Snap on or Craftsman tools?

[91idi]

Screw drivers are snap on or Mac. Being around a body shop you learn to not cut corners on screw drivers, wrenches, and sockets. They can be the difference in a good or bad day.
Just remembered I hate dad's adjustable chrome snap on wrenches. Have a 100% rounding off streak!

 

[dsltech83]

I turn wrenches every day all day, used craftsman for the first year, broke so much stuff got tired of it bought a snap on set and never looked back. Yeah its expensive but my snap on dealer is very good to me, no questions asked warranty. Shows up every week. no other competition around(Mac, matco, etc) so that was my choice. As for being on a budget craftsman will work for school.

 

[heff]

j h williams=snap-on and usa kobalt tools.

and remember just because it says snap-on doesn't mean they made it.
most truck brands use a different manufacturer for their air tools (most guns on the trucks are ir)
and a lot of the specialty tools are made by someone else, and usually made overseas.
so don't get caught up using something because of the name on it.
use what is comfortable in your hands, and has a good warranty.
and you won't break much if you use the right tool. might wear something out but won't break
many tools if you use them properly.

 

[racer30]

SNAP-ON 30,000.00 worth and still counting, They never let me down.

 

[CSARebel916]

I'm going to weigh in on this. I started out with Craftsman tools, but as soon as I started to use them everyday I learned very quick that Craftsman weren't going to cut it. I have been turning wrenches professionally for over 10 years now. I have only 2 socket rails of Craftsman sockets in my tool box now. I went an bought Snap-on, S+K, Cornwell, MAC, and Matco. The best wrenches I have found are Snap-on, S+K, or Gearwrench. As for sockets, Matco, Snap-on, or GP (Grey Pneumatic). GP are made over sea's, but have a lifetime warranty. Most tool guys carry them. All 4 that stop at my shop have them on their trucks. Rachets I only have Snap-on. When used right, I haven't broke one yet. They have a great 80 tooth design. Now for air tools, I prefer Snap-on. I haven't had one let me down yet, and they have the most torque on the market. Also all my battery powered impact tools, (1/2, 3/8, 1/4) guns are Snap-on. All and all I have over 30k with tools and box, and that number grows EVERY week! lol

With you going to school, you SHOULD get a really nice discount with one of the major tool brands. I know Wyotech, gets like 40-60% off Snap-on.

 

[riotwarrior]

Wow....quite a nice variety of thoughts...good I like seeing this.

I don't know but I"v broken about any and every brand of tool, no one more specific than any other. One thing I don't like is the loss of tools. That's expensive and premium tools lost hurt....

Ratchets to me don't break as often as others here seem to say, I've beaten the crap out of some tools...and they still keep on...

What was said is buy tools that are comfortable for you. The premium ones lets say SnapOn when oily are a ****** to hang on too, then the craftsman raised panel are not too bad....

Play with some tools, see how they feel, put lots of pressure on them, I hate snap on ratchets they burn out my hands just by design...small handles...big hands...they SUCK...for me!

Craftsman raised panel ratchets fit better for me....

I've a selection of just about all of them...Mac, Snap On, Craftsman, Proto, Westward, SK, Lots of the Canadian Tire house brand Mastercraft, they have a no issue warranty and I get premium service from my tool guy at the store...I've broken one ratchet....but that's well...um...my own fault...20" handle ratchet with 3 foot pipe snipe...ya...gonna break something!

All in all buy into your tools as you feel the need.

My goal now ....some more impact sockets and more importantly

6.9/7.3 specific rotunda tools!

Al

 

[racin460]

Williams is a snap-on company now, very nice tools (don't ask the truck guy about them that really ****** them off ) www.powertoolbox.com
and if you really want snap-on tools buy used off eBay (they have a life time warranty) even if there good when you get them a good vice n a hammer gets you brand new off the truck.

 

[racin460]

O and yea CDI torque products makes all snap-on torque wrenches there half the price of a snap-on and the same tools

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

In our shop, we broke so many Snap-On sockets that the route-truck guy won't even slow-down when he passes the shop.

His first visit was all "if anything breaks, just sit it on the counter and I will replace it with a new one on my next visit."

When he next visited, there were about five broken impact sockets sitting there waiting for him.

He grimaced and gritted his teeth and mutteringly replaced them.

Likewise on his next and final visit, and we haven't had him grace our establishment since.

Curiously, in our more than 60 years of existence, the MAC guy has never stopped.

