Why are Snap-On toolboxes so expensive?

[Silver Lexus]

I spent a lot of time researching toolboxes and one thing that shocked me about the garage upgrade I was doing for both myself and my clients was the multi-$10K prices of Snap-On.

Now I get that Snap-On makes great tools and has a very impressive branding and heritage. And they offer financing which is a big help…

But as looked at the drawers and visited shops I found the Rousseau drawers to be better made due to the carriage system. They are expensive as well but generally a half to even one third of comparable Snap-On pricing.

What am I missing?

In any event I went with 60” wide Rousseau cabinets.

 

[finn]

Marketing and sheeple.

Great boxes, but in the end it’s “what the market will bear”.

Why is a Rolex so expensive?

 

[Silver Lexus]

Marketing and sheeple.

Great boxes, but in the end it’s “what the market will bear”.

Why is a Rolex so expensive?

True, branding is important.

 

[Silver Lexus]

Are techs wanting Snap-On Epiq boxes as it confers some status on them?

 

[Firebrick43]

Are techs wanting Snap-On Epiq boxes as it confers some status on them?

Yes. You can’t believe the number of young tech over the years that have the top snap on box that are 1/2 or even 1/3 full with sometimes cheap tools.

Your tool box is what everyone sees.

Now while I agree the a Lista style cabinet is a much better value it’s not like a nice snap on box if one doesn’t go too overboard with the monstrous sized one, will not actually cost a lot over the period of a mechanics career on a yearly basis.

Rolex’s are the same way. I know guys with them that have worn their one and only for 30 years. I will stick with my seiko 5 and save a bit however.

Probably better than buying a Lexus over a Toyota

 

[gmcgeo]

Are techs wanting Snap-On Epiq boxes as it confers some status on them?

Big boxes for little packages

 

[Skellyii]

Marketing, marketing and marketing.

Rousseau?? Is that a French salad dressing?? Lista?? Is that one of those fancy Italian pastas??

Even my mom, who never touched a wrench in her very long life, knew about Snap-On.

BTW: Did I mention marketing??

 

[pi_guy]

I have a 50 year old taco box have had many other boxes and none put up with abuse that my SO boxes have. When we used to clean the shop floor we put the formula car on the Taco box made it easier to move about.
I have one box with a 3 in 1 on the top miller drill and lathe and 2k lbs in tooling in the drawers even the SO dealer was impressed what I did to that box.
There is a lot of hate for the SO route guys but the tools have not failed me and often I was brought into the job because I had the right tools.

 

[Silver Lexus]

I have a 50 year old taco box have had many other boxes and none put up with abuse that my SO boxes have. When we used to clean the shop floor we put the formula car on the Taco box made it easier to move about.
I have one box with a 3 in 1 on the top miller drill and lathe and 2k lbs in tooling in the drawers even the SO dealer was impressed what I did to that box.
There is a lot of hate for the SO route guys but the tools have not failed me and often I was brought into the job because I had the right tools.

I don’t question Snap-On quality or durability but just the quality versus price.

 

[ATC]

It’s a shop status symbol for most. Gotta have that truck brand box to fit in. Like said above, marketing around the ‘Snap-On’ name over the years has grown the price higher than the quality.

 

[larry_g]

I spent a lot of time researching toolboxes and one thing that shocked me about the garage upgrade I was doing for both myself and my clients was the multi-$10K prices of Snap-On.

.

What am I missing?

In any event I went with 60” wide Rousseau cabinets.

I don't know who your 'clients' are but are you dealing with retail Snap-on or are you dealing with the industrial sales division? You'll find that the industrial price list is quite a bit different than the retail list.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[nadogail]

One Mechanic of my acquaintance told me he had previously been employed at a shop where all the Mechanics were required by the shop owner, as a condition of employment, to have Snap-On tool boxes; this was because the shop owner wanted to present a "Professional Image" to customers.

The shop owner did not concern himself with the tools the Mechanics paid for and used, it was all about "Image".

 

[Silver Lexus]

I don't know who your 'clients' are but are you dealing with retail Snap-on or are you dealing with the industrial sales division? You'll find that the industrial price list is quite a bit different than the retail list.

lg
no neat sig line

The tool truck guy.

 

[NUTTSGT]

As a home guy, I have no doubt about the HF boxes I bought last year will last just as long as the Cman they replaced. However, what I bought for half the money of Snap On made a decision for me.

Personally, I can't justify the cost of a Snap On box.

 

[logical]

Yes. You can’t believe the number of young tech over the years that have the top snap on box that are 1/2 or even 1/3 full with sometimes cheap tools.

Your tool box is what everyone sees.

