Why Snap-On?

[byoungblood]

Are you a professional mechanic?

Does it really matter? He's more or less spot on.

Snap-On is great at marketing. They've been convincing mechanics for decades that buying anything else will cause fasteners to self-destruct the second the tool touches it.

I'm not denying they're great tools, but there are plenty of much more affordable alternatives of equal or near-equal quality. Most of these younger guys would be far better off buying a set of Wright, S-K, Proto or Williams wrenches and sockets, and pocketing the extra money to put away for a rainy day, than being tens of thousands of dollars in debt to the Snap-On guy. Then, as they progress, if they find they need some truck branded tools because they sell a tool that really is that much better, they can drop the coin on it then.

 

[four.cycle]

Some of the tools that I have in preference to, or equal to Snap-on are Proto, Indestro, Williams, and Mac.

One thing I CAN tell you is that many people will gravitate towards what the people around them use. when your starting out in a trade and the more senior employees swear by certain brands, logically it would seem they have a lot more experience, so their recommendations shouldn't be ignored. Even if their brand of choice is a great product, that doesn't mean there aren't other options that will work just as well. Most people don't have the means (or desire) to buy the same exact tools in 10 different brands so they can use them all side by side and then split hairs as to why they like one more than another.

(emphasis added)

Something that is in play here in this conversation is the fact that not one person commenting here has in fact used every brand of every different type of tool, a point which kctyphoon raises in his post cited just above.

ssdave obviously has tried more than one brand, and names a few viable options.
He also cites Indestro, which has been out of business since 1990.

I own very little Snap-on myself: a 1/4" drive ratchet and a set of 1/4" drive 12-point metric deep-well sockets is the extent of my Snap-on collection.
The Snap-on sockets are pretty nice, but I cannot make an apples-to-apples comparison between them and my Indestro 1/4" drive 6-point SAE deep-well sockets. Oddly a Craftsman 1/4" drive 12-point 5/16" deep-well I bought (because I couldn't find my Indestro) is surprisingly nice to work with, and it was about $5 five years ago (as opposed to $9.52 each for the Snap-on sockets about 20 years ago.)
I much prefer my #2875 Indestro 1/4" drive round-head fine-tooth ratchets to the Snap-on - there is simply no comparison: the Indestro #2875 is a work of art.

As has been stated, brand loyalty is all fine and well, but when there are other options available they should be explored before simply being dismissed out of hand - pliers probably being the best example where Snap-on might possibly not be the best choice in respect to "bang for the buck".

And in my mind, it makes no sense to pay a premium price for any product simply because it has a particular brand name stamped on it when in fact it was sourced from another manufacturer and could be had from the primary source for far less money: i.e., Wilde pry-bars, Wilde punches, Wilde pliers, Proamerica pliers, Kastar feeler gauges, OTC pullers, etc. If Snap-on isn't actually making the product, why pay them more for it when you can get it elsewhere for less?

Finally, don't forget to take a look at something which definitely comes into play here but nobody will admit to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-purchase_rationalization

 

[Wamsutta]

Snap-On is great at marketing.

The marketing didn't get me. What got me was how comfortable the tools are in my hands. I shop for tools like people shop for easy-chair recliners.

 

[toddoky]

Does it really matter? He's more or less spot on.

Snap-On is great at marketing. They've been convincing mechanics for decades that buying anything else will cause fasteners to self-destruct the second the tool touches it.

I'm not denying they're great tools, but there are plenty of much more affordable alternatives of equal or near-equal quality. Most of these younger guys would be far better off buying a set of Wright, S-K, Proto or Williams wrenches and sockets, and pocketing the extra money to put away for a rainy day, than being tens of thousands of dollars in debt to the Snap-On guy. Then, as they progress, if they find they need some truck branded tools because they sell a tool that really is that much better, they can drop the coin on it then.

Yes, I'd say it does matter from what point of reference he's calling other tool users, many of them members here, "idiots" for having a preference for a particular brand of tools. I've purchased loads of Snap-on tools over the years without suffering any financial duress and did so merely because I found them to work the best for what I was doing at the time.

