blackz26
Banned
I drink the haterade because of what t does to people and the obscure prices. Nothing will.ever convince snap on is anything but a tool. They are not the best. They do brake. And they do charge way to much.
Mac tools in trouble?
- Thread starter bimmer630
- Start date
I drink the haterade because of what t does to people and the obscure prices. Nothing will.ever convince snap on is anything but a tool. They are not the best. They do brake. And they do charge way to much.
Buckgnarly
Well-known member
"They do brake" .....and you cant spell.
Ha just teasing. But hey man there is a difference in their tools.
For example, Ever try starting a bolt into a tricky hole, one that requires you to push on the bolt with the socket as you turn it? Use any sockets other than snapon, and the bolt will push all the way into the socket and you'll be pulling your hair out.
there are small differences in their tools that make a big difference in getting a job done, and yeah sometimes it costs too much I agree. thats why I try and find used stuff, Or go to Proto or SK or Wright when I know the tool WILL do the same job.
But for alot of jobs, SO is the best
blackz26
Banned
Idk sorry guys. Bad tangent. Obscure totally wrong word. Obscene is what i meant.. sorry my grammar isnt up to par..
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MattPersman
Well-known member
Who cares about price? all the trucks are similar prices anymore for pro tools. It is sticker shock for non pro wrenchers no doubt. It's probably not worth it for DIY but for a pro that needs service, truck credit, etc its wonderful.
For every snap on tool that someone says is overpriced we can find a Matco that is too. Although there catalog is much smaller.
For every snap on tool that someone says is overpriced we can find a Matco that is too. Although there catalog is much smaller.
Agreed. I'm a young guy and I only repair my own car, but almost 100% of my hand tools are Snap-On; new off the truck. Like Matt said, a DIY like me probably doesn't need pro tools, but when I'm in over my head repairing something, I need all the help I can get.
Are truck brand tools expensive? Wildly, but I've never heard of someone finishing a repair with Snap-On tools and saying, "wow, that was an efficient use of my time, I just wish I had paid less for this tool."
Are truck brand tools expensive? Wildly, but I've never heard of someone finishing a repair with Snap-On tools and saying, "wow, that was an efficient use of my time, I just wish I had paid less for this tool."
Pumpman1968
Well-known member
Holy sh@t! It's personal preference! Myself, buying Snap-On doesn't make sense.....I can buy a number of less expensive tools and get the job done just the same.....but that's my personal preference. It doesn't work for me.....but should I bash someone else because it works for them? Guys buy tools that WORK....and will defend themselves for doing so. So why bash them?
Snap-On makes some FINE AZZ tools! And they have made some clunkers. Everybody remembers the clunkers.
I love S-K.........but holy ****.....they threw out some real **** not so long ago. And, apparently, they still have some **** NOS that they have tried getting rid of.
My buddy is a die hard Chevy guy.........wouldn't buy anything else and swears by them.......and sometimes AT them. Anyone remember the Citation? One of the worst cars ever thrown at the American public. So......should I bash my buddy for buying a 2013 Chevy truck? Of course not.
Same can be said for the "new" Craftsman. It doesn't work for me......so I switched to Williams..so I guess I drink the "lite" kool aide. That said, I'm not going to bash my neighbor who bought a socket set from Sears to change his own oil every few months. It works for him.
Moral of the story is.....if it doesn't work for you.......don't buy it. If it works for the next guy.......try his and see if it works. Form your own opinion....but make it an educated one......then move on.
I work with people everyday that spend more time worrying about what the other guy is doing than actually working......and then ***** about not having enough time to get what they need to get done.
If X brand works for you and you can afford to buy it, be PROUD of what you have. Then shut up and USE them.
Snap-On makes some FINE AZZ tools! And they have made some clunkers. Everybody remembers the clunkers.
I love S-K.........but holy ****.....they threw out some real **** not so long ago. And, apparently, they still have some **** NOS that they have tried getting rid of.
My buddy is a die hard Chevy guy.........wouldn't buy anything else and swears by them.......and sometimes AT them. Anyone remember the Citation? One of the worst cars ever thrown at the American public. So......should I bash my buddy for buying a 2013 Chevy truck? Of course not.
Same can be said for the "new" Craftsman. It doesn't work for me......so I switched to Williams..so I guess I drink the "lite" kool aide. That said, I'm not going to bash my neighbor who bought a socket set from Sears to change his own oil every few months. It works for him.
Moral of the story is.....if it doesn't work for you.......don't buy it. If it works for the next guy.......try his and see if it works. Form your own opinion....but make it an educated one......then move on.
I work with people everyday that spend more time worrying about what the other guy is doing than actually working......and then ***** about not having enough time to get what they need to get done.
If X brand works for you and you can afford to buy it, be PROUD of what you have. Then shut up and USE them.
