Williams/Snap On Industrial

[mcj115]

What are Williams tools these days? They are owned by Snap On, I see a few years back Snap-On, renamed/re-marketed them as Snap On industrial.

So what are will Williams tools these days? Some products are nearly identical to Snap On's, yet some Williams appear to be off shore Taiwan tools and are readily available on Amazon. Given they are mixed sourcing I thought that was the role of Blue Point.

Today are Williams and Snap-On industrial two separate lines of tools? Are they one in the same? I am just confused where they site in the overall pecking order of S-O's lien of brands.

 

[scubadoober]

Just buy the ones that have letters and numbers in the part number. Those are the made in the USA tools and often but not always equivalent to or an older Snap on model.

 

[Tonyuk]

Their supercombo spanners are very comfortable in the hand. Pricey to get here though.

 

[RedneckWelder]

The USA made Williams is excellent and is either Snap On with a different rollmark or near Snap On quality. Last time I looked at the catalog it told if item was US made

 

[ihateminimumwage]

I actually got a Snap-on socket in my Williams 1/4" deep MM set.

USA ratchets use the 36 tooth Snap-on mechanism, and are also sold under CAT.

Taiwan Williams is Blue Point with a different stamp. Their ratcheting combo wrenches are excellent.

Toolsdelivered.com is the best spot for buying Snap-on Industrial brands. Listings will shop the catalog pages, and says if tools are USA made. I wouldn't touch third party sellers on Amazon since there were enough different Williams versions you can't really trust what you'll get.

 

[bobcatdan]

Current USA Williams is a mix of older snap on designs and classic Williams designs merged into one brand. Imported Williams is the same as the imported Blue Point hand tools, just a much wider offering. The way I see it with William's being aimed at industrial buyers, they offer the two lines to meet different price points.

 

[Fedwrench]

Williams tools are just that, Williams tools. They are part of snap on industrial brands just like Sioux and Bahco.

Williams has two distinct lines. One Is made in the USA and the second line is made in Taiwan. Both will serve you well.

 

[65k10]

I bought a large set recently marketed as USA tools, with a USA letter/number part #. It came in as a mostly Taiwan set, all the pieces there, but not USA except for two wrench sets, and a few pliers. I disputed it with Amazon, and they agreed to send me a replacement set, that should be all USA. It is on order from Williams so I won't get it for a few weeks or a month or two. It remains to be seen if it comes in all USA. I called Williams, and they claimed they don't sell to Amazon, so they disclaim all responsibility. However, the box I received was re-labeled, and had the shipping label direct from Williams to Amazon, then relabeled and shipped to me. The box shipping label was dated 2016, so it could have been old stock that has since been shifted to USA production. That remains to be seen if and when they ship the replacement ones to me. The order is pending on receiving new ones from Williams.

The Taiwan tools were night and day different from the USA ones. The USA wrenches were near SO quality. The Taiwan were Husky, Dewalt, Bostich type quality, nothing special, just tool shaped objects that would work for the intended purpose, no more, no less.

If I was buying Williams, I'd make sure that they are the USA made ones, or are priced down to the commodity Taiwan price level of about $1 per tool. I wouldn't pay any premium price for the Taiwan ones at all. Especially if you buy off of Amazon. Williams will not warranty or even talk to you about anything bought off Amazon. They disclaim any relationship at all; in my case they claimed they are not the source of the Williams wrenches sold on Amazon, despite the evidence to the contrary.

The role of Snap-on vs Williams is the marketing. Williams is marketed towards corporate and industrial users, and Snap-on is sold door to door via route truck sales to mechanics, although there is some industrial marketing also. I think they're also augmenting Williams sales through Amazon, although they are denying that they're participating in that.

I ran into a similar issue buying a set of Williams tools through Amazon. My case some of the wrenches were missing. Williams was of no help and I had to work with Amazon to get what was missing. Fun times.

I'm not totally sold on US made Williams being Snap-on quality. It's decent, but I sometimes wonder if the sockets are a little soft based on some I've used. The ratchets are decent and I like the ratcheting screwdrivers.

It's interesting to see what sort of crosses over from Snap-On when it comes to ratchets. The current 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 ratchets use the old 936 mechanism. I have 3/4 and 1 inch drive Williams ratchets that seem to use mechanisms from certain Snap-On ratchets. They aren't necessarily the same body, but I've bought some Snap-On repair kits where the drive gear swapped in with no issue (I didn't try swapping out the pawl and selector, but they appeared to be the same). For example the Williams H-51B will take a repair kit for a Snap-On L72t. This is nice since the repair kits are about 10 dollars from Snap-On, but more expensive from Williams. I wish I knew if the Williams repair kits included the face plate since that might explain why they cost more, but I've never got excited enough to buy one.

