Need to replace every tool I own and need some advice on what to buy

Howdy everyone. So someone decided to cut the lock off my storage unit last Friday and steal every tool I own. The only things I have left are my Makita angle grinder (thank god) and a few pairs of dikes since I left them in my truck when the theft happened. So now I'm a tool-less scrapper and I need some advice. What are some good quality hand tools (Specifically socket sets, screwdrivers, wrenches, etc) that are relatively affordable? Ideally I'd want to get a nice set of Snap-on, SK, or Matco tools but I can't afford to drop that much money on that stuff right now. I also had my corded drill and sawzall stolen so I need to replace those as well. I have pretty much decided on getting Makita or Dewalt branded power tools and a Milwaukee sawzall, but are there any that are better? Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks yall.

I like the older Milwaukees but the new stuff isn't very good. Most of the problems revolve around the detachable cords, the 180 degree pivoting action, and the arbor. It's poor design.

If you're looking for quality and value, you might look at the 1/2" drive deep sockets made by Stanley and sold at Wal-Mart. In fact ... most of the Stanley line of products is pretty good.

Craftsman tools sold out of Ace Hardware are okay. The sockets tend to be thinner wall so they can crack. The 3/8" ratchets don't seem to work well but overall they're passable. Their wrenches are good.

A lot of the cheapo wrenches that Harbor Freight sells are okay. They don't fit up quite as well as a Snap on but they're allright for most things.

You might see if you can get a Craftsman 24" adjustable. The quality is good and it's really useful for a lot of different jobs.

I would go Stanley rubber handle for screwdrivers. Don't use the straight blade ones for prying though.

Stanley flat bars and crow bars hold up well under hard use. The other brands ... not so much.

Maybe check out CL for used tools .... You never know what you might find. ;)

"Maybe check out CL for used tools .... You never know what you might find" You may find your old tools! Did you check Pawn Shops for your tools?

I have built up a big set of tools over the years, almost always buying used. Pawn shops, yard sales, auctions, etc. Sorry that you are needing to get new tools for this reason.

If you have a Lowes in your town I really suggest going with Kobalt hand tools. Craftsman is now made in china. Kobalt is made in Taiwan and have much better quality control. Kobalt has a "hassle free" guarantee on all their hand tools. When you go into the store to exchange a tool it really is hassle free. No questions asked. You can exchange the tool for any reason. For channel locks and side cutters I really like Irwin.

If you have a Sears that hasn't shutdown yet I'd start there. The one by me had a 75% off sale. Also I get a lot of tools from tractor supply or harbor freight, they're not the best quality but they will get you out of a bind to you make a few loads. Also Walmart carries Stanley which are lifetime warranty. Also if you have a Facebook account they have swap shop or trading groups for your area. Flea markets are also a good place to find tools also. Hope this helps

I am sorry about your loss.

I know you asked for recommendations for replacement tools and you have received some excellent opinions. Beware, many of the competing brands are owned be the same corporation and many of the box stores have specific brands for their stores that are actually made by the more popular companies and priced lower. Here is one web site that breaks it down for you and there are many more: Tool Brands: Who Owns What? A Guide to Corporate Affiliations

Since your tools make money, I would invest in the highest quality with lifetime warranties. I have purchased a butt load "reference to how much a mule can carry" of tools from flea markets, auctions, yard sales, and mostly from pawn shops. This would replenish your inventory in a short time at low cost. For the high quality tools I would approach a box store with your dilemma and see what kind of deal they would provide for a large purchase. Talk to the managers and not the salesman in this situation. You might even contact specific manufacturers with the same request.

A house fire 15 years ago destroyed all my tools except the Leatherman and Buck knife on my belt. Using this strategy all tools in the shop were replaced with Craftsman and the tools I use to scrap are second hand. Most of my scrap work is done in the field and this requires multiple sets of the same tools. If I loose or break them, they go into the scrap pile and no tears are lost.

Thanks for all the advice so far yall. I've been looking at Craigslist daily since they were stolen but I don't think I'll ever see them again. I'm going to a garage sale tomorrow that specifically says they are selling tools from a cleanout so hopefully I can get some good stuff out of it. Ill keep yall posted.

Surprisingly there is still a Sears in the town I'm living in for college, so once I get some more money I will swing by there and see if they have any deals. Harbor freight is also on the list, just wish I had more money to spend on it right now

Yard sales, estate sales, an thrift stores.

