What brand are you? (Tools that is)

brian rogers · Post by **brian rogers** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 11:48 am

Been in the buisness over 35 years, cry once buy the best you can afford. I have all the name brands. My tourque wrenches are Snap-on. They are check annualy due to FRA (feds) regs. I have yet to have them recalibrated in 10 years working in rail. Before that my Snap-on built many years of Detroit Diesle. Cry once when you pay the man. Don't buy a cheap box as this is holding your investment and protecting them from theives ( yes they're out there) have a good sturdy lock up system.
As John Muir said have good tools for when you slip and bust a knuckle you can hold and fondle them until the rage subsides and the love returns.

bigbugman · Post by **bigbugman** » Sun Aug 19, 2007 8:00 pm

just a note, recieved an e-mail that any employes of sears (craftsman) that are called into service, they will continue to recieve their benefits and the difference in pay for up to two years. And this was confirmed by sears. Any company that is willing to do this for are troops is going to get my business. Just my two cents!

Post by **Leatherneck** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 4:01 pm

What brand am I? I have a 17 year old son, my brand is usually lost somewhere. But ya got to love em.

rexr · Post by **rexr** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 9:34 am

Leatherneck wrote:What brand am I? I have a 17 year old son, my brand is usually lost somewhere. But ya got to love em.

That is funny.. When I still lived at home my dad would accuse me of the same thing.

I was going thru my tools the other day and saw several wrenches that had my dads initials on them.. Hmm wonder how those got there...

rexr · Post by **rexr** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 9:38 am

I am far from a pro so I usually use Craftsman, Husky, or Harbor Freight for the disposable stuff..

However after breaking a Husky torque wrench and trying to get it warrantied I will never buy Husky again. At least with Craftsman I can go to Sears and get it exchanged fairly quickly.

Post by **Piledriver** » Sat Sep 22, 2007 12:59 am

Craftsman end wrenches, Craftsman ratchets ~OK, but NOT craftsman sockets, I've had better luck with good Chinese sockets.

I agree on the precision stuff being Snap-on (or equivalent, a lot of the top-end tools don't come from companies with trucks)
..But ONLY buy SO from a pawn shop/ebay, NEVER off a truck. Let someone else pay for the shiny. I think SO ratchets don't last as well as Craftsman.

Wiha for screwdrivers, nutdrivers, "allen" wrenches (the "magic" ball drivers can pay for themselves in 30 seconds...) and pretty much anything they actually make...

One brand I used to love but that is hard to find (end wrenches and sockets) is Utica/Bonney.

My limited experience with MATCO is similar to what others have posted and i won't make that mistake again, ever.

trscott · Post by **trscott** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 1:28 pm

Good thread. I own some Craftsman tools that my dad bought before I was born that are still great tools, a lot better than the newer Craftsman stuff.

I agree with the earlier comment about using the Harbor Freight stuff for some low-precision or very inexpensive things ($2.99 DMM). Sometimes cheap enough that you don't mind wearing them out.

I am in the market for a set of good torque wrenches, thinking maybe an SK, or SO. Several posts mentioned good places to get a discount online. Anybody know of a good source for these? I am not allergic to saving a buck if I can.

For storage, my wife bought me the tall two piece brushed stainless steel set from Costco. Still getting them organized.

sinistervw · Post by **sinistervw** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 2:12 am

I am a NON flat rate forklift Mechanic (well i don't loose my Arse on a job, but the pay sucks!). Right now I have crafstman...just because its all i can afford for now. I will slowly upgrade to Snap-on... The snap-on stuff co workers have let me use are really nice! I can break a 1/2 crafstman wratchet easy... Luckily work provides a Battery powered Snap-on imact!

