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Calling all backyard mechanics. What is better Craftsman ,Snap On or..?
- Thread starter BellaBlades
- Start date
SSonnentag
Stay Sharp!
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- Feb 25, 2009
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- 2,165
Craftsman is still the best in my opinion. You just have to be aware that they now carry two grades of tools. Cheap and Professional. Get the good stuff. I've found Husky and Kobalt to be junk. I've never tried Snap-On as I don't like having to track down a truck to buy.
bandaidman
Basic Member
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- Feb 11, 2001
- Messages
- 1,149
I have a 30+ year old USA made Husky socket set in a metal box that is still great. I lost the original socket wrench putting together a basketball goal for my kids and the replacement one is not as good. I have a few Kobolt tools including an impact wrench that I like a lot.
I have started buying SK tools as they are US made and have excellent finish and function. They made a lot of the craftsman stuff in the old days. If I am not mistaken they produced the prototype modern ratchet
I also have a Wera 1/2" SAE set. It was atrociously expensive. The Zyklop ratchet is really nifty and more useful than I ever thought.
I have started buying SK tools as they are US made and have excellent finish and function. They made a lot of the craftsman stuff in the old days. If I am not mistaken they produced the prototype modern ratchet
I also have a Wera 1/2" SAE set. It was atrociously expensive. The Zyklop ratchet is really nifty and more useful than I ever thought.
I started working on cars in my dad's garage in 1970. He had always used SnapOn and after awhile I could see why. Even back then there were lots of cheap junk brands available. Mac, Proto and SK were also available back then. Everything I saw at that time from Craftsman was bad quality and construction.
What I noticed about SnapOn the most was that the tools were strong, fit the fasteners really well, and were trim enough to fit in places where other brands wouldn't fit. I had a small set of SnapOn tools of my own, mostly wrenches, sockets, wratchets and screwdrivers. I picked less expensive brands for other tools such as pliers, hammers, etc. I wasn't fully aware of the price difference until years later. When I figured out how much more expensive SnapOn was I stopped carrying mine in my trunk. At some point a little over 20 years ago I started buying Craftsman. I discovered that they were better made than before and actually worked well. I didn't use them every day but I found that they stood up to my use pretty well. At that time I had to buy sockets and wrenches in metric and SAE sizes which increases the cost. If I had to buy replacements right now I don't know what I would buy, I haven't looked closely at Cobalt or Husky wrenches.
The OP said he was missing some from his collection. I've found a lot of tools at flea markets, things like big tubs full of sockets. I wonder if a person could dig through these tubs and find quality tools such as the older Craftsman.
What I noticed about SnapOn the most was that the tools were strong, fit the fasteners really well, and were trim enough to fit in places where other brands wouldn't fit. I had a small set of SnapOn tools of my own, mostly wrenches, sockets, wratchets and screwdrivers. I picked less expensive brands for other tools such as pliers, hammers, etc. I wasn't fully aware of the price difference until years later. When I figured out how much more expensive SnapOn was I stopped carrying mine in my trunk. At some point a little over 20 years ago I started buying Craftsman. I discovered that they were better made than before and actually worked well. I didn't use them every day but I found that they stood up to my use pretty well. At that time I had to buy sockets and wrenches in metric and SAE sizes which increases the cost. If I had to buy replacements right now I don't know what I would buy, I haven't looked closely at Cobalt or Husky wrenches.
The OP said he was missing some from his collection. I've found a lot of tools at flea markets, things like big tubs full of sockets. I wonder if a person could dig through these tubs and find quality tools such as the older Craftsman.
If you want to buy the best then get snap on. Nothing beats a snap on when you need to get a rusted nut or a bolt off. I used to have an auto shop and still got way too much money in tools in the garage. But I found that SK works as well for most jobs. When I buy tools now as I don't own a shop no more it SK first and then craftsman. Most of the time tools break when people don't use them properly or not how they were intended to be used.
I never were excited about Cobalt or husky. Those were what we got if we had to make our own tool. Heat up a wrench to bend it so we could get to some bolt. Snap is to expensive to ruin lol.
I never were excited about Cobalt or husky. Those were what we got if we had to make our own tool. Heat up a wrench to bend it so we could get to some bolt. Snap is to expensive to ruin lol.
When I got out of the Air Force, I realized I couldn't afford to own a car if I didn't work on it. I started taking high school auto shop at night. I remember this advise. "Yeah Craftsman tools have a lifetime guarantee. If one breaks you can go back and get it replaced for free. If you get Snap-On, it won't break." An additional plus is that the polished surface on Snap-On is much easier to wipe clean.
I use craftsman sockets because they are cheap and the warranty is nice. I use snap on ratchets because they don't break and the mechanism is worth the cost for me. I also use snap on impact sockets because I've seen impact sockets break and it's scary. Craftsman screwdrivers work just fine. But for ratcheting gear wrenches I buy the ones from home depot because they are identical to the snap on one's I have from ten years ago and 1/3 the price.