Tool truck "convenience"

[marshaul]

Sometimes companies just up and do it. WItness, in the software biz, the flipover of Adobe from physical sales via retailers to a direct subscription model for many of their products. It could be the smartest thing they could have done, or the dumbest.

lol, Adobe hasn't been in the business of good business for almost a decade. Talk about resting on one's laurels.

Adobe is probably the crappiest outfit on the face of the planet, and most of their products follow suit (even those with basically no competition).

 

[rick carpenter]

On what planet???

I can't think of a single big box store that has anything but the "bare bones" basics. I don't think you can even buy an individual socket at Home Crapo or Wal Mart!!

I can buy individual sockets/etc at my local Sears, Ace Hardware, and Home Depot. I can drive a little to Lowes and do the same.

 

[wmartin]

lol, Adobe hasn't been in the business of good business for almost a decade. Talk about resting on one's laurels.

http://static.seekingalpha.com/uplo...ear-history-in-dollars-bar-chart-12-09-11.png

I think their main problem, as with other packaged software companies, is that it gets harder and harder to keep the retail price up and to get people to buy new ones. A subscription model is probably not so much a way to capture margin from distributors as it is a way to avoid the problem of people buying a new product only every decade or so.

For that matter, that's probably a real issue with the hand tool companies. Not only do you have the 'China price' driving down consumer expectations on what something is worth, but I suspect that an awful lot of the business model is built around tools staying in closets or with retired mechanics. eBay (and other online ways to sell used stuff) has had to have caused downward pressure on pricing.

It's wouldn't be dissimilar to the firearms or musical instrument market in that way. Since a lot of these items simply won't wear out, you either end up with fewer replacement sales (admittedly, some new sales due to increases in population) or we'll all end up *** deep in pliers and 13mm combination wrenches.

 

[cburnscrx]

Once you have been here for a few years, You will figure it out... This place used to have "Real Tool Discussions". Maybe its Just Me... but these whole classifications such as "anti-tool guys" or "Kool Aid Drinkers" is getting old on a Personal Level. How many times can a Person type the Same **** over and over and Not get tired of it? Maybe its just a sign of the Times for Me.. Im not bashing your Opinion, its Yours.. You can copy/Paste it as many times as you feel necessary. I just wonder sometimes.. Enjoy your Discussions fella's. Its More than likely Me..

Im Off to Change Injectors/Glow Plugs/return Lines on my 86 F250.. If anyone is Interested in Tools in Action versus Action about Tools.. Give me a Shout. Ill Post up some Pics.

I understand the discussion, but it seems like it's more frequent than necessary. I am not a tool truck guy, but I understand the appeal. Along those same lines, tools in action rock. I've seen way to many tools on here that look unused and seem like they're more for display than for actual use.

I am in favor of more tool discussion based on tools that are used!

 

[N.I.]

I think it is interesting that these threads come up so much.

Without a doubt the pressure is on for the tool truck brands considering the availability of information and the ease of buying online these days.

But if you ask the average Joe what a quality brand of tools is, the chances are he will say Snap On. I think it is quite sad, but Snap On are still well placed whether you like it or not. In my opinion the one to watch is Mac Tools. They have shot themselves in the foot by out sourcing. Why would you pay a premium for tools made in Taiwan?

Personally I am the 'count the pennies' sort of guy and consequently own 3 Snap On items and a Mac ratchet. A large percentage of my tools have come from ebay for bargain prices, but I guess I am lucky in that there are soo many top quality European brands on Ebay UK that few people know much about and go for low prices.

If I was in the states, the chances are that I would purchase bits and pieces off the tool trucks. I can see the advantage of the ease of warranty which would allow me to abuse tools more. Shipping things off to warrant them is a pain in the ****.

Value and convenience of the trucks depends solely on the dealer. They should work for their money. Anyone who buys direct online from Snap On is a mug (be offended all you like), you are simply lining the shareholders pockets.

I have to also point out that breakages of the hardlines seems to be massively played up on here to try and justify the insane prices.

