What tools you guys using?

CRESCENT (uuuhhh...crescent wrenches 8"-24")
KLEIN (screwdrivers,nut drivers,wire strippers ect.)
MILWAUKEE (Chop saw,3/4 impact wrench,drills,port.band saw,grinders,sawzall) I want to get the shears that they have....sweeeet!!
RYOBI (oribital sander)
ELLIS (4' band saw)
VARIOUS CRAFTSMAN (sockets,wrench sets ect.)
LINCOLN (sp 175T mig,AC/DC 225/125 stick welder)
So far I haven't had a problem with a single tool. All of the brands are supposedly very good as far as swapping out broken tools for new ones. I'm currently looking for a drill press and a belt grinder (hopefully I can score a Ellis). Also trying to bulk up on body hammers & dollies (sunchaser). As far as a paint gun & compressor goes I haven't bought 'em yet, any recommendations? I've got to take some pictures of my garage (and my truck) and post 'em...I can actually move around in there.

 

I bought Snap-on and Mac for work because the truck stopped there. I also bought Matco until a 5/8ths flare nut wrench spread open on a chevy Q-jet fuel inlet line. They replaced it and the new spread too. Replaced it with snap-on and had no problems.
My tools at home are mostly Craftsman and I don't have many problems with them either. Kinda wish I'd taken all that Snap-on money and invested it in Craftsman tools..

 

buy what you can afford.

Sometimes there are deals at swaps and yard sales.

the Craftsman club can save money on stuff with specials every 5-6 weeks. The snap-on guy told me to join the craftsman club several years ago to save money. So I bought a large Craftsman Pro tool box for work

I had to list and add up the value of the tools I have at work for the insurance carrier the shop has. I am over the $10k limit that they will cover if all my tools are stolen.

 

When I was in the business I had a mixture of Craftsman hand tools and some Snap On specialty tools. I think (maybe it's just my poor memory) that there are more (and less expensive) specialty tools available today. Especially if it is a tool that you will only use a few times. Harbor Freight baby! LOL

I find Snap On, Mac, and Cornwell pretty overpriced except for certain items.

 

At the shop we have a mix of tools, we have some snap on stuff, nicest wrenches I have seen. I would get a set for myself if I could find a dealer around here now that isnt a dickhead. We also have some ratchets of theres, all broke, and the dickhead local dealer wont take them back.

I bought some stanley sockets, good quality, gone through a lot of use so far and havent cracked one yet. If one busts I just take it back to wally world and get new ones.

Now we got a tool guy that comes around every couple months with a semi. He sells T&E sockets/ratchets and I have to say they are very good quality and we had one of our oldest ratchets that has been there since before I was there break and he replaced it with the newer style one no problems.

Also bought some Wisdom wrenches, lifetime warranty, only got a face polish so the sides are kinda rough, but not bad.

 

Matco and Craftsman here...along with assorted no-name cheapies for "disposable tasks"!

 

I know craftsman won't replace torque wrenches, air and power tools. They also won't replace dull or broken blades on cutters (like their Handi-Cut). Never heard of them beefing about a wrench or something, whether you're a pro or not.

A friend of mine gets the cheapest die grinders he can--has at least two in his shop at all times (one on a coiled line right at his bench). Uses the hell out of them, and when they die after a couple years just replaces them for another $20. Probably gets more life/use for the same amount of money as if he were to step up and buy an expensive die grinder (by the time the expensive one would wear out). And then if you've got an expensive one, you end up paying to have it repaired, because you can't just throw away a Snap On die grinder, can you?! I love quality tools, but for air tools, I'm going to take his philosophy.
-Brad

 

I have a leatherman with a broken knife blade and a bent and rusty screwdriver.

