Snap on tools for the home user/weekend mechanic - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

t walgamuth · #16 05-22-2008, 08:09 AM

I discovered the other day that I have one 1/2" snap on box/open combo. I don't know where it came from and its rusty and I have never used it. I am excited to have a snap on tool though!

Most of my tools are about 30 year old Craftsman because thats when all my tools were stolen from my garage at my old house. I have a bunch of them that I have ground off sections of to make them work for that special job. I have had the ratchets go south once or twice but that's all I can remember. I have some other fairly high quality ratchets that I prefer over the craftsman because the ratchet teeth are much smaller and that makes it possible to turn a nut when there is not much room for handle movement. I almost never round off anything because I nearly always use a box end or socket and I make sure its on squarly before pulling.....too many scars on the nuckles already.

I have a few cheapy sets from various places made in India etc. They seem to work alright too but they look so crappy I hate to use them.

Is there a MAC on line option?

Tom W

equipmentjunkie · #17 05-22-2008, 08:15 AM

At work, we have a communal tool chest. I got tired of replacing tools of lousy quality. While the tools don't get used a lot, we are now buying Snap-On, Facom, or S-K.

There is definitely a quality difference in tools. I look at it this way: These tools are more expensive but they are completely guaranteed and I don't need to drive 15 miles to the closest Sears and fill out paperwork when there is a claim. Also, these tools are worth a significant amount on the used market. I should know since I have purchased some used Snap-On tools on eBay.

Regarding questions 3 & 4: We have had no problem at all getting our territory rep to stop by. He was very helpful and was passing out a number of his cards to the guys. While we don't buy a lot from him, he stops virtually every week. I would say that our guy is one of the better Snap-On reps, however.

Before I forget, I want to share a pivotal Craftsman experience. My father gave me a 3/8" ratchet set for Christmas when I was in college. I used the tools occassionally, but had the ratchet drive fail when wrenching on something. I busted my knuckles pretty bad, went to Sears for a replacement and they charged me $.01 for a replacement drive mechanism kit that I had to spend 1 hour installing. Ever since, I have weighed any Craftsman purchase very heavily.

bodyart27 · #18 05-22-2008, 09:59 AM

I had a Craftsman torque wrench fail in the first three months when doing lug nuts (no I was not using it as a breaker bar). As has been posted earlier - no replacement warranty. Kiss that $100+ tool goodby!

I too have become very fond of Facom / S-K tools in the past three or four years. They have a good assortment of metric stuff and those brands are the first place I look when expanding my tool collection. I've had good luck with some eBay vendors that specialize in SK tools. In my DIY pictorials I try to call out the tools I'm using and you'll see a lot of SK stuff. Hazet makes same bad-*ss tools as well on the metric side, just hard to find and pricey

I think Craftsman is a good value, especially if you are getting a good starter set of combo wrenches and sockets. Just try to catch them on sale and save at least 10%. I also have one of their godzilla tool chests which I have been very pleased with.

Johnson Chan · #19 05-22-2008, 10:00 AM

You mentioned a good point. Resale value. Craftsman has very little resale value, pennies on the dollar. I see used snap ons on ebay for 50% of there new value.

The nice thing about craftsman though, you buy a used busted wrench for 20cents at a garage sale and get a new one at a sears, although I keep hearing they are cracking down on that.

Dee8go · #20 05-22-2008, 10:06 AM

Anybody ever find Snap Ons fore sale at pawn shops?

lutzTD · #21 05-22-2008, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnson Chan

You mentioned a good point. Resale value. Craftsman has very little resale value, pennies on the dollar. I see used snap ons on ebay for 50% of there new value.

The nice thing about craftsman though, you buy a used busted wrench for 20cents at a garage sale and get a new one at a sears, although I keep hearing they are cracking down on that.

busted is busted, I think they dont mind replacing the truly busted ones. the problem came about when they got rid of the broken ones, which were salvaged by not so legal means, reintroduced into the fleamarket supply chain and ended up being warrantee replaced multiple times as the cycle grew. i would see vendors at flea markets with 1000's of craftsman tools, chipped screw drivers and such, and I would bet these were supposed to be destroyed somewhere, where would a person get 1000's of craftsman tools with chips if it wasnt through some back door process

hobbitss · #22 05-22-2008, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lutzTD

busted is busted, I think they dont mind replacing the truly busted ones. the problem came about when they got rid of the broken ones, which were salvaged by not so legal means, reintroduced into the fleamarket supply chain and ended up being warrantee replaced multiple times as the cycle grew. i would see vendors at flea markets with 1000's of craftsman tools, chipped screw drivers and such, and I would bet these were supposed to be destroyed somewhere, where would a person get 1000's of craftsman tools with chips if it wasnt through some back door process

I've wondered about this... Check out Ebay...
There is a guy that has been selling broken Craftsman tools in 40, 50 and 60# Bin lots and he's been getting over 100.00 and some times over 200.00 a bin for them... Look thru' the item descriptions and then check out the selling prices here...

http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=crabshooter&&ftab=FeedbackAsSeller&sspagename=VIP:feedback:2:us&iid=190223979933
Looks like he might be running out of broken stock, but he's been selling them for weeks... Kinda refutes the comment that Craftsman tools don't have much of a resale value when broken ones are selling like crazy and for crazy prices....

Johnson Chan · #23 05-22-2008, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hobbitss

Kinda refutes the comment that Craftsman tools don't have much of a resale value when broken ones are selling like crazy and for crazy prices....

Yeah but that guy is selling 50lb lot and MANY tools for $100, whereas 1 or 2 snap on rachets go for $100. A set of 10 metric sockets USED can easily get $100 for the snap on brand on ebay.

If I were a cashier at Sears and some guy brought in a dozen broken tools at once, I would be very suspecious

Johnson Chan · #24 05-22-2008, 12:53 PM

PS, look at what that guy is selling now. 1/2" broken rachets, if you look at the picture, all the internals and guts are missing. Will Sears even honor there warranty if its all dissasembled like that?

Matt L · #25 05-22-2008, 01:42 PM

I have purchased one Snap-On tool new, and that was a 1/2" x 3/8"-drive crows-foot wrench. I got it after I broke the Craftsman equivalent.

I needed the wrench to torque the cylinder base nuts on an old motorcycle. 40 lb-ft on a 1/2" open-end wrench makes the wrench unhappy. The Craftsman wrench was flaring noticeably before shattering. The Snap-On tool was $40 for a single crows-foot, but it always held the torque. I went to a local mechanics place when the Snap-On truck was expected to buy it.

Cervan · #26 05-23-2008, 01:28 AM

I like cornwell, i have a snapon 1/2 impact ( i like it alot) but the rest of my tools are cornwell.

Cervan · #27 05-23-2008, 01:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnson Chan

You mentioned a good point. Resale value. Craftsman has very little resale value, pennies on the dollar. I see used snap ons on ebay for 50% of there new value.

The nice thing about craftsman though, you buy a used busted wrench for 20cents at a garage sale and get a new one at a sears, although I keep hearing they are cracking down on that.

i would never buy a new rachet from craftsman.. or get it replaced from them. i have a rachet that is 20+ years old from my father, and it is one of the best rachets ive ever used. But now the new craftsman rachets are out and they dont rebuild your old one, they give you a crappy new one with a PLASTIC lever to change directions!