 

[Kracin]

I have worked for 4 manufacturing companies, they all have some snap on tools in their tool cribs along with alot of other types of tools.

exactly, you find all types.

armstrong, allen, craftsman, snap-on, bondhus, irwin.


etc etc etc etc but its hardly snap-on filling 34% of the tool lineup line the original quote suggested.

this could be off x amount based on the guy ordering tools, but with as stingy as most storeroom/crib supervisors are, they don't buy the expensive tools from a catalog when theres something that has worked for 50 years right next to it for cheaper.

snap-on hardly has this problem in automotive, where you find techs with 20,000 in the box alone, and tools worth 3x that amount in the box. all snap-on

 

[TangoFoxTrot]

The tool truck model is antiquated and inefficient, but it's probably not going anywhere.

My opinion is the tool trucks are really banks disguised as tool retailers, almost like pawn shops on wheels with high risk financing built into the price. If the tool companies just went exclusively to full payment up front (like most retailers) you wouldn't sell very many $10,000 tool boxes or $30,000 tool collections. Much easier to sell big ticket items with $40 a week plans (until you're 70 years old). And you also have a collections agency/repo man visiting you weekly.

Also, online sales are a passive form of selling. A good salesman brings in a lot of business. You need people that "pound the pavement" on a regular basis.

I don't know how you could do that model completely online, and most people would probably migrate to other brands.

I would love to buy Snap On tools stripped of all of this overhead, but it's just not going to happen, so I use other quality brands where I don't have to pay for that sales model. And I've gotten by just fine.

 

[jjjrmx5]

*sigh*




you are splitting 34% up between a large number of industries, which when you get down to it, is a good reason by ALL of the mechanics i've worked with for the last 7 years have had 2 maybe 3 snap-on tools, and nothing critical.

You keep spewing this poo that "I;ve worked in mfg., auto repair and prolly (based on your self view of what you have done professionally) every industry out there " and you never see Snap-On tools.

Well, I don't know whether it's just Nebraska or possibly you don't get out enough, but if you work in an area of the country with lots of heavy industry and mfg., you do see them. A LOT.

I suggest you continue on your "since I don't see them nor the point of buying them so that must be what everyone else sees and thinks too" irroneous journey re: Snap On tools becuase that just must be the way it it because you say so.

So so sad and so many mis-informed youth these days.

But hey...it's your view and I applaud it.

Here's a secret: Ferrari and Lamborghini sell cars in this country. A fair amount of them. But because I don't see one but once or twice a month where I live I guess no one buys them or owns them all across the country because I don't see them often around town.

See...I guess you're right.

 

[ATC]

I think 95% of the people who praise the tool trucks, talking about the convenience and service...are just trying to justify the cost any way they can. You pay $400 for a 14 piece socket set & ratchet and you can't think of any other reason to pay that rediculus price other than "well...he comes to me once a week so I don't have to drive 15 minutes to the store for it whenever I want"

If I break a Cman, GW, Stanley, Kobalt, Pittsburg, etc...I can have it replaced the SAME DAY...7 days a week! Not to mention being able to buy them at a ratio of 5:1 compared to the truck brands.

I had a friend of mine order me a M18 3/8" Fuel impact off the Snap-On truck as partial payment for an ATV I sold him. The first week, he ordered a standard 1/2" M18. Nope. The 2nd week he re-ordered it...but this time he ordered the 1/2" M18 Fuel...different kit. The 4th week comes around, and he finally ordered the right think (he had the correct item # wrote down the entire time in his notebook). The 5th week comes around and my impact wasn't in yet. I finally receive it on the 6th week.

Nevermind that I could have drove to Home Depot and bought it for $100 cheaper and had it in my shop in under 30 minutes.

It took me 3 weeks to warranty a pair of Channellock's.


But please...keep spreading the word that they are "convenient" to justify the price...

 

[farmall400]

I see snap on all the time in an industrial setting. You also have to remember these big companies are probably getting a 40-50 percent discount. Hell, we get a 30 percent discount and buy hardly anything. You guys can keep your truck service, I'll keep the 30 percent and emailing part numbers.

 

[Zeke]

I'll bet the difference is whether you'd buy a donut if you had to drive to the donut shop or if the lunch truck came by a 9am with some nice donuts.

Truck dealers could do themselves a favor and write up a ticket and send some items out by mail. A lot of local mail arrives next day sent first class. That would also be the cheapest option for a socket or small wrench.

I'm not totally sure, but I think close by overnight isn't as expensive as FedEx. If I was the truck dealer, I'd try to put some back in the pot now and then. Word gets around.

