Husky vs Kobalt vs Craftsman

I use SnapOn , Matco,Proto Professional , and Craftsman in my work truck
and I carry a set if Kobalt in my Tacoma. I always stop at pawn shops and get some good deals. Last week I picked up 8 Snap On wrenches, and 5 sockets for $60 . They look rough but functional.

 

I've had two sizes of the Metrinch kits for many years now. Bought one form the infomercial in the 90s and then bought the bigger kit from Sears. I've abused the shit out of it and has held up well. One driver needs replaced but still works.

What I like about it is the fact that one socket works on least two different sized nuts. Metric and Standard. And sometimes a socket will actually work on two metric or standard nuts. This is because it drives the sides of the nuts not the corners. This means you only need ½ has many sockets and wrenches to carry. It's a bit weird looking at your tiny kit but sure enough there's usually the correct socket no matter the size. I've run into a few times where I was without for some various reason. That has been extremely rare. This was especially helpful while on the trail.

 

+1 for Craftsman

I've always used Craftsman and have always thought they were the best out there. My dad has some Craftsman tools that are much much older than I am and still work great! Kobalts don't seem too bad either but, IMO they feel a little cheap.

I may be a little biased though...I work a second job part-time at Sears.

 

I have been leaning towards Kobalt i have a small set of old Husky's like 15 years old and the newer one's didn't feel the same. I am strongly leaning towards a set of Kobalts.

Craftsman, i used to use them and loved them a lot but those too seem not what they used to be.

Thank you all and talk to you guys soon.

 

I have Snap-On, Gearwrench, Craftsman and Kobalt. My box at work has Snap-On and Gearwrench tools. I have had my set of Craftsman at home for almost 10 years and have never broke any of the tools. Got some Kobalt tools for Christmas and like there feel and quality just don't have a whole set, just some wrenches and pliers. I really like the Gearwrench tools, their only problem is the ratchets if you are taking loose higher torque bolts or rusted up bolts the teeth on the gear will strip. Never have broken on of their wrenches. They make a lot of other nice tools that I have too. The only main reason I have Snap-On is because I got almost 50 percent off of a set when I was in auto school and was too good of deal to pass up.

Matt

 

In my professional tool box I have snapon matco and stahlwille and hazet. I'm kind of picky about tools but to be honest I'd find the the sales and go with those. Craftsman stuff is t what it use to be. Kobalt is pretty decent and husky is made by stanly so it's not bad either. Harbor frieght stuff is good if it's the closest and your in a pinch but I have broken tons of there stuff. Never had a problem returning any of it. What you should do is come up with a list of what you want in your box then search out the deals and buy what you can between those makers. Kobalt sockets are nice craftsman has a 120 tooth ratchet which is awesome and of course the square shaft craftsman screwdrivers.

 

I recently bought a set of craftsmen flex head rachet 3/8 & 1/2 drive. I did notice the feel and quality isn't as great as it use be when it was made in the USA. Now it's it made in china

I do like the Kobalts, Husky, and HF. Yes I know made in china too. My all time favorite tools has to be Cornwell tools which are still made in USA

 

this thread came up in my google-ing, so i'll go ahead and ask here....

a hesitation i have in dropping coin on Snap On (ratchets) is that if something shits the bed, it's not as easy as driving a couple miles to Sears or HD and getting it replaced. how do SO warranty situations work? Drive around till you find a truck? Call SO and they send you parts?

My cheap as dirt Craftsman ratchet died, so I'm wanting to get something newer with a higher tooth count. $20 is pretty much disposable if I get a couple years, but $90...not so much.

 

no time to read all, but having used them all, husky, kobalt, craftsman, matco, snappy, mac i can say you definitely dont always get what you pay for. snap on you are paying for the name and the tool quality is great, BUT i have been noticing a trend i dont like. "well if i didnt sell it to you im not warrantying it" is the new snappy creedo. my mac dealer never showed up on a consistent basis, my matco man is the only tool dude i never had a issue with......

with that said, i have never had to use husky warranty. kobalt warranty? i have found with shipping and everything its easier just to rebuy the tool, so leaving craftsman, you buy it from sears, ANY sears will warranty it.

i do use kobalt and craftsman and i work on some repugnant s**T on the railroad.

 

@-dustin

Source: https://www1.snapon.com/industrial/utility/Warranty.nws

edit:

Holy thread necro, batman!

