Why We Still Buy Cheap Tools

I have been a professional mechanic for 20 years, and an amatuer one for 20 years previous. I have purchased ONE Snap-on tool (7mm 1/4 drive wobbly, $36) that I needed NOW. The local dealer is 'less than accomodating'. The Craftsman warranty is identical, price not so. I have thousands of dollars of Cornwell tools that have held up just fine, and THAT dealer is VERY accomodating. Aint needed any more warranty from him than Craftsman, btw. I believe many Snap-On tools are sold to bolster the mechanic's SELF image. Walk on a truck, and price a box. Bring your own chair, AND your own blood pressure meds.
 
westerner said:
I have been a professional mechanic for 20 years, and an amatuer one for 20 years previous. I have purchased ONE Snap-on tool (7mm 1/4 drive wobbly, $36) that I needed NOW. The local dealer is 'less than accomodating'. The Craftsman warranty is identical, price not so. I have thousands of dollars of Cornwell tools that have held up just fine, and THAT dealer is VERY accomodating. Aint needed any more warranty from him than Craftsman, btw. I believe many Snap-On tools are sold to bolster the mechanic's SELF image. Walk on a truck, and price a box. Bring your own chair, AND your own blood pressure meds.
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Exactly. My nephew is a mechanic and put over 2500 down for a box. That same box would be $399 from HF. And every bit as good. He wouldn't even consider the HF. He says the Snap on guy comes to him. I told him, that HF ships... it comes to you. Get it.. It's a prestige thing.
 
About 15 years ago I had a busted Snap-on screw driver that was my dad's. There was a Snap-on warehouse in my town, Took it in for repair and was told no receipt no deal. Haven't spent a dime on Snap-on sense.
 
I have a lot of Mac tools and a large Mac cabinet, a few snap on that I got free, but its hard to beat Cornwell for the money.
 
I have used expensive (read Snap-on and Gray) tools at work.

I have Mastercraft at home. (Mostly.)

I am not willing to pay the premium for a Snap-on socket set for my garage when, in 25 years of trying, I have yet to break any of the Mastercraft (Canadian Tire) tools. I've LOST them, so my socket set in the garage is only about 90% complete, but I've never broken one.

With that in mind, why would I pay the premium?

At work, the Gray/Snap-on stuff is vital, and in some cases mandated with the equipment we work on. I once re-assembled the IMU on a Mark 29 Gyrocompass, swapping out the slip-ring assembly (at sea) and the tools for that were....selected and provided by Sperry in an accountable tool-box.

To date, I've never done work of that precision in my home shop.

As it was explained to me, installing the Gyros in the IMU was even MORE precise...lint free cloth, special cleaning solvents on all mating surfaces...when the Gyro is spinning at 72,000 RPM, leaving the oil from a fingerprint on the mating surface would throw off the balance.

When I lose a few more sockets from my home set, I'll go buy another complete set and transition this one on to my son for his tool collection.
 
woodchucker said:
Exactly. My nephew is a mechanic and put over 2500 down for a box. That same box would be $399 from HF. And every bit as good. He wouldn't even consider the HF. He says the Snap on guy comes to him. I told him, that HF ships... it comes to you. Get it.. It's a prestige thing.
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I don't understand how people can spend as much as a car on a toolbox. I have some old Craftsman boxes that I've had for 40 years or
so and they still do the job. A few years back I bought one of he 44" HF boxes (after looking it over pretty carefully). I think it's comparable
to my Craftsman boxes and yes, it was less than $400.00. I'd rather spend the money on tools.

My hand tools are a pretty motley collection including some Snap-On, a bunch of old Craftsman stuff, and a bunch of other odds and ends
that I've accumulated over the years. Come to think of it, I think the only tool I've just plain broken was a 12mm Craftsman socket some
time last year. I replaced it with a Proto, which is what I usually buy if I need something.
 
Snap on makes a lot of great tools that are really better than most in some categories, but others are not and it's just a Snap On name on a mediocre tool that is over priced. Snap On is really for pros that wrench for a living, but for serious DIY'ers, they can be amazing. Especially for auto work.

I do my research. and buy accordingly. 99% of my tools are top quality and many have been acquired through patience and good bargaining.
There are lot's of good deals to be found out there, so why buy cheap tools that only frustrate or just don't last?
 
I'm an electrician by profession rather than a mechanic so my thoughts are biased in that direction. When working with electrical equipment, it's Kleins and my Simpson 260(S-4) ...... or nothing. For mechanical work it is Craftsman, or nowadays Proto, when Sears started competing with K-mart, (I think it was a merger.....) I quit using them.

I can tell you, there is a difference between Taiwan and mainland Chinese. I have a Grizzly lathe I bought when I first started learning machine work. A G1550. Taiwan.... The current model is G4000, from PRC. A world of difference, and a radical price difference. I suspect why they changed models. Bottom line here, a 1952(?) Craftsman 12x36 is what I use day to day doing armature repair. It is sloppy (read loose) but is much more stable.

For most other day to day work, is is whatever I can lay my hands on. If it doesn't last, well, that's when I look for good stuff. If I stumble onto something good at the flea market or pawn shop, I'll grab it and give away the cheap one. But even the cheap ones are known brands most times. Milwaukee and Porter Cable power tools are the norm in my shop. HF may be OK but I don't like their power cords or switches. B&D and Skil are pretty good, once you get above the consumer level. DeWalt used to be very good, but today is a fancy B&D in a yellow case.

I do recall the old time millwright suppliers tool brands and when I find one I grab it. There was one (Armstrong?) that didn't have a warranty simply because it didn't need it. You would break a Grade 8 bolt before you bend the wrench. Those days are long gone though. I have to grab them when I find them.

Snap On? As good as a Stanley with a different brand name is about it. In my line, no better than Proto, which is in reality a Stanley product. A Klein wire pliers(?) I use has been around 30+ years and still will cut a hair. I couldn't ask for better than that.

For what it's worth here, I have been retired for several years. And have a good memory still...... For good tools.
 
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