making a living with value tools

[jd_1138]

I went to a local store yesterday, and a guy with a Stanley hat was working on the electric sliding door -- presumably a Stanley Door employee. He had the door off -- adjusting the rollers or something. I noticed he was using HF and Wal-Mart tools. He had a Hart branded tool backpack (Wal-Mart), some HF tools like Pittsburgh Pro ratcheting wrenches, HF bright orange hook and pick set, Pittsburgh Pro screwdrivers, etc.

I almost felt like joking with him about "why don't you buy Stanley tools since you work for them?" Stanley Door and Stanley tools are owned by SBD I assume. There probably is an employee discount of some sort.

But hey, just goes to show if you carefully pick and choose the right tools, even value brands can work for the tradesman.

 

[Professional Tool User]

it really depends on how picky you are, the tool, and your personal preferences. There are a lot of things like picks and impact sockets where brand is not a big deal.

 

[William Payne]

Millions of tradesman worldwide use asian tools.

 

[William Payne]

Most tradesman here in New Zealand just buy whatever is on the shelf at the store they shop at.

I do go out of my way to buy good stuff but generally have to order it, though the industrial supplier local to me now has Gedore on the shelf.

 

[William Payne]

I will say though that electrical stores here have good tools as they sell the nice insulated stuff and nice fluke meters to the electricians. Plus there is a lot of industrial business in this town so they generally buy the good stuff.

 

[Vpick001]

While our shop has lots of old Matco and Snap-On, a good deal of our tools these days come from Husky (Home Depot) and Gearwrench. Many foreign tools are a lot better than they used to be.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Millions of tradesman worldwide use asian tools.

Exactly. Some people will buy the cheapest stuff they can get, others the most expensive.


A mechanic can do his job with a craftsman raised panel, some lobster claw wrenches, and ****** screwdrivers. But it's nicer, faster, and less frustrating with good wrenches, quality screwdrivers, and an impacting air ratchet.

Everybody has their own cost limit. For some people the cost limit is arbitrary, they refuse to spend more than X. Some people can be sold into buying something more expensive, if they feel it's worth the additional cost. Some people spend as much as they can because they like to or want to show off.

Same deal as cars.

 

[measuredtwice]

Could he just have been wearing a Stanley hat and not working for Stanley? I have lots of hats and t-shirts with company logos and I don't have any affiliation with the companies. They were just freebies.

Except for the youngsters, most folks have seen American made tools being replaced by cheap China/Taiwan tools at Sears and our local hardware stores. So it should not be surprising to see people using cheap China/Taiwan tools that have flooded every store that sells tools these days.

 

[lardy1]

Who does he work for? How much is he making? Who pays for the tools? How long has he been doing that job? What financial demands in his life influence tool decisions?

Pretty hard for me to draw any conclusions with so little information.

 

[zendriver]

My Grandfather was a master carpenter and although his hand and power tools were not Asian (not really a thing in the early 70's before he died), for the most part, they would probably have gotten a turned-up nose, at a garage sale.

They were just whatever the local hardware store had, nothing German or Swiss.

He did beautiful work, because he was good, not because he had top of the line tools.

 

[zendriver]

Is Stanley Door even affiliated with SBD?

 

[Higgins]

When working in an area where John Q Public are and your not not necessary in the vicinity with your tools. Tools will walk. use to work with voluntary groups and I took my old tools to work with. They also had a RED band around everything, and some still walked! Just saying ........

 

[dutchgray]

Plenty of cheap tools out there that are actually really good, cheap enough that you don't worry if they wearout, get lost or stolen but they get the work done just fine. Its not like 40 years ago when very cheap tools were often awful and failed as soon as you tried to use them. There is relatively little of that junk stuff available now.

 

[AS556]

I work with tools every single day. Despite people (including myself) wanting to justify their premium purchases the reality is that cheap tools often get the job done even in heavy use.

 

[davethorik]

I'm not a big cheap tool person myself. But If I was a traveling automatic door repairman, or any sort of travel/road tech, I'd probably use the cheapest stuff I could find that worked. I'm sure tools "walk off" and you might accidentally leave them behind, why worry about expensive stuff?

 

[Packard V8]

First, I'm and old guy and own boxes full of Snap-on, but sad to say for USA manufacturing, these days Harbor Freight will get the job done even in commercial use.

