Truck Brands - Market Share

[FMC1959]

This is more a curiosity of their market and not about who makes the best tools, or has the largest catalog, or how good or bad your driver is. Of the 4 main truck brands; Snap On, Matco, MAC & Cornwell, what share of the market do they have?

Market share being amongst these 4 only, total being 100% (SK has brick & mortar and many online vendors, not the same business model as the other 4)

My guess is SO definitely leads, then figure next is Matco, followed closely by MAC, with Cornwell taking up the rear. Below is a guess on my part and figure that SO has a strong presence nationwide. The other three from what I know have some pretty strong markets but also have holes where they have trouble maintaining service.

Below is my guess at some numbers.

Snap On 55%
Matco 20%
MAC 17%
Cornwell 8%

Anyone think these are close or way off? Whether you have close business ties with any of these companies, or just have a good knowledge of the business, what do you believe the percentages should be?

 

[Cato]

Since I've become more "tool aware" I've seen a lot of MAC and Matco in the shops I've come across. The only Snap On I've seen has been very old used and abused.

Mostly, I've seen a lot of Husky and Craftsman in every day shops - dealerships, Firestones, and independent car repair places.

 

[shanny19]

Interesting topic.

The other three from what I know have some pretty strong markets but also have holes where they have trouble maintaining service.

Given that im over forty, and have NEVER once seen a Cornwell truck, that would be true.

I would say that an interesting way to gather data would be to entertain guesses based solely on market presence, and see what regional differences come up. If i had to guess, based on my perception of market presence in my neck of the PNW, it would look like:
Snap On 50%
Matco 45%
Mac 5%
Cornwell 0%

 

[TNToy]

Cornwell is very common here. Cheaper than the other two (SanpOn and Matco both move lots of product) and thus very popular when you want a halfway point between box store tools and the Snap-On / Matco stuff.

 

[JJThrasher]

Snap On is probably the biggest overall. However the rest has too many factors. When I lived in Ohio Mac was huge, and Matco was unheard of. Now that I live in Indiana there isn't a Mac dealer around us, however we have Cornwell that's popular. A lot does depend on the driver. I do a lot of business with Cornwell simply because the drive is top notch and he takes care of you.

So for around me I'd say
Snap On 35%
Cornwell 30%
Matco 30%
Mac 5%

 

[laconic1]

When I was still working in a shop SnapOn dominated. The driver was a good guy that would work with you, and he really hustled too. The Mac guy was all but retired and made no effort to sell any tools. Whenever we hired a new tech that had a lot of Mac stuff they always had a hard time getting stuff warrantied, or even being able to buy more. We didn't have a Matco guy the first couple years, once we got one he was so so. He did sell a lot of toolboxes though because he gave some insane trade ins for old garbage boxes. One tech said they got $4000 in trade on three used up Craftsman bottom boxes that probably cost $800 new. The last year I worked there we got a Cornwell guy that seemed to be a bit off his rocker, and he didn't sell much.

In terms of market share I'd say Snapon had 90%, Matco 8.5%, Mac 1.25% and Cornwell 0.25%.

 

[joel63]

I thought Mac was ahead of Matco.

 

[firebox40dash5]

I thought Mac was ahead of Matco.

Depends where you are. I'm around Baltimore, and grew up here, and I've only ever seen 1 Mac truck in the metro area. It's old, faded yellow, and pretty sure it's not an actual tool truck and hasn't been in a looooong time. I've heard there's one on the east side of town, but never seen it. They did bother to bring a toolbox truck around a few years ago, which made me chuckle since they had no dealer to support anything they might sell.

Matco has a few in the area, although they don't seem great at retaining them. I caught one in the area selling new inventory on CL, and my old driver, although admittedly not a great businessman, jumped ship to sell independently for GW after Matco gave away half his territory and stops to one of their new, smaller-truck dealers.

I dunno how Cornwell gets anyone around here. My old driver just up and left without notice (he did party inflatables and regularly went AWOL in summers, just didn't return that time) one year, and we went 2 years without a driver. The new one was never busy but still only stopped every other week. Come to think of it, I've been away almost a year and haven't seen his truck in maybe 6 months, who knows if he's still at it. Hard to sell on service at even cheap truck prices, when no one is sure how long you'll last, and whether (or when) anyone will fill your shoes if not.

 

[kblazer87]

Just by the number of franchise units for each:
Snap on = 4804 = 61%
Matco = 1599 = 21%
Mac = 856 = 11%
Cornwell = 564 = 7%

 

[Jason280]

I've also never seen a Cornwell truck. Locally, we only have MAC and Snap On trucks, but I don't see them that often.

 

[Ponchoguy]

Since I've become more "tool aware" I've seen a lot of MAC and Matco in the shops I've come across. The only Snap On I've seen has been very old used and abused.

Mostly, I've seen a lot of Husky and Craftsman in every day shops - dealerships, Firestones, and independent car repair places.

The shop I'm in has a mix of everything, alot of Sears Craftsman, MAC, Matco, Snap On, some Cornwell, some HF, SK, you name it.

I've only seen a Snap On guy regularly. There was a Matco guy for a while, but I haven't seen him. When I was in my other office, the SO guy would come in to see my coworkers as they used to buy from him when they were shop floor mechanics.

 

[woody 73]

In central Ohio Mac has a large office so I tend to see Mac trucks, followed by snap on trucks although maybe neck in neck with both brands.

Cornwell has their main plant in Ohio, but again I see their truck maybe one time a year and Matco again maybe twice a year do I spot their trucks.

Funny thing but in all my tool hunts Craftsman is King of the hill, followed by chinese made tools and last a very small % of the above brands do I find in central, Ohio.

