Hand Tools...

Re: Hand Tools...

Jack Guzman from Maine

>The way I heard it when I was a mechanic buying weekly off of Mac Matco and Snap-on dealers,Snap-on designed tools.Their tools were top quality backed by excellent service and guarantees.Mac and Matco(their may be others but these are the ones I know about)created copies of Snap-on designs and did a very good job of it.Also top quality with great service. Craftsman made tools of lesser quality(at least as far as mechanics tools are concerned)and pretty poor in some instances but also had excellent service and a great money back guarantee.In my experience Husky are equal to Sears/Craftsman in quality. You get what you pay for.Cheap tools are just that-cheap.They may work fine for some people but they are inferior in quality.

This is just my opinion based on my limited experience with these brands.(about 20 years of wrenching)I admit I'm slightly prejudiced against craftsman tools but that's because of many smashed knuckles due to broken sockets or wrenches.I have never broken anything by Snap-on.---Jack

Re: Hand Tools...

Joe Rogers, Northern Virginia

>I have broken several Snap-On tools but they have given me service beyond the pale before they broke. I have also returned Snap-On tools because the chrome was peeling. Try gettng a new Mac tool(now a devision of Stanley tools) because the appearance didn't please you.JR

Re: Hand Tools...

ernie Miller

>I'm not a pro but have done my share of twisting bolts. and one thing I can tell you is that Snap on tools will last and if you have problems they will replace it no questions. but the big differance is if you hold a wrench in your hand all day you will want to hold the snap on the finish is smoother and the weight is between 1/2 &1/3 less this might not seem like much but hold your hand in the air for 10 minutes then do it with a wrench in your hand and then do it while trying to start a transmission bolt while laying on your back.

Re: Hand Tools...

Adam Cherubini

>Just a different point of view

Snap-on's tolerances and fits are tighter- the closer that socket or wrench fits the nut or bolt head, the greater the moment you can apply---maybe I said that wrong- the theory is that the wrench contacts the flat further toward the corner. In use, I've found these tight wrenches don't always fit corroded hardware or get stuck to it.

I hate the thin pattern, polished snap-on wrenches that craftsman is copying. I was swapping some "suspension"components on the line a few years back and had a hand full of hydraulic oil- maybe it was just the job or the guy with the bird on his collar behind me tapping his foot, but if felt like I was pulling and pushing the greasy blade of a butter knife.

But I suspect these issues are of less importance- I stopped breaking craftsman tools when i got an impact gun. Before that, it was nice to get replacements at Sears on a Sunday afternoon. I really really like snap-on's screw drivers. Mine have yellow handles, so I still have them all!

I was never a professional mechanic of any sort- just a driver of old german cars!

Adam

Performance

Bob Smalser, Seabeck, WA

>The major difference in performance it thinner walls....that's what you are paying for...you can get Snapons into places you can't get Craftsman.

There was a side-mounted fuel injection pump on my Case 850 crawler

that the inner mounting bolt was so difficult to get at it required a Snapon articulated quarter-inch socket. My Craftsman socket wouldn't fit - walls too thick.

And I'm just a tree farmer - a professional mechanic encounters those situations often.

Re: Hand Tools...

Matt Berry in Mi

>You get what you pay for. One thing to remember about "Lifetime" warranties is they are no good if the tool can't do the job at hand. With that said it pays to buy the more expensive tool as it is usually a better fit, finish and the overall quality is typically better.

Agree

Denis Chénard, Orléans, Ont.

>My father was a mechanic, and in too many occasions to tell only Snap-on tools would fit.

As for service, at one point he inherited a chest of mostly Snap-on tools. The 1/2" drive ratchet was shot. He gave it to the Snap-on rep and got it back, fixed, not replaced... That ratchet was at least 25 years old, still Snap-on could service it.

The downside is the heart attack you get when you see the price for these tools...

DC

Re: Hand Tools...

Luke Herzberg

>Let's see...you'll want Crescent brand adjustable end wrenches and Allen brand hex keys and Channel Lock brand slip joint pliers and Vise Grip brand locking pliers...oh, and don't forget the Band-Aid brand adhesive bandages!