Now while I agree the a Lista style cabinet is a much better value it’s not like a nice snap on box if one doesn’t go too overboard with the monstrous will not actually cost a lot over the period of a mechanics career on a yearly basis.

Rolex’s are the same way. I know guys with them that have worn their one and only for 30 years. I will stick with my seiko 5 and save a bit however.

Probably better than buying a Lexus over a Toyota

Except if you bought a Rolex in 1995 it's very likely worth 3 to 5 or more times what you paid in 1995.

 

[Firebrick43]

Except if you bought a Rolex in 1995 it's very likely worth 3 to 5 or more times what you paid in 1995.

If you didn't wear it much or at all I agree. Worn daily for 30 years unless sent in for a rebuild and new crystal recently, probably not

 

[58Yeoman]

My first wife and I both bought knock-off Rolex's off a friend of ours for $50 each just for fun. The battery finally ran down on mine and the jewelry store wouldn't replace it because it was fake, even though I told her that I knew it. We eventually quit wearing them because we didn't want to get mugged for phony watches.

I always had Craftsman boxes, but went to a HF box maybe ten years ago. Larger and smoother drawers, but still have the old combo set too. I have a few SO tools because at the time I needed them and the truck was there. I CAN tell the difference between them and C-man.

What is a taco box? My mind is failing me here.

 

[Firebrick43]

What is a taco box? My mind is failing me here.

Kennedy made some as well. Very popular with aircraft mechanics and industrial mechanics.

A lot of mechs would make a tow bar to pull them around with a tug or talor dunn cart

 

[Snapped-off]

How much was shipping on the Rosseau?

 

[Wrench97]

I spent a lot of time researching toolboxes and one thing that shocked me about the garage upgrade I was doing for both myself and my clients was the multi-$10K prices of Snap-On.

Now I get that Snap-On makes great tools and has a very impressive branding and heritage. And they offer financing which is a big help…

But as looked at the drawers and visited shops I found the Rousseau drawers to be better made due to the carriage system. They are expensive as well but generally a half to even one third of comparable Snap-On pricing.

What am I missing?

In any event I went with 60” wide Rousseau cabinets.

Rousseau doesn't come to the shops and sell them, I don't believe I've ever seen one 50 years of being in shops.
Snap On boxes do go on sale and very few guy pay list price for one. Personally mine were all bought used for less then 1/2 of what they listed for minus the trade in.

 

[finn]

Rousseau doesn't come to the shops and sell them, I don't believe I've ever seen one 50 years of being in shops.
Snap On boxes do go on sale and very few guy pay list price for one. Personally mine were all bought used for less then 1/2 of what they listed for minus the trade in.

So it depreciated 50% during the time the original owner had it?

Not a very good investment on his part, was it?

 

[CJM8515]

are they that good, yea in most cases. but your box dont make you any money. the tools inside it do. if you have the coin, by all means. or be like the rest of us plebs with harbor freight or similar and not have a payment for a box to the snap on man every week.

 

[NHtoolguy]

are they that good, yea in most cases. but your box dont make you any money. the tools inside it do. if you have the coin, by all means. or be like the rest of us plebs with harbor freight or similar and not have a payment for a box to the snap on man every week.

I was told by a Snap-on dealer years ago to use a Craftsman toolbox and fill it with Snap-on tools. Apply the money saved on the box to acquire better quality tools that actually do the work. It always seemed like good advice. However, I had a home shop and didn't need a rugged toolbox for a more demanding environment.

 

[Wrench97]

So it depreciated 50% during the time the original owner had it?

Not a very good investment on his part, was it?

He neglected to make the payments on it.

 

[finn]

He neglected to make the payments on it.

Exactly. Not a very good acquisition on his part, was it?

 

[545_days]

Snap-On makes the best toolboxes. They are absolutely great boxes that will stand up to abuse.

I am not a pro mechanic, so I didn't need a box that can be repeatedly moved from shop to shop and and I won't be opening the drawers hundreds of times every day. I have no customers to impress, so a cheaper box of reasonable quality suits me fine. You might well have other needs, or simply want a Snap-On box. There is nothing wrong with buying nice things if you can afford them without endangering your family's financial stability or your retirement.

 

[denis4x4]

The price of a Snap-On themed tool box includes royalty payments to GM, Ford, H-D, etc.

 

[58Yeoman]

Kennedy made some as well. Very popular with aircraft mechanics and industrial mechanics.

A lot of mechs would make a tow bar to pull them around with a tug or talor dunn cart

Thank you for the info.

 

[Silver Lexus]

How much was shipping on the Rosseau?

$335 for the drawers, my cabinet was a customer return so I got a deal on that.

