Why truck brands

[Alex in Canada]

I don't buy many truck brand tools, but in the rare case that I do, it's because I can't find it anywhere else. Or the alternative is chinese made. Sometimes, however, I just buy something because its a good price, like tools in their flyer.

My saying goes, "Its better to have something you don't use much, rather than needing something you don't have."

 

[Davefr]

If I were to take my car in for service, which tech would I hope gets my car to work on - the guy with the Snap On tools or the guy with the Harbor Freight tools?

Why would the consumer care what brand tools the tech uses as long as the repair is made to proper workmanship standards?

Are you saying the HF tools would screw up the car's fasteners like round off some bolt heads? Or are you saying that hours incurred performing the repair would be longer (and thus more expensive) with HF tools.

Just curious what your point is????

 

[Wayfastwhitie440]

You talk about it costing so much. If you also notice we love bogos, and sales.

 

[pfhWJ]

Some one on here put together a list of truck brand converted to their re-branded identical or almost. Example Matco 88 tear drop is just about the same as the armstong 88maxx. half the price tool.
I only buy truck brand within reason. How frequently will it be used, whats the cost, will it increase my efficiency, is it on sale.
I believe if a tool is used for exactly what it was made for, dont see much of an issue(lowest grade tool being US craftsman stuff). Breaking a 5/8 cm socket with your impact in my opinion is tools abuse, go walk over and grab a damn impact socket.

 

[roketa36]

That list would be awesome to see

 

[tyndall]

The truck comes to you saving time.
The truck can often times come the same day you call saving time.
The truck owner does your research for you saving time.
The truck handles warranty issues for you saving time.

Time = money and/or quality of family life

A brick and mortar store doesn't move around, break down or get sick.
A brick and mortar store carries more stock.
A brick and mortar store has more suppliers to get you the best tool at the best price.
A brick and mortar store handles warranty issues and is more likely to have a replacement in stock.

If time = money, then less money needed for overpriced tools = less work needed and less work = more time.

If I were to take my car in for service, which tech would I hope gets my car to work on - the guy with the Snap On tools or the guy with the Harbor Freight tools?

This one's easy. The guy with the HF tools. He won't be charging me out the wazoo so he can pay for his new $10k tool box.

 

[Davefr]

A brick and mortar store doesn't move around, break down or get sick.

I'd say Sears is on life support these days

A brick and mortar store carries more stock.

Maybe more inventory of simple/generic items but not nearly the breadth of items a truck typically has.

A brick and mortar store has more suppliers to get you the best tool at the best price.

Yes, and they're all from China with quality low on the list of importance.

A brick and mortar store handles warranty issues and is more likely to have a replacement in stock.

Unless the broken item was part of a set and not sold ala carte.

 

[Wakefield]

Not trolling asking a serious question. I have already participated in plenty of trends.

But thank you for wasting people's time with your post that has nothing to do with this thread.

To everyone else that has contributed to this thread thank you very much

The tool that costs a fraction of the expensive one might not be any good-but the tool that costs half or two thirds as much might be good!

 

[wafrederick]

I buy used tools on here knowing I am not going to be burned.Snap On dealer my father my father had is being ****** on warranties,he would not warranty a customer's hand ratchet and screwdriver lately.The lever on the ratchet was was not working right,told this customer he was probally using the ratchet as a hammer which was not true.The screwdriver,said the hex bolster is not for a wrench to break loose a screw for extra leverage.The hex boltster on the shank broke.Used to have 3 Snap On dealers in my area,down to two of them.One put a .45 behind his head and pulled the trigger commiting suicide.Snap On,there is a $35.00 paperwork fee on top of the payment on a toolbox.With the tooltrucks,you can make payments and there are deadbeats out there.My Matco tool dealer has been doing this,going after dead beats that owe him money.One customer owes Matco money.I make the payments on the spot and I am this way.

 

[BK13]

So this is as good a place as any to ask, is there an equivalent of a Snap on Dual 80? All the Williams I have found are 36 tooth, all the Bahcos are comfort handle.

 

[BlksnshN]

I buy used tools on here knowing I am not going to be burned.Snap On dealer my father my father had is being ****** on warranties,he would not warranty a customer's hand ratchet and screwdriver lately.The lever on the ratchet was was not working right,told this customer he was probally using the ratchet as a hammer which was not true.The screwdriver,said the hex bolster is not for a wrench to break loose a screw for extra leverage.The hex boltster on the shank broke.Used to have 3 Snap On dealers in my area,down to two of them.One put a .45 behind his head and pulled the trigger commiting suicide.Snap On,there is a $35.00 paperwork fee on top of the payment on a toolbox.With the tooltrucks,you can make payments and there are deadbeats out there.My Matco tool dealer has been doing this,going after dead beats that owe him money.One customer owes Matco money.I make the payments on the spot and I am this way.

