Spline wrenches are cool because you can turn a variety of different fastener heads such as hex, partially rounded hex, 12pt, square, external Torx, and yes, even spline heads, with one wrench.  If you’re willing to give up the ratcheting feature in the Stanley Proto and SK spline wrenches, you can get a set of seven Craftsman combo open end/box spline wrenches from Sears for under $20.

Craftsman angles the wrench heads by 15° to save your knuckles and they reinforce the open end so the wrench doesn’t deform under high torque, rounding the head. The set normally includes 5/16″, 3/8″, 7/16″, 1/2″, 9/16″, and 11/16″ wrenches, but to be nice Sears is throwing in a 5/8″ wrench and a storage tray.

Universal Wrench Set [Sears]

Craftsman’s 8-amp variable speed reciprocating saw is on sale right now in Sears stores and online for $59.88, about 25% off its normal price. The trigger-operated saw runs up to 2,500 strokes per minute with a 1-1/8 inch long blade stroke.

Recip saws are a Halloween favorite around here for carving out your favorite scary pumpkin face and making with the gourd carnage. And of course, you can wipe the slime off and use the saw for other things throughout the year, too.

Craftsman 8 Amp Reciprocating Saw with Soft Carry Bag & 3 pc. Blade Assortment [Craftsman]
How to Carve Pumpkins with Power Tools [ExtremePumpkins.com]

We’ve seen this before: Craftsman will etch names, slogans or whatever else on the side of each piece for a super-customized set of special “heirloom” tools. You know, like M&Ms, but a crap-ton more expensive. But every time I see these, I get a different vibe. Sometimes I love the idea, and sometimes not so much.

Admittedly, I could write “now quit borrowing mine, jackhole!” on the wrenches, leaving my future kids to wonder what uncle Sean meant by that when they inherit the tools 40 years from now. But then again, you could snag another whole plain-Jane kit for the difference in price. (So theoretically at least, the jackholes could steal a set.)

I’d risk a quarter on one thing, though: I bet sales of these skyrocket around the holidays. What do you think? Do you own any? Do you wish you did?

Street pricing runs around $200.

Personalized 187 pc. Tool Set [Craftsman]

What’s a modern mini-Li-Ion cordless tool kit without a flashlight to let those awesome little batteries go to work brightening up the dark spots? Nothing, that’s what. So we’re glad that Craftsman’s NEXTEC set includes one. But rather than heading down the single-bright-LED path, Craftsman hung a left, opting instead for 24 (!) individual light sources.

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Readers who’ve already seen these will have to forgive my enthusiasm for finder this clever combination of shaving and inspection mirrors. My own inspection mirror hasn’t left the drawer in ages, largely thanks to my idiotic selection of a small one just 1.5″ across. The thought was that it would be easier to get into tight spaces, which it is, but once it’s there, it’s like diagnosing through a pinhole. A magnifying version would provide the best of both worlds - a compact mirror with a wide field of view.

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Ignition wrenches are one of those tools you’ll never need until that one moment when Murphy’s messing with you, and then nothing else will do. Normal wrenches have a 30-degree offset in the head to allow for rotating hex bolts by thirty degrees at a time, but that’s too much for some very tight situations. That’s where ignition wrenches come in. With a 15-degree offset on one side and an 80-degree offset on the other, you only need five degrees of rotation to spin a bolt. Tedious, yes, but sometimes those small increments are all you can manage.

Pricing is reasonable from Craftsman, at $20 for a set of eight metric wrenches, and the same price for eight inch wrenches. Snap-On, naturally, has similar options at the stratospheric price of $224. Personally, I’ll take 91% off and go for the Craftsman set.

8-piece ignition wrench set, inches [Craftsman]
8-piece ignition wrench set, millimeters [Craftsman]

You would think that with my collection of purchased and inherited tools and overall tool hang-up, I would have at least seen one of these before. I have some old Craftsman double-ended ratchet wrenches that are dog-bone shaped, but this version is new to me; I don’t know how I overlooked this.

Sears has their DOG BONE wrench in both SAE and metric for $20 each. Thorsen seems to have an equivalent for $15, although their version does not have the all upper-case name.

This could either be super handy to have around, sparing you trips back and forth to the tool box to find the right socket — or the bone ends would get in the way left, right, and backwards.

Sears [Manufacturer's Site]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

If you’re into the Craftsman C3 combo set, now might be the time to pony up and pounce. Sears has the 19v C3 drill impact driver set on sale for $99 until the end of the week.

