Snap-On tools for sale

[BloodySinner]

I have been meaning to get this off my chest for quite some time, so I might as well cut to the chase.

Ever since I joined this forum, I couldn't help but notice a great influx of brand new Snap-On tools, ratchets in particular, being discounted greatly for sale on here.

Users would sometimes have a whole lot of 'em. Are these tools being stolen from the manufacturing plants or what? It is rather suspicious at times, to be honest. Not that I mind, of course... Just curious.

Am I the one here or am I just crazy?

 

[Bikes&Bowties]

I know of a couple sellers who get lots of matco and snap on.. Seem honest and pass on good prices to us.... So don't ask don't tell haha

 

[Hiball]

Id say the Majority of the Snap on tools are Warranty Replacements, Could be some Student Discount tools and or Dealer Purchases. Ive warranted a few tools and i also got lucky and found a Dealer who was getting out of the business and if you had Cash you could buy for about 60-70 cents on the Dollar. I suspect there are Stolen tools that hit the classifieds but doubtful thats its a big portion of the Total sales.

 

[Danglerb]

I've heard that the industrial reps can sometimes do deals no normal dealer could ever do.

I figure the number may not be small of people who buy a new tool and get reminded the rent is due, or buy a tool, it for some reason breaks, they have no time to wait and buy something else, then end up with a newly warrantied tool.

Some big companies have a policy of not sending anything in for warranty, if something breaks it goes in a box for disposal.

 

[glenmore]

I've sold a fair amount of new and used Snap-On tools in the classifieds.

I have gotten just about all of them from CL with an occasional warranty item.

It is just a hobby for me so sometimes I make a few bucks, sometimes I lose a few bucks and sometimes when I pass along a truck deal to members with no truck access, I'll make nothing.

From CL, the sellers of used tools are just ex-mechanics.

Some of the new tools come from guys in student programs that just blow out the tools that they just bought at a huge discount. It is pretty obvious when class is over because they will all have the identical set of tools and the exact same Snap-On invoice.

My other source for new tools is from a CL seller that gets big slugs of new SO tools from time to time. I suspect that he gets these tools from dealers that are dumping tools into other dealers territories thru the back door.

I have never come across CL tools where I had a strong suspicion that they were stolen.

Make no mistake. SO is a huge company whose mission is to sell a whole lotta tools so there are undoubtedly many distribution channels that we are completely unaware of.

 

[Toolhorder]

I think the new ones are just warranty replacements. Guys here frequent the flea markets then send a box of stuff to Snap On and then sell it all here for a good profit. Nothing new been happening forever. I call them tool catfish, they wander the bottom of the tank looking for anything they can buy cheap and flip online for 20X more.

 

[RhodesSpeedShop]

I've sold some brand new stuff more than a few times and all of it has come from Craigslist. I've bought the same tool combo countless times......7 piece metric and sae wrench set, 3/8 general service kit, one shallow 3/8 socket set, 3 piece plier set, blue point scraper, blue point wire cutters, blue point hammer, 8 piece instinct screwdriver set and a bag or a box. Always roughly the same lot. Every guy claims they just finished tech school and recieved a voucher for tools but need the cash. Not sure if their choices are limited but they all buy the same thing and flip it. It's about $1,000-1,200 retail worth of stuff and most take $400-500. I used to keep what i needed and sell the rest so i came $0 out of pocket but i've seen the same damn sets for sale so much i dont bother much anymore.

 

[fatfillup]

I buy and sell a lot of tools, just not online and I get a fair amount of new to like new tools off CL and at auctions. I won't mess with anything I think may be stolen though and I would suggest you guys don't either. If a tool turns out to be stolen, and they can track it to you (seller rats you out) you will lose your tool and your only recourse is to try to recover your money from the seller, who will likely be in jail or have no assets anyway. And that assuming they don't come after you for receiving stolen property. Plus, if there is no resale market for stolen items, people won't steal as much.

I wouldn't worry about the folks here too much especially if they have been members for a while.

 

[tjmonsen5]

There are ways to get new tools, its called liquidation. Sears, walmart, bestbuy, basically every big name store does it. Its not worth their time to repackage or sort through and make sets complete to resell. They just load everything up in huge crates, and sell it off.


Did you know that each sears store alone allows up to 250k a year in stolen merchandise? Thats "normal" for them.

 

[FergusonTO35]

Alot of techs have gotten out of the business in the last decade and decided to cash in their tool equity for whatever they could get out of it. Some people do break tools so they can get a shiny new warranty replacement to sell but I would say the majority of them were simply purchased new and never used. I have sold all kinds of stuff since I got out of the business in 2007.

 

[Roots]

I've heard that the industrial reps can sometimes do deals no normal dealer could ever do.

Some big companies have a policy of not sending anything in for warranty, if something breaks it goes in a box for disposal.

True, but I'd find it rather doubtful that a Snap On industrial rep would go through the trouble of selling tools individually. Their time and commissions are likely much more along the lines of selling industrial plants, schools, etc. on entire shops worth of equipment or setting up automatic purchasing streams with corporations.

 

[85camaro]

I buy and sell a few Snap on, Mac, and other tools as a hobby too. I get them from many sources. I get them from swap meets, auctions (some tools are new) and occasionally I get some from a mechanic friend who knows I have a passion for tools and he will sell me some used ones at very fair prices when he's looking to upgrade, update etc.....

 

[Flash21]

glenmore and Hiball summed it all up...

 

[otis66]

I've been buying tools since 1982. I bought a lot of new tools the last 5 years while I was out of work. I got hurt on the job and never recovered. I then had to retire so I just sarted to sell off all tools that I would no longer need or use. I'm not looking to make much money. I'd just rather sell tools than to have them grow legs and walk away. I still give tools to my friends when they ask to barrow somthing. I thought it would be easy but it's very hard to part with tools that you've been using for over 25 years...Very hard.

 

[gauder the goof]

I know a few guys who have tool allowances through their work. What they do is buy the tools through their job and then sell them for cash.

 

[Al Bundy]

I know a few guys who have tool allowances through their work. What they do is buy the tools through their job and then sell them for cash.

Isn't that the same as stealing?

 

[Roots]

Isn't that the same as stealing?

No, it's part of a compensation package.

 

[ndoran]

True, but I'd find it rather doubtful that a Snap On industrial rep would go through the trouble of selling tools individually. Their time and commissions are likely much more along the lines of selling industrial plants, schools, etc. on entire shops worth of equipment or setting up automatic purchasing streams with corporations.

My dealer is an Industrial guy. He sells to the local Toyota car plant, he sells to the company I work for and he is happy to sell a wrench or a single screwdriver to me and just as happy to do a warranty. Great service - what we expect when we buy from a premium company. He also sells other brands from his SO truck including: Titan, Sunnex, Channelock, Gearwrench, Precision Instruments etc.