2012 Holiday Gift Guide Review: Craftsman Hand Tools

A couple of times a week I receive emails asking for general tool recommendations. These emails usually start off with “We’re buying our first home…” and also mention the desire for good quality tools.

When shopping for general purpose DIYer tools, such as hammers, screwdrivers, pliers, and the such, there are a couple of main criteria to consider.

• cost
• quality
• versatility

Here’s a list of essential tools most homeowners and DIYers should have in their tool boxes. The list is not comprehensive, but it covers the basics. When someone asks about building a tool kit but mentions they don’t know exactly what they might need, these are the tools I recommend.

Okay, so what does all this have to do with Craftsman? Craftsman is the brand I recommend most for new homeowners, beginner DIYers, and anyone looking to starting building up a good tool set. I generally feel that Craftsman tools can be trusted to be well-built and value-priced.

Craftsman sent over a 16oz claw hammer and 17-piece screwdriver set for review. After a bit of testing it became clear that the quality is no different than it used to be a couple of years ago. The tools are still great quality and reasonably priced.

Many people know that Craftsman does not manufacture most of their hand tools themselves. That’s not a bad thing, but it means that certain Craftsman tools are readily available under other brands’ labels. However, a lot of the time the Craftsman-branded tools are less expensive or at least more readily available. Plus there’s also that famous lifetime guarantee.

Vaughan makes Craftsman claw hammers, ball pein hammers, and possibly their mallets as well. Western Forge makes Craftsman’s screwdrivers, and possibly their punches, adjustable wrenches, and pliers as well. Stride makes, or at least used to make, Craftsman’s wire strippers. Knipex makes Craftsman’s adjustable pliers. Wilde makes Craftsman’s pry bars. Bosch makes some of their screwdriver bit sets. I could go on, but you get the picture.

A lot of people – myself included – have criticized Craftsman for outsourcing the production of certain tools, mainly mechanics tools such as wrenches, and ratchets. It is unclear whether this was prompted by Craftsman or their manufacturing partner, Apex Tool Group (formerly a joint effort by Danaher and Cooper Tools). Sometimes we forget that Vaughan, Wilde, Western Forge, and many of Craftsman’s other OEM partners still produce tools in the USA.

Over the years I have had few complaints with Craftsman hand tools and continue to recommend them without hesitation.

My personal tool collection included many Craftsman tools: hammers, mallets, screwdrivers, pliers, chisels, files, wire cutters, wire strippers, clamps, wrenches, sockets, ratchets, socket accessories, pry bars, tool boxes, an organizer, squares, a level, and layout tools. This is just what’s on the top of my head without refreshing my memory with a peek inside my tool boxes.

In mid-2011, a market study showed that Sears and its Craftsman brand were leading with a third of hand tool sales. One in every three hand tools bought at a retail store is made by Craftsman. Home Depot and Lowes combined command less than 30% of market share.

Is Craftsman really America’s Most Trusted Tool Brand? I am sure there are surveys that show yes, Craftsman is in fact the most trusted tool brand, but consumers also vote with their wallets. Personally, I continue to trust Craftsman tools and many of the OEMs that make these tools for Sears.

Long time readers know that I don’t always have nice things to say about Sears. But when it comes to Craftsman hand tools, it often comes down to good quality and great pricing.