It’s not the latest gear and most certainly not the greatest on the virtual shelf, but the pair of them are good, solid pieces of gear that will certainly last a while around the shop or jobsite. It’s not a Li-Ion set but for around a C-note you really can’t expect it to be, either.

C3 Drill Impact Driver Combo Kit [Craftsman]

In an industry that doesn’t get this kind of love very much, I must hand it to the guys over at Craftsman. The revamp of the Garage of Knowledge is pretty slick. It’s no longer a space reminiscent of an aircraft hanger but rather styled after a garage someone might actually have. It’s also a wrap-around 3D type of affair.

I must have played with it for 20 minutes the other day for no good reason other than wishing my garage looked like this. You can’t click on every tool hanging on the walls and such but they are at least getting a more manageable access to tools now. If you’re not into all the high-tech wrap-arounds and just want tools, the menu options at the top still work like always.

It’s worth a few clicks if you’re just messing around online drooling over tools.

Garage of Knowledge [Craftsman]

Cavemen still living without the magic of air power (and I’m one of them) will find a neat workaround in the form of hammer-actuated impact drivers. They’re old-school, clever little devices which turn the force of a hammer blow into torque, and plenty of it. Hit the casing with a metal-faced hammer, and a cam inside gives you a strong twist, exactly like a pneumatic impact wrench.

Though not quite as user-friendly or useful as an impact gun, they can still get stubborn bolts in or out. $25 is pretty cheap considering that it’s a Craftsman set. Even if you can find a pneumatic impact gun at that price, no one in their right mind would trust it, and these let you skip the compressor, too.

Impact Driver Set [Craftsman]

Once I saw this monster I quickly realized the race for the largest rolling tool chest had been won years ago by Craftsman. Near as we can figure, that is a three-piece, twelve-foot, rolling mechanic’s chest.

This image was taken at the Sears headquarters in Hoffman Estates, IL. The chest itself was, of course, just an advertising prop, but we still tip our hats to them for coming up with the idea and wonder who managed to walk off with it when they were done with it.

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Yes, ladies and gents, this is a preview of the upcoming Craftsman C3 cordless chainsaw — they’ll add it to the existing C3 line in late July.  Craftsman recently released this information to Sears associates only, and just as of today it’s cleared for public consumption. On with the show! (more…)

A couple days ago Benjamen previewed the upcoming Tow-N-Stow trailer. However, the $2,500 price tag and the odd choice of pairing it with a stationary storage unit got some lukewarm responses from Toolmongers. In light of that, I’d like to see what y’all think of this new fold-up utility trailer from Craftsman.

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In a struggling economy retailers come up with creative ways to move more products, even if it means cutting their profit margins.  You’ll see Sears’ latest marketing effort in the main aisles of their tool department — Craftsman Value display boxes, containing special versions of their best-selling products: tool bags, utility knives, tape measures, levels, and socket sets, to name a few.

The tool sets in the Value boxes come packaged with extra items, for the same price as the standard sets found elsewhere in the store. The 48″ level includes a free 10″ torpedo level;  the 16″ tool bag includes a free 12″ tool bag;  and the 18pc. socket set includes a free 4pc. wrench set.

These prices may not be the best you’ll ever find, but if you need a new socket set or a couple of tool bags, or you’re looking for some nice gifts for Father’s Day, take a look at the in-aisle displays at your local Sears for a pretty decent deal.  All items are available as long as quantities last locally, and no two stores will have the same selection.  Approximately 37 different value boxes have shipped out, and they’ll be replenished randomly over the next six months, so you’ll find a wide selection to choose from.

Sears [Corporate Site]

I really hate cleaning out my hot tub.  Here in Florida, even if you overdose your tub with chemicals, you’re bound to see algae and scale buildup when you get close to the six-month cleaning.  I especially hate trying to remove that 10-15 gallons at the bottom, below the drain pipe. Today, instead of my classic method of bucket removal and swearing, I broke out my Craftsman two-gallon portable wet/dry vac.

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These days, a lot of manufacturers and retailers are trying to appeal to the eco-conscious consumer by selling products that make a minimal impact on the environment — it also doesn’t hurt if they save you some money. The new propane-powered string trimmer from LEHR promises to do both.

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For any sort of carpentry, woodworking, or masonry project, you want to measure your angles accurately.  If it’s time to replace that antiquated adjustable angle finder with a newer, shinier model, take a look at Craftsman’s new 4-in-1 digital angle finder.

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