m.d.hunter63@hotmail.
Member
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2025
- Messages
- 8
Just curious, how did Snap On become the standard that all others are compared to? Was it cost? I have Snap On, Proto, Mac tools. I prefer Proto and Mac over Snap On.
How did Snap On become the standard?
- Thread starter m.d.hunter63@hotmail.
- Start date
BlakeTheCarGuy
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Probably because they were the first brand to come to you. Meaning the first tool truck. But also because their tools are very high quality and they usually fix any issues you have. And their tolerances are usually spot on as well which is another big factor.
zimman
Well-known member
I guess I'm non-standard. Meh.
Zim
Zim
The standard to whom, and where is an important question.
In the US, in a professional place of work the SO truck is or can be your lifeline.
In a homeowner role HF is more the standard as a guy can build a fully stocked non pro shop quite affordably.
In Mexico a pro mechanic would have Truper tools mostly, think Mac in a parallel.
A well stocked homeowner might have Truper or Pretul.
A casual tool user would have a mix of cheap imports, used older stuff and a few gems in the lot.
I am between well stocked and casual. Got my gems but most is a random mix of cheap and available.
In the US, in a professional place of work the SO truck is or can be your lifeline.
In a homeowner role HF is more the standard as a guy can build a fully stocked non pro shop quite affordably.
In Mexico a pro mechanic would have Truper tools mostly, think Mac in a parallel.
A well stocked homeowner might have Truper or Pretul.
A casual tool user would have a mix of cheap imports, used older stuff and a few gems in the lot.
I am between well stocked and casual. Got my gems but most is a random mix of cheap and available.
mngundog
Well-known member
Because Sears went belly up?
They're not the standard to anyone I know. Most people who I know who are into tools think Snap on is good but not worth the price unless there is something specific they need or or they were obsessed with Snap On until they realized what it was costing them.
I think it's neat when I see Snap On in a pile of tools I've bought but there's nothing they sell that I'd pay a premium for and I've never been in a situation where I thought damn I wish I had bought the Snap On one.
I think it's neat when I see Snap On in a pile of tools I've bought but there's nothing they sell that I'd pay a premium for and I've never been in a situation where I thought damn I wish I had bought the Snap On one.
CHI_Tool&Die
Well-known member
Yeah man, maybe for mechanics they are a standard and especially because mechanics are everywhere on social media so Snappy gets even more exposure. But here in industrial land Snappy isn’t even a consideration.
It’s survivor theory is how I heard it said where because they survived now there on top so if they weren’t on top we wouldn’t be asking why there on top since they wouldn’t be on top if they weren’t.
Maybe better to ask why everyone else failed to be honest.
Maybe better to ask why everyone else failed to be honest.
woody 73
Well-known member
Funny story, that I overheard came from a car dealership, the head honcho snorted and said I would never hire any mechanic that did not have a complete snap-on toolbox and it better be filled with all snap-on tools. I guess that was his "Standard" for hiring all new mechanics.
Take it for what it's worth, his words not mine.
Take it for what it's worth, his words not mine.
Way back when I started learning how to work on my own stuff, I regarded SO as the tools that folks
getting paid to turn them used. (The internet literally did not exist yet.) I chose cheaper alternatives -
and despite every single odd, the jobs somehow were successfully completed and nobody died.
getting paid to turn them used. (The internet literally did not exist yet.) I chose cheaper alternatives -
and despite every single odd, the jobs somehow were successfully completed and nobody died.
1Bad55Chevy
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2025
- Messages
- 622
A really good friend of mine is a Granger rep here in the DFW and he has told me HF has stolen most of his industrial tool/tool box business. He said he has to focus on pushing tools HF doesn’t offer like Milwaukee everything.
mslim
Well-known member
I'd say that beyond the tool truck finance game, SnapOn is the standard (at least in US) because they make the best tools. I'm a hobby guy and a literal shade tree mechanic and I realize, it's overkill for most people. I started out in the '60's and 70's with US Craftsman sockets and wrenches as did most people.
When I sold my share of my company in the '80's I took a little of the loot and bought SO 1/2", 3/8", and 1/4" SAE sockets and drivers. I was maintaining a Chevy Van, a 70 Cutlass, and a '57 Corvette. I had my old metric Craftsman for my V-dub. I never regretted the purchase.
