As a guy that has a box of Snap-On, I hate to admit that the newer Japanese stuff isn't all that bad. And they have a lifetime warranty. Prices of new Snap-On is insane.
Adventures in wrenching.....who makes a decent tool these days?
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Dartswinger70
Well-Known Member
A problem with the tool trucks and this has been for years is i have broken stuff but am retired from the business if I walk onto a guys truck with it he doesn't want to replace it because "I'm not a current customer"
Back when Craftsman tools were made in USA, Snap On was the usual maker. I have a whole set of the older Craftsman wrenches.
He's certainly not seen their line of Icon hand tools, has he?
I have been very happy with Klein Tools. Made in USA.
Klein Tools
The Klein brand is the #1 preferred hand tool in the electrical industry, as well as one of the leading brands in the maintenance, construction and industrial trades.
www.amazon.com
abodyjoe
Well-Known Member
it really depends on what tool you need i think..
tq wrench, i use an old craftsman. how accurate is it ? not sure but i'm not doing any critical things with it.. i don't know who has the top ones these days..
line wrenches, used craftsman for years.. they always slipped. bought a used set of snapon line wrenches and they are bad ***. fit and work awesome.
wrenches. i have a ton of old craftsman that i've done a ton of stuff with over the years and they haven't let me down. wanted to put a tool kit together for the dart when we do road trips and that entire kit is Icon from harbor freight.. haven't used them alot yet but damn they seem nice. couple times i have used them so far they fit the nut and bolt great. lifetime warranty, easy to get replaced since there are harbor freights all over the place and the price is good, even better when they go on sale. hell, i bought a second set Icon of sae and metric wrenches when they went on sale for 40% off a few months ago for the garage tool box..
ratchets and sockets, again i have a ton of craftsman, some kobalt and one snapon ratchet. all have worked well for me over the years. going back to the took kit for the dart, 1/4",3/8" and 1/2" ratchets and sockets all from icon at harbor freight. they seem like a nice tool.. again lifetime warranty and easy to find a harbor freight if i break them..
screw drivers, again a bunch of old craftsman, have some milwaukee that i like and 2 sets of Icon which i really like too... one for the tool box and one for the dart Kit.
watching a lot of the drag and drive stuff and being at a couple personally it seems like quite a few guys are using Icon tools so i figure they have to be atleast somewhat decent..
my entire tool roll for the dart wrenches, screw drivers, pliers, wire strippers, channel locks are all icon from harbor freight. i think there is only one tool in that kit thats not Icon and its a wire stripper of some sorts if i remember correctly.
tq wrench, i use an old craftsman. how accurate is it ? not sure but i'm not doing any critical things with it.. i don't know who has the top ones these days..
line wrenches, used craftsman for years.. they always slipped. bought a used set of snapon line wrenches and they are bad ***. fit and work awesome.
wrenches. i have a ton of old craftsman that i've done a ton of stuff with over the years and they haven't let me down. wanted to put a tool kit together for the dart when we do road trips and that entire kit is Icon from harbor freight.. haven't used them alot yet but damn they seem nice. couple times i have used them so far they fit the nut and bolt great. lifetime warranty, easy to get replaced since there are harbor freights all over the place and the price is good, even better when they go on sale. hell, i bought a second set Icon of sae and metric wrenches when they went on sale for 40% off a few months ago for the garage tool box..
ratchets and sockets, again i have a ton of craftsman, some kobalt and one snapon ratchet. all have worked well for me over the years. going back to the took kit for the dart, 1/4",3/8" and 1/2" ratchets and sockets all from icon at harbor freight. they seem like a nice tool.. again lifetime warranty and easy to find a harbor freight if i break them..
screw drivers, again a bunch of old craftsman, have some milwaukee that i like and 2 sets of Icon which i really like too... one for the tool box and one for the dart Kit.
watching a lot of the drag and drive stuff and being at a couple personally it seems like quite a few guys are using Icon tools so i figure they have to be atleast somewhat decent..
my entire tool roll for the dart wrenches, screw drivers, pliers, wire strippers, channel locks are all icon from harbor freight. i think there is only one tool in that kit thats not Icon and its a wire stripper of some sorts if i remember correctly.
