Sears Craftsman Mechanics Tool Set vs Lowe's Craftsman Mechanics Tool Set - Models 99040 & CMMT45305

[@markwicker2664]

Thanks for the review. Just ordered the Sears set for $200 (shipping would have been $19, but there is a Sears Hometown nearby). There's a lot of filler in there, but it's kind of nice to get every bit you might conceivably need instead of eight #2 Phillips bits. And I completely agree with you about Eddie Lampert.

[@shanedawson-xt3wt]

The set now is $259.99! How did you get it for $200? Coupon? Thx

[@blazebrady3659]

One note....the driver in the Sears set is made for all those bits you don't want to count (which I'm glad you did because I 100% agree) and the driver in the Lowes set has a socket end and can be used with the sockets....so that's a plus for the Lowes set in my opinion. Great review!

[@jorgemercado7505]

It's a shame what was done to Sears 😥

[@blautens]

Useful review. I really miss having a Sears in town where I could drop off a broken tool. I think it worked out okay for them - I always ended up buying more tools before I left. Lowes doesn't have the same appeal to me.

[@jasonbrown4819]

I owned the clam shell box, and it fell apart after 2 months of use. The construction is not meant to handle the weight of the tools inside and after moving it in and out of the truck, it was like it just exploded. After having to pick all of the sockets up out of the parking lot on 2 separate occasions, I threw the box away.

[@chips4289]

I noticed the newer sockets and extentions have a wider knurl if you are turning them by hand which I do sometimes ..snug by hand then crank in with ratchet

[@Soprano0913]

I really like the lowes box. What do you think it would cost to get the missing sockets that are in the 450-Piece set. Also which sockets are missing?

[@dilemma2803]

good review, i remember buying a crafstman set from a kmart and just going back to the store and replacing a drive ratchet and only proof required was the drive itself. i bought a kobalt set and it is so lacking in versatility but i'm leary of the sloppiness in the mechanism on the lowe's drives

[@leopitre7907]

I heard the sockets on the 450 piece set all fit nuts and bolts they were made for a little loose compared to how the old craftsman sockets were...if it was a 9/16 bolt or nut and you used the 9/16 socket it wasn't a tight fit and would wiggle.

[@PFab]

6 point vs 12 makes a difference as well

[@jamesm568]

Versatack for the smaller set may be more handy for some in the ecosystem.

[@harrygrimley4352]

Very interesting and informative. Thanks for sharing this with us.

[@user-fo7kq3sr1o]

I just tried to exchange the craftsman ratchet in my hometown of liberty Kentucky at Ace Hardware and they would not exchange it. They said their warranty was no good no more I I thought craftsman tools were warranty for life and would be exchanged anywhere that sold them

[@robertmcgee6853]

The Allen wrench count is a joke, but don't forget the add on cost of the additional drawers. I know I have three sets of drawers and two of the parts bins... the good part on that is that it all fits on a Harbor Freight moving sled for $12 REALLY well, still breaks down for mobile use like on the farm. That kit in particular REALLY skimps on the 1/2 inch drive set of sockets with a whopping 6 sockets 3 and 3 for SAE and Metric.

[@fredsmith7964]

Since the Sears Hometown Stores are closing there are a lot of NOS deals going on.

[@Soprano0913]

What's the weight difference?

[@Brandon-sb8li]

The only problem I have is that some of the driver bits and the Alan keys are just laying around in the top compartment instead of being locked in a slot.

[@vinny_af16]

Honestly I like the sears craftsman still. The real deal

[@GeometryWars]

Another great review

[@jakethomas_419]

If one socket is an individual tool then so is every hex key. Can’t count them differently. Find a mechanic’s set above 200 pieces that doesn’t add in driver bits and other small pieces. They all do it.

[@michaeltnnn]

Great review. Thanks for your support 🇺🇦✌️

[@harrygrimley4352]

Those bits you showed up close are common in schools for bathroom dividers and federal buildings. Different so people can't take apart things. 😁

[@kev-reviews]

Thanks for sharing

[@dr.spidershoes]

Is sears made of USA?

[@tarstarkusz]

You missed one important point about the Lowe's and that is that is that Lowe's still exists and ordering from craftsman website involves shipping costs. The shipping costs of the craftsman will probably be outrageous. Like a hundred Dollars or more outrageous Shipping was already way too high before oil and gas prices started going through the roof. Diesel is up around 10 Dollars a gallon in certain parts of the US. So you really have to shipping-adjust your costs if you don't have a Sears near you. You don't even get out of sales tax anymore when absorbing that enormous shipping cost by buying online.

[@kev-reviews]

Valid point. Although I don’t know if they offer prepaid returns or no. Fortunately I haven’t had to make a warranty return on craftsman tools in a long time 🍀

[@tarstarkusz]

@@kev-reviews That's a good point I didn't think of. With the new Lowe's stuff, you can just exchange it at the store for the Lowe's one. What I meant was buying the whole set (which IIRC, you said is still available on the Craftsman website, I looked but couldn't find it with the number or the description) from the craftsman store would mean a huge shipping charge. I would imagine it weighs close to 50 pounds or even possibly more. Big bucks. Like if it's 219 for the large set, tax and shipping will probably make it fairly close to 300 dollars instead of just 219 plus sales tax.

[@kev-reviews]

Did I said craftsman website availability? I meant Sears.com for the 450-piece set

[@bryansutherly1]

Shipping is free

[@tarstarkusz]

@@bryansutherly1 Maybe today. It wasn't 2 years ago.

[@christopherpatrick2343]

Great

[@tarstarkusz]

17:00 Those are probably casting lines, not weld lines.

[@kev-reviews]

Being that it’s coming off an angle I would suspect a welded end, but you could be right

[@cup_and_cone]

​ @tarstarkusz Wrenches are forged, not cast. You can't forge a casting. In the case of that little wrench, I'd bet it's punched out from sheet steel then stamped/forged.

[@Omnivorous1One]

Anyone know if the socket sizes are stamped or etched on the sockets?

[@brianshelton2177]

They are on the sears set

[@Soprano0913]

can the Sears ratchets fit in the Lowes versa stack?

[@kev-reviews]

Yes. The trays are modular, so they can fit in the versastack add-ons

[@Soprano0913]

@@kev-reviews im sorry just want to clarify where the 1/2", 3/8" , and 1/4" ratchet tools are placed in the lowes set can you put the Sears ratchets in there instead?

[@darrellmitchell6056]

200 pieces of unnecessary pieces of bits... that makes up 450 pc set

[@darrellmitchell6056]

They should have bolt and nut extractors in the set rather than a bunch of Bits

[@darrellmitchell6056]

Or re-threading die-set

[@bryansutherly1]

The versa stack box is garbage. I much prefer the blow molded case

[@kev-reviews]

Thanks for commenting

[@srbinsajuga3326]

Why the uke flag?

[@_BusterHighmen]

Slava Ukraini