My Shopping Adventure: Sears and Wiha Tools

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The discussion centers around a user's positive experience with Sears, particularly praising Craftsman tools for their quality and lifetime warranty. The user shares a recent purchase of a bench vise and precision screwdrivers, emphasizing the importance of having a variety of tools. They recount a hassle-free warranty replacement for a 30-year-old Craftsman socket wrench, contrasting it with experiences at other retailers. The conversation shifts to various tool brands, with participants discussing preferences for Snap-On and Milwaukee tools, while noting Craftsman’s affordability and reliability for general use. There are also mentions of power tools, with mixed opinions on Craftsman's performance, particularly in comparison to other brands. The thread touches on the importance of having the right tools for specific jobs, sharing anecdotes about tool usage and repairs, and concludes with discussions about the mechanics of drilling and tool safety. Overall, the thread highlights a strong appreciation for quality tools and the value of warranties in tool purchases.
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I love sears. I went there today and bought a bench vise. (craftsman) I want to buy all their tools :!)

I also went to the hobby shop and bought 7 small precision screw drivers for $30.00, made in germany (wiha tools) :!) http://www.wihatools.com/images/Precision/267px200.jpg

You can never have enough tools. :-p
 
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If you pay extra for the Craftsman designation, you will have a lifetime replacement guarantee. I don't necessarily do this for things like sockets, but I certainly do for the racheting socket wrenches that drive them. Last fall, my 30-year-old 1/2" drive Craftsman socket wrench failed while I was driving big carriage bolts to build a tree stand. I took it to the local Sears store and the manager handed me a new one, with no questions, no forms to sign (take that, Wal-Mart) and no fuss. In less than a minute I was back out of the store with a new wrench. They often put screwdriver sets on sale as loss-leaders, but get to the sale early because supplies are usually VERY limited. I went to the Sears store to get 13" Michelin tires for my wife's Civic years ago and I got there when the store opened, only to have the manager tell me that they were sold out. I told her that if she didn't want to have a date with the Attorney General, she would have a set available to me at the sale price before the end of the week. She did. Watch closely for the "bait and switch" and complain loudly and publicly, and you will get the sales price.
 
And I make pointless threads...
 
Pengwuino said:
And I make pointless threads...

You're a tool. This thread is for men, what are you doing here? Go back to your cooking, woman.
 
cyrusabdollahi said:
You're a tool. This thread is for men, what are you doing here? Go back to your cooking, woman.

Why would you not want a tool in your thread about tools for one. Two, shut up, I am staying.
 
Well, if your going to stay, go make me some food, woman.
 
cyrusabdollahi said:
Well, if your going to stay, go make me some food, woman.

You have a servant, why are you telling me to.

Get over here and do your job yomamma.
 
cyrusabdollahi said:
I love sears. I went there today and bought a bench vise. (craftsman) I want to buy all their tools :!)

I also went to the hobby shop and bought 7 small precision screw drivers for $30.00, made in germany (wiha tools) :!) http://www.wihatools.com/images/Precision/267px200.jpg

You can never have enough tools. :-p

Choke, choke, i have to agree with you Syrus (am i nuts) you can not have enough tools, i have some older than me many of my tools are customised for one only jobs, but come in handy for others, the socket set is the back bone with many additional extentions knuckels reducers etc, etc.
I still have several solid copper soldering irons that belonged to my grandad all different shapes and sizes, still very usefull for fixing car radiators in situ or other heavy jobs.

Oh if you want good tools buy snap on or parax.
 
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Snap-On tools are great, but IMO, often not worth the extra cost. I tended to buy Snap-On for specialty or high precision tools, and craftsman for everything else.

When I was 19 and bought the biggest tool set that craftsman sold [cost about 15% of my yearly income then], I felt like a kid in a candy store. They were all so pretty. :biggrin:
 
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  • #10
Ivan Seeking said:
Snap-On tools are great, but IMO, often not worth the extra cost. I tended to buy Snap-On for specialty or high precision tools, and craftsman for everything else.

