Snap-On rant

[Uncle Buck]

I have always been of the understanding that Snap-On does not warrenty handles for screwdrivers, prybars etc.. ( I am not speaking of guys on the snappy mans route ) the guys on his route are his weekly paycheck, they will get 200% warrenty service. I am talking about guys like me that actually purchased the item new, but did not work at a place on the snappy mans route when the handle broke. The best I have ever gotten in the way of warrenty from Snap-On in this instance was an old used black handle to replace an orange handle that got broken and was one of a set of four orange ones in my prybar set! Bought new no less, Now I have a deadblow hammer and several screwdriver handles that have been broken, none through misuse ( I do not hammer snappy handles, no warrenty) I am looking forward to getting the shaft, not the screwdriver handle I actually need from mr snappy! I have never had good customer service from snap on for any broken tool, not in over twenty years! That is the one thing I can say for sears, at least when my screwdriver shoots craps I get the whole Damn screwdriver and not just a blade stuffed in a clapped out handle!

 

[kartracer55]

I have always been of the understanding that Snap-On does not warrenty handles for screwdrivers, prybars etc.. ( I am not speaking of guys on the snappy mans route ) the guys on his route are his weekly paycheck, they will get 200% warrenty service. I am talking about guys like me that actually purchased the item new, but did not work at a place on the snappy mans route when the handle broke. The best I have ever gotten in the way of warrenty from Snap-On in this instance was an old used black handle to replace an orange handle that got broken and was one of a set of four orange ones in my prybar set! Bought new no less, Now I have a deadblow hammer and several screwdriver handles that have been broken, none through misuse ( I do not hammer snappy handles, no warrenty) I am looking forward to getting the shaft, not the screwdriver handle I actually need from mr snappy! I have never had good customer service from snap on for any broken tool, not in over twenty years! That is the one thing I can say for sears, at least when my screwdriver shoots craps I get the whole Damn screwdriver and not just a blade stuffed in a clapped out handle!

Yeah but with sears your getting a tool that isnt nearly as quality. And its not always true, I know a guy who found a beat up snap on deadblow hammer on the side of the raod, and he found a truck, they had a good laugh, and he got another one. When you go to the truck, buy something from him, Like maybe a ratchet you dont have or somthing like that, and then ask about the tool warantee and what he can do for ya.

Jim

 

[eschoendorff]

Yeah but with sears your getting a tool that isnt nearly as quality.
Jim

Ya know... I am not totally convinced of that. I have a brand new Snap On flat blade screwdriver (SGD4A) that I compared to one of my new Cman pros... while it is true that there are differences in the two (the Snappy had a little better finish), I would rather have the new Cman than a cobbled up Snappy. In 99.9% of the cases, I would bet that the Cman pro would turn a screw just as well as a Snap On.

Now, having said that, I just ordered a Snap On #2 Phillips ACR screwdriver (SGDP42IRA... $17!!!!) off Snappy's website. I think that the anti-camout ribs could really come in handy when turning stubborn phillips screws. I'll keep it along side my Cman pros, though...

But that's just my .02....

 

[bmwpower]

Yeah but with sears your getting a tool that isnt nearly as quality.
Jim

Is there someone out there that actually tests the physical properties of tools? Quality is somewhat subjective. If there was a way to measure things like hardness, etc., maybe more people would buy snap-on.

 

[kartracer55]

No, its just kind of what people have observed. Maybe you could test the rockwell hardness of the steel or do magnafluxes, but its time consuming and stuff.

Obvious quality... Compare a snap on ratchet an a standard craftsman ratchet side by side... if you think the craftsman standard is high quality, you have issues lol

Connect a snap on socket and extension, then do the same with a craftsman. The Snap on wont have nearly as much play as the craftsman will

Jim

 

[Uncle Buck]

Kartracer: I have a problem with the following concept, I spend an obscene amount of money to purchase a snappy tool, then when my high dollar tool breaks I have to bribe mr snappy to give me the warranty service that I supposedly paid for in the first place by spending more obscene amounts of money to get more tools that clearly will have the same crappy warranty service as my first broken tool! With all that said, I still prefer snappy tools to most others I use, however, I stand by my original statement that snap on warranty ***** compared to what sears delivers. Also I would disagree with those that say you will need the warranty more with sears than you will with snap on. I have a much greater number of Cman tools than I do Snap-On, yet I have had far more snappy tools go south than Cman. Also I do a good job of not abusing my my tools, so it is not like I abuse Snap-On tools more. If anything it would be the other way around! I would be more inclined to abuse a Cman tool due to excellent warranty service than I would the Snap-On if for no other reason than their lousy warranty service record with me.

