Bubba Fett
Well-known member
The guy in the video has been here. I guarantee it.
Things Snap-On Tool owners say.
- Thread starter 5ubtle
- Start date
Who's saying that??
Well sure - me too. But while I have some Snap On tools, they've added zero to my savings, completion time or made any measurable contribution to the work I've done on the six family cars, my mom's car and various others.
So while I agree with what I think is your overall point, this isn't about non-pros like me. It's definitely not about the quality of Snap On, either.
LoL - yeah they do. And their spouses. And their buddies.
Sure. 100% of anyone who knows anything.
Snap On is more than $50 than the Kobalt. Hell, it's at least $100 more than the Kobalt. An FL80 lists for $147 and the equivalent Icon is $40.
I run a mix of ratchets. The most-used ones are mainly Snap On or Icon. I often can't tell the difference in my hand (I tend to have a couple ratchets going with different size sockets). The only one I can identify by feel is my Matco locking flex (for the handle and the mechanism).
It's not just the one ratchet - it's the box, it's a range of ratchets. And sockets. And wrenches. And the rest of a 'core' set of tools added to the debt of a teenager or early-20's kid trying to figure it out.
At the end of the day, a young tech wouldn't be given a loan on the 'Benz...
(but driving the Kia until you can afford the Benz works)
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Probably true.
For the record, I didn't really think it was funny, and wouldn't watch any of his stuff on purpose again.
2ndGearRubber
Well-known member
That's a tough one, to pick a single VIP brand. Hate to say it, but it might actually be snap on. Maybe Koken for the 1/4 drive stuff.
I already had to tell youtube I wasn't interested in more content.
Sheesh...
This is a really dumb thread and should be below all of our standards.
I was seeking to change the subject to something worthy and responding to comments, including yours, about tools being investments. Tools CAN be investments but not for the reasons people here often think (e.g. selling them later).
If you younger GJers had the hindsight I have, maybe you could do things differently. People blow money on frivolous ****. Snap On wrenches don’t belong in the same sentence.
If you are fixing cars, you are saving on repair bills. Chances are good you drive your cars longer than people relying on a service station because you can make repairs others can’t or won’t. That saves you car payments on your next vehicle.
Chances are good you purchased your car used, for less money than others would, confident you could predict maintenance issues before they become reliability issues.
How many of you are leasing vehicles? Making car payments? Try to get out of that. If you want to save money, stop worrying about tool brands.
My guess is, if you guys all did the math, you would question why you spent one day with a tool that frustrated you, wasn’t comfortable to use, or you just didn’t like the color of! Buy what you want. Make fixing stuff fun for you. Don’t waste your time struggling with a tool, concentrating on getting it to perform to your expectations. It’s literally not worth it.
I started fixing cars because I was broke. I’m now rich and I fix cars because I enjoy it and I find that it often doesn’t take much to keep a quality vehicle functioning, almost like new, for a VERY long time. If I can do it, you can do it.
My friends’ have boats and airplanes. I’m not superior. But my hobbies cost nothing. They actually save my family money and help people within my sphere. Tools are not like golf clubs, or other hobby expenses.
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VolvoRyan
Well-known member
Unite!Why don't we all be sensible and hate on GearWrench?
-Ryan
Some of you folks could have healthier lives if you could learn to laugh at yourself. Ginger Billy (the man in the video) is a comedian, and therefore, the whole skit is a joke. Comedians, you should understand, work in hyperbole. Some folks here are able to view his video and find it entertaining. The video is for them.
Some time in the future, somebody will post a comedy video here that makes fun of my "world view". It won't be my favorite video, but I'm not going to ***** about it.
Some time in the future, somebody will post a comedy video here that makes fun of my "world view". It won't be my favorite video, but I'm not going to ***** about it.
VolvoRyan
Well-known member
Good post. Money saved from DIY allows my wife and I to level up what we drive. My wife drives a relatively new Volvo XC60 for Kia money. Decades of poking and prodding around with wiring diagrams, meters, and scopes gave me the confidence to replace our furnace myself. It's hard to put a dollar amount on "tools". I mean, it is but it isn't.
-Ryan
2ndGearRubber
Well-known member
I'm all for laughing, his "comedy" is just weak. Too over the top and it becomes cringey.
Had he cut out the fake redneck voice it would've been decent.
It's a different-strokes kind of thing. I get he's a comedian, but there's a point where hyperbole/over-the-top comedy loses me. Despite the fact I'm not a hard-core Snap On guy, I only find it a little funny. So I agree it's not for everyone, but telling other people what they should like (and have a healthier life for it - lol) is just silly.
Why don't we all be sensible and hate on GearWrench?
-Ryan
I could get behind that. They still have some good tools, but Apex has destroyed what made Gearwrench a success, more products moving production to China, and generally more expensive than their competitors.
