Tool Truck Customer Service is doodoo

[richfinn]

It's the opposite yarn I'm referencing. It's the predominant one where people say they can fix anything with $200 worth of HF tools. Let's be honest: - this is said so often here, it sounds like it's the truth and is just good practical advice. There are no asterisks after that. There's no caveat. I suspect it's more something people want to be true more than actually true. It's the MechanicNamedJohn story. Its the Wright brothers were bicycle mechanics story.

I'm a really senior engineer. And 62. What the hell am I doing? I'm the dumbest smart guy you will ever meet. Yesterday, in freezing weather, with the wind blowing the hood closed on my back (fun), I got the new alternator and belt tensioner in the Durango. The Durango alternator is a 100% blind operation, made significantly easier with a mid depth socket and a really strong, fine toothed 1/4" drive ratchet (and I did use my tiny 13mm ratchet wrench)


(I have the previous generation of this one- and only a couple, I think 10, 12, 13, 14?)

I talk about the stiffness of the "driveline", having the sockets fit the extensions and ratchets tightly. It's not the "feel of quality" I'm after. This was an example: I couldn't see jack. I was doing everything by feel and my fingers were numb. My tools made that job easier. Not sure this would have gone as easily with brand X tools. That's where our discussions need to be. Based on actual use, not politics, or nostalgia, or some quaint Victorian view of the "working class".

If anyone actually reads this, please PM me your advice regarding hood props or hood locks.

I work outdoors in the windy British weather, after many years of bonnets (hoods) dropping on my bonce I finally bought the Lisle hood strut locking tool (Snap On probably sell the same tool).

44880 Lift Support Clamp with Magnet | Lisle Corporation

www.lislecorp.com

If it's a regular style hood prop and the wind is really bad I have some bungee cords

 

[zendriver]

It's the opposite yarn I'm referencing. It's the predominant one where people say they can fix anything with $200 worth of HF tools. Let's be honest: - this is said so often here, it sounds like it's the truth and is just good practical advice. There are no asterisks after that. There's no caveat. I suspect it's more something people want to be true more than actually true. It's the MechanicNamedJohn story. Its the Wright brothers were bicycle mechanics story.

I'm a really senior engineer. And 62. What the hell am I doing? I'm the dumbest smart guy you will ever meet. Yesterday, in freezing weather, with the wind blowing the hood closed on my back (fun), I got the new alternator and belt tensioner in the Durango. The Durango alternator is a 100% blind operation, made significantly easier with a mid depth socket and a really strong, fine toothed 1/4" drive ratchet (and I did use my tiny 13mm ratchet wrench)


(I have the previous generation of this one- and only a couple, I think 10, 12, 13, 14?)

I talk about the stiffness of the "driveline", having the sockets fit the extensions and ratchets tightly. It's not the "feel of quality" I'm after. This was an example: I couldn't see jack. I was doing everything by feel and my fingers were numb. My tools made that job easier. Not sure this would have gone as easily with brand X tools. That's where our discussions need to be. Based on actual use, not politics, or nostalgia, or some quaint Victorian view of the "working class".

If anyone actually reads this, please PM me your advice regarding hood props or hood locks.

I don’t think anyone including me was questioning your intelligence. It’s just that some see things different.

For instance, my dad went to school to repair P 47 engines during the war, had his own auto service garage and farmed with relatively troublesome equipment on the side

That said his entire tool collection would barely gather a yawn at a yard sale. He wanted or needed nothing to do with a snap on man gladly dragged my brother into the hole.. dad seemed to get done when he needed to get done

Myself I have a pretty extensive collection of low-cost tools. Maybe I’m missing out, but I don’t really ever recall myself saying (except when I had no tools at all) “ gee I wish I had better tools” I like my junkie tools just fine

I could probably get a whole set of stubby ratchet, wrenches for the price of one of the snap on even if they didn’t” feel” as nice, how would I know?

 

[OneEyedMan]

I don’t think anyone including me was questioning your intelligence. It’s just that some see things different.

