re: Hand tools: good brand?

I like Klien a good bit, but I haven't found a better screwdriver than Wiha.

I used to have a nice set of Proto ratchets and sockets. Loaned them out and haven't seen them since.

Don't loan your tools or your wife unless you never want to see either one again.

Craftsman are the best I've ever used. Just feel right in your hand

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Craftsman are the best I've ever used. Just feel right in your hand

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Harbor Freight

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As long as it don't have a chord, this ain't a bad option either.

LINK

Take a look at their screwdrivers.

Fabrication shop I used to work at used MAC Tools. They had a very good socket set from what I remember.

I used to work for Snap On's Industrial division. Not the truck guys. Got to tour their plant in Milwaukee. Hung out in Kenosha for a couple weeks. Years later I sold all kinds of tools on a website. A lot of these tools are owned by the same companies. Doesn't mean they're the same tools. SK was bought out by someone and almost folded in the early 2000s. Kobalt was a Snap on company. Them and Blue Point. Danaher owns a LOT of tool companies.

The difference in Snap on and Craftsman comes down to tolerances and finish. Snap on's patent on the Flank Drive sockets finally ran out so they no longer win that one. But they are consistently higher quality than any other tool. If you work with your tools they are worth the money. If you don't, then Craftsman are fine.

There was a demo we used to do that you put a Snap on socket on a bolt and see where it hits and compare that to others. USUALLY they won that. The sloppier tolerance tools would show on the device that they were more apt to round off a bolt. But the thing about those sloppy tolerances is this... it goes both ways. They may be the opposite of sloppy. They may just fit tighter. So we'd take that thing to the Sears and pick our Craftsman socket wisely.

Proto is better than Craftsman, not as good as Snap on. Matco comes in right under that. Williams is in that same range. Been awhile so I can't tell you who owns what anymore. But if you want the best that will last forever and take the abuse of working with them daily, then it's Snap on and be done with it.

Boxes are a different animal though.

Man, I really appreciate this post. Thanks.

I am not a pro by a long shot, but I hate half-assed tools. Craftsman, Kobalt and a lot of others have gotten to point where they are really junk, IMO.