I own many SK, Wright and Proto tools because they’re easier to find good deals on, but no Snap On. Attached images are the tools Id like to have. Any ideas on how I can get them at a discount? Probably next to impossible but I just thought I’d ask.
My Snap On Wish List
- Thread starter Dzmax77
- Start date
anndel
Well-known member
Go find a Snap-on driver. I have the locking flex head and ratcheting screwdriver and didn't pay nearly as close to those prices.
Ricky Joe
Well-known member
Guy told me once that Proto was a smart man’s Snap-On, meaning you don’t get better quality for the extra money.
2ndGearRubber
Well-known member
Ebay and local used sellers like Facebook marketplace. Skip stuff like ratcheting screwdrivers, and buy a 1/4 hex driver from your preferred battery platform. Never understood why people bought those.
Bockscar
Well-known member
Those Ratcheting screwdrivers are the cats meow
When I was doing industrial maintenance I mostly worked out of a tool pouch so just having one screwdriver saved room
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lbpd716
Well-known member
I have the pliers and they are great.
If you call Snap On they will put you in touch with the dealer in your area. Be forewarned some dealers do not like dealing with people who don't work in shops for some reason (I don't understand that money is money).
Your other option is to stop by a near by shop and ask them when the Snap On truck comes and jump on while they are there. Make an offer 25-30% lower than list on the website and have cash out he can see.
For the guys who only deal with shop folks, it takes a couple of visits for them to warm up to you a bit and start giving you a regular customer deal.
If you call Snap On they will put you in touch with the dealer in your area. Be forewarned some dealers do not like dealing with people who don't work in shops for some reason (I don't understand that money is money).
Your other option is to stop by a near by shop and ask them when the Snap On truck comes and jump on while they are there. Make an offer 25-30% lower than list on the website and have cash out he can see.
For the guys who only deal with shop folks, it takes a couple of visits for them to warm up to you a bit and start giving you a regular customer deal.
Depends on which tool. Their pliers are garbage, I even had them replaced and still the machining on them was terrible. Klein, Knipex and just about all Japanese makes are excellent (and cheaper).
Their adjustable wrenches are great. And I hear their sockets and ratchets are really good too. I hope SBD starts rebranding some of the Proto stuff into Craftsman.
measuredtwice
Well-known member
Most of those are pretty common to find on Ebay.
As a cheaper alternative to the slipjoint, you might look for the discontinued Channellock 546, 516, 537, 548, and 5410. It's sort of the poor man's talon grip slip joint. They have teeth up front. Made in USA. Although it's discontinued, you can sometimes find them in new condition. I posted a store that had some old stock a while back. Also check Ebay.
Money is money but 25-30% off and special accommodations for a 1 time small sale to someone not on his route is both less money and more work. Haggling might even be considered disruptive if his regular customers hear you asking for a price lower than they pay. Just my guess.
As a cheaper alternative to the slipjoint, you might look for the discontinued Channellock 546, 516, 537, 548, and 5410. It's sort of the poor man's talon grip slip joint. They have teeth up front. Made in USA. Although it's discontinued, you can sometimes find them in new condition. I posted a store that had some old stock a while back. Also check Ebay.
Money is money but 25-30% off and special accommodations for a 1 time small sale to someone not on his route is both less money and more work. Haggling might even be considered disruptive if his regular customers hear you asking for a price lower than they pay. Just my guess.
Wrench97
Well-known member
The ratchet is worth it, the pliers not so much, I never was a fan of ratcheting screw drivers so I'm biased there.
https://www.wildetool.com/product/8-combination-slip-joint-pliers-flush-fastener-nutbolt/
I think wilde makes the pliers. You can usually find them on eBay
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I think wilde makes the pliers. You can usually find them on eBay
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d.mcfarland
Well-known member
Yes, Snap On makes their own in their Milwaukee factory. Pricey but worth it if you’re using them daily. I also really like Engineer, Fujiya, Tsunoda pliers although these Japanese pliers arw mostly catered towards electrician applications.
kbeefy
Well-known member
I have several of the ratcheting screwdrivers and use them daily. Not the flex handle one pictured.