 

[drink]

Is that an actual arm strong box? My kid would love that for Christmas

Yes it is an original Snap-On tool box. Mine says Snap-On on the top. They have made a few small tool boxes and they are not cheap to buy new. You might be able to find a good used or new box on eBay. Snap-On sells a nice little KRA24 box now online for about $203.00 new.

https://store.snapon.com/Metal-Boxe...ote-Tray-19-7-8-x-7-3-4-x-7-1-2--P630843.aspx

 

[PJNJ]

They price their products so high so all the idiots thinks their product is superior than others. Its mostly brand name. It happen all over the world. Some company will put high prices on their product with a label name. If their marketing dept. do a good job, they will succeed. Most idiots think highest price equal highest quality. Its not true. I tried some of SO products. It feels like any other product to me, not really worth their price at all.

Bet the next president will tap you for commerce secretary.

 

[kctyphoon]

Let me sum up this entire thread with just one sentence. -

People buy snap-on because they WANT to, and not because they NEED to.

There's nothing wrong with spending the money if it makes you happy, and if it's what you want - but it's hardly a necessity to own.

If you are starting out, you SHOULD consider where YOUR money is better placed.. If your personal situation allows you to splurge - go ahead. I buy **** I don't need all the time. But if your the kid BORROWING money to buy tools, smart spending should be seriously considered. Persoanlly - if I decided I was gonna blow $15,000 - I'd be perfectly happy with a $1500 HF toolbox, when it allowed me to put an 87 Grand National in my driveway instead of a snap on tool box in the garage. I think I'd have more enjoyment opening up that car on the highway then opening up some drawers at work.. But that's just me, everyone has their own idea of what's the best choice.

 

[four.cycle]

"...they are not cheap to buy new. You might be able to find a good used or new box on eBay."

used Snap-on boxes are not cheap either.

old Snap-on boxes command absurd prices on Ebay, even the ones that are rusty and banged up. a small box - 1/4" drive set size - 6-1/2", x 3" x 1" - if your timing was right you might be able to snag a beat-up one for about $35.

old Proto boxes are #2 on actual sale prices. S-K runs a very close third place.

older Craftsman steel boxes (with "Craftsman" molded into the lid) are commanding pretty respectable prices as well lately.

 

[Superbec]

The marketing didn't get me. What got me was how comfortable the tools are in my hands. I shop for tools like people shop for easy-chair recliners.

great marketing is just that, making you believe a ratchet (with no rubber grip) is more comfortable than a different one (you never actually used)with a rubber grip.

Recently after I joined gj I started to look into s.o... the retail prices are absolutely hilarious, I wouldn't pay that for a piece of metal if it came out of Angelina Jollie's but

 

[WhiffySpark]

Does it really matter? He's more or less spot on.

Snap-On is great at marketing. They've been convincing mechanics for decades that buying anything else will cause fasteners to self-destruct the second the tool touches it.

I'm not denying they're great tools, but there are plenty of much more affordable alternatives of equal or near-equal quality. Most of these younger guys would be far better off buying a set of Wright, S-K, Proto or Williams wrenches and sockets, and pocketing the extra money to put away for a rainy day, than being tens of thousands of dollars in debt to the Snap-On guy. Then, as they progress, if they find they need some truck branded tools because they sell a tool that really is that much better, they can drop the coin on it then.

Sure but how am I going to warranty those brands? What if I need a warranty today on it? What if I want to resale them? Horrible compared to snap on. Some people don't realize you don't have to pay msrp. I never do even on regular purchases. 10% off is normal. Sometimes 20%.

It does matter if you don't use your tools 5 days a week 10 hours a day to put food on your table

Just like that absolutely stupid line about tools all being the same. And then after sprouting off he asks to borrow someone's tool because his **** doesn't work for what he's doing. In my opinion the people who say they're just tools don't have to rely on them.

 

[trackwelder]

They price their products so high so all the idiots thinks their product is superior than others. Its mostly brand name. It happen all over the world. Some company will put high prices on their product with a label name. If their marketing dept. do a good job, they will succeed. Most idiots think highest price equal highest quality. Its not true. I tried some of SO products. It feels like any other product to me, not really worth their price at all.

Your entitled to your opinion, but to call people idiots for choosing Snap On is wrong. I have many Snap On tools along with tons of other brands, and the Snap On stuff is superior in my opinion.