I love my small "toolbox" of Husky gear.

 

craftsman = yes. Kobalt = yes. Husky = no. Harbor Freight = never in a thousand years. They are pure crap.

 

I'm pretty sure Craftsman, Kobalt, and Husky, are essentially the same thing.

But I suppose your lack of a source makes more sense.

 

As one just beginning to build his toolbox, I jumped in with kobalt and have no issues. The build quality is up there with snap-on and matco IMO. I've had some failures with HF tools though so I'm a bit skeptical of their reliability but I'm sure they will still get the job done.

 

HF has a composite series that has 72 points of engagement. Wonder if it's the same as the guts found in other brands. For my application, weight is a concern. And ratchets aren't a place I'd ever consider shedding weight, but damn. Hard to not be tempted. At least to try it out. 20% sale this weekend.

 

I have all three in my toolbox. They all have lifetime warranty and I've used it at Sears, Lowes, and Home Depot with no problem. (Except for the one time where I got the hot new hire that had no idea what I was talking about). My advice would be to find what's on sale and go with that. There is no substitute for good tools, so if there is something specific that you need and will use repeatedly, get the best you can afford. For something that I rarely use, I have no problem going to Harbor Freight. My main kit consists of Husky because I worked at Home Depot when I was starting my tool collection. Got some hand me down Craftsman from pops. Bought some Kobalts because they were on clearance (truck tool kit). and filled in the rest with any of the three.

I will add that every once in a while when using my father's Mac or Snap-On kits they let me know when I have cheap tools...

 

I have all kinds and brands of tools, my old Craftsman tools are high quality, new Craftsman not so much. I had a problem once with some Snap On screwdrivers and they were replaced with no issue. I bought some Harbor Freight Air Tools about 20 years ago and still use them today with no issues.

 

Husky manufactured the old school Craftsman hand tools for Sears, now they are made overseas to the lowest bidder. J.H. Williams and Danaher Corp use to manufacture the Cobalt tools for Lowe's, but they dropped them around 2011. Who know who makes them now.

 

To help with your answer, craftsman probably has the easiest warranty replacement. As you probably know, all that you have to do is take the broken tool back to any Sears store and they'll replace.

Lowes and Home Depots can be a bit more of a hassle. They state to return it to the store it was purchased from. Some people have said they've had issues in store getting them to replace the tool.

Snap on and comparable tool companies are probably the hardest to get warranty replacements, simply because of no local stores and having to find a tool guy, or even having to send the tool in by mail.

That said, some tools you get what you pay for. I've had good luck with kobalt tool sets. Seem to be made well, and the ratchet wrenches have a nice tooth count. I use to always buy craftsman, but wasn't pleased with the tools over the past few years. Though they seem to be getting better recently. Better tooth counts on ratchets and nice smooth finishes on ratchet and ratchet wrenches.

Unless you're a professional mechanic, I would say either craftsman or kobalt hand tools would be just fine. Professional, that's a different story. For example, I'm an electrician and craftsman, Lowes, and Home Depot electrical tools are a joke compared to Klein. Trying to cut large gauge wire with a set of craftsman linesman or dikes is impossible. All it does is wear out your wrist and hand. Klein linesman and dikes cut through like butter. No comparison.

 

I have a little bit of everything in my chest, but I also have this set: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-Mechanics-Tool-Set-185-Piece-H185MTSN/203203976

I bought it with the intent of keeping it in my truck, but the rattling and the fact that it's too big to hide somewhere squashed that plan. Because it's convenient, I find I use it more than any of my other tools. They have held up great.

The clips on the case itself (to hold it closed) snapped so only one still functioned. I called up Husky and within 30 seconds she asked for my address and told me she'd send me a new case. Can't complain.

 

Kobalt made by Snap-on? Kobalt perform well for me, but they are not close to Snap-on.
from Wiki...
Lowe's and manufacturing partner J.H. Williams launched Kobalt in 1998 with the intention of competing against rival retailers Sears and The Home Depot and their respective Craftsman and Husky tool brands.

In 2003, the Danaher Corporation began producing the majority of Kobalt hand tools.

In 2011, Lowe's ended its arrangement with Danaher and switched to a different supplier for its mechanic's hand tools, JS Products of Las Vegas, Nevada. Screwdrivers continue to be supplied by Great Neck. The same year, the Kobalt line expanded to include cordless power tools, manufactured by Chervon.