Man donates lifetime of Snap-on tools to museum

[outlander800]

Wonder how he feels about Snap-on purposely removing the USA stamp from USA made tools after an entire lifetime of buying tools that almost certainly had two stamps on them: "Snap-On", and "USA"?

Don't call me a troll, my very first Snap-on socket set just arrived in the mail today. That doesn't make me resent SO's decision to remove the USA markings any less.

Do your sockets have USA stamped on them?

 

[treasureseeker]

Neat story - thanks, Chad!

Too bad the Snap-on haters can't keep their yaps shut for once.

I am a Snap On lover but the story makes me think of people who leave their estate to the church.

 

[LGMechanical]

The man was a professional mechanic. Not some DIY cheapskate. He had pride in his craft.

 

[blown94conv]

The man was a professional mechanic. Not some DIY cheapskate. He had pride in his craft.

Quoted for truth.

 

[Defender Chassis]

No, not trying to tell him what to do with his tools. Just doesnt make sense at all. He could sell or donate them to a worthy cause, give to a church or use the funds towards more enjoyment in his retirement. Its a cool story just doesnt make sense. To each his own.

I'm thinking that this guy did not donate his hand tools but his shop equipment. Stuff like AC equipment, welders, tire machines etc. I bet he had some old stuff that was low volume sellers and harder to come by than a ratchet. Probably is not worth much at this point. Hopefully SO opens the museum to the public so that others can enjoy his old equipment.

 

[metalhead212121]

cool story! Id love to have that Museum be open to the public!

LGMechanical is right some people actually take pride in their work! In theory.. you take pride in your work.. the work comes to you.. YOU dont have to chase work. Again in theory.. you can take pride in your tools and buy a more professional grade of tool whether it be Snap, MAC, Matco, WHOEVER. I love to see pics of what he collected over the years and what he donated! Any pics chadster1??


When I die I hope my tools will be sold off piece by piece to guys that know quality tools. I'll be rolling in my grave if some guy comes and buys everything as a lot only to resell it piece by piece for profit!


Dan

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

What does that have to do with anything. The article made it sound like he only bought Snap-On. The article also talks about how he appreciates only quality tools and then puts up a pic of the guy beside a ChiCom drill press. I just found it a bit hypocritical.

a fool and his money are soon parted

Ahhh...another poor old person foolishly "donates" rare/valuable items to a private (not open to the public) museum. I give it five years tops before his tools sell on ebay for much more than the amount they spent on him.

If you want to display something in a museum, loan them with a signed return promise note. Do not donate them.

Cool. He overpays for tools then gives them back to the company he bought them from.

There's some miserable SOBs on here...

 

[Defender Chassis]

There's some miserable SOBs on here...

What about me noticing something in a picture leads you to believe I would be miserable? Or a SOB for that matter? Heck, I love Snap-On tools. I even have a ChiCom drill press. Maybe I will try being less observant and see if my mood improves.(BTW, the last line was sarcasm for those that can not recognize it)

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

What about me noticing something in a picture leads you to believe I would be miserable? Or a SOB for that matter? Heck, I love Snap-On tools. I even have a ChiCom drill press. Maybe I will try being less observant and see if my mood improves.(BTW, the last line was sarcasm for those that can not recognize it)

It doesn't have anything to do with what you noticed in a picture. It has everything to do with your attitude. Guy posts a thread about a cool story and you have to try and take a dump in everyone's cornflakes.

 

[70redbee]

You guys are arguing over something that dosesn't exist. That is one big milkshake machine made in Germany during the war of 1812, not a drill press. Thanks for the story Chad.

 

[justanengineer]

There's some miserable SOBs on here...

The fact of the matter is that EVERY museum eventually sells donated items to make room and/or raise funds. The Smithsonian does it, and even the Henry Ford has sold items that were once personal property of Henry Ford. I was not knocking SO or the man himself, simply pointing out a mistake made. And for the record, I am one of the happiest SOBs out here...

 

[jpoe]

Cool story. I agree there does seem to be a very high level of douchebaggery on this thread. As far as what one does with HIS tools is HIS business.

 

[slipjointed]

Do your sockets have USA stamped on them?

Yep, but my ratchet doesn't, and my pliers don't... both of which were marked USA until very recently. So basically, two out of the three Snap-on tool categories I own have had USA purposely removed. We're not talking obscure categories, or tools that haven't historically had that marking.

I'm guessing the only reason the sockets are still marked that way is that Snap-on doesn't want to mix unmarked and marked sockets in the same set, so it will be somewhat of a pain logistically to transition an entire socket line over. If they could throw a magic switch and remove USA from every tool they make, I'm guessing they would do it in a heartbeat... I'm only going by their stated company mission, BTW.

Cool story. I agree there does seem to be a very high level of douchebaggery on this thread. As far as what one does with HIS tools is HIS business.

Douchebaggery?

I think it's just plain sad looking at a picture of this American mechanic who devoted his entire life to a tool company that now seems to think "USA" is an embarrassing thing to stamp on their tools.

Snap-on is a world class company that makes world class tools.

They have an amazing team of employees and some top notch engineers making high quality and innovative products... case in point, the PWCS7 stripper/crimper, there's nothing else on the market like it, and it was the tool that got me seriously taking a close look at SO's lineup and realizing that they have some pretty amazing stuff that I never cared to notice before.

