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Kobalt tools, anyone?

2K views 25 replies 18 participants last post by  Quartz 
#1 ·
Rebuilding tool set after my previous divorce. Mainly looking at their ratchets and sockets. I used to have craftsman and snap on, given the lift time warranty and there being a lowes on every corner, kobalt looks appealing to me. The ones I handled at the store seemed of better quality than craftsman.

Anyone use these on their titans?
 
#3 ·
I'm a fan of kobalt. A lot of their stuff is lifetime. Good prices and broad selection of performance levels, from the diy weekend fella(me) to the every damn guy(my buddies). Got an 18volt lithium ion drill/impact driver set a couple weeks back. Nice set. Batteries hold the charge forever.
 
#4 ·
I've always bought Craftsman in the past, but for the same reason you mention about the warranty and the locations, as I'm adding to or replacing my tools it's all Kobalt stuff. I'm happy with all of my purchases so far.
 
#5 ·
Me too. Quality is good.
 
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#6 ·
I have a Snap-On, Matco, and Mac truck come to my shop once a week, and because so, I have quite a few Snap-On tools, including the 2 bay tool box. I do have other brands in there, including Kobalt, and the ones that i do have i cant find a reason to replace because they work just as good as any other brand. The only time i replace a tool with Snap-On brand is if ive broken it, which has been a while.
 
#7 ·
I have a mix of Snap On, Mac, IR, Craftsman, Husky (yes some husky are very good, I even still have some Husky from when I was a teenager), Kobalt.

like anything else in that price range, some stuff is good, good as others, and some stuff is just junk... be selective and you`ll be fine.
also look at the socket count, some sets are short 14mm sockets which are common to the Titan.

I just switched over to Porter Cable ION drills and impact gun, 20V, replaced the worn out Ryobi.

I still like Sears in a pinch, but these crappy satellite stoes don`t carry volume, so finding what you need is slim pickins.

Just look for the sales for Kobalt.
 
#8 ·
For hand tools I have quite a few kobalt and they have all been good.

For power tools I am partial to Ridgid. Most of theirs have lifetime warranty, even on the batteries. I have used the heck out of the drill and impact driver and the batteries still charge well and the tools are holding strong.
 
#9 ·
All my tools are strictly Snap On.


































And both bays of my garage are occupied by brand new GT-R's. :D

Seriously, I think I have two Snap On tools and both of them are used torque wrenches.
 
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#11 · (Edited)
I would only ever advocate Kobalt tools for someone who really doesn't have the money to buy quality. They're on the level with Harbor Freight in my experience, you can buy some good items that are really basic, but anything else is a crapshoot.

Items I've owned that I would never recommend:
80 gal Compressor
Vise Grip copies
Torx sockets

Items I would recommend after purchasing:
air drier
air regulator
 
#12 ·
While I'm sure the professional brands (Snap-On, MatCo, etc.) are better than Kobalt in some ways, I think you're way off base with your comparison to Harbor Freight. Seriously? As tools go, Harbor Freight is the place you go when you know you only need the tool to mostly work a few times. Kobalt is currently one of the best, if not the best, handyman/weekend tool brands out there. I've used everything from el cheapo no-name stuff to Craftsman from their heyday to Husky, Kobalt, Snap-On, Mac, and others, working on everything from lawnmowers to competitive Super Gas and dirt oval cars, and a good tool is well appreciated around my house and shop. But Kobalt is nothing like HF, and to say so is ridiculous.
 
#13 ·
I have used kobalt tools for restoration work on my 1940 dodge, my CT 90s, household projects, working on my trailer, as well as basic construction. Throughout all of that work they have consistently proved to be some if the worst tools I've used. I'm sorry if you feel you have a better reason to know more about them than I do but you're wrong. The quality has been the same as their harbor freight equivalents.
 
