Snapon (brand) question -vs- others...

[Jim Nelson]

A few years ago a friend, who is a professional mechanic and life long Snap On fan, was here helping me with a project where we needed to cut some strips of conveyor belting. We went through all the razor type box cutters we had between us by the time we got it done. We were both cussing the poor quality of the tools. Well a couple of weeks later I was in Sam's Club and they had 2 packs of these cutters labeled with the Snap On logo so I bought 2 of them and gave one to my buddy. When I took it to his shop he opened it up to try it out and in short order we saw that they were no better than the cheapies we had been cussing earlier. His comment was " Well I guess they are prostituting out their name too".
I do agree that most of their stuff is top notch, but too rich for my blood.

 

[jaxs]

My tools are a mish mash of brands collected over 60 years. I seldom break or wear anything out but they get permanatly borrowed or lost. Box end,screwdriver,plier ect I go to pawn shop for old USA made. Only time I buy new is specialty that's hard to find used. If I lost all my tools,I wouldn't take replacements from Harbor Freight if they were free. Life is to dam short to be dealing with fasteners stripped by micky mouse tools. I bought metric tools at Western Auto when my son got a dirt bike. They were life time warranty but I got tired of stopping mid-repair to go exchange tools so I threw them away and bought used at pawn shop and been using them for 30 years.

 

[Rock Crawler]

My tools are a mish mash of brands collected over 60 years. I seldom break or wear anything out but they get permanatly borrowed or lost. Box end,screwdriver,plier ect I go to pawn shop for old USA made. Only time I buy new is specialty that's hard to find used. If I lost all my tools,I wouldn't take replacements from Harbor Freight if they were free. Life is to dam short to be dealing with fasteners stripped by micky mouse tools. I bought metric tools at Western Auto when my son got a dirt bike. They were life time warranty but I got tired of stopping mid-repair to go exchange tools so I threw them away and bought used at pawn shop and been using them for 30 years.

I think that your opinion of harbor freight is completely unfounded. The Harbor Freight Pittsburgh chrome and impact sockets, wrenches, ratchets and screwdriver sets are in my opinion, equal to my Snapon, SK and equal to my Craftsman in fit, finish and durability.

I've never bought the Pittsburgh colorized sockets, so I can't comment on those.

 

[Richard]

Just to make a comment... My question to start the thread wasn't intended to create any tool-wars.

But it seems to me that (whomever makes it) there IS a "best" socket set, there IS a "best" plier, there IS a "best" screwdriver...

What I'm really trying to filter through is in the various tool catagories, who are candidates for being the best (nobody will ever agree that "THIS" brand is the best as we all have our opinions but, maybe we can agree that "THIS" is trash)

I just bought a $350 set of (yes Snapon) 1/2" impact sockets, 13 consecutive sizes.... and I paid $100 out the door. I'm ok with that!

I don't want to buy their (making up the price since I've never looked) $350 wire cutters if "brand X" has something just as great for $75

As good as their (Snapon) tools may or may not be, I can't believe they make the best in all catagories (yet, they might be the most expensive in all catagories)

 

[oosik]

I have the FULL range of sockets and ratchets. That is Metric, SAE & Star. In sizes - 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" & 3/4". Plus a full size range of deep impact sockets in 1/2". They are either SnapOn or Proto or Mac. I've had all these tools for over 50 years, many for over 60 years. Of course, except for the Star sockets - they are a fairly new addition. Only had to replace one ratchet. It was a Proto and was a free replacement. These are the ONLY tools I own that are one of these three brands. The remainder of my hand tools - Craftsman, Klein, etc, etc.
I would say that any of the three brands - SnapOn, Proto or Mac - are all of the same quality. They are all high quality and with the exception of the 3/8" Proto ratchet - have NEVER failed to perform.

If I had to do it all over again, knowing what I know now. I would probably do exactly as I have done. The impact sockets are nice and used almost exclusively to work on the Kubota. I mainly use these impact sockets with a hand ratchet/torque wrench. They are harder steel and can withstand the higher torque that is required with many of the job done on the Kubota. I don't feel it's necessary to over stress the standard sockets when working at higher torque values.