VolvoRyan
Well-known member
When your comedy can't be differentiated from the typical YouTube blabber, you've failed as a comedian. Good comedy ids an art..... this guy ain't got it.
-Ryan
VolvoRyan
Well-known member
You just never know what you're going to get when you buy their tools these days... and you pay a lot of money to find out.
-Ryan
Bubba Fett
Well-known member
I've heard the "when a customer sees Snap-On tools, they know they are dealing with a professional" argument several times, on here, Reddit, etc.
I'd argue that most customers don't give a quarter of a **** what brand of tools the mechanic uses as long as their issue is fixed. Ones that are familiar with the Snap-On brand may also know the mechanic is in debt and will probably charge more for their services.
Satire can sting.
I'd argue that most customers don't give a quarter of a **** what brand of tools the mechanic uses as long as their issue is fixed. Ones that are familiar with the Snap-On brand may also know the mechanic is in debt and will probably charge more for their services.
Satire can sting.
Chris_Hamilton
Well-known member
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- Dec 2, 2012
- Messages
- 1,023
I think something that getting lost in this thread is that there is a difference between guys who work on their own car, boat, truck, whatever and guys who do this for a living. I see endless comments here about guys buying this wrench set, then this wrench set, or that ratchet then this ratchet etc. etc. I would dare say over the course of your lifetime you guys who think SO is a waste spend nearly as much as a guy who buys something once and is set.
And if you are just doing your own work on your own cars, well then of course it's silly to buy SO. SO is for professionals who want quality, easy warranty returns, the truck comes to them, financing etc. and take pride and enjoyment in their tools and their trade.
Would I buy as much SO if I had it to do over again? Probably not. Do I regret having SO tools? No SIr.
And if you are just doing your own work on your own cars, well then of course it's silly to buy SO. SO is for professionals who want quality, easy warranty returns, the truck comes to them, financing etc. and take pride and enjoyment in their tools and their trade.
Would I buy as much SO if I had it to do over again? Probably not. Do I regret having SO tools? No SIr.
Dakotadadv8
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- May 30, 2021
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Mr 80 year old how are you doing? I have a $ in savings and investments not too bad but I rather sit home and watch TV that is what I like to do, tool old to travel, don't eat much, and home is paid for last 20 years. Should have enjoyed the $ while I was younger, well, the kids will get it when I die.
WWheeler
Well-known member
Watching that vid, I'd agree, except he has over 1.6 million subscribers which means his channel is bringing him tens of thousands of dollars a month.
I doubt 95% of people have any idea about SnapOn/etc. at all. Zero impression points for that crowd. For the rest, I don't know how much it makes a difference. I'm pretty tight with the shops I take my cars to, and both mainly have SO and Matco stuff from what I've seen. I know tools well enough, but honestly I don't think it influences my impression one way or another. If I saw a bunch of Pittsburgh wrenches, etc. I'd wonder about it a bit I guess, but honestly my priorities and impressions are from the success of the work.
HannibalLecter
Well-known member
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- Aug 26, 2023
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- 402
No worries
At least it was worth the mortgage to get it2ndGearRubber
Well-known member
I just used a $70 snap on socket on my $20 tekton ratchet. Whoops.
Chris_Hamilton
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2012
- Messages
- 1,023
If I saw a Pro Shop with guys using a lot Harbor Freight junk (not one or two things I'm guilty of that) I would immediately dismiss them as being a competent high quality shop. How many world class painters out there are using an HF spray gun? Dare I say none? My guns (Sata's) have cost me well over $3K for the four I primarily use now. And they are worth every penny to me. Same thing on the mechanical end. Having good tools indicates pride in your work and speaks a great deal about capabilities. Is that always the case? Probably not but for the vast majority it is. To me seeing someone who has made a significant investment in their tools speaks to how they view their job and their passion for it. JMO.
I don't get guys bagging on Snap On users here. Who the hell cares what someone else uses? Not your money, or decision.
) I would immediately dismiss them as being a competent high quality shop. How many world class painters out there are using an HF spray gun? Dare I say none? My guns (Sata's) have cost me well over $3K for the four I primarily use now. And they are worth every penny to me. Same thing on the mechanical end. Having good tools indicates pride in your work and speaks a great deal about capabilities. Is that always the case? Probably not but for the vast majority it is. To me seeing someone who has made a significant investment in their tools speaks to how they view their job and their passion for it. JMO.I don't get guys bagging on Snap On users here. Who the hell cares what someone else uses? Not your money, or decision.
lbhsbz
Well-known member
That's because the impacts make 4 times the power today than they did 30 years ago...(I know...nobody would ever think of using a chrome socket on an impact...not even me)
Customers are rarely even allowed on the shop floor anymore so this can't really be all that applicable these days. Even if they did care they wouldn't see.