When I was 19 and bought the biggest tool set that craftsman sold, I felt like a kid in a candy store. They were all so pretty. :biggrin:

Man, I saw in their catalog their "biggest set" its like a 2k piece set and costs somewhere like 5-6 grand!...worth every penny.

But being realistic, that's for someone who wants to own a shop.

Yep, snap-on are good tools. Better than craftsman.
 
  • #11
cyrusabdollahi said:
Man, I saw in their catalog their "biggest set" its like a 2k piece set and costs somewhere like 5-6 grand!...worth every penny.

But being realistic, that's for someone who wants to own a shop.

A shop or a professional.

Some of it was a waste. They threw in all of these funky fit-all thingies that never really worked very well. But with the price break per tool, it was still a better option than buying tools individually. And I had the slickest standard/metric/course/fine tap and die set of anyone I knew.
 
  • #12
When you work in the car repair trade having the right tool can save hours
and make one mega bucks, i am sure Ivan will know that a 50$ tool can save
houres of frustration.
 
  • #13
Wolram, i would bet that you've made a few of your own tools for special jobs?
 
  • #14
If I had the money, I wouldn't buy taps or dies made from anyone but Irwin-Hanson. But then, I didn't even know that Craftsman made tap sets.
 
  • #15
Agree. Sears totally rocks as a tool shop. So much good stuff, and sometimes even good discounts :) My father bought and still buys his tools at sears.
 
  • #16
Ivan Seeking said:
Wolram, i would bet that you've made a few of your own tools for special jobs?

Well for sure, as i all most know you have, a 4ft long tap extention to reclaim a thread in the bowles of a machine, that otherwise would have ment a major strip down, many of my screw drivers are tailored to certain jobs, and many of my spanners have unusual bends and ground edges, some times thinking of how to adapt a tool to do a specific job can save a company
1000s of $ in down time.
 
  • #17
Gokul43201 said:
If I had the money, I wouldn't buy taps or dies made from anyone but Irwin-Hanson. But then, I didn't even know that Craftsman made tap sets.

Yep, likewise, everyone wanted to own Snap-On, but at three times the price it just wasn't worth it for most people. With craftsman's lifetime warranty it's hard to justify the extra bucks.
 
  • #18
I just love the Craftsman lifetime warranty! :biggrin: They don't ask any questions when I return a screwdriver with a melted handle because it went through the autoclave (some plastics are autoclavable, but not the kind the screwdriver handles are made out of...we were in a pinch and needed a screwdriver for a surgical procedure without the time to buy an all metal one...it didn't melt TOO badly o:)).

They also didn't ask questions when the vet brought in the pruning shears (what Evo calls "loppers") covered in dried blood and with a broken handle (then again, maybe nobody would ask questions under those circumstances :rolleyes:)...the vet used them as rib cutters during necropsies.
 
  • #19
I will buy Craftsman hand tools but I will never buy their power tools. They are garbage and of course do not get the warranty.
 
  • #20
Pengwuino said:
You have a servant, why are you telling me to.

Get over here and do your job yomamma.
I have no job, I have other things to do...
 
  • #21
FredGarvin said:
I will buy Craftsman hand tools but I will never buy their power tools.
Which then begs the question : What's your brand of choice for various power tools?

I'll start.

Cordless drills : I like the Milwaukee hammer drills and the Bosch impact drivers. As for regular drills (on low/medium duty jobs), I like the Milwaukee. I've also had one good experience with a Panasonic.
 
  • #22
I'll tell you the best power tools. Go out to an old parts store and buy an *OLD* drill press, or and *OLD* bansaw. Those things weigh a ton, and last *FOREVER.*

Most all tools should last a long time provided you use them correctly.
 
  • #23
Perhaps I should have said portable power tools? I'm not real likely to go out and buy me a Cincinnati Hydrashift Lathe, for instance.
 
