Originally Posted By: cmorr
From my experience the Evolv impact sockets are actually better then the Craftsman. In this case the Evolv sockets are made in Taiwan, Craftsman China.
If you don't care about COI the HF Pittsburgh Pro are better then both and have a warranty.
I also like the higher end Pittsburgh Pro impact sockets. They're made in Taiwan and nicely finished. The lower end HF sockets aren't quite as nice, though, and use CR-V instead of Cro-Mo.
I, too, have noticed that the Evolve impact sockets are made in Taiwan and the Craftsman sockets are made in China.
While there may be quality differences between Craftsman and Craftsman Evolv, I believe the main difference is the warranty coverage. I believe the Evolv tools warranty says you need to keep the receipt for warranty service.
Frankly, if I was looking for tools in that price range I'd skip Sears and get the newer Taiwanese Pittsburgh Pro from HF. Their chrome sockets appear quite nice and are made in Taiwan. Other good choices would be GearWrench or Williams imported line. Again, those are both imported, but they're a little more pricey than Craftsman Evolve.
The best deal of all would be to buy one of the remaining Craftsman USA-made socket sets. My local stores still have some of the USA made tool sets in stock.