Craftsman’s V-Series ratcheting wrenches dropped in price a couple of days before Prime Day, and they’re still on sale.
I bought a set of the metric wrenches (shown above) and SAE sizes (shown below).
Note: Stanley Black & Decker is a ToolGuyd sponsor, and you’ll see the first of those posts shortly. There will be sponsored posts tied to the Craftsman V-Series, but this is not one of them.
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One of the best parts about these sets is the compact holder. The wrenches fit in neatly, and the case halves fold together to create a very packable and grabbable size.
I really like the I-beam-style grip, and the angle of the open head. It’s comfortable, and from earlier experiences, the head angle can engage a fastener in tight spaces.
The design is not new to me; I love my Facom wrenches of a very similar design. (Facom is a pro-grade tool brand that’s more widely known overseas and is also owned by Stanley Black & Decker.)
My experience with Facom tools is part of why I am a big fan of the V-Series. With the Craftsman V-Series, Stanley Black & Decker has greatly improved the availability of their European hand tool designs, and at more affordable prices. Plus I don’t have to go through the hassle of ordering them from international sellers.
I have already used Craftsman V-Series wrenches, but I saw this new sponsorship as an opportunity to get a set of the ratcheting wrenches that I could call my own.
I bought several Proto I-beam-style ratcheting spline wrenches a few years ago – just the sizes I use most often, and then a couple more. I like them a lot, but couldn’t justify a metric set, or a second SAE set I can “grab and go.”
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Unfortunately, only the ratcheting wrenches are on sale, and the non-ratcheting combination wrenches are not.
Are these the best ratcheting wrenches on the market today? Probably not. I am a big fan of the design, and the portable sets fill a long-noticed hole in my tool kit.
SAE Sizes: 5/16″ 3/8″ 7/16″ 1/2″ 9/16″ 5/8″ 11/16″ 3/4″
Metric Sizes: 8 10 11 12 13 14 17 19mm
Price: $67.98 for the SAE set, $68.98 for the metric set
Both sets are backordered at the moment, and there’s no indication as to how long they’ll stay at the current deal pricing. Amazon’s “save 20%” claims are accurate – the sets were indeed $84.98 each at the end of June.
Lowe’s has both sets at $84.98 each. I included the links in case you want to see more user reviews.
For those of you that bought a set on Prime Day, what do you think about these wrenches?
Because of the SBD/Craftsman sponsorship, I’m biting my tongue here a bit and masking my extreme enthusiasm for this style of wrench. I haven’t reviewed these ratcheting wrenches yet, but I did review the Facom 440 series non-ratcheting combination wrenches, here.
Sam
I like mine
Collin
I would like to see an exploration of Craftsman’s claim that their V series tools last 30% longer than Snap on tools.
I saw a poster with this claim at Lowe’s next to the Craftsman stuff.
Of course, the poster didn’t give any more detail than that.
Stuart
I haven’t seem such a poster yet. None of my Lowe’s stores stock any V-Series tools.
Big Richard
They give some detail:
A must-have for routine fastening work. 30% Longer Life vs. Snap-On®* In Mechanic’s Lab Challenge.
*Tests conducted on accelerated lifecycle machine using CRAFTSMAN® V-Series™ CMMT86324V and Snap-On® F80. SNAP-ON is a registered trademark of SNAP-ON Incorporated, which has not endorsed or approved this claim.
Steve
I saw some Craftsman wrenchs in Lowe’s the other day that had kind of a charcoal colored chrome finish. I have a set of the Milwaukee i-beam style ratcheting, chrome wrenches or I would have bought them. I really like the darker finish they had as I’ve never been a fan of chrome. It’s too flashy, gets dirty and I’ve seen chrome rust or get chipped. Not sure what they call that darker color, but I really liked it – was new to me…
Stuart
Those are the standard Craftsman line with a “gunmetal” chrome finish.
That’s interesting; I have only seen that finish on Craftsman ratchet and socket sets. I haven’t seen those in wrench sets before.
Ken
Fine then, be that way, I’m ordering that SAE set after all.
Phil M
They look like nice wrenches, but skipping 15, 16 and 18mm makes this set kind of useless to me.
Jared
It’s a strange choice for pro-level tools. Give me a smaller-size no-skip set or, if you’re going to skip, I don’t need an 11mm, but include 15mm and 16mm and stop at 17mm.
