Looking for a decent set of Combination wrenches metric and standard for working on my 2013 Ram Tradesman Truck occasionally and keeping in the truck all the time. And the same for a 3/8 drive Ratchet . When I say decent I mean something that wont Break in use and doesnt cost much. Something like 1/4 inch to 9/16 and 5mm to 15 MM in the wrenches and the 3/8 sockets. Walmarts Harbor freight,Craftsman, etc or buy used ?
When on sale Lowes has a reasonably priced (~ $150) Kobalt tool set that might interest you. Tools come with full replacement warranty. While case is not the best it is handy for keeping in the truck, strapping to wheeler... link below
When on sale Lowes has a reasonably priced (~ $150) Kobalt tool set that might interest you. Tools come with full replacement warranty. While case is not the best it is handy for keeping in the truck, strapping to wheeler... link below
I say take your pick from any of the brands that offer a "free" lifetime replacement warranty. Craftsman and Kobalt from Lowes, some of the Harbor Freight tools maybe, Husky from Home Depot, etc....maybe others.
They are all made in China, probably come from the same two or three factories.
Last edited by RJY66; 04/22/24.
"Men must be governed by God or they will be ruled by tyrants". --- William Penn
Harbor Freight or Craftsman. Next for mid grade price point, Williams, Proto or S-K. Snap-on, Mac,.... not worth it unless you have money to burn or are using them everyday to make a living.
I would spring for a Williams B-52 super ratchet though. It has a much smaller swing arc than a lot of coarse geared ratchets. You can find them anywhere that sells Williams tools like industrial supply houses or on ebay. It's the first ratchet I reach for ( in a drawer full of ratchets) when I need one.
Kobalt tools. meh... chrome flaking off some of my sockets and I've seen the jaws spread open on a 3/4" open end wrench while under a pretty good load. It did have a 2' cheater bar on it in all fairness. Still though a 2' cheater bar is not much. Sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do though!
"Aim right, squeeze light" " Might as well hit what you're aiming at, it kicks the same whether you miss or not" NRA Life, GOA
Affordable "budget" tools are just like affordable "budget" optics, all made in China under contract in the same factories. Buy any of them at whatever price fits your wallet. Pittsburgh brand is a good durable hand tool, as well as Kobalt. Craftsman is over priced in the same class of tool. Personally for a little step up in quality I like Tekton sockets and ratchets.
I prefer peace. But if trouble must come, let it come in my time, so that my children may live in peace. ~~ Thomas Paine
Good suggestions here by some knowledgeable folks. Depends on what you mean by decent. If you are a professional in some trade you need tools that will produce top results efficiently and will hold up over time. If you are a typical homeowner or hobbyist hacker like me, you can get by with tools that are "good enough". That's the market niche Harbor Freight is based on.
FWIW, my late father-in-law ran a precision metal working business, had an in-depth knowledge of metallurgy. He once told me that some Taiwanese sockets were as good as any, especially with a bit of minor cleanup.
Of course there's pride of ownership and budget to consider, and patriotism. My own military service was directly opposed to Communist China, so I feel a twinge of guilt or regret when I buy a Chinese product, but it's nearly impossible to avoid. YMMV, of course.
Stupidity has its way, while its cousin, evil, runs rampant.
Personally for a little step up in quality I like Tekton sockets and ratchets.
I think Tekton is made in free China aka Taiwan FWIW.
Based out of Grand Rapids Michigan.
"About 77.5% of our current product lineup is made in Taiwan, 20% in the United States, 2% in Canada, and the remaining 0.5% consists of 11 items from Germany and 1 item from Poland. You can find the country of origin for every tool on Tekton.com by referring to the “Specs” section at the bottom of each product page."
I prefer peace. But if trouble must come, let it come in my time, so that my children may live in peace. ~~ Thomas Paine
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