  • #24
Why not man, how can you live without one? :confused:
 
  • #25
cyrusabdollahi said:
Why not man, how can you live without one? :confused:
I don't have to. The Grad Student Machine Shop has 3! :biggrin:
 
  • #26
As an example of Craftsman power tools:
I own a Craftsman compound miter saw (birthday gift). After a year's operation, the electric brake part of the motor has gone on the fritz. It's intermittent and when it does work, squeals like a banshee. I tried replacing up front items like the brushes and bearings, but no good. So I called Craftsman. They told me that I should buy a replacement motor at a cost of about 125% of the whole saw. The rep actually tried to justify the expense. No more for Craftsman.

I would love to get a lathe and a mill for my garage. No way that's happening. I'll just keep using the 5 axes machines at work.

I don't particularily have a preference in power tools. Especially in the cordless area, I have to read up on each tool that I buy. No one has a lock on portables. I have been given a B&D 18 v Firestorm, which has served me well, but it's batteries and charger leave MUCH to be desired. I won't be buying them again most likely. When I get another, it will be between Miluwakee, Porter Cable and Dewalt. Of course, that means shelling out the bucks.
 
  • #27
I have a Dewalt 12" Compound miter saw, and she's a beaut! Smooth and sharp cuts every time.

When I did ironwork, we had Milwaukee, Dewalt and Skil tools.

Craftsman were OK for screwdrivers, wrenches (spanners), socket wrenches (which reminds me I still need to replace a socket I fractured), pliers, channel locks, and visegrips. :biggrin:

I keep an 18-inch socket wrench with 3-inch extension and the appropriate socket for the lug-nuts on the car. It has come in handy a few times.
 
  • #28
I don't use the Craftsman saw any more. I guess I need to figure out something to do with it and get it out of my garage. So I got a replacement. I was going to shell out the bucks for a Dewalt, but a couple of reviews caught my eye
(http://www.toolsofthetrade.net/articles/showarticle.asp?articleID=1554&position=2&type=article&partID=1) .

So, after reading up on the Pro-Tech, I decided to get one. So far, it kicks butt. I must say that I was skeptical of going with an unknown but it has really panned out well so far.
 
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  • #29
Sears go on your steak, not your hand.
 
  • #30
This drill is my baby:

http://www.makita.com/assets_product/BDF451/BDF451_400.jpg

it's very compact and has gobs of torque. It has a new "4-pole" motor system that really delivers compared to other drills I've had. I still love my 18volt rigid, but this one is my favorite.
 
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  • #31
Mama mia. That's a man's man tool. :approve:
 
  • #32
I do need a hammer drill this time around.
 
  • #33
wolram said:
When you work in the car repair trade having the right tool can save hours
and make one mega bucks, i am sure Ivan will know that a 50$ tool can save
houres of frustration.
This spring I tried to get my old John Deere 318 out from under the back deck, and had a hell of a time doing so. What I did late last fall was to back it up onto a pile of slate and set the parking brake, intending to block the wheels and release the brake. Apparently I got busy with something else and did not block the wheels or release the parking brake. This left the left rear brake frozen, and on Memorial Day weekend (when it is pretty tough to find anything open) I found myself looking for an 1-1/2" wrench to remove the retaining nut on that wheel so I could repair the brakes. I ended up spending almost $60 for one wrench useful for only one job. I sold it to a friend for $30 (he repairs and reconditions big rigs) with the understanding that I can borrow it at any time If I have done anything similarly stupid. It saved me a huge repair bill at the local John Deere shop, but it was a big PITA.
 
  • #34
triden said:
This drill is my baby:

http://www.makita.com/assets_product/BDF451/BDF451_400.jpg

it's very compact and has gobs of torque. It has a new "4-pole" motor system that really delivers compared to other drills I've had. I still love my 18volt rigid, but this one is my favorite.
:bugeye: What are you drilling that you need a handlebar on it?!
 
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  • #35
Dad has two electric drills he bought from work, they have aluminum bodies and weigh a ton, they do not allow a bit to snag, a half inch bit will snap like a carott, MoonB that is what the handle bar is for without it the
drill can snatch out of your hand.
 
  • #36
Moonbear said:
:bugeye: What are you drilling that you need a handlebar on it?!

