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I'm so confused. Help me out here

dnschmidt

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I wear a $35 Casio watch. It does everything I can imagine a watch doing. It has a build in radio that syncs it to the NIST atomic clock every evening so that it is perpetually accurate to a thousandth of a second. It runs for years on a cheap battery, it has a lot of functions, most of which I never use since for me a watch should tell time and if it does that I'm happy. Considering that I have what appears to be a perfect watch why would I buy a Rolex. It can't perform the function of a watch any better than my Casio since my Casio is a perfect watch from the standpoint of doing what a watch does which is tell time.

So we have these Snap-On wrench arguments and tool box arguments. If another lesser wrench tightens and loosens every bolt to which it is applied to perfection without failure what can a Snap-On wrench at ten times the price do that this other wrench can't. The toolbox argument about the Kirkland toolbox I saw at COSTCO is another perfect example. If it looks nice, holds tools, the drawers slide properly and it rolls around what else can a Snap-On tool box do that justifies it's enormous price?

I'm an engineer so I'm literal. Something either works or it doesn't. I don't care what brand it is. Am I alone on this island?
 
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bill wallace

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Perception is reality. There are many things that work but having the best says something about the person. Their attitude toward what they do. The picture of themselves that they want others to see, & in the end what a dull thing life would be if we only had to chose from what worked & not be allowed to chose what we wanted to work.
 

stikman56

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I wear a $35 Casio watch. It does everything I can imagine a watch doing. It has a build in radio that syncs it to the NIST atomic clock every evening so that it is perpetually accurate to a thousandth of a second. It runs for years on a cheap battery, it has a lot of functions, most of which I never use since for me a watch should tell time and if it does that I'm happy. Considering that I have what appears to be a perfect watch why would I buy a Rolex. It can't perform the function of a watch any better than my Casio since my Casio is a perfect watch from the standpoint of doing what a watch does which is tell time.

So we have these Snap-On wrench arguments and tool box arguments. If another lesser wrench tightens and loosens every bolt to which it is applied to perfection without failure what can a Snap-On wrench at ten times the price do that this other wrench can't. The toolbox argument about the Kirkland toolbox I saw at COSTCO is another perfect example. If it looks nice, holds tools, the drawers slide properly and it rolls around what else can a Snap-On tool box do that justifies it's enormous price?

I'm an engineer so I'm literal. Something either works or it doesn't. I don't care what brand it is. Am I alone on this island?
Be prepared to get blasted on this one. It's coming! Anyway, it's long been stated that Snap-On wrenches don't expand when you're pulling hard on a bolt, therefore they don't slip and round of the head where other wrenches will do so. As far as tool boxes go, well IMO it's a flat out overpriced metal box, and way overpriced when I can buy a new car for the price of the larger ones...... that said ,anyone who could justify that kind of price is crazy in my mind. Besides that, Lista makes a much stronger box for about the same money, so Snap-On boxes aren't the strongest out there anyway. JMO
 

RedRabbit

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You are right to an extent. I believe that practicality should reign, however there is a difference between Kirkland and Snap On boxes. If there weren't, I would buy Kirkland, but since there is a difference imho, I would rather overpay for a quality guarantee.
 

JonnyMac

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How much is your casio going to be worth in 30 years time? I know my omega seamaster chronometer that I wear everyday is going to be working just fine and is basically worth the same as what I paid for it 6 years ago?!?!?!
The other related question is, if you have a smart phone why wear a watch at all?

(And as an engineer you should be keenly aware of how important durability of a product is, just because a chinese car drives well out of the showroom floor and it looks nice doesnt mean squat when it comes to the engineered value of it)
 
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G-force

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Well I don't know about every individual tool or tool box model but I will give you two examples that I have encountered. I am definitely not a tool snop, in fact the most used tools in my shop are from a Benchtop kit that I bought from K-mart in 1993. It's my salvage yard kit and I use them regularly because I don't stress when I drop one or have to use it as a hammer or wedge.

My first example is for instance the Snap-On s80 ratchet. When these first came out they were magical to me because when you only have a few degrees of swing for a ratchet a 36 tooth gear tool can take waaay longer to loosen a nut/bolt than an 80 tooth ratchet. Now everyone has these so maybe they are not worth the extra cost as much as they were back then.