OTOH, you've got mechanics that will tell you every purchase is an emergency. And calling ahead won't do much if the truck is a week out. Might as well go down to the local stores as you said.

 

[SpiderGearsMan]

their tools don't shatter in the middle of a job , like all that cheap *** Chinese JUNK at the big box store

 

[SpiderGearsMan]

I see snap on all the time in an industrial setting. You also have to remember these big companies are probably getting a 40-50 percent discount. Hell, we get a 30 percent discount and buy hardly anything. You guys can keep your truck service, I'll keep the 30 percent and emailing part numbers.

government tools have no warranty

 

[farmall400]

government tools have no warranty

Didn't know that. Glad i'm not working for the government. Is there a different part number on government tools?

 

[wmartin]

The tool truck model is antiquated and inefficient, but it's probably not going anywhere.

My opinion is the tool trucks are really banks disguised as tool retailers, almost like pawn shops on wheels with high risk financing built into the price. If the tool companies just went exclusively to full payment up front (like most retailers) you wouldn't sell very many $10,000 tool boxes or $30,000 tool collections. Much easier to sell big ticket items with $40 a week plans (until you're 70 years old). And you also have a collections agency/repo man visiting you weekly.

Best point that I've read, I think that's a reasonable explanation. A car dealership is a variant of the disguised bank notion it seems to me.

As someone who has a profound allergy to debt, I forget just how much of the country is thoroughly emeshed in the stuff.

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

Guessing most guys don't want to go running from store to store to find tools after working long days.

True, and I'm also guessing that the people who say Tool Trucks are Outdated are people who arent visited by one, and dont have access to one, and if they ever have stepped onto one, are posting that the driver is a dink because he charges full price to a completely new off the street customer.

IF you have access to a truck, and that truck is driven by a good guy, IMO there is no better place to buy tools.

You just cant compare doing business with a handshake and smile to clicking a few buttons on a screen.

Yeah - anywhere from 10 to 16 hrs a day at the shop 5 and sometime 6 days a week, with only 1/2hr each week spent with the toolman when he visits, the last thing I want to do on my time is shop for work tools.

And, when you have a good dealer, you get good service - I don't think Sears can provide me a 1 5/8" bouble square 1" drive impact socket I needed for an industrial pump job, shipped overnight to the shop so I can finish the job the next day -- maybe someone else has it available, I don't know, I didn't waste time driving around / calling everywhere around town or surfing the web for hours -- it only took 10 minutes on the phone with the tool-man and work out the bill next week (which I charged the customer for "required special tools" anyway)....but that's just one example. I also don't do automotive, so many "special" tools I need are not sold in stores.

Now -- on the other hand --- **RANT ON!**
The only thing that does chap my *** about tool corporate idiots is them cutting back dealers accounts when the economy got tough - limiting how much they can buy. My last dealer quit when the lowered his limit after 15 years of good performance (good money for them, you'd think) because he knew he had to be able to order that special socket and not wait until a large sale (new tool box) cleared his books before corporate would allow him to order again which would = lousy customer service. If they want the "regular truck-stock" accounts brought down so "they" (Corp). don't have as much money on the street, then fine - but designate an "emergency account" to cover a few grand in hot orders - only stuff shipping overnight or something.....since my last guy left, the new dealer got put on hold twice in 2 years due to tool box sales....I've been waiting for 3 weeks for a 20 dollar item (luckily it's not a "need" just a "want") because he's now carrying a huge difference between what I paid for a new pox, the cost to him, and what my trade was worth - he's now at his limit / carrying that balance 'till the old box sells. Sound like a great deal for corporate. I feel bad for the dealer, it's not his fault they sold him on cash shell game of dealing tools where he will be the working the hardest to survive......The Mfr. should do something to help that - I know we put equipment trades off the Mfr if we don't know we can flip it fast or it's so cheap we don't mind carrying it. **rant off, have a nice day**

Jesus. Fine we get it, tool trucks ****, Snap On *****, they all ****. Now that we've solved that what should we talk about now?

Yeah, but it gave me a great seqway to do what the web is best for -- ranting and raving about ****! ..... lunch is over and now I'm going back to the shop.....