I say at the soonest opportunity to afford quality tools do it!

attack chicken · Post by **attack chicken** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 6:28 pm

I guess the answer will be different for those that do this for a living and those that do it for fun every once in a while. I have over $14.000 invested in my BOX alone. My tools are for me not for the a-hole that just walks in a shop and picks up a few things...that brings me to the whole pawn shop thing.... most of the high dollar tools there have been stolen from people like me. I buy the best because I do not want the trouble that cheap crap always makes. Check out what's in a tool box at your local airplane hanger. A 10mm wrench,socket,allen wrench in not always actually 10mm, there is a variance between brands and quality. That goes for fasteners as well. You should buy the best you can get, it will save you time and money in the long run. Chinese tools are crap and will destroy as much as they repair. My work shares a parking lot with Harbor Freight, the only thing I get from there is nitrile gloves and cut off wheels. Get what you can afford, but do not be surprised what gets damaged with cheap crap.

khaney01 · Post by **khaney01** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 7:19 am

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned PROTO. I love their ratchets, can't make them slip. Craftsman ratchets that I have owned have a bad habit of starting to skip teeth when you are in a bad position and putting some effort into it.

I've got Stanley (from Walmart) wrenches in my rail toolbox because they are cheap and reasonable quality. Mixed bag of sockets, wrenches, and screwdrivers in the garage.

Speaking of Dads: My dad bought a set of the clear handled (with red and blue sides) craftsman screwdrivers when I was pretty young. My brothers also had the same sets in their garages. Every time dad would go to their garage and see one of their screwdrivers laying out he would accuse them of having his. Finally after a few times of this my brother Eddie told him, "Yeah dad, they only made one set of those and you bought 'em". Dad passed away in 2000 but anytime we see one of those screwdrivers we say "Is that MY screwdriver?" and the other replies "Yeah, they only made one set of those and you got 'em."

Funny how things like that stick with ya.

tomcm13 · Post by **tomcm13** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 9:12 pm

I Recomend Craftsmen alot of places carry them and they are garenteed for life i used my screwdrivers as prybars and steel chisels i break them all the time and i just return them on my way home from work Also my frend took a torch and bent a 12mm wrench to get a hard bolt he returned it the next day al charred and bent up and they still took it

aircooledtechguy · Post by **aircooledtechguy** » Thu Dec 11, 2008 8:54 am

I used Craftsman screwdrivers for years before I started working on cars professionally and they were fine. However, until you have used a quality screwdriver (I currently have a set of MAC and a few random Snap-Ons), you really don't notice how poor Craftsman screwdrivers are. The moment you have a stuck screw the tip gets bent or rounded and the screwdriver is junk. I used to take screwdrivers back to Sears nearly monthly for tweaked tips and NO; I wasn't using them as chisels.

Since buying a really nice set of MAC drivers, I've NEVER had an issue with screwdrivers. The tips are hardened and don't bend; they also are ground to a very precise fit on screws, so they don't slip and fit the fastener WAY better than Craftsman drivers.

My Craftsman drivers are back at my house now, where they get occasional, hobby use as before and last a long time again

UJSLOST · Post by **UJSLOST** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 5:15 pm

I have snapon/bluepoint impacts. Snap on sockets and swivel sockets. Started out with craftsman and got sick of replacing them. I use snap on ratches also. For wrenches I use the cheapo stuff usually. Specialty tools I try to get the good stuff. Basically anything I will use alot. I get snap on or mac. Anything i will use seldomly I get a cheaper brand like craftsman.

I used to work for a ford dealership so breaking the cheap sockets and running to sears or where ever got old. Found out that investing is tools for working on cars daily was just that an investment.

I noticed alot of the young bloods were more worried about buying that huge shiney tool box and hutch to impress themselves but had nothing to put in it

!

nybug · Post by **nybug** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 5:52 pm

The majority of my tools are Craftsman. They get the job done and if they break Sears replaces if for free. I just wish that sockets would stay on the ratchet when you turn them upside/down. Nothing sucks more than chasing after that socket as it rolls away from you, on the garage floor.

aircooledtechguy · Post by **aircooledtechguy** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 8:07 am

UJSLOST wrote:I noticed alot of the young bloods were more worried about buying that huge shiney tool box and hutch to impress themselves but had nothing to put in it !

I hear that!! Dealerships seem to breed "tool one-up manship" between the guys. . . You're not "legit" unless you spent WAY too much on a box or have the newest whatever. . . They end up signing over a big percentage of their checks to the tool truck every week.

I get the best deals from my MAC dealer by buying the lightly used, high-end stuff that the dealership boys trade-in to have the latest and greatest to one-up their buddies with. Usually I get the stuff half off or less. . .

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