tool truck prices

[handtoolman]

hi everybody, i'm new here and am just starting to build a complete tool set, i really like SK tools

so i found a SK tool truck and decided to have a look on board. while looking around i was asking the dealer a few questions and also asking for prices.

for a 1/4" ratchet model SK 40970 he wanted $43.25
1/4" drive standard length 6pt metric 13 pc, SK 1313 $78.874
4.5mm 1/4 6pt socket SK 407000 $7.43
16mm 1/4 6pt socket SK 40715 $9.78

when compared to amazon these prices respectively are
$38.52
$53.33
$7.98
$5.00 +shipping at tool warehouse (free shipping on order over $75)

as you can see the prices on amazon are significantly cheaper except for the the single sockets, those are comparable if not better from the truck. also amazon will do free shipping and possibly exclude tax.

my question would be why are the tool truck prices much higher than amazon? i cant tell but it seems the majority of the SK tools on amazon will ship from SK themselves, maybe i'm wrong in this assumption? i know that the tool truck prices will have some overhead price factored in such as gas, mileage, wear and tear etc... and i understand the driver has to make a profit but these prices still seem to high for that.

when you buy from the tool truck are you paying extra to get the convenience factor? such as having the truck come buy often at set days, and warrantying your products on site instead of having to send them in or wait for new products to be shipped to you?

also the tool truck owner said he get all his stock shipped directly from SK, no middle man. is this also a case where i'm going to pay more because i can be guaranteed that i'm getting new stock (none of this ambiguous stuff about dates and markings)

lastly are prices generally higher from a tool truck than those online? i'm not a mechanic nor do i use my tools to make me money, so would it be cheaper for someone like me who doesn't need to have a tool truck come to me to buy my tools online?

also this dealer does not offer credit or finance customers and was located in southern California, not sure if market capitalization affects tool prices

thanks in advance for any input

 

[fivespdcat]

Overhead. The driver has more. Not to mention volume discounts.

 

[Wayfastwhitie440]

Payments versus having the cash to out rite pay for.

 

[Wamsutta]

The driver carries his own financing at 0% interest. The cost of that 0% interest is offset by the higher cost of the tools. I'm sure Amazon would sell Snap-on tools cheaper than the truck prices too.

 

[ihateminimumwage]

The drivers do have more of an overhead, and the ability to warranty your tools (hopefully on the spot) is part of that.

Me personally, I'd buy the ratchet and the loose sockets from the truck for the extra $10 or so, and the 1/4" drive set online ($25 is a bit of a difference). That way at least you can start to build an account with the driver if you need more or want to warranty through him in the future.

Wish we had an SK truck out here, but then I'd probably end up spending more than I already do on tools.

 

[heavyop]

Gas, insurance, truck maintenance, DOT inspections if needed, drivers paycheck and im sure there is alot more that I'm not mentioning.
IMO he doesn't have that large of a markup.
Depend on his warranty and how he handles it. Does he replace broken item or send them off and you have to wait on the mailman.
As someone that makes a living with his tools, convenience is a big part of buying a tool.

 

[MLB0611]

The drivers do have more of an overhead, and the ability to warranty your tools (hopefully on the spot) is part of that.

Me personally, I'd buy the ratchet and the loose sockets from the truck for the extra $10 or so, and the 1/4" drive set online ($25 is a bit of a difference). That way at least you can start to build an account with the driver if you need more or want to warranty through him in the future.

Wish we had an SK truck out here, but then I'd probably end up spending more than I already do on tools.

I have an Indy tool guy and he carries SK

 

[MLB0611]

As has been stated they internet direct ships so they have 0 cost in inventory in most cases, the tool guy has to pay for everything on his truck or pay interest on a RA account to keep ordering. So it costs more plus the fact of offering 0% interest loans to customers.

 

[zoso]

For a few dollars more I'd get a set like this...

http://store.harryepstein.com/cp/14drsets/91844.html

 

[Skin]

also this dealer does not offer credit or finance customers

^

plus the fact of offering 0% interest loans to customers.

Its just the cost of doing business. Truck has far more overhead. Don't forget Amazon offers millions of products so turning a profit for a living wage off just one brand in one specific category is not important to them like it is your tool man.