Second example is from 2003 when I splurged on a new Craftsman Pro 54" double stack box for my garage. $1200-1300. It was big, shiny, ball bearing slides and I thought it was brilliant. Until the day I was working feverishly on getting a project done and without really thinking I opened a third drawer when tow were already open. TIMBER!!! Luckily between my body and the support column in my garage, I was able to keep it from crashing flat down on it's face to the floor, but as I was yelling at the top of my lungs for my girlfriend to come help me push it back upright, I though to myself, what a POS.

The box I have now is a KRA series and I could probably have every drawer open and not have to worry about it tipping. I bought that box in used mint condition for $1500.

I'm not saying premium priced tools are always worth the price, but there is usually a big difference between the budget stuff.

BTW, I love Gearwrench stuff and will continue to buy it until I have a reason not to.
 

Lookin4'67Galaxieconv

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So we have these Snap-On wrench arguments and tool box arguments. If another lesser wrench tightens and loosens every bolt to which it is applied to perfection without failure what can a Snap-On wrench at ten times the price do that this other wrench can't. The toolbox argument about the Kirkland toolbox I saw at COSTCO is another perfect example. If it looks nice, holds tools, the drawers slide properly and it rolls around what else can a Snap-On tool box do that justifies it's enormous price?

Please stop trolling. :deadhorse
 

Screwtape

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The argument for fine watches is quite similar to the argument for fine tools, fine cars, clothes, furniture, you name it. Top quality and appearance, and the associated prestige, are not cheap. The law of diminishing returns applies here also.

Just make sure your tools are made in the USA, your cars are made in Germany, and your watches are Swiss. That way nobody can tell you ****.:pimpflash
 

Two Door

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I'm an engineer so I'm literal. Something either works or it doesn't. I don't care what brand it is. Am I alone on this island?

You wife/girl friend has exactly the same body parts, which function exactly the same way, as a twenty year old international supermodel. Do you see them as interchangeable?
 

AceofSpad3s

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How much is your casio going to be worth in 30 years time? I know my omega seamaster chronometer that I wear everyday is going to be working just fine and is basically worth the same as what I paid for it 6 years ago?!?!?!
The other related question is, if you have a smart phone why wear a watch at all?

(And as an engineer you should be keenly aware of how important durability of a product is, just because a chinese car drives well out of the showroom floor and it looks nice doesnt mean squat when it comes to the engineered value of it)

I got two Soviet vostok komandirskie's from the early eight's, those cost about $50 to get new and the ones I got have lasted more than thirty years and still run strong, I do not really thing an Omega to a casio is a vaild argument on price vs quality.
 

AceofSpad3s

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I wear a $35 Casio watch. It does everything I can imagine a watch doing. It has a build in radio that syncs it to the NIST atomic clock every evening so that it is perpetually accurate to a thousandth of a second. It runs for years on a cheap battery, it has a lot of functions, most of which I never use since for me a watch should tell time and if it does that I'm happy. Considering that I have what appears to be a perfect watch why would I buy a Rolex. It can't perform the function of a watch any better than my Casio since my Casio is a perfect watch from the standpoint of doing what a watch does which is tell time.

So we have these Snap-On wrench arguments and tool box arguments. If another lesser wrench tightens and loosens every bolt to which it is applied to perfection without failure what can a Snap-On wrench at ten times the price do that this other wrench can't. The toolbox argument about the Kirkland toolbox I saw at COSTCO is another perfect example. If it looks nice, holds tools, the drawers slide properly and it rolls around what else can a Snap-On tool box do that justifies it's enormous price?

I'm an engineer so I'm literal. Something either works or it doesn't. I don't care what brand it is. Am I alone on this island?

Which casio is that for $35, I have never seen one with those features at that price.
 

stikman56

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His forty dollar Casio will be worth a dollar.
your three thousand dollar watch will be worth 2900(I think constitutes "same")

You lost...not won.

I don't care...your argument just needed a math injection.

