Tool set, great for a beginner, or for traveling

[71swb4x4]

For $200, this is great: http://www.harborfreight.com/hand-to...kit-45951.html
And you can always find 20%, etc coupons for Harbor Freight, so you can probably get it for cheaper than $200. I bought this for our shop, my employees work on the mowers, snow blowers, plows, appliances, etc and needed a decent kit. For Harbor Freight, it's great.
No concern about an employee losing a Snap On ratchet.
Everything has a home, so if they lose a 1/2" socket, we know it's gone and can replace it.
For $200, this is a great set. I am going to get two more, one for our cargo van and another for my pickup.

[Liz]

This is gonna get moved to tool section ibtm

[71swb4x4]

Yeah, I figured as much. My wife is always telling me I'm a tool.

[cdowns]

$200 i'd rather spend the money on quality tools rather than waste it on junk

[kaycee]

Agree with cdowns ,you can get a nice craftsmen set for about the same price.

[kcsa75]

Here's a Craftsman set for $160. Throw in a couple screw drives and a pair of pliers and you should be good to go.
http://www.craftsman.com/craftsman-2...5&blockType=G5

Having said that, I bought a set of Pittsburgh combo wrenches at HF. I wouldn't want to try to make a living with them but for a hobby guy, these weren't bad. Certainly better quality than you're typical Made-in-China stuff.

[71swb4x4]

I have the Harbor Freight set, and have had it for about a year. It's great. Well worth the $200. Not junk by any means.
Would I open an auto repair shop with this? Absolutely not. Is it great second set to put in the business's shop (my case), or in the back of the pickup for a trip (my case), absolutely!
My favorite feature is that everything has a home.

I have craftsman in my home shop, and that's just fine too.

[cdowns]

I've found everything from harbor fright has a home



in the trash can

[In The Ten Ring]

I'd rather have the Craftsman set myself but what I have gotten from Harbor Freight has worked as advertised. Their heat gun and reciprocating saw are holding up just fine.

[jremig]

We have some harbor freight wrenches at my work place and i have noticed a considerable flex in the open end part of the wrench when trying to loosen plugs and unions. Doesn't matter what size wrench either. To much flex equals rounded off bolt heads and skinned knuckles.

[Indian113]

I use Craftsman sockets and wrenches all the time. But when trying to loosen tight bolts I try to use a Box end instead of open ended wrenches. Less chance of rounding them off. HF tools are ok if that's what you can afford.

[truckdude239]

I have this set https://store.snapon.com/General-Ser...--P645026.aspx

I got it as a part of a repo set from snap on best gerenal serivce set i use it had home and carry to the junk yard as if i lose a socket its only like 4 buxs for a new socket instead of 35 for a snap o. Scoket

[68C15]

^^^^
I have the same set at home. My complaint is our sets aren't as complete as the HF one. But for Shawn's case, his is perfect. While junk yard use requires tools to be stronger his guys working on mowers and such is not as bad. He keeps his stuff clean and rust free.

[BigBlocksRule]

I buy a good bit from Hazard Frought.
Won't ever buy one of their ratchets again, either in a set or singly. Every single one has failed and most don't take much grunt.
Sockets are fine, impacts especially. But get a good ratchet, throw the HF in the recycling pile.

[68Timber]

Originally Posted by BigBlocksRule

I buy a good bit from Hazard Frought.
Won't ever buy one of their ratchets again, either in a set or singly. Every single one has failed and most don't take much grunt.
Sockets are fine, impacts especially. But get a good ratchet, throw the HF in the recycling pile.

Glad I saw this. I got a 1/2" drive ratchet there a few years back that's been good and was thinking of trying a few more.

[BigBlocksRule]

^ their 1/2" drive 18" breakover bar is a hoss, I've put 'em in my kids trucks with a lug-sized socket, sure makes it easier to get lugs busted loose than the joke the General put in 'em.

[bs46488]

I'd say cruise around craigslist.

My bro-in-law just picked up a whole toolbox full of tools for around $200-300. Hard times for the seller, but an opportunity for my in-law.

I have a small collection of name brand tools, but I also have a rolling toolbox of HF stuff. Both Craftsman and HF carry a lifetime warranty. I've taken stuff back to Sears and HF for replacements, so not much difference in my opinion.

However, power/air tools. I wouldn't waste my time with HF.

(Actually that's not true. I bought a $20 sawzall to finish a landscaping project. It did some things a saw shouldn't do...last almost 3 months of torture then I threw it away.)

[BigBlocksRule]

BTW, great topic.

My experience has been that if I take a complete tool set, the trip will be uneventful.
However, if I take a trip with just a screwdriver and pair of pliers, I'll be on the side of the road in less than 100 miles.

I have a 1/2" - 3/8" - 1/4" Craftsman socket set that I've added a set of SAE and metric ratcheting end wrenches to along with a few screwdrivers, etc., they all fit into the molded plastic Craftsman box. I have a second conventional shaped tool box with a quart of oil and tranny fluid, some brake fluid, extra serpentine belt, couple of quarts of antifreeze in rinsed out oil bottles (gallon is so much harder to pack/stow), both radiator hoses and a few other odds and ends. I've been tearing these trucks down for years and have scavenged the radiator hoses and serpentine belts from those. In the box, I also have some coveralls and a pair of leather gloves and a couple of pairs of rubber mechanic's gloves. I have a small freebie Harbor Freight tarp that I have never unfolded, will use it if I have to roll around on the ground under a truck.

^ Craiglist is a good source for tools, so are pawn shops if you can find a decent one.

[Sickfast1964]

You would be better off buying 200 dollars worth of tools from sears.

[In The Ten Ring]

Anyone tried the ratcheting wrenches from Craftsman? I bought myself and my dad a set last summer and neither one of us has used those.

[BigBlocksRule]

^ yes, I have small sets of both SAE and Metric. They work fine, I haven't had any problem with them at all.
Craftsman still seems to be the tool of choice for most hobbyists.

[_Ogre]

Originally Posted by BigBlocksRule

... is a good source for tools, so are pawn shops if you can find a decent one.

buying tools at a pawn shop is bad karma, as most tools in pawn shops have been stolen
buying tools from pawn shops enables the next thief that may be eyeballing your tool collection

[In The Ten Ring]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

buying tools at a pawn shop is bad karma, as most tools in pawn shops have been stolen
buying tools from pawn shops enables the next thief that may be eyeballing your tool collection

This may well be true. Lots of breakins in my area the last couple of years: drug heads mostly trying to fund their habits. Two men tried my house a couple of months ago but a neighbor spotted them and scared them off. I immediately set about making my house a "harder target" and so far, the labor seems to have paid off. I am not quite finished yet.

[63longfleet]

I wont buy from Pawn shops anymore, found some of MY tools there after a break in. Picked up this set from Home Depot on the black friday sale. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-Mec...8MTS/203541462 , and the Husky tools also have a lifetime replacement on them that HD gladly honors. And at 99.00 they were hard to pass up

[1972K20]

Craftsman tools are made in China now too. I just hope I don't break or lose my US made Craftsman tools.