billymade
Well-known member
You KNOW your a tool ADDICT when:
"Red and Chrome" become your new "favorite" colors...
Piles of tool catalogs are suddenly everywhere in your domicile....
Anything chrome and shiny catches your eye....
Tools on the side of the road seem to "appear" out of nowhere...
The sight of abused, neglected, and rusted tools really bothers you....
When considering the purchase of a shiny new Snap-On tool item; after cradling it in your hand, you slowly caress it and "feel" how it will work with you on your next job....
You start "lecturing" people about "respecting" tools; in particular emphasizing proper care and feeding; your tools take on a anthropomorphic quality and you explain how they are "speaking to you" etc......
The words, MADE IN USA, CHINA or TAIWAN take on a whole new meaning....
At your buddies house, you start organizing and cleaning his tools; that are scattered all over the place and don't even realize your are doing it....
You can quickly rattle off the contents of your rollaway toolboxes, which brand each air tool is (or hand tool for that matter), how much you paid for them, the weakness, strength of each and every one of them; plus, a personal anecdote to go along with their usage. "My die grinder cuts through things like butter!" You exclaim how they should "see your Snap-On tool collection!", as "normal" peoples eyes glaze over, they fall silent and you don't even realize it (like a proud father, you refer to your tools as if they were your "babies")......
Your "want list" is always in your front pocket or wallet; so you know what you are missing the next time you run across one at the next pawn shop, flea market, garage sale or swap meet......
As your addiction matures, strong feelings of disgust are felt, when holding a poorly made or cheap imported tool in your hand. In that moment, you feel like doing one of three things: dropping it on the spot (kicking it away from you), quickly put it back on the stores display hook or throwing it as far away from you as possible; thus removing the offending item from your hand.....
"Snap-On, Mac or Matco!" Three words you automatically blurt out in quick succession, when someone asks where they can find a high quality tool....
It bothers you when you look inside a professional or high quality rollaway and see mixed pro and junk tools together. This can be "anticlimactic" and cause feelings of deep disappointment. "Ohhh, yeeahh!, (once inside), What the!?! Ugghh!"
If you are at a friends house and he hands you a junk import tool to tackle the present job at hand, you recoil in horror and ask "do you have anything else?" or just say, "lets go to my shop and use my tools, to get the job done right, the first time......"
You feel a sharp pain in your chest, followed by nausea when you cannot find your favorite 3/8" Snap-On ratchet and if you do not find it, are inconsolable until you acquire a new one.....
You notice professional tool trucks all over town, everywhere.....
You know the location of every pawn shop in your area within a 500 mile radius....
When someone asks if they can borrow a tool, you quietly and firmly say "NO" but if you happen to be in a good mood; you may say; "but you can come over to my shop and I'll help you use it"....
You find it harder and harder to buy tools you see in "normal" department stores and are aghast at the poor quality that they offer....
You are irritated by people who do not have any respect for your tools, when a job is finished and they can't figure out why it "bothers" you so much, when they can't "find" that one last "wrench" you paid $50 for....
If your professional tool man does not come to your place of business; you always have a couple of broken professional tools for warranty replacement in your cars or trucks "cup holders" so, the next time you see the truck, you can stop and get new ones (hopefully)......
If you are lucky enough to get inside a professional tool truck; right before going inside, your heart rate goes up, you have a slight chill (you may even shiver for a moment), you get dry mouth, small beads of sweat appear on your forehead and after saying (croaking) "hi" to tool guy; you fall silent in awe looking everywhere at all the beautiful wall to wall shiny "chrome" things on display .....
You can identify the brand and model of any ratchet (or any tool for that matter) you see within seconds of eye balling it.......
The numbers 6, 8, 12 "point", 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" "drive" and the term "triple square", mean something to you, as does the classic question; "metric or standard?"....
When mentioning how much a particular Snap-On tool you own costs (say a 1/2" ratchet), the uninformed "non tool type" person is incredulous and in shock; while you just quietly smile and appreciate the beauty of the tool resting in your hand.....
You put your hand on your forehead and roll your eyes when someone says "metric and standard are the same size, right?"