Manly stuff that needs manly sized holes in them :approve:
 
  • #37
turbo-1 said:
This spring I tried to get my old John Deere 318 out from under the back deck, and had a hell of a time doing so. What I did late last fall was to back it up onto a pile of slate and set the parking brake, intending to block the wheels and release the brake. Apparently I got busy with something else and did not block the wheels or release the parking brake. This left the left rear brake frozen, and on Memorial Day weekend (when it is pretty tough to find anything open) I found myself looking for an 1-1/2" wrench to remove the retaining nut on that wheel so I could repair the brakes. I ended up spending almost $60 for one wrench useful for only one job. I sold it to a friend for $30 (he repairs and reconditions big rigs) with the understanding that I can borrow it at any time If I have done anything similarly stupid. It saved me a huge repair bill at the local John Deere shop, but it was a big PITA.

I have a 3/4 drive set that i use once in a blue moon, that cost a fortune
£330 i think, i will have to buy a new tool set for the bike, BSW, 1/4 drive socket set spanners, i have not found a good set yet.
 
  • #38
wolram said:
Dad has two electric drills he bought from work, they have aluminum bodies and weigh a ton, they do not allow a bit to snag, a half inch bit will snap like a carott, MoonB that is what the handle bar is for without it the
drill can snatch out of your hand.
I must be doing something wrong, because I haven't found anything that difficult to drill yet. I'll have to keep looking. :biggrin: I have to say, that drill looks really cool, and I'd have a blast bringing it into the farm and telling one of the new students we need to use it for neurosurgery. o:) (I had to give a few of them lessons on how to use screwdrivers so they'd stop snapping all the screws. :rolleyes: I've never heard of someone NOT knowing how to use a screwdriver before.) It seems holding a handle off to the side of the drill would be awkward, but I guess it's something you just get used to when you need it.
 
  • #39
Try putting some 1/2 inch by three inch deep holes in s/steel or brass :biggrin:
 
  • #40
wolram said:
Try putting some 1/2 inch by three inch deep holes in s/steel or brass :biggrin:
Aha! I hand those jobs off to the guy in the shop, who usually comes back and asks, "Are you sure you don't want that made out of acrylic?" :smile: He's pretty good at turning my descriptions of doohickies and doomaflinkies into actual working parts. :smile:
 
  • #41
wolram said:
Try putting some 1/2 inch by three inch deep holes in s/steel or brass :biggrin:
Yup. Try and drill 1/2" holes in brass with a regular bit, using a high gear setting and at high speeds, you could very easily end up with a dislocated elbow or shoulder! (not because brass is hard, but because it's sticky)
 
  • #42
Gokul43201 said:
Yup. Try and drill 1/2" holes in brass with a regular bit, using a high gear setting and at high speeds, you could very easily end up with a dislocated elbow or shoulder! (not because brass is hard, but because it's sticky)
You guys are sounding dangerous! Maybe we need to limit you to one of these:
http://www.woodmagazine.com/wood/story.jhtml?storyid=/templatedata/wood/story/data/bitbraces.xml&catref=wd26

:biggrin:
 
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  • #43
Moonbear said:
You guys are sounding dangerous! Maybe we need to limit you to one of these:
http://www.woodmagazine.com/wood/story.jhtml?storyid=/templatedata/wood/story/data/bitbraces.xml&catref=wd26

:biggrin:
I've actually used one of those things. 'Twas incredibly hard to get started, going in square, and not drill out a great, big conical crater. Takes lotsa practise, I'd imagine.
 
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  • #44
Gokul43201 said:
I've actually used one of those things. 'Twas incredibly hard to get started, going in square, and not drill out a great, big conical crater. Takes lotsa practise, I'd imagine.
I use something very much like the brace in that picture for our neurosurgeries (like this: http://www.medcompare.com/details/21357/Hudson-Downs.html). With that, the key is just getting a good, sharp bit. I'm also still trying to figure out the magic of the one bit that knows to stop the moment you penetrate through the full thickness of the skull so you can't damage the brain beneath. As soon as you punch through, it catches and stops turning, but no matter how long I stare at it, I just don't see what's different about it to make it do that. Whatever it is, I like that magic bit.