Yep, this is exactly like my co-worker telling me the resale of his Snappy box compared to my US General box. Hmmmm,well he has a $4,000.00 box, mine was 800 bucks and it's BIGGER. In ten years if I turn mine into a planter in the front yard, it cost me 800 bucks, how much does it cost you for that 4000 dollar box in 10 years? He had no comeback. Simple math, nothing more. Tell me about German cars ( one guy says make sure your cars are German) no thanks, I like having some cash in my wallet, my 200 dollar Ford has been going strong daily for 91,000 miles at 35 miles per gallon. Wife's Caravan has almost 200,000 miles on it, we bought it with 7,000 miles on it, very little trouble, very little expense and when you do need a part, which it's needed only a few at this point, it's reasonable, not stupid expensive.
If you are expecting resale on a tool box, you'd better be buying a used one, otherwise it's no different than buying a new car.
When I think of getting money back ,down the road ,I think of my real estate, IRA, my Wife's 403A and our mutual funds, not tools, not cars, not watches, those are consumer items ( unless they're classic or collector cars, that is) . If it happens, then fine, but I would never buy something to use it based on what it might be worth when I sell it. That's just me, I like my money in my investments, not tools and watches. Everyone has different needs and wants though, so do what makes you happy, that's what really matters.
 

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Airframer

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Because something like this inside a tiny case on your wrist which keeps pretty darned accurate time is cool as hell:
omega-seamaster-vintage-chronograph-321-movement.jpg

Not usually considered an "investment", in my opinion, but cool as hell all the same.

Neat video:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/eQAQqt9qxuY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 

Hiball

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I'm an engineer so I'm literal. Something either works or it doesn't. I don't care what brand it is. Am I alone on this island?

Most engineers I know are always striving to Improve current practices, although sometimes it backfires. :lol_hitti

I would think it would **** to go through life riding on the coat tails of others, accepting the status quo. What type of Engineer are you? Do you like your Job?
 
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Wrench 2201

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The box I have now is a KRA series and I could probably have every drawer open and not have to worry about it tipping. I bought that box in used mint condition for $1500.

Physics would disagree with you. Unless of course you have that KRA anchored to the floor or a wall. (But that would also work for the shiny C-man box too.) :thumbup:

Look on the side of any toolbox that still has its factory stickers and you'll find a warning label telling you not to open all the drawers at once. Also, scroll up and check the pic in stickman56's post.
 

Ign

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Yep, this is exactly like my co-worker telling me the resale of his Snappy box compared to my US General box. Hmmmm,well he has a $4,000.00 box, mine was 800 bucks and it's BIGGER. In ten years if I turn mine into a planter in the front yard, it cost me 800 bucks, how much does it cost you for that 4000 dollar box in 10 years? He had no comeback. Simple math, nothing more. Tell me about German cars ( one guy says make sure your cars are German) no thanks, I like having some cash in my wallet, my 200 dollar Ford has been going strong daily for 91,000 miles at 35 miles per gallon. Wife's Caravan has almost 200,000 miles on it, we bought it with 7,000 miles on it, very little trouble, very little expense and when you do need a part, which it's needed only a few at this point, it's reasonable, not stupid expensive.
If you are expecting resale on a tool box, you'd better be buying a used one, otherwise it's no different than buying a new car.
When I think of getting money back ,down the road ,I think of my real estate, IRA, my Wife's 403A and our mutual funds, not tools, not cars, not watches, those are consumer items ( unless they're classic or collector cars, that is) . If it happens, then fine, but I would never buy something to use it based on what it might be worth when I sell it. That's just me, I like my money in my investments, not tools and watches. Everyone has different needs and wants though, so do what makes you happy, that's what really matters.

All the big 3 boxes (Snappy, Mac & Matco) depreciate a huge amount IME. Baby-on-the-way deals compel sellers to low prices coupled with the fact that most people who want these boxes in the used market don't have thousands in cash sitting around means they sell for pennies on the tool-truck-dollar. I see guys asking 60%+ of retail and those ads just keep getting re-newed on CL. Go figure.

I'm not getting into the original fight, just saying if your co-worker thinks his box holds any appreciable value relative to what he paid, he's delusional. There are things in this world that are good, solid investments, but tool truck boxes are one of THE worst investments for monetary value retention.
 
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JonnyMac

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His forty dollar Casio will be worth a dollar.
your three thousand dollar watch will be worth $2900(I think this constitutes same")

You lost...not won.

I don't care about your watch or his watch...your argument just needed a math injection.