I also have the gearwrench version (obviosly cheaper, in both price and quality)
and the Williams one. I read that williams makes the hard handle ones for snapon, and I believe it. Feels identical.
I also have the gearwrench version (obviosly cheaper, in both price and quality)
and the Williams one. I read that williams makes the hard handle ones for snapon, and I believe it. Feels identical.
Williams makes nothing. They were absorbed into Snap-on a long time ago and are used for Industrial branding. A fair number of tools comes out of the same exact facilities. They're basically just a import and hand-me-down brand of Snap-on.
Their locking flex are terrible in my opinion. Give me a standard flex any day. For a good locking flex design that starts and stops with Matco and clones. Its the only design that isnt always rigidly fixed in place. I'm aware Snap-on has a small detent to put the switch to the side but its far from a positive lock. A light tap re-locks it.
The stubbies are handy. The standard ones are pretty big though so yea at that point you could just get a cordless.
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Fedwrench
ALLIANCE MEMBER
You know the old saying, you eat an elephant one bite at a time. Patience and persistence on ebay and other secondary markets should net you those tools easily. However, I think you might be better off with the non locking version of that flex head ratchet. I'm not a fan of snap on's locking ratchet mechanism. The fleax head 3/8 ratchet is a great little ratchet though. As for the stubby ratcheting screwdriver, I'd opt for the softgrip version because, you can switch blades with that handle. There are a wide variety of blades available too.
Good luck in your quest. Snap on sells gift cards too so, you could garner help in funding your purchases through birthdays, Father's Day, Christmas, etc.
Good luck in your quest. Snap on sells gift cards too so, you could garner help in funding your purchases through birthdays, Father's Day, Christmas, etc.
Wrench97
Well-known member
I do agree the locking design is better on the Matco but I seem to go though teeth on the long handle ratchet head while the snappy is still the original.
I think I saw that exact ratchet FHX80A in the last snap-on flier for $150-160
I'm the weirdo that likes the snap-on locking design more and I own both designs. I rarely use my locking ratchets in the unlocked position
I'm the weirdo that likes the snap-on locking design more and I own both designs. I rarely use my locking ratchets in the unlocked position
for those wondering, the Snappy lock button can be reached while your hand is on the handle; not so with Matco
but the Matco lock lever is easy to move and... uh... lock; not so with SnapOn
I'm ok with the Snappy design
and then there are other brands... Ko-ken?
but the Matco lock lever is easy to move and... uh... lock; not so with SnapOn
I'm ok with the Snappy design
and then there are other brands... Ko-ken?
BlakeTheCarGuy
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Find someone who is an automotive student and give them the money to get them for you. I sure do miss the student discount but it was good while it lasted.
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I bet most SO dealers would send a newbie "packing" if they barged in on the truck and offered well below MSRP for just a few tools.
If someone who isn't a regular on the route wants to start up a business relationship with SO, they ask the dealer's permission to enter the truck, they don't waste time being "lookey lous" and they pay the asking price. (at least at the beginning).
SO dealers are like crack dealers. They want to get customers hooked and then milk them for as long as they can with easy dealer credit. (that's not the business model for one timers)
No it cannot. You might be thinking of a really old prototype photo where the button was way down the handle but the production ones are all under the head about an inch below where the Matco ones are. The Matco one also doesn't really protrude to the point where it will hit things where the Snap-on one does.
Professional Tool User
Well-known member
The only item on the list worth getting is the ratchet if you use it a lot. There are so many other high quality options for pliers and screwdrivers. For the ratcheting driver, you are much better off spending the money on power tools or other cheaper ratcheting drivers.
measuredtwice
Well-known member
Moose-LandTran
Well-known member
Why is it you think you should get a discount?
on MINE, the Snappy lock button can be reached while my hand is on the handle
it's a 3/8"
Then you either have an old 36 tooth ratchet or one of the first in dual 80 because that got changed very fast. This is the way its been for years.
