What brand of hand tools do you use?
- Snap On
- Mac
- Matco
- SK
- Craftsman
- Other US brand
- Anything I can get my hands on
0 voters
I’ll admit I’m a tool snob. I use mostly Snap On. How about everyone else?
Mostly Craftsman for me though I’d love to have me some Snap-On gear. DeWalt, too, I dig them. But most of what I have is Craftsman.
As much as I may want to be a tool-snob, my purchases of tools depends greatly on how often I may use them. If it’s daily-use, Craftsman or Kobalt is my first choice. One-time use, and any future use is just bonus, then it’s Harbor Freight, baby…
My box is full of Craftsman. The little use they get I couldn’t justify the more pricey ones.
I do have some SK wrenches my Dad bought me about 35 years ago.
And my brother in-law worked for Snap-On way back so I have a couple of those.
Along with the Snap-On ratchet I found laying in the road.
Friend of mine owns a heat treat company, they heat treat a lot of Snap-On sockets.
I’ve seen bins and bins full of sockets there. They had to put a strict policy in place, seems some of the employees were tempted to take a few sockets home.
Honest, I don’t know HOW I ended up with this complete SAE and Metric set of SO sockets, yer Honor, they must have followed me home!
The mechs here at my place of employment all have the SO/Mac/Cornwell? type boxes/tools…makes me wonder how they ever take any money home each pay-period.
15% Snap On
10% Blue Point
30% Craftsman
10% Matco
10% Mac
5% Proto
20% Other (Dewalt / Plumb / etc)
I really enjoy tool shopping. Love finding that specialty tool that you did not even know existed. I NEVER pay retail off the truck, ebay and craigslist will take more time but you can generally buy at 30-60% of retail. Right now I am dreaming about this set (max I will pay is about $1100).
As someone else said, it depends on how much I expect to use the tool. I’ve got Craftsman for my sockets and most of wrenches, but I’ll confess I’ve gone to Harbor Freight for things like my transmission jack and staple gun. Ironically, one of the tools I actually use a lot more than I ever thought I would is a little air powered saw which I got years ago from Harbor Freight for $14. I’ve used it like I stole it, don’t ever recall oiling it, and just can’t seem to kill the thing.
That’s a nice puller set…in your line of work, that would certainly be justifiable! 
Yorgle- I’ve got a HF Chop saw I bought for a one-time paving stone project 5 years ago…STILL using it! Not often, but it’s still kicking. I’m into “bonus” territory on that one.
Most of my tools are Craftsman. Easy to buy for me, I have a Sears about one mile from my house.
Steven
The Higher end tools I use constantly, while the cheapies end up getting the cheater pipe, torch, or Hammer if need be. specialty tools(European & asian car), are usually OTC, or Astenmacher.
After spending over 100k on tools through my career, It’s not price, but durability. The best tool in my collection: a Williams 1/2" drive Ratchet. I’ve had a 5’ cheater pipe on it and the socket gave first. 
I pretty much use Craftsman. I have a Sears less than a 1/2 mile from me. John
I have a mix, but the last couple of years I’ve added higher quality from Mcmaster Carr. Williams brand which is Snap-on with a different name and half the price. Once in awhile you’ll even get a few Snap-on sockets when buying a set. http://www.mcmaster.com/#impact-deep-sockets/=f73hxl
I get snap-on discounted Industrial price and it is still expensive.
Just bought a Makita 3/8 cordless 18v impact driver and love the thing. http://www.makita.com/en-us/Modules/Tools/ToolDetails.aspx?ID=26269
Looks like lots of support for Craftsman. Rumor is they are outsourcing to China, will that make a difference to anyone? I don’t want to start a political discussion, just curious.
When I was a mechanic full time I bought Snap-on then Mac. Only because they would come to the garage-Expensive as hell. Now I use MasterCraft from Canadian Tire. Very good quality I think and a great warranty-if its broke, they repalce it. No need for reciepts, just as long as it says"MasterCraft" on it there’s no issue. Reasonably priced also and does go on sale. Other than that its what ever or where ever I can find the tool I need. I chose other US Brand because there’s no MasterCraft selection and I’m sure they are a division of another company from US or maybe abroad. 
Years ago, “Craftsman” was made by Singer and was quality stuff; which is why I took the advice of my Dad and brothers about buying it. If the rumor is true, I fear for the quality; that’s about the only thing that would turn me off. We have become a nation of consumers; with comparatively very little being produced right here. Some of that is due to the payroll costs, some to taxes, and some is due to the restrictive regulations placed on all manufacturing. I feel for companies that take big hits everyday just so they can put a “Made in the USA” label on their stuff.
Other countries - even China- have the capability to produce just as much “quality” as the United States; just be prepared to pay more than Harbor Freight prices. “Cheap tools” are cheap. I have some cheap tools, probably as much as I have carrying the Craftsman label. I just expect them to break at some point sooner than the Craftsman stuff. Nothing different from rebuilt or re-pop auto parts… “cheap stuff” is cheaply made, pay a little more from another vendor/manufacturer for better quality. “Overseas” doesn’t necessarily mean JUNK anymore; it just means that it can be manufactured to the same quality level for less. We did this to ourselves through labor demands and regulation; the only way to “go back” would be to GO BACK.
(Oops, sorry, I just got all “political”. Didn’t mean to do that, but it IS the truth.)
Back to the original question/answer: Sure I’d keep buying Craftsman if the quality remained high. I do sometimes wonder though… Craftsman was a Sears exclusive; until K-Mart bought Sears. Now it’s even being sold by Summit. Hmmmmmm…
after using professionally and privtely, snap on sockets suck! i have had much better luck with craftsman sockets. ratchets i lov the matco ones. pullers i go cheap, beacuse even the expensive ones are some times one time use before they snap! i do however have a snap on steering wheel, balancer set and its tough as hell. i have the parts store, cheap stuff mostly for junk yarding. as shit gets lost stolen etc. i have bought a few things from harbor frieght. sometimes they last sometimes they dont.
McMaster Carr, aka The Good Book. Use it often at work.
Wow that’s the first time I’ve ever heard anyone complain about Snap On except for how expensive it is. Personally my luck isn’t so good with Craftsman. They’re the only sockets I’ve ever broken. Except some of the Taiwan junk, but I don’t count those.
So nice with Craftsman though, just take it to Sears, no receipt necessary, and get a new one for free.
It would make sense if Craftsman weren’t made the in US anymore. Anything made of metal you’re probably gonna be able to make it cheaper in a country that doesn’t mind filling its air with pollutants. Already saw what happened to the world’s vacuum tube production, when they could no longer be manufactured in the countries that had always made them best because the manufacturing process produced toxic crap that’s been outlawed by modern Western environmental regulations.
Pretty sure the real, good Craftsman tools are still made in the US though. They were last I checked. The cheaper lower-end Craftsman tools aren’t made in the US. You can tell just by looking at them right? The ones that say Made in USA are the better quality, the ones that don’t are the ones you’ll be bringing back for replacements when they break? Pretty sure the small wire cutters that had one jaw snap off weren’t made in US. But I took em back, and got a new one, totally free no questions asked.
Craftsman tools have been made in Taiwan for many years. We get the Craftsman range as Kinchrome and the cheaper range as Supatools
When I worked in the US my first stop was always Sears for some more tools. My original tools where an Australian brand Sidchrome, which where considered top quality. After 45 years the only Sidchrome tool I have worn out is the 1/2" ratchet