Snap-On

[Paul Pless]

I could never pay retail for new Snap-On mechanics tools. However, there's a guy selling out complete subsets on craigslist locally for a little under half retail. How much of a discount would it take for you to buy such tools?

[Keith Wilson]

How much of a discount would it take for you to buy such tools?

Down to the price of tools for mere mortals. I'm not rich enough to put jewelry in my toolbox.

[Flying Orca]

Are they really that much better than, say, Craftsman?

[switters]

60%

I just looked at a 15 mm wrench on Snap-on. 30 bucks. Over the weekend I had to buy a 15MM from the local hardware shop, an Allen brand, and that was 12 bucks.

which reminds me of a rant about selling a set of metric wrenches without a 15mm, but I'll save that for later.

[Paul Pless]

I just looked at his advertisements again. He posted them this morning and already the english and metric sockets sets at $1,300.00 apiece used have sold as have the english and metric combi wrench sets at $500.00 each (also half price). His drivers and socket end wrenches and $3,000.00 tool box haven't yet.

[Keith Wilson]

re they really that much better than, say, Craftsman?

No. They have a lot of specialty tools for auto mechanics, but the standard stuff, while very nice, works no better.

[Canoeyawl]

There is a difference.
You only have to break a socket and chop off one finger to figure that out.

[Tall Boy]

I don't buy hot tools.

[Flying Orca]

No. They have a lot of specialty tools for auto mechanics, but the standard stuff, while very nice, works no better.

Check. I just had a look at their prices and I think I'll stick with Craftsman.

[leikec]

Does Sears still take tools back without asking you how you broke them?

Jeff C

[brad9798]

Hell ... even Stanley is fine 99% of the time ... I prefer Craftsman ... but I do have a few automotive snap-ons ... but I have been making my specialty tools of late with a socket ... a piece of steel and a tig welder ... that works just fine too ...

[brad9798]

@JeffC- yep ... for CRAFTSMAN ... not the SEARS sockets/wrenches ...

But so does harbor freight ... on most things ... hmmm ...

THAT being said- CRAFTSMAN tools are better than 99% of the stuff at HF ... but the low initial investment (Pittsburgh tools) along with the sometimes hassle of taking them back for a replacement is most times worth it ...

B

[boatbuddha]

My dad was a mechanic and for a lot of the specialty stuff he did go to snapon but all of his basic tools were craftsman.

[moTthediesel]

Snap On is OK, but if you work on Brit Bikes, and you care enough to want the very best, then you must have --



Oh yeah baby --- KING DICK!!!

http://www.kingdicktools.co.uk/index.htm

[bobbys]

10 years ago i went for my coffee can full of wenches to fix chippers, tar pots dump trucks and very fast figured out i needed mechanic tools..

I put together a set.

Snap on basic wrench set in American and metric.

snap on Sockets shallow and deep American and Metric.

2 snap on ratchets..

One set snap on screwdrivers.

Everything else Craftsman. Extension bars and universals Harbor freight type stuff..

3/4 set sockets HF too..

If i had to do it all over again i would just buy a big Craftsman set but still would add the Snap on sockets..

That little bitty better made stuff makes a very big difference..

One would not think so but the screwdrivers and sockets are much better.

The wrenches are very good but so smooth i keep slipping my grip.

[brad9798]

I agree, bobbys ... but as you (and me) know ... you KNOW what to buy GREAT quality ... and you know what sizes to buy cheap (HF) to save a ton of money ...

Many here do NOT know this ... but when they do, they can, and WILL save a BUNCH on tools ... HF has its advantages in many, MANY areas ... like pliers ... picks ... MOST screwdrivers ... and others, as you know, sir.

[tigerregis]

Weren't the wrenches "Blue Point"?

[Peter Malcolm Jardine]

I have a pretty wide range of mechanics tools, from basic wrenches to torx head sockets, allenhead sockets, breaker bars, sockets up to 1 3/8
1/4, 3/8, 1/2 inch ratchets, and I also have a lot of specialty pliers, such as snap ring and big sidecutters. I have Snap on, Mac tools, Westward, Vice grip, Lufkin, Starret, Mastercraft, and probably another 6-8 brands in mechanics tools. I keep a craftsman equivalent socket set as a part of my permanent tool kit on Vanora, but a lot of my sockets at home are Snap or Mac. They're stronger, the walls are thinner (VERY important) and they have higher tolerances on their fit, as well as either six or 12 point in most of them. I also have Snap On screwdrivers, pliers, snap ring pliers and more. I bought a Mac 12 piece ratcheting wrench set last year and I like it... It was 300 dollars, but well worth it. Although Snap On is a premium price, it is also a premium tool. A lot of my Snap On stuff is over 25 years old, and some of it 40 plus, because I bought some used.