Jared
Forgot to add, this set does include an 18mm. I’d probably prefer a 19mm though.
Phil M
The text of the article says:
Metric Sizes: 8 10 11 12 13 14 17 19mm
which matches the product description at Lowe’s. There’s also a photo there showing a 19mm wrench.
Jared
I think you’re right! That’s better.
I zoomed in on the image trying to figure out the sizes and it looked like the largest was an 18 – but the image isn’t super clear and the font isn’t helping. I think I guessed wrong.
Chris
Whoever in marketing decided to skip sizes needs to be fired.
Jeffery
These are also made in China; not a chance in hell I am ever buying these. For that price you might as well buy Harbor Freight and half of the price of imported tools.
Professionals I’ve known for a long time don’t have time for cheap tools nor do they do “cheap” labor. Been in this industry for decades; trust me I’ve seen it all and I’ve heard virtually almost every excuse for the last 65+ years. Be it their “skill set” if applicable or why they don’t upgrade to quality American professional brands be it Snap On, Proto, Wright.
Stuart
They’re made in Taiwan.
Not everyone has the budget or need for Snap-on, Proto, or Wright. Snap-on’s 10pc 10-19mm set is $550.
Alex
For poor guys like myself there’s a Harry J Epstein ready to ship old new US-made stock for a fraction of that snap-on price.
20% (or even 25%) Zoro deals make Proto affordable unless we’re talking impulse buying.
Stuart
Zoro doesn’t do 25% coupons anymore – not for a long time. They’ve become stingy with 20% coupons, and their overall customer shopping experience has degraded.
They recently shipped my order for an expensive precision instrument in a plastic bag mailer with no bubble wrap – twice – mis-picked an order (they shipped me an outdated model instead of a new and completely different SKU), and toss loose tools into a cardboard box to scrape and bang against each other during transport.
In my last order, they put difficult to remove SKU stickers all over the handles of full polish tools, and over the directions and safety info of chemicals bottles.
I don’t know what’s happening there, but I started to avoid them unless there’s a significant price difference and there’s little risk of shopping damage.
I keep thinking it’s a fluke, but then they find new ways to botch my order.
Their refund process inexplicably took 2 days for one item and weeks for others.
I have been spending more at MSC and McMaster, and experiencing far fewer problems.
Instead of getting coupons in the mail, they now send me “you might want to reorder this” postcards.
They’ll send me 10% promo coupons now, with less helpful limits than usual.
Harry Epstein Co is A+ every time. If you’re not in a rush, request “box art” with your order.
Anyway, there are not a lot of USA-made ratcheting wrenches that don’t cost a fortunate.
What’s the lowest you can find a USA-made ratcheting wrench set for?
In any case, these are good wrenches. I’m all for domestic tools, but these are great wrenches that I wouldn’t have automatically dismissed based on the COO label.
Nate
Thanks for pointing the distinction. It’s worth distinguishing Taiwanese made from mainland China. I have several Taiwanese made tools and find them to have good quality at a nice price point. Taiwanese metalworking and forging are very high quality. Jet and Laguna (and many others) manufacture high end tools there. Most bike frames (steel and aluminum) are fabricated there. Finally, while I want to support US manufacturing, I have no qualms in supporting foreign made tools from a functional, democratically governed country that doesn’t abuse human rights. Taiwan fits that bill.
Jared
Any suggestions Stuart on what wrenches might be appropriate for a fellow looking to fill in the skips?
I presume open-box V-Series wrenches aren’t widely available. Is there a specific Facom version that would substitute? How about something easier to find in North America – like the Proto I-beams or something from Mac?
Stuart
I agree that one might have to go with a larger count Facom set, or as you mentioned, Proto or Mac.
Mac has a similar-looking 12pc metric reversible ratcheting wrench set with 7 to 19mm that only skips 9mm.
Ultimate Garage has the USAG set (467B.JP12) for $272. https://www.ultimategarage.com/shop/part.php?cPath=35_61_1052_1233&products_id=8538
It’s not quite the same, as the 285 KA series wrenches have a “steel ring integrated in the box end” that looks a lot like a cap stop feature. https://usag.it/en/comunicazione/landing/285-ka
The non-ratcheting Facom set is on Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Facom-Metric-Combi-Wrench-Piece/dp/B003PSINDK/?tag=toolguyd-20 , but not the ratcheting set.