 

[MLB0611]

^





Its just the cost of doing business. Truck has far more overhead. Don't forget Amazon offers millions of products so turning a profit for a living wage off just one brand in one specific category is not important to them like it is your tool man.

I was speaking in general terms for the archives, as this topic does come up, and people expect great service from the tool truck but buy from the internet, or used and expect the local tool guy to bend over and warranty anything out of inventory but buy nothing from that truck.

 

[ihateminimumwage]

I have an Indy tool guy and he carries SK

That is sweet. Always thought how much money could be made by an indy guy (off of me alone!) if there was one covering Williams, GW, Armstrong & Proto. That about covers a LOT of the hardline tools (plus plenty others) offered through Snap-On/Blue Point, Matco/Matco ADV & MAC. Never would happen, but a man can dream!

 

[mechan]

I was speaking in general terms for the archives, as this topic does come up, and people expect great service from the tool truck but buy from the internet, or used and expect the local tool guy to bend over and warranty anything out of inventory but buy nothing from that truck.

That is sort of the crappy part of franchises like that though. You carry a product line that you have to warranty even though you may or may not have made any profit on it from a direct sale. If you don't replace that product on warranty than you could sour business by word of mouth. Our MSC rep was great he would even warranty craftsman brand tools he didn't sell with SK or comparable brands that he did sell.

 

[MLB0611]

That is sweet. Always thought how much money could be made by an indy guy (off of me alone!) if there was one covering Williams, GW, Armstrong & Proto. That about covers a LOT of the hardline tools (plus plenty others) offered through Snap-On/Blue Point, Matco/Matco ADV & MAC. Never would happen, but a man can dream!

He carries SK, Sunex, GW, Grey Pneumatic, VIM, IR Milwaukee, OTC,AST, Etc, but no Williams, Armstong or Proto.

 

[MLB0611]

That is sort of the crappy part of franchises like that though. You carry a product line that you have to warranty even though you may or may not have made any profit on it from a direct sale. If you don't replace that product on warranty than you could sour business by word of mouth. Our MSC rep was great he would even warranty craftsman brand tools he didn't sell with SK or comparable brands that he did sell.

Every time I hear, XYZ tool truck will not warranty tools without a receipt, I know what the deal is that person never buys anything from that dealer, buys from pawn shops ebay craigslist etc, and looks for broken tools to buy cheap and get the dealer to replace the tool for nothing. Those people do not understand that it costs the tool dealer money to warranty tools, it costs them in shipping, The dealer pays for shipping both ways, and shipping steel is not cheap, it costs them in product they cannot sell, aka, I lost a socket, and my dealer warrantied 2 of them that week so he could not sell me that socket, it could have cost him a sale on a tool he did have in stock, FYI I waited for a socket to come in so he lost nothing on me.

Also it can cost them in their line of credit, I know one dealer that was owed about 5k in warranty tools, he had a run of broken tools, me included and told me straight up, he was maxed out on credit and until they processed the credit on the tools returned or a couple scan tool deals got done he ordered them in and waiting for the OK from customer and credit department, he could not order anything from Snap On.

I can tell you I have never had an issue getting a tool warrantied from any tool dealer, including tools he knows I did not buy off him.

 

[davesnothere]

For a few dollars more I'd get a set like this...

http://store.harryepstein.com/cp/14drsets/91844.html

what he said.

 

[Tarheelgarage]

Tool truck prices **** and keep new techs bent over and in debt.
Buy good used tools from pawn shops, flea markets. If new needed, check amazon.

 

[mikefromme]

I'd just hit up Costco.

Oh wait, just realized the OP wasn't talking about Snap-ON

 

[86k10]

I like the idea someone even thought of comparing tool truck pricing to Amazon.

The Matco guy was at my shop and someone was doing that exact same thing for a Powerprobe master kit. Amazon was at $210 at the time, Matco guy said he couldn't even get one that cheap at his cost.

 

[rtole]

If you offer to pay the full amount up front the tool trucks are flexible on price. In my area anyway. If they have to float you the loan, that is part of the price to them.

 

[Hpozzuoli]

An SK tool truck? I only see them in dreams.

 

[ihateminimumwage]

He carries SK, Sunex, GW, Grey Pneumatic, VIM, IR Milwaukee, OTC,AST, Etc, but no Williams, Armstong or Proto.

I would be all over that truck, haha.