I'm from Muskegon, Tim was my Snap On guy too.

Finally got the new dealer at our shop this week. Seems like a nice kid. He warrantied stuff that Tim wouldn't take care of.

Who is your Matco dealer?

 

[Ruger_556]

Ok. I got to ask why are people so stuck on truck brands when they know they can get the same exact tool for a fraction of the cost.

I have seen several post where people have said the source that a truck company get a specific tool rebadged in their name. But people keep paying the inflated price for the same thing.

You mean Harbor Freight is a truck brand now? I haven't seen anyone say that only truck brands are good About every other post on this forum is how awesome HF is and how the big 3 are junk.


Everyone has their own reason for buying the tools they do (Just like buying cars etc...). For me it comes down to:
- Service. We have a tool truck on Wed. and Fri. There have been many times when the truck showed up right when I needed a tool. Also easy warranty, rather then spend my own time to package and mail a tool in I can just exchange it.
- Specialty tools. There are lot of tools that just aren't available from anyone else.

 

[carterbeauford]

I own a modest Snap On collection, maybe $1k, worth and have never spent a dime on a tool truck. I guess I don't think of it as a tool truck brand, just a premium brand with free shipping when I order online.

 

[carterbeauford]

A brick and mortar store doesn't move around, break down or get sick.
A brick and mortar store carries more stock.
A brick and mortar store has more suppliers to get you the best tool at the best price.
A brick and mortar store handles warranty issues and is more likely to have a replacement in stock.

brick and mortar is obsolete in 2014. there are no brick and mortar stores that stock quality tools anywhere near where I live. I have to buy them online.

I'll gladly put brick and mortar stores out of business by buying online, I don't feel like supporting their overhead costs, get with the times, Amazon is going to take over the world.

 

[RV77]

God forbid we buy a import ratchet, but dont pay to much to an american small business owner.

I spend enough on imported electronics...I dont need imported tools also.

 

[wafrederick]

I'm from Muskegon, Tim was my Snap On guy too.

Finally got the new dealer at our shop this week. Seems like a nice kid. He warrantied stuff that Tim wouldn't take care of.

Who is your Matco dealer?

Ronald Bishop.My brother Scott liked Tim as a dealer,screwed him once.Put my brother on Snap On credit without being told.I heard about the tools Tim would not warranty.My father had Mike Keilor for a Snap On dealer,treated my father like ****.My father had enough of it and kicked him out in 1998.

 

[DodgeMech]

Before you take more sips from your koolaid glass recognize the difference between hating on a product and hating on a distribution model designed to take advantage of a blue collar worker, who already works for a paltry wage mind you. Truck brands may have some excellent quality but that does not justify thousands of dollars to equip yourself with the most basic sockets, ratchets and wrenches.

Blame who ever you like, as some fault certainly lies in the pay scale of the field as well, but at the end of the day its contradictory logic to tell some guy making 50k a year to buy products with sky high price tags.

Ha 50k a year? By that point you're well established and don't really need stuff from the truck except to replace worn out stuff that is barely out of warranty...what ***** is being in the 20k range and daily having to write the tools you need down and trying to figure which will have to be truck brand and which you could wait a week and order from offline...or get from sears etc...

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

A brick and mortar store doesn't move around, break down or get sick.
A brick and mortar store carries more stock.
A brick and mortar store has more suppliers to get you the best tool at the best price.
A brick and mortar store handles warranty issues and is more likely to have a replacement in stock.

If time = money, then less money needed for overpriced tools = less work needed and less work = more time.


This one's easy. The guy with the HF tools. He won't be charging me out the wazoo so he can pay for his new $10k tool box.

What is your disdain towards Snap On? It seems like you are constantly going out of your way to post negatively about Snap On?

 

[Ruger_556]

What is your disdain towards Snap On? It seems like you are constantly going out of your way to post negatively about Snap On?

Someone can't afford SO tools for their weekend hobby and is trying to convince himself that no one needs them...

 

[cburnscrx]

I sometimes ask myself this question: If I were to take my car in for service, which tech would I hope gets my car to work on - the guy with the Snap On tools or the guy with the Harbor Freight tools?

Somebody brought this up awhile ago, so I asked my non-mechanical friends (ie almost all of them) if they could tell what kind of tools their mechanic was using and what is a good brand. Every single one had no idea what their mechanic used (and again, these are all people who take their car in for everything) and they almost all say Craftsman for a good tool brand.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

Someone can't afford SO tools for their weekend hobby and is trying to convince himself that no one needs them...