 

[l_bilyk]

I would just like to point out that snap on does NOT make the highest quality screwdrivers out there.

 

[MXtras]

Not to gang up on Kartracer, but -

I do not doubt that Snap On ratches are probably the best out there and that you couldn't force me to use a Craftsman ratchet, but I too debate the "Snap On is the best" statement. It is an image promoted by Snap On and the public bought it hook. line and sinker. It's long-standing brilliance by their marketing guru - plain and simple.

I just like my money to go as far as it can, and I don't think it goes very far with said company. Many say they are the best, but I have never seen one shred of evidence that they are superior. I have, however, seen that their wrenches are so thin that they are not at all comfortable to use and their prices, availability, service and warranty all ****. Period. I am over SnapOn's warranty ****, difficulty and their arrogance.



OK. I am done. Carry on....

Scott

 

[kartracer55]

Looks like im loosing this one... lol

I never claimed snap on to be the best, just high quality. Ill be the first one to admit Snap on wrenches ****... so uncomfortable I RARELY use the ones I have, BUT they have an awesome fit on the bolt.

On the other hand, This ratchet I busted was 41 years old, and used professionaly for a good portion of its life time. Pretty awesome that it needs a rebuild now, after all these years. I think youll agree that snap on ratchets are very high quality. Very little play anywhere, and Ive seen them hold up to straight out abuse on many occasions. I have also used a 1/2-3/8 chrome reducer on a 1/2 impact (abuse? YES! but no other options) and no failure... Reducers are usually very suseptable to breakage, but it held

Im also even on breaking craftsman and Snap on sockets (2 and 2) Ive actually never broken an sk though.... hmm.

I actually prefer SK for most tool purchases... wrenches are comfortable, ratchets are comfortable (although Im partial to tear drops). Thier bit sockets **** though... strong, but bad design.

Every manufacturer has its pros and cons. Snap on Torque wrenches are awesome (the new electronic ones are sick!) but thier taps and dies are nothing special, yet you pay top $$$

Jim

 

[markl]

The highest price doesn't always mean the best quality

 

[ARAMP1]

My toolbox is filled with Snap On, Mac, Matco, and Craftsman mainly with a few others mixed inbetween (Napa, Armstrong, SK, etc). I have found that for the most part, the tools are the same. I may like the way the Matco screwdriver (older style) fits my hand better than any other one, but the quality is basically the same. What makes the difference is the warranty. If the snap on guy is going to look at the handle of the screwdriver and "in his opinion" it looks like you may have hit it with a hammer using it to pry something, and he doesn't need to warranty it, that's bull.

So, I decide that the Matco guy is super customer friendly and I buy a bunch of stuff from him. Never had any problems with warranty stuff. He'd fix me right up. Then, he goes and retires one day. The new Matco guy's opinion is that I didn't buy any tools from him, he don't owe me anything. I guess it's just the way it works.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Regardless of what you do or do not do to a Snap-On s driver handle, unless you are working for a drivers bread and butter account, you will usually be told, there is no warranty on s driver handles. At least that has been my experience! So why waste a bunch a dough on their s drivers, get them from sears and you won't pay a ton, plus when the s driver goes south you don't get the run around, just a brand new s driver, handle and all no questions asked!

 

[kartracer55]

Regardless of what you do or do not do to a Snap-On s driver handle, unless you are working for a drivers bread and butter account, you will usually be told, there is no warranty on s driver handles. At least that has been my experience! So why waste a bunch a dough on their s drivers, get them from sears and you won't pay a ton, plus when the s driver goes south you don't get the run around, just a brand new s driver, handle and all no questions asked!