Are the higher prices I've paid for these specific hand tools worth it. I really can't say. I know when I have a job to do and grab whatever ratchet and socket set - it never crosses my mind - will they perform or will they fail. And the failure of the Proto ratchet was all my fault. I should have been using a breaker bar instead of that 3/8" ratchet. That is EXACTLY what I told the Proto rep. Made no difference to him - the ratchet was replaced free.

 

[Rock Crawler]

I must be the minority in my opinion. I have 8 vehicles, 2 Offroad vehicles, 3 tractors and have a Jeep club where my shop is used the majority of Jeep repairs and upgrades. I went to school in 1990 to the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics to be an aircraft Airframe/Powerplant mechanic and I started my Snapon tool buying there.

I've been active with my told since 1983, and I've broken every time and brand of tools made. I've never been a tool snob. The most stressful thing for me is breaking a Snapon/Matco/Mac and now add Craftsman to that list. These tools break, but while I can run to Napa to replace Everlast or Harbor Freight to replace Pittsburgh... All others require me to chase a truck since I don't work at a shop, or I have to drive 40 minutes to my buddies shop (Steel City Auto Repair) to drop them for the next truck visit and then drive back for them.

I have a Mac 1/2" breaker bar that I twisted the end off of with a pipe as added leverage. After I broke it, I put the pipe on my Pittsburgh breaker bar and got it.

So that Mac will likely sit broken for many months before I take it to Steel City Auto to drop off. Thank God for Harbor freight. Cheap, strong, store is 15 minutes away and it's stress free to get a replacement.

The problem is that it's normally not my Pittsburgh tool brands that fail. It's typically the high dollar and hard to replace tools that fail in my garage the most.

My opinion of Snap-on today is.... It's no better than Harbor Freight, but much more difficult to replace.

 

[oosik]

I will give you one thing - Rock Crawler. None of the major hand tool companies make tools today near as good as they did in past days.

Thinner, cheaper metal, more chrome less metal. It's more for show than go.

 

[MESSMAKER]

I think that your opinion of harbor freight is completely unfounded. The Harbor Freight Pittsburgh chrome and impact sockets, wrenches, ratchets and screwdriver sets are in my opinion, equal to my Snapon, SK and equal to my Craftsman in fit, finish and durability.

I've never bought the Pittsburgh colorized sockets, so I can't comment on those.

I agree. It is hard to get really crappy ratchets and sockets these days. That was not the case 25 years ago. HF,Husky/Stanley/Bostitch,Kobalt,Craftsman,Crescent all make serviceable tools.

 

[ray66v]

The Harbor Freight Pittsburgh chrome and impact sockets, wrenches, ratchets and screwdriver sets are in my opinion, equal to my Snapon, SK and equal to my Craftsman in fit, finish and durability.

Go into a repair shop, with 8-10 mechanics, or body men, and poll them.

They will tell you that you are incorrect.

HF is similar, but below Craftsman in overall strength. But, they are below the big three.

Many years ago, I started out with mostly Craftsman tool, to save money. I quickly realized, I broke 3 Craftsman sockets, for every one Mac, or Snap-on the other guys broke. Over time I replaced all the Craftsman stuff, with tools from the big three, and took the Craftsman tools home. Which they are fine for.

If you need the tool to make a living, you need it to work.

 

[MH8675309]

I've bought most of mine at auctions although I've inherited some lightly used pieces too. Its never been a big deal to stay with one brand to me. Napa tools are good and Craftsman too - I've never bought junk from either of these places - and know where to find them if the tools break. Not true with MAC or Snap on since they don't come to my place and I have no idea where their trucks might be,,, Lots of good tools out there. Don't be afraid to go to auctions and buy this stuff. Last October I did a machinery ( I'm an auctioneer) sale for a man I knew that died and he had a couple of those "chain on" round bale spears for the front loader so I bid on the better one of the two and it has been a real work saver VS taking bales out with the 3 point spear. I cut the net wrap off and just set it in the bale feeder and its done.