Do you usually know ahead of time what you want off the tooltruck, or do you wing it?

[KraftwerkMk1Jetta]

Im still new to the tool truck. The past 4 months I started seeing my Snap On guy every week. I usually have an idea of what I need each week, but sometimes I go on not knowing what I'm gonna walk off with. Like today I was interested in some torx drivers, and wound up with a t-handle torx driver set. he also had a deal on the knurled 1/4" drive extension set, which I hadn't planned on buying at all, but couldn't resist. What do you guys usually do?

 

[muskaman67]

i know what i normally want first. i try to figure out what i need first and if its worth buying it off the truck or just buying it off tooltopia or ebay instead and saving the money. For me to buy something off the truck its normally something i need right now or if i know the tool trucks quality is way better then off brands.

 

[diesel research]

Wait until I get "my *** kicked" in a certain situation or dream that a better tool must exist. Then do some online researching or asking around with other techs, and go from there.

 

[ChrisStarks]

Same thing here. I get on, looking for something specific. While I'm waiting for the price, I look around, and usually grab a couple of other things, especially if they're on sale. Sometimes, I have no idea what I'll walk out with - I just shoot him a question about what I'm working on, and see what ideas (tools) he can come up with.
A few weeks ago, I walked inside to get a set of 3/8 metric stubby hex sockets, walked out with them, along with 3/8 deep metric impact sockets, a couple of wrench racks, and a NOS USA Blue Point big *** drum puller. It seems like my driver always has cool **** up front on display that would come in handy to me - and a lot of it is on special. I asked him about it, he said that he displays different tools up front depending on where his stops are that day.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

I don't usually want anything. If i go on there it's only to order something or collect it.

 

[TozziWelding]

I don't have a regular tool truck, so when I go on the truck it is usually with all my broken stuff, or I know exactly what I need, not want, need. Which reminds me I need to find the Snap-On guy this week.

 

[wornoutoldman]

Having not been on a truck in the past 12 years or so after a solid twenty years of tool purchasing I can say this. Tool purchasing is a completely different animal these days. There wasn't ebay or online tool stores in the old days. Now your options are unlimited. If I had to start over buying tools today I would get a paper catalog from every tool guy that came to the shop, peruse them for tools I needed, get estimates online and take it from there. I would purchase much more from places like this site and ebay, amazon, tooltopia etc. I did and still do go through the paper catalog and dog ear pages and make note of stuff I need/want. IMHO you should have an idea of what you need, and a tool budget to match it.

 

[jjjrmx5]

I read the monthly sale flyer first and see if anything on there catches my fancy or if something is nice and likey to sell out fast, I move on it.

Week to week is just replacement tools or specialty tools, although our driver usually has a nice selection of non S-O vendor supplied tools that vary week to week with some good sale prices.

My first question no matter the truck is ," What do you have for sale used via trade-ins this week?"
It's usually nice stuff at great prices. S-O ratcheting screwdriver orange hard handle for $15 (owner upgraded to soft grip and traded orange one in) and some sepcialty tools or MAC tools. killer prices as our driver just wants them gone for a small profit.

 

[Danglerb]

I like to get on and look around, but when I buy I know what I want well in advance.

 

[pcpro15]

So far, every time I have been on there I know what I want, or am between two tools and ask his opinion to decide. Only thing that is impromptu on my part, is if he is running a promotion I can't turn down. My driver treats me right with pricing (cash only customer), so out of respect for his time, I don't waste his. I have a paper catalog at home, and the internet catalog online... so I do all of my homework before I talk to him. After the sale we usually chit chat for a little and while doing so I usually take that moment to look around, but that is it.

 

[bobcatdan]

I have stuff in the back of my head I have usally wanted for years but never seem to buy. I ask what the deals are, look at whats in the used bin, then buy something completely out of right field. I have gotten better but if my day was **** it to all holy hell, I would have a "shiny tool day" and bought what ever I thought was the coolest thing on the truck. That was a hard habbit to break. You know what you need, stick to that and you won't end up 50 ratchets.

 

[canuckian]

I usually order stuff in advance and visit him to collect and pay for what came in and put in my next order if there is one. If he has a good deal on an item of interest, I usually buy it. But, I have gotten on the truck in the past just for one item and walked off with a few more than expected. Just last week, for example, I went on to pick up a 30 inch striking crown prybar I had ordered. He saw me coming and laid both types of quick release in 1/4 and 3/8's on the counter and just kinda grinned at me when I came on. Well, I walked off with the prybar, 2 ratchets and a hacksaw! he also gave me 3 NOS yellow hard handles he had laying around the truck for free. Yeah, the tool truck can be a tempting place.....

 

[bradweingartner]

Avoid buying things I don't need for starters. And only buy what I can pay cash for. And avoid the gimicky tools.

When I'm working on something and I see a situation where a particular tool I've seen in a catalog would help me work faster, that's the tool I look for.

You don't have to buy something every week, that's a one way ticket to being broke and owing the tool man your soul.

Then again, everybody has their vices

 

[2oolhound]

They say never to go grocery shopping on an empty stomach. How could you translate this into tool shopping?

 

[punkenduro]

most the time, i dont buy anything unless i know what i want walking on. some dealers have flyers with specials that are too good to pass up, like today (sadly not snap-on but) matco had a deal on a crank pulley puller that i needed, so i jumped on and got it. some times you see something you have to have, i.e. i needed body pin pullers and saw some and jumped on it. best thing to do though, dont just blow money cus hes there, wait till you know you need something then get it. even with that though, im $5300 in the hole to snap-on, son of a....

oh oh oh, almost forgot, dont let the dealers just talk you into stuff, my snap-on dealer is trying hard to get me to buy a box, offering me a killer deal, even got the one i want (same color and set up, i mean everything) and put it on the truck, but i straight cant afford it right now, no matter how much i want it. they can do that a lot.

 

[padronanniversary]

it would help if my snappy dealer has it on his truck. can you say impulse buy

 

[Toolhorder]

Having not been on a truck in the past 12 years or so after a solid twenty years of tool purchasing I can say this. Tool purchasing is a completely different animal these days. There wasn't ebay or online tool stores in the old days. Now your options are unlimited. If I had to start over buying tools today I would get a paper catalog from every tool guy that came to the shop, peruse them for tools I needed, get estimates online and take it from there. I would purchase much more from places like this site and ebay, amazon, tooltopia etc. I did and still do go through the paper catalog and dog ear pages and make note of stuff I need/want. IMHO you should have an idea of what you need, and a tool budget to match it.

I think you would quickly find this costs you more money in micro managing then it's worth.

 

[soob]

I don't buy snap on tools, and certainly nothing from a truck, but I usually buy whatever I really wish I'd had during the last job.

It's a remarkable system, let me tell you.

 

[AZ_Catskinner]

I usually only pick up what I know I need in advance. Sometimes he has a promo or special that I determine I have to have, but usually only what I need.

In the old days of having a Mac dealer I bought all sorts of promo stuff, because he would have some killer deals.

 

[greasemonkey44]

i know what i want; sometimes i ask abt stuff the snapon guy or matco guy havent seen yet
i normally only get on there to sell stuff, warranty or look at stuff; costs way too much for me

 

[BloodySinner]

Considering I spend big money whenever I check the truck out...

Yes, I do know what I want before I even step foot inside.

 

[illmatyk]

Before I go in the tool truck/store, I somewhat know what I want and leave with that and sometime some other stuffs.