Professional tools for shadetree mechanics

[mjoekingz28]

I keep reading up on these tool truck tools and they kind of say for the professional who does this for a living. I have never really earned a check turning wrenches, but I did attend MMI for a couple of weeks, got a pilot solo twice, went through two three-week truck driving courses, and almost attending two years of Auto Mechanics during high school at the community college vo-tech. I dropped out of vo-tech about midway through the second year and didnt even choose it as my first option. I wanted to learn electricity as I was serious about car audio, but they cancelled the course.



So, I don't know if the workers at the factory/foundry for tool truck tools and the salesmen think they are wasting good products on a homeowner grade mechanic. And, maybe the tools wont even work right with seldom use......maybe they needs hours of ratcheting before they will break-in.......I know better than to purchase a RR liter sportbike to ride on the street. I would rather have a standard street bike. So, is using pro tools at home akin to owning a Peterbilt to drive around town?


And btw, I started 'contracting' work out more readily than in the past. I used to try to do everything possible. Now I will take 'er in to the dealership without hesitation. I 'may' be able to perform the task, but I would prefer a pro with the right tools, environment, and training do it.

So, in other words, I am seeking out higher end tools, but am doing less of the work myself.

 

[MrGiggles]

A good tool is a good tool, no matter what you're using it for.

Wrench spinners depend on their tools for income. It's a major inconvenience if a tool fails on the job.

A weekend warrior doesn't have those kind of time constraints.

 

[KWtech90]

Professional tool manufacturers are well aware that they cannot price their tools competitively with consumer grade tools so they don't even really market them to the average DIYer. However when you depend on your tools to earn a living consumer grade tools rarely get the job done.

For a DIYer it's nice to have a truck brand quality set of tools and will make some jobs easier and more enjoyable, but it really just isn't financially sensible.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

So, in other words, I am seeking out higher end tools, but am doing less of the work myself.

In my opinion, you should buy whatever you want. Want top-end tools? Buy them. Happy with middle of the road tools? Buy those.

It doesn't matter whether you're doing it professionally or just as a hobby or for your own maintenance, buy and use what you want, what you like and what works best for you and your needs.

If you want to drive a Peterbilt into town to buy groceries, why not? If you can afford it and drive it and it's what you want then go for it.

 

[cgv69]

Short answer... If we are talking about non-powered hand tools then no, not IMO anyway. I believe good hand tools are worthy lifetime investment even for the shade tree/weekend warrior type guy but to be clear, quality tools doesn't always mean truck brands. There are a number of tools in the same league as truck brands but significantly cheaper.

That said, it really comes down to personal choice and financial means? I enjoy using a quality tools but crappy tools make me miserable. Some people however can't tell much difference?

Only you will know what does or doesn't matter to you and what you can or can't afford?

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

I have a pro 3/8 breaker bar from WWII in my daily box. It works fine no matter how much you use it or let it sit, and cost about the same as a new one from China.
If I break it, I will have to grab another form the pile rather than waiting for a tool truck to show up.
In my experience bottom of the barrel tools cause injury and downtime that outweigh the $ savings, particularly ratchets and pliers. Most of the nice ones feel a little nicer, but some are regular items (often)rebadged and sold for a 50% extra markup. see the tool truck equivalents thread.

 

[WhiskeyRanger]

I have everything from Snap On to Harbor Freight in my tool box at home. At work, it's pretty much all pro stuff. For a professional, your tools see a lot more use, so there is a bit more incentive to but pro grade tools. You average DiYer is much less likely to wear out the consumer grade tools, so it makes less sense to buy pro quality from a return on investment standpoint. If you're going to get a lifetime of use from that cheap Craftsman, its silly to try to justify a much more expensive Snap On from a financial standpoint. Beyond that, there are other reasons to buy pro grade, some make jobs easier and some are more comfortable to use. Yeah, if you never do anything more than change your oil, I'll think of you as a bit of a poseur for having 8K in SO stuff. On the other hand, if you're out there every day restoring old cars or bikes as a hobby it makes perfect sense to me to buy nice stuff. Of course, you don;t need to justify it to me.

