Wastepro
Well-Known Member
We would'nt be in Business without Harbor Freight! God Bless those Chinese children.
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Tool help
- Thread starter chevyguy14
- Start date
92U 3406
Senior Member
Matco is pretty much the only tool truck I will buy off of now. Snap-on and Mac ignored us for years chasing after the big companies (our shop only has about 10 guys). Matco always came by regularly and gave us great deals all the time. I can't complain, the tools are on par with Snap-on and Mac IMO.
Just pay attention to the financing numbers. The interest rate on an account with mac or snap on is above 20%. Buy tools as you need them. Different breeds of equipment require different tools.
If its something I dont use much I'm not paying more then I have to. Amazon prices beat the heck out of tool truck prices.
If its something I dont use much I'm not paying more then I have to. Amazon prices beat the heck out of tool truck prices.
mikebramel
Senior Member
25% credit is with corporate financing. Don't know about everyone but you can usually get a few thousand on the "truck" account, which doesn't have any additional interest than is already in the price lol.
mikebramel
Senior Member
I would get whatever Taiwan or USA sockets that you can afford. I was buying Snap On and proto but after losing a few into the "Abyss" I buy the cheap grey pneumatic or sunnex. Big thing I dont like about them is they are only laser etched. Sockets rarely break. Unless you're talking chrome on impact or something.
I'd 2nd the motion for the Matco tools flex head ratchets, I like them the best. Snap on has a finer head but their locking mechanism sucks and the beams aren't as strong. For wrenches I'd look at Wright, Proto, and get the smaller sizes in the Snap on flank drive also. Angle wrenches from Snap on, especially if you have a student discount? I like the Matco screwdrivers, same ones napa used to sell, by witte germany. If you're looking for some decent cheap air tools, look at astro pneumatic, they sell a lot of stuff the trucks rebrand.
I'd 2nd the motion for the Matco tools flex head ratchets, I like them the best. Snap on has a finer head but their locking mechanism sucks and the beams aren't as strong. For wrenches I'd look at Wright, Proto, and get the smaller sizes in the Snap on flank drive also. Angle wrenches from Snap on, especially if you have a student discount? I like the Matco screwdrivers, same ones napa used to sell, by witte germany. If you're looking for some decent cheap air tools, look at astro pneumatic, they sell a lot of stuff the trucks rebrand.
A good set of angle wrenches can be a life saver.....there are a lot of cheap sets on amazon but i prefer the snap on because the angles are a little different. I have a mix of different socket brands, most 1/4 and 3/8 are snap on. Most of my 1/2 is gearwrench. I have chrome 6 and 12 point and all 6 point impact because I have found times on a lot of newer equipment that a 6 point impact is just too fat to get into small spaces. I have found a lot of broken or rusted snap on and mac tools at the flea market for dirt cheap and got them warrantied on the tool truck no problem
hvy 1ton
Senior Member
Most Matco ratchets are rebranded Armstrong units and the locking flex head ones are awesome.
I don't have a Matco guy so I don't have anything matco. The mac guy we used to have gave up the mac brand and now sells gear wrench for double what it retails for plus interest, so the only tool man I will deal with is the snap on guy....when he actually shows up. I have so many broken mac tools it's unreal and no way to warranty them now except ship them to mac directly.
crane operator
Senior Member
I had a broken mac ratchet, I emailed them a picture of it and asked what kit I needed to order from them to fix it. I never heard a response, but about 5 days later a ups package showed up with a repair kit for it. No charge.
I'd contact their customer service, what have you got to lose?
As far as the original poster and tools: You really need both. I rarely buy any tools new, when I do its something I usually can't find elsewhere. I've put together most of my tools from craigslist, and ebay. A few items from pawnshops and auctions. You can buy any name brand you want, for 1/2 or less of new price. Don't be short of tools and borrowing from other people, no one likes that. Don't pay new full price and you can afford to have both.
I've been burnt, one too many times, with harbor freights cheap chinese tools, I buy nothing from them unless I'm in a rush and they're the only place open that has what I need. The last two items I've got from them were a 1" drive set on a saturday a few years ago, because I needed a big socket size I didn't have. The second time the ratchet broke, I just threw it in the scrap bin, and bought a Wright set. The last thing I bought was a set of wheel dollies to put a car on, in a rush also on a saturday, a couple months ago. The casters were junk and they got returned, I found a usa set to replace them for the next time I need them.
I know its expensive starting out, but buy once/ cry once. Buy good USA tools, and they will last you your working life. But I wouldn't buy new off the tool truck, and I'm not real brand loyal. I've got old usa craftsman, S-K, proto, wright, mac, lisle, matco, and snap on. I don't use my tools everyday as a mechanic in a shop, its just to fix my own equipment.
I also don't have any swivel impact sockets, I guess they need to go on my list, I'm missing out?
cdm123
Senior Member
A tip I haven't seen mentioned is when you get a set of sockets or wrenches they used to come in a molded plastic tray in a box. I would throw the lid away and put the whole works in a drawer, then a Quick glance at the tool box and you know what's missing and go find it.
Dead horse but a few things to add....
A chrome 12pt shallow set in 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2". Deep impact for the rest. Any cheaper brand will work for the impacts. A better brand for the 12pt because sooner or later they will be on the end of an impact. Grind the impacts a little thinner on the end if needed to fit.
Medium to better for hand wrenches because the cheapos flex or don't fit the head correctly. Snap-on bodies are too sharp for my liking. I like to have a few different brands of end wrenches (cheap is fine for the extras) around because the indexing is different. Sometimes you need to switch brands and do short strokes to get a fastener out.
Flex-head ratchets are great but I like a solid one if possible. Same as using a swivel for an extension. They work but expect some busted knuckles.
I don't know if you care but I've had good luck with aircat impacts. Best bang for the buck that I've found. Yes there are others that may hit harder but spend many times the money. A few psi of pressure can make the difference.
I will burn up a cheaper impact socket (or 2) doing a complete pad change-out on a dozer or excavator so I keep a few high-end sockets in those sizes for those jobs but a set of Tekton or similar will get you by until there is some money coming in.
Good luck in school. You are getting into a market with a dwindling availability of good hands. The boss can't just replace a good mechanic with a GPS.
A chrome 12pt shallow set in 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2". Deep impact for the rest. Any cheaper brand will work for the impacts. A better brand for the 12pt because sooner or later they will be on the end of an impact. Grind the impacts a little thinner on the end if needed to fit.
Medium to better for hand wrenches because the cheapos flex or don't fit the head correctly. Snap-on bodies are too sharp for my liking. I like to have a few different brands of end wrenches (cheap is fine for the extras) around because the indexing is different. Sometimes you need to switch brands and do short strokes to get a fastener out.
Flex-head ratchets are great but I like a solid one if possible. Same as using a swivel for an extension. They work but expect some busted knuckles.
I don't know if you care but I've had good luck with aircat impacts. Best bang for the buck that I've found. Yes there are others that may hit harder but spend many times the money. A few psi of pressure can make the difference.
I will burn up a cheaper impact socket (or 2) doing a complete pad change-out on a dozer or excavator so I keep a few high-end sockets in those sizes for those jobs but a set of Tekton or similar will get you by until there is some money coming in.
Good luck in school. You are getting into a market with a dwindling availability of good hands. The boss can't just replace a good mechanic with a GPS.