For instance, my dad went to school to repair P 47 engines during the war, had his own auto service garage and farmed with relatively troublesome equipment on the side

That said his entire tool collection would barely gather a yawn at a yard sale. He wanted or needed nothing to do with a snap on man gladly dragged my brother into the hole.. dad seemed to get done when he needed to get done

Myself I have a pretty extensive collection of low-cost tools. Maybe I’m missing out, but I don’t really ever recall myself saying (except when I had no tools at all) “ gee I wish I had better tools” I like my junkie tools just fine

I could probably get a whole set of stubby ratchet, wrenches for the price of one of the snap on even if they didn’t” feel” as nice, how would I know?

I feel like there needs to be a couple caveats in these conversations. Our farm got through the eighties with old equipment and well used tools. The well used tools were SK, Craftsman, all the brands that used to be cheap. We were at the forefront of ordering Harbor Freight stuff and it was garbage.

We only needed one set of 1/2 drive SAE, some 3/8 SAE deep, and as many Pittsburg 9/16 and 1/2 wrenches as it took to finish a job. After stupid cheap ratchets joined our old Indestro and SK ratchets, I really learned what ****** knuckles were. I launched cheap ratchets into the weeds and they were dutifully retrieved and welded into mini breaker bars.

Everything in mechanics and economics has changed since then. Cheap copies have become very good and Tool trucks have gone crazy on price. Our tractors went from 100 horse to 300 and we’re still small operators. Our trucks have metric everything, two turbos, Bosch 9 pin diagnostic plugs, our requirements for tools went from a five gallon bucket and hand carry box to a serious kit.

So, cheap tools changed from US made leftovers to really good copies of the US made stuff. Tool trucks went from more expensive to crazy expensive. Equipment went from cracking injector lines to prime a system to 25,000 psi fuel pumps. Everything is dynamic except these discussions.

 

[zendriver]

I feel like there needs to be a couple caveats in these conversations. Our farm got through the eighties with old equipment and well used tools. The well used tools were SK, Craftsman, all the brands that used to be cheap. We were at the forefront of ordering Harbor Freight stuff and it was garbage.

We only needed one set of 1/2 drive SAE, some 3/8 SAE deep, and as many Pittsburg 9/16 and 1/2 wrenches as it took to finish a job. After stupid cheap ratchets joined our old Indestro and SK ratchets, I really learned what ****** knuckles were. I launched cheap ratchets into the weeds and they were dutifully retrieved and welded into mini breaker bars.

Everything in mechanics and economics has changed since then. Cheap copies have become very good and Tool trucks have gone crazy on price. Our tractors went from 100 horse to 300 and we’re still small operators. Our trucks have metric everything, two turbos, Bosch 9 pin diagnostic plugs, our requirements for tools went from a five gallon bucket and hand carry box to a serious kit.

So, cheap tools changed from US made leftovers to really good copies of the US made stuff. Tool trucks went from more expensive to crazy expensive. Equipment went from cracking injector lines to prime a system to 25,000 psi fuel pumps. Everything is dynamic except these discussions.

Pretty much

Back in the day, my dad had a “sun machine” at his garage that was considered high-end and probably pretty expensive

No one can get diagnostics equipment way more advanced, literally for peanuts

 

[dscheidt]

I’m

I don’t think anyone including me was questioning your intelligence. It’s just that some see things different.

You're wasting your time. No one really believes you need top dollar hand tools to fix an alternator in a durango. He's got a fortune in snap-on tools, and feels the need to justify it every time a thread like this comes up.

 

[Wrench97]

It's the opposite yarn I'm referencing. It's the predominant one where people say they can fix anything with $200 worth of HF tools. Let's be honest: - this is said so often here, it sounds like it's the truth and is just good practical advice. There are no asterisks after that. There's no caveat. I suspect it's more something people want to be true more than actually true. It's the MechanicNamedJohn story. Its the Wright brothers were bicycle mechanics story.

I'm a really senior engineer. And 62. What the hell am I doing? I'm the dumbest smart guy you will ever meet. Yesterday, in freezing weather, with the wind blowing the hood closed on my back (fun), I got the new alternator and belt tensioner in the Durango. The Durango alternator is a 100% blind operation, made significantly easier with a mid depth socket and a really strong, fine toothed 1/4" drive ratchet (and I did use my tiny 13mm ratchet wrench)


(I have the previous generation of this one- and only a couple, I think 10, 12, 13, 14?)