I guess so, and he feels the need to advertise it anyway possible, including his avatar.

I'm curious to know what brands he prefers?

 

[Bruce57]

Rounding off. There are better choices for fit on fasteners than what I have seen from HF or other Chinese tools. For the occasional repairs on things around the home, HF or other Chinese tools may be fine. My opinion is that there are better choices of tools for professional use. Earlier this year I broke one of my employer's Chinese wrenches while properly using it to loosen a drain plug. I ended up dislocating my knuckle when it broke. Tends to make one skeptical of Chinese tools.

 

[redwrench60]

What is your disdain towards Snap On? It seems like you are constantly going out of your way to post negatively about Snap On?

Since joining here I've noticed the only time he ever pipes up is to badmouth Snap-On. Nearly all of his post count is comprised of mud slinging on truck tools. No positive contributions, no kind words, nothing. I don't even read his posts anymore.

 

[Fretters]

Tends to make one skeptical of Chinese tools.

Lower quality tools aren't necessarily Chinese.

Each to their own, I say. Matters not a jot where a tool is bought from, as long as the new owner is happy with both it and the cost. Personally there's not a cat in Hell's chance I'd ever pay van type prices, but neither would I ever buy a tool which just oozes cheap tat, even if it was a likely to be a rarely if ever used tool. We all have our personal preferences in the tool dept.

 

[kenburkholz]

I have about 50% Snap On, and I love them, I wouldn't trade them for any thing. Since I retired I can't justify them anymore, so when I need something I usually go for U.S. brands that are more affordable. Why do people always argue about tool truck,on line and Harbor Freight. Buy what you want/can afford and be happy. Ken.

 

[Fretters]

Buy what you want/can afford and be happy.

That sums it up nicely. Hand and eye test are how I classify a tool. If it passes those and is affordable, that does me.

 

[Hiball]

I don't even read his posts anymore.

That is the best advice.. It took me a long time to figure it out, but its much more enjoyable when you just ignore the members who Solely post with hatred towards brands based off agenda versus real world experiences. How anyone could even think about putting credibility in that ****, regardless of what side of the argument your own is beyond me.

 

[redwrench60]

That is the best advice.. It took me a long time to figure it out, but its much more enjoyable when you just ignore the members who Solely post with hatred towards brands based off agenda versus real world experiences. How anyone could even think about putting credibility in that ****, regardless of what side of the argument your own is beyond me.

I nominate him for Official Grouchy Smurf of Garage Journal.

 

[BlksnshN]

Ronald Bishop.My brother Scott liked Tim as a dealer,screwed him once.Put my brother on Snap On credit without being told.I heard about the tools Tim would not warranty.My father had Mike Keilor for a Snap On dealer,treated my father like ****.My father had enough of it and kicked him out in 1998.

Yeah, I had Mike for years and only ever purchased one thing from him. Right after that I changed shops. I called him up and asked him to transfer my balance over to Tim so I could more easily make weekly payments as this is typically what the truck guys do. He refused to sell the balance to Tim so I haven't made a payment since. His truck is also a hot mess, feel like I'm in a KMart with the stuff laying all over the place.

I never had too many issues with Tim besides a couple warranty issues and his price was always retail. No deals.

My Matco dealer will deal, especially on boxes. I bought a new 6s for less than Tim wanted for a used Snappy box.

He will also warranty pretty much anything. That kind of service goes a long way with me.

 

[CJM8515]

Im new here, but wanted to add my 2 cents.

Ive been a shade tree mechanic since I was a kid fixing whatever using my fathers older raised panel craftsman tools. I am also a professional mechanic who has worked in shops as well and now I do mobile roadside work for an AAA contractor (went back to college to get a degree part time) where we mostly just drive around selling batteries off the trucks.

The tool trucks are great if you have no credit and cant afford to shell out the money all at once for tools. You cant do the job with little to no tools-just doesnt work. In every single shop but one (and I know the owner and all the workers personally) most guys wont let you near there tools without putting a deposit down or swear you will return it (and if you dont OMG! RUN!). So yea the truck makes sense. However a 200 dollar craftsmen set could do most of the job with some other items thrown in from sears.

I used to own a vast collection of snap on, matco, mac, and so forth. Over time I realized the tools werent always better and the tool truck guys could be HORRIBLE (skipping you, taking forever to get a tool or warranty it, flat out refusing warranty, etc). I had quite a few bad dealings and now very rarely do I buy tool truck stuff. On a related note in the 60's my grandfather who was a machinist/fabricator ran into the same issue-tool truck guy was such a jerk he sold all SO and went to CMan.

