (crescents and PWZ universal pipe wrenches)
Williams (industrial snap on brand, I personally think their wrenches are the best in the business)
SK anything, I like their sockets and wrenches
Irwin (Tap and die sets) snap on rebrands them, so does Mac.
Sioux (snap on rebrands them for their air tools)
Florida pnuematic (napa and Matco rebrands their airfoils)
Aircat, CP, and IR air tools are always good.
Wera (best screwdrivers ever)
Wiha (great screw drivers)
Klien (good screwdrivers) and good cutters/pliers.
Wright hand tools (esp wrenches)
Martin hand tools (esp wrenches) and body work tools
Ezred 3/4 and little 1/4 ratchets
Sunex or GP for impact sockets.
East wing dead blow hammers
Snap on dead blow ball peens
Wilton bash sledge hammers
Proto and Irwin extractors (snap in and mac rebrands them, Mac warranties Proto)
Fluke multimeters and thermal cameras
Power probe gas torch
Snap-on ratchets are simply the best.
Gear wrench makes solid ratchets too.
Knipex pliers, slip joint wrenches, and cutters. They’re the best.