 

[thegroundpounder99]

Buy what you wish. The SO, Cornwell, Mac and Matco's of the world are marketed for professionals due to the price and quality (which with some have gone by wind) Trying to convince a DIYer they need to spend hundreds more on a certain tool cause it'll save 5 mins per job is hard also. To a professional who will use it 100's of times is a no brainer.

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[PBCampbell]

If you can afford it, why not? I'd also say the increased cost has far more to do with the service than the actual quality of the tool, which for most DIYers is lost money. We're lucky these days for the option of acquiring professional grade tools without the truck service.

 

[finn]

You probably don't "need" pro grade tools around the house.

You may "want" them though.

Nothing wrong with that, as long as you can afford them. I'd suggest you not let it become an obsession, though.

 

[2jz4me]

I have a lot of snap on tools and I also have a HF tool set. That being said, I used most of my HF tools without issue before I had snap on and I purchase a lot of my snap on stuff used. I would not buy a new tool set from snap for the price.

 

[dragonbat13]

First post, and I figured I would throw my method of madness out there.

I no longer twist for a living, I work offshore. But while I was working in shops buying my own tools I would buy a cheaper socket sets such as craftsman. If I split my 9/16th for instance, I would get a new one from snap on, PAY CASH, and use that in place of the busted craftsman. I was always in the boat of "I would rather have three of the same size wrench then one of the expensive stuff".

I sure wanted the nice stuff.... but it just wasn't in the cards.

 

[crewchief888]

if you afford them, then buy them.

there are a lot of tools out there that dont have a truck brand name on them that are just fine for the average DIY'r in the garage.

upgrading to "better" (industrial/truck brand) ratchets, torx and allen sockets makes all kinds of sense to me.

the last thing i want to do is twist off a cheap allen or torx bit, or bash my knuckles.

 

[Jim Diesel]

Down here in Australia, we have one truck tool brand, Snap On. There would be more professionals using different brands other than SO to make a living.

Most will have one or two items or sets from SO, but the bulk of our tools are from domestic brands, which are made elsewhere. We use our gear as hard and long as anyother and seem to get by just fine without paying those crazy high prices (SO is Soooo Expensive down here)

Now SO tools are great and very high end, but there is better value else where. Alot of gear coming out of Taiwan is exceptional these days and i use them flat out. Dont think because you are a pro you have to use a truck brand.

 

[derosa]

Ran into the same issue over the last year. Got rid of the last beater and won't work on cars for others any more. Now just work on the occasional bicycle, my lawnmower or whatever minor thing comes my way. Yet I've now upgraded all my ratchets to wright, working on sets of bondhus hex and torx sockets and wrenches, better pliers and some Klein electrical tools. Even though I use them less the results are so much better. Screw heads that don't strip out, not too much back drag on nuts or wrenches that don't round out low grade or old nuts. Don't need pro quality tools and their added expense but its been good for my knuckles and my sanity.

 

[Blazinzuk]

I would drive a peterbilt around town if I had one

 

[bryan750]

I have never regretted buying quality tools.

 

[zendriver]

If I could have SO tools, for the same price as HF, I'd go with SO.

But I can't.

You will get a lot more tools, for a lot less money going with imports, but you will have some quality and some ego issues, to deal with.

Buy the best you can afford, or at least what you feel like spending. They all seem to get the job done.

 

[HomeTheaterMan]

I've started buying more "professional" tools lately and like many posters above I haven't regretted it.

My parents generation they would go buy Craftsman tools. While they didn't have the quality of truck brand tools, they were pretty good and did almost anything a DIY needed without an issue. Now we don't have an option like that. Craftsman is no longer decent quality and they aren't "good enough" for most diy'ers. That leaves us having to spend the money on "professional" grade tools.