 

[lilxtra]

I'm 50 yrs old and have been a mechanic almost all of my life (last 4 years now I have taught high school auto mechanics ). I have a small collection of Snap-On that I bought when I first became a mechanic and normally used Craftsman BUT I have recently started buying the high end stuff. Here's my point that has not been really explored and don't know why.... Buy the stuff used, I recently bought a set of Snap-On 3/8" swivel sockets that looked brand NEW, only 2 of them had been used for $150; these normally sell for $360 off the truck. If price is such a big deal, buy them slightly used off Craigslist or Ebay! I also recently purchased a high end Mac tool cart that is $1500 off the truck, drove 2 hrs and got one that other than a small scratch also looks practically brand new for $700. There's no way I would've gave $1500 but, $700 for one that looks new is not bad. Guys you don't have to pay RETAIL for this stuff! You can get quality without paying a war pension! Just my $.02

 

[pepgj]

Their phillips screwdrivers, while pricey, are the best I've ever used.

(this was in response to me saying that I wouldn't bother with Snap-on pliers or screwdrivers)

For some reason or the other I've ended up with all of the various Euro brands, and I'd have to vote for PB Swiss. To tell you the truth, I'm not quite sure how a person could accurately rank the top brands of screwdrivers, but I've definitely had the best luck with PB Swiss on sketchy fastener heads.

Honestly, if I were to start all over, I'd be tempted to own several different bit holder styles (t-handle, ratcheting, different lengths, soft and hard handle, hex and 1/4" square) and then just buy the best bits I could. I'll bet that would cover me 99% of the time. The bits could then just be a consumable part.

 

[t100]

I think the most overpriced items are their tool boxes and these which imported from China yet still have Snap On name on them(no, those Costco Snap On branded toys don't count).

 

[Hiball]

I hope you guys figure out "Why" or "Why Not" soon, the suspense is killing me.

Merry Christmas from my family to all of yours, I hope 2016 is full of Happiness, Health and Prosperity and it will grant you the power to spend your money how you see fit.

Steven

 

[pepgj]

I think the most overpriced items are their tool boxes and these which imported from China yet still have Snap On name on them(no, those Costco Snap On branded toys don't count).

Maybe a good measure of overpricedness is the difference between what people pay retail and how much the same thing goes for on eBay with just a few miles on it.

All of these manufacturers seem to have crazy high MSRPs. Just as an example, the Snap-on 222AFSP set (those general service 22 piece 3/8" socket sets in a plastic box w/ratchet, etc.) have a retail price of $689.30. Great googly moogly, I hope no one has ever paid anything near that. The Williams equivalent is the WSB-23HFTB at $260 or so (although it's less at various dealers).

In both cases, the eBay version will be 1/3 of that or less, there's probably a clue in that somewhere.

 

[OHMS LAW]

My box was made in Algona Iowa

 

[BDT/NWMN]

I am not a tech, but a full time farmer and something is always broke or waiting to be fixed
I bought all craftsman tools 20 years ago and when my open end wrenches started flexing and my neighbor was a John Deere mechanic and loaned me his flank drive plus wrenches all my tools are now snap on and worth every penny to me. Being out in the country its 30 miles one way to go and warranty a box store or craftsman tool but 4 tractor for dealerships within 5 miles of my farm I just call snap on rep and he brings whatever I need. Which 90% of the time is a new purchase and not a warranty item.

Hope You had a Looonnnng cable when You towed this thread out of storage.... Sure wouldn't want the paint scorched on Your tractor.

I am in agreement about having good tools to work on your equipment.
With the cost of modern farm equipment; how many owners would be happy about cobble marks on fittings, fasteners, and adjustors? It appears to me that you want your bases covered... Having quality tools that will enable a proper and faster repair is beyond the scope of many members of Garage Journal. Downtime on this equipment during the busy seasons is the opposite of many members who are working on their own cars at leisure .... Guys working in a shop can hopefully borrow a tool from their co-worker in the next stall..
Not this convenient out on the farm....

I am not 100% SnapOn; never will be, and would never recommend that to anyone. My ProTo outnumbers my SnapOn. But, I am 90% satisfied with the SnapOn that I have.... Nobody forced or pressured me into buying anything.. I bought what I could justify and afford... I carried a balance on SnapOn accounts more than once, paid it off, and have enjoyed using many of those tools for over forty years..

Some members claim the SnapOn tools are too expensive for what you receive... With a cash basis and the WWW,, There are new and used tool offerings of many brands within a few keystrokes that will put quality, more affordable tools on our doorsteps. I have a deep appreciation for this service; and it has become my go to tool source..

I see merit in most of the postings in this thread... We all have our choices to make, and our reasons to make them..

 

[LXCam]

It's amazing how much more civil the original thread was back in 11 then today. Me thinks the ********* snaponists and inversely the harborfteightane's should just draw a line and get out their biggest weapons and have it out once and for all.

 

[Ponchoguy]

Let me sum up this entire thread with just one sentence. -

People buy snap-on because they WANT to, and not because they NEED to.

There's nothing wrong with spending the money if it makes you happy, and if it's what you want - but it's hardly a necessity to own.

If you are starting out, you SHOULD consider where YOUR money is better placed.. If your personal situation allows you to splurge - go ahead. I buy **** I don't need all the time. But if your the kid BORROWING money to buy tools, smart spending should be seriously considered. Persoanlly - if I decided I was gonna blow $15,000 - I'd be perfectly happy with a $1500 HF toolbox, when it allowed me to put an 87 Grand National in my driveway instead of a snap on tool box in the garage. I think I'd have more enjoyment opening up that car on the highway then opening up some drawers at work.. But that's just me, everyone has their own idea of what's the best choice.

My old supervisor who I have a lot of respect for (he's retired now) and I used to talk about this all the time. He was a mechanic for years and we used to learn a lot from each other, and he was the type of guy that if he liked you, he would help you out with a problem on a car or whatever you were working on.

"It's not the tools that make the mechanic". I truly believe that. Yes, there is a place for every tool brand out there. As others have said, spend your money as you see fit and what works for you.

I have some Snap On, I like it alot, but the way I bought my tool collection allows it to be portable as I stated before. To each his/her own.

 

[Ponchoguy]

It's amazing how much more civil the original thread was back in 11 then today. Me thinks the ********* snaponists and inversely the harborfteightane's should just draw a line and get out their biggest weapons and have it out once and for all.

+1. All of the replies here are opinions, nothing more than that. There is no "right" answer here. The same guy that says, "it's a fact, (insert brand) is better" is rendering an opinion. Nothing more.

The guy using (insert brand name other than SO) is getting the job done as well as the SO tool owner because he's a mechanic and has the skills to do the job right.

 

[Rubiman14]

I definitely agree that if you have the skills to do the job to begin with, quality tools just make the task easier/more enjoyable. Like many here I was raised on Craftsman tools and still use many today. In school everything was Snap-on and I thoroughly enjoyed working with them...just couldn't afford it.

A few years ago one of my best friends married a girl, whose Dad owned a few SO routes/trucks. He took over a route. Because of this I've transitioned to buying mostly SO tools. My cost is marginally higher or in some cases cheaper than other quality tools. I'm not a brand snob, but the convenience of purchasing and warranty, along with quality makes it easy for me to justify the $$.

 

[byoungblood]

Sure but how am I going to warranty those brands? What if I need a warranty today on it? What if I want to resale them? Horrible compared to snap on. Some people don't realize you don't have to pay msrp. I never do even on regular purchases. 10% off is normal. Sometimes 20%.

It does matter if you don't use your tools 5 days a week 10 hours a day to put food on your table

Just like that absolutely stupid line about tools all being the same. And then after sprouting off he asks to borrow someone's tool because his **** doesn't work for what he's doing. In my opinion the people who say they're just tools don't have to rely on them.

If you are routinely breaking basic hand tools, then you're either using the wrong tool for the job, abusing the tool, or need to try another approach to the task at hand. As I mentioned, I can see spending the extra money on a few select tools (bit sockets seem to be one place where Snap On is clearly superior), but is someone really ever going to break a 1/4" drive socket?

Having someone handle the warranty for you is nice, but I'm not sure it is worth the additional premium you pay on everything. Even then, the turn around time is only as good as the truck guy. If he has it on hand, you're set, but if he's got to order it, you can probably get a replacement quicker by picking up the phone and calling Snap On yourself. Many of the other tool companies will do the same for rebuild kits or other low dollar warranty replacements.

Even at 10-20% off, they're still higher than the brands I mentioned. I think people get caught up on the resale value of truck brand tools because they are so expensive up front. If you find yourself out of work, or decide its not what you want to do for a living, you need to try to get every dime you can to pay off SO. If anything, it strengthens the argument for buying a great quality industrial brand that doesn't have you coming out of pocket so much in the first place.

I worked in a few shops for summer jobs 20 years or so ago, and there were always a few guys in the shop that just didn't think you were any good unless you had a box full of truck brand tools. Yet I knew a bunch of mechanics that made their living day after day with a mis-mash of whatever got the job done right, and they weren't forking over a hundred bucks a week or so to the truck guys.