Do yourself a favor, save youselft some gas money, and buy craftsman PRO screwdrivers. Ive broken 2 regular craftsman screwdrivers and the tips on the philips heads are almost shot. I RARELY use these screwdrivers to boot. Now If you look at one of the older craftsman screwdrivers (80s, early 90s) youll see a definete difference. The chrome plated philips heads are really nice, the current run of them *****, but they still have to make a buck or two, so they need to sacrafice some quality on the lower end ones

 

[Kledder]

I have purchased all my tools from my local snap on guy. I don't work at a shop, these are simply my personal tools. He mails the stuff to me, and any time I break anything he will either meet me if I'm in the area or I can just mail it back to him and he will fix it no charge, Handles included. I recently broke a handle on my prybar set and it was replaced no questions asked. Sounds like you just have a bad local rep. Not overly partial to snapon over matco or craftsman, I just like the customer service. However, with that said I refuse to shop at my local sears as the people that work there are morons and the people that shop there are even worse. Maybe its just my local sears though. Good luck

Kevin

 

[Fast Orange]

Guys-
I don't want to bust your chops,but Snap-On caters to the pro wrenches who need the quality tools and the customer service they offer.In any given year for the past 10 years,I've spent between $2500-$5000 with my local Snappy guy.And i'm far from his biggest customer.
The thing is that noone gets screwdriver handles replaced under warranty-if you broke a handle,you must have abused the tool-
It's only normal that a regular customer will get better treatment than someone off the street,so the pros do get the benefit of the doubt on SOME warranty stuff,but the dealer has to turn the broken stuff in for credit,and Snap-On is pretty tough on some things.Plastic screwdriver handles are one of them.

George

 

[knucklehead]

in my snap-on buying heyday myself & a room mate were our s.o. guys largest accounts. i push pencils & my old roomie was an airline mechainic who used nearly all 1/4" drive stuff. we both went nuts trying to out do each other. i was spending 400 a week average for well over a year! my roomie finally out did me when he bought the dealership from our s.o. guy, then he was my s.o. guy for a few years! anyway, our s.o. guy never once turned down a request for a warranty from me. he would replace a used ratchet if it had chipped chrome, no questions asked. snap-on rules!

 

[Uncle Buck]

I rest my case, big spender, great warranty service, little guy WHO DID NOT ABUSE SDRIVER HANDLE, never had one good warranty experience with snap on. Too each his own, I am glad you guys have had good experiences with snap on warranty, however it does not change my experiences a bit, their warranty for me sucked. Prime example, hunt up kartracers thread about the ratchet he just paid damn near 20.00 for a gut kit for. He sure got excellent warranty on that now did'nt he! Nothin like a lifetime warranty eh?

 

[kartracer55]

I rest my case, big spender, great warranty service, little guy WHO DID NOT ABUSE SDRIVER HANDLE, never had one good warranty experience with snap on. Too each his own, I am glad you guys have had good experiences with snap on warranty, however it does not change my experiences a bit, their warranty for me sucked. Prime example, hunt up kartracers thread about the ratchet he just paid damn near 20.00 for a gut kit for. He sure got excellent warranty on that now did'nt he! Nothin like a lifetime warranty eh?

Yeah Exactly. Im def. Gunna send them an email asking them to explain thier warranty... The Ratchet Failed during gentle use, Nothing like what others do to thier snap on ratchets, yet if it has a lifetime warranty, why the hell did I have to PAY to get it fixed? They said it will only get replaced or repaired for free if the ratchet itself is unusable, when the guts are busted, how can they say its still usable?

I was talkign to my autoshop teacher, and he said even though he spend thousands and thousands with his snap on guy when he was a tech, he still got ****ty service. All the Newstuff for the shop is SK because they actually honor thier warranty.

Snap Ons service *****, at least for me. Im 16 and I cant afford to spend thousands and thousands from the snap on guy, so I get Sh*tty service. Im def. watching out for what I get from Snap On at this point.

Jim

 

[trackwelder]

Hi guys I have been reading this thread and here is my take on the whole snap on rant. I have been turning wrenches and fixing just about everything for the last twenty years and I cannot imagine not having all of my snap on tools. They are without a doubt in my opinion the best that my money can buy. I have lots of other tool brands but the snap ons are the first ones that I grab for. As for as the warranty is concerned it is for the original purchaser. Jim in your case you did not purchase the item new so you really have no grounds to demand any warranty service. I have lots of old snap on stuff, including a few ratchets that I had rebuilt but I wouldn't fight snap on if they choose not to warranty items that I did not purchase new.