 

[jd_1138]

My neighbor is about 64 years old and works as a diesel mechanic at a local truck stop. He buys Snap-On from a truck that visits the truck stop. The important thing to know about him is that he's never owned a computer in his life and obviously doesn't have an internet connection to be able to buy tools off the internet. As guys of his age start retiring, the tool trucks will probably lose a lot of customers.

They will have to differentiate themselves by being organized, continue with the finance program, discounts, etc.. Maybe have a simple kiosk at the various shops in the lunchroom where techs can easily order tools they need/want, and next time the tool truck comes, the orders will be ready.

I wonder if anyone ever tried to be an independent tool truck? As in, "Bob's Tools" where Bob (retired mechanic) buys a truck and stocks it with pro quality product and goes to the shops. But without the weight of SO, Mac, etc., it may be hard to acquire product. Unless they were to be like an independent hardware store and find a co. that can supply a smaller vendor like him with quality tools at a discount. And he could supplement his stock with SO, Mac, Cornwell that he gets online brand new or used or as trade-ins.

 

[BJ42LX]

government tools have no warranty

Warrantied by the taxpayer!

 

[jd_1138]

Warrantied by the taxpayer!

About 10 years ago a small mom and pop hardware store turned in some paperwork to the DoD to become a military supplier. They never heard back for awhile but finally after a year or so they received a fax with a bid sheet from the military. A military mechanic needed about $10 worth of bolts and nuts over in the ME to repair a helicopter. So they thought what a joke of an order. They jokingly put down $7,000 or something as the bid amount. And the DoD actually sent them the money. They never thought the military would be that dumb. They made about $3 million before the military auditors caught it. And by then it was too late. One of the owners of the hardware place was dead, and most of the money was spent.

 

[Hiball]

I think 95% of the people who praise the tool trucks, talking about the convenience and service...are just trying to justify the cost any way they can. You pay $400 for a 14 piece socket set & ratchet and you can't think of any other reason to pay that rediculus price other than "well...he comes to me once a week so I don't have to drive 15 minutes to the store for it whenever I want"

IF.. You want to be completely Honest.. How is YOUR Justification on What you choose to buy any different/Better than the guy who wants to buy the "$400 dollar 14pc socket set and Ratchet"? Why does his Justification have to Match your Needs? Does it make you Mad that he buys that $400 dollar set? And why the Hell does it Matter? Why continue to spew the Hatred towards each others purchase, Regardless if it costs $400 dollars or $40? I dont Care what you read on the Internets.. the only things that matters is what makes you Happy.. Why we continue to have this back and forth is beyond me, As long as Joe Blow isnt asking you for the $400 dollars or if your not asking Jimmy Jack for a ride to the Local Lowes... Who Gives a ****.

 

[sberry]

I agree, you dont need to justify what you buy.

 

[toolfreak]

i frequently put in 50 hours a week right now, and was doing even more before in a plant that puts any autoshop to shame when it comes to heat, cold, dirt, everything. and i was never too tired to get to the store to get what i needed.


but it sure is a nice sales pitch to make it feel "relaxing" when the tools come to you for 5x the price

I guess you have never had a job where you worked 70+ hours a week and working out of town where the nearest place that sells tools is close to an hour drive one way? I have and when the Snap on man is a phone call away, it is worth every penny. Don't get me wrong, looking back I spent way too much on tools but they aren't eating anything. For a while I had to have all the cool **** off the tool trucks but I also had to have tax write offs so I didn't get screwed on taxes.

 

[volvo92906]

We have 2 independent tool trucks that come to our shop. They only show up twice a year, you can call and order from them and they will ship, and all tools are warrantied. Brands on tools are all over the place.

As Heavy Metal Doctor said, for those of us in a more industrial setting, the majority of our tools are not sold at a Sears or a Home Depot. Yeah, I can get some cheap dinky **** set of Craftsman wrenches that stops at 16mm (Thats where their typical set stops, isnt it), but I need stuff that goes to at least 18 in a standard set, 24 preferrably, and then I need everything up to 2.5 inches to do what I do. They sell 3/4 sets, but not impact grade. I tell you, its a little hard to hand torque grouser pads on a dozer. Its nice to use a big impact and do the torque turn the book calls for.

But I like what Hiball said... ''How is YOUR Justification on What you choose to buy any different/Better than the guy who wants to buy the "$400 dollar 14pc socket set and Ratchet?''