I talk about the stiffness of the "driveline", having the sockets fit the extensions and ratchets tightly. It's not the "feel of quality" I'm after. This was an example: I couldn't see jack. I was doing everything by feel and my fingers were numb. My tools made that job easier. Not sure this would have gone as easily with brand X tools. That's where our discussions need to be. Based on actual use, not politics, or nostalgia, or some quaint Victorian view of the "working class".

If anyone actually reads this, please PM me your advice regarding hood props or hood locks.

Vice grips.

 

[AEAdam]

You're wasting your time. No one really believes you need top dollar hand tools to fix an alternator in a durango. He's got a fortune in snap-on tools, and feels the need to justify it every time a thread like this comes up.

I love that you are confident about a job you didn't do, on a vehicle you don't own.

Justification is the right word. But it's not about me. I believe that as a group, we tend to be pretty cheap. It may be the reason we all started fixing things. It certainly was for me. I think our readers sometimes do need to understand exactly how expensive tools are different and when specifically they are justifiable. Because the default tool buying advice here is "buy the cheapest tools on the planet". Sometimes that's a good answer. Sometimes it's not. Our readers deserve to hear the details or this forum is all just a bunch of pathetic blather.

My opinion.

 

[AEAdam]

I don’t think anyone including me was questioning your intelligence. It’s just that some see things different.

Yeah I know you wouldn't. I just keep doing stuff like my time is worth nothing. But thanks.

I could probably get a whole set of stubby ratchet, wrenches for the price of one of the snap on even if they didn’t” feel” as nice, how would I know?

I hope that's the point of GJ. You and I can talk about it. And you can decide what makes sense for you or if you even need them. Off the top of my head, I'd say their chief utility is their low back drag. If you can get that from Gearwrench or Icon or Bluepoint or Williams, I'd do that. It could also be that all of those brands are rebrands of the exact same tool. My SO versions could be as well.

I bought them really cheap on eBay. It was a set missing pieces and those auctions rarely do well. IIRC, I paid about $50 for the set of 4 and it was an impulse bid. Didn't know I needed them until I owned them.

Don't use them on every job, but they can be handy.

 

[Wrench97]

And they hold up a whole lot better then the stubby Gearwrenchs.

 

[CHI_Tool&Die]

I love my Matco and Snap-on guys. They are both amazing dudes and I’ve found myself buying way more off the trucks than from online or brick and mortar stores because of how awesome their service has been. The only sucky thing is that I have to coordinate our schedules because neither has my shop on their route.

 

[AEAdam]

And they hold up a whole lot better then the stubby Gearwrenchs.

I wasn’t thinking that would be an important consideration with stubbies. I heard Snap on initially licensed or bought in Taiwan ratchet mechanisms? Could be wrong.

But to your point, I bought SO ratchet wrenches on the truck so I had iron clad warrantee rights. I didn’t trust the mechanisms. The generation I bought are not repairable.

When we talk about truck tools, it’s almost always binary. Some people love em, some hate em. I feel like there’s a fertile middle ground. What specific tools should be strategically purchased from the truck, either due to a quality/difference, or due to ease of warranty?

For me, I made sure my hammers all came from the truck, ratchet wrenches, all my hex sockets did, but they were all on deals. Impacts, just due to SO being willing to replace them due to wear alone.

Other stuff that had serviceable wear items, I was willing to buy on eBay. Stuff I thought I’d never ever wear out in my lifetime (right or wrong) I found on eBay, like combination wrenches, extensions (some of mine were on deals, wobble plus, lockers and lock wobbles). The basic set I use all the time is a mixture of normals and wobbles that I picked up cheap on eBay.

Bit sockets are tools I’ve gone back and forth on. Technically, you can replace the bits and you don’t need a press to do it. And snap on sells the bits as repair parts. I’ve been in the truck when a tech asked to warranty a twisted torx bit socket and the driver said no. Twisted wasn’t damaged enough. I don’t like using twisted bits. (Also don’t like having my bits twisted). So based on that one experience, I wasn’t sure about what was best.

Point is, tools are complicated. How do we define good enough? What are our expectations for their working life, wear, warranty? How can we best take advantage of offers, deals, service? It’s all a lot to think about.

 

[garandman]

Have a number of MATCO tools - purchased used, on eBay, often from pawn shops.

 

[CHI_Tool&Die]

I wasn’t thinking that would be an important consideration with stubbies. I heard Snap on initially licensed or bought in Taiwan ratchet mechanisms? Could be wrong.