After getting hurt when a breaker bar broke and hit me in the head, I realized that if a tool breaks it may not just be an inconvenience. It can lead to serious injury or worse in addition to that inconvenience. Ever since then I've tried to buy quality tools for anything that could cause me to get hurt if it breaks, anything I need precision from (torque wrenches), or anything I use often and have broken multiples of.

Anything else I generally don't spend the money on "professional" level tools. For example there is no need for me to buy a Snap-On ball joint press that I'd use 3x a year, Snap-On wrenches when my Gearwrenches work just fine, etc.

Something I do generally do is buy the tools used though. I've found that I can get them for half of the price of the tool truck on eBay for almost anything that I need. I've also found even better deals at Pawn Shops (after weeding through tons of overpriced junk), yard sales, etc. This has allowed me to get quality tools at a reasonable price.

 

[Schurkey]

In my experience bottom of the barrel tools cause injury and downtime that outweigh the $ savings, particularly ratchets and pliers.

My parents generation they would go buy Craftsman tools. While they didn't have the quality of truck brand tools, they were pretty good and did almost anything a DIY needed without an issue. Now we don't have an option like that. Craftsman is no longer decent quality and they aren't "good enough" for most diy'ers. That leaves us having to spend the money on "professional" grade tools.

After getting hurt when a breaker bar broke and hit me in the head, I realized that if a tool breaks it may not just be an inconvenience. It can lead to serious injury or worse in addition to that inconvenience. Ever since then I've tried to buy quality tools for anything that could cause me to get hurt if it breaks, anything I need precision from (torque wrenches), or anything I use often and have broken multiples of.

I started out with a mix of government-surplus and Craftsman tools. The surplus stuff had no warranty, the Craftsman and some oddball stuff did. For the most part, the surplus stuff wasn't used all that much. I thought Craftsman was as good as it got.

Didn't take long to figure out that some of that surplus stuff was fine quality, even if I'd never heard of the brand-name. Some of that Gov't surplus stuff was pure hateful ****. And I got tired of warranty replacements for failed Craftsman tools. Out of self-preservation, I would warranty and use any tool that wore out, or broke...unless the failure caused me to see my own blood. (happened more than I want to remember.) Then I warrantied the tool, sold it or gave it away, and got a Mac or Snap-On replacement. Didn't take long to discover that the Truck Tools felt better in my hand, worked better/longer, were more resistant to jaws spreading/slippage; and in general just flat-out kicked Sears ***.

I would warranty my Craftsman RHFT 3/8 ratchet every six months. First, a repair kit, then a new ratchet. Then a repair kit, then a new ratchet. It never failed in a way that caused me to bleed, but I finally bought a Snappy pear-head pushbutton, and used it without needing a repair kit for something like 25 years, about fifteen of them professionally.

Towards the end of my wrenching career, I was forced to take FNGs with a tool set purchased by the State as part of a "jobs training" program, and try to make productive employees out of them. They would ignore my advice to NOT use their crappy Taiwan wrenches on a certain Detroit Diesel fitting, they'd spring the jaws, and sometimes fall down when the wrench slipped and they got off-balance. Week after week, I'd show the newest doofus how to remove that fitting using a Snap-On wrench, give him a warning about the junk in his toolbox, and the next day he'd be on his *** from doing exactly what I told him to not do. There was no talking to the employer, as Management was happy to have folks that had never held a wrench in their hands before--and therefore got paid almost nothing. Clearly the Company wasn't going to supply people with decent tools.

Some of the New Guys "got it", became exceedingly valuable employees, and had reasonably long-term employment. At one time, almost everyone in the plant had started-out in my department before moving on to another area. Later on, the company turnover was on the order of 200--300 percent per year which was to say that we had a core group of about a hundred employees that were there "forever", with the second hundred employees lasting, on average, about three months before they, and their tools, stopped coming to work. We quit trying to learn their names. The State bought so many ****** tool boxes that eventually Job Service quit sending people to that company.