Opinions vary, but you will not see a professional mechanic using Craftsman too often. I don't buy Craftsman anymore because Sears has absolutely dreadful inventory on tools here in Canada, and mediocre to poor service. With Snap On, I don't have to get it repaired, it doesn't break.

[brad9798]

Snap On does NOT break, PMJ ... you are CORRECT!!!

But in the states, Crafstman is a dime a dozen ... not problem with availability ... and other than rebuilding a motor, they are fine for everything else ... you are correct, however, that when working on a motor, the thinner walls on sockets can often times make ALL the difference!!!!

B

[Mrleft8]

I just whittle them out of Hickory splits, with a Barlow knife, and a shard of coke bottle glass I found stuck in my foot one day..... Metric, SAE, Imperial, Organic, Acoustic As long as the nut doesn't bottom out at the end THat

[Mrleft8]

But when I do buy and put wrenches......bought from the DOLLAR STORE om my groniclers.... They funny...

[hokiefan]

When I worked in the paper mill maintenance shop the mechanics owned their own tools. For basic hand tools they all used Craftsman, except for pipewrenches which were Ridgid. Period. That said, in a paper mill a 1" box end was a relatively small wrench. The Instrument and Electrical guys used Crescent wrenches, but they were toy tools.

Cheers,

Bobby

[ChrisBen]

But when I do buy and put wrenches......bought from the DOLLAR STORE om my groniclers.... They funny...

Dang.. now where'd I put that ring?

[brad9798]

Funny thing is I have a 5/32 4mm snap on in my pocket ... who wants it?

Seriously.

B

[hokiefan]

Funny thing is I have a 5/32 4mm snap on in my pocket ... who wants it?

Seriously.

B

Your egg cracker I guess!!!

Cheers,

Bobby

[Ian McColgin]

Snap-on are not worth it for the home craftsman or even the semi-pro. A person using the tools daily and using them hard will find them cost-effective on a career long horizon.

[Bob Cleek]

Snap-on are not worth it for the home craftsman or even the semi-pro. A person using the tools daily and using them hard will find them cost-effective on a career long horizon.

I agree completely. Snap-on is finestkind, but you really have to use them all the time for a living before the premium price makes sense. Remember, too, that the pros who use Snap-on are buying them tax-free because the cost is a deductable business expense and probably claiming the depreciation. That makes the price a little easier to swallow.

Sears' policy, last time I checked, was that all Craftsman brand HAND tools they sell are guaranteed for life. I had a really old Craftsman half inch ratcheted socket driver I picked up somewhere along the line, probably at a garage sale. Somebody's used it for a hammer, more than once. The spring died. I brought it back. They gave me a new one right off the shelf, no questions asked. Not so for their powered tools. They have a "10-2" warranty. Ten minutes or two blocks, whichever comes first!

[bobbys]

I just whittle them out of Hickory splits, with a Barlow knife, and a shard of coke bottle glass I found stuck in my foot one day..... Metric, SAE, Imperial, Organic, Acoustic As long as the nut doesn't bottom out at the end THat

.

Are you telling us your running the Whitworth tool factory?

[Keith Wilson]

When I worked at the bicycle shop, more years ago than I care to admit, old-style US-made bikes needed a 9/16 open-end wrench to get the pedals off. When the bike has been left outdoors for a couple of years, this isn't easy, even with penetrating oil and heat. So I took a nicely spread-out 9/16 Craftsman wrench into Sears; the guy looks at it, looks at me, and asks how long a cheater bar I used. "About six feet" sez I. He just rolls his eyes and hands me a new one.

[wharf rat]

Snap On is OK, but if you work on Brit Bikes, and you care enough to want the very best, then you must have --



Oh yeah baby --- KING DICK!!!

http://www.kingdicktools.co.uk/index.htm

Thou sayest truth. But if you work on German machinery you must have



After mechanic-ing for 25 years, I liked my Snap-On, but I loved my Stahlwille.

