Alright....

Power tools-  check
Miter Saw and stand-  check


Now I need a full set of hand tools (wrenches, sockets, etc.)

What is the go to brand?  I have a Sears home store just a mile from me and they sell this set for 189.00

http://m.sears.com/craftsman-311-piece-mechanics-tool-set/p-00953311000P
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311 pieces
And Lowe's has this one from Kobalt for 199.00 plus I get a mil discount so about the same..

https://m.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-300-Piece-Standard-SAE-and-Metric-Mechanic-s-Tool-Set/4640237
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300 pieces

My initial reaction was to go with craftsman cause that's what my dad always had.  But I know there has been some uncertainty about Sears and the future of craftsman.  My biggest use will be vehicle maintenance, two 4wheelers, and a dirt bike, plus home projects and wood projects.  I want qualitybtools with a no bullsh1t warranty where I provide a broken tool and am told to get a new one off the shelf.  These are the two I have looked at.  If there are better options out there please let me know.  If these are solid choices, which one is the better tool and warranty?  Thanks in advance. BTW...all of my other power tools are dewalt.  

UPDATE:

I went with my gut and bought the 311 piece set from craftsman.  I compared them with the husky and kobalt offerings and the craftsman just felt and looked of a better quality to me.  I've had the old craftsman that looked like pot metal casts but the new ones are stamped and polished very nicely. Plus the set came with the ratcheting combo wrenches which are nice to have around.  I also picked up a 4 drawer tool box and walked out for 250.00 which seemed like a great price compared to the kobalt and husky offerings.  I used them to pull and replace both front CV shafts on my Honda Foreman 500 and had no.issues.  not a super tough job by any means but the sockets worked great on my impact. Thanks for all the replies and advice

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Sears no longer owns Craftsman and hasn't for at least six months. I have a few Cobalt tools and they work fine. Depending on how much you want to spend there is always Snap-On

So who owns craftsman?  Better yet does anyone honor the warranty on broken tools?  Who?  

Can't afford/justify snap-on

Stanley Black & Decker bought Craftsman a few months ago. I think it was announced in January and completed in early March. https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/02/01/stanley-black-deckers-purchase-of-craftsman-from-s.aspx

I would imagine the warranty works similar to how it always has. If you break a tool, take it in to a retail location that sells the Craftsman tool line and ask for a replacement.

Here's some insight as to where Craftsman tools are manufactured (from Wikipedia):

"Beginning in 2010, hand tools manufactured for Craftsman by Apex Tool Group such as ratchets, sockets, and wrenches began being produced overseas (mainly in China although some are produced in Taiwan), while tools produced for Craftsman by Western Forge such as adjustable wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers and larger mechanic tool sets remain made in the United States."

I have a Craftsman tool set from the late 90's that I purchased at Sears and it's holding up as good as ever, although I do need to clean out and re-lube the ratchets.

Have to say that the uncertainty with craftsman does bother me.  But I've always heard good things regarding their quality.  I know nothing of Kobalta reputation for quality.  I've always viewed them as cheap but have no reason to back that up...more of an uneducated assumption really.  Are Kobalt made in the USA?  And what is their warranty?  If their warranty is like craftsman I may just switch teams and go to Kobalt.  There will likely always be a Lowe's around surely.

Pretty sure Kobalt tools are mostly manufactured in Taiwan with some Chinese stuff mixed in and they also have a lifetime warranty.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=286766

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=330590&page=2

I would avoid Chinese tools but "Made in Taiwan" stuff should be good to go. I've been researching the hell out of hand tools lately and for the most part everything that comes out of Taiwan is of decent quality and all very similar. I know I've come across threads that have mentioned that some brands like Tekton and Pittsburgh will have near identical tools that come out of the same facility, but they are priced differently according to the name stamped on them.

Personally, I'd go with anything made in Taiwan by:

1) Tekton
2) Gearwrench
3) Kobalt
4) Harbor Freight
5) Husky

Most of what I've read about has dealt with the aforementioned companies. I think the old adage, "Same shit, different day", does apply nicely to Taiwanese manufactured tools. Just avoid the Chinese crap and you'll be fine.

ETA: Regarding Tekton and HF using the same manufacturers:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=274590
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=275784
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=227350
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=195386

If you buy Crapsman, you'll probably be able to exchange them at Walmart since that's where most of the Stanley stuff winds up.