Good old Harbor Freight PITTSBURGH sockets easily outlast them all and I can buy a whole set of H-F for what one measly Snap-On will cost.

I know others will argue the point until doomsday, but I have as good results with H-F PITTSBURGH tools, be they end-wrenches or sockets and ratchets, as I have ever had with any of the stylish fancy-name brands.

Nearly every tool in my personal arsenal has came from H-F; I wrench on tough projects as much as anyone; and, I can't remember when I have had a tool to fail, break, slip off, or perform un-satisfactorily in any way.

I have friends who slobber at the mouth whenever the Snap-On or MAC truck pulls in their drive-way; these guys are in debt to their eyeballs to these tool-truck drivers, paying enormous monthly payments and interest.

It is purely a racket, where nobody wins but the route-truck salesmen and the parent company.

I don't hold it against anyone if they can afford to go "first class"; but, my meager money comes much too hard to give it all to the fancy tool guy, when I can do just as well at less than 1/20 the cost.

 

[Rot Box]

I'm approaching 10 years in industrial maintenance along with working on cars and motorcycles since I was young. If there is one thing I've learned about tools it's that I hate Craftsman with a passion. Their sockets, wrenches and adjustable wrenches are ok for the at home tool box but their ratchets and anything from the "Professional" line is garbage.

I like Snap-On/Blue-Point. If I've broken one of their tools it was usually my fault not the tool itself.

 

[Dzlnut]

I am a Deere ag mechanic and IMO it is all about the warranty. You only want to buy this stuff once, so go with the best warranty.

 

[sassyrel]

Craftsman only warranties the made in US stuff...and sadly, more and more of it is made in China. They also wont warranty anything if you use it for your profession.

and thats what a lot of people dont get..the sears joint in the town over from me,,is getting to be a pain in the ... on warranty...

 

[sassyrel]

matco,mac, craftsman,,are ok for light use,,but otherwise are junk..try and get continous warranty off of them,,and they soon wont stop anymore...Snap on, makes near all there own stuff,,and here in the usa..their blue point line,,can be made anywhere.. if you want to see the quality of that other junk, take one of their combination wrenches, and use the open end,,on a known hard piece of nut,,in a vise,,then take the end,,and turn it..see how much that wrench expands,,before it slips over the nut,,and rounds it...thats the first thing,,that turned me off of junk mac,,the first year i started as a mech..in 1970......................and the brands not Snap on,,are just as bad...talk all you want,,but Snap on is world leader for a reason...its called forever quality..

 

[bagpiperjosh]

Harbor Freight for impact sockets. I haven't broken one yet.

for occasional use, sure.. for professional everyday use, no thanks. i have seen them shatter and do serious damage. Now, i still own a set of HF impact sockets, but they dont get used often.

 

[lilredtdi]

My opinion which mirrors others here:

Buy what you can afford of the best quality as you can afford it. If you cannot pay cash, you cannot afford it.

I was a heavy mechanic in the ARMY our issued tools were nearly all SK and I cannot remember breaking any.

My personal toolbox has a mish mash of everything. From Craftsman, Mac, HF, JH Williams, SK, Thorsen, etc. They all work.

My first experience with Snap on was not a good one. I was 17 years old and just out of HS. I worked at a generator repair shop and one day broke a 3/8" ratchet. The snap on guy just happened to show up about 5 minutes later. Thinking I had to replace that ratchet immediately I got sucked into buying a ratchet from him, as all the other guys raved about snap on tools and flocked to the truck like God had just appeared. $35 later I had a shiny new ratchet. Now this was 1985 and $35 was alot of money when I was only making $7-$8 per hour. Anyway, shiny new ratchet in hand I went back to work. 10 minutes the guts puked out on that new ratchet.

Funny enough, I STILL have that broken ratchet in my toolbox next to all of my other 3/8" cheapies hoping to one day catch up with a snap oin guy to exchange it......LoL

It is hard to make and keep money these days. Like I said buy the best QUALITY you can afford not the best name. You can always swap the tools out slowly when you are established, making real money if you find a brand you like. Ya never know you may hate being a mechanic and your $10,000 dollar tool box with remote locks and a radio my end up on CL for cheap like the thousands of other on there..........LoL

I decided between the ages of 18-26 I did not want to be a lifetime heavy mechanic. Heavy parts on dirty vechcles. What sealed the deal was working on vehicles covered in snow/rain dripping on my head and down my neck.