85camaro
Banned
Nine months later, what's the pulse on Mac's future?
In the last 9 years, I've seen one Mac truck one time. Don't know what the corporate future is, but I certainly won't be buying any. Same goes for Matco, but that's a different thread...
I'm not impressed with mac over the last few years, they have tools that are pretty cheap feeling but still expensive, they're prices aren't much cheaper than snap on so i'd rather buy SO.
The mac truck guys seem to last 3 years if that and seems to be a common complaint that mac helps you get into the route and set up but pretty quick you're on your own and better have some cash laying around because they're not gonna help you. I ordered a few mac tools and its atleast 3 weeks to get the tool in, a rubber hose for my pressure guage took 2 months, snap on routinely is a 1-2 week order time.
The mac truck guys seem to last 3 years if that and seems to be a common complaint that mac helps you get into the route and set up but pretty quick you're on your own and better have some cash laying around because they're not gonna help you. I ordered a few mac tools and its atleast 3 weeks to get the tool in, a rubber hose for my pressure guage took 2 months, snap on routinely is a 1-2 week order time.
We have a snapon truck on Mondays and a mac guy on Wednesdays.
I will be upfront and say I've never bought anything from the mac man because I need truck credit to an extent. I carry around $500 debt with the snapon truck most of the time because as soon as I have it paid down I need something else. The other guys have credit accounts with the mac man and he wants double the minimum payment of the snap on man. Minimum on the snapon truck $40 a week minimum on the mac truck $80 a week. Apparently a couple years ago that wasn't the case but from the conversations I hear between him and other employees he is becoming increasingly more difficult to do business with.
I don't know enough about him or mac to say who is at fault but the truck driver alone keeps me off his truck and on the Snap On truck.
I will be upfront and say I've never bought anything from the mac man because I need truck credit to an extent. I carry around $500 debt with the snapon truck most of the time because as soon as I have it paid down I need something else. The other guys have credit accounts with the mac man and he wants double the minimum payment of the snap on man. Minimum on the snapon truck $40 a week minimum on the mac truck $80 a week. Apparently a couple years ago that wasn't the case but from the conversations I hear between him and other employees he is becoming increasingly more difficult to do business with.
I don't know enough about him or mac to say who is at fault but the truck driver alone keeps me off his truck and on the Snap On truck.
Tarheelgarage
Well-known member
I stepped on the Mac truck today to look around.
I immediately thought I had stepped onto a Harbor Freight mobile tool truck...
I got off the truck and vomited a little in my mouth....MAC tools has turned to **** and the hogs are eating them...
I immediately thought I had stepped onto a Harbor Freight mobile tool truck...
I got off the truck and vomited a little in my mouth....MAC tools has turned to **** and the hogs are eating them...
Well let's see I met my old Mac dealer in 2009 when I first started and I bought from him mostly all my tools.in august 2012 I bought a toolbox from him and a cart. The box had issues and was warranty replaced, the cart was junk and he bought it back in May of 2013. I really liked the guy, but that was the last time we saw his truck stop buy. I've seen him pass by a few times last year.but he never answered my calls and eventually the number was disconnected, his regional manager left for an electrics company so he was no help.
I feel very angry that I bought a box from him and he disappears. Now any issues have to be settled by calling .Mac.wish I would of known, what's the point of buying a box only to lose the service.i should of bought a snap on,he hasn't let me down.im currently on a long expensive journey of bringing my Mac home and replacing with snap on.
I feel very angry that I bought a box from him and he disappears. Now any issues have to be settled by calling .Mac.wish I would of known, what's the point of buying a box only to lose the service.i should of bought a snap on,he hasn't let me down.im currently on a long expensive journey of bringing my Mac home and replacing with snap on.
Stokes_
Banned
Didn't realize they started making tools overseas. Hope they are in trouble, let them burn. Companies like that are a lot of the reason why our country is in the ******* right now. "Times are tough? No problem, let's take even more jobs away from our countrymen and give them to the Chinese, it's much easier than having competitive pricing for our ridiculously overpriced tools".
Mac just made my **** list.
Mac just made my **** list.
wafrederick
Well-known member
Stanley wants to dump them badly,they did not want Mac tools in the first place at all when they purchased Mac tools in 1980.Matco came close to buying Mac tools from Stanley about 6 years ago,the deal fell out.Mac and Matco used to be together,split in 1979.I was told one reason why for the split,the Poole brothers had an arguement.One brother owned the Mac tools Inc side and the other owned the Mac Allied tools Corperation side.Mac tools is big time into motorsports,Nascar and NHRA.Sponsor Roush Fenway,Hendrick Motorsports,Stewart Haas Racing,John Force and many more teams.Jack Roush has been with Mac tools for a long time.
pepi
Well-known member
Yeah he feels real bad all the way to the bank, hope you're not believing that, aka profit margins.
