Tool Brand Marketing vs. Usage

[ecotec]

Certain tools do work better for electrical work.

SAE slotted screwdrivers work better on electrical hardware. These three screwdrivers are necessary.

As far as that Klein pipe wrench goes… it probably works fine. In my contract, pipe wrenches are a company tool. As long as I get to one of the aluminum ones, before they are gone, I am happy. Using the cast iron ones just plain *****. They are so much heavier. Would I ever buy one of those Klein ones… absolutely not. I already have pipe wrenches in cast iron and aluminum in multiple sizes. If I needed one today… I would buy an aluminum Reed or Rigid. I just really dislike the futuristic look of the Klein. I do not like futuristic tool designs in general.

 

[ecotec]

Another tool that is better for electrical work is the long poll hammer.

I would argue that buying the tools that are not appreciably better from a company… just because it caters to your trade, is stupid.

Over time, and if you can afford to regularly upgrade, your tools will conform with your uses. Ideally, you want the tools that are easiest to work with. Other than Klein screwdrivers, one of my two levels, a fiberglass folding ruler and pliers (Lineman’s, diagonals, needle nose, and strippers), all of my other work tools are from other brands.

I “like” Klein. The D-2000 Linesman’s and diagonals are my favorites. I have tried working with other brands, and always go back to them. I feel the same about the three slotted screwdrivers in my previous post.

Having said all of this… I would argue having a whole toolbox full of Klein tools would be a mistake and frustrating. The majority of the other tools I use most often are found in better form factors from other brands.

Brand and design loyalty, beyond the tools that are appreciably better, is stupid and misguided. Find what works best, and if possible is most ergonomic, for your repetitive tasks.

 

[Sumboodie]

Don't care what brand it is as long as it gets the job done.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

How much money do you have?
So one of the truck brands to work on your vehicles?
One of the other brands to work on your house stuff?
Do you then buy Pittsburg impact sockets for that one time use for something else?
How many toolboxes do you buy?

I remember years ago, one of my bosses friends was talking about his hot rod. Him and a couple other buddies spent as much on tools that they now no longer use, to build that one project vehicle. I believe at the time he had about $60k in the vehicle as well as the tools (not counting labor, so $120k total), and the car may have kept that value, but his wife will probably sell all the tools for around $5-$7K, when he's dead.

Diminishing returns. And part of why so many of mine were bought used, Ebay, estate sales, or Epstein's.

 

[sightbike]

Once used a Park Tool mountain bike tire lever to help align the timing belt on my Tacoma.

My thought is use whatever tool works regardless of original intended purpose.

 

[Shiftless]

Somewhere right now there is a guy using a Snap On screwdriver to open a paint can.

edit: Or a paint can opener to tighten a screw.

 

[shoggoth80]

I'm in the tools are tools camp. I have few brand preferences, and really only in certain things. I'll use, or make whatever to get the job done. My particular professional section is geared towards automotive (was a tech, got hurt, work in the parts/tool room). My DIY area is mostly automotive/motorcycle... But I've fixed a little bit of everything around my house, and a few things around those of friends

Marketing is weird. I get it, but it's weird. To sell a product, you have to have an audience/market for it. Some brands cater to one segment more than others (truck brands), and some cater broadly (big box hardware store brands). I just generally avoid the marketing. Not always though

 

[Jeeper99]

There's a psychological aspect to this I've started to notice lately.

The average garage journal hobbyist would get by just fine with harbor freight or big box brand tools. The marketing appeal of snapon for auto mechanics works on the weekend warrior as well. You don't need high dollar tools to change the oil on the family sedan though after working in an office all week there's something romantic working like a blue collar mechanic with top of the line tradesman tools.

My tools at home are everything from 25 year old craftsman I got before I could drive to cheap harbor freight and snapon. At home I open up my drawer with my most used combo wrenches, there's 33 wrenches in the drawer. 6 different brands in total snapon, proto, kobalt, challenger, master mechanic, and Pittsburgh with majority 25 year old craftsman in varying degrees of condition. The wrenches suit my needs just fine. Would I like to go out and replace them all with matching super combos or the same generation Snap on? You betcha. The urge to throw some new wrenches in the Amazon cart or to grab a pile of wrenches and pay $50 a week on the snapon truck goes through my head. Then the reality of is this urge just me wanting to keep up with the garage journalers? Goes through my head. Could the $700+ I'd spend on wrenches be better spent elsewhere than new shiny wrenches I use a couple times a month when I have a hodge podge of wrenches that work just fine as is? To this date I sill have the hodge podge of wrenches.

