what brought you over to the dark side ?

[Steinmetz]

"...and shortly there after, in debt…".

Paying off an interest-bearing loan on an asset that declines in value is a sure-fire way to stay poor.

 

[1cargarage]

How did you get your start in "high end tools "?

For me, I was a helper in the body shop. Happy as could be with my craftsman stuff. One day I was trying to take a side mirror off of a Volvo. I was twisting for all I was worth and the screw would not break for nothing. A coworker saw my struggles and handed me his Snap-On screw driver.
With what seemed like half the effort, *POP* the screw broke loose.

I was amazed, and shortly there after, in debt....
The rest is history.

What about you? How did you get started in collecting high end tools ?

All my Craftsman USA stuff worked great for the longest time and most of it still does. I was working on my old Jeep that had a fair amount of rust underneath. Some of the larger suspension related bolts were seized pretty well and I blew out my 1/2" Craftsman Ratchet, exchanged it, blew the new one out almost immediately. I flagged down the first tool truck I saw which happened to be Snap On and picked up two ratchets (SL80 and FHNF100). I completed the job with both and never looked back.

 

[bobcatdan]

"...and shortly there after, in debt…".

Paying off an interest-bearing loan on an asset that declines in value is a sure-fire way to stay poor.

Generally speaking, tools bought on a truck account are interest free. Only high dollar box purchases would ever cause one to pay interest. I look at ******* away money tools is no different then buying electronics, ATVs, boats or endlessly sticking money into a project car that is never going to be worth it. At least with tools, I have something that will still be functional 50 years from now. I make my living with my tools, $50,000 in tools has more then paid for itself.

 

[n8n]

All my Craftsman USA stuff worked great for the longest time and most of it still does. I was working on my old Jeep that had a fair amount of rust underneath. Some of the larger suspension related bolts were seized pretty well and I blew out my 1/2" Craftsman Ratchet, exchanged it, blew the new one out almost immediately. I flagged down the first tool truck I saw which happened to be Snap On and picked up two ratchets (SL80 and FHNF100). I completed the job with both and never looked back.

May I suggest a matching 1/2" breaker bar?

Sent from my XT897 using Tapatalk

 

[torqueman2002]

I have a few of my Dad's and his Dad's Craftsman tools. I was impressed with the warranty.

I bought a set of CM when I went off to school 3 hours away and needed to keep a used car running.

While in school, the gas station I worked in had a mix of SK, Proto, and ???.

Dave, the 1 and only mechanic, had a well used set of SO; which only he touched. On rare occasions, with permission, I would use them for a hard to reach bolt.

I didn't see the value in the cost of SO. But I did prefer my CM over the rest of the choices.

When I worked in a repair shop, after finishing school, I bought truck tools (SO) as needed. I realized the benefit in the SO quality, and had the $$.

Fast forward dozens of years after leaving the wrenching jobs, now I am able to get a manufacture's industry discount (>40%) on SO.

I beging to replace and add to tools with SO. CM -V- still hang above the bench for quick light duty jobs; but, serious wrenching - I reach for the SO. Stored in a minty vintage set of KR-5x7 SO boxes.

They feel right in my hands and I know they will do the toughest jobs.

Oh, BTW. The Other site is the 'Dark Side'.

 

[1cargarage]

May I suggest a matching 1/2" breaker bar?

Sent from my XT897 using Tapatalk

You certainly may. I used a breaker along with about a gallon of PB blaster and a blowtorch. The ratchet failed after the bolt was unstuck. Either way, I'm glad I got the 1/2" Snap On dual 80.

 

[woody 73]

Funny thing (old story told before on the GJ), but as a teenager I helped a neighbor take apart two cars in a single day and Richard had only a shoe box worth of tools, a small bottle gas tank, an engine hoist, and a dolly.

His small shoe box had everything from China, USA, Japan and the rest of the World; watching him work was like seeing Harry Houdini get out of handcuffs and a straight Jacket with only a pick in his mouth so to speak.

Not to digress but Richard taught me a lot that day; I did learn more about what went into a good tool and what to stay away from.

I wish the world had more mentors like that

 

[Danglerb]

When the economy went down the toilet and so many dealers went out of business good tools were selling so cheap I started buying a few at swap meets, yard sales, and ebay. I haven't spent $10 on a truck since then, but have a lot of used stuff.

Only ratchet I've broken was a Snapon I think 738, 3/8 older ratchet. Doing nothing special, it just ran out of gas while in my hands.

 

[n8n]

You certainly may. I used a breaker along with about a gallon of PB blaster and a blowtorch. The ratchet failed after the bolt was unstuck. Either way, I'm glad I got the 1/2" Snap On dual 80.