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I admit I have been surprised by HF. If some of you remember my Cummins 2WD to 4WD conversion thread, I bought EG the HF ball joint tool and abused the HELL out of it, and same with a couple of the tie rod separator tools. Evidently someone had REALLY wrenched on the front steering components. Not particularly rusted, just really really tight.
www.forabodiesonly.com
Unrelated, but EVERY BODY needs at least of of everything. An old 60's-70's IR 3/4 impact, and the old tapered axle Jeep/ Stude/ Chrysler/ Ford axle hub pullers
Abusing the hell out of HF ball joint tool
Below, this needed to be bigger/ heavier. 12T, bought used, some time back. Pressing the studs in/ out of the hub / bearing / rotor assemblies. The older trucks have the rotors on the INBOARD side of the hub flange
The dummy and the diesel.........The Grey Whale
For those "newer guys," Del has had an entire "school" of whales, or do they come in pods? White Whale I, II, III, "Mini Whale" (Dakota) and now the "Grey Whale" is an 01 Dodge 2500 Cummins TWO wheel drive. LET'S convert it to FOUR wheel drive!! So today I drug home...
www.forabodiesonly.com
Unrelated, but EVERY BODY needs at least of of everything. An old 60's-70's IR 3/4 impact, and the old tapered axle Jeep/ Stude/ Chrysler/ Ford axle hub pullers
Abusing the hell out of HF ball joint tool
Below, this needed to be bigger/ heavier. 12T, bought used, some time back. Pressing the studs in/ out of the hub / bearing / rotor assemblies. The older trucks have the rotors on the INBOARD side of the hub flange
My sons White snap on box. Mr. Big. plus he has others that match by the machines And tall cabinets
Then we have mine all red Harbor freight boxes with snap-on decals. Kitchen counter top on the first three and I made the wall cabinets. I even put a snap on decal on the crane and wooden cabinets. You can buy the drawer tracks at lowes when they go bad and they are an up grade . Mine holds just as many tools for 1/8 of the price. Everyone that comes here thinks they are snap on. Some of my equipment is . Tool carts, tire balancer, blast cabinets. My tools make just as much money as a snap-on and they are paid for. All my **** is old even the heater.
Then we have mine all red Harbor freight boxes with snap-on decals. Kitchen counter top on the first three and I made the wall cabinets. I even put a snap on decal on the crane and wooden cabinets. You can buy the drawer tracks at lowes when they go bad and they are an up grade . Mine holds just as many tools for 1/8 of the price. Everyone that comes here thinks they are snap on. Some of my equipment is . Tool carts, tire balancer, blast cabinets. My tools make just as much money as a snap-on and they are paid for. All my **** is old even the heater.
i have snap-on everything
but crazy prices ....never thought of it years ago but 45years of collecting the only thing i can say around me there has alway been a snap -on guy
i still have my craftsman no problems with them it who can warrenty them
ace sells them but wont warrenty them .. yet lowes does
funny no mention of stalwillie ....they are nice tools
as torque wrench by a good one ,have yours tested ,don't need to f-up a head or rod from a out of calibration t-wrench
but crazy prices ....never thought of it years ago but 45years of collecting the only thing i can say around me there has alway been a snap -on guy
i still have my craftsman no problems with them it who can warrenty them
ace sells them but wont warrenty them .. yet lowes does
funny no mention of stalwillie ....they are nice tools
as torque wrench by a good one ,have yours tested ,don't need to f-up a head or rod from a out of calibration t-wrench
I have 5 double stack Snap On boxes filled with Snap On tools. I never professionally wrenched, but I did own a fleet of semi's at one time, so it was an easy write off.
In the last few years I've bought a lot of Capri Tools, which are made in South Korea. They are a really quality product and they are very reasonable on price.
You can also buy them on Amazon and I've got some great deals on them there.
Tom
In the last few years I've bought a lot of Capri Tools, which are made in South Korea. They are a really quality product and they are very reasonable on price.
You can also buy them on Amazon and I've got some great deals on them there.
Tom
My son just bought a whole bunch of Milwaukee wrenches, socket sets etc. They look really nice, decent prices and lots of selection. Personally, i like Husky brand from Home Depot. They are nice tools and you can buy individuals of most things you may lose or break.
Cley
Cley
That is such a catch 22 for tool truck business owners. Warranty can effect their bottom line if the parent company doesn't pay them for shipping on broken tools and pay them for their processing time. That all ads up when you are talking about a 50# box of broken tools sent to corporate for a refund and that happens 12 or more times per year. I was generous with warranty replacement for non-regular customers. No reason to piss a guy off, regular customer or not, over a screwdriver. But, as a non customer asking for a warranty replacement, think of it from the dealer's prospective. You didn't buy the tool from him originally so he didn't profit from the sale. The replacement tool he is giving you was bought and paid for by the dealer and now he will have to wait for it to be processed through the parent company before he gets reimbursed for it. He also has processing, boxing, and shipping time in those broken tools that he never gets paid for. That's the whole reason for a dealer to turn you down if you don't buy from him. I have had people stop on the truck with a handful of broken tools they bought at a garage sale for pennies on the dollar, and they brag about it.
