What kind of tools do you run?

Dude...have a little respect. Maybe it says something to the customer that their vehicle is being worked on by a person who cares enough about what they do to buy quality tools. And it's vaNADIum...

Maybe if you bought some higher quality stuff, you'd figure out ways not to "brake" so many tools. I have a box of tools I use all day every day. Bonney end wrenches (anyone who's used them KNOWS), Snap-on ratchets and screwdrivers, Harbor Freight Pro sockets, a little of everything... I work on everything from $500,000 Can-Am cars to POS John Deere tractors (really), and I can't remember the last time I broke a general service hand tool.

Sure, you can save a few bucks at Wally World, but YOU have to live with that junk that doesn't fit, or spreads and rounds bolts off. There is a difference, and a "tourch" isn't always gonna make up for it...

 

typo sorry. and yes i run a name brand tool also but some cheeeeep ones too. just making a point you dont have to have the best to do good work . i castrate myself before you.

 

Nuts accepted...the ones hangin from my mirror are getting a little dried out...

It's all good...we all get by the best we can. Just live and let live.

 

i love you guys. i want to kiss you all in the mouth.

 

Originally had a "collection" of whatever landed in my hands.

While I was doing my active time my brother sold all of it (along with my cars, bikes, parts etc.) for his drug money so that when I got out in '68 I had exactly a car club jacket and a fiberglass cue to my name, seems those he couldn't sell. Took my mustering out pay to Sears and started over with a buncha Craftsman, cheap, functional and the no gaff replacement thing. Over the years I've slowly gotten back to my original style set. That is; "catch as catch can", or "eclectic".

Truth of the matter is, it really is "the magician" rather than "the wand". I consider myself a decent wrench no matter what's in my hands. "Course my judgement's always been questionable..................

 

I'm just a hobbiest myself but you'll have to pry my Snap-On flank drive plus wrenches from my dead cold fingers. Best wrench money can buy. Period.

I also have some really old Tru-Fit 90* offset that I reach for an awful lot. They are a box end and like the flank drive snap-on they never slip. I don't see them much but they are worth it if you can find a set.

I got some old style Craftsman ratchets ... been using them 15years without a problem. My grandfather used them before me. I did break one and instead of getting a rebuild kit for it, I traded up for a new style craftsman pro. Although it feels good ... it's already worn and I'm going to have to trade up again in the near future. My mother gave me a Kobalt (Lowes) ratchet set and some sockets. It also feels real good but I haven't used it much. I'll probably look at Kobalt for sockets in the future. They are a tight fit and seem to be made well.

I do have quite a few Snap-On sockets ... Not to say Snap-on doesn't make the best tool out there ... but the only sockets I've broken in the last 5 years have been Snap-On. Not sure what that means. I'm sure they'll replace them without question but it just isn't convenient for me to go chasing the snappy truck to replace a few 9/16 sockets.

I've been buying a lot of Armstrong as of late ... Their snake bite wrenches work for me quite well ... Especially on header bolts. They also have a ratcheting line of wrenches like the Gearwrench's ... I bought 'em cause they're made in the USA. What I like is that they have a regular box end and the same size ratcheting end. This way you can break a fastener loose with the regular end and then continue with the ratcheting end. From what I hear you can't put all that much torque on those Gearwrenches.

For power tools ... it's mostly Milwaukee ... some Makita. No problems out of either. I bought a Harbor Freight sander that still works but developed some bearing problems after the first use. Never again ...

Air tools from IR ... Except for cut off tools and die grinders. I keep two spare cut off tools and 4 die grinders all from Harbor Frieght. I was buying die grinders as spares thinking they would wear out real quick being from HF ... Not so. I keep one with a soft wire brush, hard wire brush, sanding cone and a deburring bit. They have seen a lot of abuse for less then $10 each ... I wouldn't waste the money on IR for these.

Miller welders and a big 10HP 37cfm Champion compressor will probably outlast me ...

 

I buy CHEAP.

When I bust one, I can go out and buy another and I still saved a ton of money.

If money wasn't an object, I'd buy all snap-on. But I'd have a hard time spending more on tools than my house is worth.

 

I use a huge set of REPCO tools, you guys in the US wouldn't know them but they are VERY close to Snap-On. I did have a collection of bits and pieces, some real Snap-On and a tone of crap tools. They all got stolen while I was in the Army. Taken from one of the most secure areas of the base, you need ID to get into that place at four checkpoints and a rather high security clearance. The insurance company coughed up $8.500 to replace them.
Doc.

 

I like tools with lifetime warranties. Craftsman (?used to?) has one, and I can get them within 15 miles of my house. I also have bought Ace Hardware wrenches that have a warranty, and haven't had any break yet... about five years on those. Otherwise, for power tools... dewalt, milwaukee, makita are all good... grinders, sawzall, etc.

I think it's a matter of convenience if you break one, how easy is it to return/exchange? Craftsman can't be beat, but I hear that warranty might be going away?