Spudland_Dave
Well-known member
If you ask me...brighter then ever...has been on a steady improvement, my guy is always rolling a well stocked truck, doing well for himself. And there has been a nice string of excellent tools being released from MAC.
MAC's outsourcing of previously USA made items to China without creating a second tier line is a recipe for disaster. Stupid business decision in my book. Just as it is for Craftsman, except I feel techs will be more sensitive to this than the average Joe Sears shopper. Just like their parent company, there was a time when Black & Decker was considered a decent power tool, now it's barely homeowner quality Chicom junk. Hidden outsourcing can build profits in the short term, and destroy a company's reputation long term. Most tool buyers are smart enough to know that Harbor Freight sells all the Chicom **** they could want at dirt cheap prices.
But in reality, all this talk of MAC folding is all just BS unless someone can post a link from a reliable news source that shows financial evidence of impending doom. Just because one local MAC guy is a flake means nothing. And some rumor on the Internet means even less.
But in reality, all this talk of MAC folding is all just BS unless someone can post a link from a reliable news source that shows financial evidence of impending doom. Just because one local MAC guy is a flake means nothing. And some rumor on the Internet means even less.
wafrederick
Well-known member
Some dealers can tell lies.There was one Snap On dealer now deceased,killed himself back in November telling customers that Snap On was dropping the lifetime warranty on Blue Point tools.I asked the Snap On dealer down the road in my area about this and said it was not true.
bobcatdan
Well-known member
Mac's biggest problem has been poor dealer support for a long, long time. If your dealer doesn't have it on their truck, you are in for a wait. This hurts the dealer bottom line and he goes bust. To me, tools are about the service, not the product. Have a proto truck at my door every week like clock work, I'd buy proto. It is kinda sad dealing with a tool guy who you tell is hurting. Mac's other problem is which tools they push. Mac's USA made hardline is pretty much intact, but instead mac keeps rolling out one stupid gimmick chicom tool after another. Ratchets for one thing, how many ratchet lines have they had in the last 15 years? Jam a high tooth count in their classic pearheads and be done with. Mac needs to gut their line leaving the hardline and rebuild from there.
NHBandit
Well-known member
Since half the members who have posted on this old thread have been banned I'm a little leery of even commenting. Like the thread is "cursed" or something. ****.. I'll throw in my observations based on 40 years as a professional mechanic. First a disclaimer: I have no idea why this is they way it is and it's not meant to bash any particular brand. In all the years I've been turning wrenches one thing has been fairly consistent. Snap On dealers are always around. I had one dealer that was in business for over 25 years, built up his customer base to the point where he had 3 trucks on the road and a warehouse for the overflow. If I wanted something he didn't have on his truck it was pretty likely one of the other trucks had it or it was in the warehouse. All 3 trucks would meet up for lunch everyday and pass around whatever tools were needed to keep their customers happy. Either way I got it that same day or the next day at the latest. In that same time period I saw many many MAC, Matco & Cornwell dealers come and go. Typical story.. "Hi I'm Joe Blow, your new MAC dealer. I'll be stopping by every Tuesday".. Go out to the truck.. fully stocked with lots of nice shiny tools. Truck stops every Tuesday. 6 months later, truck stops by now & then. Half the tools have been sold but not restocked. A year later... He's done and gone.. 2 years go by before we see another MAC truck. Meanwhile Snap On has what I need, when I need it, and is available for any warranty issues I might need resolved. Guess who I do 90% of my business with.. Like bobcatdan said, when you use your tools to make your living the service is as important as the quality of the tools. Right now I'm retired and I've been sorting tools. I have a bag of broken MAC, Matco & Cornwell stuff that I will have to mail in to get warrantied because I have been riding them around in my truck for 2 years and have NEVER seen a truck on the road in this area. Meanwhile I called Snap On to get a couple of things taken care of and they immediately shipped me replacements on their dime and didn't even want the broken stuff back. I could have just dealt with the truck as easily. I see him all over the place several times a month.
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NHBandit
Well-known member
I think the first half of your question answers the second half. It's been a LONG time since I've seen a Cornwell truck. Maybe in other parts of the country they are doing ok ?
Stokes_
Banned
Speaking of trucks, I'd like to know where all the SK trucks are.