[leikec]

When I worked at the bicycle shop, more years ago than I care to admit, old-style US-made bikes needed a 9/16 open-end wrench to get the pedals off. When the bike has been left outdoors for a couple of years, this isn't easy, even with penetrating oil and heat. So I took a nicely spread-out 9/16 Craftsman wrench into Sears; the guy looks at it, looks at me, and asks how long a cheater bar I used. "About six feet" sez I. He just rolls his eyes and hands me a new one.

Yeah, the gland nut on a VW bug was another common way to break a socket, or a breaker bar.

Jeff C

[brad9798]

Agreed with most of it Cleek ... but your 10-2 ascertain makes you look silly ...

[bobbys]

Around 1975 i got called out on a Union Carpenter/millwright

job, Its was a requirement to have basic wenches and sockets, So i borrowed from my local loan shark to get a SK set.

I still have a few pieces.

I had/have friends that are pro Mechanics, Its a status thing too, to have snap on, the snap on truck gives then accounts.

One friend showed me he bought cheap wenches then cut them in half for tight spots, As Peter said the Snap on are thinner.

I saved up for a snap on quarter inch drive set, 350 bucks, It was stolen right off..

If you ever lay on you back under a dashboard you want the best set.

Never got another though just a 30 dollar set.

I still mourn my little set in fact i need a drink now....

[brad9798]

Done all of that laying under the dash ... on my own cars ... preferred STANLEY at the time ...

[hokiefan]

When I worked at the bicycle shop, more years ago than I care to admit, old-style US-made bikes needed a 9/16 open-end wrench to get the pedals off. When the bike has been left outdoors for a couple of years, this isn't easy, even with penetrating oil and heat. So I took a nicely spread-out 9/16 Craftsman wrench into Sears; the guy looks at it, looks at me, and asks how long a cheater bar I used. "About six feet" sez I. He just rolls his eyes and hands me a new one.

That's why my paper mill mechanic buddies said wrenches have a box end. They honestly wouldn't pay for, or use an open end wrench. To this day I listen to them in the back of my head... the real wrenches are box end!!! That said, you can't take off a bike pedal without an open end 9/16".

Cheers,

Bobby

[Keith Wilson]

Lordy, I just looked up the prices of Stahlwille tools!! I have one Stahlwille screwdriver I got in Costa Rica, of all places, many years ago. It's nice, but not that nice. Maybe I should put it in the vault or something.

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

Lindstrom for pliers and smal cutters.

[Peter Kalshoven]

When I was a kid, the mechanic at the construction supply house where I worked had the big red box full of Snap-On tools, with weekly visits from Mr. Snap-On. In the corner of the shop was the company tool box, full of an assortment of crap, mostly Buffalo Forge, IIRC. One day the owner's son came in, asked to borrow a couple of wrenches for a job in the warehouse. The mechanic walked over to the corner, dug around, and pulled out two wrenches. The son said, "Hey, why do I get the Buffalo Forge wrenches? You let Pete use your Snap-Ons!?!" The mechanic looked him in the eye, and said, "Pete brings them back. You don't." And back to work he went.

Loved using those tools, but I own mostly Craftsman. I do have one Snap-On screwdriver I picked up in a yard sale years ago. It really is better.

[The Gentleman Sawyer]

A mechanic friend of mine says that Snap On wrenches, being smooth and polished, are much more comfortable to use, especially for someone making their living by turning them all day.

Ken

[Vince Brennan]

....Not so for their powered tools. They have a "10-2" warranty. Ten minutes or two blocks, whichever comes first!

No more! It's now a "Two-Two" warranty: Two seconds or two feet. Just won''t buy anything at Sears anymore, and I once had a house where EVERY-thing was a Kenmore.

[bob winter]

Snap On tools are wonderful and I have enjoyed using them when I have had a chance - a rare event. The thin walls on the sockets can be very handy in a tight spot. However, Craftsman or Mastercraft will do the job just fine most of the time and if you break one both Sears and Canadian Tire will replace it, no questions asked.

If I were a professional mechanic, I would go SO or Mac but the cost cannot be justified otherwise.

[bob winter]

No more! It's now a "Two-Two" warranty: Two seconds or two feet. Just won''t buy anything at Sears anymore, and I once had a house where EVERY-thing was a Kenmore.

Sears are not what they used to be. Got to wonder how long they will be around. All made in China now, as far as I can see.