I worked for many years as a cameraman and camera assistant on Panaflex equipment. Everything on the Panaflex was the best you could imagine. The feel, the finish, and the reliability. It was as if you had NASA design something, cost no object. SnapOn always felt like the Panavision of tools.
These days working almost exclusively in metric, I'm using Stahlwille for combo wrenches, Facom for sockets and drivers (no 1/2") and a mix of Tekton, Sunex, Capri and other Taiwan tools.
FWIW my son is in charge of the toolroom at prominent aviation factory, and most of what they supply in non-specialty tools is SO.
When I sold my share of my company in the '80's I took a little of the loot and bought SO 1/2", 3/8", and 1/4" SAE sockets and drivers. I was maintaining a Chevy Van, a 70 Cutlass, and a '57 Corvette. I had my old metric Craftsman for my V-dub. I never regretted the purchase.
I worked for many years as a cameraman and camera assistant on Panaflex equipment. Everything on the Panaflex was the best you could imagine. The feel, the finish, and the reliability. It was as if you had NASA design something, cost no object. SnapOn always felt like the Panavision of tools.
These days working almost exclusively in metric, I'm using Stahlwille for combo wrenches, Facom for sockets and drivers (no 1/2") and a mix of Tekton, Sunex, Capri and other Taiwan tools.
FWIW my son is in charge of the toolroom at prominent aviation factory, and most of what they supply in non-specialty tools is SO.
MaverickDMD
Well-known member
In today's world, it's about value. Snap on is decreasing rapidly in value because Taiwanese tool making has made excellence more affordable, or in other words, valuable.
Oh please. So much cultural identity wrapped up with Snap on in GJ. Put price aside for a second:
Snap on is the yardstick for hand tools (+) because they are the biggest hand tool manufacturer in the world. They dwarf some of our favorites. Last I looked they were a $5B/yr company with strong profit margins. Unlike other US 20th c tool manufacturers, Snap on continuously innovated or bought innovative designs/companies, resulting in the revolutionizing many of the tool forms we all use. They have an enormous library of patents, which their 20th c competitors never had.
In objective testing, Snap on tools dominated for decades. Only recently has there been any serious competition for strength, quality etc, which I think is exactly where the OP is coming from. Viewed from a lens encompassing only the last few years, Snap on is "one of" the top brands. Now some of that has to do with tool manufacturers designing and building for the tests. Example: A thicker wrench will almost always be stronger than a thinner wrench. Snap on defaults to the smallest possible profiles, thinnest, shallowest sockets, yet still retaining industry leading or near industry leading strength.
When you look at marketshare, Snap on has a broad international market, consisting of auto mechanics, and industry alike.
In terms of GJ tool reviews, Snap on is literally the biggest kid on the block, un-ignorable in any tool comparison. If I could wave a magic wand and remove price, my guess is, most of you would have nothing but Snap on. There are only a few products in their line up where one could say objectively, another manufacturer's tool is better.
Take size and market share out of the equation for a minute: In terms of utility and quality alone, I think Koken is notable. They are very much like Snap on in terms of curiosity and continuous innovation. They just have nowhere near the catalog size, marketshare, distribution network etc. Take all that away, Koken is producing innovative hand tool technologies (like wobble plus) that other manufacturers will eventually copy if they haven't already. I think for specific tools, sockets maybe, Koken would be an excellent choice as a yardstick.
Here's my personal beef: Here on GJ, people tend to advocate solely for value. "Brand *** is good enough. It turned the bolt and that's all that's needed". Which is fine, but it dominates absolutely every thread here. One problem with only talking about tools in terms of value is that the value changes over time. The other problem with value is that it's specific to that individual's experience. So what presents as good value to one person, based on their real world experiences, could be absolutely rubbish for someone else. Just saw @MaverickDMD 's post above. There it is!
Snap on is the yardstick for hand tools (+) because they are the biggest hand tool manufacturer in the world. They dwarf some of our favorites. Last I looked they were a $5B/yr company with strong profit margins. Unlike other US 20th c tool manufacturers, Snap on continuously innovated or bought innovative designs/companies, resulting in the revolutionizing many of the tool forms we all use. They have an enormous library of patents, which their 20th c competitors never had.