 

[Fedwrench]

As long as you can get past the "sticker shock" of seeing what professional tools cost new off the truck and don't tell the dealer that he's high asking that much money for a few tools, buy what you want

Just remember though that it's not the tools in the box but, the skills of the mechanic that makes the tools do wonders.

 

[Empty Pockets]

While I don't pull a wrench for a living, I do drive transport truck, and often have to do some repairs and/or maintenance on my truck. I have been upgrading to "truck tools", as the cash flow allows (Mostly previously enjoyed thru eBay).

I am far more comfortable using professional grade tools, including SO, Mac, Wright and SK.

Bottom line - buy what suits your needs and your budget

By the way, I do drive a Freightliner to town, on a regular basis

 

[ibedayank]

buy the best quality that you can afford nothing wrong with buying good used tools

 

[Carves]

........... So, is using pro tools at home akin to owning a Peterbilt to drive around town?

IMHO ... In most cases ... Yes.

... but theres a definite need to have a few high end quality items, that get used frequently, or are prone to twist/shear damage in use.

... nothing worse - than a set of wet noodle allen keys or philips head screwdrivers ..

Most of my stuff is mid range, japan/taiwan ( see below ).
Some of the more regularly used individual items are higher quality japan, taiwan, euro or old aussie.

Got lots of junker tools also ... and they all have their uses.

Simply a matter of grabbing the right tool for the, particular, job.

Down here in Australia, we have one truck tool brand, Snap On. There would be more professionals using different brands other than SO to make a living.

Most will have one or two items or sets from SO, but the bulk of our tools are from domestic brands, which are made elsewhere. We use our gear as hard and long as anyother and seem to get by just fine without paying those crazy high prices (SO is Soooo Expensive down here)

Now SO tools are great and very high end, but there is better value else where. Alot of gear coming out of Taiwan is exceptional these days and i use them flat out. Dont think because you are a pro you have to use a truck brand.

Exactly .. but remember that these fellas are going thru a bit of a culture shock in regards to tools .... whereas, except for what Stanley did to Sidchrome .. ,

... We came to terms with imported, quality, asian products, becoming our main tool brands ... alongside the euro stuff ... decades ago.

... wish I still had, all, my old ETC and Minimax gear ..


Generally speaking ... U.S. population and manufacturing base ... meant they were able to keep churning out, quality, home grown products, longer than us.
.

 

[Blazinzuk]

It really is a stupid argument. I have had guys come over to do something and bring their tools because they only used snap on tools.

It was lovely working out of my Hodge podge craftsman, snap on, Matco, GP, Harbor Freight, Stanley, and about a hundred others it seems while they worked with one ratchet and and one socket set and like 9 wrenches.

It really is just like was said above its the mechanic behind the tools.

NOT the tools.

I certainly appreciate nice tools and I have certain things I buy that are expensive but you do not need expensive tools to do a job.

I have a friend who is a great example of this. Smart smart guy. Could not see going into debt as he worked his **** off to go to a tech school to become a mechanic without any debt. He bought cheap tools. Always joked he never had to lock his toolbox cause the shop he worked was ,as he put it, full of tool snobs. Worked out of a HF box with no name stuff he bought used or new or wherever. Saved his money decided what he needed that really made an actual difference in the amount of time it took him to do something and bought tools that saved him time.

Now years later he has some nice tools and zero tool debt.

Buy what you can afford, build cool stuff.

 

[Philbert]

In the late 80s I bought me a craftsman set SAE and metric. Filled insome items here and there with mosttly craftsman but many other brands that whrer around at the time. Now my box is mostly craftsman with a mix of other, ie Wright, SK, Proto, Armstrong, and Snap-On.... I love my hot pink Snap-On racheting screwdriver, never miss that thing in a engine compartment it sticks out like dog balls.

