My Snap-On Experience (Soon)

[bronc3buster842001]

I like the snap-on rachets. I have a 1/4'' drive one and love the feel of it.

 

[jride200]

iandh-

A few words... just as expected this thread has slid downhill into an apple vs. pc squabble. thanks. few things seem to polarize people like apple vs. pc. and as for your excellent eyesight and your many other superior skills, i only suggest that you be careful not to pat yourself on the back so hard that you dislocate your shoulder!

 

[bmxr4life87]

I would recommend snap on hook and pick sets both short and long they aren't expensive and are very durable, get some snap on hex keys im not sure who the oem is but my snap on ones were plenty affordable and last get some pliers you will be blown away at the difference! I didn't include ratchets because my personal preference is danaher 60-88 tooth ratchets due to price and their thinner head

 

[EZH]

Maybe a ratcheting screwdriver. I've given a bunch of them as gifts, to non mechanics, and the recipients have all been impressed.

You know, that's exactly what I was thinking. I've got around 3 or 4 of those strategically placed around in the house, car, truck and toolbox. That one screwdriver with the different bits stored in the handle, pretty much covers all your screwdriver bases. Check it out here >>>> http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...5&group_ID=702&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog


Eric

 

[iandh]

iandh-

A few words... just as expected this thread has slid downhill into an apple vs. pc squabble. thanks. few things seem to polarize people like apple vs. pc. and as for your excellent eyesight and your many other superior skills, i only suggest that you be careful not to pat yourself on the back so hard that you dislocate your shoulder!

I made a statement to relate my qualifications to judge the ACTUAL quality of a tool, not the percieved, aka "cause I said so" quality.

I wasn't patting myself on the back. I was saying I had good (actually no, freaking amazing, it's a figure of speech btw) eyesight, and therefore am the go-to for alignments and QC at my employer.

Why is that so offending to you? Why is it that someone can't enthusiastically relate a skill they have, and then qualify that skill in support of an argument, without accusation of narcissism?

My exceptional eyesight is a fact, it has nothing to do with ego. It's the reason, as stated above, that I ended up being the inspection guy at work. It's the same reason some people end up being supervisors... if someone says, "I'm a very good manager, so I was promoted to foreman", does that bother you as well?

Also, how is me posting a list of my likes and dislikes formed from my personal opinion "a squabble"?

If anything, you seem to be the one trying to incite the same.




To be honest, I saw some of the OP's comments in the cart thread, and had a laundry list of comments I wanted to air in return. I refrained from doing so in that thread, but since this was his thread, I decided to give it a shot.

I absolutely agree with him in some ways, and not in others... but if I don't add qualifications to my opinions, they don't hold any more weight than any other jerk on the internet, which is especially of concern because I'm not established on this forum.

A few of the things Snap-On is known for:
Hex tools having great fitment
Their screwdrivers
Flank Drive Wrenches
Ratchets

I agree, all of their ratchets besides a single dud I got have been superb, and as mentioned in the first line of your post, the hex tools are just amazing as far as fitment goes.

Durability wise, good steel is good steel, I've seen that in many tools.

 

[bamatj]

I've used PC's and Macs for over a decade at my current employer, as well as having used Snap-on and craftsman, wera, bahco, felo, proto, kobalt, husky, harbor freight, the list goes on and on.

I specialized in ultra high precision machining of aerospace components. I KNOW quality when I see it, and on top of that I have freaking amazing eyesight. I could see flaws on micro-machinery that it took most of my coworkers a microscope to see. I also have a decent knowledge of metallurgy.

I've opened up harbor freight ratchets and seen better finish quality than snap-on ratchets. I've also had the cheapest, most worthless piece of **** tools I've ever seen come from Harbor Freight. "Best" is on a tool-by-tool basis. Anyone who says everything of a certain brand is "the best", is self destructive IMO. They're only hurting themselves.




Buying a great tool because "you won't be a true pro" unless you spend enough on ratchet set to pay off your car, is the biggest load of **** I've ever heard. Yet somehow, experienced mechanics have no problem whatsoever peer-pressuring beginner mechanics into buying tools they can't afford, and if they make the SMART decision of buying cheaper tools in the beginning, they aren't taken seriously as a professional and are ridiculed for their choice. It depends on the shop too, some shops are pretty cool about it, but some are such big mac-snap-whores that they won't even talk to people with the wrong kind of tools. Sad.