In objective testing, Snap on tools dominated for decades. Only recently has there been any serious competition for strength, quality etc, which I think is exactly where the OP is coming from. Viewed from a lens encompassing only the last few years, Snap on is "one of" the top brands. Now some of that has to do with tool manufacturers designing and building for the tests. Example: A thicker wrench will almost always be stronger than a thinner wrench. Snap on defaults to the smallest possible profiles, thinnest, shallowest sockets, yet still retaining industry leading or near industry leading strength.
When you look at marketshare, Snap on has a broad international market, consisting of auto mechanics, and industry alike.
In terms of GJ tool reviews, Snap on is literally the biggest kid on the block, un-ignorable in any tool comparison. If I could wave a magic wand and remove price, my guess is, most of you would have nothing but Snap on. There are only a few products in their line up where one could say objectively, another manufacturer's tool is better.
Take size and market share out of the equation for a minute: In terms of utility and quality alone, I think Koken is notable. They are very much like Snap on in terms of curiosity and continuous innovation. They just have nowhere near the catalog size, marketshare, distribution network etc. Take all that away, Koken is producing innovative hand tool technologies (like wobble plus) that other manufacturers will eventually copy if they haven't already. I think for specific tools, sockets maybe, Koken would be an excellent choice as a yardstick.
Here's my personal beef: Here on GJ, people tend to advocate solely for value. "Brand *** is good enough. It turned the bolt and that's all that's needed". Which is fine, but it dominates absolutely every thread here. One problem with only talking about tools in terms of value is that the value changes over time. The other problem with value is that it's specific to that individual's experience. So what presents as good value to one person, based on their real world experiences, could be absolutely rubbish for someone else. Just saw @MaverickDMD 's post above. There it is!
Last edited:
Lassen Forge
Well-known member
It depends on your industry. Mechanic-wise, SO is a standard. When I was working the bridge, the standard was Williams (which is now owned by SO). To many electrical trades, the standard was Klein. Tesco if you work on trains. Dräger or Agilent for Hazmat. Etc etc etc...
It all depends on who's back you're using them to do a job or earn your keep.
It all depends on who's back you're using them to do a job or earn your keep.
I've never been an auto tech but I would have to say innovation and availability. While others may have narrowed the gap in innovation, Snap-On has always seemed to be on the leading edge of tool innovation as mechanical technologies and assemblies have advanced and evolved.
And, of course, their pricing sets the standard for all of us to brag about how much we saved by buying other, cheaper brands.
And, of course, their pricing sets the standard for all of us to brag about how much we saved by buying other, cheaper brands.
As a kid in the forties, a neighbour became a Snap-on dealer., and showed me some of quality stuff he had. Never heard of SO at that point, but you could tell it was good stuff. Think quality is what put SO where they are. His card looked like the one pictured, comical even at my young age.
Attachments
Last edited:
In my grandfather's days the door to door salesman was a real way to spread the new brands to areas wide and far.
He sold Electrolux vacuum cleaners.
Snap-On among others took that model to shops with a payment plan in 1923.. it worked. Tools back then were hit and miss on quality. Metals used in tools varied from iron to alloy steels that rival the best of today.
Snapper didn't use the best, they used a cheap enough alloy that was better than its rivals of the day but still wore out. Thus the warranty system and date codes to prevent abuses.
Your other brand tools broke, it's on you.
Nice examples survive, I have two. A 1927 MTD made ratchet and 1925 5/8" socket wrench.
Well used and abused examples ended up in scrap drives if too far gone.
In a day when the tools in your T tool kit were, umm, adequate at best SO offered well above Henry's contract tool quality. And it came to your shop with an ever so helpful salesman. As if his livelihood depended on it.
A legend was born.
As mentioned above import tools have become much better in the century that followed. The sales model kept them above the rabble even if the actual quality differences may be near zero.
Wherever shall I find replacements for my Knova sockets? If I don't lose any I won't need to. They hadn't worn out in 20 years of wrenching.
Or my 15 yo Wurth wrenches? They haven't worn sloppy either.