[Tall Boy]

I agree completely. Snap-on is finestkind, but you really have to use them all the time for a living before the premium price makes sense. Remember, too, that the pros who use Snap-on are buying them tax-free because the cost is a deductable business expense and probably claiming the depreciation. That makes the price a little easier to swallow.

When I worked at a gas station back in the 60's the snap on truck would come by and give you a smokin deal on a nice big EMPTY rollaway with your first starter set.....then he would come by every week on payday, collect a little money and sell a few more tools to help fill that big rollaway. I bought something every week for about 3 years, then I got into boats full time.....still have the rollaway (allmost full).

[Figment]

Sears are not what they used to be. Got to wonder how long they will be around. All made in China now, as far as I can see.

You're probably right. I needed blades for my new/old craftsman mower, and happened to have a good chunk of time to kill at a mall anchored by a Sears. While looking for the blades I was ASTOUNDED by how low the prices were on the new mowers. Either they're loss-leaders, or they're just plain cheap crap.

Anyway, I hadn't pulled the old blades off yet and there wasn't a parts book at the blade rack so I wasn't certain that I had the correct blades in my hand, so I approach the sales guy with the longest mustache and say "Hey I'm not sure I have the right blades here, can you..." "No those are the wrong ones, you need the ones for a 917-model, right? they're over here". Now how the HECK did he know that?

The products may be crap, but the people are still pretty good, it seems.

[brad9798]

Progress in automation in production has GREATLY lowered the price on many things that USED to be way more expensive ...

Here in the states, I have never even been asked for an ID when returning a Craftsman tool ... not that I have returned too many.

That reminds me ... I need to return two (2) screwdrivers tomorrow ... not sure how my son bent them ... but what the heck ... with the thousands and THOUSANDS I have spent on Craftsman over the years, I do no feel guilty.


B

[switters]

When I worked at a gas station back in the 60's the snap on truck would come by and give you a smokin deal on a nice big EMPTY rollaway with your first starter set.....then he would come by every week on payday, collect a little money and sell a few more tools to help fill that big rollaway. I bought something every week for about 3 years, then I got into boats full time.....still have the rollaway (allmost full).

I was thinking of something similar when I first replied. Just out of the service I was working at a small FBO, I did everything from fueling to engine tear downs but did not have my A&P. I started with a basic set of craftsman. One day the Snap on truck showed up and the guy started talking to me. My boss came over and put me back to work and sent the guy on his way. Then he had a long talk with me about buying tools on credit. Some of the best advice I ever took. Those craftsman tools got me through two years of the flight line, a season of self employed small engine repair, a year of being service manager at an equipment rental store, and countless POV repairs including two engine rebuilds.

I have used several deep well sockets over the years to remove wrist pins from pistons, no one at sears has ever asked how they got that way.

[Curtism]

Snap-On? If you're just gonna use the wrenches and sockets to throw at cats, go with the Craftsman. They work just as well and seem to be every bit as accurate in flight. Then take all the money you saved to buy one of these bad boys and a few pallets of quality adult beverages to stuff it with.

[BrianW]

I use Snap On hand tools everyday. Don't even think about it.

Their ratchets break quite often, and are nothing to write home about. The wrenches are generally nice.

As far as using open end wrenches, I do it all the time. Quite often, it's the only thing that will fit.

[Curtism]

A few years ago I found a 9/16" Craftsman open-end wrench in the road, or, part of one. Along with being solid rust it was broken right at the S in the Craftsman stamp. It was also pitted from being run over by cars for who knows how long.

Out of curiosity I took it to Sears to see if they'd replace it, laid it on the counter and the sales guy asks, "Was the other end a box or was it a combo wrench?" When I told him I wasn't sure, he asked which one I wanted. I went with the 9/16"-1/2" combo. According to the guy, as long as it can be identified as one of theirs they will exchange it.

[Canoeyawl]

Weren't the wrenches "Blue Point"?

Blue Point is the less expensive, not as comfortable, not guaranteed line also sold by Snap-On dealers.

A snap on wrench will bend or yield before it breaks. This is important if you value your fingers and knuckles.

There was an application way back when, that to tighten a 12-point head bolt on a certain motorcycle to 100ft lbs the only thing that would fit was a 7/16 box end wrench. The Manufacturers service bulletin advised us to purchase the snap-on model XX wrench because it would do the job, and after a dozen uses it should be returned for a new one.
Try 100 ft/pounds with your craftsman 7/16 end wrench - lol