Then, on top of that, the pros have the audacity to say "well, they don't have to blow all their money on tools". Well, actually, yes they do... because if they don't, they're going to have to hear **** from every goddamned person in the shop until they do... even if they don't hear ****, they're going to be looked down on by the tool snobs.

They're damned if they do, and damned if they don't. On top of that, even the schools are cramming it down their throat... you HAVE to buy snap-on, all other tools are ****, you aren't a "real" mechanic unless you buy snap-on.

Yes, I know nobody was holding a gun to their head. Sometimes peer pressure can be nearly as bad as a bullet in the brain, especially when you're new to a job and trying desperately to fit in.




Don't get me wrong... I LOVE Snap-on tools. They're great. I don't even mind the price. It's the same reason I own Knipex pliers. I just hate the tool snobbery that goes along with some snap-on owners. The ARE NOT the only game in town, and depending on what type of tool you're looking for, they ARE NOT always the best.

IF you're a professional mechanic, and IF you have a weekly driver that is GOOD, IMO snap-on is the ONLY choice. If not, things get more complicated.

I'm not necessarily talking about the majority on this forum, but some people get so smug and snobby with Snap-on that it almost makes me ashamed to be an owner myself... much like with Apple products (the only one I own is an iPod. I hate OSX (see below).



[Disclaimer, PC vs. Mac Section]

As far as computers go, OSX server is the most convoluted POS I've ever had the displeasure of using. I can't stand Apple's smug factor, and I can't stand the way they act as if their Foxconn manufactured components are superior to all other components when in fact they are only middle of the road in quality.

Windows is massively more powerful than OSX in an industrial environment, which is something I see day after day. I also prefer Windows 7 over OSX for a home environment.

The only things that Apple makes that stand out in quality versus most PC's is the server grade Power Macs, and all of their LCD Displays (including laptop and iMac). Everything else uses overpriced, standard-*** hardware encased in a shiny, rounded rectangles.

I've used about twenty or so machines at any given time over the last decade at work, half mac, half PC. My bosses Power Mac is the most crash ridden joke I've ever seen, constant freezes, it just *****. We've tried new hard drives, fresh OS, etc. It's the software, period.

For instance, my boss uses Punch Software SharkCAD on his Mac, and it runs like ****, but runs perfectly on my PC at home. NEVER crashes. Supposedly, the Mac version is "better". Better my ***.





Oh, and sorry for going PC vs. Mac. I could have gone on longer, but I decided to stop.

So how many zeros are they in "ultra high precision"? Some aerospace parts are wide open I hear. Im just messing with you lol.

 

[iandh]

So how many zeros are they in "ultra high precision"? Some aerospace parts are wide open I hear. Im just messing with you lol.

I don't mind answering... normal high precision is thousandths, ultra high would be a tenth, so four.

Some of the stuff like gyroscope parts can get really nutty like into the millionths.


There was one particular optical alignment I had to do where we were forced to shut down all of the machinery in the other side of the shop because it was screwing with the laser on the bench. When you get into that kind of stuff you have to watch where you breathe and control the room's temperature or it can throw things off.

Some stuff did have pitifully low tolerance though.

 

[bamatj]

Ah a few tenths is a mile. lol I wouldn't want anything to do with millionths. You do any satellite or beryllium parts?

 

[iandh]

Ah a few tenths is a mile. lol I wouldn't want anything to do with millionths. You do any satellite or beryllium parts?

Yeah, most of the satellite stuff I did was for research and just stainless and aluminum, but there were a couple titanium ones in there.

I did some beryllium parts a few years back but I couldn't tell you what they were for... the customer wouldn't tell us either. It's super nasty stuff... you have to hold a shop vac to catch the machining particles and everyone in the room has to wear respirators. Then you have to do a full wipedown of the shop.

Over the years I've done just about every damn material known to man at this point. It was kind of a running joke in the shop.