Craftsman vs. Snap-on vs. Mac. vs. ac delco vs. rubbermaid

I voted for Snap-On, but I actually use Craftsman. I have used Snap-Ons and loved them, but can't afford them. My opinion is that they are tops over all others.

 

If I could afford all snap-on, that would be the only tool in the box. As for now, I have part snap-on and part Allen tools. I have tried sears ratchets but I think they are junk compared to a snap-on ratchet. Same with screwdrivers, snap-on is my choice. I have the 10 piece kit but this ratcheting snap-on is one of my favorite tools. My other favorite tool is my Dewalt 18v cordless drill. That is one tool I couldn't live without! I'm just glad that we don't live in the stone age... Working with rocks would be a real knuckle buster!

 

Sorry, but I would have to disagree with you on that. They do break often.......... When they do, it isn't about getting it replaced free. It's about the down time it causes by breaking in the first place. Nothing worse than doing a job that is supposed to take 2 hours and then spending an extra hour chugging across town to replace a tool you have to have to finish the job. Then, when you get there....... they don't have it. I wonder if the customer would be that understanding at 6pm when he comes to pick up his ride and you tell him, "Sorry sir, my socket broke and Sears didn't have a replacement in stock, so I couldn't finish the job".
If you are a professional, there are no excuses.......... you truely do get what you pay for! I can call my Snap-On guy and have him meet me somewhere or stop at my shop if I really need a tool replaced.......... which has only happened once.
Other tools can "get you by", but a quality tool can "get the job done".

Mike

 

I use Craftsmen, but only because my set of SK tools, got stolen out of my blazer along with everything else......

 

I broke my 18" Craftsman channel locks the other day (don't ask me how....because I don't know. I must be stronger than I thought!!) I took them back and the stupid kid gave me a hard time about exhanging them because he couldn't read where it said Craftsman on it.

um, kid, it was nothing more than ink when I bought it. It has been 3 years. The words are gone. I asked for a manager and they exhanged it for me.

I've had three 1/2" ratchets break, a couple impact sockets and 3/8" adaptors...lots of shovels and garden rakes...

If I could justify the expense, I would switch instantly. Fact of the matter is, I don't use them enough to do it. Plus, I get free new ones anyway. I only make a few extra trips every year to exhance broken tools. It's worth it to me.

 

As a starving student just graduating from A & P school, my tool box is mainly filled with CRAFTSMAN tools. The few SNAP-ON I have are reserved for the really critical situation when time and damage potential are important. You can't beat CRAFTSMAN for the money but when the chips are down, out come the SNAP-ON. If I won the lottery tomorrow, the SNAP-ON guy would just leave his truck in my drive way and walk away grinning from ear to ear.....
Ed

:beer

 

AND

No one has mentioned Channellock's. They seem very well made. One of the coolest tools I have is a Channellock 410. Try to find a pair...they whip studs out so fast it makes your head spin. I watched one of the best wrenches I know ripping studs out of a head one day, he was flying. Looked like he was using regular pliers...but no, the 410 he was using actually grips tighter the more you push. I do not know how they do it, but they are unidirectional. The harder you push, the tighter they get. Never ever slip! cool :bglasses:

- Bill

 

Well here's the bottom line....














_______________________________ <---right there...

 

As for who makes Craftsman tools( mainly wrenches, ratchets, sockets, etc) the company is called Illinois Tool Works. They also make Husky tools too. They are a contract manufacturer.
www.itw.com

I would not be surprised if they make tools for many other brands discussed here. As for Craftsman tools, I have never had a problem except a few broken sockets, maybe 5-6 in the last 25 years. I work on Buicks and my "other" GM cars every weekend including salvage yards every Sat. I agreee the "new" ratchets are "crap" The mechanism they have designed to be held in the ratchet with a snap ring is totally garbage.

Luckily for me, my dad bought his set back in 68 and the ratchet still works today and never been a problem.

As for getting deals on tools, pawn shops here in FL are a great resource and many times you can buy brand name tools for 50 cents on the dollar (new cost). So, you can buy a Craftsman tool and if it breaks, you still have a lifetime warranty on it.

I agree, Snap-on has a name and reputation for quality. I also agree the Snap-on prices are high and I can never see what the justification from my experience for the tools being so high. I have used them and like several members have stated, you can get more tool for your money with another brand.

 

Very interesting thread...and most everything thats been said is true...

Chraftsman makes some very good tools for the average guy who works occasionally on regular stuff such as his hotrod or lawn mower.

However, if you spend a big part of your day with some kind of end wrench in your hand...lets say heavy equipment or road tractor repair....your hands do get very tired of manipulating those big, fat, heavy Chraftsmans...

Thats why I went to Snap-On and never looked back. Even after 30yrs, most of them are in as good shape today, as when I bought them in the 1970's....can't say that about my Chraftsmans.

Yes, the prices of Snap-On tools are absurd.
Quite franky the only reason I own a set is because I paid for them, by working with them...and now that I'm not in that line of work, I use my whatever I have handy...

 

Re: New Snap On product

Next he's gonna show his his "SnapOn" undies.....guaranteed not to bunch up for the life of the product

:laugh: :moonu:

 

explanation

For those of you who think spending the big bucks and Snap-on or Mac is CRAZY read on.