Having inherited another swiss watch of some value, which is where mine will eventually go (to the kids) theres nothing wrong with my maths... the disposable lifestyle of throw away cheapness is fine if you want to live that way, i guess some people just dont mind paying for stuff that has something else attatched to it other than the convenience label..
 

stikman56

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Well I don't know about every individual tool or tool box model but I will give you two examples that I have encountered. I am definitely not a tool snop, in fact the most used tools in my shop are from a Benchtop kit that I bought from K-mart in 1993. It's my salvage yard kit and I use them regularly because I don't stress when I drop one or have to use it as a hammer or wedge.

My first example is for instance the Snap-On s80 ratchet. When these first came out they were magical to me because when you only have a few degrees of swing for a ratchet a 36 tooth gear tool can take waaay longer to loosen a nut/bolt than an 80 tooth ratchet. Now everyone has these so maybe they are not worth the extra cost as much as they were back then.

Second example is from 2003 when I splurged on a new Craftsman Pro 54" double stack box for my garage. $1200-1300. It was big, shiny, ball bearing slides and I thought it was brilliant. Until the day I was working feverishly on getting a project done and without really thinking I opened a third drawer when tow were already open. TIMBER!!! Luckily between my body and the support column in my garage, I was able to keep it from crashing flat down on it's face to the floor, but as I was yelling at the top of my lungs for my girlfriend to come help me push it back upright, I though to myself, what a POS.

The box I have now is a KRA series and I could probably have every drawer open and not have to worry about it tipping. I bought that box in used mint condition for $1500.

I'm not saying premium priced tools are always worth the price, but there is usually a big difference between the budget stuff.

BTW, I love Gearwrench stuff and will continue to buy it until I have a reason not to.[/QUOTE

It don't have superpowers just cause the badge on it says Snap-On. ANY box will tip, the narrow ones, more easily. Also depends on how heavy the drawers are loaded. Heavy in the top drawers, or the bottom? What do you think a tall top heavy cars does in a turn compared to a sports car?
 

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nicksnothereman

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I wear a $35 Casio watch. It does everything I can imagine a watch doing. It has a build in radio that syncs it to the NIST atomic clock every evening so that it is perpetually accurate to a thousandth of a second. It runs for years on a cheap battery, it has a lot of functions, most of which I never use since for me a watch should tell time and if it does that I'm happy. Considering that I have what appears to be a perfect watch why would I buy a Rolex. It can't perform the function of a watch any better than my Casio since my Casio is a perfect watch from the standpoint of doing what a watch does which is tell time.

So we have these Snap-On wrench arguments and tool box arguments. If another lesser wrench tightens and loosens every bolt to which it is applied to perfection without failure what can a Snap-On wrench at ten times the price do that this other wrench can't. The toolbox argument about the Kirkland toolbox I saw at COSTCO is another perfect example. If it looks nice, holds tools, the drawers slide properly and it rolls around what else can a Snap-On tool box do that justifies it's enormous price?

I'm an engineer so I'm literal. Something either works or it doesn't. I don't care what brand it is. Am I alone on this island?

Well...some tools do perform better over time. Better to have the option than not to (I suppose).

I also wear atomic G shock casios (actually atomic solar). They're great watches but still require maintenance (if it's a non-rechargeable battery); gasket every time you change it or it fogs up. At least in my experience. Also, they don't "appreciate" like rolexes because they ain't made of precious metals. Different strokes I suppose.
 

G-force

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Physics would disagree with you. Unless of course you have that KRA anchored to the floor or a wall. (But that would also work for the shiny C-man box too.) :thumbup:

Look on the side of any toolbox that still has its factory stickers and you'll find a warning label telling you not to open all the drawers at once. Also, scroll up and check the pic in stickman56's post.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'd never open all at once, but I regularly have 3+ open at once and no timber.
 

ducksface

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Having inherited another swiss watch of some value, which is where mine will eventually go (to the kids) theres nothing wrong with my maths... the disposable lifestyle of throw away cheapness is fine if you want to live that way, i guess some people just dont mind paying for stuff that has something else attatched to it other than the convenience label..

If it is inherited, and then passed on again; it has no value except emotional and that it tells time. It was zero in ( because you didn't pay for it) and it's zero out (because you didnt convert it to cash).