 

[Sprintman]

Snap-on and Toptul. Might be others but I've never seen them

 

[rockinacummins]

It greatly varies around here. Most shops I've been in the techs have Matco boxes but then they have Craftsman tools?

Then, the shops that just have their own tools for everyone to use I see more snap on. The snap on truck is definitely the truck I see the most. Usually 2-3 times a week. I have only seen the matco truck around here like twice in 5 years but I see a fair amount of matco tools around.

Now, the next decent size town to the west is totally different. Those guys all have mac and cornwell. I see the mac and cornwell trucks almost every time I'm over that way.

Crazy!

 

[67King]

Around here, the Gearwrench guy, who used to be the Cornwell guy, is probably the biggest. Snap-on guy quit, and there is a non-franchise (i.e. corportate owned) guy operating that truck at present. I do see the Mac and occasionally a Matco truck around town, but neither stop by places where my friends work/own.

 

[Fordman7795]

Is OPs question pertaining to area or for the entire USA/canada? For starters since snapon is a public corp u can view their financials for 2014.

 

[gungatim]

according to this site http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Snap-On_(SNA)
snap-on owns half of the market share for the professional tools business.

interesting read there. they also have 36% of the diagnostics market...

 

[iajonesy]

I'm sure that market share per brand varies by area. I have lived in the midwest all my life (Illinois and Iowa) and have never seen a Cornwell truck. I also think that with Snap On being the oldest truck brand, they got a headstart on all the other truck brands, which lead to brand loyalty and a huge market share for them.

Mike

 

[firworks]

Here I see the Cornwell truck more than any other. Every day or so I see it on the main road here in town. I see Matco occasionally and I see Snap-On occasionally near all the little bearing and pump and machine shops on the way to work. I'm sure it's really location specific.

 

[Ponchoguy]

It greatly varies around here. Most shops I've been in the techs have Matco boxes but then they have Craftsman tools?

Then, the shops that just have their own tools for everyone to use I see more snap on. The snap on truck is definitely the truck I see the most. Usually 2-3 times a week. I have only seen the matco truck around here like twice in 5 years but I see a fair amount of matco tools around.

Now, the next decent size town to the west is totally different. Those guys all have mac and cornwell. I see the mac and cornwell trucks almost every time I'm over that way.

Crazy!

Same here. Remember that some techs have a "history". By that I mean, they may have been a dealer tech and been all Snap On, or all MAC, or all Matco perhaps, because that's who stopped by there or gave them the most credit. So what you see in their collection may be an accumulation of years of buying.

The shop I'm in has a virtual Sears catalog of toolboxes and yet you'll see two wide bay units from every tool truck maker out there too. Some HF and some Husky, Kobalt and Homak thrown in good measure.

If you talked to each guy you'd see that they came from different places which may have shaped their tool collection.

 

[unslow1]

I'm in central IL and have never seen a Cornwell truck. Snap on has 3 drivers in this town that I know of.

 

[Cato]

The shop I'm in has a mix of everything, alot of Sears Craftsman, MAC, Matco, Snap On, some Cornwell, some HF, SK, you name it.

The biggest surprise for me was to see how many Craftsman boxes out there working professionally. After reading all the CM hate on GJ, a guy would think CM was worthless. But they seem to work fine for a lot of mechanics.

 

[WhataTool]

Just by the number of franchise units for each:
Snap on = 4804 = 61%
Matco = 1599 = 21%
Mac = 856 = 11%
Cornwell = 564 = 7%

This is about correct.

 

[stihlntime]

In my area Snap On is king, but being very rural you have to find out when he is scheduled to be at a shop near by. All other brands are non existent. There is a Cornwell driver who is an ***,been thrown out of several shops after accusing techs of not paying for tools and then having techs produce receipts. I had one experience would not replace a tool that failed under normal use. Snap On's marketing is excellent hooking kids in trade classes/school with 50% off and high interest rates,brainwashing them early that SO is the only option. I would venture to guess the approach 70% marketshare in truck tool sales. All truck tool companies are nothing but a multi tiered marketing company similar to Avon,Away etc. IMho they could reach more customers by offering direct to user sales doing away with district and regional managers and trucks. Reduce the retail price and become the Amazon of tools with guaranteed next day delivery very few situations actually require same day service. Retail prices would probably could drop at least 40%. One day somebody will market this way.

 

[matt01073]

I am from western mass , i have been a mechanic in the same location since 1986. the only company that has had a truck in our area consistently since 1986 is snap on , we had a mac dealer back in the mid 90s he went under took at leas 5 or more years to get a new mac guy and he lasted a year and was gone we have a matco guy in our area now but until last year no matco for at least 20 years I have never seen a cornwell truck in mass. the matco guy as well as prior mac dealers have a hard time in our area because the prior history is so bad that only new guys in shops will buy from them , due to all the old guys have seen that there was noe service from mac or atco for years . we did have a mac company rep come in maybe 10 years ago promised a new dealer soon he took some broken tools from our shop with a promise to bring me replacements never some him or my tools again since then sold all non snap on tools on ebay and wouldnt give mac or matco a second look not because i have anything against the tools but i dont need the hastle of trying to get replacements if i need something. Have had same snap on guy for 20 years before that even when between dealers company guy was there every week and any warantees or ordered items came right away

 

[Skin]

I have never seen a cornwell truck in mass.

Come east, there are a number of them in the greater Boston area and surrounding suburbs. Also a couple in southern NH. For me Snap-On and Cornwell are the most prevalent. MAC is a distant third and Matco is very rare. The local Snap-On guy, who has been around for decades, drives a rolling ash tray and is often out of the loop on new tools/promo and lacks fresh stock. Im not a regular stop for any of them and am too frugal to feed them on a weekly basis so as a result I do 95% of my buying online.