It's getting harder for SO to use that sales format to maintain the image of prestige they had. HF owns the US toolbox market. Import tools that last are eroding the new sales.
Not dead yet, but they need to reach beyond the tool truck and directed sales into the mass market to survive another century.
He sold Electrolux vacuum cleaners.
Snap-On among others took that model to shops with a payment plan in 1923.. it worked. Tools back then were hit and miss on quality. Metals used in tools varied from iron to alloy steels that rival the best of today.
Snapper didn't use the best, they used a cheap enough alloy that was better than its rivals of the day but still wore out. Thus the warranty system and date codes to prevent abuses.
Your other brand tools broke, it's on you.
Nice examples survive, I have two. A 1927 MTD made ratchet and 1925 5/8" socket wrench.
Well used and abused examples ended up in scrap drives if too far gone.
In a day when the tools in your T tool kit were, umm, adequate at best SO offered well above Henry's contract tool quality. And it came to your shop with an ever so helpful salesman. As if his livelihood depended on it.
A legend was born.
As mentioned above import tools have become much better in the century that followed. The sales model kept them above the rabble even if the actual quality differences may be near zero.
Wherever shall I find replacements for my Knova sockets? If I don't lose any I won't need to. They hadn't worn out in 20 years of wrenching.
Or my 15 yo Wurth wrenches? They haven't worn sloppy either.
It's getting harder for SO to use that sales format to maintain the image of prestige they had. HF owns the US toolbox market. Import tools that last are eroding the new sales.
Not dead yet, but they need to reach beyond the tool truck and directed sales into the mass market to survive another century.
zimman
Well-known member
My shop foreman at KIA was a former NASCAR mechanic and had a Snap-On roll cab as wide as his bay. It was amazing and he told me if you ever need anything for my work, come and get it. And remember to put it back. He wore a crisp white long sleave shirt every day, had a clean flat top haircut. He was my mentor in this crazy world and I was 47.
Zim
Zim
richfinn
Well-known member
There's no doubt Snap-On make very high quality tools, but there is much more to it than that, if you ever want to beat them at their game.
1. They offer payment plans/financing so mechanics can purchase expensive tools over a period of time that fits their budget.
2. They come to your place of work and provide on site warranty/service/updates.
3. They are exceptionally good at marketing their brand to the target demographic.
4. They are absolute masters of small design details (Logos and Colours especially) that manage to capture both the history and future of their brand.
5. As a "Foreigner" I can tell you that the pull of that "American Classic" image is highly desirable around the World (particularly Europe and Japan).
6. There is a famous Belgian Beer brand that is "Reassuringly Expensive" according to the adverts (there is something profound in that simple statement)
1. They offer payment plans/financing so mechanics can purchase expensive tools over a period of time that fits their budget.
2. They come to your place of work and provide on site warranty/service/updates.
3. They are exceptionally good at marketing their brand to the target demographic.
4. They are absolute masters of small design details (Logos and Colours especially) that manage to capture both the history and future of their brand.
5. As a "Foreigner" I can tell you that the pull of that "American Classic" image is highly desirable around the World (particularly Europe and Japan).
6. There is a famous Belgian Beer brand that is "Reassuringly Expensive" according to the adverts (there is something profound in that simple statement)
Good points. The "yard stick" is sometimes trade specific. I am wiring an entire house myself. I took a household wiring class at my community college. Rather than raid my auto mechanic's boxes, I bought Klein.
But to my earlier point, Klein are decent US made tools, readily available in places where electricians shop. Are Klein screwdrivers the best screwdrivers? I would say no. Maybe not even in the top 10. Cutters are the meat and potatoes of electricians tools. Does Klein make the best cutters? I think Snap on make really nice cutters, hard wearing and sharp, but double the price of Klein. I accidentally cut thru a hot line a few weeks back and ruined a set of Knipex cutters. So what are the "right tools"? For electrical, my vote is/was "not snap on". But that doesn't stop me from comparing Klein or Ideal tools to Snap on's versions.
No it's not. Snap on is profitable and growing. People here don't like the sales model because it's not designed for us. It works great for the people it was designed for and has some side benefits for Snap on.