Dartswinger70
Well-Known Member
I get it but then the tools arent really gauranteed for life Im not in the wrenching business but I still use my tools as I own multiple vehicles etc. Lord knows I spent alot of money with Snap on Mac Matco and Cornwell...but I will say I also have used the stuff to death etc. over the last 30 years. Tools are worse than cars no resale value. Ill point to my Snap On KRL series box in my garage and say "does that look like homeowner stuff to you?"
What are the Jananese brand names? And where would you buy them?
MOPAROFFICIAL
If it has tits, it's a liabilititty.
I'm liking the sunex stuff as well, like their fine tooth ratchets.. clean tight and rebuildable
MOPAROFFICIAL
If it has tits, it's a liabilititty.
I was at Smoky Speed Shop one afternoon. I had been driving around and tuning the car looking at the plugs and all that stuff. The Snap-on tool truck rolled up... so I took the opportunity, grabbed my black handled Snap-on ratchet from the car that I had even used to take off lug nuts with, 3/8 drive LOL.. I handed it to him and told him it was loose and he sat and rebuilt it right in front of me. Apparently it's a popular ratchet. No questions asked... and that was probably 4 or 5 years after I quit working for shops
Dartswinger70
Well-Known Member
I had the beveled chrome handle flex head 3/8 ratchet broke it and the snap on guy replaced it with a rubber grip flex head I still wish I would have said no I don't like the rubber grip.
Disregarding any warranty considerations, are parts (rebuild kits?) available for old (1980’s) Craftsman ratchets anywhere? I haven’t looked, but I have 5 or 6 of them that slip, and I’d rather rebuild than replace, if possible.
Interesting thread!
Interesting thread!
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Oldiron440
Big blocks rule small blocks drool!
Check out the pawn shops for wrenches, I’ve found smok’n deals on Craftman tools that are like new before.
But even after 2000 or so they were made by Stanley, in china?
I haven’t wrenched in ten years but Snap On was going Chinese back then. So you need to watch what you buy from them.
But even after 2000 or so they were made by Stanley, in china?
I haven’t wrenched in ten years but Snap On was going Chinese back then. So you need to watch what you buy from them.
Dartswinger70
Well-Known Member
Yeah id think used tools are out there antique maybe but a 1980s snap on wrench is still snap on etc. as for the craftsman ratchet kits Id say do a web search alot of box stores just dont stock anything any more.
So i had a snap-on ball joint press i bought 25 years ago the clamp stripped out
It was obsolete they replaced it with the new latest and greatest kit thing had to be 4x what I paid for it.....but I do still give them $100 a week when the balance is low I buy more
Had a really cool 3/8 ratchet..its was worn out new one wasn't as cool
Bought the new one have the old in my vintage tool box
It was obsolete they replaced it with the new latest and greatest kit thing had to be 4x what I paid for it.....but I do still give them $100 a week when the balance is low I buy more
Had a really cool 3/8 ratchet..its was worn out new one wasn't as cool
Bought the new one have the old in my vintage tool box
The thing is for anyone buying tools is having someone to warranty or replace them
As the op stated no snap on guy around
So buy what can be replaced...
As the op stated no snap on guy around
So buy what can be replaced...
OK.....seeing as how I was desperate on top of which they had what I was looking for, I'm am now owner of an Icon 3/8" 40 to 200 inch pound torque wrench (made in Taiwan). Seems like decent tool and if it works at all, it will scratch my itch (do what I need it to do). But as I rarely go into Harbor Freight, I did so again this time with one eye open and I do get what some are saying. Their tool inventory dwarf's what the local Sears had on it's best day. In terms of variety, had more tools under one roof than all other local retail tool options in town combined. And if they are as good as anything Sears was for past 20 years, don't see the downside for us weekend wrenchers. As for warranty, I'd now consider the cheaper stuff disposable. Is what it is.
No such thing as a "name brand" Japanese tool, they will put anyones name on it. I would stick to Lowes or Home Depot as they are convenient to me but all have a lifetime warranty,
gzig5
Well-Known Member
If you haven’t done it, it’s worth the effort to disassemble the rachets and clean them up. I did that to two of my Dad’s old Craftsman rachets which were hanging up and slipping. Dressed the edges on all the parts with a stone and greased them up. Work great now even though there was some wear.
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