I have Craftsman tools that are 30 years old. Through my own abuse of it, I broke a socket the other day. I took it to the local Sears store at 7 in the evening, the "tool man" there looked at it and handed me a replacement, no questions asked. That's hard to beat. Like Chris said, you just can't beat the convenience and the quality is at least a 7 on a 10 scale. I am speaking if Craftsman hand tools now, some of their power Tools are pretty cheaply made. Don't ovelook Stanley tools either. Their quality and gaurantee is also good for the home mechanic.

For some of the specialty tools that you only need once every couple years, be sure to check at AutoZone. They have tools like ball joint seperators and presses and wheel pullers that they loan out for free to customers. They run your credit card slip when you take them and tear it up when you bring them back in working order. Beats the heck out of hourly charges at the local rental place. They are a great resource.

Pat

Pat