How much is an old Craftsman wrench worth?
USA-marked Craftsman hand tools are common and often still guaranteed by the current owner’s terms. Read the current warranty before you invent one. Rust is the condition.
Craftsman hand tools, the wrenches, sockets, and ratchets sold for decades through Sears, are one of the most common things in a thrift tool bin and a garage-sale drawer. Many are marked USA. They were made by several manufacturers for Sears. A single combination wrench is a useful wrench. A complete socket set in a metal case, with the ratchet and no missing sockets, is the object that is worth counting. V-series and earlier raised-panel wrenches get attention from people who prefer the older finish. That attention is not a blank check.
The warranty is a company policy that has changed as the brand changed hands. Do not promise a buyer that a thrift-store wrench will be replaced for life unless you have read the current policy and it actually says that. This page will not pretend to be that policy. Condition is rust, a sprung jaw, a ratchet that skips, and sockets whose stamps are gone. The tools guide in the journal covers power tools and hand tools together, including the cord and the battery you cannot see from the handle.
What to look for
- The mark
- Craftsman, the size, and USA or a later country line. Raised lettering versus stamped, and the style of the panel, are how people sort older wrenches. Photograph the mark. A worn-off size is a wrench you should not guess.
- The set
- Count sockets against the tray. A missing 10mm in a metric set is the missing piece everyone needs. Say what is missing. A ratchet, an extension, and a breaker bar are the parts that make a set a set.
- Function
- A ratchet should click in one direction and lock in the other. A wrench jaw that is sprung open will round fasteners. Look at the jaw. Do not sell a sprung wrench as a good one because the handle is shiny.
- Rust
- Surface rust on a wrench is ordinary and often honest. Pitting in the jaw is a problem. A plating of grease can hide both. Wipe a sample of the tools before you buy a drawer by the weight.
What moves the price
- One versus a set
- One common wrench comps against one wrench, which is often less than the trouble of listing it. A complete SAE or metric set comps against sets. Do not multiply a per-wrench hope by 22.
- Country mark
- USA-marked tools are the ones people specify. Later imports can be perfectly good tools and a different search. Do not hide the country line. If there is no country line, say so.
- Completeness and case
- The metal case, the tray, and the paper size chart are part of a set listing. A coffee can of mixed sockets is a can. Sort it or describe it as mixed.
- Versus new
- A new mechanics-tool set has a current price at a store. Used Craftsman has to beat that for a buyer who only wants to turn bolts. For a buyer who wants the older wrench, the comp is the older wrench. Know which buyer you are pricing for.
Where to sell
- Local first
- Hand tools are heavy. A complete set is a local pickup sale. One or two interesting wrenches can be listed online if the sold comps survive the fee and the stamp is readable.
- eBay, selectively
- Older styles, complete small sets, and ratchets people seek. Photograph the mark and the tooth of the ratchet. A skip should be stated. Lots of ordinary wrenches belong in one lot titled as such.
- Use
- A sound used wrench under the price of a new one is a good buy for a toolbox. That is the buying-used test, and it does not require a collector.
What a photo can settle
The mark and size, the jaw, a ratchet’s head, and a wide shot of the set so missing slots show. Worth can read Craftsman from a clear stamp. It cannot hear a skipping ratchet or know if the 1/2-inch socket is the only one you photographed.
Questions
- Does Craftsman still replace old tools for free?
- Policies changed with the brand. Read the current warranty where the brand publishes it, and do not tell a buyer a thrift wrench carries a promise you did not verify. A warranty is not a price.
- Are all USA Craftsman wrenches valuable?
- They are common, well-regarded user tools. Common means the single wrench is often worth using, not listing. Sets and particular older styles are where a resale comp is worth running.
- Should I polish them?
- Wipe grease and loose rust. A buffed, rounded jaw is damage. Leave the stamp readable. Oil the ratchet lightly and say if it skips.