What brand do you buy for hand tools?

[wafrederick]

There are no Matco dealers in the Muskegon,Mi area.Another Matco Dealer came into my father shop about 5 or 6 years ago and never seen that dealer again after after that after 5 or 6 trips to my father's shop.My father will kick that dealer out if he ever comes back.My father did have a Mac tool rep come in and came in on time,that dealer quit because Mac tools wanted him to buy a new tool truck.

[JHynes]

I use everybody Snap-ON, Mac, Matco, Cornwell, Craftsman, SK, Husky you name it, I probably own a piece made by them. Im a fulltime tech and beat the living crap out of them all, I dont know where all you guys are fom but i live in Maine and they use salt on the roads which makes eveything on the road rust, and be stuck. 99% of the time where ever I got it replaces it for free. I have found that some of the SK stuff does seem a little cheaper like craftsman and husky and the snap easier but oh well you get what you pay for. You want good reliable strong no issue stuff than you need $$$$$$$$$$.

[wafrederick]

I have been using Cornwell recently and they are very good tools.I buy the clips that hold sockets on impact wrenches from my Cornwell dealer now,3 clips and 3 O rings in one pack.The dealer that comes in is really nice and comes every Tuesday.I heard about the Matco dealer that was in my area from my neighbor Ken,was an A*&^)(!@.There is suppose to be a new Matco dealer in my area,I heard from the Cornwell dealer that there is no new Matco dealer at all yet.

[tomtom123]

craftsman works great for weekend stuff but when you are using it everyday they get loose and strio more then they take off i swear but matco my dealer is great and they are problf the cheap as for tool trucks when you buy snapon its the name you pay for

[wafrederick]

Only thing I like from Snap On are their air ratchets.You can get them sent in once a year to get rebuilt.I bought one,model no. farb27b on Ebay for 127.50 and it does work.A new one goes for $359.00,now a farb27c.I had it sent out to get rebuilt and cost me $87.79 and I had to send it back about 6 weeks ago,leaked around the trigger.I admit they are powerful.I hate Craftsman's hand ratchets,the tightening and loosening lever breaks easy and dirts get in the newer ones with the thin plate.If someone working at Sears hands you a refurbished Craftsman ratchet for a warranty exchange,refuse it and request a new one.The refurbished ones do not hold up,break right away and I know someone that went through this.Most of Craftman's tool boxes are made in Mexico and anything made in Mexico is junk.Craftmans toolboxes do fail in one way,the spot welds are crappy.Cornwell tools are expensive,I have a 3/8" drive shallow metric impact socket set that is $109.00

[2.2 Straight six]

Most of the stuff i buy is Snap-on, both off eBay and new from my Snap-on dealer.

craftsman and similar brands are good for working on your own cars at home on weekends and stuff. but when you're a tech in a workshop and you're using your tools all day every day, and they're your livelyhood you need top quality tools that won't let you down. i've never broken a Snap-on socket and mine are second hand. on top of the use they had before i bought them i work them hard every day at work.

For impact sockets, i'm not so worried. mine are mid-range and hold up very well.

i'm happy to pay new prices for some of my Snap-on stuff because my Dealer lets me pay whatever i want each week. so sometimes i pay $40 and other weeks i pay $300. he doesn't mind so long as i give him something and it's on time.

as someone i know has said "Snap-on is for when a tool's performance is more important than its price."

[taillight]

I used to have Craftsman but when you turn wrenchs everyday for a living you get tired of going back to Sears every week to get replacements for broken tools. I have gone to Snap-On and have had no problems for the past 30 years.

[wafrederick]

Try replacing a worn out Snap On socket or wrench,dealer will hand it back to you telling you anything worn is not covered and you have to break it.Mac did not warrantee some of their tools 1960s and down.I have a set of Mac flare nut wrenches from 1963 with "Not Gaurenteed" stamped on them.I bought this set on Ebay with the original case.

