Snap-on impact socket wear

[bmwpower]

Not sure if this is seen on other manufacturers or not, but I've seen it a lot on Snap-on stuff. Is this normal? It looks like the finish has worn away, revealing bare metal. I didn't think the sockets had a "finish" to them. See the picture below.

http://pictures.kyozou.com/pictures/_2/1818/1817360.jpg

[Junkman]

All of my Snap-On impact sockets look that way. The black oxide finish will wear off of them. I don't think that this is considered a "defect".... but normal use..

[bmwpower]

All of my Snap-On impact sockets look that way. The black oxide finish will wear off of them. I don't think that this is considered a "defect".... but normal use..

Does this then make them susceptible to rusting?

[AdamMopar]

Fairly normal on all the constantly used sets that I have used from Snap On. I haven't noticed any rusting, however they are used constantly.

Adam

[TNToy]

Same here.

Got quite a few of them. A 19mm socket will look like that in about 2 months for me. It pulls of several thousand lugnuts in that time. No rust, but they're used too often to tell.

[kartracer55]

Yes, this happens with Snap On and It also happens with SK older matco's. Alot of people think these sockets are black throughout but they arnt, its just a black oxide coating on them. Snap On, SK, and older matco's seem to use a true black ox. The new matco's I just got almost look like they are painted... they have some other sort of coating on them that is very uniform. I have no idea what these cheap made in Taiwan and IR branded sockets are. They have a very shiney finish too them, kinda like the "black chrome" husky tools have.

The only reason I could come up with as to why impact sockets have a black ox. coating on the is maybe because chrome would chip off of them? Its just a guess afterall

[toolfreak]

Yeah that is normal. I ran a lube truck and didn't have drawer liners in the toolbox for a while so all my impact sockets have the finish wore off from where they laid in the drawer and slid around. They will rust if you work out in the rain and don't wipe them down with a good coat of oil before putting them away.

[wilbilt]

Those look very similar to my Snap-On sets, most of which were purchased in the late 1980s. The more-frequently used sockets will have the finish worn off.

I also have a set of MAC 1/2" short metrics. The only ones that look good are the oddball sizes (11mm, 16mm, etc.)

I have thought about refinishing the worn ones with a gun bluing kit. Thoughts?

[Junkman]

The aerospace industry uses only the black finish tools, since they can't afford to have any chrome chips get into any of the assemblies. The chrome finished tools look nice, but I have found that it does peal many times. I have also found that if the chrome is good from day one, that it will last. I have rarely had a old tool with chrome fail, but I have had a number of new tools with chrome fail. Pictured is a 1 1/8" Snap-On OEX360 wrench that is new. The chrome has chipped on the leading edge of one of the jaws.

[eschoendorff]

The aerospace industry uses only the black finish tools, since they can't afford to have any chrome chips get into any of the assemblies. The chrome finished tools look nice, but I have found that it does peal many times. I have also found that if the chrome is good from day one, that it will last. I have rarely had a old tool with chrome fail, but I have had a number of new tools with chrome fail. Pictured is a 1 1/8" Snap-On OEX360 wrench that is new. The chrome has chipped on the leading edge of one of the jaws.
Oh, now that shouldn't happen - ESPECIALLY on a $62 wrench!!!!!!!

[Junkman]

Oh, now that shouldn't happen - ESPECIALLY on a $62 wrench!!!!!!!

What do you mean $62??????? :mad: I paid $5.00 at the flea market last fall. He was asking $10 and I offered $5.... he said OK.:thumbup:

[eschoendorff]

What do you mean $62??????? :mad: I paid $5.00 at the flea market last fall. He was asking $10 and I offered $5.... he said OK.:thumbup:
According to Snapon.com.

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?search=true&item_ID=4691&PartNo=oex360&group_id=526&supersede=&store=snapon-store&tool=all
You, sir, did very well. :bowdown:

[Junkman]

What can I say...... I am cheap??? When I was in college, I had a professor that said..... ask a lot, get a little. He wasn't talking about tools, but something else that I won't mention. When I go to the flea market, I always try to negotiate price. I figure that I can always pay the asking price, but if I don't try, then I will pay too much without knowing. I have found that at many swap meets / flea markets, people just want to get rid of the stuff, and the money is not that important to them. Same with yard sales. The people that are serious about getting the full value put it on eBay. 90% of my Snap-On boxes came from others that were getting out of the business. At the time, I couldn't afford new, so used was great. Now that I can afford new, I don't need it. Old age creeps up on you slowly!

