turnthewrench 2.0
Well-known member
Exactly.
Same here. They're usable, but I never reach for a Channellock first.
Tool Brands you cannot stand . . .
- Thread starter IRQVET
- Start date
isb cornbinder
Well-known member
The blue handle wire stripper is from SnapOn. It may be the worst wire stripper I have ever used. It looks similar to the yellow handle AMP stripper but that is where it ends, I should mention, the screw cutter works OK.
Another tool I bought was made by SQUIRREL. An hour on my milling machine and it worked with new and repaired parts.
Another tool I bought was made by SQUIRREL. An hour on my milling machine and it worked with new and repaired parts.
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Astro_Pneumatic_Tools
Well-known member
Furiously searches for own brand name in thread
sighs in relief
sighs in relief
pl_silverado
Well-known member
I gave everyone the benefit of the doubt, yet there was a handful that I wouldn’t wish as customers on anyone, so I cut them off as far as financing and it was cash and carry only from then on. Guess what, they wanted the world but never had more than $20 a week to their names. But I still happily warrantied their broken stuff.
The good customers, hell I warrantied competitors broken tools that sat there for months and replaced them with snap-on.
It’s a two way street.
i generally think Milwaukee hand tools are good but I have a pair of these and they seemed dull out of the box. Maybe I got a bad pair…
The Milwaukee 7 inch Diagonal Cut Pliers are suprisingly pretty awesome. I was so happy with the quality of the initial one I purchased, I got another in case it grows legs.
But I’m often doubling up on tools I like, one for the garage, and one for the race trailer.
Id like to try out the MiUSA dikes, they look and feel really slick in the store
E: these ones
I've got one of those in one of my tool bag that I use when carrying only my home impact driver somewhere (have a duplicate impact driver at work). I found it at my old work. Surprisingly it's been holding up well & I use it like I don't care about it (cause I really don't).
The Milwaukee 7 inch Diagonal Cut Pliers are suprisingly pretty awesome. I was so happy with the quality of the initial one I purchased, I got another in case it grows legs.
But I’m often doubling up on tools I like, one for the garage, and one for the race trailer.
All my current cordless tools are Milwaukee but I'm not a fan of Milwaukee hand tools. I do own their scissors which I'm ok with but I have no interest in buying any of their hand tools like ratchets/sockets, screwdrivers, pliers, cutters, strippers, etc, not even their tape measures.
BlitzcrankJapan
Well-known member
Milwaukee and DeWalt cordless power tools.
They have great specs. But simply don't hold up to heavy usage.
If you want something with similar specs but much cheaper then choose one of the cheaper brands that are often sold by large chains around the world and are basically just re-branded "house brands".
If you want something that is actually capable of heavy industrial usage then choose Hilti, Bosch, Makita (if you pick their upper tier tools), Metabo and some others.
Simply put: Milwaukee and DeWalt cordless power tools are some of the worst value tools you can buy.
They have great specs. But simply don't hold up to heavy usage.
If you want something with similar specs but much cheaper then choose one of the cheaper brands that are often sold by large chains around the world and are basically just re-branded "house brands".
If you want something that is actually capable of heavy industrial usage then choose Hilti, Bosch, Makita (if you pick their upper tier tools), Metabo and some others.
Simply put: Milwaukee and DeWalt cordless power tools are some of the worst value tools you can buy.
TheDuckBuster
Member
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2024
- Messages
- 17
I mean that's fair and given the circumstances I understand. My buddy that ran a Matco truck told me the same thing... I along with others I'm sure appreciate the dealers like yourself that give everyone the benefit of the doubt. However the dealers I am talking about that I've had experience with(in particular two different Snap On dealers) were just a**holes from the get go to not only me but anyone else new stepping on their truck. In my opinion if you're going to treat customers in such a manner, new or not, you have no business being in that position and I'm pretty sure the CEO of Snap On would agree with me on that. I had a friend at work who had been a long time customer of said SO dealer and they talked regularly. According to my friend the dealer didn't want anymore business because he was making a sufficient amount of money off of his existing customers. Now I understand that, however that's not how it works. I don't get to go to my job and decide "well I fixed 5 machines today and I think that's enough, so this sixth one that's broken down can just wait until I decide I want to fix it." I mean I understand as a tool dealer some of the appeal is you're somewhat your own boss and get to call the shots, but as the saying goes "with great power comes great responsibility" and in my opinion it's that dealers responsibility to service customers to the highest level possible until said customers give them a reason not to. Unfortunately that wasn't the case.
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mreisner
Well-known member
GRIP and M.I.T. the bottom of the barrel and next to the bottom of the barrel now have evolved up to be Tekton. That is why just on general principles I won't use them because of the **** they marketed before.
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Daddy Likey.
Snap On - great quality, but the pricing is through the roof nowadays and they are rebranding too much. Not my first go to anymore. Fanboys can be annoying.
