whats you fav brand of tools? and WHY?

[Jeepmangled87]

Me I like Mac, Snapon Craftsman, just to name a few very good quality hand tools american made is the only way to go.

[ironpig70]

c raftmans cause ther guareenteed like the high dollar stuff and alot easier to replace on a saturday

[rockmup]

Originally Posted by Jeepmangled87

Me I like Mac, Snapon Craftsman, just to name a few very good quality hand tools american made is the only way to go.

You better talk to your dealer. They are importing tons of their tools from Tiwan. (sp)

[Mr. Happy...OK?]

Snap-on, mostly. Some Mac and Proto.
The $$$ doesnt really bother me.
I take care of my tools and I'll have them forever.
People say Craftsman, becuase of the warranty. 95+% of all tools are warrantied, regardless of brand or quality.
Quality tools are safer. Period.
Use the good stuff and you get spoiled. So what...I love buyin' tools. And I love the Snap-on van..

[morpheus]

About 99% of my hand tools (sockets, screw drivers, wrenches, etc) are craftsman. I buy craftsman because they're reasonably priced, lifetime guaranteed and available at locations all over. Others that don't work at shop or trade where a mac/cornwell/snap-on/etc truck comes by might have an inside to getting the attention of one of those high dollar tool guys but I never have and honestly prefer the convenience of driving to sears any day/night of the week or weekend and picking up the tool I need. Maybe I'm not a pro and use my tools 8-9 hrs a day 5-6 days a week but I find it hard to believe one of these high dollar brands of tools socket is worth twice as much as a craftsman socket for example.

[CJBoxer]

All my tools are craftsman. I don't have a problem with the Craftsman sockets it's the ratchets that are junk. I just bought a set of ratcheting wrenches and even they suck, the little lever sticks half the time you can't flip it with one hand because it is stuck and you have to turn the ratchet a little bit. Bottom line Craftsman tools are not what they used to be. I thought about buying a set of there professional ratchets but I think I'd be better off with ratchets from Snap-On or the like, I also would like to get a set of Snap-On flank drive wrenches.

[Trailer Rails]

I prefer Craftsman. They and little less quality but I like being able to go to sears and get a new tool any time I want. Some tools I have delt with had the same warrenty but I had to mail them back or the retail store had to send them back in order for me to get my new tool. I like being able to get my new tool right now.

[Dirt Mover]

SK and Proto seem to be a good product at decent price. My Dad is a tool truck owner operator and he tells me the price is getting so high for the premium stuff that most guys can't justify it for the wages that shops are paying their help.

[CrustyJeep]

Favorite brand? Hmm... depends on the tool doesn't it?

I always liked MAC wrenches best, Snap-On screwdrivers, and was usually happy with Craftsman pliers (and Craftsman's old school locking pliers were THE best). For sockets, anything off a truck is good Oh, and I'm really picky about ratchets, SK's were always my favorite, and the truck ratchets are the worst available IMO.

Mr. Happy...OK?: "Use the good stuff and you get spoiled. So what...I love buyin' tools. And I love the Snap-on van.."

DING DING DING Ain't THAT the truth

[MAD MAC]

basic hand tools I like snap-on, mac, and matco, air tools ingersol rand is the shit, electric power tools I will have to say good ol milwakee

[unimogken]

I have a ton of Craftsman tools that i've used around the house and on the vehicles.

Since i've been into Unimogs I have also been buying up bunch of Hazet, Samstag and Stahlwille tools. They make alot of specialty tools for the Unimogs.

[Rock Taxi]

Originally Posted by MAD MAC

basic hand tools I like snap-on, mac, and matco, air tools ingersol rand is the shit, electric power tools I will have to say good ol milwakee

I agree with this.

I do have a bunch of Craftsman now since my garage was cleaned out a few years ago and all my Snap On sockets, ratchets and combination wrenches were stolen. I don't mind the Craftsman sockets and combo wrenches, but I had to actually MAKE UP new swear words at those damn ratchets because I ran out of words with the usual ones.

Ed

[Scout Dude]

I will take a Husky ratchet over a Crapsman one anyday...but my favorite is my 1/4" drive, Flex head Snap-on ratchet along with some mid length sockets that go up to 9/16" (I think Craftsman finally started making 1/4" drive 9/16" sockets too though).
Wrenches: Craftsman Pro's are good enough
Screwdrivers: I like my Snap-on ones since I ordered the Flats in Orange and the Phillips in Red. Makes for quick identification.
Pliers, crimpers, etc: Usually Craftsman is good enough.
Hammers: Craftsman/husky

Lastly: Powertools. I'm kinda partial to Milwalkee. They seem to hold up to the abuse fairly well. I will never own another Craftsman power tool.