My tools at work are the gauntlet of brands as well. I work on industrial junk and have to provide most of my own tools. I wouldn't say there's any brands marketing directly to us. The big industrial brands really don't do much marketing, most of my coworkers haven't heard of Williams till they use one of my supercombos. I think a lot of our tool choices are bassed on finding good enough tools for the money
we can easily buy. Most of my coworkers fly up to Alaska for work witout a checked bag. Being able to buy off of Tekton or Amazon with free shipping and a card already on file helps make the decision.

 

[JerseyBoatBuilder]

Around 90% of my hand tools are Snap On, Williams and Blue Point. I would like to get my moneys worth out of them by using them as much as possible on anything I possibly can.
I was responsible for getting the Snap On truck to come to the last few boat companies I worked for.
I used a lot of Klein and Snap On tools building boats. And so did others.

 

[larry_g]

My career was in electronic manufacturing. So we had many different tools than what was used in the auto shop. One of the go to places for tools was https://www.techni-tool.com/?mkwid=...jaLguZVYopGql0zHvg4M0aPdnWQHML4BoC46kQAvD_BwE Where you will find a lot of different stuff. We also had Snap-on electronics tools catalogues. Don't know if those are still available. The other tool catalogue that I spent a lot of time in was MSC.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[rust in the eye]

Somewhere right now there is a guy using a Snap On screwdriver to open a paint can.

edit: Or a paint can opener to tighten a screw.

I once bought set of either Mac or Matco (the old maroon hard handles whichever that was) from a homeowner at a moving sale. Only one or two appeared to have ever been used, one straight blade to open paint cans and the #2 Phillips for punching holes in drywall.

 

[Shiftless]

I once bought set of either Mac or Matco (the old maroon hard handles whichever that was) from a homeowner at a moving sale. Only one or two appeared to have ever been used, one straight blade to open paint cans and the #2 Phillips for punching holes in drywall.

I love buying “used” stuff like that. Long ago I bought a full name brand set of taps and dies where the only evidence of any use at all was a little debris on one of the taps. I remember I paid $5.00. Some deals stick in your mind and you don’t forget.

 

[ChevyEFI]

I try and use automotive stuff for everything. I gave in and bought a faucet stem socket yesterday.

 

[zendriver]

I purchased a handful of snap on tools 50 years ago that I still use today

purchased a fairly nice set of craftsman ratchet socket half inch maybe 30 years ago that I still used today on some Carlisle metric wrenches 10 years ago

Other than that, I guess Harbor freight stuff is my “brand”. Even their stuff is now getting pricey so I searched on Amazon for whatever I think we’ll do the job.

Like other said they’re just tools

 

[CGarage]

Coming from an industrial background and buying tools for the plant I can say that SO, Proto, Craftsman (had?) and others all have an industrial side they cater to. You may have limited exposure to tool company's in full so and think that they are limited in there marketing but they are not. When setting up new lines part of the setup was to buy tool sets to maintain them. RFQ's went out to the three company's I mentioned above and it is surprising how close all three would come back close to the same price.

lg
no neat sig line

How was contract awarded, then? If all 3 were close in price, who was finally selected? I would have thought Craftsman would have been 1/3rd SO, and 1/2 of Proto in terms of cost, roughly.

 

[larry_g]

How was contract awarded, then? If all 3 were close in price, who was finally selected? I would have thought Craftsman would have been 1/3rd SO, and 1/2 of Proto in terms of cost, roughly.

Usually by which vendor could supply the most complete tool set. When we were buying tools they were full tool boxes that were supplied to the tech maintaining the assembly lines. Maybe ten or so boxes full at a time. The hard line tools like wrenches and screwdrivers were really close in price from most suppliers. It was the tools that were outside the the hard line tools that usually made the difference in what vendor was selected. The industrial world is a bit different that the auto repair world. Think of how the auto parts store prices a part differently to the retail guy who walks in off the street vs the repair shop down the street.

lg
no neat sig line