Officially Licensed Snap-On ???

[klswvu]

Saw the ad for an Sanp On LED light at Ace Hardware ( see it here )
I was curious and looked at the light... seemed cheap, made in China and OFFICIALLY LICENSED BY SANP ON... ... I don't get it, WHY would you license a company to use your logo to make a product that you also produce. I can see it with t-shirts etc...

... forget it... thinking about why may cause you to lose your mind.

 

[BruceH]

FWIW I picked that light up as I had a $10 off coupon at Ace. It has surprised me with it's run time. Still going on the first charge. Quality seems OK. Didn't care if it said Snap-On or not.

I gotta agree that I was surprised at the license of the name tho.

 

[Blacknwhitepit]

Saw the ad for an Sanp On LED light at Ace Hardware ( see it here )
I was curious and looked at the light... seemed cheap, made in China and OFFICIALLY LICENSED BY SANP ON... ... I don't get it, WHY would you license a company to use your logo to make a product that you also produce. I can see it with t-shirts etc...

... forget it... thinking about why may cause you to lose your mind.

I doubt that Snap on actually manufactures any LED lights or flashlights. They are all manufacutered by outside companies, or from Snap on's sub companies. So licensing your name for other lights isn't really a stretch for me to believe. Probably has a one year warranty just like the one off the truck has. Just another way to make money. (Remember the Corvette vac or the HEMI Powertools!)

A common misconception is that if it says Snap on, then Snap on actually manufactures it. This is not true.

I.E.

Snap on Rethreading taps - KASTAR
Snap on Restorer kits/files - KASTAR
Snap on Taps and dies - IRWIN/HANSON
Snap on Extractors - IRWIN/HANSON
Snap on Drill bits - IRWIN/HANSON
Snap on Cam Puller - LISLE
Snap on Cooling system filler/vacuum -UVIEW

and the list can go on.....

The selling out of the Snap on name to Chinese tools has just recently begun. The New Snap on Cordless driver is just one example.


-BWP

 

[klswvu]

Those items are manufactured for Snap-On and sold through Snap-On (ie on Snap-On web site). This type of activity has always went on. In this case, the items were not made by some one for Snap-On to sell. They licensed the Snap-On name to sell through other channels (ie Not on Snap-On web site).

This is the first time I have seen this.

 

[MAD]

Here is an old thread:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9956&showall=1

b.t.w.-I find the Snap-on gloves discussed in this thread to be a little thick for most mechanical work but are nice for changing tires in the cold and shoveling snow.

 

[NOMAD]

I got a Snap-On t-shirt and I think it's the best feeling, warmest, most durable, resistant to fading and best looking t-shirt I've ever owned. Well worth the $67.

 

[milkovich]

I got a Snap-On t-shirt and I think it's the best feeling, warmest, most durable, resistant to fading and best looking t-shirt I've ever owned. Well worth the $67.

I paid $75.50 plus shipping for mine on Ebay.

 

[krusty the clown]

i think snap on is testing the marketplace. i recently had a discussion with a so dealer and he thinks the "authorized dealer" is on it's way out.

 

[NOMAD]

Ok, I lied, I put it on payment with the dealer for 4 payments of $20 each month. I think that's a good deal.

 

[malibu101]

Ok, I lied, I put it on payment with the dealer for 4 payments of $20 each month. I think that's a good deal.

That's a great deal!
I can only assume it carries a no questions asked, no matter what happened, lifetime warranty. If heaven forbid it gets a hole, you call the SO man and the truck will be on it's way to your shop with a new one so your production will not be halted.

 

[NOMAD]

Can't wrench nakid!



Well.... you can.... buuuuut....

 

[davestlouis]

My salesman is in an uproar, he thinks they are going to push JH Williams and Bahco brands in retail channels, with Snap-On to follow.

 

[Uncle Buck]

That's a great deal!
I can only assume it carries a no questions asked, no matter what happened, lifetime warranty. If heaven forbid it gets a hole, you call the SO man and the truck will be on it's way to your shop with a new one so your production will not be halted.

That is true, but once you lay down your wrenches the lifetime warranty evaporates like a fart in the wind, just like it does for all their overpriced tools!

 

[russlaferrera]

I paid $75.50 plus shipping for mine on Ebay.

You guys must be worth a lot of $$$$ to spend that much for a T shirt. Did it come with a Teak wooden case? I must be out of touch with the world. I could never justify that much $$ for a T shirt, never.

It's your $$ so enjoy!

 

[jimmycrackcorn]

not the only item http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2772299&cp&kw=92175&origkw=92175&sr=1

 

[NOMAD]

You guys must be worth a lot of $$$$ to spend that much for a T shirt. Did it come with a Teak wooden case? I must be out of touch with the world. I could never justify that much $$ for a T shirt, never.

It's your $$ so enjoy!