And yes, the 103-piece Chicom Stanley set sold at Costco, et al, ain't bad tools either.

jack vines

 

[RedneckWelder]

I use a lot of Gearwrench, Tekton, HF, Sunex, Grey Pneumatic right alongside my Snap On, Proto, Wright, and Williams. Cheaper tools these days get the job done for the most part and hold up well.

 

[jeffmoss26]

we pick on my coworker who uses Ryobi power tools...

 

[RKA]

I'm not a big cheap tool person myself. But If I was a traveling automatic door repairman, or any sort of travel/road tech, I'd probably use the cheapest stuff I could find that worked. I'm sure tools "walk off" and you might accidentally leave them behind, why worry about expensive stuff?

Exactly my thought when I read the OP’s account. And don’t forget what exposure to rain and snow do to the tools.

 

[Kev442]

Been wrenching for a living for over 30 years, but not automotive. My quality level of tools was/is Easco, Craftsman and HF, with a little Armstrong and a few others. I don't have to sweat leaving a tool behind, but with the exception of flashlights, almost every tool was waiting for me on the next service call.

I have had people comment about my tools maybe 3 times over the 30+ years, and one was picking on a flatbladed screwdriver worn almost round when I was first starting out and was given a tool kit of worn out hand me down stuff.

 

[mwalsh9152]

I'd always use cheap tools working out in the field. Customers shops or roadside are easy places to lose ****. Cheaper the loss, the better off you were.

 

[BMack37]

You see guys at Kindig It Design using Ridgid and Ryobi...if they can do it working on what they do, a door guy can do it too.

 

[bwringer]

I'm not a big cheap tool person myself. But If I was a traveling automatic door repairman, or any sort of travel/road tech, I'd probably use the cheapest stuff I could find that worked. I'm sure tools "walk off" and you might accidentally leave them behind, why worry about expensive stuff?

I'd always use cheap tools working out in the field. Customers shops or roadside are easy places to lose ****. Cheaper the loss, the better off you were.

Yup and yup. No way would I be toting name brand stuff into public where there's a lot of sticky fingered traffic.

It's a frackin' door, not a spaceship.

 

[jayrush13]

I have Klein screw drivers and pliers/strippers but as far as wrenches, sockets etc. The cheapest that will get the job done is what I take out on Jobs. I have had some stuff walk off but most of the time it is left behind by me. Also if I have to modify or abuse a tool to get the repair done it is better to grind or hammer on a budget tool vs a high dollar one. Remember not everyone works in a shop with access to tons of tools or can wait for the right tool to get the job done.

The other factor is if the tools are supplied by your employer they usually won't spring for snapon.

 

[William Payne]

Another thing is that for a lot of people their job is just a job. Not everyone is in it for the career.

 

[The Cobbler]

working on doors is no where near as tough on tools as automotive. it's also easy to leave tools behind on that kind of a job. you might have to go to the truck to get something, you leave your tools behind. they can easily walk.
that repair person does not need Snap On.

 

[Indexmill]

The truth is that everybody in the World could so just fine with today's Chinese and Taiwan tools. We on GJ just choose not to and to talk about our expensive tools. If you've got it; smoke it. But don't view the whole world just through your lens; use facts and be honest.

 

[Yarpo]

I make a living working on pretty high end cars all day with a box full of Asian tools and none of my coworkers have said a thing and I've not once been hindered by the tools that I can recall. Great value out there if you shop around and know what you want and need.

 

[Junkdrawer Dog]

My father was a radio and TV repairman back in the day. All of his bench and test equipment was bought used at auctions and ham fests. His hand tools were pretty minimal and alot were bought used as well. What did he spend his dough on ? Fishing tackle and his boat! That man loved bass fishing. Tools? Meh. They were just a means to an end.

 

[Gurp]

My oldeat 2 brothers are wrenxhes by trade. One is a master mech for a dealership. The other owns his own small shop. The dealership brother has Thousands and Thousands in snapon. But in his home garage ita mostly craftsmen and older cornwell.
Brother 2 whom owns a shop uses what ever whenever. His son also worked there. Husky Kobalt and HF are the most common things to find there. A few sets or Snappy amd Proto from when My oldest brother also worked at a dealership.

Myself in my little home hobby shop uses whatever I can afford that gets the job done.

 

[BigNuge]

24 years in the field as an industrial burner/boiler/controls technician. Heavy Craftsman tools use (USA made), a few name brand (SO, SK, MAC). Beat the $hit out of all these tools in a brutally rough industry.

The name brand tools broke just as often as the other stuff.

After that many years at it, I knew what to spend the $$ on and what I could get away with budget friendly tools.