Please add your own contributions below!
"Red and Chrome" become your new "favorite" colors...
Piles of tool catalogs are suddenly everywhere in your domicile....
Anything chrome and shiny catches your eye....
Tools on the side of the road seem to "appear" out of nowhere...
The sight of abused, neglected, and rusted tools really bothers you....
When considering the purchase of a shiny new Snap-On tool item; after cradling it in your hand, you slowly caress it and "feel" how it will work with you on your next job....
You start "lecturing" people about "respecting" tools; in particular emphasizing proper care and feeding; your tools take on a anthropomorphic quality and you explain how they are "speaking to you" etc......
The words, MADE IN USA, CHINA or TAIWAN take on a whole new meaning....
At your buddies house, you start organizing and cleaning his tools; that are scattered all over the place and don't even realize your are doing it....
You can quickly rattle off the contents of your rollaway toolboxes, which brand each air tool is (or hand tool for that matter), how much you paid for them, the weakness, strength of each and every one of them; plus, a personal anecdote to go along with their usage. "My die grinder cuts through things like butter!" You exclaim how they should "see your Snap-On tool collection!", as "normal" peoples eyes glaze over, they fall silent and you don't even realize it (like a proud father, you refer to your tools as if they were your "babies")......
Your "want list" is always in your front pocket or wallet; so you know what you are missing the next time you run across one at the next pawn shop, flea market, garage sale or swap meet......
As your addiction matures, strong feelings of disgust are felt, when holding a poorly made or cheap imported tool in your hand. In that moment, you feel like doing one of three things: dropping it on the spot (kicking it away from you), quickly put it back on the stores display hook or throwing it as far away from you as possible; thus removing the offending item from your hand.....
"Snap-On, Mac or Matco!" Three words you automatically blurt out in quick succession, when someone asks where they can find a high quality tool....
It bothers you when you look inside a professional or high quality rollaway and see mixed pro and junk tools together. This can be "anticlimactic" and cause feelings of deep disappointment. "Ohhh, yeeahh!, (once inside), What the!?! Ugghh!"
If you are at a friends house and he hands you a junk import tool to tackle the present job at hand, you recoil in horror and ask "do you have anything else?" or just say, "lets go to my shop and use my tools, to get the job done right, the first time......"
You feel a sharp pain in your chest, followed by nausea when you cannot find your favorite 3/8" Snap-On ratchet and if you do not find it, are inconsolable until you acquire a new one.....
You notice professional tool trucks all over town, everywhere.....
You know the location of every pawn shop in your area within a 500 mile radius....
When someone asks if they can borrow a tool, you quietly and firmly say "NO" but if you happen to be in a good mood; you may say; "but you can come over to my shop and I'll help you use it"....
You find it harder and harder to buy tools you see in "normal" department stores and are aghast at the poor quality that they offer....
You are irritated by people who do not have any respect for your tools, when a job is finished and they can't figure out why it "bothers" you so much, when they can't "find" that one last "wrench" you paid $50 for....
If your professional tool man does not come to your place of business; you always have a couple of broken professional tools for warranty replacement in your cars or trucks "cup holders" so, the next time you see the truck, you can stop and get new ones (hopefully)......
If you are lucky enough to get inside a professional tool truck; right before going inside, your heart rate goes up, you have a slight chill (you may even shiver for a moment), you get dry mouth, small beads of sweat appear on your forehead and after saying (croaking) "hi" to tool guy; you fall silent in awe looking everywhere at all the beautiful wall to wall shiny "chrome" things on display .....
You can identify the brand and model of any ratchet (or any tool for that matter) you see within seconds of eye balling it.......
The numbers 6, 8, 12 "point", 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" "drive" and the term "triple square", mean something to you, as does the classic question; "metric or standard?"....
When mentioning how much a particular Snap-On tool you own costs (say a 1/2" ratchet), the uninformed "non tool type" person is incredulous and in shock; while you just quietly smile and appreciate the beauty of the tool resting in your hand.....
You put your hand on your forehead and roll your eyes when someone says "metric and standard are the same size, right?"
Please add your own contributions below!
Last edited:
