I just got into the Auto program at the local JC, and a requirement is that I buy a set of tools. The venders that the school goes through are Craftsman, MAC and Snap-On. I get 10% off of the Craftsman , 25%off MAC and 50$off of Snap-On. Ther reuqired set will cost about $4k any way I go.

Personally, I think craftsman are junk, and I like Snap-On, but have never used MAC. I was hoping to get some of your opinions on which tools to buy.


Just a side note, the program has 2 donated Corvettes to play with :smash: (A C3 and a C4) and I have already claimed them as my project cars !! :D
Plus we are doing Transmissions in the winter quarter, so I get to pull and rebuild mine in class and get credit for it. Whoo Hooo

 

I say Craftsman and here's why. They are a good tool set. Almost all the tools I own are Craftsman, and in the four years I have owned the majority (had to buy a couple of odd sockets here and there), all I've had to replace is one 1/4" drive ratchet. Craftsman are by far the easiest to replace if something does break. How often do you see a MAC or Snap-On truck driving around at 9:00 at night? Just don't use your Sears charge card. I think it's up to 24% right now :eek:

 

snap on, they are the highest quality and you get the biggest price break. craftsman are my personal tools of choice but i don't work on cars everyday anymore. if i did i'd buy mostly snap on, they really hold up to the day in, day out use.

 

I have a variety of all them. If your planning on working in a garage the Mac/ Snap-on trucks usually stop by once a week to replace/repair/sell tools. If you just doing this as a hobby get the Craftsman for the ease of replacement.

 

I vote Craftman because I work on cars every day for a living have done it all my life. At last inventory I had $65,000 in tools and equipment with over half that bieng Craftsman products. I do have Snap on specialty tools and a few Mac tools also I wont knock them at all they are high quality however they have not outlasted any of my craftsman tools and cost 3-4 times as much. Most "Junk" Craftsman tools are the ones that are misused such as crome sockets on impacts and open end wrenches that get way over stressed where a socket or boxed end should be used.

 

if you meant 50% off when you said ....I get 10% off of the Craftsman , 25%off MAC and 50$off of Snap-On..... instead of 50$ then I agree to go with the snap-on. But then again be sure to compare apples to apples. My son went through this a few years ago and what we saw was some great 50% discounts but you had to take the 'package' and some things in the package were $400 fluke (I think thats the name) volt/ohm meters (which you don't use every day/week) If this is going to be your profession go with the snap-on/mac/matco since they come to the shops. The smoothness of the handles on snap-on/mac vs Craftsman is a plus also if you use them 8 hours a day. My son got a great deal while in school on a $6000 matco tool box set for about $3000 (it was even better when it was my $3000 :crazy: ) Personally cars are one of my hobbies and I probably own 95% of the craftsman hand tools (some 30 years old) and they have served me well. I have supplemented it over the years with MAC wobble sockets, etc. As far as air tools I can beat the snap-on guy all day long with top of the line ingersoll rand impacts off the web. Same for battery powered impacts(I have a sweet top of the line Makita 3/8). The problem now is when the son comes over he brings the specialty tools/sockets (I help him build 4WD rockcrawlers) I don't have to make the jobs easier and then I go buy them too.

Good luck with your school. You can make lots of money if you are good.

 

I teach at a local school also (West Virginia University Institute of Technology) and my students are in the same boat. I provide them with a required tool list that is BARE MINIMUM. I prefer Snap On tools because I have used all brands of tools and have been a mechanic for 35 years. Snap On dealers are the best I have found so far because of the replacement attitude they have. I met one Snap On dealer for the first time and the first thing he asked was :" do you have any broken tools I can service for you?" and I have seen this more than once. I have been given the run around from Sears(Craftsman) .they seem to like to say :" you used this socket on an impact wrench" or:" you had a pipe on this ratchet so it's not replaceable". I haven't had that sort of reply from a MAC or MATCO sales person yet but their dealers are fewer and further between. I can't stand Cornwell tools but my Dad likes them ........it's the individual dealer here that's the problem but I didn't like the fact that an impact socket would shatter.......... so those are my opinions in a big nutshell.......... oh BTW the discount from Snap On will bring the price down to Craftsman's full list price........... go figure :seeya

 

I say snap on ....Look at a set of Craftmens sockets...half the time the stamped size on the side is not readable.

Or cut the chase..... http://www.skhandtool.com/


[Modified by JonM, 11:18 AM 9/26/2002]

 

I have to say Craftsman and here's why. Let me start off by saying that I have nothing against Snap-On and Mac. We have a few Snap-On tools and they are of the absolute highest quality. I would love to have a shop full of them, but there is one drawback, the truck. I don't have a convienent Snap-On store to go to. If I break a Craftsman I always know where I can get a replacement immediately. Now ideally the tools wouldn't break at all, but sometimes it happens.