 

[kartracer55]

Hi guys I have been reading this thread and here is my take on the whole snap on rant. I have been turning wrenches and fixing just about everything for the last twenty years and I cannot imagine not having all of my snap on tools. They are without a doubt in my opinion the best that my money can buy. I have lots of other tool brands but the snap ons are the first ones that I grab for. As for as the warranty is concerned it is for the original purchaser. Jim in your case you did not purchase the item new so you really have no grounds to demand any warranty service. I have lots of old snap on stuff, including a few ratchets that I had rebuilt but I wouldn't fight snap on if they choose not to warranty items that I did not purchase new.

Yes, your right, it was old, and Im not the original owner, but they DIDNT KNOW THAT! Nor did they ask. Had they asked, I would have readily told them (I dont like liars, I dont lie myself) but what it comes down to, is, that they didnt ask if I was the original owner, they simply refused me warranty service. Yeah I spent $20, not that big of a deal, but its the principal. Thier tool failed during normal use, nowhere near being abused, and they didnt honor thier so called "warranty"

Jim

 

[trackwelder]

Jim if you called snap on corporate I understand why you had problems. They don't know there current tools let alone any older ones. I am surprised they even found the kit for your ratchet. I had a ratchet that a neighbor gave me that was broken. I called for a kit and was told that it was not available and I was SOL. I asked for the phone number of my local snap on manager. When I called him he told me that a kit was available and he would pass my number on to a local dealer. The dealer called and my ratchet was fixed on the spot. I had been out of the snap on buying loop for several years and this guy treated me like I was one of his weekly guys. I have purchased quite a bit of tools from my new dealer in the last few years and most where on the weekends or at night. Its nice having a home number to call for what you need when you need it. I wish you luck in getting your double back

 

[kartracer55]

Jim if you called snap on corporate I understand why you had problems. They don't know there current tools let alone any older ones. I am surprised they even found the kit for your ratchet. I had a ratchet that a neighbor gave me that was broken. I called for a kit and was told that it was not available and I was SOL. I asked for the phone number of my local snap on manager. When I called him he told me that a kit was available and he would pass my number on to a local dealer. The dealer called and my ratchet was fixed on the spot. I had been out of the snap on buying loop for several years and this guy treated me like I was one of his weekly guys. I have purchased quite a bit of tools from my new dealer in the last few years and most where on the weekends or at night. Its nice having a home number to call for what you need when you need it. I wish you luck in getting your double back

Yeah, seems like every company these days is run by bean counters. I was helped by a guy named Jeff who did a bit of searching, and called me back on my cell phone the next day during the hours I told him he was most likely to reach me. I appreciated that. I just sent them this...

"Dear Snap On,

I recently had one of your ratchets fail, during normal use. Actually, Under very light use. A portion of one of the gear teeth broke, and seized up the ratchet, rendering it useless until I replaced the gear. I don't have a Snap On dealer, so I called you directly, and was helped by one of your representatives, who informed me that I would need to purchase a repair kit. My Question is, why did I need to purchase the repair kit? The tool had failed, and was rendered useless. I was under the impression that it would be repaired for free, or at least have had the replacement part sent to me. Why did I have to buy a 20$ repair kit to repair a warrantied, well maintained tool that failed under normal use? I make it a point to keep all of my tools maintained and in top condition, and not to abuse them, especially ones as expensive as Snap On.

Thank you,
Jim"

Ill see what they say. If they send me the part for free or refund me or whatever, Ill deal with it. If not, I got a line to a Local Snap On dealer... He lives in town next to a guy I know, So if they give me the shaft Ill maybe take it to him and see what I can do.

Jim

 

[Uncle Buck]

I apologize for starting this thread, I think I stepped on too many toes. I just wanted to vent about my bad luck with Snap-On's service after the sale, sounds like me and Jim and perhaps only one or two others have indicated that they got the shaft of mr snappys sdriver instead of the handle. Clearly I will concede I must have some warped perceptions about what good warranty service is.

 

[kdubaz]

You know, I'm one of those guys that likes collections. I like everything matching, and I like having it all. I'm not happy with my c-man toolbox, so I've been looking over my options like Matco, Snap-on, etc, and hearing stories like this make me nervous. I'm not gonna spend $20k with my snap-on rep, I just want a toolbox and the occasional set. Now I'm nervous.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Yea it's that occasional part that has always caused me so much trouble!