[Sundowner]

I use craftsman. they replace anything, deliberately destroyed with a breaker bar or hammer, no questions asked. none of the big three pro tool vendors do that.

the Craftsman ratchets just suck. I bought a polished "pro" model craftsman rathcet a while back and it's held up ok

[D60]

I gotta agree Craftsman aint' so bad most of the time. I think their quality is slowly slipping, and their customer service is sometimes questionable, but they generally provide the most bang for the buck, and they're readily accessible to average joes like many of us.

If I worked at a shop and made slightly better money I might buy off the truck

[CrustyJeep]

Originally Posted by Sundowner

I use craftsman. they replace anything, deliberately destroyed with a breaker bar or hammer, no questions asked. none of the big three pro tool vendors do that.

I beg your pardon? You must be going to the wrong tool vendors... I've had MAC and Snapon guys practically fall out of their trucks to grab a broken tool as I'm approaching It's actually funny to watch...

Craftsman OTOH, I've heard they now give you crap, asking if you're absolutely sure you've never used that broken tool professionally

[killertoy]

I buy the high end stuff off the trucks I do not use my tools everyday professionally but I can justify he price because I take care of my very expensive tools very well. I used to buy Craftsman and S-K sets once or twice a year because I would loose them or borrow them to some one who wuold loose them. It is sort of a screwy way to go about it but it works. I haven't lost a tool in 2yrs now. I prefer Milwaukee power tools I put them through hell and they keep going, same with me Ingersol air tools.

[RocksMan]

Craftsman

[sothpaw]

Snap on for the stuff that must work, craftsman for the stuff that should work, and whatever else for the stuff that can break at any moment.

[SlamChops]

I'm a mechanic and i still use craftsman, i can replace sockets, ratchets, etc whenever i need, 7 days a week. I dont have to wait for the one day the tool guy comes. I've considered buying a set of metric SK, Mac, etc. 3/8" sockets for those tough bolts that a cheaper made craftsman wants to round off, but i still havent justified it yet. SK ratchets are super nice though, the only one i've got i abuse and it works flawlessly day in, day out. The other 3 mechanics I work with also use the same SK ratchet and love it.

air tools - ingersol hands down, take a beating and keep on going. powerful and well priced.

power tools - milwaukee if i got a choice (we abused the shit out of 4" grinders and die grinders at the fab shop i worked at), makita is good too...

[MattyL13]

Originally Posted by Rock Taxi

I agree with this.

I don't mind the Craftsman sockets and combo wrenches, but I had to actually MAKE UP new swear words at those damn ratchets because I ran out of words with the usual ones.

Ed

HAHAHA Agreed, I have almost all Craftsman cause sears is less than 1/2 mile from my house and when i bust my sh*t, 10 minutes later i have a new one and im back to wrenching on my junk. i agree though that their ratchets blow, ive used a snap on and a mac ratchet before and i loved them, they had real fine ratching teeth so ya didnt have to go very far to get one more click, like if youre in a real tight area (ie, ripping a tcase out of a TJ with no body lift) i think when i can afford them ill buy a whole set of snap on or mac ratchets. craftsman ratching wrenches were jsut on sale so i bought SAE and Metric for 18 bucks a set, i dont know how the fawk i ever got by without them theyr n ot the best quality but they sure beat the hell out of using a standard combo wrench IMO

Lord

[64Trvlr]

Snap-On and Mac for hand tools, IR and Snap-On for air tools and Milwaukee and Porter cable for electric tools

[d.d.machine]

I use crapsman a lot and I`m hard on tools ,After I brake a crapsman a few times then I go and buy a strapon and use my old crapsman as a back up.....
I have been finding that some of the cheap china junk is holding up well.
I just went to the local auto parts store and blew about $60 on a ton of it just for using in the bone yards around hear, in three months of pounding on it,Jumping on them and watching them rust in the back of my shop truck I have only broke one wrench and they swapped it out for free,,, not bad for a $10 set of SAE & metric wrenches . lets face it most all the tools now are made over seas.

[PTSchram]

Matco man finally shows up at the shop, I take out a 20 y/o broken nut driver and ask for a replacement.

Well, that lifetime guarantee isn't really my lifetime. Seems as though that model was discontinued.

They are only going to give me $10.00 toward a new one that costs $29.95.

A coupla years ago, I had a Snap-On screwdriver begin to decomponse in my tool chest. Rusted everything in the box, right through the chrome. Somehow, the handle went bad. The Snap-On guy tells me he will only replace the shaft (which was fine by the way), until I hand it to him and the handle is all gooey and sticking to everything it touches.

Yeah, I still buy both Snap-On and Matco, it's a bad addiction and occupational hazard.

Peace,
PT

Some lifetime guarantee.

[speedo]

90% of my tools are Snap-On but I have a little of other brands too. As for the "I like Craftsman because I can replace my tools 7 days a week" arguement doesn't work for me because I can get my Snap-On tools after the Sears store has closed and do it 7 days a week. One of the reasons that I buy the good stuff is because they simply make tools that no one else makes.

Gus