 

[shanny19]

Just one guys opinion, having just completed a quest to try 6 pt sets across three drive sizes in shallow and deep from 9 or so different manufacturers:

Williams USA really IS very close to Snap On quality, fit, finish.
Williams Taiwan is considerably inferior to Carlyle Taiwan. Carlyle might just be the current bang for buck champion.

 

[CR888]

Other than perhaps blank design & chrome finish, what would be the difference between Snap on and Williams (USA made) as far as quality? I can't imagine them to be much different if they come out the same factory. Sure the Taiwan stuff will be a different story.

 

[plinker]

Other than perhaps blank design & chrome finish, what would be the difference between Snap on and Williams (USA made) as far as quality? I can't imagine them to be much different if they come out the same factory. Sure the Taiwan stuff will be a different story.

I have not noticed any difference for the most part, just a difference in details, IE, shape & style.


The Taiwan stuff is actually pretty good going by the small amount I have & have seen used, price is considerably less then the same tool branded as Blue point.

 

[Tallpilot]

Williams, Milwaukee, etc. There are certain brands it just doesn’t pay to get from Amazon. Canceling your Prime membership will help you look around more when shopping. Toolsdelivered.com is a drop shipper so any delays are on Williams. Most everything I’ve ordered recently had a 2017 or 2018 date code.

I agree there is a clear difference between USA and Taiwan. I’ve switched to Proto for things that Williams doesn’t make in the USA like Torx and metric hex.

 

[Wamsutta]

Williams tools are split up into two segments:

1. Williams USA made in the Snap-on factory
2. Williams Taiwan made somewhere in Taiwan

If you're familiar with their catalog, determining which is which is easy.

 

[ChrisLS8]

Solid simple US (if you make sure)tools at a great price.

My 3/8 flex is one of my favorites

 

[Terry D]

I just bought a set of Williams screwdrivers from Amazon. They were advertised as Made in USA, all the handles have USA on them. It also came with a small set of Bahco screwdrivers, there is no markings on the as where they are made. The pouch that they all came in says Made in USA, China and Spain. The pouch has a label on it Made in China.

 

[ihateminimumwage]

I just bought a set of Williams screwdrivers from Amazon. They were advertised as Made in USA, all the handles have USA on them. It also came with a small set of Bahco screwdrivers, there is no markings on the as where they are made. The pouch that they all came in says Made in USA, China and Spain. The pouch has a label on it Made in China.

Williams drivers are USA
Bahco drivers are Spain
Pouches are China (I have a few of the Williams wrench rolls).

 

[bob15]

Other than perhaps blank design & chrome finish, what would be the difference between Snap on and Williams (USA made) as far as quality? I can't imagine them to be much different if they come out the same factory. Sure the Taiwan stuff will be a different story.

Heat treat and alloy mix they use for each brand are easy enough to change, even when they are under the same roof. The box end lobes might also be different.....though you would really need a CMM to see and compare profiles

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Heat treat and alloy mix they use for each brand are easy enough to change, even when they are under the same roof. The box end lobes might also be different.....though you would really need a CMM to see and compare profiles

Yeah, they might be different. I know the extensions are thicker and without knurling. The sockets seem to wear in the same way as snap on, having had members post here of receiving mixed sets makes the odds of identical production very high.


So lets say the ARE different. Personally, I don't think the polish/alloy/heat-treatments are that major of a change, if they are in fact different. These are extremely high quality USA made hand tools. They are made by the same equipment as snap on uses. So lets just say they're only 75% as good as snap-on (I'm being generous). For the price, they're still a good deal. They're cheap and generally considered high quality. They are marketed towards industrial users; to be worked hard. Even if we remove the snap-on connection completely, pretend Williams is it's own separate entity; Williams USA tools are a solid value.

I have seen zero negative things about USA williams. Aside from happy reviews, I see people doubting the snap-on connection. Evaluate them as a standalone company then. I'm happy with my stuff, and will buy more in the future when the need arises. For the price, don't even warranty them if you have issues. They're cheap enough to throw away. Not including shipping, Tools Delivered sells USA made Williams single 3/8 metric sockets for $1-$2 less than my local Sears charged for single craftsman sockets, made in china. Think about that.