 

[Adam.C]

So, is using pro tools at home akin to owning a Peterbilt to drive around town?

Yes. They can be overkill. BUT! Sometimes, you drive your Peterbuilt to buy groceries for the family. And there's a trailer with a heavily laden ISO container on it, blocking all lanes, preventing you from getting to the store. If you have the Peterbuilt, you can hitch up the trailer, and get to the store before it closes.

If you decide to buy the efficient Toyota prius, the traffic jam caused by the container is now 20 minutes of stop and go traffic, then an hour of alternate routes to your destination, any one of which could result in a flat tire, and you may or may not get to the store before it closes.

Obviously the least you spend on tools is the most logical choice. But that presupposes that the cheap tools will do the same job. That part (in my experience) is the myth. If your cheap tool breaks mid repair, or you round off a bolt head, the time it takes to recover, and the risk of not getting your daily driver running again, all (in my opinion) outweigh the $100 it takes to get the world's best socket set.

I don't advise buying all truck tools if your finances don't allow. You just have to be careful taking advice from guys who have gotten away with their HF or craftsman tools because they:

• have 6 daily drivers,
• live next door to Sears or HF,
• have a pro mechanic next door,
• own 4 sets of tools etc etc.
• aren't really working on anything "mission critical".

The way you get away with cheap tools is when you have lots of skill and experience (which few shade tree mechanics have), and/or you have a safety net.

I think I could argue a shade tree mechanic, with no lift, little time before the rain comes, never done this job before, working on the car he needs to drive to work the next day, working on a Sunday when the auto parts stores are closed, has a greater need for high quality tools than the pros do.

 

[mjoekingz28]

Nice!

I got a Craftsman ~130 piece 6pt socket set about six years ago. It is the foundation of my tool set. Before I bought it, I just had a small (~20-30pc) Husky socket or two and a few odds and ends bought locally. I just kind of winged it back then.


But after that Craftsman 6pt (145 piece laser mechanic's tool set all steel #34142), I started to piece together an inventory. I would get a few things from the Harbor Freight across the highway.......they do have some gems in there (or they did when I frequented the store 5-10 years ago.....I also worked next to a big Sears and would visit a few times a week and get acquainted with their stock.


Look up that 34142 I posted about. I think I got lucky for finding a 6pt set that skipped one (16mm 1/2" socket) socket. I would get annoyed when they skip alot of stuff.

Anyway, this was before the Chinese flooding of inexpensive goods became so widespread and Sears started shutting some doors.EDIT: Anyway, this was before the flooding of Chinese made inexpensive goods flooded the marketplace......

I stocked up: 6pt wrenches, 12pt metrics from 4mm to 22mm, all kinds of great tools.

Then, after some experience and viewing foundry videos and thinking about the logistics to get iron ore from the ground to a sturdy wrench in your hand, realized I should be paying more than the low prices Sears was selling for. They undercut themselves and I think alot of us partook......kind of like Wal-Mart's return policy where they will take just about anything back. Well, Sears got some abused tools returned to them and I think they were losing money on the initial purchase as well.



Anyway, I want to pay whatever someone wants. If the salesman has a hundred dollars in a ratchet I definately dont want to haggle with him to get it for $75. In fact, I am not quite sure how to go high. Like I got a breaker bar which listed for about one ten. The driver said eighty. All I had was fifties and twenties, so I out down a pile of ninety and a pile of one hundred. He got the ninety and gave back a ten. I dont want him to undercut himself.

Like, the opposite of haggling. If he is wanting bottom dollar for some goods, I dont want to take advantage. I want everyone who had a hand in getting that tool in my hand to be well compensated.


Anyway, that is enough for now. Nice scenario you painted Adam.

 

[mjoekingz28]

It just bugs me sometimes when I see someone running a 15,000 mile oil for 5000 miles. I grew up thinking the same way. High performance, heavy duty, longer lasting all appear to be better. Like, I can drink a gallon of milk in a week. So why would I select the jug that expires next month, when I can get the one that is good for two weeks. Then someone else who drinks less can have the longer lasting gallon.