The only minor change a few years ago was the switch went from plastic to a zinc casting but every dual 80 you can buy for some time has it up next to the joint.
I have the matco locking flex head. I’d rather just replace the locking mechanism once a year than deal with the sensitive snap on design. I’ve had the pistol grip ratcheting screw driver for over a decade. I actually have two, one for the truck. I’ve never had a problem with it and I think it feels much more comfortable than the standard one.
demarpaint
Well-known member
Then you either have an old 36 tooth ratchet or one of the first in dual 80 because that got changed very fast. This is the way its been for years.
The only minor change a few years ago was the switch went from plastic to a zinc casting but every dual 80 you can buy for some time has it up next to the joint.
How are these? I read mixed reviews. Thanks!
My dealer was always a straight shooter. Being in NY sales tax rules are tough. Often what kills the dealer if he plays games and State says you sold x amount we want sales tax on that amount.
My dealer has been doing this for close to 40 years, doesn't play games did dealer credit on all my toolboxes. He is respected and there is no bad talk about him from the customers he serves. I could fill up a page of other SO dealer stories but not him.
He doesn't give discounts for cash, sales tax screws him if he does. But if you want to piss off your customer base charge different prices for tools. I have gotten numerous deals from him but it was never on regular commonly used stuff.
I have been tech& dealer support for race electronics. I always charged list plus labor. The prices were often astronomical but if you wanted the best you had to pay. I find it interesting that people want the best but they don't want to pay for it, the funny part is they often feel entitled to it.
When I started on cars times were different you could make a decent cash flow if you had the right tools, now with the extra overhead it is a tad more difficult now.
Through the years I have found that the quality of the tools used has a direct relationship with the quality of the output.
Then you either have an old 36 tooth ratchet or one of the first in dual 80 because that got changed very fast. This is the way its been for years.
The only minor change a few years ago was the switch went from plastic to a zinc casting but every dual 80 you can buy for some time has it up next to the joint.
It's a Dual 80. Lacks the grease attractant handle pictured and works great.
Mr Ratchet
Well-known member
I have never been a fan of slip jaw pliers, this pair changed my mind, used daily
Agreed! The SO slip joints are quite a bit nicer than other brands. I use these often. Before I got these, I seldom used slip joints. The additional slot is a good feature and the jaw tips are an aggressive cross pattern that bite well. They team up great with Knipex Cobra's.
https://shop.snapon.com/product/Combination/8"-Talon-Grip™-Combination-Slip-Joint-Pliers-(Red
Ton ton
Well-known member
Pawn shops sometimes have Snappy hand tools for a somewhat reasonable price.
well still on my list is a SLF80A, I have been looking for one used for a while, but the prices are stupid, eventually I'll buy it new...
Over the last 3 weeks or so I have wanted a scanner, there was one a member had for sale here but he was still undecided if he wanted to part with it at the price I offered....
So I have been looking on EBAY, prices are around 2 grand for what I want, and there is always the chance someone stole it or there is money owed on it.... can they brick scanners once connected to their website ?
I called a local SO **** Van owner Friday morning, told him I was looking for a used or re-po'd scanner with 21.2 software... I was prepared to drop 2K... he comes back with they are blowing out the Solus Legends scanners, 21.2 and a future free update for 2300 dollars, which is a grand off...... I picked it up on my way home Friday night and used it to add 2 chip keys to my 2016 Toyota today
Over the last 3 weeks or so I have wanted a scanner, there was one a member had for sale here but he was still undecided if he wanted to part with it at the price I offered....
So I have been looking on EBAY, prices are around 2 grand for what I want, and there is always the chance someone stole it or there is money owed on it.... can they brick scanners once connected to their website ?
I called a local SO **** Van owner Friday morning, told him I was looking for a used or re-po'd scanner with 21.2 software... I was prepared to drop 2K... he comes back with they are blowing out the Solus Legends scanners, 21.2 and a future free update for 2300 dollars, which is a grand off...... I picked it up on my way home Friday night and used it to add 2 chip keys to my 2016 Toyota today