 

[Silver Lexus]

Rousseau doesn't come to the shops and sell them, I don't believe I've ever seen one 50 years of being in shops.
Snap On boxes do go on sale and very few guy pay list price for one. Personally mine were all bought used for less then 1/2 of what they listed for minus the trade in.

Rousseau are in a number of luxury car dealerships like Porsche and Ferrari and big industrial warehouses.

 

[pi_guy]

Kennedy made some as well. Very popular with aircraft mechanics and industrial mechanics.

A lot of mechs would make a tow bar to pull them around with a tug or talor dunn cart

Missing the locking leg.
Mine came with a tow bracket.
I have a Wilton 6" vise on top.

 

[rust in the eye]

One Mechanic of my acquaintance told me he had previously been employed at a shop where all the Mechanics were required by the shop owner, as a condition of employment, to have Snap-On tool boxes; this was because the shop owner wanted to present a "Professional Image" to customers.

The shop owner did not concern himself with the tools the Mechanics paid for and used, it was all about "Image".

What a putz. There is no correlation between tool brand used and a mechanic's competency.
As if the average Joe knows or cares, and if he does may infer that HE is paying for those pricey boxes. Might just as well slap a SnapOn badge on any old box and fool the 90%.
Want me to buy a five figure tool box? You'd better write that check yourself.

 

[Steve_P]

Pretty much everything that SO makes is expensive, and the tool boxes are no exception. I'm not going to look it up, but I'm guessing that a set of SO combo wrenches costs 2-3X more than a comparable USA made Wright and Proto set. You're paying for the driver's salary, free financing, CEO's million+ dollar salary, free warranty replacements.... Also, SO is a publicly held company which means that they have to increase profits every year; this means constantly raising prices at rates higher than inflation, even when inflation is 2%.

Saying that, if you live in a decent sized metro area like I do, you should be able to get a like new SO box on FB for 30-40% of the list price, which can put it at a similar price to Icon. And you can typically get replacement parts, free, for SO boxes decades later- this is also what you're paying for.

 

[Buxfan]

Around here I can find used snap on boxes for 25-30% of original MSRP via FMP and CL. They don't hold their value at all and if you're not in a rush, you can find them with hardly any use.

 

[Snapped-off]

$335 for the drawers, my cabinet was a customer return so I got a deal on that.

I was quoted like 750-800 for shipping in 2021. Kinda killed the deal on the Rosseau I was going to order.

 

[Firebrick43]

Missing the locking leg.
Mine came with a tow bracket.
I have a Wilton 6" vise on top.

What are you calling a “locking leg”

 

[bustedcrawler]

Saying that, if you live in a decent sized metro area like I do, you should be able to get a like new SO box on FB for 30-40% of the list price, which can put it at a similar price to Icon. And you can typically get replacement parts, free, for SO boxes decades later- this is also what you're paying for.

Exactly this.

I have a good long time friend, he went and got a brand new Icon for roughly the same that I paid for my Epiq. I was patient and it took a lot of years of wait and looking to find the right deal. The Craftsman and Kobalt boxes were doing fine but I wanted 1 box for everything and have wanted an Epiq after getting to work out of one at a friend's shop.

 

[Silver Lexus]

I was quoted like 750-800 for shipping in 2021. Kinda killed the deal on the Rosseau I was going to order.

The shipping from Canada and given the weight is expensive but the quality is so high I think it's well worth it. I suspect a good distributor might be able to offset that a bit with a discount.

 

[NUTTSGT]

What a putz. There is no correlation between tool brand used and a mechanic's competency.
As if the average Joe knows or cares, and if he does may infer that HE is paying for those pricey boxes. Might just as well slap a SnapOn badge on any old box and fool the 90%.
Want me to buy a five figure tool box? You'd better write that check yourself.

I wonder if the shop owner was trying to justify the high shop labor rates due to techs owning SO boxes/tools. Blatantly lying to the customer about what he "has to pay the techs" because of the cost of tools.

 

[dave*99]

I don't know who your 'clients' are but are you dealing with retail Snap-on or are you dealing with the industrial sales division? You'll find that the industrial price list is quite a bit different than the retail list.

lg
no neat sig line

I had the same experience when I bought my box. Although it was some time ago. Snap On had a KiQ line. Same box, except the chrome trim strips on the drawers are black. I worked in a R&D facility that had a large machine shop. The Snap On industrial rep visited often. He was competing with Kennedy etc.

The boxes I bought were much less expensive than the ones sold on the truck. I had pricing sheets for both. The industrial rep also sold the full line of SO tools at a significant discount. No financing. Delivery to the loading dock at work.