But to your point, I bought SO ratchet wrenches on the truck so I had iron clad warrantee rights. I didn’t trust the mechanisms. The generation I bought are not repairable.

When we talk about truck tools, it’s almost always binary. Some people love em, some hate em. I feel like there’s a fertile middle ground. What specific tools should be strategically purchased from the truck, either due to a quality/difference, or due to ease of warranty?

For me, I made sure my hammers all came from the truck, ratchet wrenches, all my hex sockets did, but they were all on deals. Impacts, just due to SO being willing to replace them due to wear alone.

Other stuff that had serviceable wear items, I was willing to buy on eBay. Stuff I thought I’d never ever wear out in my lifetime (right or wrong) I found on eBay, like combination wrenches, extensions (some of mine were on deals, wobble plus, lockers and lock wobbles). The basic set I use all the time is a mixture of normals and wobbles that I picked up cheap on eBay.

Bit sockets are tools I’ve gone back and forth on. Technically, you can replace the bits and you don’t need a press to do it. And snap on sells the bits as repair parts. I’ve been in the truck when a tech asked to warranty a twisted torx bit socket and the driver said no. Twisted wasn’t damaged enough. I don’t like using twisted bits. (Also don’t like having my bits twisted). So based on that one experience, I wasn’t sure about what was best.

Point is, tools are complicated. How do we define good enough? What are our expectations for their working life, wear, warranty? How can we best take advantage of offers, deals, service? It’s all a lot to think about.

That’s the intelligent way of trucking shopping. Grab what you know are “expendable” or heavy wear items. You’ll get your money back on the warranty claims over the years. Also grab stuff that you’ll use a lot and that the tool feels comfortable. Things like picks, pry bars, bit sockets, and ratchets are my truck favorites. Also screwdrivers.

 

[AEAdam]

That’s the intelligent way of trucking shopping. Grab what you know are “expendable” or heavy wear items. You’ll get your money back on the warranty claims over the years. Also grab stuff that you’ll use a lot and that the tool feels comfortable. Things like picks, pry bars, bit sockets, and ratchets are my truck favorites. Also screwdrivers.

I’ve broken a couple mini picks. Love those.

 

[Olsa Tools]

I live in the canadian maritimes, I'm an apprentice AST. I'm trying to start filling my box with quality tools that will last. I've noticed the tool truck customer service *****!

Sorry to hear about your experience with them... this is part of the reason why we have a 30-business-minute-talk-to-a-human guarantee or you get all your money back.

Olsa Tools - Made in Taiwan. Available online at their website and Amazon.

Made in Taiwan, ** Germany, the USA, and Mexico. We also have 180 tool trucks and retailers carrying our stuff across North America—42 of which are in Canada.

If anyone actually reads this, please PM me your advice regarding hood props or hood locks.

Honestly, if I find myself doing some work in the bay for anything longer than 2 hours, I find it's just easier to take the hood off and get my work done without it being in the way. Usually just 4 bolts holding it in place on most vehicles.

 

[mreisner]

Sorry to hear about your experience with them... this is part of the reason why we have a 30-business-minute-talk-to-a-human guarantee or you get all your money back.


Made in Taiwan, ** Germany, the USA, and Mexico. We also have 180 tool trucks and retailers carrying our stuff across North America—42 of which are in Canada.


Honestly, if I find myself doing some work in the bay for anything longer than 2 hours, I find it's just easier to take the hood off and get my work done without it being in the way. Usually just 4 bolts holding it in place on most vehicles.

Where are your retailers at?

 

[Olsa Tools]

Where are your retailers at?

All over the place. I'm not allowed to post direct links on here, but if you go to our website > More > Authorized Dealers, there is a list of all of our authorized dealers with their location and contact information.

 

[mreisner]

All over the place. I'm not allowed to post direct links on here, but if you go to our website > More > Authorized Dealers, there is a list of all of our authorized dealers with their location and contact information.

Thanks

 

[micromind]

Can I buy individual sockets on the web?

I went to the site today and all I saw were sets.

 

[Olsa Tools]

Can I buy individual sockets on the web?

I went to the site today and all I saw were sets.

We don't have them publicly listed on our site, but if you call our line, our customer service guy can hook you up with selling them if we have those sizes in stock in our warranty pile.