[donnyg]

I just got the Craftsman 151 piece tool set from Sears. It seems like a good set and has all the sockets I think I can and will use as an amateur backyard mechanic. The wierd thing is that there is a space and specific place for each socket and drive, but there does not seem to be a specific place to put the open end wrenches. For now I put them in the big hole toward the inside of the tool box it came with (black in color). The other thing that surprised me a little is that the sockets did not seem to snap in and I would have thought there would be a piece of plastic or something to snap on top of them to prevent them from all falling out when I open up the box. Is this just a poor design by Craftsman or am I missing pieces? Sears also sells a similar kit with a red case that seems to have a piece that allows the wrenches to be laid out in order, per the picture on the web site. If anyone has this kit and has some insight, I's really appreciate it. Thanks in advance.

Donny

 

[2887]

ok, I think alot of us started out with 151 from bacardi, I mean craftsmen..... Anyway, the plastic thing is junk, get yourself a four or five drawer toolbox and throw your stuff in their. If your not bringing that set wheeling with you, the plastic thing is useless.

And before the flame session starts, yes crapsmen tools suck the big one, but you can break em all and walk into sears and get a new one no questions asked. I can't tell you how many number 2 prybars, i mean screwdrivers they have replaced for me.

 

[donnyg]

I am planning on taking it wheeling with me this weekend. That is why I opted to get the set with the tool box so that it will be kind of portable. I also live close to a Sears, so if something does break I know they will replace it without any questions. Thanks for the reply.

Donny

 

[knifeboy2]

I don't know anything about your tool set....but from my view bringing a full 151 peice tool set wheeling just doesn't make sense. You certainly won't need half of them for most of what you'd break. Instead of filling up precious Jeep space with all those tools pick and choose the best ones that could potentially be used and bring those instead. Though its not the best tool for the job......a crecent wrench and/or vice grips can do a lot and take up much less space. Also bringing all those tools gives you the chance to lose some. If you're anything like me that set will be missing at least 3 sockets within two weeks of using it.

 

[jdoggmoney]

I think the smaller tool sets come with crappy storage trays for a purpose. So they can sell you things like tool chests with drawers, socket rails, and the like. You could get a small portable tool box with a couple of drawers at your local Home Depot , Menards etc. It would be just as portable but better laid out for storage. Also you can get socket rails cheaper there.

I kinda agree with Knifeboy. For the average Jeeper, some of the tools will be overkill on the trail, depending on how hard you plan on driving. Then again I'm sure you've read of those that take everything from spare third members to welders and torches and who knows what else... just in case.

I remember a recent thread where evryone chimed in with what they carry in their rig. Search or maybe someone will be nice enough to post the link.

OH HERE it is.

 

[CJDave]

There's trail maintanance and there is shopwork, and USUALLY the tools inventory for trail work is a lot slimmer. You can do like I have done and build a compact, but comprehensive tool kit for tossing into a vheicle when you have some kind of a trek to make. My favorite combination wrench toolbox setup is a flat sheet of plywood in one of the main full-width drawers, with a tapered block set on top with crosscuts in it to match the wrenches. The wrenches lay crosswise and are easy to grab. 0 to 11/16 on the right and 3/4 on up on the left. I turn it so the tapered blocks nest so all the wrenches will fit in one drawer. This setup makes it possible to tell at a glance if one wrench is missing......a CRITICAL need on a service truck. In fifteen years on a service truck I lost ZERO end wrenches......except for the little 7/16 that fell into the San Joaquin River

as I was taking the little tie-down bolt out of the adjusting nut on a vertical turbine river pump motor.

 

[mbalbritton]

don't recall how many pieces my set is, but in the lid are slots that pinch grip the wrenches. I ended taking them out and throwing them in my tool box. As for the sockets not being snapped into place in the tool box, ya that's a crappy design, but if you keep the lid secure 150 out of my 151 stay in place. As for taking them wheeling with you. I run a strap around my socket set to ensure the lid stays closed, and toss it in the back with my two drawer Craftsman tool box. I prefer to have all my tools with me instead of some rinky dink small kit that's not gonna have the tool i need when I get on the trail. and my fluxcapacitor or do-wa-ditty busts. Go prepaired!

Overall though, I'm pleased with the Craftsman set, it gets my jobs done.

 

[1696]

I'm a big fan of Husky tools. I bought one of their 383 piece sets a couple of years back, and it's the most comprehensive tool set I've ever seen for the money. Doesn't come with a box, but as most here have said the boxes these tools come with are generally useless.

 

[MNT]

The Lowes brand of tools are supposedly pretty good. Actually manufactured by a division of Snap-On. I have no personal experience with them tho.

 

[445]

I have a craftsman set similar to yours except i got a metal 4 drawer craftsman box that sits on my work bench and all the sockets are on rails inside it in different drawers by drive. My wrenches, screw drivers and pliers are all hung on a peg board or the wall with a couple miss tools sitting in either the top of the craftsman box or bottom draw of the 4 drawer that doesn't have sockets in it. I like this system and think it works well.

