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What Do You Guys Sugest

CaptinCrash

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2007
Messages
16
Location
Capo Beach CA
Hi guys I'm A high school Senior that has allway loved auto i'm in my high schools auto academy and i work for a off road race team i'm wouldering what tool companys would you guys suggest for me to buy from I allready have some Craftsman stuff and I get 60 to 40% off on any snap on tool I would just like to get some other opions on what to get besides my auto teacher who the biggest snapon advokit in the world thanks
 
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martell06

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 6, 2007
Messages
183
Location
NE Ohio/Central Michigan
i personally started by buying the biggest craftsman set i could afford and started building onto it from there. with that killer snap-on deal i would use it to buy what some refer to as the snap-on necessities, ratchets, screwdrivers, and line wrenches, considered by many around here as the best you can buy. be sure to use the search function and you will find more tool info than you know what to do with.
 

wilbilt

Banned
Joined
Aug 17, 2006
Messages
5,602
Location
NorCal
The Craftsman tools will definitely get you started. Look to other quality brands such as S•K and Armstrong, too. There is a lot of value out there for the dollar compared to the truck brands. I know this because I lived it.

Another thing I must say, please do not take it personally. You need to work on the communication skills. I understand the frustrations of dyslexia, but you must not use it as an excuse.

Being able to communicate effectively is a large part of being successful in any field; in the technical trades it means being able to efficiently read and comprehend service manuals as well as understanding the needs of your customers. Don't dismiss proper spelling and punctuation as insignificant.
 

MustangRick

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 26, 2006
Messages
308
Location
KC
First, figure out if you are going to make a living with the tools. If so, buy professional grade tools. If you are just going to be a weekend mechanic, then Craftsman should get you by. You don't want to buy a grand of Craftsman to turn around and replace every piece of it with SO.
If you go to an auto college, you get a discount with what ever tool seller the school is attached to (I'm sure it is a similar discount to what you have now.) If you are going to make a living with your tools then you are going to drop a serious amount on tools in the near future. I am sure most guys are fans of what ever brand they have the most of. You would be nuts to pass up a 40% discount to get a different brand name.
 
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CaptinCrash

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2007
Messages
16
Location
Capo Beach CA
The Craftsman tools will definitely get you started. Look to other quality brands such as S•K and Armstrong, too. There is a lot of value out there for the dollar compared to the truck brands. I know this because I lived it.

Another thing I must say, please do not take it personally. You need to work on the communication skills. I understand the frustrations of dyslexia, but you must not use it as an excuse.

Being able to communicate effectively is a large part of being successful in any field; in the technical trades it means being able to efficiently read and comprehend service manuals as well as understanding the needs of your customers. Don't dismiss proper spelling and punctuation as insignificant.

Yes I know I go To a speacial School After Regular School Every day Where I have A person Help me with my Writeing and Cummuncation skills
 
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CaptinCrash

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2007
Messages
16
Location
Capo Beach CA
First, figure out if you are going to make a living with the tools. If so, buy professional grade tools. If you are just going to be a weekend mechanic, then Craftsman should get you by. You don't want to buy a grand of Craftsman to turn around and replace every piece of it with SO.
If you go to an auto college, you get a discount with what ever tool seller the school is attached to (I'm sure it is a similar discount to what you have now.) If you are going to make a living with your tools then you are going to drop a serious amount on tools in the near future. I am sure most guys are fans of what ever brand they have the most of. You would be nuts to pass up a 40% discount to get a different brand name.

I am definetly Making snap on think twice about the student discount Program
 

Fedwrench

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Dec 9, 2007
Messages
14,951
Location
Valley of the sun
As an entry level tech, you don't need the mother of all tool wagons. I would recommend trying to get sponsored by a dealership in your area and attend either ASEP (GM), ASSET (Ford), or the Chrysler program if they're available in your area. They're two year programs offered at many community colleges where you alternate 8 week cycles attending courses and working in the dealership. It's a great way to earn an associate's degree, earn some money, and gain experience while learning. It isn't easy working as an auto tech but, you need to figure out if that's really what you want to do before investing a large some of money in tools. Good luck,
 
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CaptinCrash

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2007
Messages
16
Location
Capo Beach CA
I was think more about being a mechanic For the fire department but I will take your advice in to considertion if that doesn't work out fedwrench
 

boiler7904

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 4, 2006
Messages
3,414
Location
NW IN
At that discount, buy the Snap-Ons. Worst case scenario, you decide you don't need or want them and sell them on e-bay where uneducated people spend crazy money (above retail) for the Snap-On brand.
 

Spookrider

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
525
Location
Eaton, Indiana
S&K Tool voctech tool program set are way better in volume and price wise. For few thousand at S&K will get you more tool for the same price as a very small tool package at Snap-On.
That what I got and now use at work to this day.
 