Matco - King of rebranding. Save some money and buy from the OEM. Everyone who gets a Matco box will regret not buying a Snap On in a few years.
MAC - Mandarin And Cantonese. They were great 30 years ago. Now it's just a bunch of rebranded tooling. Buy from the OEM. Also they killed Beach.
Wera - Enough with the laser etching...bring back the stamps.
Power Fist - Just garbage across the board.
Mastercraft - Was great 25 years ago. Now it's either rebranded Gearwrench (good) or Chinese junk like Power Fist.
Streamlight - Too expensive for what you get. Only interested in government or large industry purchases.
Fluke - Great meters, but too much money. Also the fanboys can be annoying. (If you don't have a Fluke, everyone will die in the resulting explosion from trying to use a Brymen).
OTC - Rebranded tooling. Great test lights, but they killed off the 3633 and I will not forgive them for that.
Megapro - The screwdrivers just aren't that great but they sure charge like it.
Matco - King of rebranding. Save some money and buy from the OEM. Everyone who gets a Matco box will regret not buying a Snap On in a few years.
MAC - Mandarin And Cantonese. They were great 30 years ago. Now it's just a bunch of rebranded tooling. Buy from the OEM. Also they killed Beach.
Wera - Enough with the laser etching...bring back the stamps.
Power Fist - Just garbage across the board.
Mastercraft - Was great 25 years ago. Now it's either rebranded Gearwrench (good) or Chinese junk like Power Fist.
Streamlight - Too expensive for what you get. Only interested in government or large industry purchases.
Fluke - Great meters, but too much money. Also the fanboys can be annoying. (If you don't have a Fluke, everyone will die in the resulting explosion from trying to use a Brymen).
OTC - Rebranded tooling. Great test lights, but they killed off the 3633 and I will not forgive them for that.
Megapro - The screwdrivers just aren't that great but they sure charge like it.
I have never once heard anyone who uses flashlights for a living accuse Streamlight of being "too expensive." Conversely, Streamlight is for those who are too cheap to buy Surefire, Modlight, or Cloud Defense.
Mark in Indiana
Well-known member
I avoid any tool from a company with a good name, that puts their brand on cheap, low quality tools in order to increase profits.
Bell+Howell has left the chat.
When I was wrenching for a living, I bought a lot of Snap On off the truck, same with Mac but the dealers never seemed to last very long before they went out of business. I lived in a rural area, maybe that was why they didn’t survive but the reason I bought from them was the warranty when they came every week. Craftsman had a great no questions asked warranty but I had to drive 100 mile to exchange them and they didn’t hold up under day to day use like SO or Mac.
I just recently started looking at stuff that I had broken. A lot of those “Lifetime warranty” tools can’t be replaced because the companies don’t exist anymore, Thorsen and New Britain to name two.
I left the trades 35 years ago but I still have all of my old stuff and I’ve supplanted that with some newer “junk” but I don’t use anything like I used to.
I just recently started looking at stuff that I had broken. A lot of those “Lifetime warranty” tools can’t be replaced because the companies don’t exist anymore, Thorsen and New Britain to name two.
I left the trades 35 years ago but I still have all of my old stuff and I’ve supplanted that with some newer “junk” but I don’t use anything like I used to.
Seems backwards to me. They've gotten better so you won't use them? What about all of the brands that used to be good and are now garbage?
Craftsman has left the chat.
mreisner
Well-known member
Ripped off by there junk when I was a kid and just can't get past it! A lot of tool brands have gone downhill for sure since then too. Have to do a of looking to find good stuff it seems anymore.
Bubba Fett
Well-known member
Try some of their new stuff. They might just win you over.
TheDuckBuster
Member
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2024
- Messages
- 17
I concur with this, I carry a Streamlight Macrostream literally every single day in my back pocket next to my wallet. I'm an industrial maintenance tech so I not only carry it but use it daily as well. I have an assortment of flashlights that fit in that same size category for EDC; several O lights, one Surefire, a couple maglites, one Pelican, several Nebo's, and a few other various not as recognized name lights...yet I can't get away from the Streamlight. It is the perfect size, easily rechargeable, tough as nails(I've dropped it from way more than the 6ft rating and it survived... more than once) the battery life on it is outstanding both in time of use and number of recharges you can get before buying a new battery. If anything does break like the tail cap switch etc parts are readily available and reasonably priced. I would buy another Streamlight in a heartbeat and when the current one I have dies I already have a brand new backup sitting in my toolbox at the house.
Mark in Indiana
Well-known member
Back in the 1990s, I took a USA made Cman 8" c-clamp in to replace because the pivot foot broke. The only choice was a lower quality, Chinese made one. Same part number. So, I took my broken clamp back home and turned a new foot on a lathe at work.
LWB
Well-known member
Let's not forget smokes if you care to.