Snap-on rant ** Edit, not really rant, just observation

[G1K]

or maybe I should just call it snap

I've never had this happen to any of my Craftsman wrenches, the professional or the regular ones. Now I have to try to find a Snap-On driver to exchange this for a new one. Had it been a Craftsman, I could just drive 10 minutes to the store, exchange it, and be home with in 30 minutes...

All the tool eliteists who bash bash Craftsman, it happens to the supposedly good stuff too...


Ryan

 

[kartracer55]

yeah, but thats a 30+ year old wrench........

Jim

 

[pl_silverado]

It's bound to happen. That wrench sure looks like it was used for a long time though, so the original $ 50 its cost im sure have payed for itself. A dealer will have no problem exchanging it for you.

Dont bother looking for a Snap-on dealer today, they dont usually go anywhere near their trucks on saturdays and sundays.

 

[dink]

Plus if your complaining about it....send it to me and I will take full advantage of the warranty on that thing

 

[pl_silverado]

If you dont like it, ill be happy to send you a brand new craftsman replacement aswell, in exchange for that one.

 

[Cebby]

How the heck did you get enough leverage on such a short wrench to break it like that?

 

[kgwld1]

Cebby, Can't Reg. On Your Site Whats The Problem.........?

 

[Fast Orange]

Something to keep in mind-
Snap-On's marketing focus is on professional mechanics,who would both own more than 1 3/4 in wrench and would be a weekly stop on a dealers regular route.For these reasons,plus the fact that the wrench has done it's job for 30 years,and will be replaced for you at no cost,I don't think you have much reason to rant.
If you feel you need to be able to get broken tools replaced 7 days a week,then sell off the Snap-On and buy Craftsman.
Craftsman's focus is on the weekend hobbiest or DIYer so thats why they market the way they do.
Do youself a favor,and get friendly with a pro mechanic who deals with Snap-On.Drop your broken stuff off to him,and a week later,it'll be replaced-with out a trip to Sears.
Most of the difference in the cost between the tool truck brands and the quality retail store brands is to provide the high level of customer service and the financing packages that the trucks provide.

George

 

[wythors]

From their website:
During the applicable duration of the warranty, at its option, Snap-on will repair or replace its Products which fail to give satisfactory service due to defective workmanship or materials, or provide a refund by repaying or crediting Customer with an amount equal to the purchase price of such Products. Repair, replacement or refund shall be at the election and expense of Snap-on, and is Customer's exclusive remedy in place of all other rights and remedies. To obtain warranty service, please call Snap-on at 1-877-762-7664 or write to [email protected]. By repairing or replacing a Product, or providing a refund, Snap-on does not waive a claim that a Product nevertheless has been subject to abnormal use.

If you read the the entire warranty statement, it does say that Snap-On tools are warranted to the original purchaser only. I've never had them get persnickity about that, but I suppose that they could deny a warranty claim if they wanted to on that basis.

As others have stated, that wrench is old enough to have grandchildren. I wouldn't be grousing about it too much.

 

[iiibdsiil]

I have never failed to see a Snap-on guy not warranty something that needed it. The whole original purchaser thing, how the heck are you gonna prove that? The lettering on the receipt would be well worn off by now.

I had a hammer replaced that was found on the side of the highway. I told him where I got it from, he laughed, and got me a new one.

 

[G1K]

Guys, lets not blow this one out of proportion. The wrench is old, and is the only one I have broken (Snap-On or other brand). I was more trying to show that just because it says Snap-On doesn't mean it won't break. A lot of people bash other brands, Craftsman for example, siting that they break, or are made out of inferior material.

I have a box full of Proto, SK, Snap-On and Craftsman. They all work, and work well.

I'm not pissed or anything, but for me to replace it will require finding a truck, which I don't have time to do on weekday. I do have back up's of other brands...I wrote my above post above kinda tongue-in-cheek, but re-reading it, it may not have come out just right.


Please excuse the mess, I am preparing to move next weekend so everything is in a jumble...

Ryan

 

[iiibdsiil]

I think they were just busting your chops back more than anything.

 

[kartracer55]

WHOA!!! the proto stuff is awesome... back when IR owned them... when they were good. that stuff is from the 60's-70's as I recall right?

Jim

 

[bmwpower]

WHOA!!! the proto stuff is awesome... back when IR owned them... when they were good. that stuff is from the 60's-70's as I recall right?

Jim

...and the plastic rollup case is still intact? Amazing.

 

[kartracer55]

...and the plastic rollup case is still intact? Amazing.

Hey Ill get you a pic of my snap on punch and chisel set... still got the original case!

Jim

 

[pl_silverado]

I think they were just busting your chops back more than anything.

 

[Fast Orange]

I think I've probably busted something from every manufacturer during the time I've been turning wrenches.There is no such thing as an unbreakable tool.The biggest difference between brands is how they break.One day while taking down light poles,I broke 2 1-1/2" wrenches,one SK,one Craftsman.I was misusing them by locking the box end of another wrench into the open end of the 1-1/2" to double the leverage.
The SK box end completely shattered into about 3 pieces,while the Craftsman cracked in one place and split open.The shank of the Craftsman also bent about 15 degrees.
I don't condone abusing tools,but there are times that you gotta do what you gotta do to get a job done.If I had a torch with me on that job,thats how the nuts would have come off the anchor bolts,but my torch was an hour away,and cranes cost big bucks per hour,so the wrenches took a beating.