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Spookrider

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
525
Location
Eaton, Indiana
http://www.skhandtool.com/VTS03289.html

This is the S&K set I got few years ago and it was a little cheaper when I got it, but compair to Snap-On there is way more S&K tool for the price Snap-On asking for.

Also here a nice set to start with.
http://www.skhandtool.com/VTS03202.html
http://www.skhandtool.com/VTS03211.html
What is listed on this set is what I have mostly used at school.

The only thing that both set lack is your impact sockets and all your sepecal tools that you'll never ending buying.
 
Last edited:

arkracing

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 13, 2006
Messages
283
Location
Hartford, CT
I'm assuming that you plan on being a professional mechanic? If yes than I would take advantage of the Snap-on Discount for the highly used and abused tools:

Ratchets
Sockets
Screwdrivers
(The line wrenches are a good suggestion too)

I would steer clear of spending a ton of $$$ on a Snap-On tool box. I see tech's all the time with these huge tool boxes that are like 6k+. When I worked @ a body shop the owner had a Snap-On "1957 Chevy Tool box" I think it was over $25k after he got all the side boxes etc. Really - Who Cares???? Check Craigslist and other local swapper adds - you would be surprised @ how many used Snap-On tool boxes come up for sale Cheap.


A lot of guys rag on Craftsman tools. Craftsman ratchets plain **** - even thier professional line. I've never really had a problem with thier sockets and the only time that I've broken Craftsman sockets was because I did something stupid (like use it with an Impact Gun, or hammer a 14mm onto a 9/16" rusty bolt & used an impact on it :lol_hitti)
I don't use my tools everyday to make a living @ this point - so I can't say how a 10mm Craftsman socket would hold up to everyday use.
 

mhoffm911

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 3, 2007
Messages
511
CaptinCrash,

You can put technology to work for you - in helping correct your spelling. Simply install the Google toolbar which includes a spell check feature for any web form (such as this). As previously posted, you can also use the Firefox browser.

If I could buy Snap-on that cheap, I would be reselling it every day on eBay or elsewhere. There's a lot of money to be made that way.

Just saw you online at 7:57 - GET to SCHOOL!!
 
Joined
Jul 29, 2007
Messages
12,074
Location
Now Leaving , NJ
At that discount, buy the Snap-Ons. Worst case scenario, you decide you don't need or want them and sell them on e-bay where uneducated people spend crazy money (above retail) for the Snap-On brand.

I bought more snap on tools than your whole house is worth , and I got more skooling than u buddi
 

972500

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 15, 2006
Messages
258
Location
north canton, ohio
im at University of Northwestern Ohio and we are a SO school but all of the tool companys have special deals for students, usally called "votech... somthing or what". we get 50% off our orders for SO but the catch is you can only buy $7500 worth of tools and then you can choose between a top or bottom section of a box not both. everything has to be financed through snapon, no outside finance period, so it either cash, card or on thier account and you better belive they dont give you a break on interest. where as matcos votech program is a certain percentage off each tool, usally around 50% but some of there hand tools stuff is upwards of 80% and you can order there stuff online and it give you the student prices right there, just registar under the votech section and matcotools.com . but honestly, workin with SO everyday and then coming home on the weekends and workin ith my mostly matco and craftsman stuff, i dont notice enough of a difference to make up the giant price gap in most of the discount between the big 2 companys. me personally, im gonna stickwith matco except for one thing, the SO ratchets taht got the swivel head on them, im in love with those things lol. well are you thinking bout going to a votech college or just tryin to jump in a dealership? let me know what your thinking because went through the whole searching for a school bit last fall so its all still pretty fresh and i will help you with it if u want, ive had buddies at or still goin to all teh big schools UNOH(where im at), Wyotech (3 of the campuses), UTI (2 campuses), NADC(this school is a joke, thats my opinion) TDDS, OTC. well just let me know if u want any help with all that, send me a message or whatever. take care man and hang in there, make senior year the best, im glad i did.
have a good one
Mark
 

davestlouis

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Joined
Dec 9, 2007
Messages
1,689
Location
Lake St. Louis MO
Techs in this market make a hell of a lot more than $20K, journeyman scale is $24.85 flat rate, and bodymen at least can easily flag 2.0 hours per clock hour, so they effectively make $50/hr. Mechanical stuff has been time-studied to death so it's tougher for a mechanical tech to make big bucks.
 
Joined
Jul 29, 2007
Messages
12,074
Location
Now Leaving , NJ
not for an out of tech school noob , we start em at 10 an hour for a couple of years
flat rate doesn' t **** when you got work , which is rare these days , 25 bucks an hour at 20 hours for da week
 

davestlouis

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Joined
Dec 9, 2007
Messages
1,689
Location
Lake St. Louis MO
My apprentices make $12ish hourly to start, if they have any sort of talent and work ethic they quickly creep up to $20/hr flat rate. My top body man routinely runs 125 hrs a week, I have a 2 man paint team that flags 350 hrs combined, weekly, on a regular basis. Just have to be in a shop that stays busy.
 
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