Craftsman is by no means a cheap tool either. They are very good quality and very convienent for me. I would prefer Snap-On but with cost and convience I have to give the edge to Craftsman. Now for instance if you happen to have a Snap-On truck in your driveway, SCORP!!!, then I don't think there is any contest.

 

what tools and brands to buy if your going to get into building engines?
well Ive aquired my tools over the last 37 years mostly buy buying what ever I needed as I needed it (no sence I can see in buying tools you don,t use)now heres what Ive found over the years,Ive got over $12,000 in mixed snap-on and craftsman tools, snap-on is slightly better quality but craftsman tools are eisier to replace when they break, I hate waiting a week for the snap-on truck when sears is only 30min drive, (they know me at sears as I walk in and swap at least one tool every week, (snap-on tools tend to last longer but still break ,so I swap them in less often but don,t think theres a huge amount better) Id get a mixture like I have personally, get the snap-on ratchets and wrenches and the craftsman sockets, meters can be had by carefully shopping the internet, the important stuff like micrometers,cylinder bore gauges, dial indicators, etc, your better of finding good deals on QUALITY TOOLS on a individual basis,and be sure to get a top quality certifyed torque wrench and connecting rod bolt streach gauge, and micrometers in 1",2",3".,4",5" set,Ive also found these to be very helpful, http://www.compcams.com/catalog/335.html
http://www.compcams.com/catalog/340.html
http://www.compcams.com/catalog/341.html

btw I have four of these in the shop, they are cheap and well made http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=47304

cheaper ones tend to tip. so be careful

the most important tool is your mind! THINK ABOUT WHAT YOUR DOING BEFORE YOU DO IT!
measure things 3 or4 times, read the instructions over untill you totally understand everything, and use this info
MOST BUT NOT ALL THIS INFO IS VERY HELPFUL FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT TO DO!
http://www.hotrod.com/editorial/article.jsp?id=869
http://www.zhome.com/ZCMnL/PICS/deto...etonation.html
http://www.zianet.com/v8monza/engine.htm
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m11...chamber+design
http://www.speedomotive.com/building%20tips.htm
http://www.airflowresearch.com/Articles/A3-P1.htm
http://www.aros.net/~rbuck/chp/Welcome.html
http://www.airflowresearch.com/Articles/A2-P1.htm
http://mysite.directlink.net/ldodd/EngineBuild.htm
buy these FIVE books, it will be the best money you ever spent, read them, and you will be miles ahead of the average guy.
HOW TO BUILD THE SMALL BLOCK CHEVEROLET by LARRY ATHERTON&LARRY SCHREIB
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SMOKEY YUNICK,S POWER SECRETS




[Modified by grumpyvette, 6:13 PM 9/26/2002]

 

Is that 50% or $50 off snapon? :D

Definitely Snap-On, and I'm not just being biased since my father is a Snap-On dealer. Growing up he had 95% craftsmen tools. They are good, but the stuff you will buy today is not up to the quality it was a few years ago. Sure the guarantee is still there, but the quality isn't. Craftsmen stuff bouht today is noticeably cheaper. :(

Do you want to have to stop working and make a trip to the store to replace what are not mediocre ratchets. You lose time & pay to go replace that damn thing. On the other hand snag a Snap-On ratchet and it will take a LOT more abuse for a little more money and still has the same warranty.

 

:blueangel:

The argument I use is that the CHANCE of the craftsmen stuff breaking is much higher than the Snap-On stuff. Especially the newer Craftsmen stuff he'll be getting his hands on. So is it worth the risk? As foolish as it sounds, the Snap-On stuff even just feels better in your hands.

 

I'm not positive but something to look unto. I think Craftsman has regular tools and professional grade tools. Their regular tools I don't believe are guaranteed.

 

I.m still using the craftsman tools I bought in the early ,60s....

Great tools...have had to only update new tools...

tony :cool:

 

Most of my dad's craftsman tools are older than I am. I'll agree with you Snap on is the better tool. Whenever I go shopping for my own tools for my own house I may see about finding a snap-on truck. Is there any way you can summon one to a particular location? Set up an appointment type thing?

 

Unfortunately not really, unless the guy is super nice and has some spare time. My father for example is out on the streets by 8:30am. He can't really go earlier because none of his customers' shops are open before then. He is on the go all day until about 5:00pm when most of them are closed.

On Wednesdays he has a lull from 4:00pm to 5:30pm where he has to wait to go to a UPS hub to go take care of his evening shift customers. Sometimes what he will do is call up all of his Tow Truck driver customers and say "Hey I'll be doing paperwork over here at this parking lot if you'd like to swing by." Its funny, the tow truck guys will just follow him around sometimes to meet him at his next stop.

The way that it works (for him at least) is Snap-On gives you a list of valid businesses in your defined area of service. Its up to you to try and contact them to do business if you want to. You can't make residential calls unless the occupant does not work at a business where any Snap-On dealer works. For example if my dad has a guy who lives in his area that is a mechanic and calls him up from home. My dad can't deal with him if the mechanic has a different Snap-On guy at work. If he doesn't have one then it is fair game.

What you can do is call them up and tell them that you'd like to do some business with them, but do not work at a shop or anything. Ask them where near you they will be on such and such a day and approximate time and let them know you would like to make a "Cash Sale". All this means is that you pay on the spot whether it be cash, check, money order.... but you are not using Dealer credit or Snap-On credit.

It is sort of confusing, I'm still trying to figure it out.

 

Everything I have is Craftsman because that is what my dad buys me for my birthday and christmas every year for the last 8 years. Plus I have full access to his shop which is full of craftsman tools. My step-dad is a shop foreman at a Cummins engine shop but was a mech before that he has a lot of snap-on which are also really good tools which I also use a lot. I like them both never had a problem with any of the warrentys when I break either I will take it to years and get another one without a problem or I will go and see his snap-on dealer and get another without a problem. I think they are both quality but like scorp said Craftsman has been making some chezy stuff lately.

 

I just happened to think about one other thing when choosing hand tools........... if you're gonna use them all day you want them to FEEL good in your hand....... the Craftsman tools such as combination wrenches have a rib that goes most of the length of the wrench. It has a pretty objectionable edge to it and when you pull real hard on it, it can be uncomfortable. The Snap On wrenches on the other hand are nice and smooth and feel good. I also like the way a Snap On wrench sounds when it hits the floor. It has a nice "ring" to it. Most other brands "clink". :seeya

 

I chased many guy's and websites for a year and a half, trying to get in touch w/ a rep or truck. I never got one call or Email back. That tells me they don't want my business. OK by me.
I finally hooked up w/ a Matco rep. This past year, he has gotten $10K worth of my business.
I don't car for Mac tools. The quality/price is not there for me.
I like a lot of SnapOn stuff, but can't afford them. Some of their tools no one else does, or they do it poorly. For these, I have to break down an spend the $.
If you want to make a living turning wrenches, don't get Crapman. The old Craftsman of years ago is worth it. I still have a few pieces that are doing fine. The stuff on the shelves today is junk. You will be down to Sears once a month trying to get a tool exchanged, and then listening to the sales-jerk giving you a earfull as to why they that particular tool is exempt from their lifetime warrenty. The stuff they didn't tell you when you bought it. It is not worth it.
I have been replacing my crapman tools w/ Husky, which they will do at no cost, but now Depot no longer carries single sockets and such. So you have to ORDER a replacement. What good is a liftime warrenty if you have to wait on a replacement. i.e. What good is that to a mechanic.
I have been buying Cobalt from Lowes. They are made by the same company that makes tools for SnapOn. It is good quality professional stuff.
Given your options, I'd squeese the SnapOn guy for a % discount. There mark up is high enough they can do it. $50 will only get you a 25mm & 26mm sockets. i.e. $50 is nothing to a SnapOn guy. What's that something like %12 off a $4K purchase. If I'm spending $4K CASH, I want a discount.

BTW The tool guys would love to finance you. They make a lot of easy money this way. I say don't bother. Spend the $ on tools, not borrowing $.

 

This post reminds me of a comic clipping Ive seen some years back.
Its a few pics of a mechanic,and in each picture hes standing next to a tool box,which gets bigger in each picture along with the skill level stating beginner,intermediate,advance,then Pro.

The beginner mechanic has the small beat up looking used tool box.The intermediate has a larger box with more tools...the advance has a Huge box with many tools.

The pro has the small beat up box with a few tools.

See the moral of the story?
:)

Anyways,Im a snap on and craftsman guy too...problem is,many snap on dealers will over charge you.The one at my last job did,he marked everything up really high.

I will use snap on for torque wrenches and specialty tools.I also have many craftsman wrenches and etc.

My all time favorite little tool kit I now use for 99% of my jobs is my Metrinch Tool kit.
Sears used to sell it but no longer carry it.Metrich is Both metric and standard in one and grabs the sides and not the corners and will not strip a bolt.My old craftsman sockets were notorius for rounding off bolt edges.

This metrinch set got off stripped U joint bolts and many other rounded off bolts as well and saved me many times.
I used this set to take off and put back on many of the bolts for the engine compartment and accessories and they have yet to damage the corners of any of the bolts.

Choose your tools wisely and dont over buy stuff you wont really ever use or need.

:)