HF owns the homeowner tool market. But Snap on never ever had that. HF is just replacing Sears Craftsman, and in almost all the exact same ways and in so many ways with better quality, more competitive tools. The one thing Sears had that HF will never have are sheets and housewares in sufficient quality and quantity to keep our wives busy while we shop for tools. Sears was a family store for us growing up. HF is like a woman repellant. Kinda like the way Yankee candle or Michaels is for me. The smell of those stores makes me flee. Its like they get in in the morning and spray the entire store with that potpourri "man-away" smell.
Last edited:
I wired my house bottom up with an ever improved kit. I bought a stray tool as I needed one to make the next rooms easier than the last.
I had 6 types of tester units to use, almost always used the magic one that could detect the hot in the pair of wires. It cost a few dollars at best.
I had three of those they were so cheap.
The Klien and Milwaukee electrical tools at HD were so pretty but I needed to buy rolls of wire and light fixtures more than a 100 dollar tool at the time.
All the tools were split with my son so he has a good kit too. Better than mine when the job started.
I haven't pulled out that kit thrice in five years since.
For a pro sparky it would have made sense.
I was (not a pro) mechanic for years and would avoid payment plans on things I could just pay cash for.
I knew what others used and what worked. It was usually locally available without a payment plan. When I got out of yellow tractors most of my big tools stayed in the boxes of my co-workers who needed them.
Even sold some to my boss. I lost no money for having them.
The loss I willingly took was a set of six Wurth offset flex head line wrenches. Paid dearly for them and rarely need them.
But they are just so well made and go where all others struggled.
I had 6 types of tester units to use, almost always used the magic one that could detect the hot in the pair of wires. It cost a few dollars at best.
I had three of those they were so cheap.
The Klien and Milwaukee electrical tools at HD were so pretty but I needed to buy rolls of wire and light fixtures more than a 100 dollar tool at the time.
All the tools were split with my son so he has a good kit too. Better than mine when the job started.
I haven't pulled out that kit thrice in five years since.
For a pro sparky it would have made sense.
I was (not a pro) mechanic for years and would avoid payment plans on things I could just pay cash for.
I knew what others used and what worked. It was usually locally available without a payment plan. When I got out of yellow tractors most of my big tools stayed in the boxes of my co-workers who needed them.
Even sold some to my boss. I lost no money for having them.
The loss I willingly took was a set of six Wurth offset flex head line wrenches. Paid dearly for them and rarely need them.
But they are just so well made and go where all others struggled.
Last edited:
M.Jay
Well-known member
That's what I thought, too.
They might be big in the Anglosphere but if you're going to ask someone here Germany about Snap-On, he would probably think you are talking about adult toys because most people never even heard about that brand name in their life.
Depending on who you ask, over here the benchmark for quality tools usually is either Stahlwille or Hazet.
Bingo. Snap on dominates in the auto industry. There is no question they make quality tools but that doesn't mean they are the standard that all others are compared to.
The business model they set themselves into worked great for them- bring the tools to the shop so the mechanics don't have to come to you and offer financing plans. Offer specialized tools that they need. Use the profit to make sure the tools are top quality and have unique items that are needed or do a job better to keep people coming back.
I started buying Snap On tools about 12 years ago for several reasons, this forum being one of the biggest influences. Also because of a few members on this forum, I simultaneously started buying Snap On stock. Neither has disappointed me. It would be interesting to see when the first post on TGJ claimed that Snap On was a "failing/outdated business model." I know I have read that for at least a decade, its stock performance would seem to indicate otherwise.
mslim
Well-known member
Good point here. I have a set of Klein screwdrivers that get a lot of use on "honey do" projects around the house, often electrical. I don't use them on vehicles cause I don't like cleaning grease off the soft handles. I have a nice set of Felo's for that. I needed a set of SAE combo wrenches for my 5th wheeler tool set. I went with Tekton. No need for Snappy. Horses for courses, I say.
lolaetype
Well-known member
This might have already been said by others.
I always assumed it was largely because for years they were essentially the only game in town for mechanics in garages. No internet, mechanics were at work when most stores selling tools were open. They couldn't leave work to pop down to the local tool store to get that tool they just broke or didn't have. The Snap-On truck offered convenience and IIRC, terms, buy-now-pay-later. Add to that the fact the tools are good quality, functional and look good.
