tools?? snap-on,craftsman. mac tools or swap meet brand??

[doohopark]

just wondering what you guys prefences are personally i use all craftsman, but starting to like snap-on more and more

[DAEDALUS]

Craftsman for the most part, snap-on is awesome, but for weekend use not worth the money to me. I buy domestic quality for the tools I use the most often, and go cheap on tools I don't use that much. Honestly I have been impressed with the quality of imported hand tools. They really have gotten a lot better in the past 10 years. 1/3 or less the cost of Craftsman, and I haven't broken one yet, surprisingly.

[hybrid_flyer]

for me it all depends. I work in a shop so mac and snap-on both stop by every week. Some tools from mac work great, but some from snap-on are just better. I bought a trim tool from mac and a week later I traded it for one from snap-on. the snap-on one was just a better made tool. Really its all gonna come down to you looking at both tools and just seeing which one you really like.

btw i have a matco tool box, snap-on apprentice set, matco tools, mac tools, and some generic stuff

[zombieman]

i love snap-on, but i'm not trying to put a hole in my wallet for a $200 3/8 rachet, so then my solution is to get the cheapest tool that offers great performance, so what do i do, i buy craftsman since it's the best choice for people who like to do backyard work. i admit, i recently bought a $140 10-piece screwdriver set from the mac tool truck that comes by every week to the shop i work at, but i'm just loving their tools.

of course cheap tools will have it's consequences... the fact that these tools break so easy is what i hate the most about it.

so overall, i wouldn't really have a preference of tools brand, i'm just trying to get the best quality out of any tools i use.

[Hijacker]

i agree with daedalus that for weekend mechanic stuff, craftsmen is good.

But I will not subjugate myself to their universal joint sockets. Nor their universal joints. They're stiff and they don't rotate properly. I will always go with Snap-On in that case. It's a shame that Snap-On charges $30 for a universal socket...

Also, I lve the GearWrench brand gear wrenches. They're realtively cheap for a set that goes from 8mm-19mm, and they're much better than the crap quality craftsmen makes theirs.

One last thing, not everything Crafstmen makes is made in the US anymore. Some of their products are being made in Japan. Those same products also don't carry the lifetime warranty.

[chandler]

I own 25k worth of tools from my tech1000 mac bottom box to the air tools to the hundreds of sockets from all brands, you just cant skimp on pry bars and swivel sockets, my new toy....... 3/8 drive composite impact gun.......... nnnniiiiiccccccceeeee

[Hijacker]

for the budget concious, Ingersol Rand makes a hell of a mid level impact wrench.

[Chingon]

^^chicago pneumatic does too

[L0sT]

craftsmen! because if you break something, you can just go back to Sears and they will replace it no q's asked

[JDMaholic]

Craftsman is junk in my opinion, but I still buy them sometimes just because you can take them back no questions asked. Don't ever buy their power tools complete crap, equilelent to black and decker or skill. Recently I just bought an SK hex set up to 24mm it was $100, good stuff. I also just bought an extra socket set and tool chest, after looking around I got Husky from Home Depot. It has free replacement just like craftsman, I feel its better quality at a similar price.

[race420]

my favorite tools are my snap on. If i have an option ill always grab my snapon tools over my craftsman or mac. But jeez, snap on is way too expensive for the average tech in a shop. also, the tool performance between snap on and craftsman or any repitable brand has such minor altercation on my work performance and quality that i cant see spending the premium amount. o well, enjoy your tools.

[DAEDALUS]

Craftsman is junk in my opinion, but I still buy them sometimes just because you can take them back no questions asked. Don't ever buy their power tools complete crap, equilelent to black and decker or skill. Recently I just bought an SK hex set up to 24mm it was $100, good stuff. I also just bought an extra socket set and tool chest, after looking around I got Husky from Home Depot. It has free replacement just like craftsman, I feel its better quality at a similar price.

I have a Husky torque wrench, but nothing else. I once broke an SK Torx bit on a bearing bolt. Bought a craftsman bit and it did the job. Maybe the SK loosened it for the Craftsman? The only Craftsman tools I've broken are their strap wrenches (2x) and a u-jointed socket (12mm). Oh, and I returned their bolt-out sockets cause they wouldn't grip a stripped 10mm head like they were advertised to.

[BadMojo]

I'll agree that Craftsman power tools aren't the greatest, but I've had very good luck with their hand tools. I'd love to have some Mac or Snap On tools, but quite honestly they're waaaaaaaaay too expensive for me.

The money spent on a nice set of Snap Tools could buy me a ton of new parts or a new car!

[hybrid_flyer]

I own 25k worth of tools from my tech1000 mac bottom box to the air tools to the hundreds of sockets from all brands, you just cant skimp on pry bars and swivel sockets, my new toy....... 3/8 drive composite impact gun.......... nnnniiiiiccccccceeeee

what brand did you get on that impact gun?? I just got my 1/2 drive titanium from IR. Frigging thing rocks, but the only drawback if you could call it that is that it is almost too strong. I think the top end is like 1000 ft lbs.

[mys13rocks]

i LOVE snap ons durability..i used to work for Robotek motor sports and i break every cheap tool they have lol.dam china made socket tools danm them to hell i say. well i went to big lots and bought a midium size box of socket tools, and wrenches(longnecks)life time garantee for $40 BUCKS GAWD that a bargain.but if i had the money id say snap on. nothing else.its always good to have a set of tools in your car. never know when crap happens.

[fullthrtl_tech]

For me it's MAC. I have to use them every day so i cant buy a cheap tool. But for someone who wrenches on the weekend i used to get by with craftsman. But dont skip on torque wrenches, because craftsman ones suck. There are some things worth paying extra for. Even for a weekend wrencher.

[gabossie]

I buy Craftsman because I only work on my car as a weekend hobby. But when I can, I get my buddy over here with his snap-ons that he has over 10k sunk into at this point. There is nothing like good tools, but it's just not worth the price to me since I don't use them every day, or even every week.