What tools do you buy snap-on?

[wrnchmonkey]

Flank drive plus and ratchets if I were to start over and a variety for everything else.

 

[fanatic]

Love their ratchets, especially the locking flex heads and the socket extensions, I find the knurling helps me a lot.

 

[mikebaker1129]

I am not a pro mechanic,just a HVAC tech\ maintenance man and a total cheap Azz and I do like quality tools to work . While I do not frequent the Snap on truck very often,I do feel there are some items they sell that I prefer over other brands.
The older Snap On Ajustable wrenches are smoother, needle nose pliers,ratchets are some of the best I have used and I do like the ratcheting screwdrivers and bits.
I do feel Snap On does ^ better than others.

 

[tam]

I sold my snap on 1/2 because it couldn't keep up with my Milwaukee, and plus their batteries are cheaper and the warrenty is better. 3 on tool and 5 on the battery

You've got it backwards. 5 years on the tool and 3 on most batteries.

Battery warranty list: http://www.milwaukeetool.com/service/milwaukee-warranty/cordless-battery-pack

That being said, I own most of the Fuel 12v Line and love 'em. The ratchets come in handy too. I just need to save up for an M18 Fuel 1/2" impact wrench and I'll be set for a while. Too bad no student discounts on Milwaukee stuff (AFAIK.) (Mechanics/Collision student myself.)

I worked in a collision shop a couple summers back and the body techs told me if I bought one Snap-On tool it should be this cordless screwdriver:

https://store.snapon.com/CTS596-Ser...-9-6V--Screwdriver-Cordless-9-6V-P819580.aspx

Forward and reverse on the same trigger.

 

[ZRX61]

None.

 

[techenthusiast]

Snappy adjustable wrenches are really nice they have small ridges and a finer movement than any others that i have used. there def not worth the retail price, but I use them a lot more than I thought I ever would. its a 4pc set I used alot with the knipex pliers Wrench for clean plumbing ie.. Brass and copper fittings

You can eliminate the middle man and get them under the name bahco, same thing and direct

 

[Finky198]

That's subjective. Each person has their own taste

Milwaukee feels like cheap junk to me. Especially their ratchets. I doubt the 1/2 gun would hold a candle to my snapon one

I couldn't agree more about Milwaukee I'm a Hilti addict myself

 

[MilwaukeeFish]

I hesitate to bring this up.... and I'm not looking to start a COO swordfight: but some of the cordless Snap-On products are made in China.

Whether that affects the quality or not, it's hard to say. If Snap-On has stringent overseas QC it may be OK.

Excellent QC or not, that is a ton of money to pay for something made in China just because it says Snap-On....student discount or not.

With the SEP discount you'd come in at about the same money or just a bit above some of the Milwaukee stuff and I'm not so sure you'd be coming out ahead in terms of overall quality or bang for the buck.

I know you (OP) wanted to know what Snap-on excels at to take advantage of the discounts while you can. Others have given the best advice there imho: the hardline hand tools. That would be spending your money wisely.

Theoretically spending your discount on Chinese made tools with the Snap-on name when the opportunity exists to get the same discount on the really expensive USA stuff seems like a poor allocation of resources to me.

I worked in a collision shop a couple summers back and the body techs told me if I bought one Snap-On tool it should be this cordless screwdriver:

https://store.snapon.com/CTS596-Ser...-9-6V--Screwdriver-Cordless-9-6V-P819580.aspx

Forward and reverse on the same trigger.

I do have the cts561 screwdriver and 7.2v 1/4 impact and I'm actually a big fan of them. Plus, with the discount it's not a Crazy price.

 

[jrobb316]

It is of my personal opinion that snap-on does not do power tools very well. I have some old NiCad stuff that is pretty good, but I wouldn't touch their newest offerings with batteries costing $200 or something stupid like that. And they do fail. I have Makita stuff and have been very happy with it. As far as air tools go, their air hammer and 3/8 air ratchets are awesome. I like the 3/8 impact and own it, but the 1/2 you can keep. Otherwise I have an air drill (older model) that doesn't see much action but when it does it works great too.

 

[mrborohachi]

3/8 drive Mid length impact sockets. Add an impact swivel and you have a deep length socket. For shallow singles order them from Cripe

 

[oldtimehockey]

I recommend buying the best quality hand tools that you can afford...not necessarily Snap-on...

 

[cludwin]

Ratchets
Talon grip pliers (needle nose + duck bill in several sizes)
Sockets: 1/4 and 3/8 mid length.
Ratcheting screwdriver
Flare nut wrenches
FD+ ratcheting wrenches
Zero offset long double box end wrenches

All of these I own and really like, spendy but worth the money and w/ sep discount are a great deal.

 

[AmishFury]

Trusty cook does NOT make the dead blows.......

since when?

 

[rodsnratfinks]

Since the most recent generation, from what I've read.

