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are there any awesome tool stores?

cbracer

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Feb 27, 2012
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645
Location
Costa Mesa, CA
where they have everything for you to see, touch and feel before you buy? I'm so tired of looking at stuff online and not in person..... If you know of one like this let us know!

 
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Steevo

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Aug 18, 2009
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Awesome tool stores drive up to my work every Monday (Matco), Tuesday (Cornwell), Wednesday (Snap-on).:rocker:

Yeah, but for us retired or non-commercial mechanics/fabricators/etc., we don't have that luxury.
In fact, once you retire, you realize just how difficult it is to get those "lifetime warranties" met.

A real tool store would be awesome, but I can't see them making a living except in a densely populated city-center kind of location.
 

Super Sport

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Jun 30, 2011
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West Michigan
Doesn't Craftsman have a store downtown Chicago? Sure it's probably all Cman stuff, but would still be cool to go check out.
 

greasemonkey44

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Mar 30, 2011
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1,625
Location
memphis
i like northern and HF; ive built the craziest **** from stuff you buy in those stores
everything from a 60" water slide to a COP ignition checker
and there is no better place to buy stuff to modify........
but the ultimate is Snap On, you pay through the nose; but they have fit and finish down to an art form
 

metalhead212121

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Mar 21, 2010
Messages
2,898
http://www.eppys.com/ in NJ and NY. Havent bought a ton of things from them but they are stocked with A LOT of QUALITY tools. Its the ONLY store that Ive walked into and was amazed by the selection of QUALITY stuff. Gonna have to check out the place that djkeev posted one day. Thats somewhat of a hike for me. Its about 40 miles away for me and I rarely go up there...
 

TheDogHouse

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Mar 27, 2012
Messages
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There used to be Pat's Tools in San Diego until a couple of years ago. He had EVERYTHING, of EVERY brand... I mean, every brand, from cheap, to truck brands, to foreign to Chinese. New, used. About 3000sf of tools crammed in everywhere, hanging from everywhere.
I went in looking for a US made 36" long pair of locking pliers. Vise-Grips, $25 used. Needed a 52mm socket. $9 new. He had everything. 30 years in business, now gone. *****.
http://www.realtown.com/jskardos/blog/mccormack-auction-co--pats-tools-liquidation-sale-this-weekend
 
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metalhead212121

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Mar 21, 2010
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There used to be Pat's Tools in San Diego until a couple of years ago. He had EVERYTHING, of EVERY brand... I mean, every brand, from cheap, to truck brands, to foreign to Chinese. New, used. About 3000sf of tools crammed in everywhere, hanging from everywhere.
I went in looking for a US made 36" long pair of locking pliers. Vise-Grips, $25 used. Needed a 52mm socket. $9 new. He had everything. 30 years in business, now gone. *****.
http://www.realtown.com/jskardos/blog/mccormack-auction-co--pats-tools-liquidation-sale-this-weekend

Must have been a pretty cool place to walk around and browse. The internet and smart phones really makes people fight for a buck now. Good for us buyers.. bad for the sellers. Unfortunatly you gotta take the good with the bad.
 

djkeev

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Feb 8, 2012
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Location
North Western New Jersey
I've been shopping at Montaque since 1990....... When they were still in Montaque NJ!

They moved, built a building, it burned down, I forget what year they left town and moved to their present location.

The store is Awesome! It oozes character and is a man cave of stuff! You can wander and touch most of it, some is behind the counter but the guys there are helpful and enjoy their job. Many items have multiples of various quality choices.

Prices? No bargain basement for sure! I would use the term "fair" considering that they have it on the shelf to take home today and use. Some might say expensive, but again, they have it, it is quality and much of it is hard to locate elsewhere except online.

FYI, if cheap prices are your #1 goal, don't even stop in! Go find your nearest HF instead.

Worth a trip from almost anywhere, a very unique place.

Dave
 
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mmack66

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Dec 5, 2011
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2,947
Location
Kansas City, MO
I have been to Epstein's and Clark's Tool here locally, and they are pretty good, but I've never seen any comparable to some of the Japanese tool stores I have seen posted on GJ.
 
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