 

[abvw]

Yeah - anywhere from 10 to 16 hrs a day at the shop 5 and sometime 6 days a week, with only 1/2hr each week spent with the toolman when he visits, the last thing I want to do on my time is shop for work tools

My shop opens from 9am to 7pm, by the time we shuffle all the cars in, clean/wash up and change, I end up leaving the shop at 8:30ish every night. All the local stores are closed at 9pm. I have no time to shop for tools during the week and had to do my shopping every Sunday and I've been doing this for a year. I still have some sockets and ratchets that I broke months ago and still haven't had time/remember to warranty them.

I will have a SnapOn and Matco truck visiting my shop starting next week, so I'll report back on how I feel about this convenience.

 

[amlv20]

I never liked matco, and the guy wasn't great, also gave up on Mac 3 months for a warranty socket,what a joke.we also had an Indy guy who was so inconvenient his low prices were not worth it, I haven't seen him In a month or two.i rely on snap on now even though he stopped coming twice a week.but his truck is loaded always and he owns two other trucks that run routes for him.it all depends on the dealer and how good a customer you are.

 

[ironmutt]

to all the guys who think snap-on or mac or matco are to expensive. you must pay sticker price on new cars too or full asking price on craigslist. i beat my sales reps up every time i am looking to buy new tools. it might just be a free shirt or could be 20% to 50% off but i cant do that at the box store or online . half the time my SO driver has his stuff cheaper then SO has it listed online . i also treat my reps good by doing my part and paying on time every time, and if i cant be there my money is and he still gets payed . the convenience comes in the fact that if i get a pain in the but car i can ask them hey has some body made a tool to do this . if something new comes out i can trust that he will not bull me with a sales pitch but give it to me straight and if i am not sure about it he might loaner it to me for a week to make a decision

 

[CWP1616L]

I am not a huge tool truck purchaser however alot of my coworkers are. 90% of the time...Matco and Snappy don't have what you need in stock and at ATLEAST another week to get, most the time longer. I can go to, insert big-box store here, anytime and 90% of the time they have what I need any time of the week. So where is this "convenience" I hear of???

The big box store doesn't have Snap-on. Most of their stuff is garbage except for Diablo saw blades.

 

[Kracin]

I guess you have never had a job where you worked 70+ hours a week and working out of town where the nearest place that sells tools is close to an hour drive one way? I have and when the Snap on man is a phone call away, it is worth every penny. Don't get me wrong, looking back I spent way too much on tools but they aren't eating anything. For a while I had to have all the cool **** off the tool trucks but I also had to have tax write offs so I didn't get screwed on taxes.

if you wanna compare hours we can look at pay stubs with over 90 on them. or a yearly of more than 3200?

my point is, you don't always need to always call on a guy in a truck to bring you a tool. especially if you have to hope and pray that he has it instead of just ordering it, or swinging by the store after work if you know you might need it later. the cost of having a guy in a truck bring you a tool, vs just going and getting it, is way too much for me. i make plenty, but i'll never line the pockets of the people who would rather overprice a name, than put it in as many peoples hands as possible for the sake of getting the job done better in more shops.

i don't do traveling work, i do plant work. and if you need to get something done, you find a way to do it, you use a tool in whatever way possible, or you make a tool or fabricate some sort of helper to get it done.

The big box store doesn't have Snap-on. Most of their stuff is garbage except for Diablo saw blades.

this is why threads go the way they do. snap-on is not the be all end all of tools. that **** breaks just as much as other industrial brands of tools. go look at the broken tools thread and there is snap-on stuff on every page.

find a tool that works, that you like, and use it often. as much as fanboys like yourself want to claim, paying 100 for a ratchet you could have bought for 30 doesn't make it 330% better.

 

[CWP1616L]

as much as fanboys like yourself want to claim, paying 100 for a ratchet you could have bought for 30 doesn't make it 330% better.

330% better than a big box store ratchet? Absolutely.

