Your Preferential Brand?

[Ian S.]

Do you have a preferential brand of tools? Are you a Snap-On guy, or a Matco follower? How about cheap and easy?

Me, anything I buy needs to have these 2 things...
1) Lifetime warranty
2) On sale

I tend to buy a lot of Canadian Tire tools as they are always on sale and have a no questions asked, over the counter lifetime warranty. You can't beat their tool sales either.

As for small power tools, I have bought CDN Tire stuff, but they are kind of crappy and tend to die shortly after the warranty ends. With Ridgid you can't beat their lifetime warranty.

Ian S.

 

[GIJoe4500]

Proto. Almost every socket I have in my main set is Proto, granted, they were all bought used. Pawn shops and ebay.

 

[zkling]

There are brands that I like and then there are brands that I can afford and thus actually own. Of course the two aren't the same, usually.

About my only overall criteria is that it is Made in USA, or Germany, Sweden, Switzerland or similar country. However I am slowly starting to get away from that. ~85+% of my tools I purchase(d) used. Couldn't afford all new, even craftsman stuff.

The warranty is nice, but not a gigantic selling point for me. I don't abuse my tools, so they tend not to break on a regular basis. Yes I realize things do wear out on a regular basis, but alot of stuff I have seen go is plain old abuse. IMHO.
For warranty, Craftsman hands down, since I am a home/diy guy and thus don't have a truck brand truck association.

I have a little of everything as far as brands. Again, vast majority purchased used. However if you were to take a tally of all my stuff the winner would probably be craftsman. I think they (at lest before the china switch) offer a good performance vs price point for the average DIY guy. Are they as good as the major truck brands, no, but they are also much more reasonable to purchase for the non professional.

I'm starting to get into channellock for pliers, but IMHO they are a bit expensive to purchase new, unless you find a clearance sale or the like. I won't specifically judge a tool on it's brand but I will on COO and price.

 

[mattmus4357]

Craftsman for me. I know I'll get hammered for that, but I worked at a Sears Hometown Store for 3 years during college. Got some great deals while there, I would always get first dibs on the clearance items. Sometimes the boss would even knock a little more off too. Luckily, all my Craftsman hand tools are made in USA.

 

[willf650]

I have always liked SK.

Most of my sockets are Craftsman. Cheap and easy to get. At this point I have all the sockets I'll ever need so I need to liquidate some.

My favorite ratchets are SK. I did buy a Snap On dual 80 ratchet and don't see the value although it's very nice. Recently bought an Armstrong ratchet and see more value in it than the Snap On at twice the price. If I used ratchets ever day maybe my opion would change.

My favorite pliers are Knipex.

My favorite screw drivers are Wiha and Wera. Used to be Klien but you can look at their phillips wrong and it's wore out.

I care a little about price and more about value.

I don't care about warranty.

I don't work in a shop and loose way more tools than I ever break. As a matter of fact the only tools I've broken in the past few years are a couple pairs a Channel Lock brand pliers, one pair of pump pliers and 2 pairs of crimpers and the usual screwdrivers being misused.

The reason SK has always been my favorite is from working on a roof on a compressor years ago. I had a 3/8 Craftsman socket set out and 1/2 SK socket set out. It started to rain so I packed up all my tools and threw them in my van. The next day when I opened the cases the Craftsman set was rusted up and the SK was shiny as ever. I've always have hated Craftsman ratchets.

 

[basspro]

My first set for Industrial Mechanics Trades school was Craftsman, all USA through a local small chain industrial distributer, it was all packaged differently than the stuff in sears. Since then, I've added a good amount of Snap-On, Channellock, S-K, Proto, Allen, CP, HF, you name it, but Id say I still have 50% craftsman or so and I dont really see that changing.

 

[jpickar]

I like the Snap-on, Mac, Matco, But buy C-man because I can afford them. Proto, SK and a few others are good too but don't see them much. I'm a yard sale and pawn shop buyer for the most part. But I like being able to go into Sears and buy something new I need and not have to go get a mortgage to buy it.

John

 

[cburnscrx]

Well, I am setting myself up for this one....Craftsman. It's a good value, and you can get complete size runs of the wrenches/sockets. I HATE sets that are missing sizes. My luck is such that I will need that size at exactly the worst time.

My shopping consists of...

1. Ability to complete a set
2. Warranty
3. On sale or cheap
4. COO

1-3 in that listing are WAY more important than #4. All things being equal I'll buy the USA made version, but it won't trump anything else on that list.

I have the hated Craftsman raised pannel combos in both 6pt and 12pt, metric and sae, and almost all of my sockets are Craftsman too. I actually like them and they work for me. Yet, I use Titan ratchets. I love my Craftsman Pro screwdrivers and am really happy with them. I am really not happy with the switch over to China, but the times they are a changin...

