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

I finnally got to use Snap on and Mac wrenchs at work and the only thing I noticed was the surface of the tool. Craftsman is "rough", while snap on and mac were smooth. I havent noticed anything else but I will try to next time I use them. They all seem to grip the nut equally, no slipping.

 

ou: :laugh: :laugh:

 

kline screw drivers, channel locks, most of my ratchets/sockets are proto but my wife recently bought me some kobalt's from lowes.(that's what my air compressor is, 60 gal vertical tank heavy duty pump, i can run a d/a wide open all day long with that bad boy.) and the kobalt tools seem to be really good. prolly same as husky, but another name none the less. all my air tools are porter hausefeld (i think thats how its spelled.) so i voted other also. but really any tool works for me as long as it's the right one. :beer

 

No one uses Park Tools? I was a bike mechanic years back so I have a few of those, some Snap On, but mostly Craftsman. I'm getting tired of ratchets exploding and screwdrivers rounding off. I don't care if I can get a new one for free. It shouldn't need to be replaced and the skin should still be on my knockles.

Funny seeing this thread today, just last night I told my wife that when the kids are out of College, I'm replacing everything with Snap-On.

 

craftsman tools

what i hate about craftsman tools are the ratchets they seem to strip with a little age and i have been bloody knuckled so much with them it ain't even funny. it also seems like you get in a tight spot and can't quite get the teeth to lock in the things. i also hate it when you return them and the guy at the counter tries to hand you a rebuild kit for it. i always told the guy that i am suppose to get a new ratchet for free for life. they usually roll there eyes and get me ratchet, but i got tired of the hassle. so, now i won't buy anything else craftsman.

 

I work in the elevator business and most guys use craftsman.Their sockets are OK,the wrenches are OK,but they gouge easy making sharp spots that can cut.

I have seen guys have to go to the hospital and have the tendons in the back of their hand reattached and stitched up,all because a craftsman ratchet decided to give up in the wrong spot.This is more than a few occasions.Got a few bad gashes myself from the same thing.I hate craftsman ratchets.

I grew up in a family of professional mechanics and the thing I remember most are my uncles snap-on boxes and tools.They truly are the best.I have a few,but I have always wanted a set in a box that goes up to the roof of my garage.

My father in law also is a snap on guy.Maybe I will get lucky and my wife (only child) will inherit his tools!

 

I have to agree here. Craftsman is a very good tool for the homeowner and weekender, but as a mechanic, I wouldn't want to make my living with them. I do believe the tolerances are better with Mac or Snap-On, and I find they fit your hands better than lower-budget tools. Still, that said, those lower-cost tools have their place. There are instances where the expensive tools just can't be justified.

You'd really have to use both I think, day after day, to see and feel the difference. I have mostly Mac and Bonney, a very few Snap-On, and several Crafstman and S-K. I started with Mac because that's who came in to the shop. If it had been the Snap-On guy, I suppose I'd have those.

Then there's Vise-Grip....No other 'locking plier' that I've seen comes close.

This topic is a bit like politics and religion, isn't it? :rant:

 

You'll never take me alive! :moonu:

 

Snap-On

I can relate to 68BE225, stepson starts UT in 2 weeks. Glad he was a good student and has some scholarships. I can tell you that Craftmans not what they used to be. I have a 1/2" ratchet from the early 60s that has never been rebuilt (before the push button) and still works. But even it is not the quality of a Snap-On. You got to realize Craftman's are built by the lowest bidder and I have seen their quality go up and down. Also noticed that there is not as much difference between the two in price as there once was. If you have a connection to a Snap-On Industrial salesman there is not much difference. Guess it's not the tools but what we do with what we have.
Jim N.

 

I'll have to go with SNAPPY!!!

Much like the Jeep and Harley thing, If we have to explain you wouldn't understand. I was a Craftsman diehard for years. I do have a few Husky from HD. The older ones were USA, but now they are all China so that killed that for me. Kobalt switched to China so fast I never saw any Made in USA though I'm told they were in the beginning. I still buy stuff at Sears but ya gotta watch em. All that Companion stuff is starting to over run the place. Besides ya gotta have something to loan to the neighbors when they show up begging.

Make no mistake I love my SnapOn Tools. Check out the flank drive plus wrenches. They are great for the hard to work with fasteners, though not good for your restoration as they tend to leave a mark where they latch onto the fastener. None the less they seem to be the cure for bloody knuckles. I also love my locking flex head ratchets. They seem to help keep the knucles blood free also.

Also a fan of the Matco because I like the salesman. They are made by Dahner which I believe also makes some of the Craftsman Line. When you only have to buy them once and they last a lifetime I think it's money well spent. That $450 wrench set is only $45/year if amortised over 10 years, and you don't have that run across town to get the replacement.

I worked with a guy who used his SnapOn collection as collaterall to buy a Cat front end loader to use in his snow removal business. Try that with your other brands. It's your money, buy what you're comfortable with.

 

"Then there's Vise-Grip....No other 'locking plier' that I've seen comes close."

I've been waiting for someone to say that. I just went through this with one the tech next to me. He just bought a set (of actual vise grips) from the Matco dealer. Almost every tool maker makes their own version, but my Snap-on, Mac, and Matco dealers all carry actual Irwin/Peterson Vise grips on their trucks.
I still have a lot of Craftsman tools in my box, but have started changing them out for Snap-on as I can. It takes a while at $30/week to pay off the sets. I just got a smokin deal on a box (Snap-on), list for $4595, can usually be bought for $3500-3700. I paid $2500 including tax. Brand New!!!
My cohort at work just got a very similar deal from Mac. He uses alot of SK and Matco stuff. Some of his tools work better than mine and vice versus.
I feel the Mac line has suffered greatly in the past few years and don't by much at all from them, although the dealer is great and I talk to him evey week. The Matco guy sucks and the only things I bought from him was a RatFink creeper and shop stool when they were released.
It can be argued forever shat tools are best, and how you use them has much to do with it.
I just replace my worn out/spread sockets and wrenches at Sears until I can afford Snap-on, then the craftsman stuff comes home. It works great four nights a week and weekends, but they only last about 6-8 months at work.
The only problem I keep having with Snap-on is the pins in their impact swivel sockets keep breaking, three this month.
I also like Ingersol Rand for air tools, they are right up there with Snap-on/Matco/Mac.

 

Craftsman. lifetime guaruntee.

 

here's my box. i've considered mounting a GSX spoiler on the lid to
make it look like the trunk of a GSX, with the stripe and decals

 

any of you snap on die hards have one of these?

 

or this?

 

it's addictive.

 

yes, i voted SNAP-ON, but like a lot of other people have already said,
those other tools are fine for ocasional use, but i you use them constantly
they will not hold up. the big truck comes once a week. no hassle getting the
tool replaced, that rarely happens. Sears is 30 miles from me. buy the tool once. lasts forever.

 

I have just about all in my tool box. Mostly the specialty tools are SO, MAC,MATCO, ETC.
Craftsman is good enough for me. My have to look into some Snap-on AS when I start school in Jan. I will get Snap-on at 50% off( still expensive thou)

Tim

 

I used to work at an Mercury outboard shop and with the tight fit only the MAC or sometimes Snap-On would work in many cases. We had lots of misc tools laying around and the Craftsman were the worst. Made too big to get in tight spots. Sure they might not break and if they did you can get a replacement but what good is it if it doesn't do the job????

Bruce