You have to realize that most mechanics are working on "flat rate". That means that every job you do on a car has a predetermined value in time. Example, pulling an intake off of a 2.2 cavalier to replace the gasket might pay 2.5 hours. If you can get it done in 2 hours you still get the 2.5. BUT if you do the job in 4 hours because a bolt rounded off and you wasted an hour and a half trying to cut the muther out... YOU STILL ONLY GET 2.5 HOURS!!!!:ball:


I only turned a wrench for about 5 years and I stopped buying Craftsman wrenches, sockets, and ratchets after about 6 months. The reason, I was pulling a bad engine mount out of a Beretta and one of the nuts rounded off. I spent an hour (wasted) trying to get something on there to get it loose. Even after my boogering it up for an hour "Earl" (his real name) came across the bay with a couple of his Snappy wrenches and 2 minutes later the nut was in the magnetic ashtray and the engine mount right behind it. Next day I bought a $400 set of Snap-On flank drive wrenches (metric only as I hardly used the inch pattern Craftsman) and consider them to be some of the best money I ever spent on tools.

Pliars, screw drivers and lots of other things I still consider craftsman to be fine even for professional use. Now that my livelyhood is not dependant on tools I actually bought a new set of craftsman 6 point wrenches when I started on my GS several years ago $50 vs $500+ had a lot to do with that freakin' decision!!! Have also bought Craftsman stubby wrenches for the same reason.

I'm not a big fan of their sockets but the fact that I have several Sears stores within 15 minutes of my house makes them acceptable as I can exchange them so easy. I have broken a BUNCH of craftsman sockets in my time. I remember 1 day I broke every 15mm socket I had including a craftsman impact socket. Luckily the Snap on guy was in collecting on a deadbeat mechanic and I bought one from him and about 15 min later victory was mine!!! (I'll admit I was using an impact gun here):laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Bottom line.... In my opinion you get what you pay for. The price vs quality scale is not linear though so buyer beware!!! Also between having a bag of Snappy's VS a box full of craftsman I'll take the latter any day!

regards

 

Jason those are cool! Did you get them from the dealer?

 

Re: AND

Love my Channellocks, no collection is complete without the 424, try finding a pair of these...

 

More of my favorites, gotta love the Channellock 420, seems like they get held just about everyday...

 

Though a set of metwrench socket is good to have. Them sockets that fit both standard n metric in one socket. They do work very well and hold tight. Only there is no socket for 15mm. So you gotta keep an extra 15MM in the case. They do replace allot of tool in one little case.

That is the only high prices tools I would buy.

 

Hooway!

Hooway! I just got my Craftsman catalog. They have so much more in the catalog then they do in the store. And such low prices. I looking to get a huge tool storage chest, and maybe their new line of garage storage. Yes. :grin: :Brow: :bglasses: :beer :TU: :grin:

Oh and by the way, when i was walking home from summer school i walked right in front of a Matco tools truck. I never knew what those and the snap-on trucks were until a while ago. I guess it's better, and safer than having a store with milions of dollars worth of tools.

 

Tools!

Well, I have been using hand tools for 45 years and have a few of several brands. I have a set of Mac deep well sockets that my father bought in 1946. Still very good. I have Craftsman metric tools I bought in 1964 when I first started at a VW shop. But most of my hand tools and sockets are Snap-On. I'm not one that buys my underwear from Snap-On but I like their hand tools. Some of their speiality stuff and some of their rebadged equipment is a waste of money. Just buy the same thing from the orginal manufacture at a lower price. If you are using your tools for a hobby, Snap-on would be extra cost that you may not really need. Using the tools every day to make a living, that's another deal. Whatever you use don't get in hock to the "tool guy". Pay cash or don't buy. IF Craftsman is all you can afford, go for it. My 2 cents worth.
Jim N.

 

Snap on

Snap On all the way.

I am also in the heavy equipment maintenance field. As in diesel locomotives. Snap On has always been far superior to the other brands as regards the base steel alloys in their offerings.

Craftsmen, SK and many others make decent equipment. Matter of fact they make more sense to purchase for the heavy duty buick wrenchers on the board than SA.

As others have stated the SA tooling holds up to insane abuse where as craftsmen and whatnot shatters.

Early in my career i was using SA non impact sockets on my 1/2 annd 3/4 snap on air guns and only remember breaking one of them. Did the same thing with Craftsmen and broke quite a few.

There is a fair amount of craftsmen at home in my garage because it makes economical sense. That fact that i have multiples of most types and sizes of tools helps even more.

At work it is all Snap On. Most of those tools were purchased between 1978-1989. I have had many screw driver blade changes and several ratchets kits installed but have never broken a wrench, breaker bar, or socket when used under the design criteria.

After typing on too long I could never again buy the SA tooling I have again as now I face two college educations, mortgage, blah, blah and of course the expensive Buick habit.

In summation, buy what you can afford and like. at the end of the day it is ann individual preference.

Sorta like over or under on bathroom tissue paper. Either way gets the job done. :laugh:

 

Jason, How much does a bottle of water cost from Snap-on? Those BBQ tools are very well done, friend of mine has a set.