Brand That Dominates Your Tool Collection

[DieselDent]

Definitely craftsman got alot when I started out but Snap-on is catching up, I started buying used snap-on when I found you could get it for new craftsman prices and their quality started going down.

 

[JKady]

At work it's about 40% Cornwell, 50%Craftsman and the rest IR/ATD/Chicom. At home everything is Stanley or Craftsman except for my 3/8" impact because I upgraded to a CAT2150 from my MG31.

The work box is slowly transitioning to Cornwell as I break the Craftsman stuff, only Craftsman stuff I really use anymore is my chrome sockets and extensions and I do 90% of my work with my 3/8 gun and a wobble socket so I spend more time with Cornwell .

 

[Exceller8]

60% Craftsman and 40% everyone else.

 

[Lkdelta]

I got all my "ratchet and socket sets", and wrench sets from the mid 80's to early 90's ..All from sears C.M.

Picked up a few more "electric essentials" as life has gone on, mostly CM but a few porter-cable and milwaukee

Knew I would need them as life progressed.

Now if I could just find a reason to keep all the SAE tools in the ready for use drawers instead of... "in a box on the shelf in the back corner"

 

[Matt018]

Williams for a bunch of my hardline stuff, and Grey Pneumatic sockets. I have a bunch of harbor freight specialty stuff and mostly harbor freight air tools. But im trying to buy a bit more quality stuff now that i have a good set and dont buy tools as frequently. I have a bit of craftsman and have had no quality issues.

 

[JAKE-THE-TOOL-MAN]

Snap on and Cornwell are the dominate brands in my box but also have quite a few mac and matco

 

[The32nd]

Not a pro but have craftsman,matco,and some snap on I find at local flea markets

 

[Conductor562]

Is it weird that I'm surprised Craftsman ranked so far ahead of everything else?

 

[kc-steve]

Is it weird that I'm surprised Craftsman ranked so far ahead of everything else?

Nope, not really. I have seen discussions where people were surprised to find out about Craftsman's popularity. Those of us who sell tools have known about it for a long time though.

In fact, a used Craftsman tool pitted against almost any other brand except Snap-on . . . the Craftsman will fetch more money, or sell quicker, nearly every time on eBay. Not all cases though. They're popular.

Steve

 

[Conductor562]

Nope, not really. I have seen discussions where people were surprised to find out about Craftsman's popularity. Those of us who sell tools have known about it for a long time though.

In fact, a used Craftsman tool pitted against almost any other brand except Snap-on . . . the Craftsman will fetch more money nearly every time on eBay,

Steve

I guess it's not so much that I'm surprised Crafstman is so popular as it is that I'm surprised it's so popular among people on GJ. The demographic on here is obviously what I consider "*********" tool users which led me to the conclusion brands like Proto (my personal favorite), SK, Mac, and Matco would have had a larger user base than this poll indicates.

 

[kc-steve]

I can certainly see your point. I haven't bought a Craftsman tool for my own use in about 5-years, but have been buying S-K and Wright instead. However, I must admit Craftsman still dominates my own tool box. I started building it 40 years ago.

Steve

 

[Beaubeau]

If you put it down to individual items i have more stahlwille wrenches than everything, going by sets, it's snap on

 

[KinzeMech]

Craftsman.
RP ratchets are particularly unimpressive, but most everything else is better than most give credit for. Especially their Professional line.

 

[rivertucky]

Craftsman tools for me here. It gets really expensive to buy 2 exact sets of every tool you need to work on powerstroke's. On another note all the specialty tools like an (ipr socket) are snap on or matco. We use a 1/2 husky torque wrench just for the 6.0 head studs. 3/8 matco for everything else.

 

[Gabastone]

50% Matco; 40% Snap On; 5% Craftsman; 3% MAC; 2% Wright/Armstrong/SK

Craftsman doesn't surprise me. They had really good cheap tools for a long time. If you were to say what dominates your tool purchases for the last year, then it would be a wildly different story with Craftsman placing towards the bottom.

I thought Matco and MAC would be higher.

 

[Fastbird]

99% Craftsman here. Oddball specialty tool from other makers but very few.

Posted from my Rooted and ICS'd Rezound

 

[0.511MeV]

I don't think I have a brand that dominates. Right now I tend to buy Knipex, Wiha, SK and Armstrong. If what I'm looking for isn't available from them, or if I need it right now, I'll check local stores like Sears.

I have tools from many many brands, although, I've never bought anything from Mac or Matco. Just never had the opportunity. Snap-on is even rare for me, I mostly stick to industrial brands.

 

[nosnerd]

late 80s Snap ON including box...when i was a young auto tech...some craftsman (i love their wrenches also from late 80s) (just turned 45 last week)

Craftsman electric power tools from 1994 (made in USA)

i just bought a wrench set from Mastercraft which look just like Snap Ons from CTC..great value.....

but i love the fact my tools are old and are pre Chinese-kinda a pride thing i guess...

 

[mercman86]

1. Snapon
2. Craftsman
3. Mac
4. SK

All stored in a MAC MB1000 box and one Craftsman top box. When I was a new tech I bought 396 piece mechanics set. Over time I filled in the blanks with the truck tools.