 

[6PTsocket]

Heat treat and alloy mix they use for each brand are easy enough to change, even when they are under the same roof. The box end lobes might also be different.....though you would really need a CMM to see and compare profiles

There is no reason to think they are different. The CDI torque wrench division makes for SO, too. The SO wrenches have a swivel head and the CDI's do not. Otherwise the same. Walker used to get top dollar for floor jacks and sold them for less as AJAX. One was blue and the other was green. Outboard Marine used to sell Evinrude to one dealer and Johnson to the dealer across the street. No difference but the paint job. It is about marketing, not quality. SO markets almost exclusively to the automotive trade. A good part of the high cost is the independant contractor/ route guy. He comes to you, he can only see a limited number of customers, he extends credit, he handles warranty claims. That all costs...a lot. Regular on line sales are far cheaper but they can't undercut the truck guy. Therefore, they sell similar high quality stuff under another brand name.

On a related note. WW grainger gets top dollar for industrial sales and only if you are a business and if you buy a lot, you get a break. Zoro is far cheaper, ships to anybody for a flat 5 bucks and free if the order is over $50. Always has 20% and 25% sales. They sell on ebay and Walmart.com. as well as direct. Drum roll please. Grainger owns Zoro. They sell the same stuff cheaper to the public than Grainger sells to industry. It is all about marketing.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[plinker]

There is no reason to think they are different. The CDI torque wrench division makes for SO, too. The SO wrenches have a swivel head and the CDI's do not. Otherwise the same.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Sort of.

The torque wrench body itself is the same, Snap-on uses their own ratchet head (They do the same with the PI split beams), CDI uses a different ratchet head, imported IIRC. Either way, CDI is a good value.

 

[Snaparxon]

There is no reason to think they are different. The CDI torque wrench division makes for SO, too. The SO wrenches have a swivel head and the CDI's do not. Otherwise the same. Walker used to get top dollar for floor jacks and sold them for less as AJAX. One was blue and the other was green. Outboard Marine used to sell Evinrude to one dealer and Johnson to the dealer across the street. No difference but the paint job. It is about marketing, not quality. SO markets almost exclusively to the automotive trade. A good part of the high cost is the independant contractor/ route guy. He comes to you, he can only see a limited number of customers, he extends credit, he handles warranty claims. That all costs...a lot. Regular on line sales are far cheaper but they can't undercut the truck guy. Therefore, they sell similar high quality stuff under another brand name.

On a related note. WW grainger gets top dollar for industrial sales and only if you are a business and if you buy a lot, you get a break. Zoro is far cheaper, ships to anybody for a flat 5 bucks and free if the order is over $50. Always has 20% and 25% sales. They sell on ebay and Walmart.com. as well as direct. Drum roll please. Grainger owns Zoro. They sell the same stuff cheaper to the public than Grainger sells to industry. It is all about marketing.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Interesting!

 

[mikebaker1129]

I really like the quality of the Williams USA made hex bit sockets !
Problem is they only come in SAE and they are a little shorter than the SO counterparts.

 

[Tallpilot]

I really like the quality of the Williams USA made hex bit sockets !
Problem is they only come in SAE and they are a little shorter than the SO counterparts.

I like the short ones because I’d rather it twist in the socket than break if I over torque it. I also want a set of really long ones in case I need the length.

I’m not sure why the US made ones are basically mid length.

 

[bob15]

There is no reason to think they are different. The CDI torque wrench division makes for SO, too. The SO wrenches have a swivel head and the CDI's do not. Otherwise the same. Walker used to get top dollar for floor jacks and sold them for less as AJAX. One was blue and the other was green. Outboard Marine used to sell Evinrude to one dealer and Johnson to the dealer across the street. No difference but the paint job. It is about marketing, not quality. SO markets almost exclusively to the automotive trade. A good part of the high cost is the independant contractor/ route guy. He comes to you, he can only see a limited number of customers, he extends credit, he handles warranty claims. That all costs...a lot. Regular on line sales are far cheaper but they can't undercut the truck guy. Therefore, they sell similar high quality stuff under another brand name.

On a related note. WW grainger gets top dollar for industrial sales and only if you are a business and if you buy a lot, you get a break. Zoro is far cheaper, ships to anybody for a flat 5 bucks and free if the order is over $50. Always has 20% and 25% sales. They sell on ebay and Walmart.com. as well as direct. Drum roll please. Grainger owns Zoro. They sell the same stuff cheaper to the public than Grainger sells to industry. It is all about marketing.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Yeah, they might be different. I know the extensions are thicker and without knurling. The sockets seem to wear in the same way as snap on, having had members post here of receiving mixed sets makes the odds of identical production very high.


So lets say the ARE different. Personally, I don't think the polish/alloy/heat-treatments are that major of a change, if they are in fact different. These are extremely high quality USA made hand tools. They are made by the same equipment as snap on uses. So lets just say they're only 75% as good as snap-on (I'm being generous). For the price, they're still a good deal. They're cheap and generally considered high quality. They are marketed towards industrial users; to be worked hard. Even if we remove the snap-on connection completely, pretend Williams is it's own separate entity; Williams USA tools are a solid value.

