Favorite tool brand?

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silverscottsk10

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My 9k snap on triple bay is full of mostly kobalt and gear wrench, the only snap on tool is a punch holder, rest is mostly garage sale/auction stuff
I love the kobalt ratchets, but I bought mine 5 years ago, and actually bought two sets of the 300 piece kits, one for home and one for work, my most used impact sockets are matco, mostly because kobalt doesn't go past 1-1/4", my 3/8 set of impact sockets are all gear wrench, and they are well worth the money, 150$? And I beat the hell out of them, their screwdrivers are awesome, i don't even use air impacts, just my Milwaukee stuff, only my die grinder is air, which is matco, there's ways to get good tools cheap, hit up flea markets and garage sales and auctions, and if you ever buy a snap on box, wait until rock and roll week, they give great rebates, which is the only reason I have my box, til then a harbor freight box is all you need, they will last quite awhile, the 44" is the best deal aside from the 72"
 

CCSS

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I like an Aircat impact wrench especially working heavy equip.
 

Jrgunn5150

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As for tool boxes... You will see guys buying the biggest Snap-on triple bay box. Think of it like an expensive car... how small is your dick. You dont need a box like that. Just get something ball bearing. It will do you a load of good. Dont buy one with a built in fridge or radio or cooler, or... well a light can be good if you get a hutch. That stuff comes out of you pocket. The shop will never ever reimburse you for that. And one day you may roll that box home, do you really want a triple bay in your garage? I mean, the answer is yes, but you know what Im getting to. $10,000 for a double bay could be another car, or a twin turbo lsx.


I see these guy's on Facebook all the time lol. Like, financing a toolbox doesn't make you cool lol. I use a metal shelf I got from the side of the road to hold my tools lmao.
 

fmxr47

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I unfortunately was stuck with financing a snap on box, I had practically a development in my work bay with how many small tool boxes I was using, I eventually bit the bullet and got an epic series snap-on for a pretty reasonable price if there is even such a thing, my 68” box will be the first and last box I ever finance but I will most likely have it for life and I outgrew that box and ended up getting a Cornwell cart to wheel around the shop with 7 drawers as my main box and parked the big bastard in the corner of the shop. Homak makes nice affordable boxes. Snap on tools are great but there are plenty of alternatives. I now travel as a mechanic all over the country and I carry mostly harbor freight tools and none have failed yet, cheap to replace if lost or damaged by baggage at the airlines. I only use my “nice tools at home”


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Everything is at home now in a tiny cluttered space
 
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spanky55amg

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I see these guy's on Facebook all the time lol. Like, financing a toolbox doesn't make you cool lol. I use a metal shelf I got from the side of the road to hold my tools lmao.

My first box was a used old Matco box that I bought off of the truck, right time, right price. I was just starting out and still working out of my Lincoln Tech red metal portable toolbox. $600, on truck credit and he would take whatever I could afford that week, no questions asked. But if I could do it again, it would prob be a Kobalt from HD or Lowes or whoever sold whatever... just make sure its ball bearing. ha.
 

Jrgunn5150

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My first box was a used old Matco box that I bought off of the truck, right time, right price. I was just starting out and still working out of my Lincoln Tech red metal portable toolbox. $600, on truck credit and he would take whatever I could afford that week, no questions asked. But if I could do it again, it would prob be a Kobalt from HD or Lowes or whoever sold whatever... just make sure its ball bearing. ha.


I do have a nice Kennedy box from when I was a journeyman machinist, but everytime I'm ready to buy a 5-600 box, I just buy more parts lol.
 

QBuff02

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I'll join the argument, errr I mean discussion! Because I've read so many good responses and the truth is... there is no right or wrong tool or toolbox. My dad was a Port Engineer and a Diesel Mechanic for over 40 years before retiring last year, and my very first set of tools when I started in the wrenching biz was a gift from him back in 1997-98. It was nothing special but it got me going. He always told me, the tools you use every day are worth spending the extra money on, the ones you use once in a blue moon, buy the cheap stuff because It will do the job 9 times out of 10! I started way back out of high school with a used, off the truck 7 drawer mac box, the tools my dad gave me, and a little bit that I could afford to get going. and over almost 20 years I've built my box up to a very nice snap on box that is loaded with a mix of just about every brand under the sun. My main every day tools are all snap-on (the common sockets, wrenches, ratchets, screw drivers, etc. But my over size wrenches 1 1/4" to 2 1/2" are cheapies, as are my 25mm to 50mm wrenches. I've got cheap screwdrivers, expensive screw drivers, cheap punches to expensive ones.. Pretty much all the tools a Heavy Equipment mechanic might need.. hammers...buy a name brand if you don't want the heads flying off! Impacts, the cheaper ones will do for odd job work, but for everyday taking apart and putting stuff back together, I run a mix of Ingersoll, snap on and airkat because they will last way longer and keep their power way longer before wearing out over cheaper/knock off brands. So many people hit this right on the head and I "couldn't agree more".. You become a product of your environment- my situation for example was pretty similar to a lot of you guys.. You deal with the tool guys that come by your shop and that's how most tools get purchased. I only own one matco tool, because the first vendor for them to actually come around.. we called him "the vulture" because he would literally hang over you while you were working, trying to "preach" how his stuff was soooo much better than the tool you were using at the time and then he'd never have much stock on his truck and quite simply he just rubbed me the wrong way.. I've only stepped foot onto one other matco truck since. We had an SK/short line/cheap tool dealer come around pretty regular (Bob the tool sheeny we called him) he was a really good guy, would joke around with everybody, always had a "deal of the week" and worked with you and even though he wanted to sell you tools, he was fair and honest and I, like the guys I worked with at the time, always felt comfortable dealing with him, bought quite a few things from him actually. He came like clockwork and you could call him just about any time of day or night. Now, Don't even get me started on Mac tools, I feel like they were the biggest waste of MY money over nearly 20 years of wrenching. From one peddler to the next, when they actually showed up, it was run around city! At first I thought "boy, I'm gonna buy a LOT on these trucks over the years" and let me tell you, I along with numerous other techs got an education on them! if you could even find a Mac dealer "round these parts anymore, I'd take the dozen or so broken Mac tools in my junk drawer of my toolbox and stick them where the sun don't shine on the unlucky fella! We lost our Mac dealer in our territory for them at one point so we sent some broken tools over on the shuttle to another one of our stores to get fixed/replaced and that Mac dealer over there sent them back without repairing them and his response was "you didn't buy those tools off of MY truck!" I even called the 800 number and bitched about the whole situation! Now, the reason I have a large selection of Snap on stuff.. I have dealt with 3 different Snap On dealers in my "day" and every one of them was like the SK guy, can set your clock to them, always willing to deal, and the very first one back where I first started is the guy I bought 75% of my stuff from.. literally was there at 1pm sharp every. single. Wednesday afternoon! felt like he had 3 of everything on the truck (no, literally!) to the point you had to crawl over stuff in the aisle to even look around, and he ALWAYS made deals with you. He was/is such a big vendor that he throws a huge customer appreciation party at his house every year, where he throws up to 25% off of his stuff and snap on matches it for the day. I'm talking bags tourney, bands, food, the whole shebang. Snap on reps mingling in the crowd.. now you see how I've managed to score my newer/larger snap on tool boxes so cheap.. waiting for the right time and the right deal! ;) And since I've left that dealer, the next two snap on guys I've dealt with have been pretty much the same, show up at the same time and place every week, are fair and if you give them a little bit (a lot) they give back and make deals as well. I don't think i'll ever buy another box as this one I said would take me to retirement, but my overall experience in 20 years has been worth a little extra money to save on the headaches. And I figure one day when I'm not turning wrenches for a living anymore, my tools and the box they are in will make a nice addition to my home garage when I tinker on squarebodies and hopefully an old Camaro or two all day long...
 

CCSS

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I have read that the first production run of kobalt wrenches were snap on (possibly even made on same line as snap on). The only change was name on side. Any truth to that?
 

theBIGnaud

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I have the big Kirkland box. A ball earring cradftsman and a tool around flip top snapon. The kirkland is really nice and roomy although it already full. :rolleyes: I prefer snap on tools then craftsman then kobalt or husky and you will even find some harbor freight trash in there like cutting tools or hammers (i’m cheap) I like snapon but that 700 3/8 lith electric impact started smoking the second time I used it. Hastled with 2 different trucks until I got it “refurbished” kinda left a bad taste in my mouth. I can never get the other trucks to stop by...

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fmxr47

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I have the big Kirkland box. A ball earring cradftsman and a tool around flip top snapon. The kirkland is really nice and roomy although it already full. :rolleyes: I prefer snap on tools then craftsman then kobalt or husky and you will even find some harbor freight trash in there like cutting tools or hammers (i’m cheap) I like snapon but that 700 3/8 lith electric impact started smoking the second time I used it. Hastled with 2 different trucks until I got it “refurbished” kinda left a bad taste in my mouth. I can never get the other trucks to stop by...

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I was a diehard snapon cordless tool user until I got my Milwaukee set that had 4 pieces for the price of the one snapon 1/2” impact. I have a Milwaukee 3/8 and 1/2 impact, 1/2 drill and LED light. By far my best investment in cordless tools...


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silverscottsk10

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I have read that the first production run of kobalt wrenches were snap on (possibly even made on same line as snap on). The only change was name on side. Any truth to that?
I was a diehard snapon cordless tool user until I got my Milwaukee set that had 4 pieces for the price of the one snapon 1/2” impact. I have a Milwaukee 3/8 and 1/2 impact, 1/2 drill and LED light. By far my best investment in cordless tools...


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Snap on never made kobalt tools, they have always been made in Taiwan
Milwaukee will out perform and outlast snap on on just about anything, most guys in the shop have switch to milwaukee after seeing the 1/2" and that you can get 4 tools and 2 5.0 batteries for the same price as one snap on 1/2", which in itself is the worst cordless on the market, desalt is a better impact than snap on

Kobalt also is far ahead from craftsman, constantly having to warranty craftsman means they all sit in a toolbag in the garage to be used for modification lol
 

theBIGnaud

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Snap on never made kobalt tools, they have always been made in Taiwan
Milwaukee will out perform and outlast snap on on just about anything, most guys in the shop have switch to milwaukee after seeing the 1/2" and that you can get 4 tools and 2 5.0 batteries for the same price as one snap on 1/2", which in itself is the worst cordless on the market, desalt is a better impact than snap on

Kobalt also is far ahead from craftsman, constantly having to warranty craftsman means they all sit in a toolbag in the garage to be used for modification lol


I was looking into the Milwaukee drivers which we also used at work (government supplied) I didn’t like the triggers as they would fall off and I had a sawsall smoke on me. Also the battery life wasn’t as near the snapon. Even the fatty upgrade 2.0 batts..Just my experience.
 

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