NHBandit
Well-known member
One of my favorite tool trucks many years ago (early 80s) when I lived in central Mass was a guy who was an independent. He sold SK, Craftsman, and other US brands at prices less than the stores and he warrantied them all. Nice old guy and you never knew what he might have on the truck from week to week. I still have some SK stuff I bought from him. And he sold more than just tools. Electrical terminals, air hoses & fittings, bulbs, etc. A travelling auto parts store. Not many, if any, like him anymore.
sparky7
Well-known member
i think that they should use the mac line as a bluepoint and bring in proto for the higher end stuff
Spudland_Dave
Well-known member
I understand what your saying, and agree about the whole ratchet thing... but my experience has not been like yours in terms of service. Dealer ALWAYS Has what I need by the next week...Only time I had to wait for anything was a Decal off a MB1305, which obviously was no show stopper and he gave it to me because of my patience.
My MAC Guy is also my Blackhawk/Proto/Expert/DeWalt guy...he can get anything from any of the B&D brands...
As for your rebuilding the line comment...I think its happening and has been happening, but without any gaps so its happening slowly. Cant argue with the new MAC Line of Cordless stuff, IMHO Very Smart move having some "MAC Only" Tools which utilize the DeWalt battery system. New Screwdrivers are getting rave reviews, I know a few guys who are ditching MG's in favor of the AWP line from MAC...
There has been new management over at MAC so it wont happen overnight, but I do think from what my guy says that its 2 thumbs up all around, he feels good about it. Like any other company which was driven to the ground, reputation and image goes to hell in a matter of days, takes years to build back.
Antique Engine
Well-known member
Back in the 90s I was working in an independent shop and we got a new Mac man after a long period of not having one. I immediately took a liking to the guy and considered him my friend. I bought some stuff and warrantied a few long broken things. But, I noticed as time went by, his truck was getting more bare each week. I gently asked him about it and he confided that he was nearly to the breaking point because of corporate issues. He had outfitted his truck day 1, but the first few months of running his route he played a lot of catch up warranting broken tools that guys had back logged without having a weekly man to take care of. The problem was, Mac was slow at replenishing his stock. So, he wound up being a new route guy with a fairly bare truck, who only got a trickle of replacements from corporate that couldn't keep up with his demand. He lasted about two years and I was very sad to see him go. At least he had the decency to give closure by telling us that he was shutting the doors on a certain date, rather than just slowly flaking like most do.
Hpozzuoli
Well-known member
Maybe it's a regional issue. I am in RI. I have had the same snap on guy coming to my house for 5yrs. Prior to that I had a snap on guy for 2 yrs before one left and the other took over. Literally one guy stopped and the other was there the next visit. I sometimes sub out body work and the guy I use has Mac, Cornwell, Snap On, Matco, and some Indy guy. The Indy guy is great for used stuff from the other trucks and can fix anything (not warranty). I also see all the trucks driving around and visiting other shops regularly. I don't see a vacancy for any brand where I am.
I mentioned in another thread I have a pic on an old phone of a snap on, cornwell, and matco truck one behind another at a traffic light. Only guy missing was mac who I saw down the rd at a small shop.
I guess my point is they are all around in my area. Only one I have never seen is SK. I heard they are out there and if I ever see one I will make sure he will be stopping by my house if he can.
I mentioned in another thread I have a pic on an old phone of a snap on, cornwell, and matco truck one behind another at a traffic light. Only guy missing was mac who I saw down the rd at a small shop.
I guess my point is they are all around in my area. Only one I have never seen is SK. I heard they are out there and if I ever see one I will make sure he will be stopping by my house if he can.
there is a cornwell guy that comes around my area. Mac guy is every friday.
bobcatdan
Well-known member
Cornwell was always a drop in the bucket, I think they are happy as such and put little effort to grow.
d.mcfarland
Well-known member
The Cornwell website makes it seem like they are looking for people to sign up as dealers. As one of the lesser expensive tool brands I would think dealers would do alright maybe?
wafrederick
Well-known member
There is an SK tool truck in Van Wert,Ohio by Century Trading Company.There is also one in Chicago,IL by Snail Inc.I have seen Snail Inc. in Auburn,In during one of the classic car auctions and purchased tools from them.
Steinmetz
Well-known member
Van Wert, OH. Still the home of the Kennedy Manufacturing Co.
Bigblue&Goldie
Well-known member
Cornwell has more Asian made tools than Harbor Freight; there is no way would I ever buy a franchise.
jfcasey
Well-known member
I don't know about your Cornwell guy but their stuff is hit or miss in quality AND price. Sets of their sockets and wrenches can come damn close to Snap on prices... and the whole lets put orange handles on channel locks and mark them up 20% thing is pretty lame.
I do like Cornwell and use a lot of their tools everyday but I don't think I'd call them less expensive.
As for Mac, if they keep hiring dealers like my local douschbag mac guy they are more screwed than JC Penny
Wamsutta
Well-known member
That's a stretch. Their core tools are still made in the USA. They outsource the bit sockets because they don't have the capability to make them. That's different from MAC because MAC has the capability, but chooses to outsource anyway.
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