The reality is that Crafstman is just fine for 99% of the people turning wrenches but if I were you I'd take that $900 budget and spend the money piecing together a custom set like this (product links in the text):
-Wera laser cut screwdrivers $34. The best screwdrivers you can get IMO.
-Bondhus bright guard allen set. $30. I prefer the standard end over the ball but they sell those too. You can also pick up a standard and metric smaller set for $10 each. Beta makes a really nice J handle set without the ball on the end but they'll set you back a lot of money. Nobody makes a better Allen wrench than Bondhus. I can link articles stating why if you need.
Gear Wrench socket set. For $90 you get their 1/4" and 1/2" ratchets which are among the best as well as a full set of deep and standard 1/2" and 3/8" along with extensions. The sockets are the same as anyone else's but the ratchets are why you get the set.
Knipex Plier set. $115. They make precision pliers too but I've always just bought cheap brands for those as needed.
So right there you have a good base for anything that you need for $269 or $289 if you went hog wild on hex wrenches. That leaves a good $600 or so to spend on good wrenches. That's where you want to spend your money IMO. Real Tool Reviews did a video comparing Wright, Snap-on, Crafstman, and Gear Wrench. I can't find the video but linked the Snap-On vs Wright here. Basically Snap-On and Write snapped the bolt head off and the Craftsman crescent end flexed open enough to slip and round the head. The Gear Wrench performed in the middle of Crafstman and SO/W. If you want a good budget wrench Gear Wrench is pretty damn good.
Wright metric set $177.
Wright standard set $160
So right there you're at $606 and you've given him the best screwdrivers you can buy (seriously the best money I've ever spent), the best pliers you can buy, the best hex you can buy, one of the best ratchets you can buy, and some of the best wrenches you can buy. That leaves an extra $250 to play with. You could add some Torx wrenches, get him a Milwaukee impact wrench or ratchet driver, you could add a wider range of crescent wrenches, maybe some Proto ratcheting wrenches, some breaker bars, or whatever specialty tools he might need. That way you're not getting a him a set of mediocre tools...half of which he'll never use.
That's my 2 cents from someone that researches tools way too much. There's some seriously high end stuff in there and it didn't break your budget. The reality is that most of the tools in those sets go untouched. I tend to buy the best stuff I can get for what I need rather than blowing my budget on on cheap tools full of stuff that doesn't fit my needs.
I've always liked SK. I love the way Snap-on looks but man those wrenches hurt my hands.I have a ton of craftsman stuff I’ve got over the years that have served me well. Mine you, some of these tools are well over 35 years old. I also have some SK sockets and ratchets I got when I was 18, 1/4” and 3/8”. Mind you, I’m now 59 and still use them.
80s Craftsman was the pinnacle of good, affordable toolsI have a ton of craftsman stuff I’ve got over the years that have served me well. Mine you, some of these tools are well over 35 years old. I also have some SK sockets and ratchets I got when I was 18, 1/4” and 3/8”. Mind you, I’m now 59 and still use them.
I like Kobalt too. Their 1/2" torque wrench is still going strong for me even through a lot of usage.
I have noticed more sales on Kobalt stuff since Craftsman has been sold at Lowes. Hope they don't axe the blue stuff for craftsman.
Craftsmen exclusively used the "Top tier" manufacturer for years, and that's what we all came to know and love. It was then exported to China/India, but the quality stayed because Craftsmen demanded it. That's why they did alright despite not being American Made for a few years.
That's a somewhat false myth that is widely exaggerated. While it is true that some companies like Western Forge make a ton of different brands of screwdrivers, to say that there are only a few manufacturers in the world and most are made on the same production floor simply isn't accurate. For instance, in my manufacturer list of hand tool manufacturers there are 75 some odd individual forges and manufacturers. Break those down and you'll see a whole bunch of different manufacturing locations for each. Apex Tools for instance....has 30 some odd manufacturing plants throughout the world. Wiha, Wera, Beta, Knipex, Wright, etc. all make their own tools in their own plants and many have more than one plant. My uncle owned a steel forge up until he sold it in the 80's and he said each brand had it's own dies with it's own process specifications and grades of steels and whatnot. It used to drive him nuts when people would say that there are only a few manufacturers and a lot of them are the same.I don't believe anyone mentioned it, but there are only a few producers of tools in the world.
Naturally you have Matco, Snap on, Mac, and all the big daddies. But most tool lines are made right there on the same production floor. It's just what they demand quality wise from said manufacturer.
I'm just curious what your source on this is. Knock off manufacturers try and make their products look like other lines for sales purposes (Hyundai for instance) but that doesn't mean they're made in the same place. Toolguysd did an interview with the Harbor Freight VP and he insinuated that they sourced as much of their product line as they could in house for many of their power tools. There has been all sorts of speculation as to who makes the Earthquake line but I've yet to see a definitive answer. I'm not trying to be an argumentative dick as I'm genuinely curious for my own knowledge. As you can tell I enjoy researching tools.Ever wonder why HF stuff looks strikingly similar to the "compare to" they list in their catalogs? Earthquake is Ingersoll Rand construction.
That's a somewhat false myth that is widely exaggerated. While it is true that some companies like Western Forge make a ton of different brands of screwdrivers, to say that there are only a few manufacturers in the world and most are made on the same production floor simply isn't accurate. For instance, in my manufacturer list of hand tool manufacturers there are 75 some odd individual forges and manufacturers. Break those down and you'll see a whole bunch of different manufacturing locations for each. Apex Tools for instance....has 30 some odd manufacturing plants throughout the world. Wiha, Wera, Beta, Knipex, Wright, etc. all make their own tools in their own plants and many have more than one plant. My uncle owned a steel forge up until he sold it in the 80's and he said each brand had it's own dies with it's own process specifications and grades of steels and whatnot. It used to drive him nuts when people would say that there are only a few manufacturers and a lot of them are the same.
Perhaps it's a bit of an exaggeration, but I can assure you, there are many many products we enjoy in life that have one hand's worth of manufacturers. I was always told by engineers that the rule of thumb is 3. 3 major manufacturers produce one product in various ways/flavors/brands.