Anyways I had to sell alot of my tools off as well due to a few financial problems and was left with barely a basic set. This time around I checked online and found stanley/husky stuff was good enough for awhile. Low and behold I have been using the same box of tools for my AAA job now going on 8 years. Same tools, all stanley/husky from about 8 years ago. Only thing I have ever broke was the ratchets b/c I use them alot and honestly since they are so low cost Ill admit I used them as a hammer alot for certain things. I just buy a new one (although they changed the design and I dont like them now) for about 10 bucks or I called stanley or went to home depot. Every tool in my AAA box is a non tool truck brand. Pretty much never had an issue and I use and abused it all. Interestingly enough I thought maybe CMan raised panels would be a step up. The tooth count I learned is less and they dont mind dirt/grime as much. I broke a 3/8 and 1/4 ratchet so many times and swapped so many times i threw in the towel on them. I think after 4 3/8 and 6 1/4 drives (and the last few I demanded come brand new out of the case at sears not rebuilt) ****.

Now these days I have a large collection again, almost all of it purchased at home depot and husky/stanley branded. Amazingly its all held up great and I have had no issues. Still got some very nice SO, Mac, Matco and SK stuff tho. But my point is the tool trucks-yea they sell alot of good stuff-but better deals can be had on plenty of good stuff. Back in the day this wasnt possible, it was either sears, SK or buy tool truck. Now with the internet and pretty decent tools being sold in most stores the average person and the pro is mostly happy. Tool trucks still useful for specialty stuff tho. Example: 10 years ago I bought one of the first snap on cordless impact guns. I LOVE THAT THING! 2 years ago I finally got the new one, and its way better. Are there better things out there-sure by now almost every big box store has these guns and in some cases they aint to shabby. But that impact gun has changed probably over 5000 tires, been used to work on my own stuff, work on stuff in shops, brought to pick and pull yards to yank stuff off, used to drive big bolts into home construction projects-you name it. Well worth the 800 bucks (I got the kit w/light 12v charge and 120v charger and 4 batts) I paid. Finally the ni-cad batts are starting to fail but it is pretty old.

Anyways thats my story.

 

[ironmutt]

here is a reason why trucks my 12v 1/4 ratchet broke two weeks ago my matco guy handed me a brand new one to use while he sends mine in to get the head fixed when i needed the speacialty socket to get northstar water pump out my mac guy drove it to my house same night i texted him no extra charge last time i went in to sears the 12 year old they had behind the counter had no idea how to exchange a broke socket . it also goes to what you like in your hand all day long every day craftsman raised panel hit my right on the pad of my hand so i dont like them i still have a set cause they are shorter then the snap on set i have . i still use my craftsman 1/2 flop head ratchet cause i like it better then snaps version plus its push button and when i got turn a engine over on the lift i dont want to get a socket on my noggin if it slips

 

[Halfdawg]

I'm 37 years old, 8 months into owning my own repair shop, and I see these tools as an investment into my business for the next 25 years. There is also a big difference in quality and service that comes with purchasing several thousand dollars worth of Snap On tools in these first 8 months. I need tools that fit right, function right, and won't fail under constant use. I don't need to spend time shopping for the cheaper "equivalent". I have an excellent Snap On truck, he has worked hard to serve me, and in return I take care of him. For example, learned about the Power Probe III on this sight and decided I wanted to try one, bought it off the truck. Maybe I could have saved $40 bucks by shopping online, but I don't have any problems seeing him make a few bucks. It's called loyalty and it's almost a thing of the past. I return he has made me some pretty damn good deals and warranty is never an issue.

Lastly I turn the wrenches, pay the bills, buy the tools, and clean the restroom! If I want to buy the best I will!

 

[Skin]

The tool trucks are great if you have no credit and cant afford to shell out the money all at once for tools.

A kid can get a 0% APR/6-12mo CC without problem. Works just like "truck credit" and you'll get a ton more tools in the same amount of time for the same cash.

If their credit is shot and they cant secure something as basic as a CC without high interest then they have no business buying a $500 10pc set of wrenches either. Exactly the wrong way someone with bad credit should be allocating what little money they're making.

As has been previously stated by other members, their aim is to keep people permanently indebted. They're running a business for profit slinging the highest priced chrome around, its not a welfare store to help you out.


You yourself with your Stanley tools are a glowing example of what a new person in a repair field should be investing in coming into this. The trucks do not make magic steel or the only tools that function. There are many quality imports and domestics (industrial brands) for a fraction of truck tools.

Buy what you want/can afford and be happy.

