: : : : : I did a little WWEB Search for tool suppliers. Found some places, I'm sure there are lots more.: : : I can't recommend these places, never dealt with them, but they exist and sell tools. As a "sample" item I priced a set of 6-point 1/2 inch drive impact sockets - a commonly needed item. : : : Proto 11 pieces 1/2 to 1 1/8 $59 WWW.knoxsupply.com
: : : SK 11 pieces 1/2 to 1 1/8 $43.50 WWW.sktoolstore.com
: : : Craftsman 12 pieces 3/8 to 1 1/16 $49.99 shop.sears.com/store/craftsman : : : Can I suggest we do a little comparison shopping on other brands and sources and add our findings together here?
: : : I would like to see the costs for equivalent Snap-on, Mac, Husky, etc. sets : : : Maybe someone else could start a shoppers list for another commonly needed item/set? : : : Here's a site with links to a bunch of tool manufacturers sites: www.toolsource.com : : : The S-K Company site history states that S-K is currently 90% American made (although a controlling interest in S-K is held by a European Corporation). : : Doug- A while back I returned a broken S-K 1/2 to 3/8 adapter for replacement .The new one was stamped "not guaranteed".After much discussion they finally decided to swap mine out since it was not so stamped, but now I'm SOL the next time it breaks.I don't know if or how many others are stamped that way but a lifetime warranty doesn't do much good if they exclude items that are apt to be broken.This coupled with their performance in earlier post takes them off the short list for me. Mark : I don't see the earlier post you referred to, what was it? : I've never had to test S-K's return policy, because I've never been able to break any of their stuff, even with hard use over 30 years. I think the value is pretty good. But a guarantee is a guarantee. : Since the torque that could be applied to the 3/8 end of the adapter by say a long 1/2 inch drive breaker bar could be excessive, I can see that maybe they wouldn't want to guarantee it, but a better solution would be to redesign it and charge more so they could guarantee it. I have always hoped that the manufacturers with good guarantees had done their best to make a tool they wouldn't have to pay off on. : Not guaranteeing this tool doesn't really make sense, because the sockets broken by it's use are still quaranteed. Maybe that's their plan - use the non-guaranteed adapter as the weak link to protect their sockets. I still like the tools. I'm going to ask our local dealer how he administers the guarantee, and how well the company backs it. Doug-Look down obout 15 posts for one signed mark thompson-proto tools.S-K seemed about equal to Craftsman in strength,certainly not bad but not nearly as good as the Proto I replaced it with.The 3/8"adapter (I admit to abusing it)was the first I ever heard of any of their tools being less than 100% guarranteed .Proto has a warehouse not too far down the road from me .I called them once about a broken tool and they mailed me a new one (no trade out ,no hassle).Thats pretty good service. I think you hit the mark on lifetime guarrantees though .You buy guarranteed tools because you don't expect them to break every time you pick them up,not to keep from paying $5 now and then to replace one.I think when the dust settlles though Craftsman is probably the best buy.They're reasonable , have a good guarrantee, are widely available,and don't change too much year to year(thats important when you're trying to keep some continuity in your tool set).Mark
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