The 10mm. It's always the 10mm.
To be fair, a cheap spray gun can spray poorly.If I saw a Pro Shop with guys using a lot Harbor Freight junk (not one or two things I'm guilty of that
I don't get guys bagging on Snap On users here. Who the hell cares what someone else uses? Not your money, or decision.
But a mechanic's tool doesn't usually affect the quality of his work. Your jalopy is either fixed or it isn't.
THIS!
I use me fixing stuff (cars, house, etc.) as the greatest excuse to buy tools! When my wife questions my tool purchases, I point out that the money I spent on the tool is far less than if we paid someone else to do whatever the job is/was, so we still saved money (by buying tools).
shhhhhh...even when it's a tool I already had....
2ndGearRubber
Well-known member
Finished product should be the same.
You can walk across death valley or drive a car with AC. If you're the one doing the work, it can have a pretty major effect. I like to think in terms of time, suffering, and longevity. If something saves time, suffering, or increases the longevity of my body, it's up for consideration in purchasing.
Imagine if you could justify it for work! Makes being a tool junkie that much easier. That and I'm very efficiency focused, I hate suffering.
I have a 98 ford E series van with what was originally an intermittent miss at idle, drove so bad the customer thought the trans was dying. I have the severe idle miss fixed, EGR code diagnosed, found the vacuum leaks to fix the fuel trim. Now I need to track down the light miss under load, pretty sure it's bank 2. I have had about $5000 of scan tool/lab scope/test leads on this van, probably add another 2k worth of tools to get the final answer.
Sounds pricey, but when you can power brake and move the paddle-probe from coil to coil looking for the miss, while the current clamp checks every cylinders primary coil circuit...... Swapping the #7 coil was way worse than finding the answers.
rooster59
Well-known member
Right. So if you buy a ****** sprayer it might affect the quality of your work compared to a quality one.
Mechanical repairs are not typically cosmetic in nature the way a paint job is.
That's from the perspective of the consumer paying you, who claims he thinks Snap-on tools mean a better mechanic.
From the business owner, mechanic, or painter's perspective it's about getting the job done while balancing time with ease with profit margin. Snap-on doesn't even make all the tools for every task in the world anyway.
2ndGearRubber
Well-known member
I didn't mean to have that sound like a pro snap- on statement, more so just about quality tools where ever they may be found.
Some of my best return in pay vs expenses are lab scope leads. And I certainly don't buy them from Snap On. Too short and I prefer not to have leads that require sharing a ground.
garfunkle24
Well-known member
If I saw a Pro Shop with guys using a lot Harbor Freight junk (not one or two things I'm guilty of that
I don't get guys bagging on Snap On users here. Who the hell cares what someone else uses? Not your money, or decision.
One guy spends $100k on Snap-on tools which essentially gets him the "basics". Sockets, wrenches, ratchets, impacts etc. Another guy has a $100k of tools that are HF, Sunex, GW, GP, craftsman etc. He has every kind of socket, wobbles, universals etc. He also has just about every special tool and puller imaginable etc. Who has more capability as to what jobs he can take on? Pretty sure I know.
Who takes more pride in their work and their job? I don't know and neither do you. But you can make all the assumptions and judgements you want.
Cc_windsurfer
Well-known member
Except when it is the 13...
Outnumbered76
Active member
or the 8mm.
Just got a new set of extra deep 1/4 drive metric sockets, 10mm was missing from the sealed box. Why are there not 10mm sockets lining the roads, where do they all go?
MarcSeattle
Well-known member
Lots of strong feelings here. Maybe you guys can switch to something you can agree on, like whether you would buy a fully-loaded Honda Ridgeline for $60,000.
If I saw a Pro Shop with guys using a lot Harbor Freight junk (not one or two things I'm guilty of that
I don't get guys bagging on Snap On users here. Who the hell cares what someone else uses? Not your money, or decision.
Photography is one of my hobbies, and there's a saying that goes something along the lines of "It's not the camera, it's the person holding it." A great photographer is going to get great shots with just about anything - a **** photographer with the best camera and lens in the world is going to end up with ****.
Same thing with driving on the track - "The biggest upgrade you can get is upgrading the driver." I used to have a pretty fast/capable car and thought I was pretty good in it. Once I met up with a guy with a far heavier, less powerful and worse-handling car to follow him through the mountains on the way to a car show. He was so damn fast and tight he scared the ever-loving **** out of me, and when we finally pulled over for a gas stop he hopped out of the car like nothing and said "Nice drive, right?"
It's pretty much the same with tools. I bet a world glass painter would be able to embarrass you using HF spray gun. That's not meant as a swipe on you - it's just the truth. I'm judging a shop on their work, not their tools.
I don't see anyone "bagging on Snap On users here"