But the hand drill always reminds me of the old-fashioned egg-beater my grandmother used to have.
 
  • #45
Gokul43201 said:
I've actually used one of those things. 'Twas incredibly hard to get started, going in square, and not drill out a great, big conical crater. Takes lotsa practise, I'd imagine.

You have to have very sharp bits :biggrin: good ones had a large pad so that you could press with your belly or chest.
 
  • #46
Moonbear said:
m also still trying to figure out the magic of the one bit that knows to stop the moment you penetrate through the full thickness of the skull so you can't damage the brain beneath.
Are you talking about a bit or a drill? I can envision a drill with a feedback mechanism that stops when it detects a drop in current draw. But what does it mean for a bit to stop? Does it catch in the bone? That would take some real funky engineering - smart materials, mechatronics and thuslike (that's another one for Chi).
 
  • #47
Moonbear said:
I use something very much like the brace in that picture for our neurosurgeries (like this: http://www.medcompare.com/details/21357/Hudson-Downs.html). With that, the key is just getting a good, sharp bit. I'm also still trying to figure out the magic of the one bit that knows to stop the moment you penetrate through the full thickness of the skull so you can't damage the brain beneath. As soon as you punch through, it catches and stops turning, but no matter how long I stare at it, I just don't see what's different about it to make it do that. Whatever it is, I like that magic bit.

But the hand drill always reminds me of the old-fashioned egg-beater my grandmother used to have.

It must be a no brainer bit.
 
  • #48
wolram said:
It must be a no brainer bit.
:smile: :smile:
 
  • #49
Gokul43201 said:
Are you talking about a bit or a drill? I can envision a drill with a feedback mechanism that stops when it detects a drop in current draw. But what does it mean for a bit to stop? Does it catch in the bone? That would take some real funky engineering - smart materials, mechatronics and thuslike (that's another one for Chi).
It's the bit. The drill is just what's in the picture in my link...hand crank brace style, no electronics, no currents, no plug or batteries, just old-fashioned arm power. But, there's something special about the bit we use that as you get nearly through, you'll feel it start to stick and as soon as you're all the way through, it catches and you'd have to really turn hard to try to go forward any more. It just fascinates me that this bit will drill with ease through a cm of bone (like I said, sheep are thick-skulled), and then suddenly sticks the moment the tip breaks through the bottom. I'm telling you, it's magic! :biggrin: I'd really love to know the secret of how it works, just to impress everyone else I work with who doesn't know either.
 
  • #50
Moonbear said:
It's the bit. The drill is just what's in the picture in my link...hand crank brace style, no electronics, no currents, no plug or batteries, just old-fashioned arm power. But, there's something special about the bit we use that as you get nearly through, you'll feel it start to stick and as soon as you're all the way through, it catches and you'd have to really turn hard to try to go forward any more. It just fascinates me that this bit will drill with ease through a cm of bone (like I said, sheep are thick-skulled), and then suddenly sticks the moment the tip breaks through the bottom. I'm telling you, it's magic! :biggrin: I'd really love to know the secret of how it works, just to impress everyone else I work with who doesn't know either.
When you drill through metal (especially sheet metal), you typically end up making burrs on the side of the piece that the bit emerges from (the far side). To get a nice finish, you would deburr and maybe chamfer the hole. Now these burrs often cause the bit to catch as it emerges on the far side. If you use a nice bit (or if you use a gentle progression of increasing bit diameters), you reduce the size of these burrs and prevent this locking.

I guess in your case, you just directly go the the desired bit size (no pre-drilling), so that would make it possible to leave biggish burrs on the exit side. And maybe the bits are designed to maximize, rather than minimize the burrs formed. But I've got no idea what bone machines like, so I can't speak much for the kind of burrs you'd make in drilling through bone.

And it's particularly easy to catch your bit on a burr if you don't have great directional control (like when you're using a hand drill).
 
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