What brand of tools?

[jor]

I posted earlier in this thread that I suspected Craftman wasn't as good as they used to be. A couple of days ago, with only moderate pressure applied, the end broke right off an almost brand new pair of Craftman bird bill pliers. I can get a replacement easily enough but I was really disappointed that this happened. I have another Craftman bird bill that I have had for 25 years and it's good as new. (not counting the result of a drunken incident (not me) in Oklahoma that resulted in 1/2" of material burned out of one of the arms by an errant 225 volt wire!) Maybe those good ole days weren't so good after all.
jor

[Faithful Old Road Dog]

Back when I was poorer, I bought a set of combination wrenches made by a company called Daco. They were made in Taiwan. They had a lifetime guarantee and with the cost being about a dollar a piece, I couldn't pass it up. Much to my surprise, they've held up excellent (20 yrs)! It's probably one of my best tool deals. Then again what's a lifetime guarantee if that company no longer exists. Besides that, I've done a great job at staying away from foreign made tools.

I can't say that I'm partial to one brand as through the years I have purchased Snap On, Mac, Craftsman, Bonney, Blackhawk, Proto, S-K, Ridgid, Cresent, Klein, Milwaukee, Dewalt.... Pretty much what I can get a deal on or specific tools.
Craftsmen quality has been a roller coaster through the years. I've been told that Snap On has been purchased by Stanley and the warranty has gone south.

[Trouble]

Old Road Dog MAC is a division of stanleys tools Not snap on. I have to agree with Hillbilly, I use Snap-On and matco tools, I work on MACK trucks all day long. I break alot of them and have no problem getting them replaced. But for a home shop, craftsman, KD, or any commoon tool brands hold up pretty good

[Faithful Old Road Dog]

Guess I heard wrong. Now I wonder if I will have any issues with getting my Mac torque wrench fixed.

[71-F-250SC-72-F-250C]

I like the Snap-On tools because they are smaller and just as strong, and they fit in to those hard to get to areas, the ratchets come in handy since they are smaller than the craftsman ratchets.

[GT-Racer]

I try to get craftsman myself. But I do shop at Harbor FReight alot. You can get three for the price of one on alot of stuff. For example I bought a 1/2 inch electric impact wrench from harbor freight for $59.99, craftsman was $169, and dewalt was $179. Funny thing is they are EXACTLY the same . The only thing that is different is the plastic back half, orange for HB Freight, black for craftsman, and yellow for Dewalt. All the specs are the same.

Tip: check around in the junkyards for broken and lost craftsman tools. My bro-in-law stocked most of his toolbox that way. Return them for new ones.

[Jonathan Rickman]

I'm new here. Not quite ready to start talking about my truck yet, but I figured I'd chip in on this one. I was a helicopter mechanic in the USMC for 6 years. Inferior tools don't last long in that kind of environment. We sourced tools from just about everywhere and saw almost every brand go through the shop regularly. When it comes to basic tools like wrenches, ratchets and socket sets, S-K ruled the hangar bay. By far...and I mean far and away...S-K was the most prevalent and the most sought after brand. I'd say Mac was a close second, with Snap-On pulling up the rear. One of my best friends was the squadron tool control manager for almost 2 years and said he never had a broken S-K tool returned to him during that time. We didn't see much Craftsman stuff come through, but what did trickle through seemed to be at least as durable as all the others. Ergonomically, the Mac stuff was my favorite, but they broke a lot. Personally, I've broken all of them. I have a mix of Crafstman, Mac, and Blackhawk at home. I use all Mac ratchets. Lately I've been buying Stanley professional wrenches on sale at Wal-Mart to give them a try. Haven't really put them to the test yet though. If money was no object, I'd probably buy all S-K wrenches and go with Mac for everything else.

[Heavenlyfire]

Gotta go with craftsman. Every tool that I have ever taken back was replaced without question. Even the 1/2 inch ratchet that was used for a hammer once or twice . And besides that, I have not had to take that many back, which is another good point.

[customcrewcab]

all mine are sk. there great tools and most freinds use other brands so if i bring them over to work on somthing there no mistake which ones are mine.

[Chasbod]

Hey WillowBilly,

You just made my day. My uncle was a diesel mechanic and when I was little, I remember the thrill of going through his Plumb tool box and just marveling at all the different tools....especially the 3/4 inch drive ratchet and sockets.

Every once in a while he would let me use his tools to work on the go kart that he built for us from scratch.

Well, he passed on a few years ago and guess who inherited the Plumb tools? I was the lucky one!

I had never heard anyone mention Plumb tools till you did.

[cavedweller]

I have some craftsman 3/8 sockets, a snap on 3/8 drive, some kind of old crappy torque wrench some one gave me, I have a set of those craftsman industrial screwdrivers(big zero there) and a miss match of end wrenches. Any how long storie made short I need to replentish the supply after working in the lumber mills alot of my tools walked off. Very short on funds made a trip to Harbor freight in Spokane. Picked up 15 pc screw driver set, new torque wrench, 1/4 3/8 1/2 inch ratchet sets all SAE, set of end wrenches and offset end wrenches also SAE, dial indicator and magnetic base $145. They aren't the same qualitly as Snap on, but my 3/8 snap on drive and a deep well 9/16 socket was over $100. So for now they will do.

[qman]

Most of my tools are Craftsman. About the only work they get is on my vehicles. I've broken two sockets and bent the jaws on two small combo wrenches just trying to get really tight nuts and bolts off so I don't think they're the best. But they're good enough for me since I can't afford the high end stuff. A few years back I found a pawn shop that sold single sockets (the junk stuff) and such for 35 cents apiece. For about a year the fools running the place didn't realize the difference between tool brands and were emptying all pawned tool boxes into the bins and I picked up some Snap-On, Mac, S-K, Vise-Grip, Cornwell, Crescent, etc. items for 35 cents apiece. Lots of them. My best deals were a Mac 3/8 drive ratchet (retail $75) for 35 cents and a Snap-On impact wrench (retail $250) for $50.

[bluef250]

Most of my tools are Craftsmen. I think the quality of Craftsmen tools has gone down. They are no better than any others. The last time I visited a Sears store they would not honor the warranty on a torque wrench. This was a major inconvenience as I have to go a larger city, over 3 hours away, to find a Sears now. Warranty's do not mean anything if you need to get work done and your tools aren't available (broken) or you don't have the tools. While I still will pick up Craftsmen tools now and then, I will purchase what I need when I can find it regardless of the brand. NAPA, Walmart and other sources are closer and the quality of the tools are the same. Now the ergonomics of tools is another story. If I were a mechanic, I would buy the best to get the job done - Mac, Snap on, or S-K, depending upon availability.

[19674x4]

craftsman and snap on, indestructable and guaranteed for life

[mrung0wa]

Hey!
My Brothers FYI:
The most important thing about a tool is how it is backed up by it's Dealer/Seller/Manufacture. I have Snap-on, Mac, Matco, Proto tools but most of my stuff is Craftsman. If it breaks I just go down to my local Sears and warranty it right then and there. with the other guys I have to wait for the tool truck to show up and hope that he has a replacement stocked on the truck or I wait another week!

My Brother (20 year FORD Senior Master Tech) has probally 50k$:$$: and if it's not Snap-on:$$: it's Rotunda

Lawrence