- Luke

Re: Agree(in some cases)

Bob Hackett

>While Snap-on makes some of the best wrenches and sockets in the industry and backs them up with a fine warranty program not everything that comes off those trucks is worth the cost of carrying it home.

Mac toolboxes are warranteed for life,Snap-on is not.I found this out only after I had traded my Mac in and put myself $2,000 in debt.Blue Point air tools sold off the same trucks as Snap-on are made in Japan and the exact same tools can be had with a better warranty at half the price thru places like MSC for example.

There are companies out there who turn out fine quality tools that work better for far less than Snap-on.Matco screwdrivers with the rounded triangular handles are a fine example.There are ratchets and other accessories that do things that no Snap-on tool can do and fit your hand better while doing it.OTC(Owatona Tool Company)makes some bulletproof all USA tools.There are others out there too.If you have to chase that truck because it doesn`t stop at your garage then why pay the premium price?Not all Snap-on reps are willing to warranty everything they should either.It`s a franchise folks,anyone with the money can buy a truck.A bad rep(and I`ve dealt with afew)is a major PITA and one of the main reasons I stopped buying off the local truck.

There is no denying that Snap-on has long been the "top of the heap" and a source of pride for the profesional who owns a box full of them.If you must buy the occasional tool from them and want the performance at a lower price look at the black oxide finished industrial tools they offer.The rep has a catalog,don`t let him BS you.Not near as flashy but at ALMOST reasonable prices.The only reason he doesn`t show it is because his commission is lower on the industrial side.

Mainely,Bob

Re: Hand Tools...

kevin French, Antrim NH

>When it comes to Hand Tools I have stayed with craftsman. My Father was a diesel mechanic in the 60's for Cat and he had C'man, course they were better then. He gave me a set of them a long time ago

I have some Proto and some S-K, I like, that I bought in yard sales. I also have some nonames from China in the +1" wrenches, they were cheap and I don't use then often.

Shovels, racks, pruners...etc. ALL CRAFTSMAN. Can't beat'm, can't beat the return policy.

I'm just a hobbist, I don't need fancy expensive tools. I buy C'man because of their return policy. I am hard on tools, and like to move heavy rocks. Why go get the "Bar" when you got a fiberglass handle C'man shovel in your hands. I do have TWO (2) shovels now. Did I mention I was hard on tools?

The LN of mechanic's wrenches *LINK*

Jim Brown

>20 years ago, I used to go automatically with everything Craftsman, due to the warranty. I found losing one happened more often than breaking one. No idea who really makes them for Sears these days but quality to me seems still very average.

For modern design improvements (better grip in wrenches & sockets) look at Wright Tool. Made in USA (Ohio) from US steel. Lifetime warranty too. Fancy full polish available too if you are into that. Satin chrome or black finish if not. The ratchets have more teeth so you get more effective action. They have a second tier line you probably don't want so make sure its a real Wright tool, not Cougar made by Wright. You can look for a local dealer the pro's use or the only online place I've found carrying them is Crawford Tool in Atlanta.

Proto has a good reputation too. Think they are made by Stanley. Stuff like Husky sold at the big box stores, I try to avoid.


http://www.wrighttool.com/

Re: The LN of mechanic's wrenches

Bart Leetch

>I have fount the the price you'll pay for a tool is relative to what your going to do with it & how often.

Ahem ahem voice adjustment.... if it ain't broke you ain't trying.

Wiha tools!

Bruce, a MN Galoot

>I've become very partial to their stuff, very high quality, german design and construction, wholesaled from Monticello, MN, and really nice people to boot.

Bruce, who has toured the place and wants one of everything they have.

Re: Hand Tools...

Bob Fawcett

>When I was a professional auto mechanic, I had my own shop. I was a one-man operation. Even though Crafstman and others offer lifetime replacement, the cost to me of having to stop work and run up to Sears for a broken tool was far more than the difference between a $5 wrench and a $20 one. I bought Snap-On and still have most of them after 30+ years. The ones I don't have were lost or stolen.