George

By the way-Snap-On stuff breaks too-









i've got a 3/4" drive 2-1/2" chrome socket that didn't survive a tire change on a semi-at least not when the tire guy put it on his 1'' drive impact gun with an adapter.All 6 corners blew open and the drive end split in half.I don't have the nerve to try to get that warrantied.

 

[knucklehead]

how did you break it? were you using a hammer or pipe extension on it? no matter, they will give you a new one anyway. check the date code on the back (most snap-on tools are date stamped) against the chart on their website to see how old it is. my guess is mid 60's by the font type...

 

[kartracer55]

how did you break it? were you using a hammer or pipe extension on it? no matter, they will give you a new one anyway. check the date code on the back (most snap-on tools are date stamped) against the chart on their website to see how old it is. my guess is mid 60's by the font type...

I posted the age chart on here in another thread. It could be as "new" as late70s or as old as the 40s or 50s, if not older. I have a bunch of vintage snap on pieces

Jim

 

[Fast Orange]

In Defense Of Snap-On's Pricing-
Yesterday was one of those b**** of a days for me.One of our older trucks was running very rough,hard miss ,not ignition related.A compression test showed 7 good cylinders,1 with 0 compression.The truck has to be on the road ASAP.I made a decision to pull the head on bad side and send it out for a quickie valve job.
Because of the trucks age,it seemed every bolt I tried to remove rounded the head ,even using 6 point sockets.Earlier in the week,my Snap-On guy had shown me thier version of a twist socket-made to remove bolts and nuts with rounded,damaged heads.I gave him a call,and in the time it took him to drive the 15 miles to my shop,I had a set in my hand.
He took the trouble to get me the tools I needed to do the job,and did it in a hurry.Try getting that kind of service from Sears ,or any other tool vender for that matter. I,m lucky to even see the local Mac guy once a month,let alone have him go out of his way to help me out.

George

 

[kartracer55]

Yeah, were those the bluepoint twist outs? They work really well, especially on stripped lugs

Jim

 

[Fast Orange]

I'm not sure if they're Blue Point or Snap-On-I just grabbed em and started working on that old beast.The sockets worked great-no need for playing around with vice grips,etc.
The set I got go from 3/8 to 3/4 (10mm to 19mm) ,fits 3/8 drive and cost $217.They paid for themselves in aggravation avoided and time saved just on this one job.

George

 

[kartracer55]

If they are in a red plastic case then they are probably blue points. Made in USA, so Ive always wondered why the didnt just stick snap on on the box. Id Like to know how the SK version of these perform.

Jim

 

[Fast Orange]

I don't know for sure,but it's my understanding that the tools that are most suceptable to breakage and the cheaper versions of some Snap-On tools are branded as Blue Point.That way the warranty for replacement doesn't apply.
For a while,you could buy Blue Point toolboxes that were discontinued Snap-On models with Blue Point emblems.They cost about 1/2 of what the same box cost as a Snap-On.

George

 

[kartracer55]

Those bastards

 

[kblazer87]

I don't know for sure,but it's my understanding that the tools that are most suceptable to breakage and the cheaper versions of some Snap-On tools are branded as Blue Point.That way the warranty for replacement doesn't apply.

George

Blue Point tools are a less expensive line than Snap On, but they do have a lifetime warranty the same as the Snap On tools.
Mike

 

[Merkava_4]

How the heck did you get enough leverage on such a short wrench to break it like that?

how did you break it?

That's what I'm wondering. . .

 

[wrenchr]

In Defense Of Snap-On's Pricing-
Yesterday was one of those b**** of a days for me.One of our older trucks was running very rough,hard miss ,not ignition related.A compression test showed 7 good cylinders,1 with 0 compression.The truck has to be on the road ASAP.I made a decision to pull the head on bad side and send it out for a quickie valve job.
Because of the trucks age,it seemed every bolt I tried to remove rounded the head ,even using 6 point sockets.Earlier in the week,my Snap-On guy had shown me thier version of a twist socket-made to remove bolts and nuts with rounded,damaged heads.I gave him a call,and in the time it took him to drive the 15 miles to my shop,I had a set in my hand.
He took the trouble to get me the tools I needed to do the job,and did it in a hurry.Try getting that kind of service from Sears ,or any other tool vender for that matter. I,m lucky to even see the local Mac guy once a month,let alone have him go out of his way to help me out.

George

That would be customer service!! That long forgot practice

 

[G1K]

You know this post is almost 3 years old? I don't remember how it broke.

R

 

[eschoendorff]

You know this post is almost 3 years old? I don't remember how it broke.

R

So, didja ever get a new wrench? If you still have teh broken one, you could send it to Merkava. It'll keep him occupied for a few days...

 

[wrenchr]

Is merkava digging up old post's again????

 

[rsanter]

I have broken at least 40+ of the Cman wrenches in the same way
I even broke one the cman pro the same way
I have also snapped a bunch of the cman sockets

I have bent 1 so wrench and only broken a couple sockets

bob