OK, sorry for jumping your stuff. I can see that happening, I just assumed that you were using the ratchet to break the bolts loose which I bet would even break a Snap-On ratchet.

Now I know a guy that has a relatively new long handled Snap-On flex head and he was told by the Snap-On guy that he could use it the same way he could a breaker bar. *I* don't believe it, but to be fair, it hasn't broken yet, and he's a pretty big guy.

I already posted that I just got a pair of Williams S-52s; one was actually intended as a replacement for a ratchet that belonged to the same guy I mention above as a replacement for a cheap POS ratchet of his that I broke while I was using it, the other for myself as someone borrowed my own 1/2" ratchet and lost it. They're both soaking in Redline D4 right now, but next time I'm at the shop with him I'll have to do a back to back with one of his Snap-On ratchets to see what I think. (I bet he paid more than $25 for those though.) I'm *definitely* not going to torture test them though... as far as I know repair parts are unobtanium.

 

[adstock]

Snap On Phillips screwdriver and bit sockets

 

[crewchief888]

Generally speaking, tools bought on a truck account are interest free. Only high dollar box purchases would ever cause one to pay interest. I look at ******* away money tools is no different then buying electronics, ATVs, boats or endlessly sticking money into a project car that is never going to be worth it. At least with tools, I have something that will still be functional 50 years from now. I make my living with my tools, $50,000 in tools has more then paid for itself.

or hookers and blow.....


i started out wrenching in '84 with mostly SK tools that had belonged to my dad. as i figured out i'd probably be wreching a long time, i started adding to my "working" tools, upgrading, replacing dad's tools with all my own.
dads stuff was relegated to home use, and added to as well.

do i wish i'd never set foot on a tool truck, and financed large purchases?

not really, i dont "collect" tools, or toolboxes, bought every last one of them for a reason, it's how i make my living.

 

[Monte]

when both of my 7 amps no-name angle grinders died on the same day and i ordered a 13 amps Bosch...

 

[87FoRunner]

"...and shortly there after, in debt…".

Paying off an interest-bearing loan on an asset that declines in value is a sure-fire way to stay poor.

Man if only the cost of steel, labor, petroleum, and engineering was getting cheaper. Lest we forget inflation. Tools will always be a commodity.


My old room mate was a mechanic by trade and brought home some higher end tools. I didn't focus on quality tools until I was making good money flipping cars and decided to invest in myself and help make things easier to fix.

Now that I am a professional mechanic, and use them daily, it is a no brainier to pick up the good stuff.

 

[AcftMx5]

When I was working under the instrument panel of a Piper Warrior I realized the snap on 4 way angle wrench would be 10x better than working with my craftsman RP wrench. Just recently got a snap on 1/4 drive snap on ratchet, now I need a 3/8 drive, so it has begun!

 

[koondog]

My Dad was a mechanis and he a a few SO things that I used but I couldn't afford my own then. I was content with Craftsman out of necessity. Then Sears screwed me over on a torque wrench and I won't buy anything from them. I can afford SO so when I need something that's what I buy. Or SK if it is available. My goal is to rid my boxes of anything Craftsman. I'm almost there.

 

[94blu1500]

I had all craftsman tools for years before I started working working as a mechanic. I worked for 4 with all craftsman tools, until I got a f70 snap on ratchet from my granddad. I liked it so much better than the craftsman ratchet I was using I decided I needed to get a equivalent replacement so that I didn't ruin granddad's ratchet. Got an f80 off the web cause the truck didn't stop by the shop at the time. And that's where it started...

sent from android mobile

 

[Moose-LandTran]

The orange got me too, except I saw it on a Snap-On truck. They ought to teach the dangers of orange a little better in school.

I didn't have a dealer at the time, straight on eBay, found a set of 3 new ones. They were gonna be mine, then i found some more, etc..

I'm in the 60-70 region now, and still buying.

And what's a tyre?

It's like a tire but it has a funny accent.

 

[Plombob]

When I was newbie doing LOF, I was trained to check the differential. (Does anyone check the diff nowadays?) We serviced a lot of Ford Fairmonts. I had to use two u-joints to get around the swaybar. I only had two u-joints; an old Proto and a CMan. Every time I had a stuck plug, the CMan broke. That did it for me. The only truck that showed up was the SO guy, so I have a few things from him.

 

[The Ratchet Man]

I didn't have a dealer at the time, straight on eBay, found a set of 3 new ones. They were gonna be mine, then i found some more, etc..

I'm in the 60-70 region now, and still buying.



It's like a tire but it has a funny accent.

I saw them on the truck....then 10 or so years later, when eBay got really big, I bought my first set from there too. I've only been on a truck a couple times since i can't ever seem to find him. I like the older stuff anyways.