[Flat_Head_Ford]

I use Craftsman mostly. I am a starting tech so money is tight don't really see the reason to buy the expensive tools. At school we have a variety of manufactures we use and I've seen all of them break and have to be replaced

[flounder34478]

I use to use a lot of Craftsman Tools in my profession, until the started giving me s--t on the warranty. They tried to say because I use it on a professional level that that voids the warranty. I called them out on it and they backed down. I told them if it were a problem getting the warranty, then I would go home and get all my Craftsman Tools and I would return them for a full refund! They quickly changed their tune. Now when ever I go into Sears to look at tools, they are falling all over themselves to help me! Although,my favorite sales man is not there anymore. And my wife refuses to shop for tools with me, because she claims I make all the sales people cry! So I guess to answer the question, I prefer Craftsman when they stand behind the warranty(which here of late I have spent more time exchanging tools for warranty then I have spent using them) I also like the brand Lowes sell called Kobalt, and I even like a generac brand that Menards sells called Tool Shop. (I have only had to warranity 1 thing of theirs! And it was a pretty painless process.

[grumpiest hippie]

40 years spent working on ag and construction equipment. If you are working as a pro there are tools you have to buy off the trucks. Simply because no one else makes them. That said a lot of the truck items are re-badged tools from places like Lisle, OTC and AST. What tool company has given the most pain about warranties? Snap-on hands down. I had a driver watch a ratchet break on a valve cover bolt. He claimed it was abuse using a 3/8's ratchet on a 3/8's bolt. Had to fight all the way to corporate on that one. Driver went bankrupt a year later. I still have craftsman tools that my father purchased in the 60's that I used every day. SK's are good depending on if you have a dealer the warranty is usually painless. Sending to SK is easy but takes some time.

[wafrederick]

That is what happened with the Snap On dealer my father had which he kicked out 11 years ago.This dealer would not warranty a worn out socket and handed it back to my father saying it is not covered under warranty.Luckily have one down the road in my area that warranties anything worn out and there is one bad parts he does: forgets to orders stuff sometimes.I like Snap On's screwdrivers better than Craftsman's screwdrivers,they fit my hands better with a better grip.In have had a little trouble getting SK tools treplaced,hand them to the parts driver and and took a long time getting a new one.It does get staightened out,a couple sales people at the Auto Value parts store in my area get on it and take care of it

[gearhead61189]

I'm just starting my career in auto mechanics....im actually going back to school but have worked at a garage for a year now. i have used mostly craftsman but i have some kobalt and husky tools. i hated craftsman ratchets so i went to walmart and bought stanley ratchets and they have lasted me about 8 months now....i also bought some great neck and harbour frieght sockets....just ones i dont use too often but so far they have held up in very highly abusive times....just giving in my peice of mind of tools and that even the "cheaper tools" work just as well as expensive tools....as long as they make you money

[STABER]

From what I read here, it appears that other than the extremely hard user of hand tools , like screwdrivers, one is still best off buying Craftsman due to a combo of price, performance, and return policy (i.e. optimal value?).

I ask this as I have used Craftsman tools ever since I used to borrow my Dad's tools at home and have noticed that there has been somewhat of a deterioration in quality in Craftsman screwdrivers over the years (maybe not a biggie due to their no questions asked replacement policy) However, I like my tools to last, not have to run out to get a replacement screwdriver in the middle of a job because some yayhoo in the heat treat department forgot to heat treat a batch correctly. It's happened to me with Craftsman screwdrivers before (and not their junk bottom end stuff).

So, do any of you have commentary? Still the best value, or would you consider other brands? I have no problem paying more as long as I get MORE in performance. I like to buy tools ONCE, especially hand tools whenever possible and practical. there is something satisfying about owning a tool that is both functional and a work of engineering and manufacturing art.

PS I've tried other brands like Kobalt (Lowes) and have been somewhat underwhelmed. Probably OK for the occasional user but put them to the test in solid DIY use even far shy of professional use and they seem to fall apart.

[asd_]

hello staber, I came upon this thread when I did a search for hand tools in google a while back. I too have been looking to switch out of mastercraft after many years of supporting them. I heard about a new brand called Toptul and many people are excited about it on garagejournal.com. They claim to be stronger than snap on! lol

I made my first order a week back and got some pretty nice stuff. Picked up a set of 72 teeth ratchets, and some "super torque" wrenches. I tried the satin finish and its exellent.

Anyway just a heads up. Two sites have them online but I think www.thetoolchest.ca is the cheapest.

goodluck.