I still like to go tool shopping and I still prefer Craftsman tools. But when I go to the Sears in my area I am always dissapointed in the selection. They don't take very good care of the tool department, and the so called sales are poorly marked at the store. Plus, we never seem to get some of the tools that others talk about, like the lightweight racing jack.

What tools do the other vintage folk like? Where do you shop?

 

I agree with you Bill. I like Craftsman tools too. They seem to feel much better than the other popular priced tools.

I like tool shopping. Every now and again when Adam and I have nothing to do we go to Sears, Home Depot or Lowe's just to meander through the tool aisles.

I have found that some of the bigger Sears, typically in the bigger malls and shopping areas, have real nice tool departments. The local Sears here is terrible. I have been disappointed by the Sears Tool Stores too. They don't seem any better stocked than the regular Sears stores.

By the way, make sure to join the "Craftsman Club". It's free and during the sales you get an extra 10% off, plus special mailings and offerings.

 

The Sears closest to my place has a HUGE tool section and I'm like a kid in a candy store when I go there. Other than Craftsman I have had good luck with Kobalt tools.

Snap-On has a great warranty, but for the price I haven't had any more or less luck with them than with the other two.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Legal Bill
Plus, we never seem to get some of the tools that others talk about, like the lightweight racing jack.

What tools do the other vintage folk like?

 

I just got a new Craftsman tool chest for my b-day, and I'll be needing to re-stock on tools. Craftsman is my choice, and I have 2 large stores and 2 Sears Hardware stores within 10mi of my house. It's amazing the diiference in display and knowledge of the staff in the 4 stores. I had to take the chest itself back to to the store because the colors didn't match. They brought me the wrong color again, then wanted to charge me $65 dollars more (the sale was over).

 

Most of my tool collection is either craftsman or snap-on.

 

I will go to Home Depot or Lowes (In our area they are right across the street from each other). Good selection and price range. Also, I believe, Home Depot sells Husky and they have the same warrantee as Craftsman.

 

I like Craftsmen tools too, although in Canada we do not get the same selection you have in the US.

Example - I recently bought a compressor and during my research I found that I could not get the one I wanted in Canada. So I had to make a short road trip to Buffalo (about an hour and a halfish) to a Sears store to pick one up.

The ones in Canada I found had lower sfpm than this one (for a similar product).

On the other hand, I also have a lot of wood tools (I like doing thing myself ), for these I have a mix of Makita and Craftex.

 

I generally use Black and Decker tools. I had a drill made by them it lasted about 10 yrs. My husband borrowed it left it in the trunk of his car it got wet and the chuck rusted so I bought a new one.

I do have tools by other company's, Ryobi, Skill. It has to feel right, be priced right, have good features/compareable to higher priced brands.

I usually shop in Lowes, Home Depot, Sears. And, yes Sears does not seem to be always the best chioce in selection or price.

BTW I use my tools for basic repairs/renovations and I love restoring old furniture and building new things to my specs you can never seem to find what you want when you are looking to buy it.

 

My grandfather was an electrician in the 1930s, 40s and 50s. I still have some of his old tools. I still use his Klein linemans pliers around the house. I love the way they feel. I've recently seen this brand in Home Depot, in the electrical section. I wonder if the new tools are as good as the tools I inherited from my grandfather.