Snap-on vs craftsman
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As far as tools go like everyone said get craftsmen to start just so you have something and every week buy somthin on your local snap on guys truck. Thats how i did it and i will honestly say i do not regret in any way what i have spent on tools. For the tool box, well i am a box snob, personally i will never ever own another tool box other than a snap on again. Also i will never have to buy one as mine is big enough for every one of my tools. Go try out all the different boxes and see how the drawers roll and you will see what i mean. I would never ever buy a crafstman box they are cheap and flimsy, i would rather use a duffle bag before i ever bought another craftsman box. Talk to your snap on guy usually they will give ya an awsome deal on new boxes and if they have a used on they wanna get it off the truck asap so you are likely to get a really good deal on those too. Thats just my .02
Nykole0408
Member
This.... ... ...
Is a pet peeve of mine. My hubby did this ALL the time. Except it's MAC Tools, cause his buddy drives the truck. When he was doing mechanic work for a living, we constantly had a tool bill. $40, 50, 60 bucks a week was going to that. I know without tools you can't make a living as a professional but if you are buying tools for home use please use good judgment. We now have about $25,000 worth of tools and yes they make working at home a breeze, but he works at a military base on weapons now and rarely turns any of those $250 got to have these wrenches for money.
Just sayin'
phyregod
!!YTINASNI
The box is a mechanics reflection of his own penis. You can work out of a duffle bag and a pair of wooden tables. I've seen $20,000 boxes. And instead of being impressed, all I could thing was.. "This guy is fucking retarded". The price is 20% materials, 80% name brand and flash. Yeah, the high end ones have silky smooth drawers, but you're a god damn mechanic. man up.
Nykole0408
Member
Yeah I agree with the 20k boxes.
Thank goodness he never got THAT into it. We bought a Sears roll a round cart and he traded up to a Mac toolbox- but I think we only hashed out about 50 cash in that deal- so it was a good trade.
Nykole0408
Member
Friend of mine bought a Matco tool nox last year. Nothing special- just big and a nice paint job. Set him back 6 grand. Now he is tired of paying the notes on it, and can't get anyone to buy it from him. Stupid.
EGProject
YEEEEAAHHHHH
Tech here.
Snap on makes amazing tools. Certain tools. I have a pair of 3/8ths Snap-on ratchets, but most of my 3/8ths sockets are Craftsman.
Any good mechanic will have different brands of everything in their box. I have SK, Lisle, Hazet (baller), VIM, etc. My favorite 1/4" palm ratchet is actually a cheapo from Advance Auto Parts. Most of my 1/2 and specialty sockets are Snap-On. But everything else is mix and match.
I don't own my box, but its a shop-supplied 24-drawer Lista pro tool cabinet. I never saw the point to flashy tool boxes, especially themed boxes and or stupid "realtree camo" boxes. Snap-on boxes are well built, be highly overpriced. Matco or Mac boxes (and even Husky) are perfectly fine.
Snap on makes amazing tools. Certain tools. I have a pair of 3/8ths Snap-on ratchets, but most of my 3/8ths sockets are Craftsman.
Any good mechanic will have different brands of everything in their box. I have SK, Lisle, Hazet (baller), VIM, etc. My favorite 1/4" palm ratchet is actually a cheapo from Advance Auto Parts. Most of my 1/2 and specialty sockets are Snap-On. But everything else is mix and match.
I don't own my box, but its a shop-supplied 24-drawer Lista pro tool cabinet. I never saw the point to flashy tool boxes, especially themed boxes and or stupid "realtree camo" boxes. Snap-on boxes are well built, be highly overpriced. Matco or Mac boxes (and even Husky) are perfectly fine.
the knurled blue grip is on bearings, so the chrome T can spin freely. on the bottom is a 1/4 drive socket adapter. I bought it from the Matco truck.. Suspension & Engine High Performance Parts Suspension & Engine High Performance Tools
I'm not an automotive mechanic, i'm an aerospace mechanic, so my needs will be different then yours. My most common sockets used are 1/4 drive. I have a deep and a shallow 1/4 drive set, all in snap on. My 3/8 drive set is all craftsman and they work very good when i use them. I have a few 1/2 inch drive sockets, but we very rarely have anything that size.