 

[AV tinker er]

If you are turning wrenches professionally having the truck pull up makes warranty a snap if you buy from him. A lot of drivers won't warranty your tools unless you have bought some/a lot of tools from them.

If you can go with out for a week or two then cheaper is better.

 

[fivespdcat]

Sounds like a hit and run here guys. Signs up to post nonsense then leaves. He has a tool truck, but doesn't work in the field. It doesn't make any sense. I don't know many DIY guys that have a truck and don't know that amazon has cheap tools. We all got had.

 

[handtoolman]

Sounds like a hit and run here guys. Signs up to post nonsense then leaves. He has a tool truck, but doesn't work in the field. It doesn't make any sense. I don't know many DIY guys that have a truck and don't know that amazon has cheap tools. We all got had.

sure i don't work in the field but its my love of tools that i visited the tool truck and came to this forum, after all aren't we on this forum for our love of tools? also the tool truck stops right down the street from me, and i can see actual tools instead of just looking at pixels on a screen, i go to school and work brutal hours doing my clinical practice for my physician assistant degree, buying tools and completing my collection is therapeutic for me i need a lot of therapy so i need to stretch my dollars as far as possible to pay for my sessions

 

[handtoolman]

if anyone is interested the dealer said that 10 years ago his truck was 100% SK, its a mix now because after SK went bankrupt he had to sell cornwell, gear wrench, proto, armstrong, and others to stay afloat. he also said that SK cant supply him with the implements he and other drivers need. he said that the dealers are often left with out enough tools to meet demand and that they always have to order from SK instead of having them in stock, and even then a lot of items are on back order. but he also did say that every month they have a managers meeting with the dealers and the president of SK and he believes that SK is moving in the right direction and sees a bright future for this tool manufacture.

so lets hope that SK does continue to grow and be successful

 

[fm2176]

We had an independent dealer start coming to the Cadillac dealership a few months before I left. From what I remember he carried the same brands and I got a few items from him which still see some use, like my Sunex metric impact sockets and some 1/2" impact swivels. For a young tech like me (20 or so) who already had a child, that guy was a godsend.

While I bought my share from SO, Matco and Mac, I just couldn't afford to buy new hand tools from them on a regular basis. Now prices are even worse--the set of SO impact sockets I got off the truck 17 years ago has doubled in price. That said, it is possible to get deals on truck brands. I bought of number of secondhand tools (repos or trade-ins) and also got a few deals when my dealer bought another's stock.

 

[MattPersman]

Sounds like a recipe for disaster it would only be so long without being able to get items I needed to sell before I wanted to sell someone else's tools that could actually supply them.

I often wonder how some of these tool trucks make it at all, I have seen the same scenario with Mac having a reasonable sale price on something in the flier and the driver saying he can't get anymore till many months from now, etc.

If you are not doing it professionally I would just order online with somewhere that had a good easy return policy if you wanted non store brand tools to save some $. Tool trucks are more for people that make a living with their tools. Not sure now many people need a $150 socket set for occasional home use. When a $5 kobalt set would have done the job and even if they lost it by the next time they actually needed it thy could just get another one.

 

[Creditor]

if anyone is interested the dealer said that 10 years ago his truck was 100% SK, its a mix now because after SK went bankrupt he had to sell cornwell, gear wrench, proto, armstrong, and others to stay afloat. he also said that SK cant supply him with the implements he and other drivers need. he said that the dealers are often left with out enough tools to meet demand and that they always have to order from SK instead of having them in stock, and even then a lot of items are on back order. but he also did say that every month they have a managers meeting with the dealers and the president of SK and he believes that SK is moving in the right direction and sees a bright future for this tool manufacture.

so lets hope that SK does continue to grow and be successful

Cornwell? Really?

Is anyone else picking up on the clues that this guy is not from the US.

 

[Stokes_]

I wish I had an SK truck around here. Trucks are good, their prices might be a bit higher, but the convenience of them makes up for it. Free financing, tool selection, discounts, and the ability to trade in tools towards new are all reasons why I would prefer a truck to online purchases. Another reason that trucks are great, is warranty transactions. If a tool breaks, you just wait until truck day and the dealer takes care of all the paperwork and you get the replacement the same day (at least in my experiences).