I had 3 orange sets but Canuckian shrunk it down 2. I collect black handle singles too though. I need a couple more and I'll have every variation from the mid 90's. There's like 25 different ones.

Down here we call it a "tahr" and it takes every bit of 2 seconds to say it properly.

 

[K-Dog]

Has it ever occurred to you that all the pre twisting effort freed the fastener ? Wrenches and screw drives are pretty much the same when used correctly. That is excluding the really cheep **** that is out here, nothing wrong with Craftsman, used them successfully for 40 years. Enjoy the Kool-aid.

Want a high end tool try out Hutchins sanders.

Gone round and round with that a thousand times. I tried to convince my self otherwise. The pre twisting did nothing but make me look like a weakling. They are not the same. The handle, the quality of the metal, the cut of the tip, what ever it is I am unsure. I know for a certain, there IS a difference.

yeah Hutchins have been on my wish list for quite some time. There is nothing quite as nice.

The OP mentioned "debt"...... I heard a lot of SO tool owners finance or make payments on their tools, even stuff under $1k. Is that true?

Yeah you pretty much walk on the truck, grab a tool or two and walk off and give the man any where from $10.00 to $100.00 per week. The better relationship you have with the guy, the more he will let you walk off the truck with. Every Snap-On man is different, but more or less thats how they all work.
There is no interest or finance charges. Well technically. I recon its built into the price of the tool.

 

[Hopalong604]

When you're just starting off its hard to justify buying Snap On, so cman, mastercraft and etc would just have to do and I convinced myself that it was good enough. But I kept on borrowing SO tools from my co workers that I already had in cheaper versions. Why? Sockets didn't fit nice, wrenches would slip off and I bust my knuckle, I would strip screws and so on. I like my old tools but I love my Snap On.

 

[1950mercury]

When I bought 2 big mac tool boxes filled with snap on, matco and mac tools for pennies on the dollar. But no way in hell would i pay truck prices.

 

[e-tek]

I started out as a tyre fitter. My boss had a small Snap-on box, nothing in there really stood out except for a 3/8" ratchet with an orange palstic handle.

That was it, i had to have one. Now i'm about 40k deep in tools.

Didn't you say somewhere you only made like $10/hour??

When I bought 2 big mac tool boxes filled with snap on, matco and mac tools for pennies on the dollar. But no way in hell would i pay truck prices.

Only way I'd buy SO!

 

[Moose-LandTran]

Didn't you say somewhere you only made like $10/hour??

I have done previously, I'm now flat rate; £20-25/h.

(Still not as many billed hours as i'd like.)

Bear in mind, that's £40k over 8 years. I don't own much besides my tools and my car, have no savings and live cheap..

 

[bwringer]

I only have one Snap-On tool that I ended up with almost by accident, but the thing I've learned over time is to be able to instantly tell the difference in quality.

It's a little hard to explain, but I bet many of you can also pick up a wrench or ratchet or a socket from an unknown brand and make a pretty accurate quality assessment in about .05 second.

You probably felt the same mild confusion when nice quality Taiwanese tools started showing up in Autozone (wait, these are... actually decent?), or the dismay when Kobalt at Lowes started to become such a mixed bag. We'll skip over Craftsman's unspeakable far Eastern betrayals. And it's probably just as obvious to most of you as it is to me why Irwin's junk Chinese Vice-Grips stake out new lows in the abuse of once-proud brand names.

And yes, we can walk into Harbor Freight and nimbly separate the good from the horrific -- but only if we can see and handle the tools first. There's something that feels different about good metallurgy.

 

[wolf_from_wv]

I needed the longest 13mm box end wrench I could find. Someone on here had a long Snap On 13mm wrench for sale at a good price. That was the start. I haven't made it past there...

 

[Brownsfan]

I was perfectly happy with my mastercraft tools in a Rubbermaid hand box. Went to a car show where a snap on truck had set up shop and had some deals running. Picked up a set of picks and a pistol grip ratcheting screwdriver on recommendation from a couple other car audio installers I worked with. That was the beginning of the end for me. I still have the same set of picks and the screwdriver. They've been to hell and back and have never given me an issue. I also still have the Rubbermaid box lol.

You were a installer? Me too. Still in the industry but on the manufacturer side. For me it was after I tried a Snap On trim/door panel tool. Next time the truck came I bought the set. Now I have more than I will ever need.

 

[Taildragger]

I'm not a professional wrench turner, but the Snap on dealer that came to our place always offered me his trade ins at a decent price. One day I was trying to get a bolt off on my mower and the C-man just wasnt fitting in the tiny spot. I went a got my SO socket, it was thin enough to fit. Over the years I have ended up at about 50/50 SO and C-man..