I swore I wouldn't go anywhere near any stores on Black Friday, but I broke down and took advantage of some sweet deals on Kobalt tools at Lowes. Picked up a 138 piece mechanics tool set (¼, ⅜, ½ drive ratchets and a nice assortment of sockets alongwith an8 piece open/box end SAE/metric wrenches), a 10 piece pliers set and a 20 piece screwdriver set for my son for his 16th birthday. Got everything for right around $100.

I was stoked to read that Kobalt tools are made by Snap-on... that didn't last long once I dug a little deeper and found out that almost all Snap-on tools are Chinese/Taiwanese. Even with the ratchets, sockets and wrenches being Taiwanese and the pliers being Chinese, he has a better set of tools than I had at 16. At least the screwdrivers are American made (with domestic and foreign materials).

 

Only a matter of time before that kid passes his old man in the left lane when it comes to fixing and modding the car. By the time he's 21, he'll be unstoppable. Mine did, but it was lots of fun along the way. Enjoy today...

 

He's already got more wrench time than I had at his age, and next year he'll be studying auto mechanics at the local vocational high school. He also plans to pursue performance mechanics in secondary education... its inevitable that he will surpass me.

 

what a great dad!!! looks like you got a great deal on what you bought. kobalt tools seem to be pretty nice too. i don't have any but i do have a cobalt tool chest and it is a very quality piece. way better than craftsman or similar.

 

Very Cool hooking up your son..

My 1st set were 'hand-me-down' Craftsmans.. But I could not have been happier..
(fact, I still have most of them)..That was about 45 yrs ago..

 

A set of tools is something that will grow and last him the rest of his life. You did something that more Dads should do these days.

I still have my first set of tools from my ninth birthday, that small Craftsman set has grown over the decades to include tools from my Great Granddad, both Grandpa's, and my uncle. I don't use that old 3/8" socket set much these days, but I still remember the feeling of pride when Grandpa Joe handed me that toolbox.

 

When I hang up my wrenches they'll be passed down to my son. He'll be able to show his kids and grandkids tools from a time when quality hand tools were made in America.

 

That sounds like a better set of tools than I currently have. After my dad died I got most of his tools. I’m pretty sure if he could come back for just one day he would spend most of it kicking my ass up and down the street for what I have done with them. He was the head mechanic at the local Ford dealership for many years so he had ‘good’ tools.

A lot are just plain missing over the years, others are no longer functional.

Its not all my fault, I bought the house after his death and left the garage with the tools open for family and friends to use even while I was away in Minneapolis working most of the time.

By the time I figured out that some people were just taking things and started locking the garage when I was gone it was a little to late.

Dad had a big Kennedy roll around tool box with mostly SK Wayne tools but there were also a lot of Snap On and Craftsman tools in there. In the bottom were Chicago Pneumatic air wrenches in various sizes.

He did not own any ‘cheap’ tools. In my own little carry around tool box were all manner of Japanese and made in India ‘junk’ tools. I knew I would be losing and breaking my stuff so did not even want to invest in ’good’ tools at that time.

I have a combination of what’s left of dads tools and many I have bought since. Its not a bad selection but most are Chinese now.

It seems like every time I turn around I need something I don’t have so I buy more tools. It seems that all cars are metric now days too so I’ve been buying more of those.
I’ve been buying mostly Kraeuter brand tools lately, I get them at Sears, they seem to be decent tools though most of the time just a tad cheaper to buy than the Craftsman line.