Craftsman Screw Sticks - A Look at some classic screwdrivers
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- Опубликовано: 12 мар 2020
- Today we take a look at some classic Western Forge screwdrivers.
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Great screwdrivers
Supposedly SBD are currently building a 425,000 sq ft Craftsman tool plant in Ft Worth , Texas. Hopefully we will start seeing USA on Craftsman tools again soon.
that would be nice. It was a bummer seeing it leave.
Supposedly...
Almost everyone I know that use to work on their own stuff had a set of these. They aren't great but they are good and functional
I can agree with that. There are definitely better screwdrivers out there. These always were a known quantity that were predictable and dependable. They are also one of those go-to old friend tools that will be missed.
Great review, thanks. Finally, now towards the end of my career I'm well off enough not to have to buy chinesium. And, I'm sticking with PROTO (until they move offshore).
I have an older Proto screwdriver, I've pretty much always used Klein at work. What line of Proto are you using? Maybe I'll check some out. Do you have any good comparisons between the Proto and the cheaper brands to share?
I grew up on Craftsmans. Then in the 90s Dad began to collect Protos (I took on Challengers). Today, I have both large collections. So, I guess I collect Proto/Challengers from before 1999. @@TalkingHandsTools
One reason that they would close the plant is Ideal is a competitor of SBD's. Why buy from your competitor if you don't have to? I use those WF made Craftsmans all the time and they are just fine. I have the Professional versions of them as well and they are really nice.
As noted, AH is a date code, circa 2017-2018 before they severed ties with Sears over contract issues. As I noted below, I got the date code scheme from someone directly at WF before the plant was closed. Hopefully we will see more USA made Craftsman as others have said. If you get the older hot forged Craftsman WFs, you'll see that they are pretty bulletproof. WF stopped hot forging around 1995 or so, likely due to price and cost pressure from Sears at the time.
WF was started as partial joint venture with Sears in 1965. For the most part WF existed to supply product to Sears, but we know that they have supplied products to others and had their own line for a very short time. If you look at the green handle S-K pliers, you'll see that they are very similar to the WF made USA Craftsman pliers of yesteryear. That is of course because Ideal Industries/WF made both. Old USA made WF Craftsman is a solid choice for most folks. You can't go wrong and it can still be found pretty easily just about anywhere.
Do you know if the date codes are available online somewhere. I may or may not have a forged version here, would love to get one to compare if I don't.
@@TalkingHandsTools No, I created a spreadsheet for them based on what WF told me.
Channel lock makes some really nice screwdrivers similar to the craftsman ones!
I've seen some of them a while back. Do you have any? How do you like them?
@@TalkingHandsTools I have the one with the flipable ends(4 in 1?)…love it!about to order a set of the standard screwdrivers to go with my craftsman’s!Still trying to find a craftsman “thin” profile ratchet in 1/4” too!
Let me know how you like the standard screwdrivers when you get them.
@@TalkingHandsTools just received the 10 piece set…very nice screwdrivers!
I use my small snapon straight pry bar that is shaped like screwdriver to protect. Y flatheads
I like that there's a decent number of options in the Screwdriver Handled Pry Bar department.
What's the serial number fir the snap on pry bar.
I do not have a set. Maybe @GregsAutomotive can hook you up.
AH is a date code that indicates year of mfg. I think you have the last run of WF drivers circa 2017/18. By now you have surely used the chineesium drivers how they compare?
I don't think the chineesium ones are as good as the Western Forge screw drivers. That being said I don't think the WF are by any means a gold standard screwdriver. What I did really like about them was they were decent quality that you didn't have to be afraid to use and abuse and you were buying American at the same time. I really like Klein screwdrivers also but for the money I'm not as likely to beat on them. One nice thing about the WF screwdriver is it took the beating and still held up all considering. I don't see the new chineesium ones achieving that.
This is correct. I know because I have the date code scenario as I got it straight from a veteran WF employee before they closed the plant. Also they stopped hot forging them about 25 years ago. Ones that are forged say "Forged USA" on them. Those are keepers if you can do so. Ones marked "PR" were made by Pratt Read. Ideal Industries who owned WF (and owns S-K) bought PR in about 2010.
I don't blame them, I mean wouldn't you like to hire people to work for you at $1an hour? Of course that's inflation for you, at the signing of NAFTA they were making $.10 cents an hour.
i won't buy china craftsman and i don't buy stanley
That's completely fair. I'm glad I got a chance to compare the new ones with the old ones.
The handles get nasty
Do you know what they were in to get nasty? I've not had any issues with mine yet. Are yours the new non USA version or do you have ones made by Western Forge?