 

[Kracin]

IF.. You want to be completely Honest.. How is YOUR Justification on What you choose to buy any different/Better than the guy who wants to buy the "$400 dollar 14pc socket set and Ratchet"? Why does his Justification have to Match your Needs? Does it make you Mad that he buys that $400 dollar set? And why the Hell does it Matter? Why continue to spew the Hatred towards each others purchase, Regardless if it costs $400 dollars or $40? I dont Care what you read on the Internets.. the only things that matters is what makes you Happy.. Why we continue to have this back and forth is beyond me, As long as Joe Blow isnt asking you for the $400 dollars or if your not asking Jimmy Jack for a ride to the Local Lowes... Who Gives a ****.

honestly? i'd rather not hear another friend spew out the word snap-on when someone asks "whats the brand to buy for X", without even thinking about alternatives. because it honestly isn't. ripping hard working people off for the sake of a name is wrong. without even going to a big name store or whatever you people call it on this forum, you can get quality tools at a decent price (yes even made in the usa for you COO gotta-have-ers). but when you do a job with a 20 dollar ratchet that was purchased 10 years ago, and the guy next to you starts looking at your tools and asks "why don't you have any snap-on". you start to wonder if people actually believe all the hype thrown around that a tool just doesn't work right unless it has that little logo on it.

i'd rather voice my opinion through a forum, through my work, or anywhere that you don't need to spend a premium on a name to get tools that last a lifetime and get you through a workday without fault. to me, it's a shame that they use their name to jack their prices so high that it is almost a "private club" that you have to buy your way into, so that you can only be a member when 90% of all yours tools and storage are snap-on, and you guys can all pat each other on the back at the end of the day for using the same tools. just like in their promo videos.

 

[amlv20]

I don't know about your dealers, what tool has to be ordered off the truck that a retail store has? The only tools my dealer has ever ordered were tools that such retail store don't even offer.

 

[Kracin]

330% better than a big box store ratchet? Absolutely.

shocking as it is, i've heard worse... lol

 

[KoJo]

Its all opinions, thing is you are comparing your line of work which is no where near the same as a repair shop. Sure a $30 ratchet works well enough for puting things together that are brand new, but try taking off a seasoned bolt out of an exhaust component or any load bearing bolt again and again and again with a low cost tool.. There is a reason why techs/mechanics pay more for tools in a repair shop vs the weekend warrior or someone who is putting something together that is new that doesnt run into rusted parts, or seasoned parts.

Also I spent $300 on a 3/8 torque angle wrench, would you have? Probably not.. Sure a seperate torque angle guage works fine for some one who may only use it once in a blue moon and is using it on their own car or is hourly vs some one who is flat rate.

 

[Kracin]

Its all opinions, thing is you are comparing your line of work which is no where near the same as a repair shop. Sure a $30 ratchet works well enough for puting things together that are brand new, but try taking off a seasoned bolt out of an exhaust component or any load bearing bolt again and again and again with a low cost tool.. There is a reason why techs/mechanics pay more for tools in a repair shop vs the weekend warrior or someone who is putting something together that is new that doesnt run into rusted parts, or seasoned parts.

Also I spent $300 on a 3/8 torque angle wrench, would you have? Probably not.. Sure a seperate torque angle guage works fine for some one who may only use it once in a blue moon and is using it on their own car or is hourly vs some one who is flat rate.

you do realize things being bolted together or taken apart in a plant thats over 100 years old are filled with metal dust, dirt, grease, oil, and anything else that happened to die in there?

cars aren't the only things that get tough to work on, and assuming that ONLY cars get tough and rusted is asinine

 

[KoJo]

So you are saying that these things in the plant are being constantly taken apart again and again? So its not the same as car engine or an aircraft engine where it goes through different temperature fluctuations, and loads, rust, weathering. Plus plant machinery is maintained differently than cars and aircraft.

 

[amlv20]

To some its not the name, to some it is.i could care less if it said snap on Mac or HF.what I care about is what I like, how it feels,how long It will last, know it will preform at its max time after time and not have to worry about it slipping breaking or failing in the back of my head.i don't want to be in the middle of a waiter service or pulling head of a 6.0 only to have the anvil shear off of my ir or craftsman(trust me I see more than you think) .and I don't know where some of you get this idea that all the techs in shops get into a **** measuring contest with our tools and boxes.no shop I have ever worked at has been like that,and I'm not impressed by their tools off boxes.im impressed and amazed in their work as I hope they are with mine.