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[Adam.C]

Basic alignments require stuff up to 24/26/27 and even a few beyond. 24mm is a common strut/shock bolt size, and you need to brace one side while you impact the other. EGR tubes aren't coming off with a pliers wrench, and some of those are up to 30mm.

I too, disagree with Adam.

I think you missed my point. I mentioned specific sizes. I wasn't just guessing at random numbers.

My point wasn't that you will never need large wrenches. My point was that you may never need 28,31,33, or 35mm. These are non-standard sizes. Doesn't mean you will never encounter them. But I can't recommend buying them now "just in case" because they are SO much money and you may never use them. They are $70-$100 a piece.

To be fair to Snap On, Snap On typically offers sizes in sets that make sense. Their 8-36mm FD+ wrench set doesn't include 28,31,33, 35mm. I have a short set of 1/2" impacts (that came free with a gun, which I didn't buy) that includes only the most used sizes: 17-19, 21,22,24,and 27mm. That's a set that makes sense. I may require other sizes (haven't so far) but I'll buy those as and when required.

Sometimes the sizes they exclude is confusing. My 3/8" swivel impact socket set includes 10-18mm inclusive. Why no 19mm? 19mm is the DIN std for M12. I think Snap On is saying we would be better off using 1/2" drive for that. And since the DIN is now superceded by the ISO std which calls for 18mm head on M12, Snap On's set is "future proofed".

 

[Adam.C]

since when?

OMG search for it. So many discussions about this.

TC makes the hot cast urethane stuff. Snap On's smooth plastic hammers with the black grips are made in house. Been years and years since Snap On had TC hammers.

 

[abvw]

Sometimes the sizes they exclude is confusing. My 3/8" swivel impact socket set includes 10-18mm inclusive. Why no 19mm? 19mm is the DIN std for M12. I think Snap On is saying we would be better off using 1/2" drive for that. And since the DIN is now superceded by the ISO std which calls for 18mm head on M12, Snap On's set is "future proofed".

They skip 11, 16 and 19mm on that set because the 7pc SAE will fill the gaps, same with a lot of other smaller, incomplete BOGO sets. IMO it makes a lot more sense to buy two sets of 7pc SAE and Metric (and combine them) than a full 10pc Metric set.

Sent from my Q10 using Tapatalk

 

[2ndGearRubber]

I think you missed my point. I mentioned specific sizes. I wasn't just guessing at random numbers.

My point wasn't that you will never need large wrenches. My point was that you may never need 28,31,33, or 35mm. These are non-standard sizes. Doesn't mean you will never encounter them. But I can't recommend buying them now "just in case" because they are SO much money and you may never use them. They are $70-$100 a piece.

I think we're both making the same point. Own the wrenches, just from a different, cheaper, manufacturer.

 

[canuckian]

The ones I feel snap on does better than anyone else and are worth the price of admission are FD+ combination wrenches, line wrenches, high performance box wrenches, ratcheting screwdriver and most of their dual 80 ratchets. If I had access to SEP, that list would be bigger.

 

[FMC1959]

Is the steel on the SO FD+ better than the steel used on the Wright grip wrenches? Remember that I'm hoping to get at least 10-15 years out of these tools, and I do have half off snap-on so there isn't much of a price difference.

That is hard to say, not sure either Wright or So disclose their exact composition. They are made in the USA and have a lifetime warranty. You can read many WrightGrip reviews, you won't read much on metal failure.

Then if you haven't seen these 2 videos, good to see.

Will they go 10-15 years, I would say SO & Wright should last a lifetime and you can probably pass down to your kids.

 

[ScottsGT]

About 33 years ago I was in your shoes as a student at my local Tech school taking Auto Body Repair. I too got sucked into the Snap-On truck and started a small collection. I think my first purchases were combination wrenches and 3/8 drive 6 pt. sockets. Shallow, deep, SAE and Metric.
No regrets. I still have these high end tools today, and now my kids are using them for their car repairs at my home. I left the Auto Body industry after 11 years, but kept all my tools.
Just avoid going in debt too deep. Set a personal credit limitation and stick to it.

 

[maxpower_hd]

The flank drive wrenches are awesome compared to pretty much every other wrench I've used. Their flank drive plus adjustables are nice. Pretty much any hand tool that gets used a lot is a good buy at half price. I would stick with other brand names for electric tools in my opinion.

 

[Wakefield]

They skip 11, 16 and 19mm on that set because the 7pc SAE will fill the gaps, same with a lot of other smaller, incomplete BOGO sets. IMO it makes a lot more sense to buy two sets of 7pc SAE and Metric (and combine them) than a full 10pc Metric set.

Sent from my Q10 using Tapatalk

Would you rather have a 5/8" inch tool rather than the 16 mm. one?
Or the 19 mm. one instead of the 3/4" one?
Would the tighter one ever have trouble fitting? (I don't think so)

 

[BottomLineReviews]

Keep the advice coming!