 

[t100]

My box was made in Algona Iowa

still a lighter duty compare to Lista, Vidmar

 

[ssdave]

but is someone really ever going to break a 1/4" drive socket?

Actually, I've recently broken several 1/4" drive sockets, and not cheap ones. And, I wasn't using them abusively, I was using them where they were the only things that fit.

I broke a Snap-on 5/16" deep socket, and a 1/4" Proto shallow recently. Both cracked up the side, and were being severely stressed at the time. Of course, both were immediately warranted. I had numerous Craftsman 1/4" drive sockets stretch/round out internally before I bought the Snap-on set. I had an older set of Proto that did the same. Of course they were warranted, but it was a pain to have to do that, and I didn't have a lot of confidence in them afterwards as they hadn't been under unusual stress at the time of failure. I've had no such problems with the Snap-on. The ones I have broken have been when I've been stressing them severely. I initially bought a 9 piece metric set, and then bought regular and deep, SAE and Metric because the first set was so clearly superior to any others I had.

I don't care as much about 3/8" and 1/2" drive sockets, as others seem to be of adequate strength. (Proto is my brand of choice for those and I've had good luck even with quality as low as Craftsman and SK). But I have come to believe that the 1/4" drive Snap-on are immensely better than the others I have had. Those others have included: Thorsen, SK, Craftsman, Proto, and a few Indestro. The Indestro were good, but I didn't have a complete set. The Proto have been good on the set I have now, but an older set I had were not as good. The SK cracked easily, and the Craftsman were too soft and rounded out.

There's three areas that I believe Snap-on excels above all others and that is in 1/4" drive sockets, in ratcheting screwdrivers, and in the blade quality of their fixed blade screwdrivers. Some other things I like their design better, and essentially all of their tools are top quality, but not so far above everybody else as to be the ultimate answer. These three areas I use their stuff to pretty much the exclusion of all others.

 

[jerseykat1]

IMO you should buy tools based on what works for you. If your in close proximity to sears, HF, or HD so that it's nothing for you to exchange a broken tool then why bother spending 3 to 4 times the cost on the same tool.

Some tools you will want to buy a good tool truck brand (SO, Matco, MAC). Sockets are not one of them IMO. Don't get me wrong. you don't want the 20 dollar 300 piece made in china socket set but you do want sockets from a reputable brand such as GearWrench, SK, Sunex, Grey pneumatic, HF impact sockets (they really are pretty good) etc. Ratchets you will want a good brand but it does not have to be SO, there are plenty of other brands that make excellent ratchets at a fraction of the cost of a SO equivalent ratchet. To save money you will have to do research on what you buy. Not all of SO tools are best in class (but none of them are trash) they are always the safe and easy option without any research you can be sure its a great tool. but if you have time to do some research read some reviews on Amazon, GJ, and even HF (yes HF has some tools that are just an incredible value)..

Just don't get tunnel vision and assume that if it's made by SO that its the best you can get or there isn't an equally good alternative at a lower price.

I do tool reviews on my website and i tend to only review the affordable stuff because in all honesty there really is no need to review the tool truck stuff since we already know it's a good tool just very expensive. But the other stuff needs to be reviewed. In the future i will be comparing the "other stuff" to some tool truck stuff that i feel may be out classing the tool truck tools. Like a lot of the Milwaukee fuel tools have been proven to out class many of the tool truck stuff (yes i opened that can of worms up).. But anyhow i am not ready to go there.

Good luck!

 

[Thezapper]

Here is my take on this. I've been wrenching for about 17 years. In the beginning I started off with a beach tool chest and a set of mastercraft professional series, sockets wrenches and some screwdrivers. I worked for years and built up my tool collection on things that I needed, broke, lost and had stolen from me. In that time I learnt which things you should buy snap on and what other things you could go with another company. Some of my tools are over 15 years old, most snap on and other brands. Their tools especially their ratchets, sockets and wrenches are second to none! But that's not to say that I still don't own that mastercraft set or that craftsman socket etc.... If your in it for the long haul invest in yourself and buy the best that you can afford. Start off slow and buy what you need, buying tools is a dangerous hobby to get into especially if you buying expensive tools, on credit. Snap on wont make you a better mechanic but it will make you better equipped and that is worth something.