I've got a lot of Craftsman tools. Why? Because they were affordable, easy to buy (Sears stores were every where), and decent quality. I think main reason Craftsman tools sold so well was the lifetime, free replacement, no questions asked policy. Without that, they were really nothing special.
I always assumed it was largely because for years they were essentially the only game in town for mechanics in garages. No internet, mechanics were at work when most stores selling tools were open. They couldn't leave work to pop down to the local tool store to get that tool they just broke or didn't have. The Snap-On truck offered convenience and IIRC, terms, buy-now-pay-later. Add to that the fact the tools are good quality, functional and look good.
I've got a lot of Craftsman tools. Why? Because they were affordable, easy to buy (Sears stores were every where), and decent quality. I think main reason Craftsman tools sold so well was the lifetime, free replacement, no questions asked policy. Without that, they were really nothing special.
Last edited:
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Not true.
Plomb (on the left), Walden-Worcester (on the right), and other mfgrs (not shown) had jobbers' hand-selling inventory and taking orders out of trucks in the 1920's.
The 'Snap-on Was the First Tool Truck' legend has reached irreversibly gargantuan proportions due to the size of Snap-on's everlasting presence, fame, and mystique in the history of US hand tools after WWII - and, it has to be said, their own relentless marketing techniques. (Don't get me wrong - as everyone down on the vintage board knows, I like Snap-on, and I am a rabid antique and vintage collector, but as I have also pointed out, their claims about Flank Drive being the first of its type was also similarly and egregiously false.)
To be objective, comprehensive, give credit where credit is due, and nerd out just a little more, they were the first to organize truck sales as a major segment, and eventually, as its exclusive sales distribution force. But that did not happen until the mid-1940's, when it became impossible for them to forecast the placement of stock in regional branches due to the wartime priorities system. They found direct sales, via the "rolling stock" they were fronting to jobbers so successful, they adopted it as their primary sales shortly after WWII. And MAC and Cornwell followed suit.
Irrelevant to the main topic, and not that important in the grand scheme of things, but I thought you would appreciate knowing.
One more thing and I hope you find this as interesting as I do:
It doesn't really matter what we think. We're not the ones who decide whether Snap on is the benchmark or not. Harbor Freight isn't copying the Hazet Assistant toolbox, if you get my drift. They aren't making ZEAL sockets, or ripping off Vessel screwdrivers. They aren't packaging their 1/2" and 1/4" socket sets together "because that's all any German auto mechanic really needs".
Countless manufacturers made sockets that mimicked flank drive as soon as they could. Flank drive plus open end wrenches is another one. That design revolutionized combination wrenches. Dual80 spawned an evolution of double pawl high tooth count super strong ratchets, on and on. "Early warning systems" on digital torque wrenches.....Snap on is the industry leader, because they lead the industry.
It doesn't really matter what we think. We're not the ones who decide whether Snap on is the benchmark or not. Harbor Freight isn't copying the Hazet Assistant toolbox, if you get my drift. They aren't making ZEAL sockets, or ripping off Vessel screwdrivers. They aren't packaging their 1/2" and 1/4" socket sets together "because that's all any German auto mechanic really needs".
Countless manufacturers made sockets that mimicked flank drive as soon as they could. Flank drive plus open end wrenches is another one. That design revolutionized combination wrenches. Dual80 spawned an evolution of double pawl high tooth count super strong ratchets, on and on. "Early warning systems" on digital torque wrenches.....Snap on is the industry leader, because they lead the industry.
neophyte
Well-known member
Snap-On is not “the biggest hand tool manufacturer in the world”.
Snap-On Incorporated.
| Revenue |  US$4.71 billion (2024) |
|---|---|
| Operating income |  US$1.35 billion (2024) |
| Net income |  US$1.04 billion (2024) |
| Total assets |  US$7.90 billion (2024) |
| Total equity |  US$5.39 billion (2024) |
| Number of employees | c. 13,000 (2024) |
Stanley Black & Decker Inc.
| Revenue |  US$15.4 billion (2024) |
|---|---|
| Operating income |  US$561 million (2024) |
| Net income |  US$294 million (2024) |
| Total assets |  US$21.8 billion (2024) |
| Total equity |  US$8.72 billion (2024) |
| Number of employees | 48,500 (2024) |
Harbor Freight is a private company, so one has to go by estimates, but even Harbor Freight is potentially larger than Snap-On as a brand, and Harbor Freight only operates retail locations in the USA.