 

[Bikes&Bowties]

1. Matco
2. Craftsman (some sockets and extensions and a few misc. duplicates.)
3. SK (some wrenches and all my punches and chisels)
4. Pittsburg (some impact sockets, and dead blow hammers)
5. Gearwrench (a set or two or combos)
6. Assorted USA brands
7. A few foreign tools
8. Snap on (One 3/8 ratchet)

All stored in a Matco 4s triple Bay and MSC4 cart.

 

[Conductor562]

It would have been Interesting to see how the addition of Kobalt, Klein, and Williams would have affected the results. Kobalt especially. It makes up probably 40% of my collection though I've bought Proto almost exclusively for the last year and a half. I have exactly 3 Craftsman products. A pair of Craftsman Pro oil filter pliers, a set of screw extractors, and a nut buster. Sears was a bit out of the way. I have a bunch of Klein stuff as well.

 

[CopterDoc]

At work:

50% Craftsman
40% Cornwell
10% others (Kobalt, Wera Kraftform)

At home:

Almost all Craftsman with a few odds and ends from HarborFreight.

 

[ianguilly]

7 people have a cornwell dealer?

 

[Conductor562]

7 people have a cornwell dealer?

I believe it. Cornwell is based in Ohio, I live in neighboring WV about 30 minutes from the Buckeye state line and I've never in my life seen a Cornwell truck on the road.

 

[rider9195]

Mainly Matco. But I do have some Wiha, Craftsman, and plan on getting some GP, Gear wrench.

 

[TinKnocker]

im not too good for craftsman, although i will not support china craftsman.

 

[ianguilly]

I believe it. Cornwell is based in Ohio, I live in neighboring WV about 30 minutes from the Buckeye state line and I've never in my life seen a Cornwell truck on the road.

I have never seen a truck and when I e-mailed them uthey said Dayton is the closest one, no dice.

 

[Conductor562]

I have never seen a truck and when I e-mailed them uthey said Dayton is the closest one, no dice.

Wow, I just noticed you're in Cincinnati so that's really saying something. It's a shame too, Cornwell makes good stuff. Years ago the old man used to drag home some Cornwell stuff from work. The only places I've ever heard anyone say Cornwell had a real presence was the area from Detroit around through northern Ohio and over into Chicago.

 

[gmwelder86]

mainly craftsman and gearwrench, as well as a decent collection of channel lock pliers.

 

[BlackjackNA]

"...He is just happy he has something other than fish to brag about....I mean seriously what does Canada do? ..."

Your attempt at humour?.....

For all of my fellow tool aficionados worldwide, I try to buy mainly from a Canadian company that's been around 100, yea, ONE HUNDRED), years:

http://graytools.com/home.html

Love the site!

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

Strong showing for Craftsman. I wonder if Sears/Craftsman is monitoring this forum?

 

[Conductor562]

"...He is just happy he has something other than fish to brag about....I mean seriously what does Canada do? ..."

Your attempt at humour?.....

For all of my fellow tool aficionados worldwide, I try to buy mainly from a Canadian company that's been around 100, yea, ONE HUNDRED), years:

http://graytools.com/home.html

Love the site!

That Grey stuff looks pretty nice.

 

[bobcatdan]

I would Say SO is + or - 50%. It use to be pretty evenly split between SO and mac. When mac started going down hill I started buying more matco. When I changed jobs and had a SK dealer, I bought a lot of SK. Then I found cornwell and bought a fair amount of that. So I would say SO, then matco because I have a lot of specialty tools. Then SK tops off a lot of my hand tool need. Then mac still has a healthy showing. 4th would be cornwell and then everything eles.

 

[TinKnocker]

Strong showing for Craftsman. I wonder if Sears/Craftsman is monitoring this forum?

they should take notice of the dislike of out sourcing!

 

[Toolman12]

Mostly Snap on for the job but a lot of Craftsman as well because i buy at yard sales and buy toolboxes full of everything

 

[xDueSouthx]

Wright and Knipex, controls and machine building of robotics.

 

[greasemonkey44]

i use a little of everything; if it wears out or i need something better i buy it off the snap on truck
most of my bit sockets are snapon with a few vim thrown in
1/2 impact sockets are HF
3/8 shallow wobbles, deep wobbles, deep and shallow sockets are all grey pneumatic
1/4 sockets are magnetic grey pneumatics
1/4 wobbles are snap on
wrenches are from every corner of the globe, ez red, matco, wright, sk, snapon, northern
pliers are mostly channellock with some snap on thrown in

basically i buy everything as i need it, based on value
if its a **** product, or i need it right now it gets upgraded to snapon, which is surprisingly infrequent

 

[Redex]

DIY

1. Craftsman
2. Gearwrench
3. Kobalt

 

[bart1]

I have mostly Hazet. Second most is craftsman, and then a smattering of several other things. Like my SnapOn, Wiha and Wright.

 

[TOOLFREEQ]

WOW! I feel bad for all the people with a predominantly crafstman tool collection,when one breaks. Craftsman is in for some pissed people!!