Not knowing what you have already or ultimate plans are, i would start with one of those XX Piece sets from craftsman. One that comes with sockets, ratchets, wrenches, screw drivers, extensions, hammers, mallets, drifts, breaker bars, etc. Also, look into the sets with metric and sae. Once you start, you'll quickly find what you need and what tools are needed the most... then go from there
Don't get me wrong I have a mix of just about everything in my toolbox but there are just somethings cheaping out on will end up costing ya more in the long run. I paid 3000 bucks for my toolbox, was it alot of money? sure it was but i will never have to buy one again for the rest of my life and when i am opening drawers in it everyday I want the nice easy to roll ones as opposed to the one that feel like there bearings are made from 20 grit sandpaper. Now there is such a thing as going overboard with the tool box, take a co-worker of mine, he bought his tool box and paid 11,000 dollars for it empty. Guess what it is still empty cause he can't afford tools to put in it now. But on the bright side if he ever loses his home he will have a nice toolbox to live out of. When i started out i had a craftsman box filled with walmart tools, now i have a nice collection of tools that make my life easier at my job and at the end of the day thats what its about, not who has the most name brand tools, not who has the biggest box, and certainly not who has the highest bill to snap on. I am proud to say i have not bought a single thing on the snap on truck in over a year and the dealer hates me for it cause all i use him for is warranty work now.
damien360kl
New Member
Everything I have is mainly craftsman except a couple of ratchets and sockets. They are all the same to me I have no problems with any of my tools when im at work. Tne only thing I know is that I only trust snap on with torque wrenches and ingersol rand for my air tools so pretty much with everything else your paying for the name
friz
Senior Member
I have made a living out of my tool box for most of my life (43 yrs, started turning wrenches for $ at 14). I use a mix of brands that have served me well. My favorite end wrenches are craftsman basic ones without the shiny crome finish. Sockets a mix of S&K, Craftsman, PM brand (sold by wally world years ago, had a perfect copy of the snapon flank drive ones for much less) Farm all? impacts (If i'm going to abuse a socket I will abuse an impact socket). Ratchet handles are a mix also. My faves are craftsman from the 60's and 70's. I even have some with grease ports in the heads. Odd angle wrenches from snapon because when I started working on airplanes craftman did not offer these. Stubbies from craftsman (shiny chrome ones). All of my shiny chrome wrenches seem weak on the open end, and I have Mac, Craftsman and Snapon in these. That's why I prefer the basic ones. Also don't feel as bad if I have the take it to the grinder, or the torch to make fit somewhere.
Well those are my thoughts on tools. Just like everything else in life, shiny and expensive is nice but may not perform any better.
Well those are my thoughts on tools. Just like everything else in life, shiny and expensive is nice but may not perform any better.
91_stylin_civic
Member
I have been wrenching for 4+ years in a dealership, I started out with Craftsman tool box and sockets but upgraded to snap-on mainly the rachets and wrenches and Matco for almost everything else.The craftman box I had was cheaper and the drawers were not big enough to hold specially tools or tools that come in the blow molded cases. If you dont want to keep the tools in the cases and just lay them in the drawers then save some money and go with craftsman. As far as the tools if you are going to get used everyday I would invest in snap-on or matco if you find yourself breaking tools.This way you will always have a back up as well. It can be a pain to replace them but I havent had too many snap on or matco tools break on me. You can also go with blue point or silver eagle which are the lower model snap on and matco brands.
EGProject
YEEEEAAHHHHH
Been fairly impressed with some of my Craftsman tools as I've put more and more use on them. Have a medium size 1/2" breaker bar that I've stood on 2 or more times to break lugs free and no issues. I have a set of Craftsman serp belt tensioner wrenches and breaker bars that I use almost daily and no issues.
Keep in mind use determines failure rate of most tools. I've already gone through 3 3/8" drive T30 Snap-On sockets and a few 6mm and 8mm hex sockets, along with my 3/8ths Snap-On ratchet that began skipping teeth.
Keep in mind use determines failure rate of most tools. I've already gone through 3 3/8" drive T30 Snap-On sockets and a few 6mm and 8mm hex sockets, along with my 3/8ths Snap-On ratchet that began skipping teeth.
Craftsman is fucking junk. My box is Matco, and it's filled with almost exclusively Matco and Snap-On tools. Craftsman ratchets break WAY too easily, the wrenches aren't solid enough and round off bolts/nuts, their screwdriver tips break, and their 'specialty' tools are a joke.
Craftsman is the tool equivalent of a Kia.
Craftsman is the tool equivalent of a Kia.