 

[ATC]

IF.. You want to be completely Honest.. How is YOUR Justification on What you choose to buy any different/Better than the guy who wants to buy the "$400 dollar 14pc socket set and Ratchet"? Why does his Justification have to Match your Needs? Does it make you Mad that he buys that $400 dollar set? And why the Hell does it Matter? Why continue to spew the Hatred towards each others purchase, Regardless if it costs $400 dollars or $40? I dont Care what you read on the Internets.. the only things that matters is what makes you Happy.. Why we continue to have this back and forth is beyond me, As long as Joe Blow isnt asking you for the $400 dollars or if your not asking Jimmy Jack for a ride to the Local Lowes... Who Gives a ****.

First off, I don't ever recall calling someone out for their justification on a tool purchase. But if you want my justification as to the brands I buy...well, my tools do the same thing as the truck brands for a fraction of the price while being easier to locate, buy, and warranty (for the most part). Yes, this is just my opinion and experience over the past 11 years wrenching on rusted trucks. You may have your own and that is completely fine.

I even said this in another thread:

You can buy whatever you want...but don't push your opinions onto me, and turn your nose up at my box full of Mac, GW, Cman, and Kobalt...

I have no hatred toward brands of tools...just their owners and their smug attitudes. If I hit the lottery tomorrow, you betcha I'd buy my own SO truck and stock my garage. But in real life...I manage my money well, research before any purchase, and buy the best quality tool for the price my wallet wants to pay. SO might be better than some of the brands in my toolbox...but they will NEVER be 5x the price better...


Now, as to my 'hatred' toward SO flaunting crowd...there are dozens of threads on here where the average joe, and even mechanics asks about a certian tool brand to buy. They will specifically point out in their OP that they do not want to pay Snap-On prices. But guess what...?...The next 3 outta 5 posts are someone praising SO and telling the OP that they should buy the SO tool. My cordless impact thread I started a while back is a perfect example.

And then you have people like CWP1616L, who just posted in this thread:

The big box store doesn't have Snap-on. Most of their stuff is garbage except for Diablo saw blades.

SO and other truck-brand owners have their head shoved so far up their *** it ain't funny. THIS is exactly why I feel the way I do. It's not the tool I don't like...it's the snobby attitude that gets thrown around on this board so much. If you don't own Snap-On, everything you own is ****

 

[KoJo]

Amlv20, couldnt have said it better myself.

For those that dont work in the flat rate world it may be hard to understand that when you have a tool you use all the time it needs to be the best tool for you to make you your money and to make it safely for you. About two to three months ago a newbie ended up punching himself in the face and splitting the skin between his eyebrows because the ratchet teeth broke under load and let loose all the energy on his face. The tool was not a Snap-on, Mac, Cornwell.. But it was a craftsman 3/8 flex head ratchet. Lucky all he got was a split in his skin that he got stitches for and a headache the rest of the day. But stuff like this is not good for a flat rate tech. Injuring your hand is bad when those are your money makers.

And when you try to compare someone who is hourly to someone who is flate rate where time counts and the tool that helps you get it done that much faster pays off in the end is what can make you sink or swim.

 

[ATC]

Its all opinions, thing is you are comparing your line of work which is no where near the same as a repair shop. Sure a $30 ratchet works well enough for puting things together that are brand new, but try taking off a seasoned bolt out of an exhaust component or any load bearing bolt again and again and again with a low cost tool.. There is a reason why techs/mechanics pay more for tools in a repair shop vs the weekend warrior or someone who is putting something together that is new that doesnt run into rusted parts, or seasoned parts.

Opinions? Sure. But my $24 ratchet does just fine with 35-year-old rusted suspension and axle components. This is the 4th dentside Ford that I have owned and modified over the past 12 years (not counting my '85, '88, '91, '97, '06, and '07 trucks). All with the same few ratchets. Oh...and those pieces of pipe under the truck were used on the handle of my $24 ratchet with good success

 

[CWP1616L]

Opinions? Sure. But my $24 ratchet does just fine with 35-year-old rusted suspension and axle components. This is the 4th dentside Ford that I have owned and modified over the past 12 years (not counting my '85, '88, '91, '97, '06, and '07 trucks). All with the same few ratchets. Oh...and those pieces of pipe under the truck were used on the handle of my $24 ratchet with good success

You may have a $24 ratchet, but I see you have a name brand MIG welder - what's up with that?