[ImportTuner]

Yes, this happens with Snap On and It also happens with SK older matco's. Alot of people think these sockets are black throughout but they arnt, its just a black oxide coating on them. Snap On, SK, and older matco's seem to use a true black ox. The new matco's I just got almost look like they are painted... they have some other sort of coating on them that is very uniform. I have no idea what these cheap made in Taiwan and IR branded sockets are. They have a very shiney finish too them, kinda like the "black chrome" husky tools have.

The only reason I could come up with as to why impact sockets have a black ox. coating on the is maybe because chrome would chip off of them? Its just a guess afterall
Craftsman sockets also have the same problem; I keep mine coated with TC-11 to prevent rust ...
:)

[wilbilt]

The aerospace industry uses only the black finish tools, since they can't afford to have any chrome chips get into any of the assemblies. The chrome finished tools look nice, but I have found that it does peal many times. I have also found that if the chrome is good from day one, that it will last. I have rarely had a old tool with chrome fail, but I have had a number of new tools with chrome fail. Pictured is a 1 1/8" Snap-On OEX360 wrench that is new. The chrome has chipped on the leading edge of one of the jaws.

Interesting you mention that issue with a 1 1/8" wrench. I bought a 1 1/8" long combo wrench new from the Snap-On dealer (for about $50 at the time), and the chrome was chipping like that within a year.

The dealer was always saying that the chrome was not warrantied for wearing off, but was guaranteed against chipping. When I asked him to replace it, he wouldn't do it. He gave some speech about it being a "frivolous issue" and "things like that are what drive up the price of tools". I told him I paid $50 for that wrench, and at that price, Snap-On should be able to replace it three times and still be ahead. He wouldn't budge.

I stopped buying from him, and a couple of months later he shows up at the shop with his regional manager in tow. He was making the rounds around the other techs, and then approached me. He asked if I needed anything, and I said "you know I don't, Bill".

My tone must have alerted the manager that something was up, because a few minutes later, they came back and Bill said "I can go ahead and warranty that wrench for you". I told him I wasn't interested. The manager asked to see the wrench, so I pulled it out. He looked at it and said it was definitely a warranty issue.

I told him I was no longer interested in a replacement. I pulled out my red Snap-On receipt book that was stuffed about 3/4" thick with $10,000 in receipts, and told him I was going to keep the receipts and that wrench as a reminder to never buy anything from Snap-On again.

The manager then offered to replace ALL of my wrenches (1/4"-1 1/4") with new ones. I told him to take a hike. That was around 1992 or so, and I haven't bought a Snap-On tool since. I still have that wrench, and it still has the chips in it.

Sorry to ramble off, but that picture brought back memories...:beer:

[Junkman]

I just finished making a post in another thread about the same matter. It is the dealer, not the company that is the problem. You can't hold the company responsible because they have a few bad apples. If you purchased a quart of milk, and it was soured, would you stop drinking milk? I have not experienced a bad Snap-On dealer in 50 years, but that doesn't mean that I don't know that they exist. I know that there is one in my general area, because a shop owner told me that the guy is a pr*ck and won't warranty anything that he didn't sell. I just avoid him, and use a different dealer in another territory. You can hold the grudge against the dealer, but it is unfair to hold it against the company. The Snap-On company will bend over backward to satisfy a customer. They will also deal with the dealers that give the customers a difficult time. They are in business and know that the dealer on the truck is a representative of the company and want to present the best face whenever possible. In fact, they company has gone too far to keep some people happy. They eliminated that Snap-On Calender with the women just to satisfy the vocal womens movement, and they aren't even customers for the most part. If I were to take that attitude, I wouldn't have a car, since I have had bad cars by all 3 automakers at one time or another, but that doesn't stop me from buying another car. One bad apple doesn't ruin the entire tree.