My beef with snap on is that once you stop buying you can't get them to come around for the warranty side of it. When you work in a shop with lots of apprentices they get all juiced and their there every Tuesday .... But like me I work in a shop were everyone is pretty much equipped and I have all the tools I need, I buy things here and there but nowhere near as much as a apprentice would need. My snap on guy comes buy once a year to update my scanner, I call him and he takes months to come. So when they tell you lifetime warranty it's not 100% true.



So to recap good quality tools, most are worth their price , buy what you can afford and don't pay them in full or they never come back!

 

[thegroundpounder99]

It's amazing how much more civil the original thread was back in 11 then today. Me thinks the ********* snaponists and inversely the harborfteightane's should just draw a line and get out their biggest weapons and have it out once and for all.

I agree, the thread title and opening question was pretty clear.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jerseykat1]

If you are routinely breaking basic hand tools, then you're either using the wrong tool for the job, abusing the tool, or need to try another approach to the task at hand. As I mentioned, I can see spending the extra money on a few select tools (bit sockets seem to be one place where Snap On is clearly superior), but is someone really ever going to break a 1/4" drive socket?

Having someone handle the warranty for you is nice, but I'm not sure it is worth the additional premium you pay on everything. Even then, the turn around time is only as good as the truck guy. If he has it on hand, you're set, but if he's got to order it, you can probably get a replacement quicker by picking up the phone and calling Snap On yourself. Many of the other tool companies will do the same for rebuild kits or other low dollar warranty replacements.

Even at 10-20% off, they're still higher than the brands I mentioned. I think people get caught up on the resale value of truck brand tools because they are so expensive up front. If you find yourself out of work, or decide its not what you want to do for a living, you need to try to get every dime you can to pay off SO. If anything, it strengthens the argument for buying a great quality industrial brand that doesn't have you coming out of pocket so much in the first place.

I worked in a few shops for summer jobs 20 years or so ago, and there were always a few guys in the shop that just didn't think you were any good unless you had a box full of truck brand tools. Yet I knew a bunch of mechanics that made their living day after day with a mis-mash of whatever got the job done right, and they weren't forking over a hundred bucks a week or so to the truck guys.

I have broken every brand of tool in my 15 years of fixing cars professionally and wore out SO sockets so much that i had to warranty them.

I have also worked with a few of those guys that assume you dont know what your doing if you dont have Snap-on this and Snap-on that. But after a few weeks those are always the guys asking me for help or asking if i have a tool to get this and that out.

I avoid using Craftsman sockets. They are super thin and break easily, however the fact that they are super thin sometimes comes in handy. So its not a bad idea to have a few different brands of the same stuff either.

my socket drawer

i have a few more socket sets in my tool cart and my favorite ratchets in my tool cart thats not shown there.

 

[PJNJ]

It's amazing how much more civil the original thread was back in 11 then today. Me thinks the ********* snaponists and inversely the harborfteightane's should just draw a line and get out their biggest weapons and have it out once and for all.

this ^ and I'll drink to that. Merry Christmas to all Fanboys, Koolaid drinkers and bashers

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

I started wrenching for pay with the tool-philosophy of just getting good quality tools that work with no specific brand in mind.
My first year or 2 I had 4 or 5 different tools trucks showing up each week, including a no-name independent guy who would bring the whole HF warehouse of junk right to your shop - he used to get pissed when I asked for "cheap" wrenches to cut up and weld into special tools and he'd say "It's not CHEAP it's ECONOMY!"

I ended up with 90% SO 'cause they have the best all around service / convenience and selection for what I do (the ONLY tool truck that has shown up consistently for the last 20 years). I never had the luck finding deals I see some guys around here get. I shopped for ways to save tool money, but quickly found it was huge waste of my off time attempting to save few bucks at auctions / pawn shops and whatnot. I had a wife and 2 young kids and house to take care of...I wasn't spending evenings or Saturdays tool shopping for work.
The owner of the shop and I even tried CM industrial tools and quickly gave up when they could not deliver a single item in a timely manner. He attempted to order their equivalent of a KRL1000 top / bottom and had to cancel the order after 2 months waiting - SO man had the new box there within a few days ARO.

I try to be fair about tools and not be a SO fanatic. No doubt though, I like my SO stuff, but there's plenty of stuff in SO's lineup that I would never buy, nor would I recommend anyone to buy any SO stuff for occasional / home use unless maybe a specific special tool for a job.

For SO re-branded stuff I try to get the OEM version.