 

[abvw]

Would you rather have a 5/8" inch tool rather than the 16 mm. one?
Or the 19 mm. one instead of the 3/4" one?
Would the tighter one ever have trouble fitting? (I don't think so)

It's only off by a couple of thousandth, between tool and fastener tolerance, it barely makes any difference, as modern sockets and wrenches all have off-corner engagement feature that requires a little bit of play to work.

The combined sets will have 3/8", 1/2", 9/16" and 11/16" which are rather common on aftermarket parts. You won't be able to do anything to these SAE fasteners if you only have the metric set.

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[Mikerodrig27]

When you get to applying serious torque on a fastener that won't cooperate, You'll want the tigher socket. A couple of thousands may make the socket grab on the corners. I've experienced this with 3/4" and 19mm. Sometimes you'll have to tap the socket with something to get it to come off of the fastener. This means it's grabbing it wrong.

 

[threewood]

I just wrench on my own cars and have a very modest tool collection composed of CM, SK, Wright, Armstrong. But I did spend up for Snap On flare end wrenches. They are well worth it IMHO and save me a lot of cussing when doing brake lines.

 

[66354dream]

1/2 off ????,,,,,get everything you can, SO tools keep their value for a good reason, I'm not a SO or nothing kinda guy BTW most of my stuff is Craftsman and a little of everything else, but I treasure my SO stuff.

 

[AmishFury]

SO tools keep their value for a good reason

i'd say this is a fairly accurate breakdown of why used snap-on holds value

60% is from the fanboyism that surrounds the logo
30% of it is because of the insane markup for new off the truck
10% is because they are actually quality tools

 

[BottomLineReviews]

Definitely gonna get as set of line wrenches, it really ***** having to buy standard and metric everything though.

 

[shoggoth80]

If you don't see yourself doing a lot of work on classic American cars, big diesel, or tractors... why get SAE as a starter? When I am working trailers, it's pretty much all SAE. If I swap to light side work, it's metric, with rare exception. I think our heavy diesels run largely metric now, but I'm not super experienced on that side of the shop.

The stuff you get is generally directly linked to what you are gonna wrench on.

 

[WhiffySpark]

If you don't see yourself doing a lot of work on classic American cars, big diesel, or tractors... why get SAE as a starter? When I am working trailers, it's pretty much all SAE. If I swap to light side work, it's metric, with rare exception. I think our heavy diesels run largely metric now, but I'm not super experienced on that side of the shop.

The stuff you get is generally directly linked to what you are gonna wrench on.

I have one set of shallow deep SAE sockets. I have 7ish sets of 3/8 metric sockets.

Honestly I've been using 1/4 drive the most lately.

I have an Ernst rail of 3/8 swivels and 8-24mm short sockets. That covers 90% of the jobs.

 

[AmishFury]

doesn't even have to be classic american... a fair few 90s vehicles will need both metric and SAE

 

[BottomLineReviews]

I also (unfortunately) have to work on a ton of Briggs and Stratton small engine. Which has been all metric in my experience.

 

[Finky198]

anyone that tells u that u only need Metric... Needs there head examined

or maybe they just work in a specialized environment

I promise you will need both at some point Especially in auto body when working on classic cars

at a min I would get 3/8 shallow and deep in sae.

 

[shoggoth80]

Did I say "only get metric?" No. I didn't. I asked why SAE for starting out? I grew up wrenching on old VWs and Japanese bikes...I used predominantly metric. Now, what I use is directly related to what I work on...like most everyone else.

Good point about transitional US cars. Those can have both under the hood.

I use almost no SAE outside of work. Household stuff, and lawn equipment. My cars are imports, the project trike is VW based, and when I can, my bikes are still Japanese...so metric is king in my home tools.

All I am recommending is buy for what you expect to need first, and back-fill/flesh out your sets for contingency later. Whichever direction that needs to go.

 

[Delerium]

anyone that tells u that u only need Metric... Needs there head examined

or maybe they just work in a specialized environment

I promise you will need both at some point Especially in auto body when working on classic cars

at a min I would get 3/8 shallow and deep in sae.

Depends where in the world you are. Im in New Zealand, which means mainly japanese vehicles and some european, not much in the way of american except for ford, which may have gone to metric as well (dont work on them dont know).

Really the only time SAE is used is OPE which tends to be american (briggs, ****** all else) and aircraft. I dont have any SAE tools, not needed.

 

[TOOL FANATIK]

i just baught a snap-on 1/4 socket rail that'll hold six sockets. the rail is machined aluminum and the socket holders are locking and spring released. the springs are a little too strong,as they'll send the socket shooting a good 5' in the air! awesome! best 9$ ive spent in a long time. not to mention best socket rail ive ever owned.

 

[zosk]

Screwdrivers - even my wife likes them better than all the other ones I have in the house (she doesn't know how much they cost though).

 

[BottomLineReviews]

I have a my most used sizes (1/2,9/16) (12,14) (8,10) etc. in high performance wrenches, is it worth getting the full set? Also, can I use line wrenches on things other than the typical brake fittings, etc.