 

[cburnscrx]

My thoughts? Order it online for less money and many places have free shipping. If you're not a professional wrench, then mailing in a warranty claim shouldn't be a big deal. Besides that, how many tools do people really break when using them for their intended purpose? Cheater bars don't go on ratchets, ratcheting wrenches are not used to break stuck bolts, ect. There's definitely a place for the tool trucks, and they have their purpose, but not for the at home DIY guy.

*similar note, I think it's funny the truck guys trumpet the quick warranty exchange when in all reality they have a half dozen ratchets (or other tools) sitting in the box they could use if they had to.

 

[daddy2coull]

we moan about truck prices but we could easily moan about garage prices for things we could do ourselves or restaurant prices when we can cook for ourselves. the list would be endless. if yo don't like paying the prices, stop buying from them.

 

[Stokes_]

My thoughts? Order it online for less money and many places have free shipping. If you're not a professional wrench, then mailing in a warranty claim shouldn't be a big deal. Besides that, how many tools do people really break when using them for their intended purpose? Cheater bars don't go on ratchets, ratcheting wrenches are not used to break stuck bolts, ect. There's definitely a place for the tool trucks, and they have their purpose, but not for the at home DIY guy.

*similar note, I think it's funny the truck guys trumpet the quick warranty exchange when in all reality they have a half dozen ratchets (or other tools) sitting in the box they could use if they had to.

I do a lot of my business off Ebay/Amazon, and I have Prime for free shipping, but being able to actually hold the tool before you pull the trigger is a big deal to me. You know what you get before you buy it, versus ordering it and waiting 2-5 days only to send it back because you don't like it. The truck takes the uncertainty and wait times out of the equation, plus you get to basque in all the tool **** the truck has.

BTW, if I just used tools in my personal shop I wouldn't chase down the truck every week, but the truck comes to where I work so it's a huge convenience. And yes, I have spares I can use in the event of a tools failure, but I still don't like waiting 3 weeks for replacement of a tool that was originally guaranteed for life.

 

[Hiball]

sure i don't work in the field but its my love of tools that i visited the tool truck and came to this forum, after all aren't we on this forum for our love of tools? also the tool truck stops right down the street from me, and i can see actual tools instead of just looking at pixels on a screen, i go to school and work brutal hours doing my clinical practice for my physician assistant degree, buying tools and completing my collection is therapeutic for me i need a lot of therapy so i need to stretch my dollars as far as possible to pay for my sessions

SK hasn't changed there design much over the years, Its a No Brainer that there tools are going to be much cheaper when comparing Online Retailers to Local Distributor's (less Overhead) etc.. And the Same can probably be said for most products, Just not tools. Its hard for a lot of people here at GJ to understand that there are costs associated with driving a Truck around from dealership to dealership and providing customer service. All People care about today is Free Shipping, Coupon codes etc... I dread the day when I cant find a Product locally and have to wait for a Drone to drop it off on my front porch or the customary 2-3 days shipping time.

My Advice..

Since your Not a Professional Mechanic and Don't need the front door service, Make contact with the SK tool truck guy.. Check the Brand out.. find out what you like and don't like and on occasion when the $$$ add up versus the Online price, buy a few things from him. Its always nice to have outlets for Products, I miss the days of speaking face to face with a retailer that actually has a clue of what there selling.

Good Luck.

 

[GreenLBZ]

Why go to a restaurant when you can cook at home?

Same deal with the truck or your local brick and mortar stores.

 

[fatfillup]

Its all about service, knowledge and convenience. The prices for parts in my pressure washer store are significantly higher then you can buy on line. But I have it, know what you need for your machine and can keep you from buying parts you don't need. Some folks are willing to pay, some aren't. Most of what I sell goes to businesses that would prefer to focus on their core business then worry about saving some $'s on something they know nothing about.

You just need to decide if you need the tool trucks expertise and convenience. YOu just can't have both the cheapest prices and the best in person, in stock service.

 

[kiatech]

I've seen guys get dicked for Weeks or even months waiting for a replacement.

 

[Jrussell86]

This is the same scenario as the local hardware store Lowes / Home Depot with the added twist of no warehousing. It's a great way to save money but chances are if you go to your local guy and be nice, tell him you are going to pay cash and ask him if he can help you close the gap he will do a little better. life will also be a lot easier when you need something replaced or a single socket. I ran a tool truck for a few years those guys appreciate cash customers even If they only buy a few things every now and then.