While regular Stanley branded tools don’t have the same reputation as Snap-On, the Stanley owned MAC, Proto, and Facom brands have much higher reputations, and are designed to compete in the same market as Snap-On.
Snap-On Inc. does own some other “lower tier” brands.
Given the higher prices for both Snap-On, and the SO owned lower tier brands, compared to Stanley branded items, it is also likely Stanley produces and sells s much higher number of individual tools over Snap-On.
Harbor Freight likely dies as well.
Attachments
Yea makes sense so now he knows they never going to call out or take a sick day since they got a huge bill due to the snap on truck each week.
You hire a tech with a US General cart full of Pittsburgh tools he got a pocketfull of cash and can take days off without issue.
But honestly I won’t be buying much snap on anymore since I ordered a few new things over the last couple years that had a huge defect rate like they don’t do QC anymore or just don’t care since I’m buying online. Never had any QC issue from Tekton
Snap-On is not “the biggest hand tool manufacturer in the world”.
Snap-On Incorporated.
Revenue Operating income Net income Total assets Total equity Number of employees c. 13,000 (2024)
Stanley Black & Decker Inc.
Revenue Operating income Net income Total assets Total equity Number of employees 48,500 (2024)
Harbor Freight is a private company, so one has to go by estimates, but even Harbor Freight is potentially larger than Snap-On as a brand, and Harbor Freight only operates retail locations in the USA.
While regular Stanley branded tools don’t have the same reputation as Snap-On, the Stanley owned MAC, Proto, and Facom brands have much higher reputations, and are designed to compete in the same market as Snap-On.
Snap-On Inc. does own some other “lower tier” brands.
Given the higher prices for both Snap-On, and the SO owned lower tier brands, compared to Stanley branded items, it is also likely Stanley produces and sells s much higher number of individual tools over Snap-On.
Harbor Freight likely dies as well.
SBD is a tool manufacturing conglomerate. Not at all a single competitor. SBD owns:
- Stanley Tools
- USAG
- Facom
- Proto
- Mac
- Craftsman
- Sidchrome
You might know this: Does Proto or Mac make more wrenches than Snap on? I saw a YouTube video about Elizabethon TN. They make 6000 snap on wrenches/day.
neophyte
Well-known member
Snap-On is a mix of brands as well.
Snap-On is;
Snap-On
Blue-Point
JH Williams
Bahco
Lindstrom
ATI
Norbar
Sturtevant Richmont
Sun
Eurotools
Irimo
Irazola
Palmera
Acesa
and probably others I don’t know off hand.
Vacuum Grip pliers was also consolidated into Snap-On decades ago.
Gotcha. But pretty sure no one is comparing tools thinking about Williams or Bluepoint being the tools to beat. Snap on is a brand, just like PROTO or Stahlwile.
You get this right? Or are you stuck on my ascertain that Snap on was biggest? Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Mac produces more tools and earns more revenue.
For the sake of this discussion, where the OP is questioning why people compare other tools to Snap on and not Gedore for example, or Hazet, I'm saying Snap on, as a single brand, dwarfs those other brands. That's one reason why people use it (and not Williams) as the benchmark.
And it's not even just us. The other manufacturers do it. The Torque Test Channel does it. Everyone does it. (doesn't make it right). I'm just trying to explain why.
msharley
Well-known member
One item not mentioned...
On high quality stuff...The Snap On wrenches/sockets are much, much less likely to round or "mar" the fastener...than many other brands...
Such as the "thin line" bolt heads or nuts found on HD which are mostly chromed...
Or the angle wrenches/torque adapters to deal with "odd angle" really tight fasteners ... with out marring...
On high quality stuff...The Snap On wrenches/sockets are much, much less likely to round or "mar" the fastener...than many other brands...
Such as the "thin line" bolt heads or nuts found on HD which are mostly chromed...
Or the angle wrenches/torque adapters to deal with "odd angle" really tight fasteners ... with out marring...