Klein tools

[JohnRoberts]

The cheap shorty screwdriver I ordered was a craftsman so not the absolute cheapest. Sadly looking at the weather forecast we have a hard freeze forecast for the day before the shorty screw driver arrives (Thursday). Ideally I would like to clean the heat pump condenser coils before the next hard freeze. The foaming spray cleaner is forecast to arrive later today.

When I was a young puke, working on old radios and TV sets I had a pretty comprehensive 1/4" drive craftsman socket set. I just cobbled together a phillips screwdriver bit into a 1/4" socket and broke the screws loose using my very old 1/4" drive ratchet handle.

So despite high temperatures only in the 50's I could conceivably clean my condenser coils before the next freeze.

JR

 

[Brian Roth]

Just curious if the new Craftsman tools still say "USA" on the handle like I see on my older screwdrivers....

Bri

 

[kags]

Man, I use those all the time! OK, some of the time.

QUESTION --> I am shopping for an affordable set of mini-small screwdrivers for my electronics work bench. I purchased a set a Lowes (big box hardware store if you are from another world.) They are nice, but just a bit too pointed at the tip, preventing the Phillips head drivers from sitting deep and snug down in the screw head to assure positive and secure contact. I am loathe to file the points off to make them right ... so do you guys know of a good, yet affordable, brand or particular set I could try. I am a mere hobbyist, but a lousy tool spoils the whole project. THANK YOU. James

James

These have been useful to me for a couple of years. https://www.amazon.com/Precision-Sc...B08JG66MM1&psc=1&ref_=pd_basp_m_rpt_ba_s_2_sc

 

[Brian Roth]

@kags I love that brandname "LIFEGOO"!! <g>



Bri

 

[JohnRoberts]

Just curious if the new Craftsman tools still say "USA" on the handle like I see on my older screwdrivers....

Bri

I'll check, its due to arrive Thursday but I would be surprised.

The Craftsman brand was bought by Stanley, Black and Decker years ago, but was probably offshored long before Sears sold it.

JR

 

[Brian Roth]

Now I'm curious! Next time I'm at the local Ace or Lowes, I'll inspect the Craftsman hand tools.

I do recall several years ago (when there was a local Sears store here) I saw that the less pricey hand tools came from overseas.

My Dad and Grandad were Craftsman "fanboys"....so it morphed to me <lol>.

Bri

 

[iampoor1]

Now I'm curious! Next time I'm at the local Ace or Lowes, I'll inspect the Craftsman hand tools.

I do recall several years ago (when there was a local Sears store here) I saw that the less pricey hand tools came from overseas.

My Dad and Grandad were Craftsman "fanboys"....so it morphed to me <lol>.

Bri

There is a certain generation that loved and adored craftsman tools. After getting some vintage ones I totally understand why! Pretty hard to believe that the tools were only "middle of the road". The old craftsmanship adjustable wrenches and sockets I have are incredibly well made.

Sometimes it feels weird being a millennial with a fondness for old craftsman hand tools

 

[Brian Roth]

There is a certain generation that loved and adored craftsman tools. After getting some vintage ones I totally understand why! Pretty hard to believe that the tools were only "middle of the road". The old craftsmanship adjustable wrenches and sockets I have are incredibly well made.

Sometimes it feels weird being a millennial with a fondness for old craftsman hand tools

I'm a Boomer but happy that the "youngsters" <g!> know that decent tools were once made. Perhaps still made....?

I've had TOO many fights with low quality tools and test equipment.

Bri

 

[MicMaven]

Just curious if the new Craftsman tools still say "USA" on the handle like I see on my older screwdrivers.... Bri

Um ... NO. I own Craftsman tools purchased from SEARS before it closed our local store a few years ago, and they were made in China. SOME Craftsman tools MIGHT still be made in the US, but surely not all. :-( James

 

[Brian Roth]

James.....the Craftsman screwdrivers once had what they called "acetate" plastic handles; ie...semi-clear translucent with some color stripes. Looks like they still sell something similar.

The new Craftsman ones with the "rubber handles" are the same crap sold at Hazard Fraught.

I don't know why I still obsess over tools and test equipment. Except I still have some projects going on here...LOL! I am not gonna totally fade into retirement/rocking chair....yet.

I like the folks here....both younger ....and dust-farters (aka ME!) and always want to compare experiences. Some of these discussions might be in the Brewery, but I really don't go there because I hate all the political name calling/insults/arguments.

OK...Klein, Wihi, perhaps Craftsman.....and some other Euro brands don't suck! <G!>

Carry On.... ;=!



I am fascinated. I'll also hold positions my own re. test gear.

Bri

 

[JohnRoberts]

There is a certain generation that loved and adored craftsman tools. After getting some vintage ones I totally understand why! Pretty hard to believe that the tools were only "middle of the road". The old craftsmanship adjustable wrenches and sockets I have are incredibly well made.

The selling feature of craftsman tools was their lifetime guarantee. I was strongly influenced by my two older brothers using craftsman tools. As I recall Sears would honor the guarantee, no questions asked replacing broken tools returned to them. Working on cars would give the tools a workout.

Sometimes it feels weird being a millennial with a fondness for old craftsman hand tools

I now have a collection of 70+ year old tools that I still use (kept in a hand me down craftsman tool box with only one latch working). While over the years I have some odd brands mixed in. Back when my knees still worked and I was jogging miles every week, I would find random tools on the roadside. I probably have half a dozen old vise grips that were holding some junker logging truck together.

