Punches and chisels

Smitherines · Mar 21, 2012

Hey guys, as a tech at a dealership, I'm looking to get sets of punches and chisels. What's the scoop on them, and do you have to go with Snap-On or Matco to get a high quality set?

DARKSCOPE001 · Mar 21, 2012

I wouldnt dish out Snap on money for punches and chisels. Check out dasco pro (home depot should still carry them) They are reasonably priced and seem ok, I like Craftsman myself, See if you can find old stock that still has the red dipped handles. Those ones are good and you can get a pretty desent mixed set of punches, chisels and alignment tools for less than 60 bucks

Good Luck

DRhodes · Mar 21, 2012

I purchased a Craftsman set new several years ago. The first time I used them they mushroomed so bad that I had to grind them down to reuse. I would stay away from them at all cost. I also have Snap on and Proto and they dont seem to mushroom like the Craftsman. Mine may have been the new stock - Darkscope said the old punches are pretty good so you may look into those.

Just my .02

Smitherines · Mar 21, 2012

how are the mayhew punches and chisels?

dr_clyde · Mar 21, 2012

Stay away from dasco pro. They may be American made, but they ****. I have a set. The pin punches bend like a wet noodle and the chisels aren't very hard. I was so irritated I bought a snap on set. Never had a problem with my snappys.

fr0mastaj · Mar 21, 2012

dr_clyde said:
Stay away from dasco pro. They may be American made, but they ****. I have a set. The pin punches bend like a wet noodle and the chisels aren't very hard. I was so irritated I bought a snap on set. Never had a problem with my snappys.

Yep... sadly American made doesn't mean its good. My Dasco punches are all bent, they are garbage. I also have a SO set now... my Mayhews are also holding up pretty damn well.

Monte · Mar 21, 2012

canuckian · Mar 21, 2012

i have a mix of Snap On and Mayhew. both have served me well.

Trucky · Mar 21, 2012

For very high use ones, buy some SO or somethng. Cheapies, one timers, etc. grab some NOS Cman or heck, harbor frieght if they're just for bangin on. I keep some nice brass Mitutoyos for delicate stuff but that rarely comes out of the box.

Edit: Also I don't know how yall are mushrooming your punches.. are you starting with a starter punch and then moving on to the appropriately sized pin punch?

I can understand it happening with chisels because.. well you just sorta hit those as hard as you can lol.

woody 73 · Mar 21, 2012

Snap on are very nice and will hold up very well...but you better have very,very,very deep pockets the sticker shock will give you a heart attack.

With that being said I use proto and they are also very nice plus the sticker shock is not so bad!

Mayhew is also ok and they are much cheaper then the above two sets.

Monte's set looks fantastic but I don't have the first clue where to buy them and even if I could buy them I bet the shipping alone would be very expensive.

Be sure and do a search on this topic we have talked about it on the GJ you might get some other brands from other members.

Davefr · Mar 21, 2012

Smitherines said:
how are the mayhew punches and chisels?

The best IMHO!!

wafrederick · Mar 21, 2012

Craftsman used to not warranty their punches and chisels,now do.Mayhew makes most of Matco's air hammer bits and probally their punches and chisels too.

Smitherines · Mar 21, 2012

I was looking at these. Is there a better set? Opinions?

http://www.tooltopia.com/mayhew-tools-15070.aspx

garfunkle24 · Mar 21, 2012

The Mayhew 150 line are exactly the same as the Snappys. Look at the info regarding the (patented) parabolic head, among other features.

I have held up a 150 line punch and a Snappy and they are identical.

In the interest of full disclosure, some members think I'm full of **** on this one.

I have Snap-on, Rennsteig, Proto and PB Swiss punches, all have been great for me.

WR250F · Mar 21, 2012

I recently picked up a few sets of the S-K punches and after using them about a week, I will say they are pretty nice.

I use punches regularly, and had a few stragglers here and there, but never invested in a decent set. So, I picked up a set each of starter punches, pin punches and roll pin punches.

Like anything else, you can tell the difference in quality using something decent vs that isn't.

The S-K's were a little more pricey than Mahews, but nowhere near the price of SO.