 

[WWIIjeep]

Proto.

Followed by Snap-On, Wright, S-K.

 

[Jim C.]

Well, I am setting myself up for this one....Craftsman. It's a good value, and you can get complete size runs of the wrenches/sockets. I HATE sets that are missing sizes. My luck is such that I will need that size at exactly the worst time.

My shopping consists of...

1. Ability to complete a set
2. Warranty
3. On sale or cheap
4. COO

1-3 in that listing are WAY more important than #4. All things being equal I'll buy the USA made version, but it won't trump anything else on that list.

I have the hated Craftsman raised pannel combos in both 6pt and 12pt, metric and sae, and almost all of my sockets are Craftsman too. I actually like them and they work for me. Yet, I use Titan ratchets. I love my Craftsman Pro screwdrivers and am really happy with them. I am really not happy with the switch over to China, but the times they are a changin...

I don't think you're alone here. I agree with many of your comments and generally speaking, I'd categorize myself as a Craftsman tool user. I have mostly all older (from the 1980s and early 1990s) Craftsman wrenches (RP), sockets, ratchets (several RP), etc. and think they're great! I have some newer USA made Craftsman stuff too, and I have no complaints. I don't buy asian tools, so I mostly look for used, made in the USA, tools now. I'm a big fan of Craftsman tools with the =V= manufacturer's mark on them.

Jim C.

 

[devoncoolman]

Snap-on is my favorite. I do like williams for my larger stuff but have mostly snap-on

 

[crewchief888]

i've been wrenching on const eq for 30 years
my "working" tools came off a tool truck, purchased brand new
mostly snapon, followed by matco, and in a distant 3rd, mac.
i have a few additional tools, from CM, cornwell, proto, and HF.

garage tools are vintage SK, CM, HF, the big 3 truck brands, along with proto, armstrong. most of the CM stuff was bought new back around 13/14 years ago
, most everything else was leftovers, spares from work, the past 3 or 4 years, i've been watching for deals at flea mkts, pawn shops, garage sales, and selective buying at HF.

 

[chrisa7164]

I worked in new car dealerships for the last 20 yrs so my story is similar to crewchiefs. Snap-On matco and a couple macs thrown in. My hand tools are mostly all SO. Matco was some of the specialty stuff and Mac was what or if I needed right away and he had it.

 

[czgunner]

I'm a pro wrench, and I own lots of Snapon. I have a bit of Matco, Mac, and bunch of Cornwell.
The problem I have with most of the Mac and Matco, and lots of the Cornwell is they peddle imported stuff with their name on it and ask top dollar.
I prefer to buy the oem from my independant dealer. He warranties everything for me and I save a bunch of cash.

 

[crewchief888]

I worked in new car dealerships for the last 20 yrs so my story is similar to crewchiefs. Snap-On matco and a couple macs thrown in. My hand tools are mostly all SO. Matco was some of the specialty stuff and Mac was what or if I needed right away and he had it.

pretty much the same here.

sometimes i just couldnt "justify" SO prices for the same thing from matco.

line sockets, crowsfeet, ect just werent available from matco, or mac.

mac dealers i've dealt with have been a PITA to get anything warrantied.

 

[bsaint]

The price of tools is relatively small investment compared to how much money you will make with them. So I dont care if I spend bucco dollars because even with 15k invested, Ill make 70k that year with them, and the next year, and the next year....

If I bought tools for the house, usually I go with cheaper good quality import or non import tools because I am not making money with them.

 

[BK13]

Money no object... Snap On
Real world... SK except ratchets, for them I kinda like Armstrong

I am looking to get some Hazet, Gedore, Stahlwille, KoKen, and Nepros, to see if I like them.

 

[Tarheelgarage]

Harbor Freight is what I use and recommend to others...

 

[bobcatdan]

I not a brand guy per say . Let's use socket sets as an example. When I had 5 tool trucks to choose from, I bought which ever set I thought was the best deal. During g this time I spend most of my money with SK and Cornwell. Matco and Mac next and SO dead last. As more import crept into Mac and matco, the less I bought. Now I only have SO since nobody else will stop at my one man shop. I've been buying tools for 15 years now so my weekly spending has really dropped off. I like wright, but with no brick and mortar store to buy from, I have no interest in buying online. Same goes fro proto and Armstrong. If all my tools blew away tomorrow, I'd buy SK and a big Kennedy box.

 

[trout]

it was Craftsman, going SK now.