Now I’m in Management, so all my wrench turning is in my own little shop. Budget tools has allowed me to equip my ship with a MUCH larger array of tools, not even remotely possible if I HAD to buy the overpriced name brand tools.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[lardy1]

When I joined the carpenters union I took a pledge to use domestic tools on the job when possible. But...…..back then one job would pay the rent, the groceries, the car payment, provide health insurance and a pension.

We don't want those things anymore. We'd rather have cheap ****.

 

[joel63]

Exactly. Some people will buy the cheapest stuff they can get, others the most expensive.


A mechanic can do his job with a craftsman raised panel, some lobster claw wrenches, and ****** screwdrivers. But it's nicer, faster, and less frustrating with good wrenches, quality screwdrivers, and an impacting air ratchet.

Everybody has their own cost limit. For some people the cost limit is arbitrary, they refuse to spend more than X. Some people can be sold into buying something more expensive, if they feel it's worth the additional cost. Some people spend as much as they can because they like to or want to show off.

Same deal as cars.

Very well said. The dollars will always determine what quality of tools can be bought by an individual. Brand of tools to buy and use can be extremely subjective which is always brought out by past discussions on this topic.

 

[MushCreek]

My last job was a real hell-hole. They pissed me off so much that I brought my big tool box with tens of thousands of dollars worth of toolmakers tools home. I brought in a HF 5 drawer, stocked with cheap ****. I decided this company wasn't paying me enough to use my good stuff. That, and I was advised that theft was so rampant that I'd be wise to lock my box during lunch. The cheap tools worked just fine, even though they don't have the feel and bling of the good stuff. I always carry cheap stuff to the U-Pull-It, because I sometimes lose stuff. In my home shop, I keep the good tools under cover, and leave the cheap stuff out as bait when my buddies come over to work on stuff.

I've had a few surprises with cheap stuff. I've bought cheap toolmakers stuff like 1-2-3 blocks, and they ones I got were nearly perfect upon inspection. They cost less than what I can buy the steel for to make my own. I bought the cheapest boring head I could find for my mill, and it's very smooth and accurate. I bought a cheap set of mill vise parallels, and again, they were dead-on. The down side is that those 'tens of thousands of dollars' worth of tooling I own are now only worth 'tens of hundreds of dollars' due to foreign competition.

 

[Mecha]

You'd be amazed how much HF (and Gearwrench for ratchets at least) is used in factories these days. It's crazy. Also only a recent development too, like in the last 4 years or so.

 

[seber]

I worked as a carpenter during summers in school. We used the cheapest tools that were good enough to do the job. It was not uncommon to have tools walk when your back was turned.

 

[Parrothead]

You'd be amazed how much HF (and Gearwrench for ratchets at least) is used in factories these days. It's crazy. Also only a recent development too, like in the last 4 years or so.

I wouldn’t be surprised at all. I’ve been in or worked at enough food production facilities to know most of them are using Craftsman, Duralast and Kobalt. Some meters and stuff are Fluke and the like, but the cheapest tools that will work are the choice 99% of the time in those facilities. There’s a million square foot facility in Chicago that’s never even seen a tool truck.

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

Tools come in trucks ??

To most tradesmen, it's job. The tools will reflect that. Automotive mechanics are different. A millwright may use as much $500 worth of tools to work on multimillion dollar machines whereas an auto mechanic uses $10,000 worth of tools to work on a $500 car. The millwright makes as much as twice as much money. I know I did and I wasn't an OT ****.

 

[unslow1]

My brother supplies the tools for his electricians and plumbers trucks. He went to HF tools after having to replace the tool truck tools multiple times. They don't "get lost" anymore and he no longer has to have a budget just for replacing tools. They work just fine.

 

[Lassen Forge]

I made my living with tools I got at Sears, when I could have spent more for Mac and Snap-on, back when "Craftsman" was sears rebrand for quality made American tools... Everything from building and rebuilding motorcycles to Building maintenance work to repairing commercial coffee equipment...

So I guess I'm just as guilty. Thing is, there was no snap-on dealer that would stop at the coffee roaster nor the mall I worked, not even the shitshow of one of those shops I worked at, so when I DID have the chance to go with truck brands, I was already ensconced with Craftsman. Not to say I didn't like them, it's just they weren't there early on in my career... so I made do with what was available.

I'm sure a lot of students and people starting off or young in "the trades" (especially if they aren't in school and hitting those student discount programs) are in the same boat I was in, so (like me) you use what you can get and what you can afford.