Ben

 

I use a cool set of Craftsman my Dad gave me from when he worked at Mack Wesetern in Hayward, Ca. before they shut down many years ago. But if come accross a deal at a flea market i'll pick them up, sometimes you can get and off brand that can hold up to daily wrenchin'.

 

I used to love SK, man they were a great company...now you find them through wholesalers at the swap meets and such...I wish I still had all my SK stuff from high school, but now I mostly buy Craftsman or some generic shit...I am rarely stupid enough to break tools, because if it don't go the first time I find another way of doing it...10 years of repairing broken plastic injection molds means you can find very creative ways of removing things...

 

I know this might piss some people off, but here goes anyway...don't waste your money on Snap-On air tools...I worked in a die casting shop that made Snap-On, Sioux Tools and another no name generic brand of air tools all from the same die, we just changed name tags depending on what we were running...the machining tolerances in house were all the same...it's amazing the shit some of these companies get away with by co-owning tooling with another company (or more)...the same goes for Stanley, Craftsman Snap-On and Banana utility knives, at one point those were all cast in the same die as well, but most of those brands have since moved on to different designs...Bondhus and 4 other brands of allen wrenches are all made from the same materials on the same tooling...food for thought...

 

Snap-On, Craftsman and some Williams tools.

 

What people don't seem to realize is that the only tools Snap-On makes that are really any better than the rest are ratchets.... any other hand tools are gonna be the same as other pro liners tools.

Don't tell me about the "confort" cause you're full of shit. lol If 1000 people told you it was comfortable to put corn cobs in your ass you'd do so with a smile on your face.

Their ratchets have finer gearing, which is nice.

Aside from that, it's just not worth the money to pay for a hyphen.

Anyone else here ever used Cornwell tools? Talk about superior! I'd personally put them over Snap On in general ANY day of the week.

 

Wrenches (standard), sockets (standard), ratchets, screwdrivers all Snap-on. Metric is mostly stahlwille and some snap-on. The whitworth I have is a mix also of stahlwille and snap-on.

I have a couple of cornwells and I think they are about the same quality as a snap-on but there isn't a truck here locally.

Mac is OK, Matco sucks. You should just buy craftsman because they are about the same quality. I used to have some matco sockets and kept breaking them.

I only have had one set of MAC sockets and they are decent, but I prefer snap-on. Just because.

I've actually never broken a snap-on tool. I sheared a craftsman breaker bar once (in my cheaper days, I thought "its a breaker bar, craftsman will be fine").

 

I too like the grip of my craftsman wrenches and ratchet, the Pittsburgh ones I got from HF aren't bad either, for a smooth finish wrench...I like those because they're extra long...bought them in the return bin wrapped in clear tape for 10 bucks for a full set...I'd buy more Pittsburgh tools given the chance...and some SK if I can find any at the swap meet or pawn shop/used tool place...

 

That's interesting on the tooling for different brands . . . wish there was more info like that available. At that point your buying a name and the ease of replacement. If I break a Craftsman tool, I can get to Sears without a problem . . . break a tool truck version and I have to wait for a replacement (not that I've ever bought from one). I've seen some nice looking stuff at Harbor Freight . . . I use some old (1990??) Popular Mechanics tools and they've done everything I've needed so far . . . from Wal-mart . . . go figure.

I'd like to have nicer tools . . . I'd like to have money for a lot of things . . . there's something to being "financially challenged". I was excited over a $60 toolchest (Waterloo -- who makes Craftsman boxes) that I got off craigslist.

I did the same thing with car stereo stuff . . . used Eminence speakers . . . didn't have "brand name" of other companies, but did the same thing and was 1/4 the price and better quality. Sometimes you just pay for fluff.

 

Oh, I almost forgot, the reason why I bought the craftsman breaker bar was because I sheared the dog in a long handled SK ratchet. I did like that ratchet, it was fine toothed.

So I bought the craftsman breaker bar, sheared that, and $127 later, I was the proud owner (still am) of a long-handled flex head 1/2 drive ratchet which still hasn't broken.

 

I have a few snap-on, but mostly craftsman and quite a bit of cheap shit (harbor freight, etc.) Generally i prefer to spend more on my cars than my tools. However, when it comes to safety (floor jacks, example,) things i cant afford to break / replace or things that demand quality (example, welders-- i run Miller / Lincoln) I'll splurge.

-scott noteboom

 

I've never wasted enough energy to shear a breaker bar...creeping oil, try to break it loose a bit, torch, try to break it loose a bit, nut splitter or cut bolt head off and drill it out or any other of a hundred different ways of removing stuck stuff...I'm too lazy to crank on something until my arms or back hurts, I'd rather just find a lazy way to get something removed...there are exceptions to the rule, but for the hobby work I do there's no reason to have to rush through things...I can see with using the tools for a living you want to be able to bust something loose fast and not worry about your tools...