I've never really questioned their quality, but I didn't become a fan of the company until I started to study their product line some more, and also had several interactions with their customer service.

For me, Snap-on as a whole is top notch, but their Marketing department needs to get smacked for insulting their loyal American Manufacturing Techs, Dealers, and Engineers, by recommending to the executives that removing USA from tools made by American hands was a good idea... and the execs need to get smacked for signing off on it. That's my personal opinion. Sorry if it makes me a douchebag.

 

[six-T-seven]

There's some miserable SOBs on here...

miserable trolls too.

 

[Defender Chassis]

It doesn't have anything to do with what you noticed in a picture. It has everything to do with your attitude. Guy posts a thread about a cool story and you have to try and take a dump in everyone's cornflakes.

I'm going to write this up as a misunderstanding. I find it difficult to interpret an attitude from a couple lines in a post and I evidently gave you the wrong impression with my choice of words. I just found it funny that the article painted a picture that the actual picture did not corroborate. In my mind I saw it as an author that wrote a story on quality tools but did not know enough to not use a pic of the guy with cheap tools. Sorry for ruining your breakfast.

 

[Papawswrench]

I posted the same story over on Tool Talk with no troll action at all.

 

[american lockpicker]

Cool article. I really wish Snap On would stop whoring their name out and bring back all production of their tools to the USA and mark them with a COO. Back when I got into tools I like most people in my area only bought American. For most stuff it was Craftsman which was a good tool at a great price but when you wanted the absolute best you got Snap On. It wasn't cheap(still isn't lol) but you got American made perfection. Now they have some stuff made in China and some USA made stuff isn't marked as such(whoever thought that was a good idea can go **** theirself) and much better options are easily available from Japan or Europe...

 

[Snappy]

They had the display of the old tools set up at the Franchise conference last month. Click on the link to the article to see some pics.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/130246508.html

Thanks for the story Chadster.

What about me noticing something in a picture leads you to believe I would be miserable? Or a SOB for that matter? Heck, I love Snap-On tools. I even have a ChiCom drill press. Maybe I will try being less observant and see if my mood improves.(BTW, the last line was sarcasm for those that can not recognize it)

How do you like your ChiCom drill press ?

 

[William Payne]

This is one of those if you don't understand you will never understand stories, it is awesome. This goes beyond money beyond the tools even. This is a guy saying "hey this was my life". He was obviously more then a mechanic, he was a tradesman, being a mechanic was obviously more then just what payed the bills it was the path he chose to take in his life. He now wants to give back to the company that he loved.

I have met many older tradesman, one common thing is they tend to still have all or most of the tools they had since they started. You see that alot especially in machine shops.

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

miserable trolls too.

Only the guilty need feel guilty.

 

[Defender Chassis]

How do you like your ChiCom drill press ?

I would love to discuss. please send me a PM or start a new thread so we don't hijack this thread.

 

[WRX/Z28]

This is one of those if you don't understand you will never understand stories, it is awesome. This goes beyond money beyond the tools even. This is a guy saying "hey this was my life". He was obviously more then a mechanic, he was a tradesman, being a mechanic was obviously more then just what payed the bills it was the path he chose to take in his life. He now wants to give back to the company that he loved.

I have met many older tradesman, one common thing is they tend to still have all or most of the tools they had since they started. You see that alot especially in machine shops.

^^^^ This.

At 89 years old, having made your mark on the world, what would it be worth to you to be immortalized in a museum, and in widely publicized print articles?

To me, that's one of life's goals. To make your mark, and contribute something people will remember and appreciate. I can only hope I'll be that lucky someday.


To the trolls that don't believe they are trolls:

Why else would you post anything that doesn't positively contribute to a thread like this? What constructive purpose do comments like these serve?:

"Thats no Snap-On drill press." Seriously? What brand is it sir? If you can tell, you're a better man than I...

"a fool and his money are soon parted" A fool and his words are soon parted

"Cool. He overpays for tools then gives them back to the company he bought them from." I'm sure after 70+ years of use that he feels like he overpaid for them, and you're definately more of an expert on the lifetime value of tools than he is.

 

[lowbucktruck]

^^^^ This.

At 89 years old, having made your mark on the world, what would it be worth to you to be immortalized in a museum, and in widely publicized print articles?

To me, that's one of life's goals. To make your mark, and contribute something people will remember and appreciate. I can only hope I'll be that lucky someday.

Well said, WRZ/Z28! Well said.

 

[WRX/Z28]

Thats no Snap-On drill press.

That guys glasses do not appear to be snap on either, nor does the labels on the toolbox, or the storage cabinet in the background!

I smell fraud! This guy probably didn't have anything to donate at all!

 

[AZ_Catskinner]

I think it's really cool. I'd like to think that 40 or 50 years from now I could donate my gangbox to a museum, just to share how things were done back in the day.

 

[pl_silverado]

Very nice guy. His display at SFC was pretty awesome too. I spoke to him at the business update as i was sitting behind him, really nice guy.

 

[brslk]

Thanks for posting this. I thought it was an awesome story and donating his tools back to SO has probably given him more joy than selling them ever would.

I am not a Snap On fanboy but I do appreciate their quality.

I have no children to leave my tools to and I do not want to burden my wife with what to do with them when I die.

I told her to give them to my nephew who is a mechanic and he can use them as he sees fit.