Unfortunately most mechanics cant afford them, that's my only dog in this fight. They may offer some of the best quality stuff, and I've said much the same myself, but you're paying through the nose for it.

 

[Givl Reggin]

Let's look at it from another standpoint... forget costs, which everyone seems to get hung up on, and approach it from this; Does Snap-On make a tool that doesn't preform?

When you buy Snap-On you don't have to worry about the quality, you know you're going to be getting top-quality. And I can't really think of another brand where you can do that... just look at the Craftsman/HF Pass/Fail thread for comparison, funny how there isn't a Snap-On Pass/Fail thread? Whether you're buying ratchets, wrenches, hammers, air or battery tools, you know you're not going to be getting a bad one.

Now, I know what you're thinking... do I have exclusively Snap-On in my tool box? No. I'm not a profession, I'm one of those homeowners that appreciate quality and it still bugs me to this day that went with Craftsman - to purchase Snap-On (this was long before internet sales) I had to setup a time with a drive in a parking lot (felt more like a drug deal than a tool purchase!) because he wouldn't come to my house, even though I was willing to spend the money - cash too to boot! And I did buy a few things from him, but Craftsman was available so much easier and that's the way I ultimately went. A few years ago when I wanted a second set of tools to use in a shed a distance from the house I again went with Craftsman... Why? Sears didn't make me jump though hoops to take my money!

 

[HighPlainsWrencher]

I could fill my box with Snap On but my common sense wont let me. There are somethings you can go cheep on and get away with it. I have a lot of different brands in my box from Snap On to tools that are just stamped china with no manufacture name. all my tools that see common usage are Snap On because I feel know they will hold up, and if they break more than likely they will be replaced under warranty. As for the price, I had to start out with cheep tools to get me by and then do a little truck credit. I didn't go out and buy it all at once. I would buy a couple tools or whatever and when I had it paid off I would buy the next thing I needed.

I am careful what I buy from the Cornwell truck because 90 percent of the tools are re-badged with the price marked up. For me to buy a re-badged tool from Cornwell its all about the price, warranty and does he always have one on his truck. I also buy tools out of their sales flyer because normally it is very close to what I can get it for online, and in that case I would rather give my money to the tool truck than a company on the internet.

 

[Skin]

Let's look at it from another standpoint... forget costs, which everyone seems to get hung up on, and approach it from this; Does Snap-On make a tool that doesn't preform?

When you buy Snap-On you don't have to worry about the quality, you know you're going to be getting top-quality. And I can't really think of another brand where you can do that... just look at the Craftsman/HF Pass/Fail thread for comparison, funny how there isn't a Snap-On Pass/Fail thread? Whether you're buying ratchets, wrenches, hammers, air or battery tools, you know you're not going to be getting a bad one.

Well if you really want to go this direction, Snap-On made some notoriously bad pneumatic and cordless tools that have most recently been overshadowed by their successes. As far as basic hand tools go, I don't recall seeing many people post that they have problems with those tool categories in general. Sure there are the occasional complaints but I've seen broken Snap-on wrenches and ratchets too (without being abused). The most recent thing that comes to mind is the original dual 80 1/2 ratchets with the plate screws that would shear off while the ratchet was under load.

 

[1cargarage]

and you get the primary reason people buy off the truck. not paying $500 for that wrench set, its only $60!..... a week for the next 2 months.

Arguments of "higher quality" and "easy warranty" are secondary to this by far.

2 months = 8 weeks
8 weeks x $60 = $480
$480 < $500
...

 

[ArcStyles]

Who the hell cares? We are so busy pushing are differences we are forgetting what we all share in common. We all love expressing ourselves through the use of tools. Though we are not chimps hammering on coconuts with bones and stones, we are not completely removed from similar neuron bursts and wave patterns.

From kitchens, to bathrooms to factories we are all defined "buy" the tools we use. Not all Homo Sapiens Sapiens on this great blue marble have the choices we have. So I am not going to waste it worrying about how others judge me for how I equip myself with the tools I need to live. It would be of weak character to do otherwise. Instead I will say to my fellow tool brethren all over the world, raise your wrenches high and let no man come between another man and the tools he uses to build his world. Let not the insecurities of the few, deter you from this pursuit. Weakness is in the envious, darkness it's home, and he who walks the path of the pointing finger, finds his own *** at the end of it.

 

[Skin]

2 months = 8 weeks
8 weeks x $60 = $480
$480 < $500
...

8 weeks of payments, or if you like factor in your sales tax.

 

[Hiball]

2 months = 8 weeks
8 weeks x $60 = $480
$480 < $500
...

I'm sure skin was just being figurative with his numbers.. Geez