Proto has two options, but they are NOT the same wrench. The others (Facom, USAG, Mac) are presumed to be made in Taiwan, the Proto have spline box ends and are still advertised as being made in the USA.
14pc metric – JSCVM-14SA – with 6 to 19mm,
20pc metric – JSCVM-20SA – with 6 to 19mm, 21, 22, 24, 27, 30, 32
Both sets aren’t easily available now, with at least one retailer saying they’re discontinued.
The least expensive path might be to buy an empty USAG holder and fill it with the Craftsman tools and the missing size(s) you want in Facom or USAG branding. I can’t guarantee they’ll be perfectly compatible, but cannot see any reason why they wouldn’t; the same holders seem to be used across the multiple brands.
Jared
That certainly highlights why this set is a good deal. I did some checking on Proto-pricing if I wanted to buy some individually – three wrenches and I’d already be over the price for this set.
Coach James
I ordered the metric and SAE sets on prime Day. SAE is scheduled for delivery today.
Metrics delivery date is August 21.
Bill
I see the Amazon price has now returned to ~ $108
BigTimeTommy
Too much for a made in Taiwan set that skips sizes. They look nice, though.
Al
Why do manufacturers hide the COO? Some buyers evaluate this as a factor in cost. Hiding it or _accidentally_ not uploading this field to a database helps nobody. Both Amzn and Lowes listing omit that COO is Taiwan. And the brand knows it’s omitted.
Stuart
I have yet to be able to get a retailer to answer this question.
Some retailers include COO but it’s never 100% accurate. Other times the COO can change either over time or sourcing.
A particular model of wire stripper at Home Depot can be made in Taiwan or China, depending on whether you buy it from the hand tool aisle or promo display.
I’d bet that consumer shopping behaviors show that most customers don’t care about COO. So why introduce a potential source of confusion or inaccuracy?
I’m of the “there should be a COO field for every retail listing” camp.
What’s interesting is that Home Depot Canada shows COO for most products, but Home Depot USA doesn’t. I gave up on trying to get an answer as to why.
OldDominionDIYer
Ironically, since it is Craftsman, I won’t even consider them. I am over with everything Craftsman. Actions have consequences and I’m never putting another penny into the Craftsman name. Of course that’s just me, and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone.
Thom
COO doesn’t bother me, I have hand tools from Taiwan (TONE, Williams), Germany ( Hazet, Stahlwille), Japan (KTC, Koken) etc. What does bother me is SBD promised to bring back US made Cfraftsman tools back in 2017 and after making us wait for 6 years decided to pull the plug and walk away from the Texas factory with little explanation.
After that, after buying Craftsman for over 40 years, I decided to walk away from the brand myself. I had sincerely hoped to see SBD rebuild the brand but after the Texas factory fiasco whatever nostalgic/emotional connection I had with the brand is dead. If I want inexpensive Asian made tools there are many better options.
Tom
I have these wrenches and have been very pleased with them. I have always liked the Facom versions and have been waiting for a cheaper and easier sourced option. Unfortunately, I paid the Lowe’s price. I am hoping the regular combos go on sale to pick those up too. These are quality tools. I don’t let COO out the Craftsman name scare me.
Al
BOYCOTT Craftsman.
lurking novice
Hello; I lurk on this site and have seen this “mid-grade vs. professional level tools” and the “I only buy professional grade tools” characterizations a number of times usually expressed in blustery language about how “professionals” in the real world don’t have time and money to waste on “cheap” tools to get the job done.
I’m finally compelled to ask: for how much more they cost what do “professional-grade” tools actually get you in the real world over and above using tool brands from the big-box chain stores or auto parts stores?
Let’s use car repair as an example. Mechanic A fixes a car using Snap-on tools. Mechanic B does the same repair on the same year/make/model car with the same brand of parts but uses tools from Lowes/Home Depot/Harbor Freight/Advance/Napa/Oreilly/insert any other store name here.
Is Mechanic A’s repair work automatically done better? Is it somehow on a “higher level” because he used Snap-On tools? Is his repair job more real or legitimate or authentic in some way? Will the repair job work better or last longer simply because he used snap-On tools?