I got all three sets for less than $120

plinker · Mar 21, 2012

For punches & chisels, Craftsman or Endere's are hard to beat for quality & value. Except for a S-K chisel set I picked up (which is also very nice), those two brands are mostly what I have.

I'm going to get a roll punch set made by Wilde, thay are a good brand as well. Epstein's has them.

Monte · Mar 21, 2012

woody 73 said:
Monte's set looks fantastic but I don't have the first clue where to buy them and even if I could buy them I bet the shipping alone would be very expensive.

http://www.pbtools.us/

http://toollady.com/

RRmech · Mar 21, 2012

ENDERES

Small family-owned company in Minnesota, that have been making QUALITY tools for 100 years.
Their punches, chisels, and screwdrivers are 'killer', IMHO.

Steve

1982fxr · Mar 21, 2012

Wright sells Mayhew, so I would think they would be pretty good.

rlitman · Mar 21, 2012

garfunkle24 said:
The Mayhew 150 line are exactly the same as the Snappys. Look at the info regarding the (patented) parabolic head, among other features.

I have held up a 150 line punch and a Snappy and they are identical.

In the interest of full disclosure, some members think I'm full of **** on this one.

I don't think you're FOS. I've got an SO set, and it's exactly like the Mayhew 150 line. They are EXCELLENT punches BTW. As good as any other punches of mine, except for perhaps Starrett.
If you look closely at the head of the SO punches (and my Starrett ones as well), they've got a hardened section that resists deforming better than others I've used.

I have a bunch of Craftsman punches, and they just don't hold up (but they do keep replacing them, so I keep beating on them). The cap is just too soft. Still, the shanks stay relatively straight, and you can always touch up the end on a grinder.
I will say that the older generation of Craftsman punches with a chromed square body were somewhat better than the current generation that's painted red with a hex body.

Although HF will replace punches as well, it's just not worth it. One hit, and they're stating to bend AND mushroom at the same time. They may as well be made of zinc.

buco · Mar 21, 2012

RRmech said:
ENDERES

Small family-owned company in Minnesota, that have been making QUALITY tools for 100 years.
Their punches, chisels, and screwdrivers are 'killer', IMHO.

Steve

+ 1 on the Enderes. They are super tough.

ajchien · Mar 21, 2012

I've got a set of Proto punches that are very good.

Every HF punch I used mushroomed after meeting a 24oz hammer.

Rogue1987 · Mar 21, 2012

I've got some Dasco Pro punches and they totally ****. Another sad -1 for an American made product

Roots · Mar 21, 2012

DARKSCOPE001 said:
I wouldnt dish out Snap on money for punches and chisels. Check out dasco pro (home depot should still carry them) They are reasonably priced and seem ok, I like Craftsman myself, See if you can find old stock that still has the red dipped handles.

There's a reason that Dasco (although pretty!) and Craftsman punches and chisels are just a tad more than Harbor Freight prices... and all three are pretty far from the pricing of Mayhew, Proto, Armstrong, Snap-On, Matco, etc.

I bought the Dasco Pro set from Home Depot, it works great for once-in-a-while use around the House. I wouldn't even consider using it in a professional environment, personally.

-Brent- · Mar 21, 2012

dr_clyde said:
Stay away from dasco pro. They may be American made, but they ****. I have a set. The pin punches bend like a wet noodle and the chisels aren't very hard. I was so irritated I bought a snap on set. Never had a problem with my snappys.

Agreed. I bought them in a pinch and was let down. I've broken a few of the smaller ones and bent/mushroomed others.

archirelic · Mar 21, 2012

I've got the three piece Dasco Pro Pro Nail Setter 3 Piece Kit, here, and it has held up well enough for my needs, which are carpentry. It is a shame though to hear about the bad experiences concerning their use in a professional environment.

LincolnCont. · Mar 21, 2012

I bought the 24 peice MAYHEW set that WRIGHT offers for 143.00 last Feb.. Its a Steal compared to the truck prices and its USA!

Your Father · Mar 21, 2012

I have a set of Snap On punches and chisels. I also have a few Dasco Pro chisels and punches that I bought maybe 6 years ago, and they are still going strong - I use the chisels mainly for separating sheetmetal spotwelds, so they have taken a big beating. Maybe Dasco changed the way they manufacture? I was thinking of getting a couple more, but it sounds like they might **** now?