So your watch isn't really relevant as far as depreciation. Unless the swiss watch you mention is a different watch...then it's worse; you paid $3000...and did not convert it (except emotionally as an after death gift) so...you don't get that $2900 I generously gave you... net monetarily loss is $3000. Gross loss is $3000 minus $40 (casio) times a lifetime of whatever interest rate you think is fair to calculate.

AND;
A $3000 watch is a disposable watch to some people here.
 
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Bigblue&Goldie

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http://www.troll.me/images/kanye-west/ima-let-you-finish-but-this-thread-*****-***.jpg

Why can't we just talk about tools instead of thread after thread of dumb ****?
 
OP
D

dnschmidt

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Hiball, to answer your question. EE, PhD specializing in semiconductor manufacturing. Expert in patterned wafer defect detection tools, primarily KLA-Tencor. 40 years in the field. I think I've seen more innovation than any man alive. From Kilby and Noyce's first IC to the latest Pentiums. I understand what innovation is what I don't understand is why one piece of forged metal is considered different than what amounts to an identical piece of forged metal made by the identical metallurgical process. What has changed in the making of a wrench or a toolbox in 50 years?
 

superchargedv8

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I wear a $35 Casio watch. It does everything I can imagine a watch doing. It has a build in radio that syncs it to the NIST atomic clock every evening so that it is perpetually accurate to a thousandth of a second. It runs for years on a cheap battery, it has a lot of functions, most of which I never use since for me a watch should tell time and if it does that I'm happy. Considering that I have what appears to be a perfect watch why would I buy a Rolex. It can't perform the function of a watch any better than my Casio since my Casio is a perfect watch from the standpoint of doing what a watch does which is tell time.

So we have these Snap-On wrench arguments and tool box arguments. If another lesser wrench tightens and loosens every bolt to which it is applied to perfection without failure what can a Snap-On wrench at ten times the price do that this other wrench can't. The toolbox argument about the Kirkland toolbox I saw at COSTCO is another perfect example. If it looks nice, holds tools, the drawers slide properly and it rolls around what else can a Snap-On tool box do that justifies it's enormous price?

I'm an engineer so I'm literal. Something either works or it doesn't. I don't care what brand it is. Am I alone on this island?

it all seems logical at first but flaws come out with time...
 
OP
D

dnschmidt

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Anyway, it's long been stated that Snap-On wrenches don't expand when you're pulling hard on a bolt, therefore they don't slip and round of the head where other wrenches will do so. JMO

OK I'll pretend that this point is true although I really don't believe it. Does anybody really pull hard on a bolt with an open end wrench? I don't. When something doesn't want to give it up I use the box end or a socket. If it's a line of some sort I use a flare nut wrench, but I never apply serious torque with an open end and see no reason to ever do so. I saw WoodstockVA's video of the Wright open end and the Snap-On open end wrenches and said that's nice to myself but why the hell would you not use the box end for that. Is there ever a real application where open end wrenches must be used at maximum torque where a box wrench or a socket will not work? I've not encountered such a situation.
 

stikman56

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OK I'll pretend that this point is true although I really don't believe it. Does anybody really pull hard on a bolt with an open end wrench? I don't. When something doesn't want to give it up I use the box end or a socket. If it's a line of some sort I use a flare nut wrench, but I never apply serious torque with an open end and see no reason to ever do so. I saw WoodstockVA's video of the Wright open end and the Snap-On open end wrenches and said that's nice to myself but why the hell would you not use the box end for that. Is there ever a real application where open end wrenches must be used at maximum torque where a box wrench or a socket will not work? I've not encountered such a situation.

You've never worked on some of the stuff I have then. Sometimes there's no option but to try to get it loose with an open-end wrench.
I've worked on all kinds of stuff and seen many a time when nothing else fits on a bolt or a nut because one side of the bolt almost rubs when you turn it. Not an argument for Snap-On wrenches, I don't own any, simply stating what many a mechanic has told me about them. Can't say for certain as I've never tested any. So yes to answer your question, there is many times a real application where that is all that fits, or an air hammer,but I prefer the wrench whenever possible. Air hammers are a last resort.
 

Coolabah

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I'm in.(or I guess out)
I was only here to correct some bad math and deflate some pomposity.

Everyone here knows I'm in charge of pompous, but I would never belittle a guys watch...that's very Richard-ish.

