Matco Tools must haves?

[crewchief888]

my biggest "issue" with matco is i havent seen a dealer around in over 10 years.

i have quite a few matco tools, 1/2" dr impacts, a few angle wrenches, and some 12pt combo wrenches.


not having a dealer is the biggest drawback.

most of my "working" tool purchases off a tool truck are dictated by the availability of the driver...

we only have 1 truck stopping at our shop, IF i NEED anything specifically truck branded i get it from him. i havent needed anything from him in over 3 years....

30+ years of wrenching and buying tools i really dont have a NEED for much of anything. most of my recent purchases (over the past couple years) have been from GW, kobalt or tekton

 

[Bill Bowman]

^^^My MATCO guy lives between Lowell and Crown Point, but I think he mainly hits up Illinois. PM me and I'll send you his number, he's a super guy.

 

[YenkoZL1]

A must have from Matco are the old school Pro-Swing Double box end ratchet wrench - SGRBLM7T (Metric)

They are made by Armstrong and pricing can vary. They are rarely cheap with either branding. My metric set is Matco and SAE is Armstrong.

I am also fond of the old school Matco impact sockets. They are a blue'd steel with clear coat finish. I doubt they're USA but none the less that clear coat makes it easier to clean.

 

[xin]

Matco and Mac are two of the three options(third being Ko-ken) I have found in which they put knurling around the female drive end of their extensions; something I find VERY useful! While the knurl on Matco versions are a little "muted" in aggressiveness, they still give you a little extra grip for hand turning your fastener. The Mac versions do appear to be a little more aggressive.
Mac 1st image, Matco 2nd.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

SAME here the knurling on MAC/Matco is awesome!!!

 

[toolman9w]

A must have from Matco are the old school Pro-Swing Double box end ratchet wrench - SGRBLM7T (Metric)

They are made by Armstrong and pricing can vary. They are rarely cheap with either branding. My metric set is Matco and SAE is Armstrong.

I am also fond of the old school Matco impact sockets. They are a blue'd steel with clear coat finish. I doubt they're USA but none the less that clear coat makes it easier to clean.

As far as I am aware your impact sockets are USA. The main line Matco sockets are still USA made.

 

[doojus]

Their 1/2" and 3/8" extensions are really good
I like their 88 tooth ratchets although my 1/4" one reverses on itself a lot
I like the markings on their socket sets, very easy to read, but I don't think the actual sockets are any better than snapon, mac, etc.

 

[M6erfan]

Knurled extensions and ProSwing DBE ratcheting wrenches (I have the Armstrong version)

 

[eyeball]

There is one tool that they have that I could not find anywhere, and nobody makes anything like it.

https://www.matcotools.com/catalog/product/EZSOLD/E-Z-SOLDER-CLAMP/

It holds both wires and with the same hand you can feed solder into the two wires using the dial and your thumb with the same hand, then your free hand can use the iron.

That really caught my attention. I went to the Matco website and it did not show a price or allow me to add it to my cart. Checked eBay and there is one new in the package for $125.

Is $125 close to what Matco asks or is just an opportunistic/ wishful seller on eBay?

 

[plinker]

That really caught my attention. I went to the Matco website and it did not show a price or allow me to add it to my cart. Checked eBay and there is one new in the package for $125.

Is $125 close to what Matco asks or is just an opportunistic/ wishful seller on eBay?

When my dealer had showed them not long ago, they were around 65$ IIRC.

 

[kythri]

Google cache says $69.95:

https://webcache.googleusercontent....D/E-Z-SOLDER-CLAMP/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

Dunno what's up with the actual page. The Google cache was from 6/29/18.

 

[PR1Gneon]

88T ratchets.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

 

[TarheelMechanic]

MATCO 5 PIECE MAGNETIC SPARK PLUG SERVICE SET SPK5

It's basically a gearwrench set but gearwrench does not offer this set under their own name nor all the same lenghts included in this set. Set includes various lengths swivels 5/8 and one 13/16

 

[Professional Tool User]

Matco doesn't make anything themselves besides their tool boxes, so there really isn't any tool that they sell that you cannot find another rebranded version of.

 

[plinker]

Matco doesn't make anything themselves besides their tool boxes, so there really isn't any tool that they sell that you cannot find another rebranded version of.

Very true, but since Apex dropped US production, Matco is the only one offering the 88 tooth ratchets. Gearwrench 84's are similar, but are not 100% the same in regards to the locking flex ratchets. COO may or may not be a concern as well, depends on buyer.

Either way, it pays to research what you want to buy off the truck(s).

 

[toolman9w]

Matco doesn't make anything themselves besides their tool boxes, so there really isn't any tool that they sell that you cannot find another rebranded version of.

 

[Htscheg]

Id gladly sell all my matco stuff in a heartbeat!!!

 

[Michael_in_DE]

That really caught my attention. I went to the Matco website and it did not show a price or allow me to add it to my cart. Checked eBay and there is one new in the package for $125.

Is $125 close to what Matco asks or is just an opportunistic/ wishful seller on eBay?

Bought mine off the truck for $70

Their site has them for $75:
https://www.matcotools.com/catalog/product/EZSOLD/E-Z-SOLDER-CLAMP/

Matco doesn't make anything themselves besides their tool boxes, so there really isn't any tool that they sell that you cannot find another rebranded version of.

While this may be partially true, some things they sell are licenced only to them. Like the above soldering clamp, or more recently the awesome Hyper-step drill bits. Which is another Matco must-have, as these do not seem to be sold anywhere else. The video someone posted recently has them drilling through grade-8 bolts and tool-steel like it was aluminum. Pretty impressive.

So in fact, no, not all Matco items can be found elsewhere.

https://www.matcotools.com/catalog/product/DB29HS/29PC-HYPER-STEP-DRILL-BIT-SET/

 

[bimmer630]

Just a quick curiosity question. Was Mac tools an offshoot of Matco?

Also, It seems like nobody mentioned that MATCO was an acronym for "MAC-Allied-Tool-Company"

My old Matco toolbox has the name Matco stamped into the side or back of it, in the same dome/curved look that the Mac logo uses.

Matco split off of Mac and became their own entity, in 1979

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matco_Tools