In all seriousness, I wouldn't worry too much about tool warrantees. In 10 years, the company may not even offer comparable quality tools to replace your broken ones.

I have a bunch of American-made Craftsman and Kobalt tools, and neither one of them offers anything? even remotely close to that level of quality anymore.

What good is a lifetime warranty if you have to accept Chinese junk as a replacement?

All good points.  So what are some affordable options that are recommended and fit my needs?  A full set of wrenches, sockets and extensions, and maybe some small extras like hex and allen wrenches.

Yep. I broke 2 Craftsman ratchets last year. Didn't know everything went Chinese until I recently wanted to exchange them. Searched high and low and could not find repair kits in stock, so I broke down and took them into Sears.

I try to tell myself that a new chinese ratchet is better than a broken usa ratchet. I haven't used them yet as I still have other ratchets.

Serious note, Kirkland (costco) has a pretty interesting socket set that I wouldnt mind giving a shot if I wasnt already stocked. (a decent screw driver set too)

I might pick on up today when I go by. At least take a picture.

As far as box store sets go, wait until sales if you can. Tools are dirt cheap come black friday.

Last time I was at (lowes or home depot) they said you have to mail in the tools for warranty replacement/repair. That was the best part about craftsman.

Edit: Sign up for MSC flier. There are some big name brands that you wont find in box stores, and some pretty cool specialty tools that take the place of 2 or 3 standard tools.

Dont stress a set that has allen wrenches. Go buy some ball end allen brand or bondhus. (when on sale)(used to do A LOT of industrial assembly work, craftsman T handles and allen ball end got me through everything)

Spend your money on a wrench set that goes wider than most kits. (but you generally find yourself needing 2 of a wrench so either the kit + a set of wrenches or a set of combo and a set of ratcheting combo)

Dont forget about pliers. Linemans, channel locks, needle nosed, wirecutters.

Craftsman used to be well made and it really was tough to break one.

Sears long ago realized most users never really stressed the tools and lowered the quality.

It was not just the 'free replacement' that made Craftsman so valuable.

It was the thicker sockets with better metal treatment that limited the breakage in the first place.

It is a PITA for work on YOUR stuff.

It kills profit for a pro in the field when work stops on a broken tool.

A number of other manufacturers now offer replacement on broken tools.
And of course they are more expensive.

Transferring risk always costs money.  No free lunch.

for what it sounds like youre looking for, craftsman, kobalt, husky, or harbor freight would all work just fine. Most all the hand tools now have lifetime warranties and they will be honored about the same by any large retailer. Additionally, all of the aforementioned sets are easily available to buy and receive warranty replacements in most cities. Trying to hunt down a Snap-On/Matco/MAC tool truck when youre working from home is moe of a PITA than driving down to the big box retailer to replace a broken socket - ask me how i know

That being said, i think the determining factors for you would be:
*price - find whats on sale or hunt for coupons. HF has 20% off ones floating all over the interwebs

*ergonomics - this has become less of a deal over the last few years, but craftsman and HF still offer their basic wrenches and ratchets that are NOT comfortable in your hand. it IS worth the extra money to get the "professional" series wrenches and ratchets. The basic line stuff may feel fine holding it in your hand in the store, but when youre really putting the torque to it on a fastener, you WILL feel the difference.

*set contents - what all does the set include? think more specifically about what size fasteners you will be working on. From the sounds of it, you may not need many, if any 1/2" drive sockets and a ratchet. Getting a set in your price range with just 1/4" and 3/8" sets may provide you with higher quality ("professional series") tools whereas a set for the same $$ that has 1/2" drive stuff may be the cheaper stuff thats not comfortable. additionally, it may not be a bad idea to buy the set and then get yourself a nice, comfortable, padded handle 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" ratchet.

SOCKETS - I HATE 12 POINT SOCKETS!!! unless youre working with 12 point fasteners, avoid them like the plague. 6-point for sockets. ALWAYS.

Think of this as an evolving, living breathing set. You will always find a need for more or different tools. I have been doing this stuff as a hobby or professionally on and off for almost 20 years (more so as a hobby lately) and i still buy more tools when i find a good deal or need something specific for a job. having the right tools can make the difference between spending 15 minutes on something and 2 hours.

you might also look on craigslist, people will put large sets of tools on there, often times with the boxes, for stupid prices so they do not have to deal with hauling it all to the pawn shop.

extensions, cant ever have enough of them. buy more. always.

wobbles, the common ones suck. bad. spend extra money and get the impact style.

