I've been buying up used tools from flea markets and garage sales and such for a while now and have found that stanley tools seem to have an excellent chrome coating along with some cheaper made tools as well, oddly enough. I have some Snap On tools in which the chrome coating is severly pitted and eaten away, but yet cheaper tools like duralast, husky, etc. seem to still have a good finish despite being left on the ground, rained on, etc. This is just my observation and it is not always the case; YMMV. Thoughts?
Chrome Plating
- Thread starter PDub88
- Start date
Wamsutta
Well-known member
It's real simple: The foreign countries like Taiwan and China can put on the bright chrome finish because they have no 3-letter government agency dictating their plating process.
So because of that the chrome plating is more durable or "better"?
Wamsutta
Well-known member
I don't know about more durable, but definitely brighter. Snap-on has to use the EPA legal Trivalent chrome plating process.
chipper
Well-known member
FYI a quick way to get old chrome sockets looking good again is a good chrome wheel cleaner preferably acid based like meguiar's wheel brightner....works great
Its kinda funny we can all buy cheap tools from 3rd world countries that have a high environmental footprint but are sold here regardless of what chemicals or processes were used. Yet companies that stay onshore have to spend big bucks complying to 1st word environment regs that drive up costs and drive down sales, yet they can all be sold in the same retail store or whatever. Cheap tools sell at my guess 100:1 compared to high quality tools with desirable COO's.
rsanter
Well-known member
Snap on and other professional level tools get used more often and can see more wear.
The store brand tools often get used a few times a year and can look like new for years...or not
The store brand tools often get used a few times a year and can look like new for years...or not
In the UK most of the second hand Stanley tools are the older stuff that was made in England and is mostly good quality. Would have thought it would be the same in the US so the OP may be referring to US made Stanley.
Snapon chrome never been that good and 1 of reasons I no longer own snapon wrenches or sockets, Stahlwille has superb durable chrome and indeed some of the taiwan stuff pretty good but hit and miss on brands and production era.
I have some draper japan from a large 1/2" socket set that 30years old and been in my box daily use for that time and chrome is superb on that .
Is also partly true that most snapon you find in similar used sales going be more abused/rough samples .
I have some draper japan from a large 1/2" socket set that 30years old and been in my box daily use for that time and chrome is superb on that .
Is also partly true that most snapon you find in similar used sales going be more abused/rough samples .
seber
Well-known member
I stopped wrenching professionally about 40 years ago. The Snap-on tools I bought near the end still look like new. The ones that got used a lot over the years show it. Cheap tools will never get a lot of heavy use so it would be unlikely that you would find any that look worn.
We are making pretty broad generalizations here but these are both reasonable assumptions. The secondary market for Snap-on is brisk due to name recognition. So resellers will pick up just about any worn out tool to flip then polish what’s left of the chrome off with aluminum foil.
It is hard to beat Taiwan for chrome these days but Snap-on chrome is pretty good. Honestly satin finish is going to scratch far less in hard service. I personally don’t like the look as much as polished chrome but I’m pretty gentle with my expensive tools.
davethorik
Well-known member
Umm satin "finish" (=unpolished chrome) is going to scratch same amount as polished chrome. It will just be less noticeable on satin "finish".
My Stahlwille flex socket wrenches (salt us) look better after a few years use than new I reckon. Same with my 75° offset DBE 20 series wrenches. The best polished chrome I have is on Taiwan tools like SP stubby wrench set but they don't see a ton of use, most of my mirror polish chrome has many fine scratches on it and even chips/flaking or worn through patches. Stahlwille has its finish sussed for the long term heavy tool user. I wish tool consumers didn't judge a tool by the mirror polish chrome, so often that's the first thing mentioned by members reviewing the quality of a hand tool. The tool co's feed the markets desire, thus mirror polish is everywhere. It shows conviction & dog headedness that Stahlwille finishes tools the way they do. They do what's best for the tool, not fulfilling the modern tool polishers desire to have perfectly gleaming unused jewelry in a tool chest.
Ole Slewfoot
Well-known member
If you grab a random handful of sockets our of my work truck, ages will span about 60 years. finish condition varies, but I think initial plating quality is the least factor. Mostly how it was treated, except the damn laser etched POSs fade seems to be directly proportional to hours of use.
JMLangford
Well-known member
Some of the best and most durable chrome finishing IMHO as a tool polisher, has been older USA made Craftsman tools.....
I have heavy wire brushed some Craftsman items and had them come out looking great while I have easily almost wire brushed thru some Snap-On chrome.....
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I have heavy wire brushed some Craftsman items and had them come out looking great while I have easily almost wire brushed thru some Snap-On chrome.....
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d.mcfarland
Well-known member
I agree that Taiwanese chrome is good on tools. I also agree that tool truck brands for years and years ago were also likely used heavily and are not a good comparison to anything that wasn't used often.
Quite true Dave; I should have said ‘show scratches.’
You must never have met my boss
My lessor priced Asain tools see brutal use and some have for a decade. The chrome slowly wears through.
The long used ones are not ****** looking.
The price was never a reflection of lower quality or durability. Of course not all I tried made the cut but neither did all the 'desirable COO' tools.
I know what you mean. My Craftsman sockets seem to always clean up the best. I'm not a collector but I do like my tools to be clean and free of rust. A drill, fine steel wool and WD-40 makes most Craftsman sockets look like new.