[bmwpower]

Not to go down the Snap-on warranty road again, but I gotta ask... Why do some dealers give customers so much crap about warranting tools? Does Snap-on HQ look down on dealers who warranty stuff too much? Do they get "dinged" or charged in some way for replacing tools? I would think as a dealer you'd want to keep your customers as happy as possible.

As for the wrench replacement, I'd probably do the same thing. It's the principle of it all. You paid good money for that wrench. It's obviously a defect and should be replaced. Now if I couldn't get it replaced by ANY of the dealers and HQ agreed that it SHOULDN'T be replaced, I'd definitely not buy from them again.

[Junkman]

I have not attempted to get the wrench replaced, but I also know that there will be no problem when I do. Some dealers don't like to warranty items because it takes it out of there stock and they have to wait to get it replaced by corporate. This might take as long as 6 or 8 weeks. They take in the broken tool, and then once or twice a month, they send the broken stuff back to a central location for reimbursement. They credit the value of the tools back to his account. In the mean time, he has replaced the tool to you, so it is no longer in his inventory, but he has already paid for it. Then he orders in a replacement to carry on the truck and has to pay for that one also. Depending on how his terms are spaced, he might have to pay for the replacement in 7 days. That means that he has xx.xx amount of dollars out of his pocket that he might not see for 6 weeks. If he isn't that financially secure, he just can't afford to carry that amount of money without having the product. If that is the case, then he is doomed to failure, since he is under capitalized to begin with. I learned this from one Snap-On dealer a long time ago. In this tight economic world, the terms have been tightened up quite a bit, so I can see how a guy starting out on the truck will have to watch his pennies. As an example, when I turn in this 1 1/8" wrench, I won't expect to get a replacement for a few weeks. It will come in on his regular stock order, and I am willing to wait till he gets credit for it first before ordering in the replacement. I don't expect him to carry the expense for me, especially since he didn't sell it. If it is a small item, like a screwdriver or ratchet kit, then he will deal with it immediately. I treat people like I would want them to treat me. I deal with reasonable people reasonably, and unreasonable people, not at all.

[Uncle Buck]

I have not attempted to get the wrench replaced, but I also know that there will be no problem when I do. Some dealers don't like to warranty items because it takes it out of there stock and they have to wait to get it replaced by corporate. This might take as long as 6 or 8 weeks. They take in the broken tool, and then once or twice a month, they send the broken stuff back to a central location for reimbursement. They credit the value of the tools back to his account. In the mean time, he has replaced the tool to you, so it is no longer in his inventory, but he has already paid for it. Then he orders in a replacement to carry on the truck and has to pay for that one also. Depending on how his terms are spaced, he might have to pay for the replacement in 7 days. That means that he has xx.xx amount of dollars out of his pocket that he might not see for 6 weeks. If he isn't that financially secure, he just can't afford to carry that amount of money without having the product. If that is the case, then he is doomed to failure, since he is under capitalized to begin with. I learned this from one Snap-On dealer a long time ago. In this tight economic world, the terms have been tightened up quite a bit, so I can see how a guy starting out on the truck will have to watch his pennies. As an example, when I turn in this 1 1/8" wrench, I won't expect to get a replacement for a few weeks. It will come in on his regular stock order, and I am willing to wait till he gets credit for it first before ordering in the replacement. I don't expect him to carry the expense for me, especially since he didn't sell it. If it is a small item, like a screwdriver or ratchet kit, then he will deal with it immediately. I treat people like I would want them to treat me. I deal with reasonable people reasonably, and unreasonable people, not at all.


Unfortunately the warranty part of the dealer customer relationship can be the most important part ( it is for me) if they cannot get that right, and most I have encountered cannot, then future sales do not follow. As to whatever mr snappys inventory issues etc.. etc.. are, why would I or any customer paying premium prices for these products give a rip! If they know they will have issues giving the excellent warranty service expected for their product (including the customer that did not buy the tool from them originally) they are selling the wrong product, and perhaps should sell tools for someone like that Homier outfit! :thumbup:

[wilbilt]

In my case, yes, it was the principle. That dealer was the one "servicing" the territory in which I was working at the time. I worked in that shop until late 1997. I then went to work in another shop a bit closer to home. The Snap-On dealer there (I guess he would be my "local" dealer) came around once in a while, but wasn't very regular. There were only a couple of techs there including myself, and nobody bought much from him, although he seemed like a nice enough guy.

