rival904
Well-known member
I know there is alot of "must-have" SO stuff, but whats everyones favorite matco products besides their toolboxes?
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Must have Matco tools?
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Brownsfan
Well-known member
The screwdrivers. Even though they are made by witte in Germany there is not many witte dealers. The thing with Matco is they don't make any of their tools. Other companies make them for Matco. The only thing they do make is tool boxes. They are top notch.
MattPersman
Well-known member
Ehh not much anymore the swivel impact sockets are pretty competitive some say the best. They are relabeled Armstrong, craftsman, etc.
The magnetic spark plug socket set the 5 piece is nice for the money but they are just relabeled gear wrench available at advance auto parts
Most of there air tools are pretty good a strong dose of sunex relabels, again
88 tooth ratchets aren't bad
They have nice spline drive wrenches they only they sell they are not made by Matco but never seen anyone else sell them.
So from the tools I listed you see they don't really offer or make anything themselves except tool boxes, very little is exclusive to Matco
The magnetic spark plug socket set the 5 piece is nice for the money but they are just relabeled gear wrench available at advance auto parts
Most of there air tools are pretty good a strong dose of sunex relabels, again
88 tooth ratchets aren't bad
They have nice spline drive wrenches they only they sell they are not made by Matco but never seen anyone else sell them.
So from the tools I listed you see they don't really offer or make anything themselves except tool boxes, very little is exclusive to Matco
I sold my old Matco screwdrivers and went with the SO's only becuase they have the drive on the back of the handles and makes it easier to grab one in my cart.
Swivel impacts are by far what Im ready for, I already know Matco is a big mix of Sunex, IR, and OTC. Im looking to take advantage of their financing is the only reason Im not buying direct. Adding another credit line, in my situation, is proving to be beneficial to my score at this time.
JBradley500
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Matt and I think about the same... My favorite is the splined flex ratchet wrenches by far. The composite air impact is second. Third would be the ratchets (locking flex and stubby 3/8 in particular).
DanCo
Well-known member
Ditto on the splined flex wrenches, just can't stand the price. 1/2" drive locking flex head ratchet.
Dan
Dan
BearCuda
Well-known member
Well, whoever makes Matco ratcheting wrenches, they are my favorite. I liked the first double box metric set so much that I not only bought an accompanying SAE set, but went on to buy two more of the same sets for home. Now I just purchased their extra long, double box, ratcheting spline set and they are my new all time favorite wrench.
I was gonna snag a set of the long zero degree offset wrenches for sure, is that the ones you guys are talking about?
http://www.matcotools.com/catalog/p..._source=RatingsAndReviews&utm_content=Default
http://www.matcotools.com/catalog/p..._source=RatingsAndReviews&utm_content=Default
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purplezr2
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Locking flex head ratchets, I think they make the best ones.
Vaboom123
Well-known member
I really love my 3/8" "Pitbull" air ratchet. That thing is a beast. I use it a lot to **** tight exhaust clamps in those tight areas (5" form-seal ones for heavy equipment). The power is very impressive.
GoodEnough
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GoodEnough
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Does Matco make GearWrench?
BearCuda
Well-known member
Yeah, those are the ones
Fedwrench
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Their pinless impact sockets are the best out there. Not the AGV series but, the real pinless ones.
Matco's splined ratcheting wrenches are made by Kabo in Taiwan.
No Matco doesn't make Gearwrench but, they do rebadge some Gearwrench products.
I like Matco chrome high vis sockets and their 60 or 88 tooth ratchets.
Matco's splined ratcheting wrenches are made by Kabo in Taiwan.
No Matco doesn't make Gearwrench but, they do rebadge some Gearwrench products.
I like Matco chrome high vis sockets and their 60 or 88 tooth ratchets.
aaronld
Well-known member
I would like to get my hands on some Sidewinders. One day......one...day......
BearCuda
Well-known member
Seriously?? Now I'm pissed. I just paid that much for non USA tools??
abvw
Well-known member
nicksnothereman
Well-known member
They rebrand those long handle ratcheting ez-red wrenches right? People like those, apparently.
Nobody in the US makes anything comparable.
You're right but you're also very wrong. Just in the examples you listed, they sell far more versions of the impact swivels than can be purchased under either the Craftsman or Armstrong brand. Many unique 88 tooth ratchet lengths/styles as well. The magnetic spark plus set you mentioned cannot be purchased under the Gearwrench brand. You can piece 2 Gearwrench sets together for about $50-$60 but its not quite the same. That set use to be a fairly decent buy direct from Matco at around $72 but they've since corrected that and now its ~$90.
So true, Matco doesn't make any tools and rebrand many. But completely false that they don't have any exclusives, they actually have quite a few. Plus my 2 cents but i'll take Matco in the shop over a cheaper fly by night brand rebadging the same tool simply due to the warranty.
The version most people think of are the flex ratcheting spline and regular spline box type. Basically its a High Performance wrench with the other side ratcheting. EZ-Red does not offer those, they only offer a flex ratcheting double box version.
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MattPersman
Well-known member
You must have a really good Matco guy and I did too about 10 years ago.... But there really isn't much they are offering or doing that says buy me over snap on for a professional.
FunkyfullWidth
Well-known member
The thing that does it for me when it comes to matco is the guy actually shows up, and knows what he's talking about... Unlike my ******* SO guy.
Example, I asked the matco guy about 12 point semi deep impact sockets... 30mm and 32mm, he knew exacly what I was talking about.... "for toyota front axle shafts?" Yes, he gets my business.
I got a set of matco striking prybars with a soft handle a few years ago... I love them.
Example, I asked the matco guy about 12 point semi deep impact sockets... 30mm and 32mm, he knew exacly what I was talking about.... "for toyota front axle shafts?" Yes, he gets my business.
I got a set of matco striking prybars with a soft handle a few years ago... I love them.
firebox40dash5
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'nother vote for the pinless impact swivels. Really nice being able to hammer on them at full angle, although like any swivel they do cost a lot of torque at high angles. Yes, you can buy the same from Armstrong or Craftsman, at least some of them. I didn't want to risk Sears discontinuing them or replacing them with a crappy Chinese design in the future and having a worthless warranty. Less concerned with Armstrong, but Matco still carries a much wider selection.
The stupid-long flex-ratchet/box end wrenches are nice, too. And for that matter the stupid-long ratchets, although Snap On has caught on and made longer handles as well.
The stupid-long flex-ratchet/box end wrenches are nice, too. And for that matter the stupid-long ratchets, although Snap On has caught on and made longer handles as well.
bobcatdan
Well-known member
I have little interest in matco anymore, probably less then mac. One of the last times I was on a truck because a dealer will not stop at my shop, I did impulse buy their new at the time 36" 3/4" breaker bar. Their locking flexs are nice compared to SO's design and I do like my 24" 1/2". That said, I don't really care for the lock feature since I never use it, only have it because only way to get that ratchet. I'm sorry, tool truck tools that cost tool truck money should be USA.
Hpozzuoli
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Matco ford 3valve spark plug extractor set
mikeselky85
Well-known member
My opinion in Matco must have tools will be the impact swivels and the xl flex head ratcheting spline wrenches. I use both every day professionally and try have never failed me. I have had two impact swivels explode on me but that's from using them all the time, nothing major