Another minor part that make me inclined to buy off the SO truck is the working relationship with my toolman. I know I have been lucky in this fact, but I have not had one of them yet who was sleezy or an ***. I'd rather give him 100 bucks for those line wrenches and help him be successful than go out of my way / use off time to give Sears 75 bucks for their version. The ease and supporting a good guy has a value that negates a fair portion of the price difference.

I also admit that things are changing as the tool-world changes with the internet. I do buy rarely used or light duty items on line now that I can shop there even from work....I just have to be careful what it is, lest some SO basher see that tool and think I blew my wad on a big expensive box and now can't afford to buy good tools

 

[spacedoutbob]

To me it's a preference, Snap-On just feels better in my hands and seems to make the job go faster. I started purchasing Snap-On Tools in 1976 when I found out what Professional Quality Tools are like compared to the Cheaper Brands out there. My Tool Set probably has over 800 different sockets and 450 different wrenches, plus other tools and It is probably 90% Snap-On. I don't mind buying other Professional Brands, I won't buy the Cheap Quality tools, you learn the hard way when the slip or break. Just my opinion.

Bob

 

[SierraDenizen]

Because I like cool stuff.

 

[Wamsutta]

To me it's a preference, Snap-On just feels better in my hands and seems to make the job go faster.

That's exactly right. Some people can't understand that even though it's so simple.

 

[Alamedasam]

Just my personal opinion. I use Snap On for several reasons. The tool dealer comes every week without fail, & if I need somerhing in between, he gets it to me.
The quality, from the way the tools look, to how they feel in my hands, to the wae way they attach to a fastener, is important to me. As a tow operator, out on the road with a disabled truck, removing drive shafts, etc. the fact that even though the nut or bolt might be compomised, they grip very well. It can sometimes make the differance in removing the fastener or cutting it off with a die grinder.
Another selling point for me is the longevity of the product, almost exclusively made right here in America, by American workers, with a lifetime warrenty. Personally, I believe in buying American whenever possible.
I do have some miscl. Proto, Mac, Matco, & Craftsman. Some of my most prized tools are a complete set of inherited Proto combination wrenches, purchased by an old friend before WW-1. They are sized from 5/16" all the way up to 4".
I also have some odd tools handed down from as far back as the early 1800's.
I like to think about how my dad, grand father, g-grandfather, & g-g-grandfather used them before me. Dont rember what brands they are, but extremley high quality to last this long! I have handed some of them down to my son & grandsons to add to thier tool collections.
Yeh, Snap On is expensive, but I only buy the tool one time, & breakage is very minimal. So for me they work best. Just my 3 1/2 cents worth!

 

[94EG8]

Try a Snap-On dual 80 ratchet and compare it to other brands, most wont compare. Deep Snap-On sockets neck down near the square drive end, most other brands neck down very close to the hex end of the socket meaning you often can't get in a blind hole or other tight spot. The sockets and wrenches simply grab fasteners better. Snap-On isn't even always that much more money either. I know over here in Canada the price between a Snap-On ratchet and a Gray ratchet is negligible, but the Snap-On will be nicer.

For what it's worth I own a mix of tools. Mastercraft, Gray (Canada), Snap-On, S-K, Genius, Allen, KD, Craftsman, Unitool, Industro and some others I can't recall. Even some of the cheap stuff can be good. Genius makes a really nice set of 1/4 sockets. But overall Snap-On has the best line.

 

[Wamsutta]

Try a Snap-On dual 80 ratchet and compare it to other brands, most wont compare.

I got one this year. So far I'm very impressed with it.

 

[monkeyspanners]

I occasionally used to work alongside another guy from another company, they would be installing/repairing milking parlours and i'd be working on the milk cooling equipment. He was very proud of his Snap-On tools, but he was (in my opinion) a back stabbing incompetent *** hole. (he would tell the customer what i was doing was wrong etc as his company also had their own cooling department and wanted all the work)
So this guy coloured my opinion of Snap-On tools as to some degree i associate them with this type of person.

 

[t100]

I got one this year. So far I'm very impressed with it.

does it come with Auto-Reverse? Mine does, it has already been replaced once.

 

[rmsg0040]

Some of their stuff is excellent

After using their ratcheting screwdrivers and ratchets, other brands are backwards literally and gets me frustrated.

SO ratcheting screwdrivers:

turn selector to the right - turns clockwise
center - no ratcheting action
turn selector to the left - turns counter clockwise

Use an import and it will be opposite