For the trail i have a nice yellow tool box from wall mart, i take my sockets out of my box on my work bench and take my other tools off the wall and put them in my box. I think the box is the prefect size to put 2 rails of 1/2" drive (std. and metric), 2 rails of 3/8" drive (all 3/8" drive std. and metric down to 13mm), and a rail of 1/4" drive (std. and metric they fit on the same rail). I usually carry all 6 point sockets on the trail but make sure you have a 13mm 12pt. if you have a yj or tj to pull out the hub assembly if you need to change a u-joint. I also bring a couple adjustable wrenches, hex bits, torx bits, all 3 ratches, a couple different pairs of pliers, 2 pairs of vice frips, some screw drivers, Hub shocket, extenstions and wobbles for my sockets, a 2 jaw puller, pry bars, big hammer, and a test light on the trail. With these tools i can pretty much pull apart and put back together my jeep.

You will find that this tool set is just the tip of the ice burg. You will find you need lots of missalanous little tools to do different jobs on your rig, things like torx bits (jeep put everything together with torx), hex bits for brake calipers and drain plugs, big sockets for things like ball joints and hub nuts, all kinds of things you never plan on buying but need to get a job done.

BarrelRoll

 

[Caver Dave]

Amen Brother! I look at it like this, when leaving the house on a bread & milk run (much less wheeling miles from civilization!) in a 30+ year old rig. You'd better be able to do a complete overhaul on the roadside if needed. If that means taking up "valuble room" with another cubic foot of tools, fine.

Also remember, even if you don't need them, some "first time off road" will have the trail clogged for hours because everyone else only brought a claw hammer, C-wrench, & a pair of Vise-Grips!

When what they really needed was at home in the garage....

Elusive carries about everything you'd ever need for offroad repairs. Funny, but I don't ever recall him using any of it on his rig, just for those that "made room" for something they really *didn't* need to bring.

 

[babypoo]

I agree with most of the rest on here...and I also have an identical set, minus what's been lost or borrowed and never returned. Yes it is a really bad design. But ratchets can be used as hammers; prybars; or a large object to bludgen your partner with when he tells you to take the wrong trail...but with a Craftsman you break it take it in and get a new one no matter how you abuse it. So here's what I did because I also like to carry what's left of my full set and some extras with me but got sick of everytime I tipped on it's side every tool would fall out of place. Get yourself a peice of styrophome(sp?) 1/4 inch thick(I think I used 1/4

) and when your done putting away your tools away put it on top of the sockets before you close the box. Whalla...no more dumped tools.
John
[email protected]

 

[elusive]

I have the 151 pc set in the wifes jeep. its nice because you can stuff it under the back seat. Along the same lines as the styrofoam, I put a stack of shop rags on top of the tools before I shut the lid.. this way I have shop rags (everyone seems to forget them), and the tools stay put. I do have problems cleaning dirt out of the case though.
I just bought a tool bag I'm gunna try out.. I have never been happy with the storage of all the crap I seem to tote

 

[LEVE]

1. I say... you can NEVER have too many tools aboard the Jeep.
2. There will always be that ONE bolt or screw you'll not be able to get out.
3. I carry basic sets of tools in each vehicle I own,
4. And on the trail... I carry every tool I think I'd need....
5. Which is why I wish Jeep's would use only three to four bolts head sizes...
6. Kinda like the ol' DEC Rainbow comptuers...
7. Take 'em apart with a dime.
8. Or field stripping a M-16 with your thumb,
9. Or a round, if you go hi-tech.
10. I love simplicity!

 

[uglyjeepoffroad]

One trick I picked up somewhere along the way for wrenches is to get a climbing carabiner and hook the box end of the wrenches through it. Keeps them handy, in order, and all you do to take them all out of the tool box is grab one.
By the way, the smallest I carry will not fit on the carabiner, so I got an old school metal shower curtain hook and put them on it. Then I looped the hook on with the rest of them.

 

[Caver Dave]

You need to get an older Jeep LEVE!

Mine uses *ALL* "standard (no metric or Torx). While it does take a range from about 5/16"-1+", the ususal 7/16"-5/8" will do 75% of the jobs.

 

[LEVE]

1. I agree...
2. Give me a CJ2A any day...
3. Or a CJ3A High Hood...
4. An MB would be nice...
5. The operative word here... " Give me "...
6. I was lustin' after a Commando sittin' on Main St. here in Spokane,
7. Until it was sold!

 

[WILL]

In reply to:

3. Or a CJ3A High Hood...

[/ QUOTE ]

The high hood would be a CJ3B, wouldn't it?

 

[LEVE]

1. Yep... I gotta learn to proof read!

 

[pontiac58]

I started turning wrenchs with one of those 151 piece sets, now im up to a darn big snap on box, that will probably be filled, just like the last three boxes i bought that i thought would be big enough, but my tools make me money so, I have to have the tools i need to do the job. But that first set of tools i bought did the job that i needed them to do and was a great start up deal.

Back then, i just tossed the crappy plastic box and bought my first crapsman roll around top and bottom. Then i moved into a bigger and better crapsman top and bottom. Then went to a bigger and better Mac top and bottom. Now im into a 5 1/2 ft long by almost 3 foot wide snap on bottom box. And i pretty much have my top box picked out, since the bottom is filling up quickly. It doesnt take long. Any way, last Xmas i was in Sears looking for a gift and i saw a 92 piece kit for somewhere around 60 bucks on sale. So i bought that for the jeep. Works good enough on the trail, but the damn sockets kept falling out when it would be stood up and straped into the jeep. So out came an old Tshirt and i folded it up, to the size of the box and closed the lid. Havent had a socket fall out since. And the old Tshirt doubles as a rag. The wrenches didnt have a spot either, but it did have that space behind that plastic pull out thing, that i just threw them in.