Hex/allen keys - the L shaped ones and the "swiss army knife" fold out style suck 99% of the time. The latter is nice because they stay together and are compact, like for a vehicle glovebox. If youre looking to add some to a set of tools then get a set of T handle ones with the ball ends and/or socket style. The same goes for Torx drivers (sans the ball end).

dont forget pliers! all kinds, shapes, and sizes - this includes locking kinds as well (vice grips)


screwdrivers - theyre almost a separate discussion by themselves. the two main points on them, quality wise, is the handle and the tip. as previously mentioned, you NEED a good comfortable handle that you can get a good grip on. i cant stress this enough on screwdrivers. the handles on my Snap-On screwdrivers really have made a difference on being able to apply enough torque to break loose stuck screws and not strip the heads out...which us to the tips. sand blasted hardened tips are the only way to go, and they are NOT found on cheap sets, nor are good handles. again, even if the set you buy comes with some, theyre probably better suited for the back of the toolbox drawer for when you need to make a special tool or something, and you will be better off buying a better set (again with the "professional" series offered by the retailers listed above. length is also important, get short all the way to long ones, and of all sizes. The most popular is phillips #2, but there are also lots of #1 & #3 screw heads out there, and while a #2 may fit in the heads, you greatly increase your chances of stripping the head out by using the wrong size.


a good set of picks comes in handy as hell too

ok, im off my soapbox. for now.

^^^^^Thanks for the info....I think I'm gonna go ahead with the craftsman set if for no other reason than its why my dad had.  And it is the same brand as my tool chest.  The info regarding screwdrivers and t handle wrenches is good advice and will likely be purchased on the same day.  Thanks again. 

SK or Williams for made in USA. Of course you will have to mail order. Tekton is also a good off shore brand.
I wouldn't touch Craftsman now for all the tea in China.

A good screwdriver should have a hex on the shank up by the handle so you can put a box end wrench on it for more torque.  The tips should also be handed so they don't wear and they should be serrated / textured for grip so they don't slip and round out fasteners. A good set of Snap On screwdrivers goes a long way.

consider one other option.
you might find a good set at a pawn shop. depending on where you live.

20 years ago. I was able to find a 3 draw tool box filled with craftsman stuff plus some other tools I never used. It cost 100 bucks at the time.
With the exception of a few sockets and a screw driver, I still own that set, plus odds and ends I picked up over the years.

Save you a few bucks and you might get a better set that way.

If you are going with Craftsman try to find a school that will let you order them from the industrial line they are better quality. I got mine through my community college when I took auto shop and also got a school discount.

Agreed. I'd rather fill my toolboxes with Harbor Freight tools than any of the current Crapsman junk. If you're going to buy Chinese tools, don't pay "American-made" prices.

Alright...im more confused now than when I asked the original question.  So let me ask it another way.  If you had a budget of 250 to 300 dollars which full set would you buy?  Keeping in mind that a lifetime no bull warranty is a must.  And it would need to be able to be exchanged at a Sears, Lowe's, or home depot.  Possibly harbor freight.  

kobalt tools are great.

snap-on if you are a mechanic


if not a mechanic, pick any usa made tool. hit up garage sales and pawn shops. i can't think of any reputable USA mfg tool that isn't covered on an unconditional warranty.

Can you tell me of one American made tool set with a no B'S warranty for 300 or under that can be found at the local box stores like Lowe's, home depot, Sears, hell even wal mart?

Check out Sunex tools. I got a killer deal on an impact set from them and they're really well made.

Garagejournal.com is a good place to follow for deals.

ETA:  this isn't a bad starter and I like gearwrench ratchets

http://www.ntxtools.com/network-tool-warehouse/KDT-80550F.html

Sub-300? Doubtful.
But let's back up.
What's the goal with the set? What is a necessity and what isn't?

My sockets ratchets and wrenches are snap-on, but nothing else is. Generally sets aren't that incredible deal we all want. Why not just buy what you will use and not the stuff you want?