Agreed. But, if I was to boast about my $35 watch, dissing others, then , surely I have invited criticism ??

Timekeeping: my iPhone keeps PERFECT time, I would be wasting my money on a Casio.
I am gobsmacked that an engineer does not appreciate the fine workings of a mechanical watch.

But.... that is not the point I guess ??? I think the OP is kinda trolling , IMHO - no offense. I have a $5 Lorus so I think I can legitimately post this. :thumbup:
 

Garrus_Vakarian

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And I would dare to say that no one is right or wrong. The wide selection of products of different categories ranging from watches through cars to tool boxes gives us the liberty of choice. That is the most important that we can chose whatever suits our needs. If one is happy with his watch because it tells accurate time it's fine. If someone else is happy with super expensive watch because it tells time and looks expensive and luxurious that's fine too. I think everyone has a little something that they would put all the money into because it's their passion, their "thing". For some watches, for others bikes, for women high heels (hehe), phones etc. It's a liberty of choice and ability and privilege to chose from many, many options.
 

Coolabah

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And I would dare to say that no one is right or wrong. The wide selection of products of different categories ranging from watches through cars to tool boxes gives us the liberty of choice. That is the most important that we can chose whatever suits our needs. If one is happy with his watch because it tells accurate time it's fine. If someone else is happy with super expensive watch because it tells time and looks expensive and luxurious that's fine too. I think everyone has a little something that they would put all the money into because it's their passion, their "thing". For some watches, for others bikes, for women high heels (hehe), phones etc. It's a liberty of choice and ability and privilege to chose from many, many options.

+1 Great post , you truly have a way with words :rocker:
 

wild cowboy

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OK I'll pretend that this point is true although I really don't believe it. Does anybody really pull hard on a bolt with an open end wrench? I don't. When something doesn't want to give it up I use the box end or a socket. If it's a line of some sort I use a flare nut wrench, but I never apply serious torque with an open end and see no reason to ever do so. I saw WoodstockVA's video of the Wright open end and the Snap-On open end wrenches and said that's nice to myself but why the hell would you not use the box end for that. Is there ever a real application where open end wrenches must be used at maximum torque where a box wrench or a socket will not work? I've not encountered such a situation.

Snap-On wrenches & sockets, for example, do have some advantages over other most other wrenches & sockets, however it is a huge point of diminishing returns.

Some examples would be: - take some measurements, a Snap-On wrench will be thinner in critical places, which will let a tech get into some places where a Craftsman, for example, would not fit - measure the dimensions of a combination wrench's ends, if you doubt me, two of the same sized wrench. Same goes for the sockets, thinner walls with no loss in strength due to superior (and more expensive) alloys - same reason the wrenches can be made thinner. So it's not just strength in an absolute sense.

Now this comes at a huge difference in price, perhaps 8 or 10 times the price, which is a bad value for all but the folks who make a living with their tools. If I am making $100/hour in labor rate working on your car (I own the shop), I can rationalize tools that get me into places where other brands will not.

It's like a lot of things in life, there is a value sweet spot. No different than your Intel CPU's that you used to build - for most of us, find the one with the most performance per dollar and that's what you want to build your PC around, but say I was a bitcoin miner, and every nanosecond = money, then it may well be worth it to have the latest crazy-priced Xeon Haswell-EP 12-core that makes the most sense for me!
 
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Kracin

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Hiball, to answer your question. EE, PhD specializing in semiconductor manufacturing. Expert in patterned wafer defect detection tools, primarily KLA-Tencor. 40 years in the field. I think I've seen more innovation than any man alive. From Kilby and Noyce's first IC to the latest Pentiums. I understand what innovation is what I don't understand is why one piece of forged metal is considered different than what amounts to an identical piece of forged metal made by the identical metallurgical process. What has changed in the making of a wrench or a toolbox in 50 years?


why is a readers digest not in a museum next to the mona lisa? they are both paper with colors.

answer that question and you have your answer, i know you can do it without being difficult for yourself as well. the whole point of this thread was to stir up some junk between the people who use tools as tools and don't care as long as it works, and the people who are brand loyalists who enjoy buying things all the same brand, and people who drink koolaid all day regardless of the flavor.

theres no reason to pretend like you don't understand why one silicon chip is worth more than another.
 
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