Smitherines · Mar 21, 2012

Good to know, it seems like the Mayhews are a good buy then! Thanks guys!

buco · Mar 21, 2012

My mayhew pry bars say taiwan on them

LincolnCont. · Mar 21, 2012

buco said:
My mayhew pry bars say taiwan on them

I think its tha handles that are Taiwan made, not the iron.

jvitez · Mar 21, 2012

http://www.graytools.com/toolcatalogue/?page=category&name=Punches and Chisels&itemNo=7&recPage=9

Top quality, made in Canada. These are what I bought, ordered new.

Rory Bellows · Mar 22, 2012

I like starrett punches. You can buy them individually at McMaster Carr very inexpensively. They don't list brands at McMaster Carr but I have ordered several and when they show up they are Starret.

geologist · Mar 22, 2012

Mayhew are good, Craftsman used to be good but I think they're a bit too malleable now - although if you find NOS they still might be ok.

mtkst19 · Mar 22, 2012

snappys are life time warranty. mushroom or break it--get it replaced. I bought my master set used for 100 bucks. well worth it.

i have some mayhew pieces too-- no compliant. yet most of their pieces i have are brass.

anyone use the Wilde punches that epsteins have on clearance? price looks good on them. made in usa too. thought about picking them up on next order for home use.

edit-

20 pc set
http://store.harryepstein.com/c/PunchChisel.html

diamond point set

http://store.harryepstein.com/cp/WildeChrome/CD5.html

round nose set

http://store.harryepstein.com/cp/WildeChrome/CR7.html

between those 3 sets i would think every situation should be covered for under $100 for 31 pieces.

DARKSCOPE001 · Mar 22, 2012

Roots said:
There's a reason that Dasco (although pretty!) and Craftsman punches and chisels are just a tad more than Harbor Freight prices... and all three are pretty far from the pricing of Mayhew, Proto, Armstrong, Snap-On, Matco, etc.

I bought the Dasco Pro set from Home Depot, it works great for once-in-a-while use around the House. I wouldn't even consider using it in a professional environment, personally.

Sorry

I dont use mine super hard, I do use them professionally tho (Aircraft Mechanic) They wook pretty good imo but im not beating the absolute **** out of them. My only complaint is that they turn your hands smurf blue untill you have worn most of that **** off. Not sure what a good choice would be for you guys breaking bolts and stuff with chisels but most of my punches live a easy life. Except the one poor little 1/8" that some idiot tried to use as a line up tool and broke. *****.

Good Luck

Sick Puppy · Mar 22, 2012

Monte said:
Pics of PB Swiss goodness

Monte, are Rennsteig any good? They are virtually the only German brand sold here, PB Swiss much rarer, and about twice the price. I'm figuring I'll be grabbing some when I'm in the UK...

Edit: thinking about it, aren't rennsteig the OEM for another brand, like Gedore or Stahlwille?

JayL · Mar 22, 2012

I have these

I like PB Swiss the most ... very durable and the finish is added bonus.

back2class · Mar 22, 2012

I've got a big set of Mac ones. Some have been replaced with Snap-On ones. I'd sell the set for $150

Monte · Mar 22, 2012

Sick Puppy said:
Monte, are Rennsteig any good? They are virtually the only German brand sold here, PB Swiss much rarer, and about twice the price. I'm figuring I'll be grabbing some when I'm in the UK...

Edit: thinking about it, aren't rennsteig the OEM for another brand, like Gedore or Stahlwille?

They´re ok, if you want a upgrade then get PB i think they´re sligthly better, so if you use punches/chisels often i would get PB if not Rennsteig will get the job done too. The powdercoated finish of the red chisels also lasts longer if it matters for you. Lifetime warranty too, don´t know about Rennsteigs warranty.

I think Rennsteig makes tools for other brands but i don´t know which,
(i guess they mostly make tools for tool wholesalers etc.) but i´m pretty sure Gedore makes their own punches and chisels at least since they bought "Habero" a hammer + chisels manufacturer. Don´t know about Stahlwille, Hazet etc. i guess they buy their chisels/punches somewhere but difficult to say where because there are several specialised manufacturers like Kuhbier, WKW/Jorg, WBC, Tirem and Aho

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