I have seen zero negative things about USA williams. Aside from happy reviews, I see people doubting the snap-on connection. Evaluate them as a standalone company then. I'm happy with my stuff, and will buy more in the future when the need arises. For the price, don't even warranty them if you have issues. They're cheap enough to throw away. Not including shipping, Tools Delivered sells USA made Williams single 3/8 metric sockets for $1-$2 less than my local Sears charged for single craftsman sockets, made in china. Think about that.

I don't like Williams because their wrenches because they are softer, at least my original satin-finished (chrome wasn't available) SuperCombo wrenches (1998-2000 vintage). My smaller wrenches such as the 7/16 - 9/16 spread quite easy when compared to the Snap On, Bonney & Mac wrenches of the same size that I own. I have nothing newer (in terms of Williams wrenches), nor do I plan on buying any more wrenches (don't need anymore); but the ones I have, I am disappointed in them.

I also had Rockwell tested (when we still had our tester at work) a Williams Supercombo 9/16 and a Snap On 4 angle 9/16 wrenches and found the Williams much softer. A GJ search might find my post (and the numbers I got) from a bunch of years ago. Both wrenches were/are of the same vintage.

Heat treat, quenching and changing alloys in production aren't difficult tasks and are easy ways to save a few dollars in production for selling an item cheaper.

 

[mikebaker1129]

I like the short ones because I’d rather it twist in the socket than break if I over torque it. I also want a set of really long ones in case I need the length.

I’m not sure why the US made ones are basically mid length.

They sell longer replacement bits. Abolox carries them,I wish tools delivered did also.

 

[Finance Guy]

What are Williams' stand-out tools ... where do they outshine the likes of Proto?

 

[Zewnten]

I like the way Williams necks down the on amaller sockets vs Proto's chamfer. I also like Williams crowfoots better. Seems like a lot of people like the hard handled screwdrivers.

 

[Finance Guy]

Ibalso loke Williams crowfoots better.

Acknowledged in advance that Snap-On/(Williams?) is the leader in flare nut and crowfoot wrenches, wobble extensions and universals.

 

[Ton ton]

I would love to buy some Williams supercombo wrenches someday.

 

[Snapped-off]

What are Williams' stand-out tools ... where do they outshine the likes of Proto?

Sockets and wrenches (the USA line)

Just my opinion.

 

[Finance Guy]

Sockets and wrenches (the USA line)

Just my opinion.

What is it about the wrenches ... do they have thicker beams? If memory serves, both Proto and Williams SuperCombo's are long-panel wrenches with anti-slip open ends.

 

[j3rf]

I would love to buy some Williams supercombo wrenches someday.

Love my Supercombo metric set. Use them every day at work.

 

[Snapped-off]

What is it about the wrenches ... do they have thicker beams? If memory serves, both Proto and Williams SuperCombo's are long-panel wrenches with anti-slip open ends.

They're like chunky Snap-ons.

 

[designer485]

Supercombo wrenches have an awesome wide but rounded beam that is very comfortable to crank on.

For the price, they are incredibly underrated. The length is good, longer than Craftsman raised panel and the chrome is as nice as anything I have seen.







Compared to Snap-On



Compared to Craftsman USA raised panel.

 

[ecotec]

I wanted to check out the CAT tools, after reading about them on GJ.

I ordered some combination wrenches (6mm-19mm), 3 socket sets, and some screwdrivers.

If you look really close, at the picture of the ratcheting screwdriver on the CAT site, it is a Snap-on ratcheting screwdriver. If you order it, you will get a Williams ratcheting screwdriver. So, at some time that changed, and then did not update the picture.

The wrenches are really nice. They are much thicker than SO combination wrenches. The box end and open end looks the same. The difference is all in the beams. They are very rounded feeling. They are very comfortable in the hand.

The hard handle screwdrivers are like all my other Snap-on and Williams.

Saving the best for last. The sockets are terrific for the money. I may order a couple more socket sets and some Torx and hex socket sets after Christmas.

 

[Fedwrench]

What are Williams' stand-out tools ... where do they outshine the likes of Proto?

I don't think Williams tools outshine Proto in any area.

The supercombo is a nice wrench but, you can get full polished Proto combination wrenches in a wider range of sizes without being clublike in the larger sizes. Just my personal opinion from using both brands.

 

[ecotec]

Here is a picture of the CAT ratcheting screwdriver that is on the CATERPILLAR parts website.
It is a Snap-on ratcheting screwdriver with CATERPILLAR branding. You can clearly see the Snap-on handle and the knurling on the shaft...

You do not actually get this screwdriver. You actually get a black version of the Williams with CAT branding. I was kind of bummed.