 

[ewils35]

I'm also not much of a brand guy but at work I have craftsman, Matco and snap-on in my box. At home I have craftsman and harbor freight. If I had preference is use craftsman for hand tools and Matco for air tools and specialty tools

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk 2

 

[JFBURLINGHAM207]

I have different brands I like for different tools.fit finish and warranty have always been my main choice factors, though lately I'm ruled mainly by price. My absolute favorites are easy: combination wrenches Snapon and the older style MAC, for screwdrivers I'm partial to the hard handle Snapon in Black. I like Snapon ratchets and sockets.
Based on money available I own mainly craftsman sockets, some Stanley, wrenches from SK and the 3 truck brands, new Britain tool, and all my new sockets have been blue point. I have become fond of the husky tools for price and guarantee, also have some decently finished chi-com from Ace hardware that carry a lifetime exchange policy. My large combos up to 2" are mixed bag of ace, napa, and husky.
When I hit the lotto I will have Snapon and MAC exclusively until then I have dads hand me downs and what I can afford.

 

[Chuck122]

I really try not to fall into brand myopia. I'm a buyer of features not names. For instance, I bought mostly sk sockets because along with a reasonable price point and quality , I felt their sets were quite complete and comprehensive.
For wrenches, I went with snap on because the fd+ design was the only one of its kind available in my area. The same goes for their dual 80s and ratchet screwdrivers
A lot of brands have products I like and all have some I hate, so I just pick and choose regardless of brand name

 

[Tinner]

All of my sockets and drive tools are Snap On, except for metric 1/2" drive sockets which are SK. Wrench sets are about half Snap On, the rest SK, Proto, Armstrong and Stahlwille. Wrenches over 1 1/4", 32mm are mostly Chinese. 3/4" drive is Williams sockets, Proto ratchet, the rest SK and Armstrong. Screwdrivers are all Snap On. Pliers a mixture of Snap On, Knipex, Proto and Klein. The rest is a mix of Snap On and other American brands. Tool boxes are '80s Snap On with a Kennedy side cab.

At work, as a metal fabricator 80% of my measuring and layout tools are Starrett and a bit of Mitutoyo, PEC and SPI. Sockets and drive tools are Craftsman 1/4" drive, Snap On 3/8" drive, and Gearwrench 1/2" drive. Wrenches are Proto and Craftsman. The rest is a mix of American and European brands. Homak roller cab and Waterloo top.

I've been a tradesman since 1975 and a serious home mechanic/DIYer a bit longer and don't regret a dime of the money I've spent on quality tools.

 

[oldtools]

For hand tools, Snap On if I can afford them.

 

[shoggoth80]

I use a bit of everything. My favorite stuff so far has been Matco.

 

[Duct Tape Man]

Most of my hand tools are Craftsman, mainly due to I have used them for 20 years, the quality is good, and the few times I have broken them, exchanging them for new ones is easy at the Sears. I also have some Armstrong, Wright, Williams, Stanley, Proto, Plomb, Husky, Snap-on, and MAC floating around, their quality is also great, I pick them up at the flea markets and garage sales here and there whenever the price is cheap.

Power tools, I have a mix of Milwaukee, Dewalt, Bosch, Craftsman, Black and Decker, and Porter Cable. I try to buy Milwaukee whenever I can, I've found their quality to be excellent and the tools are very well designed.

 

[soulstryke]

proto, basically you get mac tools at a proto price

 

[Fedwrench]

proto, basically you get mac tools at a proto price

Yeah but with PROTO you're also getting a better tool than MAC in some cases.

I am convinced that no one brand is perfect and has the market cornered on everything.

I have everything from wiha, knipex, Proto, snap on, Matco, Cornwell, Mac, SK, Gearwrench, OTC, Lisle, KD, IR, Milwaukee, and others like schley in my cart.
I like German made pliers and screwdrivers. I like Snap on flare stuff. I like MATCO ratcheting wrenches. I like Gearwrench 60, 84, and 120 tooth ratchets. I don't like SK combination wrenches for their fat box ends but, SK makes the sweetest set of short metric boxed end wrenches on the market. Cornwell sockets drive me crazy by using that 60 year old design on their sockets with only a detent hole on one side, instead of instead of a scalloped area on each side of the female square drive end.
MAC is the only maker to actually knurl sockets where you need it, around the square drive area.
I try to buy tools from most brands in an effort to get the best that each brand has to offer. However, what I like may be hated by someone else and vice versa. It's what feels good in your hand and inspires you to want to use it.

 

[atwageman]

I'm not stuck on one brand. The brands I have are Snap On, MAC, Proto, Hazet, Wright, Wiha, Knipex, Wright, PB Swiss, SK, Cornwell, Xcelite and a small amount of HF stuff.

I've been buying tools for a little over 20 years now. I don't buy much hardline stuff these days, since most of that purchasing was done years ago. Although my wife has been a bit of an enabler lately with tool purchases. I had some SK stuff wrote down a wish list. She copied it unknown to me. Last week UPS knocks on the door with some heavy boxes. Almost 14 years of marriage, and I still feel like I made the right decision.

 

[Rezeppa]

I was never one to have a single one tool brand that was my ultimate preference until recently. After dealing with SnapOns corporate customer service I have a hard time buying anything but. I really like the hardline of Cornwell and Sk. The base Cornwell tools really impress me and remind me of the OLD high quality Mac tools no frills just a solid high quality tool. I am not trying to be pessimistic but, with imports and our current options it is becoming harder as a professional to purchase professional quality tools reasonably. If I am being completely honest I don't trust that a Mac or Matco tools are going to be made with the same quality control and pride as some of the other makes. I feel that between Mac and Matco they have purposely been deceitful and trying to charge top dollar off of their past reputation. It's sad how fast Craftsman has has become just another average import. I used to look at tool brands and try to buy who I thought made the best version with the most positive features but with many tool manufactures currently the quality doesn't match the price tag.

 

[devoncoolman]

Gd job atwageman sounds like a keeper.

 

[Bouchard93]

Snap-On & MAC are the top dawgs as always such as cornwell matco ect.
I buy them when I can find a good deal.
but for the most parts its channellock pliers usa craftsman milwaukee power tools est wing hammers & klein is a fav also and so on....

 

[rusty65]

My go to brands are Snap on and Proto.


Sent From Snap On Headquarters deep in China.

 

[WNYflyer]

In SAE I am all over the place what with hand-me downs from my Grandfather and all the other stuff from garage and estate sales. As long as it is USA and cheap I don't put too much emphasis on brand but I do lean towards Williams, Wright , Proto given the choice. Trucks brands only if really cheap otherwise to much $$$ for me and my use.

In metric since I typically don't find too much of that at garage and estate sales much is purchased new or used from E-Bay. When looking for metric whether new or used I gravitate towards Williams, Blackhawk USA, Napa Pro. Always on the look out for USA tools that are the cheapest price point wise in the family of tools. Snap-On ---> Williams, Mac/Proto---> Blackhawk/Stanley USA, Matco/Danaher---> Napa Pro wrenches.

I am a cheap bottom feeder and proud of it

Craftsman is fine also and I have plenty of that too which works just fine for my needs.

 

[mudflap]

After 20 + yrs at the county garage, and seems like a different tool truck every couple of years. I have tools, and boxes from all 3 of the big boys..But about a year ago our NAPA guy comes it the shop, and says hey guys, check out this new line of tools (Carlyle). We bought a few things to try out, and never looked back...Our NAPA guy is at the shop once, sometimes twice a day on parts runs, so getting something replaced is just a matter of calling him up, he brings it with him on his next parts run..easy-breezy...and i would put the quality right up there with the big boys. Plus 20% shop discount is nice too....

 

[Outlander]

I am solid hack (an embarrassment to the DIY community sometimes I admit), buying my tools while working so I don't dig into retirement funds later on when I have time to do things right. So, Mastercraft (Canadian Tire) on sale for wrenches and sockets (ratchets I can take or leave).

I travel to the US, so I grab some HF items then I can join in the HF threads here. I also travel in Canada so there are some Princess Auto pieces in my collection.

My best tools are hand me downs, like my 1/2" Williams socket set. Dad also had some Craftsman stuff etc that honor some tool boxes.

Picked up some Channellock crimpers a couple of weeks back. I'll be swapping everything over to a set of Channellocks in the plier drawer - my Mastercraft stuff which has served me well will go into the truck. I really like them and they are reasonably priced for an abuser like me. Canadian Tire has them on sale every so often.

Garage sales and flea markets here ****, and not in the good way, so I'll need to be diligent and patient to grab anything worthwhile. But, GJ has taught me to be on the look out for a deal wherever I am!

 

[krc328ic]

I'm a bit all over the place. When I was younger I bought all C-man because it was decent and cheap and easy to get. Now that I'm older and somewhat thanks to the internet, I've changed. I won't buy a C-man again unless I'm in a pinch. For me, if it's chrome and shinny, it's going to be MAC. If it cuts, bends, or twists, its either Knipex or S/O. I love the Talon grips! If it's a screwdriver I'm all over the place... C-man, Facom, MAC, S/O, and whatever that yellow handle **** Home Cheapo has (Workforce?). Haven't made my mind up there yet though leaning to the hard handle S/O. Power? I am usually a Dewalt fan, but these new Fuel's really have my eye.
Just my $0.02 of nothing.

 

[genevabuck]

MAC Tools

 

[jeffmoss26]

Klein, Snap-on, Channellock