#15 ·
Have two sets of their deep well 3/8 sae and metric that I use mostly got disassembly on a air or electric 3/8th impact. Have had for 5+ years no problem and like the color identification for sae/metric.
Purchased one of their 'roto'rachet where the head can be flipped to either side and only had to return due to the rubber handle degraded due to oil and fluid on it. Replacement didn't have the same handle. Really like the rachet and the close teeth count.
Also got dad a set of 150-200pc 1/4-3/8th set with reducers. That is handy to take when you don't wanna keep getting up and down from the creeper.
Haven't had a socket break yet and would probably buy their socket and rachet over the harbor freight.

Can't attest for their specialty sockets or wrenched.
Mostly gear wrench if new wrenchs are being bought.
 
#16 ·
Look like I'm one of the few cheap ones who has actually had decent luck with Harbor Freight. Their tools got me through a 2 day long header install in the clutch so no complaints really. Granted, I wouldn't buy a tool that I need a ton of mileage out of from them.

But back on topic, I have quite a few kobalt tools and have never had an issue with them personally. That and, as said, there are Lowe's pretty much everywhere. Sears, not so much, at least not in the last 3 cities I've lived in.
 
#20 · (Edited)
Picked up a 3/8 and 1/4 socket set along with a 1/4 ratchet, starter set of metric wrenches and a drill bit set. I'm confused as to why they appear to not sell a 6 point socket set, everything is 12 point, odd..



This will all be used at work daily. I did go with Husky for their largest rolling tool bag, so far that thing is impressive to say the least. I'll report back in on how kobalt stuff is working out.

 
#22 ·
I understand the appeal of the snap-on tools and respect their quality, but the price is not really justified for the non-professional mechanic. I've been using the same craftsman set for 20 years, but I have a sears up the road. Lowes is closers now and have replaced anything that breaks. You could almost buy 10 kolbalt or craftsman ratchets for 1 snap-on. When I changed out my wheel bearing in my 06, I broke 6 craftsman ratchets and sears replaced them all in one shot. They came back and finished the job. 6 foot bar was rough on them. I've got the same treatment at my local lowes, for the price how could you not.
 
#23 ·
I understand what you mean about when the price isnt really justified, but sometimes they are. And im not a professional mechanic either. But have you ever had a cheaper socket or wrench (Harbor freight for example), that just didnt quite fit the nut/bolt quite right? Ive stripped hundreds of bolt heads because of that exact reason...

I bought a snap on 1/2" cordless drill a few years ago. For $240, it came with 2 batteries, a charger and case. And i use the damn thing till it smokes, im hard as hell on it. And snap on has replaced it twice because the motor went out. You know what the dealer tells me? Keep using it.
Now if i'd gone with another brand, im sure i would've gotten the first replacement for free, same as snap-on, but what about the second or third time? We use to have all dewalt 1/2" drills at our shop, a total of 5 of them for all of us to share, and those things lasted just as long as my snap on drill. But no big deal the first time, we warrantied them, no questions asked. Then after a few months, we went to go for a second time, and home depot denied us. Turns out they only have 1 free replacement. So after the second im out buying the tool myself. Which if its a dewalt, is $130 for the tool only!

Im not saying that snap on is better, hell ive smoked my drill twice, ive split Snap-on sockets in half for beating on them with hammers. I'm also not saying that Matco drill bits are better than any other, ive probably warrantied more of them than i can count because again, im hard on them, and they dull. Ive got crescent sockets in my box, ive had them for probably 8 years, and ive only broken one, they cost me $150 for a full 1/2", 3/8", and 1/4" set, metric and standard! Best thing ive bought so far!

Its all about if its worth it, in the long run, which will cost you more, or save you more headaches?
 
#25 ·
I go to Snap on and Mac for ratchets, allens, smaller sockets, and wrenches. Everything else is SK, Craftsman, Stanley, and HF.....AKA, Pittsburgh, from Pittsburgh China of course.
I know how to use tools, and if something breaks it's almost always my fault.
Expensive combination wrenches are well worth the money when they're 1" or less.
 
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