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DMiller

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
16,432
Location
Hermann, Missouri
Occupation
Cheap "old" Geezer
I am likely in that same Abuser of tools boat as all here!! I have Snap on ratchets they will not warranty as many other brands that end up in the scrap bucket as I destroy them!! As to Crescent Hammers or Rigid Hammers or even Vice Grip Hammers they have plenty of meat in the jaws areas and do not need additional Hammer Heads here!!
 

chidog

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2021
Messages
771
Location
kent, wa
Snap on ? In the late 60's dad got a 1/2 drive snap on ratchet for about 14 bucks, back then and into the late 70's a person could just go to the warehouse and purchase tools. I hate buying anything from the trucks. Always have to hunt them down or call to figure out where they will be. Many years ago had a tool stolen by one of the drivers that was going to check on getting it fixed, this was at a shop I worked at and had a witness. Got a kid on a route in a particular area that is worthless.
The prices and the trucks make snap on bad, sorry just a bad taste here. The trucks = more mark up.
 

1693TA

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2010
Messages
2,687
Location
Farmington IL
Occupation
FAA Radar Engineer, (Retired)
My son in law sells Grey Pneumatic tools at work and I've been purchasing them. Nothing in chrome but I don't have anything except positive things to say about their ratchets, extensions, sockets, etc. in all sizes and drives. I've not busted anything yet and seemingly know how to literally "explode" tools on command.

Going to purchase a 3/4" deep well set next as I have their shallow set(s) already in both std. and metric.
 
Last edited:

westerner

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2020
Messages
192
Location
Northern Arizona
sorry just a bad taste here

The Snap-On fella was a crook, and a snooty one at that.
They sell some stuff that no one else makes, and you know you need it.
I bit 3 or four times, but eventually that a**h*le cured me of the big red truck.

Unrelated, sorta
My "Dayton, the Grainger brand" wirefeed welder suffered the cooling fan biting the dust. I went digging to find the machine is made by Century, and sold under the aforementioned Dayton brand, but also Marquette, Matco, and, yup, you guessed it- Snap-on.
I would love to see the prices from each. :cool:
 
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JD955SC

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2011
Messages
1,349
Location
The South
The Snap-On fella was a crook, and a snooty one at that.
They sell some stuff that no one else makes, and you know you need it.
I bit 3 or four times, but eventually that a**h*le cured me of the big red truck.

Unrelated, sorta
My "Dayton, the Grainger brand" wirefeed welder suffered the cooling fan biting the dust. I went digging to find the machine is made by Century, and sold under the aforementioned Dayton brand, but also Marquette, Matco, and, yup, you guessed it- Snap-on.
I would love to see the prices from each. :cool:

Last time I looked at Snap On welder’s prices they were far in excess of the three big brands worth owning- Miller/Hobart, Lincoln, and ESAB

I tell my apprentices “look, your money is your money but that truck wants to sell you a small single rail of sockets or a small set of wrenches for two to three times the price of a quality set from elsewhere (including US made industrial brands such as Proto and Wright) and if you had to pay $400-500 for seven wrenches outright you wouldn’t consider it but because you can pay $25 a week it sounds like a good deal to you, but it’s not. You can take that same amount and get a lot more for your money of the stuff you need”
 

Old Doug

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2013
Messages
4,485
Location
Mo
My son in law sells Grey Pneumatic tools at work and I've been purchasing them. Nothing in chrome but I don't have anything except positive things to say about their ratchets, extensions, sockets, etc. in all sizes and drives. I've not busted anything yet and seemingly know how to literally "explode" tools on command.

Going to purchase a 3/4" deep well set next as I have their shallow set(s) already in both std. and metric.
I have some Grey Pneumatic sockets and swivel sockets and they seem to be good but the last set i ordered i finally gave up on after 6 weeks.
 

JD955SC

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2011
Messages
1,349
Location
The South
My son in law sells Grey Pneumatic tools at work and I've been purchasing them. Nothing in chrome but I don't have anything except positive things to say about their ratchets, extensions, sockets, etc. in all sizes and drives. I've not busted anything yet and seemingly know how to literally "explode" tools on command.

Going to purchase a 3/4" deep well set next as I have their shallow set(s) already in both std. and metric.

im a huge fan of Grey Pneumatic and Sunex. Great sockets, great (and complete) size ranges, good prices. Large variety in their catalogs. Matco and Cornwell both relabel either GP/Sunex sockets or something really close for their ADV and Bluepower brands.
 

westerner

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2020
Messages
192
Location
Northern Arizona
im a huge fan of Grey Pneumatic and Sunex. Great sockets, great (and complete) size ranges, good prices. Large variety in their catalogs. Matco and Cornwell both relabel either GP/Sunex sockets or something really close for their ADV and Bluepower brands.
I have Sunex impacts, 3/8 drive only so far.
They have held up well, and have a good finish.
My only complaint is that the deep sockets will eat your nut/bolt.
It is hard to find a deep socket anymore that doesn't.
 

Jonas302

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2015
Messages
1,197
Location
mn
Gearwrench brand sockets have a ledge inside so they dont eat the nut

We have and have had many great Snap-on and some of my snap on stuff I wouldn't give up but I don't find much that I need from him anymore there are just to many other great options
 

Flat Thunder Channel

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2020
Messages
378
Location
Ohio
Last time I looked at Snap On welder’s prices they were far in excess of the three big brands worth owning- Miller/Hobart, Lincoln, and ESAB

I tell my apprentices “look, your money is your money but that truck wants to sell you a small single rail of sockets or a small set of wrenches for two to three times the price of a quality set from elsewhere (including US made industrial brands such as Proto and Wright) and if you had to pay $400-500 for seven wrenches outright you wouldn’t consider it but because you can pay $25 a week it sounds like a good deal to you, but it’s not. You can take that same amount and get a lot more for your money of the stuff you need”

I tell the guys at my shop that they are paying for the service. The extra expense is to compensate the delivery and salesman's commission. They always buy from him, but I usually source tools from other vendors. In my mind it's the same component at a better rate! Now I don't get the same replacement service, but that's because I do not purchase from the truck. Often the markup is so large I can afford to break a tool or two, replace it with a new one and still be ahead on expenses.
 

JD955SC

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2011
Messages
1,349
Location
The South
I tell the guys at my shop that they are paying for the service. The extra expense is to compensate the delivery and salesman's commission. They always buy from him, but I usually source tools from other vendors. In my mind it's the same component at a better rate! Now I don't get the same replacement service, but that's because I do not purchase from the truck. Often the markup is so large I can afford to break a tool or two, replace it with a new one and still be ahead on expenses.

Exactly. And with modern tools breakage is pretty rare for most tools.

another angle is that expensive tools are lost just as easily as cheaper ones. My apprentice dropped his brand new 10mm Snap On impact socket in a belly pan today. I asked him how much would it have been to replace it if it had been inaccessible…$34. The exact same socket with a Cat logo costs $4.50 to replace. It’s a hell of a lot easier to let a $4 socket go if you can’t find it vs a $34 socket.
 

Flat Thunder Channel

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2020
Messages
378
Location
Ohio
And, when one has to modify a tool in an pinch, it hurts less to cut/heat & bend a $5 wrench than a $34 one...lol.
Years ago I bought a HF quality box/open end set just for the purpose of making "special tools"

I hear that! I have no problem 'customizing' Cheap Chinese Sheet (CCS), but really take a second look at modifying one made in USA. I have a dog leg 1 1/8" combination end wrench I custom bent. Couldn't bring myself to bend a good one and ended up buying a new cheapo version for the job.
 
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