Example, a craftsman 300 piece set that comes with ratcheting wrenches won't have reversible or offset wrenches (rip your knuckles and access in tight spots), Allen keys in a bag, short, no index or ball ends). No hammers, punches, plyers etc.. it's basically a big socket set.

On that socket set.. what sizes do you really need? If you're using it to tackle minor automotive repair and maintenance it's unlikely you'll need more than a 6 point metric 3/8 and 1/4 short and deep socket set, extensions and 9-19mm wrenches, a 24 oz ball pein, metric and standard ball end Allen wrenches from bondhaus, or eklind (who make them for everyone else in the country pretty much) a torx wrench set and Phillips #2. Some channel locks (made in USA by channel lock) and a crescent. Tada

Only you know what you need, and every "set" I've ever bought I've regretted. Get the tools you need and are going to use, and spend the left over money on quality, put them up when you are done and never loan them out and you'll never have to replace them or need the warranty.

ETA read op in full. For the four wheelers, dirt bike and vehicle 99% of will more than likely be metric.


That 311 piece set I bought a year or two ago, exact same one. I gave the wrenches and ratchets away. They were that bad.

The sockets are my loaner sockets now, so I never have to loan out good stuff again.

Seriously I got sick of taking craftsman stuff back to the store. It wasn't worth the fuel for the drive both ways in many cases (over a 5$ socket, seriously?)

I spent a little bit more and have yet to need to warranty anything.
Ymmv

Proto, Armstrong, Wright, All solid choices.

I use Wrightgrip wrenches (anti slip, offset combination) at work, Any old brand sockets (but 6 point unless I'm actually removing 12pt fasteners) (deep old school roll engraving, not that terrible invisible new laser engraving), and snap on ratchets. IR impact wrenches with Wright impacts. All plyers are channel lock, needle nose and screwdrivers are Klein.
Bondhus and Eklind for L keys.

No offense...but that site seems incredibly overpriced. Over 100 dollars for 48 peice socket set, over 400 dollars for a dewalt 20v impact driver?  I gave 250 for the driver, drill, sawzall, a light, and 2 batteries with a charger.  When I say I'm looking for a full set I'm talking about something that will fill a tool box not something that fits in a glove box. 

Allen/Hex bondhus or eklind

Another option for US and reasonably priced socket set is SK tool, they are good to go.

I have had good luck with almost everything apex/danaher tool groups.
Gearwrench is somewhere between Hobby And professional. I'll call it prosumer

While most of these other recommendations are good, a warranty is only good if you can use it, and tools never break at opportune times. You want a set that has a warranty that you can use, youre going to need a set from a retailer that is common. If you find an odd ball store that sells SK tools, and then you move...bye bye usefulness of a warranty. You can almost always find a home depot, lowes, sears, or harbor freight. even northern tool stores arent as common. If you have to order the tools off of the internet, warranty replacements means shipping...both ways, and you'll more than likely be responsible for the shipping back to them. I was for my matco screwdriver (didnt have a dealer that came through the tiny town i lived in, and snap-on guy was only there once a week too, as he lived 50 miles away).

I'm a big fan of Gear Wrench brand. good stuff.

Buy a big set of Craftsman or whatever.

If you don't have any tools I doubt it's going to matter much what you start with.  It seems pretty fair to say you're not going to be using them 12 hours a day.

Seriously look into SK tools. Made in the US. More expensive than Crapman, but a lot less than The big 3 (Snap On, Mac, Matco) In almost 10 years of turning wrenches, I don't think I ever have 1 tool of theirs break on me. I prefer their medium well sockets. 9 times out of 10 These would work just fine. Very rarely did I need something smaller. If I needed something deeper, it was more than likely a specialty socket. I will say the 1 down side to them is their ratchets. I can not stand those things. Upgrade those to a Snap On and Matco stubby if/when you can.

I hate to be cliche', but you get what you pay for when it comes to tools. I would rather spend the money up front and not have to worry about a tool breaking, than have to go to the store a few times during a project to replace broken tools. These will literally last you a life time and could be passed down to your kids with great pride. There is still a great American tool company and it's SK!

SK
Proto
Wright
Williams
Snap-On
Armstrong
Bondhus
Eklind
Channel-Lock
Lang

The above brands are what is found on my tool boxes for the most part

I've broken *one* socket (5/8 12 PT. 3/8 DR STD) and *one* ratchet in the last 10 years (Armstrong 1/2" drive 18" Fine tooth w/ a 3' cheater bar), being paid as a professional mechanic.