Good luck, an that sucks. Ever find the thief use your new tools to show your displeasure. >:)

Sirscrapalot - Mmmhhmmm tacos.

Yard sale was a bust, but I went ahead and bought myself a brand new set of screwdrivers, a set of "go-thru" sockets, and a new set of metric and SAE sockets with the thought that since those are the things I use the most, I might as well get some new ones to start off with. The hunt continues

You'll need more then one yard sale....

Or you can go buy them all brand new at the store. :)

Call Snap if that's what you intend, I"m sure they'll deliver for a charge.

Was in PA a couple weeks back. On the way there thru VA I found a ton of tools at various thrift stores, an yard sales/flea markiet type places. You may have to actually search about for such things in your area. An every area has yard sale(s)...plural is the key to yard sales, flea markets, etc. You just need to look harder sometimes. My sandbar...even we have them, just takes awhile to find them.

You could also try pawn shops if you have any that aren't a bunch of scum bags. I have one here on the sandbar. Thanks to them I now own several tools I'll never use, but it was a good deal! Carpet stretcher, several specialty type tools, etc.

Or again...google + harbor freight/whoeveryoubuytoolsfrom = Instant tools right now for lots of $$$$$$. ;)

Good luck.

Happy Easter!
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Sirscrapalot - *burp* No chocolate bunnies here.

Your right Sir, I absolutely do need to hit up more yard sales and start going to pawn shops for this stuff. Paying for the new stuff does hurt a lot, and I plan on getting power tools and stuff like that at pawn shops and other places. The reason I only went to one yard sale this weekend is because I was back in my hometown for Easter and went with my grandfather on his recommendation. Once I'm back where I currently live for school, I will be searching more especially on Craigslist, at garage sales, etc. I also wanted to get the stuff I absolutely needed now so I can fix my truck and not have to worry about it breaking down on me. Once the semester is over, I will have a lot more time to devote to tracking down better deals (and more money to spend on the stuff I want rather than need). Thanks for your advice, its always appreciated!

Sorry to hear someone robbed you! What a bummer! Do you got a local weekly/monthly public auction? Picked up a lot of my sets from them. Was lucky enough one week to be there at the end of the day when a carpenter's estate was going and ended up bidding against only resellers for some nice stuff. I'm not so experienced in the auction world but folks there talked about it as if my luck that day was a pretty common occurrence.

Were you renting this storage locker? If so what did the business say about your loss???

@hobo finds Yes I was renting it. I moved from a more secure one to a different complex because I felt I was paying too much and I didn't like the location. I moved to one in a less nice area to save on price and save gas but it bit me in the a$$ this time. I only had my new unit for two weeks before the theft happened. The storage place said they can't really do anything for me. I didn't have any insurance on the unit or anything so the only thing I could do was file a police report and move on unfortunately. If anything this whole thing is just a (albeit expensive) mistake that I can learn from.

@Gravitar

Nice thing about pawn shops, most of the time they test them before buying. Or will let you test it, look it over, etc. If they don't...then steer clear.

An good to see ya back around, was wondering where you been hiding.

/salute

Sirscrapalot - I feel a beverage coming on. - Me

Do you do breakdown at the storage unit? And is that how someone could have seen all your tools? I have been thinking about working out of a storage unit but would now be more concerned after hearing about your loss...

I just take my tools home at end of day....never leave anything in units you cant afford to lose

So this whole situation has taken a new turn. I got a call from a police detective and they know the guy who took my tools based on the pictures a neighbor got. Apparently hes a well known thief and will steal anything. Police are currently working on getting warrants for his arrest and will be trying to catch him soon. This could get interesting.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gravitar

So this whole situation has taken a new turn. I got a call from a police detective and they know the guy who took my tools based on the pictures a neighbor got. Apparently hes a well known thief and will steal anything. Police are currently working on getting warrants for his arrest and will be trying to catch him soon. This could get interesting.

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I hope they get him!

https://youtu.be/NIYZVSElmj4

Thief got arrested last week and is in custody, now I get to wait "for 11-13 months" to go to court and testify that the items he took are mine since the thief said they were his. The detective did an awesome job, much respect to him and the police department.

If your just using them for scrapping a husky 10lbs splitting maul could replace 90% of the sockets and screwdrivers lost. but unfortunately a splitting maul can't really put things back together or take anything apart without completely destroying it so you still need hand tools about 10% of the time.