Snap On from McMaster?

[mrshaun]

they have an industrial or national account and if they buy at the govt prices they are making 20-30 percent on the ratchet.

 

[gahrajmahal]

I always loved Mcmaster when working as an engineer as an idea book, and have also ordered from them loads of times. I had never considered them for hand tools until now. Thanks for the awesome tip and the interesting discussions. I will let you all know what I come up with.

 

[NAYLOR]

Hahaha.
Might want to "check yourself before you wreck yourself" there Roots.

NAYLOR is doing it wrong.

I've been on all but two continents.
I've lived overseas extensively.
I've been in many many mfgr. facilities all around the world.
All of the above professionally and NOT as a member of the military.

The OP did not list what country he was working in (but McMaster Carr was mention, so I assume North America), but as you know tool theft is nothing new to any industry in any part of the world.

****** tools breed ****** mfg. which breeds ****** products and often injur those using them.
So, either make your employee buy all their own tools, set up a tool crib where tools are checked out and employees are held accountable daily for thier return, issue tools for each employee when employed with a ser. # and hold employee accountable for their return if/when employment is terminated, assign a shop foreman to control a limited amt. of general use tools, but hold that individual responsible for their return, or a combination of the above.

If company tools are "getting legs" and being stolen, then it's not the fault of the tool but the fault of mgmt's inability to control their property. Downgrading tool quality to the point of possible injury, production slow- downs or even downtime is attempting to cure the symptom and not the disease and is really just a band-aid over a much bigger problem..

I agree with you 100%; that is how a shop can and many times should be run. Unfortunately, that is not the case where I work. If I were to put any tool on the line that says "Snap On" on the handle, it will be stolen. You see, the issue is not that it is an expensive tool, but rather, it is the name of the manufacturer that is the issue. It's really quite a predicament to be in.

So rather than setting up a system for checking out tools, I will buy something that I am not as worried about growing legs. Now, you can bash me all you want because I'm not doing it your prescribed way, but at the end of the day what I get will work both safely and effectively.

 

[diesel research]

they have an industrial or national account and if they buy at the govt prices they are making 20-30 percent on the ratchet.

Didn't you say that profit margin was roughly what a truck would turn?

 

[jjjrmx5]

I
So rather than setting up a system for checking out tools, I will buy something that I am not as worried about growing legs. Now, you can bash me all you want because I'm not doing it your prescribed way, but at the end of the day what I get will work both safely and effectively.

No bashing by me.
Buying lower end tools does not really solve your problem but merely masks it to the point of deniying that a tools security problem exists.

If owners, mgmt. or yourself can't or won;t commit to the staff ,resources or a system to protect company owned property, they sure as hell better not ***** when tools go missing and the costs associated with replacing items repetitively.

Sounds like a "lose-lose" predicament professionally to me.
Good luck with whatever system you get to work.

 

[Notwerk]

No bashing by me.
Buying lower end tools does not really solve your problem but merely masks it to the point of deniying that a tools security problem exists.

If owners, mgmt. or yourself can't or won;t commit to the staff ,resources or a system to protect company owned property, they sure as hell better not ***** when tools go missing and the costs associated with replacing items repetitively.

Sounds like a "lose-lose" predicament professionally to me.
Good luck with whatever works.

You're assuming he's buying lower end tools, which he never said. He just said he wasn't buying Snap-on. That leaves a lot of high-quality, lesser known brands, including Snap-on's own "industrial" brands, like Williams. A B-52 will do the job just as well as any other ratchet, but it won't grab as much attention, and doesn't have anywhere near the price or name recognition of a "Snap-on" tool. I'm pretty sure if he used a Wright, SK, Williams or any other USA-made tool not named Snap-on, it wouldn't cause any explosions or apocalyptic events.

It's not like he said he was returning the Snap-on for a Workforce brand tool.

You're jumping all over him based entirely on baseless assumptions.

 

[Tiny Jackson]

Wow, I wonder if you could warranty snap-on at Mcmaster?

 

[csmitty]

Yeap. Confirmed. Those standard ratchets line up with protos as well.

 

[mrshaun]

army aviation had to stop using cornwell tools due to flaking chrome. so a cheaper tool could cause a massive problem. Like cheap dead blow hammers that bust and a pile of steel shot ball bearings spill over the top of a helicopter. there was another brand a few years back that had the same problem with peeling chrome, but i cant recall what brand it was.