As mentioned in the other thread, I am trying to get a ratchet repaired, but corporate told me I have to contact the local dealer. When I put my ZIP in on the website, it tells me to call the Portland, Oregon office to find out who "my" dealer is. I think that's a bunch of crap. The guy isn't in the phone book, either.

I suppose I could drive around and find him, but would feel kind of strange hopping on the truck and asking for a warranty when I haven't talked to him in 7 or 8 years...or bought anything from him, ever.

I was hoping to just be able to send the ratchet to Snap-On for repair, but they won't hear of it.

[Junkman]

Is there a local garage that has a dealer that services them, and where you know some of the techs? Give it to a friend to have it warranted. The other thought is, if you are willing to pay for shipping both ways to the Snap-On factory, then why not just buy a repair kit. The cost is $5.00 for most of them and the UPS ground shipping is free. I just called them for these details.

[wilbilt]

Is there a local garage that has a dealer that services them, and where you know some of the techs? Give it to a friend to have it warranted. The other thought is, if you are willing to pay for shipping both ways to the Snap-On factory, then why not just buy a repair kit. The cost is $5.00 for most of them and the UPS ground shipping is free. I just called them for these details.

Yes, I'll probably end up just buying a kit.

I don't know anyone in the business anymore.

[wantedabiggergarage]

Need a multiquote feature here.

Besides the whole Dealer being out the money for weeks while waiting on the warranty, they can also get the message that their warranty claim has been rejected, without getting the tool back.

We had a Snap~On guy, who was arguing with corp. (shortening a long story), he sold me several items, and refused cash, and didn't want to be bothered taking my check, so he gave me the tools and NEVER got my signature on anything. After he was gone, when Snap came around to the shop, trying to figure out who owed for what, I told them exactly what happened, said I could tell them to go stuff themselves, as that is a terrible way to do business. They tried for the next year to get me to become a Snap~On dealer, and I responded with the problems that I saw with that. We finally got another driver, but he only lasted around two years. Now we have no driver, all kinds of things to warranty (not the only shop) and the regional manager won't let the truck (region ends other side of the street), to cross over as he is trying to fill our route. (If he didn't show up on my day off (full time job day), then I would cross the street, but they should really get another proceedure in place, and I have thought of having legal send them a letter).

[wilbilt]

Besides the whole Dealer being out the money for weeks while waiting on the warranty, they can also get the message that their warranty claim has been rejected, without getting the tool back.


I can believe that. What I found interesting was that there were techs in the shops that were constantly doing "frivolous" warranties, talking the dealer into exchanging entire sets of screwdrivers because they got tired of the color, or other equally stupid things.

Snap-On changed the design of the lettering on the wrenches about that time. One tech was upset that a recently warrantied wrench didn't match the others due to the new design, and cried and moaned about it for weeks. The dealer finally exchanged them all for the new style just to shut him up.

I walk up with a legitimate issue and he tells me to go pound sand.

[kartracer55]

Will, That is my problem with snap on Corprate. They suck. My dealer was actually pretty cool about it. Something told me to save those ratchet guts when S-O corprate made me get the rebuild kit. I started doing buisness on the truck a few months later and I asked the guy about it and he credited me for the parts and warrantied them, so now he has a rebuild kit for my ratchet on the truck AND I got the parts for free. Not bad I suppose.

But, just out of curiosity, why did you turn down the offer to have all of your wrenches replaced with brand new ones? It definetly wouldnt have HELPED snap on... and you would have wound up with brand new wrenches.



The reason Dealers sometimes are reluctant to warranty a tool is because it is ultimatly snap on corprate that decides if the dealer will be reimbursed for the tool he just gave his customer. So, if the "inspectors" determine that the tool should not be covered under warranty, the dealer is out X amount of $$$ for that Item that just left his truck.

Junkman, I must dis-agree with you. Ive dealt with 2 dealers, and one is a total prick, but Snap on the company makes it very hard for them to operate at first, Financially speaking.