 

[kartracer55]

You know, I'm one of those guys that likes collections. I like everything matching, and I like having it all. I'm not happy with my c-man toolbox, so I've been looking over my options like Matco, Snap-on, etc, and hearing stories like this make me nervous. I'm not gonna spend $20k with my snap-on rep, I just want a toolbox and the occasional set. Now I'm nervous.

Alot of guys say The snap boxes are some of the best around. Lista makes an awesome box, but its more or less permanent storage. Just go with the high end snap on boxes, the lower end ones are supposed to be just like the other brands. Based on what Ive heard and seen, MAC and Matco High end are second, low end matco are junky.

Jim

 

[EdNJ]

Lista boxes

Alot of guys say The snap boxes are some of the best around. Lista makes an awesome box, but its more or less permanent storage.

When me moved to a new service and parts facility,they ordered new boxes for all the techs for uniformity. We recieved Lista boxes,I brought home my Snap-on box.

I do not consider Lista boxes awesome at all. I'll take the $275 Craftsman ball-bearing griplatch-handle box at home over my work Lista box. The locking system is finicky for some reason,it would just lock the drawers at any given time (and of course my keys are in one of the locked drawers). The finish isn't too durable either. One coworker's box looks like total **** in the 2 years we've had them,he had a Craftsman previously that faired a lot better. Maybe for DIY'ers,hobbyists,or racing teams that don't have to work on a bunch of cars a day and work in ultraclean environments,but in a dealership they ****. Everyone at work feels this way,I even talked to a technician online who just happened to post a pic of his workbay and noticed he had the same Lista boxes we have.

 

[kartracer55]

When me moved to a new service and parts facility,they ordered new boxes for all the techs for uniformity. We recieved Lista boxes,I brought home my Snap-on box.

I do not consider Lista boxes awesome at all. I'll take the $275 Craftsman ball-bearing griplatch-handle box at home over my work Lista box. The locking system is finicky for some reason,it would just lock the drawers at any given time (and of course my keys are in one of the locked drawers). The finish isn't too durable either. One coworker's box looks like total **** in the 2 years we've had them,he had a Craftsman previously that faired a lot better. Maybe for DIY'ers,hobbyists,or racing teams that don't have to work on a bunch of cars a day and work in ultraclean environments,but in a dealership they ****. Everyone at work feels this way,I even talked to a technician online who just happened to post a pic of his workbay and noticed he had the same Lista boxes we have.

We had 2 small stand alones in the old metal shop, and They LOOKED like **** (maybe because they were in a metal shop getting abused by kids all day long) but in terms of functionality, they def. held up to the abuse. Might it be a case of not making them like they used too? Either way, those cabinets they had were freaken tanks!! Had to use a hand truck to move them, 2 guys could barely lift them, and these things were relativly small.

I hate the craftsman griplatch drawers, at least the waterloo TRAXX series anyway, the small draws are ok, but with the wider draws, you need to lift directly in the center otherwise one side might not unlock. Its REALLY bad with the main top drawer, sometimes you need to use 2 hands, which as you probably know better than I, what a PITA that can be when you just want to grab a tool real quick. The Craftsman Non griplatch ball bearings are ok, but I def. do not like the griplatch style drawers


just my .02
Jim

 

[ampegor]

I've bought and used Snap-on tools for almost 20 years and have never been refused warrenty on any thing. My SDD4 screwdriver has had at least 12 blades and two handles replaced by 4 different dealers. No questions and no hassles. My current tool Box is a $2000 snap-on top box that was warrenty for a 25 year old used box i bought for $150 and the drawer fell out. I'll admit that Snap-on is pricey (but not as bad as Mac around here)BUt they are top quality tools with a warrenty that is second to none (at least here) and they Warrenty wear. I've had screwdriver blades, sockets, picks and God knows what else replced because they wore out not broke. I no longer use my Snap-on's at work as my current employer supplies tools but even though I no longer have an account the local Snappy guy stilll gives me the occasional warrenty without hassle.
This is my rant
Sorry
Andy

 

[Uncle Buck]

ampegor: As I said earlier, you and everyone else can rave over Snap-On service for you all day long, but if all I have had with them is **** service, it does not change a thing for me, high priced tools with a **** warranty. Cman warranty has them beat all hollow any day of the week, yet I still like their tools.