 

[jjjrmx5]

You're assuming he's buying lower end tools, which he never said.

You're jumping all over him based entirely on baseless assumptions.

I;m not jumping on the OP at all, and in fact I thought I was being rather cordial.

So, if S-O is too much of a theft risk, then, based upon replacement costs, you're into middle rung quality tools, or trying to source capable tools that look like **** so they won;t be stolen.

When placed and used in an industrial mfg. setting, meaning 5 to 7 days a week and 8 to 10 hours a day, there are not a lot of hand tools that will put up with the use and abuse and hold up (and I've witnessed that first hand for years and years). Those that do are usually expensive. That's my only point.

I;m not talking an AC repair guy that's working out of a tool truck or a plumber. I mean a mfg. floor setting with either repetitive type assembly or one-off industrial component fabbing all day long, day in and day out .

If tools not up to any given task repeated break or need repair, man hours are lost in repairing the tool, man hours are lost in finding a new tool, and production slows due to work not getting done. I don't know about anyone else, but from my experience mgmt and owners tend to not look favorably upon lost production time and idle workers due to tools being lost, broken or unavailable. It's a simple business philosophy and merely meant as a suggestion.

Follow it or don't, I was just trying to help .But GJ seems to love to take every typed word as a personal attack on one's character.

 

[precisiontech]

I will be placing an order from Mcmaster this coming week. I let you know how I make out. We have used Mcmaster many times, but never for tools.

 

[Griff93]

I as well use them for fastners and other hardware but I haven't bought any tools from them. I was just looking around yesterday for a metric set of t handle allens that were open loop handles and non ball. I looked for about 1/2 an hour and didn't find what I wanted. I just looked and Mcmaster has exactly what I want. They will be added to my next order.

 

[csmitty]

I will be placing an order from Mcmaster this coming week. I let you know how I make out. We have used Mcmaster many times, but never for tools.

What you gonna get? We need to make a list of what brand is received. I'm sure it could be any number of brands. Some of the pics its easy to tell a proto and that FBOF80. I think SO is the only one who makes a flex off set like that.

 

[BrokewrenchLS1]

What you gonna get? We need to make a list of what brand is received. I'm sure it could be any number of brands. Some of the pics its easy to tell a proto and that FBOF80. I think SO is the only one who makes a flex off set like that.

Been lurking here for a while, but I just picked up a ratchet from McMaster because of this thread, so I figured I'd post up.

I ordered the 3/8" High Torque, 11" Black ratchet (McMaster 53165A12) that turned out to be a Proto J5250BL. McMaster price was right about what seems to be the going rate for one (ignoring ebay).

 

[csmitty]

Yea those are most def. Proto's I've got a couple. One of the 7" black ones as well, I can't get the 11" from Grainger I don't think (work account) I got that black 7" for less than McM. I've got some long, and flex from SO and Cornwell though. So the proto is a good fit.

I can't pick out any others than that though. One of the ratcheting breaker bars looked like a SO handle.

 

[Todd.Brock]

Ok I bit yesterday. It came today. I ordered the mid sized ratcheting t-handle. It is a Williams piece. Labeled USA. it's just like the Hard handle SO. I ordered online and then called to confirm shipping the cost. When you order it does not give you a total or anything. So I asked the rep for shipping cost and he said it would be 4.50 for UPS. It came for aurora Ohio. What was funny was I asked him what brand it was. He said did it matter and did I have a particular brand in mind? I said I was thinking it was Snapon. He looked and said yep supplier is Snap on of Columbus Ohio. I will post some pics if anyone is interested.

 

[csmitty]

Yea I usually don't even get my card charged till after I get things. Even shipped. I don't think they've ever done shipping on the initial invoice. I thought that T handle looked like a SO, so did the ratcheting driver next to it in the catalog.

 

[precisiontech]

I ordered:

6541A12, ratcheting t handle-brand was Williams USA
4488A25, Ratcheting multi position screwdriver-Spec Tools. Not crazy about this one, thou I haven't used it yet.

I ordered 3 Wera hex drivers and 3 Wera Hex Plus T-handles, b/c I knew they were Wera by the picture.

I also order 3 other ball end hex drivers, they turned out to be Bondhus. And I ratcheting rivet gun, branded Gesipa Flipper.

Will post some pics later if anyone wants to see.