No wooden case for mine but it came with a sticker. Snap on stickers are like gold so I think I made out. I've got to figure out what to put the sticker on to make other people jelous it is a snap-on.

 

[eschoendorff]

FWIW I picked that light up as I had a $10 off coupon at Ace. It has surprised me with it's run time. Still going on the first charge. Quality seems OK. Didn't care if it said Snap-On or not.

I gotta agree that I was surprised at the license of the name tho.

I have that light too and love it. As long as Snap On puts their "officially licensed name" on quality products, I don't have a problem....

 

[Jononon]

i think snap on is testing the marketplace. i recently had a discussion with a so dealer and he thinks the "authorized dealer" is on it's way out.

Somebody ought to tell Snap-on:

"Snap-on expects to continue...strengthening the franchise proposition, enhancing customer service"

15.4% of their sales growth in Q3 '07 came from UK and Australian franchise sales.

Unfortunately, while that's reassuring:

"Snap-on expects to continue...leveraging its brands"

would seem to translate as 'letting Ace Hardware stick 'Snap-on' on cheap gloves', and there's little doubt that:

"Snap-on expects to continue implementing its strategic and RCI initiatives...improving manufacturing flexibility and process effectiveness"

translates as 'continue moving production to China'.

 

[davestlouis]

Uh Oh, that sounds scary. I really like my SO tools, but I'll be damned if I'm going to drop big bucks on imported tools of unknown quality. I drive German cars, for the most part, but I really like my US-built tools

 

[eschoendorff]

Uh Oh, that sounds scary. I really like my SO tools, but I'll be damned if I'm going to drop big bucks on imported tools of unknown quality. I drive German cars, for the most part, but I really like my US-built tools

In that case, you're gonna want to stay away from MAC tools too....

 

[davestlouis]

I own not a single MAC tool, I never liked our MAC driver and he quit coming around over a year ago. I don't like what I've read about Stanley and have studiously avoided anything they make.

 

[wilbilt]

It's all about marketing and greed. The corporations are banking on the fact the average Joe will continue to buy based on brand reputation and not notice the quality has gone down the toilet.

So far, it's working very well.

 

[davestlouis]

This reminds me of what GM did to Cadillac in the 70's..they had a big push to drive production, started selling to rent-a-car companies, cheapened the product. It worked great for a couple of years, then it took GM 30 years to fix the brand image and un-do the damage they had done. I read a quote, can't remember the author: it takes 100 years to build a reputation, and 1 minute to destroy it.

 

[Jononon]

The corporations are banking on the fact the average Joe will continue to buy based on brand reputation and not notice the quality has gone down the toilet.

So far, it's working very well.

I'm not sure that's entirely fair, where the tool brands are concerned. They appear largely to be able to maintain quality standards, and are, rather, banking on the fact Average Joe will continue to buy based on brand reputation and not notice their tools no longer say 'Made in the USA' on them and/or not put 2 and 2 together when Average Billy, out in Johnson City, loses his job.

It probably isn't a worry to most people that Snap-on source items in Canada, Japan, and Western Europe, not least because they primarily bought in new product lines, rather than outsourcing existing products, but some of the other, 50k+ sq ft, non-US, Snap-on manufacturing sites are more, shall we say, 'surprising':

Santo Tome, Argentina
Minsk, Belarus
Santa Barbara D'oeste, Brazil
Kunshan, China
Sopron, Hungary

 

[pinkertonk]

There is no questioning that the quality of MAC, Snap-On, etc is far above the box stores...especially nowdays. I have a bunch of Craftsman tools that I bought when I was a kid or inherited from my Dad. Most are 40+ years old. WORLDS of difference in what you buy today.

Just remember the tool trucks are mainly finance companies. If starting out mechanics had to lay out full cash prices for their Snap-On tool chests and tools, I'd bet a large chunk of change that there would be a lot of heavy, rattling step vans for sale PDQ. The ability to make that $100/week payment forever is what makes it attractive to the mechanic and very profitable to the seller. I'm sure they love it when someone like me chases down the truck and buys something for cash that I can't find anywhere else.

 

[Uncle Buck]

There is no questioning that the quality of MAC, Snap-On, etc is far above the box stores...especially nowdays. I have a bunch of Craftsman tools that I bought when I was a kid or inherited from my Dad. Most are 40+ years old. WORLDS of difference in what you buy today.

Just remember the tool trucks are mainly finance companies. If starting out mechanics had to lay out full cash prices for their Snap-On tool chests and tools, I'd bet a large chunk of change that there would be a lot of heavy, rattling step vans for sale PDQ. The ability to make that $100/week payment forever is what makes it attractive to the mechanic and very profitable to the seller. I'm sure they love it when someone like me chases down the truck and buys something for cash that I can't find anywhere else.

I doubt that impressed him very much, it never seemed to improve the warranty service I got from those guys.