JR

 

[Brian Roth]

Lifetime warranty still seems to be in effect for current Craftsman tools.

I TRY to never abuse anything in my tool set, but..........

20-ish ago, a jobsite co-worker decided to use one of my Craftsman Phillips drivers for an insane application...like trying to ream out a hole in a piece of Unistrut. The Phillips end was mangled.

Sears gave me a new one at the store when I visited.

Bri

 

[Rusan]

Just curious if the new Craftsman tools still say "USA" on the handle like I see on my older screwdrivers....

Bri

I fortunately still have my collection of Craftsman screwdrivers, ratchets, sockets, wrenches and pliers from the late 70s through mid-80s. About 3/4 of them were made in USA, with the balance being Japanese, which seem to be of identical construction and quality. I try to never abuse tools, but a few of them saw some real punishment in emergency situations. They've never let me down.

Lifetime warranty still seems to be in effect for current Craftsman tools.

I TRY to never abuse anything in my tool set, but..........

20-ish ago, a jobsite co-worker decided to use one of my Craftsman Phillips drivers for an insane application...like trying to ream out a hole in a piece of Unistrut. The Phillips end was mangled.

Sears gave me a new one at the store when I visited.

Bri

In the 80s, Sears would outright replace worn or broken ratchets with new ones. Then, in the 90s, they instead began installing rebuild kits, which weren't the same as the OEM guts, and felt kinda rough and cheap. Turns out, they also weren't as durable. At least in my area, Craftsman had pretty much owned the consumer hand tool market until the ratchet debacle, which really hurt their reputation.

 

[MicMaven]

Lifetime warranty still seems to be in effect for current Craftsman tools.

Awhile back, my wife purchased a pair of Craftsman long nose pliers for my birthday. One pair worked perfectly, while the other was unduly difficult to open and close. I returned it to a local SEARS store, which is now closed and stands empty. The salesman was visibly annoyed and impatient as I tested other examples to assure the exchange unit worked as it should. I mean he was REALLY ANNOYED and downright rude, as if I was out of line to seek relief under the warranty. It was no surprise to me when the store closed forever. Too bad. Internet sales and poor salesmanship killed the legend. Now, I can no longer say something is "as solid as sears. . ." . James

 

[JohnRoberts]

Awhile back, my wife purchased a pair of Craftsman long nose pliers for my birthday. One pair worked perfectly, while the other was unduly difficult to open and close. I returned it to a local SEARS store, which is now closed and stands empty. The salesman was visibly annoyed and impatient as I tested other examples to assure the exchange unit worked as it should. I mean he was REALLY ANNOYED and downright rude, as if I was out of line to seek relief under the warranty. It was no surprise to me when the store closed forever. Too bad. Internet sales and poor salesmanship killed the legend. Now, I can no longer say something is "as solid as sears. . ." . James

Sears was an incredible franchise but Eddie Lambert killed the golden goose.

JR

 

[JohnRoberts]

My craftsman shorty phillips screwdriver arrived today and it look like it would have been right for the task, but I needed it two days ago when I decided to clean my heatpump condenser coils. I got all but one screw loose using my hodge-podge 1/4" drive ratchet with phillips screwdriver bits, the last one recalcitrant screw refused to loosen. The 1/4" drive ratchet inconveniently has a puch to release socket button on the back so tying to push down on that just releases the screw bit. I lost a couple screws and one phillips screw bit in the tall grass. I tried to use a speaker magnet to find them but no luck.

Out of frustration I decided to take my hack saw to saw off the balky screw head. Surprisingly I managed to saw the screw head in half. The new shorty is a #1 phillips so looks like the right size. Tomorrow I'll give the last screw another try but I doubt there is enough meat left to grip.

===
The screwdriver has no country of origin marking, but the hang tag says made in Viet Nam. It also cites the life time warranty.

When the weather warms up I may use my Dremel tool to grind off the rest of that last screw head.

JR

 

[Brian Roth]

John...."stuck machine screws" reminds me of several MCI JH-636 desks I used to service. They used 6-32 button hex heads to secure the modules to the frame. I guess the screws became imbedded into the paint on the front panels. Even with "fresh", high quality hex keys the screw heads usually stripped out.

Dremel tool and a thin cutting wheel to create a slot and then use a flat head screwdriver to finally bust the screw loose so the module(s) could be removed. Fred Flintstone service engineering...I hated doing that.

Bri

 

[Gold]

Even with "fresh", high quality hex keys the screw heads usually stripped out.

That’s the reason I love the stainless steel hex keys I have. The chrome plated tool steel ones tend to rough up button head hex screws.

 

[Brian Roth]

I was using "fresh" high quality stainless hex keys as sold by a respected local industrial supply company. It appears the screws MCI used weren't the best quality ("Cheap Jeep") and the fact they appeared to be imbedded into the paint on the panel. Those desks ran quite warm and probably caused the paint to slightly "ooze" after years of operating 24/7. The stuck screw problem seemed to get worse as the desks aged. After cutting Flintstone slots and using a slot head driver with a large-ish handle and wrangling, the screws would release with an audible "pop" "click" sound.

Bri

 

[Brian Roth]

Forgot to mention....what made me suspect the underside of the screw heads were imbedded into the paint, I commonly saw small areas of the paint missing from the panel afterwards.

Bri