 

[slipjointed]

This is a necro, but I just was looking through McMaster today, it appears that the ratchet's price "mysteriously" rose to the SO retail price after this thread.

 

[Trey T]

lol. that's not free market! that's commie style. this really put a big irony in the "made in the USA" war we've been seeing many adults have involved in

roots, Snap on thrives off os the mobile dealer. if they let every discount warehouse sell the stuff then it would drive us out of business super fast.
national / industrial accounts are for business use only and not for personal or resale ( overseas military contractors are an exception to that along with the shool programs )
but a business that buys and then turns and flips it is not allowed.

 

[Captain Ron]

Snap on is 127.95 and McMaster 129.05 how is that better than Snap on ?

 

[slipjointed]

Snap on is 127.95 and McMaster 129.05 how is that better than Snap on ?

It used to be just over $100 (for quite some time, actually), until someone notified someone.

McMaster very rarely changes prices other than incremental increases. I've been ordering from McMaster daily for the last 15 years. I've probably got close to 5000 orders in with them, so I pretty much know the catalog front to back.

 

[jeffmoss26]

I wish I could get a paper catalog. Apparently they are like gold lol

 

[slipjointed]

I wish I could get a paper catalog. Apparently they are like gold lol

I almost died when I saw people selling them on ebay. I've been dealing with them so long I thought getting a catalog was normal, but evidently its a big deal.

I used to bring old mcmaster catalogs home to use the pages as firestarter.

 

[jeffmoss26]

They wasted a postage stamp mailing me a letter, telling me they did not have any more catalogs. Luckily I work at a manufacturing company now so there are plenty of them around.
EDIT: Holy eBay! http://www.ebay.com/itm/McMaster-Ca...t=Antiquarian_Collectible&hash=item1e6732a305

 

[finley31]

I totally understand the feeling with not wanting to have blingy tools. Most of my tools at work all have a black oxide finish. Working in outage situations occasionally you end up being cramped with a bunch of different contractors and sometimes tools walk off or even just get misplaced.

I have ordred from McMaster for quite a while and have never thought to check their hand tools. I did get my Miracle Point from them and it has turned out to be one of the handiest tools I have for the machine shop. I also didn't know there was such a desire for the catalogs, I guess since the catalogs seem to never change they won't get outdated. My boss still hasn't figured out they have a website and while he is searching the million page catalog we usually have found and ordered the item.

 

[kruegdr]

I've got a very short list of what people (including myself) have ordered from MCM and have gotten in terms of actual brand/part number in a Google document. If you're interested in it, PM me.

 

[Kent Skinner]

They will happily tell you what they are selling you - it just isn't always clear in the catalog. I needed Pelican cases, shipped overnight. I called McMaster, and told them what Pelican part number I needed, and they told me the McMaster part number.

Their prices on the cases was slightly higher than some places, but overnight shipping charge for 2 Pelicans was $10 or $20 - rather than $150.

As for tools being stolen in an industrial setting? I worked in a large factory for a while. Some of the guys were great, and some were lowlife thieves who did *everything* they could to scam *everything*. They would work harder at trying to get away with not working, than it would have taken to just do the job. Some people feel entitled, and I don't miss working with those idiots any more.

 

[banditbigdog]

I place / approve an average 3 orders a week from McMaster.
Average per year would be in the 50,000.00 - 60,000.00 range

Pros:
They don't sell chinese junk and most stuff is made in USA.
Website is by far the easiest to use compared to grainer / msc / ect.
90+ percent of items ordered arrive next day.
No screw ups on orders, they get it right every time.
Customer service is great.
Price is very completive, that combined with super easy website means
we hardly go anyplace else for MRO items


Tom

 

[csmitty]

I do love McM, and agree the website is the easiest to navigate. I get a good discount from Grainger and free shipping but sometimes I'll get from McM just if I have a hard time searching for what I'm looking for on Grainger. And sometimes cheaper even with my discount (which varies depending on what it is)

 

[jeffmoss26]

They do have a great site. I needed a v-belt for my key machine, ordered it and had it the next day. Then I thought I had the wrong size, ordered 2 more, turns out I was right the first time...sent them back with no hassle, had my card credited and that was it.

 

[Graham08]

Bringing this one back to the top...

Ordered a set of Torx-Plus sockets from McMaster, and they were Wiha's. Now I'm just hoping the IP40 fits the screws I've got that are too big for a T40, and not big enough for a T45.