 

i buy craftsman and sears's cheapie companion cuz i get a discount for working at sears auto shop,,,however,,,it also means everyone else has craftsman and tools tend to go missing alot,,,
so,,i also buy specialty tools and stuff on sale from the mac guy that comes by every week to chat with me,,,i'm the only one at the shop that ever buys anything,,,,
plus he's told me he'll warrantee the air tools i bought on ebay which is WAy cool i think,,,
i have some huskystuff,,,some harborfreight,,,
than i have a miss matched assortment of stuff i've bought used or gotten from people,,

mac,, snap on ,, blue point for most my air tools cept this handy small airsaw from IR that the mac guy sold me for lewss than the mac one and it works 100% better,,,plus i figured as often as i've replaced some of my craftsman stuff that went borrowed into someone elses box,,i coulda just bought mac and never worried about anyone saying it was theirs

my advice on impact sockets would be to spend extra for good ones,,,my craftsman set sucks,,,they just don't fit quite right,,,but will do till i can buy a better one

and yeah,,,sears does NOT warrantee craftsman tools used professionally,,,,however having been a toolgirl there for a while,,it really has to do with how well you get to know the people working there,,,most the time if you don't say anything they won't ask,,,or say its from you set at home,,NOT at work,,,plus the craftsman warrantee only applies to hand tools,,NO power/air tools or torquewrenches,,,etc,,,

miss TBH

oops forgot,,i get northstar stuff for some of the alignment tools i use most everything but the tool for adjusting toe on chrysler LHS's and similar bodys works awesome

 

One of the things that I learned a long time ago. If you engrave your intials on each tool a coouple times they tend to not go missing....

 

My advice is to buy the best tools that you can afford.
Craftsman looks good compared to HF/Powerfist.
Snapon/Mac looks good compared to Craftsman.
Whatever floats your boat.
I knew a few mechanics that make their living with 'lesser' quality tools, and do fine.
Although, as an example, if I brought, say my new Kenworth into a dealer to have warranty work done and saw a "technician" torquing the head with a HF or even Craftsman torque wrench, I'd freak. IMHO, pride in your tools for the most part equals pride in your work(manship).

I believe, however, that tools can be as addictive as anything....
Personally, I cannot have too many tools, nor can I (in my mind) spend too much money on tools.)
I love my Snap-on and Mac stuff....I have other, cheaper tools for generic use, but it just doesn't feel right...

Also, I'm pretty sure that the Craftsman that you get in the US is different (higher quality) than the stuff we get here, in Canada.

 

All vintage snap-off tools from the 50's
Lincoln Electric Mig welder
Miller Industrial tig and stick welder
1930's Brown And Sharppe Mill
1940's 10" Logan lathe

What can I say, I'm vintage.

 

I too use Craftsman. I think it's genetic. My grand fathers used em, My Uncles used em, My dad used em, well you get the idea. Besides like someone else said ya save enough over Mac,Cornwell.etc. for more parts.

 

Heh, I just bought the low profile POWERFIST aluminum jack because it is the only one low enough to get under my rides.

Sockets; all Crapsman
box wrenchs; Mastercraft pro series
torque wrenches; Snap-off

a few Westward tools here and there...

any tool with a lifetime warranty...

 

cros, 10K won't cover the boxes that my tools are in(at work)
allways figgered if somebody stole my tools, i'd go sling hamburgers and get the hell out of this biz

 

I have Craftsman, Proto, Mac, Snap-on, and S-K. I think that S-K tools are the best for the money and have been for the last 15 years.

 

[ QUOTE ]
One of the things that I learned a long time ago. If you engrave your intials on each tool a coouple times they tend to not go missing....

[/ QUOTE ]

haha,,
thats a good one at my shop,,,i am the ONLY one who engraves their tools,,and they still go missing,,,
you'd think a bunch of guys wouldn't want their tools saying
"BJ" on them,,,,
oh well,,,comes with being the only chick at the shop i guess,,,

love,,,
miss ho

 

The ones my Grandfather passed down to me.

All those I've bought since then have been Craftsman.