The warranty thing is a non-issue if you buy quality stuff period.

I like my Tekton rack of sockets. Also my Gear wrenches. I don't like my Tekton pliers.

Don't skimp on screwdrivers, pliers, or ratchets. They strip out, flex, and wear out fast. Get a manual impact driver for breaking screws, it will prevent stripping. A good fine tooth ratchet with a breaker bar for heavy duty stuff will serve you well.

I like Klein for hand tools, mostly US made and made for tradesmen.  

Get racks of 3/8 drive hex sockets. Worth it.

I would get the brand that has a store near you. I have craftsman(ALL USA), husky, kobalt, Carlyle(NAPA).

I think I'm gonna go with this one from craftsman.  Against some advice I guess.  It's 413 piece set and I found it for about 350.00.  The way I see it is I am no serious mechanic by any means.  I'm not rebuilding engines.  More along the lines of oil and brake changes, I do need to replace the front CV axles on my honda 4 wheeler.  If i break a tool then i can run a mile up the road and get a new one.  Plus it fills my desire to have a chest FULL of tools.  Ill add some t handle hex and Allen's  plus a nicer set of screwdrivers and be pretty well set for what I need to accomplish in my garage. 

https://www.craftsman.com/products/craftsman-413-pc-mechanics-tool-set
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that'll do ya fine. looks like it already has some hex socket bits. the breaker bars will come in handy. i have a set of those nut drivers and use the crap out of em. i think you'll be happy, and you can always add to the set as needed in the future.

Just one thought:  Most sets come with six point sockets.  Look for one that comes with twelve point.  You'll thank yourself later.

With craftsman make sure you get various diameters and lengths of pipe to use as cheaters on their ratchets breaker bars, and possibly end wrenches.  They all are short so your less likely to strip the gears out or break a breaker bar. Their ratchets also have really coarse teeth which is for strength but it takes a 1/4 turn to get 2 clicks of movement. Not really handy in tight places.

Why most fasteners are 6 point?

Because they just are.

They are indeed, but getting a socket on one, particularly in tight quarters, is much easier with twelve point.  Working where you can't see, where you hand barely fits, and where you have limited room to swing the ratchet makes them a Godsend sometimes.

Good choice.  Memorial day is coming, may be a sale weekend on the set.....

I ended up with both over the years, but I never once had a problem getting a twelve point on a fastener.  My experience is on the marine side, so there's plenty of corrosion but not usually damage.  What's nearly always true is that the fucker is nearly impossible to get to.

Kobalt is made by Apex.  The Craftsman still in the pipeline are made by Apex, except the stuff from Western Forge.  Production hasn't shifted to Stanley yet.

Sears is currently suing Stanley because Stanley announced that they would not honor the traditional Craftsman warranty.  Sears says, "That wasn't the deal."  

Funny thing about Craftsman and American made.  It used be proudly proclaimed on Craftsman tools that they were made in America.  That was through all of the manufacturers over the years.  The last manufacturer was Danaher Tool Group which was given an award by the state of Massachusetts for keeping factories in the country.  A few months later, Apex bought Danaher and immediately moved production to China.  

If you hunt around, you can still find tool sets that marked "Made in USA" on the box.

I would buy individual sets.. and I hate 12 pt sockets.... tons of useless crap in sets, and lacking in bigger sockets etc.

Good set for DIY use, nice box to keep it organized

Will say though, get you a set of impact sockets if using an impact wrench.  Using regular sockets will damage the socket, and in extreme cases, shatter the socket and could cause injury.

Harbor Freight Pittsburgh Pro impacts are affordable and have a great rep.

The last socket I split was a 10 mm 1/2 inch drive under an old K Blazer.

Let go with a 16 inch long flex head ratchet.

Just split.

The crack surface told the tale of poor heat treat.

Craftsman no longer made that socket.

That's one of the main reasons why box end wrenches are 12 point. They work it tighter places than what a 6 point box end wrench will. But when using a socket the points of the socket are not in a fixed location when compared to the handle (ratchet.)

For general purpose socket set I would be more concerned with how they fit the fasteners. 6 point socket on a 6 point bolt is a lot less likely to strip or round the corners off.

Good advice...i will certainly be going to HF and picking those up.