I'd be willing to guess that 70% of the air and electric tools on the market are made in the same factory and on the same equipment as other lesser brand name tools (US made stuff, that is)...maybe the same is true for forged hand tools, maybe a couple different forging places make a bunch of brands in the same equipment with the same materials...the main thing with the air/electric tools is there might be a difference in the quality of the internal parts, which is a definite possibility...

 

i buy from epay (it was easy to get cheap tools a few years ago), swapmeets, garage sales, crackheads (only if the tools aren't hot) and i get hand me down stuff. sk, proto and bonney are really good tools but no one sells them around here and if no one sells them then that means no one to warranty them.it's easy to exchange them when the trucks come to your work, doesn't matter if you bought them new or not you have them now and they're broken. i even got my box, cover, cart SUPER cheap in the local paper.....everything needs to be locked up at night (also having an odd color box makes it easy to spot if stolen)

 

I don't think the others have the flank drive or flank drive plus on their wrenches and sockets. I have Craftsman combination wrenches with parts of the faces peened over the edge from the bolt head. Plus with less contact area on the fastener, it's more prone to stripping.

 

I've got some Snap On from local classifieds, but to buy them new is a rip. I'm a big fan of Craftsman stuff. Although i haven't bought any in years (haven't had to), the quality of what i have is very good. The return policy is very good, and you don't have to wait for the next Snap on truck to come around (the tool usually breaks as the Snap On guy leaves, making it a week wait). I bought a real nice set of "stubby" wrenches from Craftsman for the price of ONE "stubby" Snap On wrench. Don't get me wrong, Snap On makes a great product, they just give ya a good humpin on the price

 

Worn-Out...

And damned proud of it!

 

It was a 4x4 spindle nut which broke it. The torque spec is something like 350 ft-lbs (I can't remember exactly). 1/2 drive should be able to handle it. There wasn't any air or I would have used the 600 ft-lb IR wrench that I have. So it wasn't misused, just a piece of shit.

 

Most of my stuff is Craftsman, which goes back to my first tools as a kid. My grandfather used Craftsman tools, so when my parents started buying me tools as a teen, it was all Craftsman and I got into the habit of buying Craftsman too. I have a few miscellaneouse swap meet Snap-On and Mac stuff too. I bought some Made in China tools at Harbor Freight over the last year or so as well...but that's hit or miss - mostly miss. Any Made in China power tool I've used is total garbage. The bench grinder slows down at the slightest bit of pressure, the cordless drill has no torque, it's ridiculous. The cheap screwdrivers and pry bars and things are ok, but mostly because I don't care if I break them, not because they're actually quality tools.

 

i forgot about williams tools, they're great too. after reading this post i have to add that there is a BIG difference if your going to make a living with the tools or not. HF tools just plain suck for work but i have some at home, you don't always have the luxury to wait for a penetrant to work so you need to use a bigger tool (3/4" impact) and i have busted plenty of craftsman sockets...yes they are lifetime but when it breaks then you are left with no tool to finish the job (unless you buy doubles) so why not get one that won't break to begin with. another thing i would like to point out is that alot of the cheaper tools were months to years behind on making tools that the others had. examples are impact swivel sockets were on the trucks WAY before craftsman or HF had them or the stubby wrenches someone was talking about, i bought a set from mac a full 2-3 years before craftsman made them (by the way the gear wrench one's are the best, they have zero offset) or the long double box end zero offset wrenches cornwell just came out with, i've had a few from snap-on for about 4 years (still no craftsman or HF).

 

I have just about everything from Globemaster ( 'cause they were in a box I bought ) to snap-on , bonney , mac, proto,craftsman, cornwell, some of most brands --I do have my preferences - snap-on rachets , Mac sockets ( easier to read for these old eyes) and wrenches --well it depends on the job , some fit differently and are better for one thing than another ---so those , it depends on what fits the best at any given time ---- Yes the Mac and Snap-on won't round off nearly as many bolts as the less costly ones will

 

I use craftsman, s/k, and bit o generic crap. I am going to try some proto tools out soon. When it come to wrenches name brand does matter. I had a set of cheap standard and flare nut wrenches that would flex, slip and do anything but remove a bolt. Bought a set of S/K flare nut wrenches last month have yet to meet an old brake line these won't loosen. Just picked up a set of Kobalt screwdrivers (very nice so far) I hate craftsman screwdrivers. After many replacements I had spent more on gas taking them back than if I just bought better one in the first place.

 

Actually, damn near everyone has flank drive nowdays. Most of them have since Snap Ons patent as a single manufacturer of this technology ran out years ago. SK has a set of wrenches that are the same exact thing. I know this because I own them.

The "appearance" may not be identical, but the technology is. All "Flank Drive" is is a way of making sockets and wrenches so that they make contact and put pressure on the flats AND the corners when you turn them. Everyone does that now. Nothing new... and definitely nothing to pay a ton of extra cash for.

Again, you're paying for a hyphen.