Snap-on

My Craftsman wrenches are ones I bought in 1965. My Williams tools (which I inherited) date from the 1950s. Both are excellent -- I prefer the Williams, just because they're so nicely made, but I've never had a failure with either one.

I have three boxes full of Craftsman (one inherited) and five full of Williams. I don't think I'll ever need to buy another one.

There's almost none of the crap you refer to above in my house.

Snap-On makes tools the others do no. IE 1/4" drive 9/16 deep socket. Plus some very specialized tools.

Snap-On delivers them to your place of work. ( i heard the dealer gets 30%)

Snap-On tool s are better made. The steel, or the heat treatment, or a combiation of both. I use mostly Craftsman, but I have several friends that are or were full time auto mechanics. They would break other tools like crazy, the Snap-ons held up to 40 hours a week use.

Snap-On gives free financing, just pay the guy every week when he stops by.

Snap_On replaces tools when you hand them to them, last time I was at sears I had to fill out a form for each and every tool I was returning.. (Name, address and Phone number.)

I only own a few Snap-on tools. bought most of them new off the truck, usually when their was a free t-shirt or jacket in the deal. I have stripped out a phillips screw with a craftsman screwdriver, grabbed a S-O and took the screw right out, that was PRICELESS a few times! Same goes for their sockets they will bite on a bolt another socket rounded off.

My favorites were the tools from K-mart about 20 years ago, pay $3.99 for a socket, break it and for 5.99 shipping and handling they wil replace it FREE! They would not make the exchange in the store, it had to be done by mail. But the promise of gauranteed forever did sell alot of tools.

I once swore I would never own a Snap-on ratchet, they're over $100 each, I now have 2 of them, a

3/8 and a 1/2". When I bought them S-O was the only one selling flex head ratchets. Great tools and their standard ratchet is several inches longer than a Craftsman, Can't beat more leverage.

Never had a MAC dealer stop by my shop so I can't say anything about them.

I think the bottom line is you need to use them 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week, and earn your living off your tools and then you can really appreciate them.

For the rest of us Craftsman is just fine.

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So *that's* where they went! ;-)

Ha-ha! Believe me, they were acquired...in questionable ways, but I don't think they were yours.

My uncle was the head of the state's industrial arts education association. He got very good deals on tools he bought for himself. I inherited the lot.

Larry Jaques wrote:

I'll second that. I have some industrial snap-on without the chrome and they work a lot better in oily conditions. The problem is that Snap-on does not warranty them.

Some snap on tools are good and some are second best. The best ratchets that I have used are the old fine toothed ratchets from Craftsman, made before the 70's. Also the other tools from craftsman before the seventies are very good. I have worn out more Phillips screw drivers from snap-on and had the shafts replaced in the existing handle. I have a couple of sets of snap-on sockets and they are good. I bought a set of Williams 1/2 inch drive sockets back in the early sixties and they seemed to be too brittle. Three of them cracked on the wall of the twelve point sockets. I recently bought a bunch of sets of sockets and ratchets from a local wholesale surplus place, probably Chinese, but I liked the way they were set up in a formed plastic box that was easy to carry to the job. The sockets and ratchet seem to work well enough and I have torked pretty hard on them more than once. I still have a couple of sets of the old craftsman sockets but they are with the old metal container with the bent strip over the top of them and they are a pain to carry and work out of. The worst thing that still burns me about snap on tools is the air powered sheet metal shear I bought when doing aircraft sheet metal work. The blade on the shear broke the second time I used it so I returned it to get it repaired under warranty. They took over three months to repair it and I used it a couple of more times and it broke again. They charged me about one third of the new price to repair it. The same thing happened with a pair of wire strippers. The only real good thing about snap-on tools was the convenience of the truck coming up to your door.

John

You got anything that uses electronic devices - TV, radio, computer, sound system, etc.? Nearly all of the components were made in foreign countries.

Yes I do.

But I don't have anywhere near as much of the shit as compared to what most middle class americans have.

Simply stated, I can and do consiously avoid buying imported crap ( or anything else, for that matter ) that is likely to end up in a landfill in a few years time.

Yes, in some cases it's nearly unavoidable...but in most of those cases, it's not really a necessity and if I can get along fine without it, then I do.

some very specialized

combiation of both. I use

mechanics. They would

had to fill out a

usually when their was a

with a craftsman

few times! Same goes

socket, break it and

the exchange in the

sell alot of tools.

now have 2 of them, a

ratchets. Great tools

beat more leverage.

week, and earn your

YOu can take Crapon and shove it. I need a part for my PDS3 air power shear and they no longer support it, just like Sears. I wouldn't buy any of their power crap for any price. I bet I can't get parts for some of my other power tools by crapon.

John

some very specialized

combiation of both. I use

mechanics. They would

had to fill out a

usually when their was a

with a craftsman

few times! Same goes

socket, break it and

the exchange in the

sell alot of tools.

now have 2 of them, a

ratchets. Great tools

beat more leverage.

For a swivel head ratchet (particularly 3/8", for spark-pluds etc) you just absolutely cannot beat the SK offering. It is a "ball head" design, with 0 offset when run "straight" - as in spinning the handle

week, and earn your

And even then I could always find a better place to spend the difference!!

Coming late to the discusion, just a heads up to anyone who cares, Harbor Fright has one like that for 14 bucks.