Since Snap-on and similar pricey tool brands are widely considered “the best” is this “bestness” somehow transferred into the auto parts Mechanic A installs in the car with the Snap-On tools?
The most common justification for buying expensive tools besides “Serious pros only use the best” is that “professional” tools last longer and hold up over time compared to “budget” tools. That may very well be true but what does that have to do with actually using them for their intended purpose?
In other words and again using the auto repair example, what logical connection is there between how long your tools last and how correctly and skillfully you use them to perform car repairs?
Tom
There is no correlation between pro level tools and quality of work. You can do a quality job with cheap tools. In my own experience, the job just becomes easier with better tools…certainly easier with the right tool.
I am not a pro, but I can fix almost anything and use tools regularly. Recently, I have had extra cash (kids out and done with college) so I decided to upgrade my tools. Most of my tools I purchased when I started working some 30 years ago. I could still be using those Craftsman tools today and still do from time to time.
I now have a mix of Proto, Blackhawk, Facom, Channellock, Knipex, Wera etc. I won’t pay retail for anything. Alot of the Blackhawk stuff i got on ebay when SBD discontinued them. Some Taiwan, some old stock U.S. Good quality sockets and wrenches fit and cause less damage to fasteners. You don’t need to sell soul to the tool truck guy. Harbor Freight has improved in quality, but I generally don’t shop there.
I now get much more genuine enjoyment out of wrenching. I still spend time frustrated at one bolt., but the other time I am much happier.
There is nothing wrong with Husky, Kobalt or HF. Buy the best you can afford and keep learning.
lurking novice
Joseph I take it your comments are directed at me. At the the risk of appearing confrontational – which is not my intent – you didn’t say anything useful in my opinion. Your comments are essentially the sort of bluster I referred to in my first post.
You describe an extremely important job you had to do that was located too far from any hardware store you could’ve gone to for back-up tools if needed.
You state that because of the seriousness of the job and resulting pressure you were under that you HAD to use a tool brand like Snap-On, Proto, Wright, etc. to make sure the job got done.
Right here I believe you undermine your own argument. Snap-On as far as I know is only sold off tool trucks which can take who knows how long to show up if you contact the sales rep. Likewise Proto and Wright tools aren’t commonly sold in big box stores although I’m certainly open to being corrected if they are.
Let’s say all of your “professional tools” had failed somehow and there was a hardware store near your job location. What would you have done? Would you have panicked and thought “I can’t use those cheap retail brand tools…this job is too serious! What am I gonna do?!?!” Or would you have stayed calm, bought whatever tools you needed at the big box store and got the job taken care of?
Additionally I have to ask were you only carrying one of each tool? If you were that far out in the middle of nowhere doing such an extremely critical job wouldn’t it be prudent to carry at least two of everything precisely to guard against the possibility (however slim) of something failing?
You said: “Do you really think with this level of pressure I am gamble on anything on that is built to industrial results as Snap On, Proto, Wright etc are?”
I assume you meant to say something like “gamble on anything that is NOT built to industrial results..”
In reality your post isn’t about tools Joseph. It’s about you. I’ll state upfront I’m engaging in amateur psychoanalysis by saying you’re using the pressure you were feeling to impute a level of extra ruggedness and reliability to the three tool brands you listed. At the same time you made the unspoken implication that other “cheaper” tool brands would have automatically lacked this extra sturdiness by virtue of being “cheap”.
You were projecting your emotions onto the tools to make a value judgement about their quality: “Snap-On, Proto and Wright would work flawlessly for me in this very critical situation that was stressing me out. Cheaper tool brands could’ve easily failed”. But the pressure you felt about this job – while certainly real – existed entirely in your own mind and would’ve had no bearing on the performance of the tools themselves whether they were Snap-On, Proto, Harbor Freight, Craftsman, Husky, Irwin, etc.
Doug Fisher
Id also recommend dropping the extra coin and going with Snap on, or any other usa made pro grade set. Craftsman did make a USA ratcheting set in the early 2000s but there tough to find. Plus most of the tawian tools come out of the same factory and just gets rebranded.
Stuart
My Sears had a thick layer of dust on their USA-made Craftsman ratcheting wrench sets. Their often-heavily-discounted Gearwrench sets seemed to sell very well.