I blame advertisers and marketers!

 

[jallyn]

I buy quality, but not at truck brand prices. I am not a professional auto mechanic, so that works for me. Reading lots of reviews and this forum informs me before purchasing. So for me I try to find premium quality at average prices.

Pay attention to COO as China still does not know how to use a spectrometer when making steel. Craftsman, GearWrench, Vise-Grips, etc. were great before their production moved to China.

 

[BK13]

I never quite understand these threads.... If there's something I want from Snap On, I buy it. I don't need anybody's permission (other than SWMBO). So what if it's probably better than what I need? I think I just about have myself talked into SO 1/4" drive sockets... SAE standard, semi-deep and deep.


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[WhiskeyRanger]

I think there is definitely a point of diminishing returns. There are a ton of decent brands out there for cheap that will get the job done. My cheap craftsman tools have been going strong for 20 years, some for twice that or more. I've got a set of Kobalt tools that I picked up for $100 intending to keep them at the hunting property but ended up using them as my primary set for a few years. I was more likely to grab the Kobalt than the SO 3/8 because it was a nicer ratchet.

 

[madmikeee]

I know more than a couple people that depend on their tools for their living and they have a mix of "cheap" and "pro" and for some of the tools they actually prefer the cheaper ones over the "high end" ones. But that is not always the case. I feel that the snap on etc tools and boxes are very over priced, quality or not even very well paid wrenchers have to save for that 200.00 ratchet. Most of them hit craigs list or e-bay and get their high end tools for damn good prices and guess what? They still are covered under the warranties. Myself? I have mostly craftsman. I have yet to break one tool unless I was using it in a way it was not designed for. Yeah like you never used the flat head as a pry bar. My power tools that cut I buy middle to high end as I want them to be precise and you honestly do not need that many of those. I have a great rip saw that was 189 but on sale for 89 as it was being replaced by a newer model. My sawzall is a $30 cheapo I bought 15 years ago and has been FLAWLESS so far. As said many times above it is all about the abuse you put it through. Someone who uses these tools thousands of times a year needs to invest in high quality but for myself, no need. My tools will be lucky to see use 5-10 times per year depending on the projects.

 

[krole]

The problem with professional quality tools is that it takes extensive professional training to use them safely. Buy your tools at Harbor Freight, and you can safely and effectively use them with just a few suggestions from the clerk as you check out, or a quick cruise through an internet forum.

Most non-professionals don't want to take the time to get professional training on using a wrench, ratchet, or breaker bar, so they just buy Craftsman or HF or whatever Autozone is selling.

Not sure if serious... Extensive professional training for using a wrench?

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

the cheap ones tell you to wear safety goggles.

 

[Jeeper]

This is one of the great benefits of Garage Journal. There is no one right answer to what you want to buy, so ask on GJ and let others chime in. It helps you see in the future of what you are buying. Maybe one tool costs more but will last longer and be more useful (S/O ratchets). Or maybe another tool is cheaper but provides great value (Gearwrench ratchets).

Lots of knowledge and opinions on the board.

 

[T45]

You need to be able to pay for the capital you sink in your tools. Either by earning money or by saving money by doing work.

Lots of decent tools for users who just need a one time or randome fix or a household general purpose set. Taiwan is the new craftsman as a general rule.

If you work on engines, I would look at upgrades at that stage. Household chores don't need snap on. But doing regular work on cars or bikes or other expensive investments is usually going to need some budget--either for tools or to pay other people to do work for you. That's probably the threshold i'd consider.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Not sure if serious... Extensive professional training for using a wrench?

You have never met someone with a graduate degree in Wrenchology??

 

[mjoekingz28]

First day's lesson:

Rightey tighty

Lefty loosey

 

[DirtyJersey]

Universal German torque spec;
Goodntight

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