Posted: 9/3/2014 5:34:58 PM EDT
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Looking for hand tools, whats the best brand for wrenches, sockets etc. All i have is crappy tools right now. Want to build a real tool box.
Snap on seems to expensive, whats the next best bet, craftsman etc? |
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Looking for hand tools, whats the best brand for wrenches, sockets etc. All i have is crappy tools right now. Want to build a real tool box. Snap on seems to expensive, whats the next best bet, craftsman etc? You get what you pay for. I use mostly snap-on for my primary tools. for precision tools, i only use starrett. Wright tool makes good stuff, as does armstrong, so does proto. Other good choices include wilde (pry bars and punches). Grace tool (punches, screwdrivers) Nicholson (files). Dasco (punches). Vaughn (Hammers). It really depends on what you're using the tool for. |
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I prefer Mac and Matco to Snap-On in most cases.
SK, Blackhawk, Martin, Greys pneumatic, all make decent stuff. Proto was the one I couldn't think of and I flat forgot armstrong, both ok. Knipex for pliers, whether they have someone else's badge or not. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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SNAP ON, AST, Stahlwille
even the other tool brands, even most of the trucks, are just sub-par. do yourself a favor and don't waste your money on the crap they sell in stores. buy once cry once. crapsman, kobalt, SK, anything from harbor freight or the auto parts stores, all junk. I use em when I have to bend a wrench for special purpose. |
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SNAP ON, AST, Stahlwille even the other tool brands, even most of the trucks, are just sub-par. do yourself a favor and don't waste your money on the crap they sell in stores. buy once cry once. crapsman, kobalt, SK, anything from harbor freight or the auto parts stores, all junk. I use em when I have to bend a wrench for special purpose. 
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SNAP ON, AST, Stahlwille even the other tool brands, even most of the trucks, are just sub-par. do yourself a favor and don't waste your money on the crap they sell in stores. buy once cry once. crapsman, kobalt, SK, anything from harbor freight or the auto parts stores, all junk. I use em when I have to bend a wrench for special purpose.
SK really isn't all that bad. better than craftsman, still USA made (at least 90% of it is. check before buying) Lobster out of japan, stahlwille or whatever out of germany. Both hard to find. real solid tho |
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Mac, Matco, Snap-On, are the best. I wouldn't use any wrenches other than Snap-On, Channel-Lock pliers are fine. The only Craftsman tools I would even bother with are sockets (but not the ratchets). Can't forget channel-lock. All the peers (crescent, irwin, etc) all have moved overseas. Channel lock still makes the best slip-joints, adjustables, dykes, needle nose etc on a budget. I go through a ton of channel locks. |
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Can't forget channel-lock. All the peers (crescent, irwin, etc) all have moved overseas. Channel lock still makes the best slip-joints, adjustables, dykes, needle nose etc on a budget. I go through a ton of channel locks. Quoted:
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Mac, Matco, Snap-On, are the best. I wouldn't use any wrenches other than Snap-On, Channel-Lock pliers are fine. The only Craftsman tools I would even bother with are sockets (but not the ratchets). Can't forget channel-lock. All the peers (crescent, irwin, etc) all have moved overseas. Channel lock still makes the best slip-joints, adjustables, dykes, needle nose etc on a budget. I go through a ton of channel locks. The BEST needle nose pliers are Snap-On. You can literally pick up a penny by Lincoln's nose. |
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SNAP ON, AST, Stahlwille even the other tool brands, even most of the trucks, are just sub-par. do yourself a favor and don't waste your money on the crap they sell in stores. buy once cry once. crapsman, kobalt, SK, anything from harbor freight or the auto parts stores, all junk. I use em when I have to bend a wrench for special purpose.
junk. my brother had a 1/4 drive set, and the wratchet was incorrectly sized, couldn't put a socket on it. the gears in the wratchet also felt grindy. lowest quality I'll buy is cornwell, and I've had to hand the tool guy back a set of air chisels after one fractured and sent a piece flying, bouncing off my safety glasses and sticking in my nose. dangerous metallurgy. Hazet is another great brand. |
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junk. my brother had a 1/4 drive set, and the wratchet was incorrectly sized, couldn't put a socket on it. the gears in the wratchet also felt grindy. lowest quality I'll buy is cornwell, and I've had to hand the tool guy back a set of air chisels after one fractured and sent a piece flying, bouncing off my safety glasses and sticking in my nose. dangerous metallurgy. Hazet is another great brand. Quoted:
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SNAP ON, AST, Stahlwille even the other tool brands, even most of the trucks, are just sub-par. do yourself a favor and don't waste your money on the crap they sell in stores. buy once cry once. crapsman, kobalt, SK, anything from harbor freight or the auto parts stores, all junk. I use em when I have to bend a wrench for special purpose.
junk. my brother had a 1/4 drive set, and the wratchet was incorrectly sized, couldn't put a socket on it. the gears in the wratchet also felt grindy. lowest quality I'll buy is cornwell, and I've had to hand the tool guy back a set of air chisels after one fractured and sent a piece flying, bouncing off my safety glasses and sticking in my nose. dangerous metallurgy. Hazet is another great brand. My SKs are over 30 years old and haven't given me a moment of trouble. |
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really it depends on what you are doing.
if you rely on your tools for work, then I agree, snap on , mac etc.. for the rest of us, a general tool set from crafstman, husky or kobalt are fine. you get the lifetime warranty and someplace you can swap out tools easy. if you don't work at a garage, swapping out snap on tools is a big pita. like almost impossible. just pick the place closest to you with those tools. ratchets are a bit odd, in that if you use them in tight spaces, quality /throw /number of teeth all make a difference if you can get in or not. I tend to have generic ones from craftsman, but if I have a specific need, I will pony up the bucks for a better one. so I have like 6 craftsman ratchets. 1/4, 3/8, 1/2. the other 3 are various other manufactures. one snapon one from napa and one from autozone. I have a drawer full of harbor freight screw drivers. since they are lifetime too and don't require the tollerances of other stuff. pawn shops are a good place to get a complete kit for way less than the box store. you should be able to find a complete craftsman set for around 100 bucks if you scrounge. they also tend to sell 1 dollar sockets to finish our incomplete sets. |
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Check out Wright Tool, great company that makes great tools. I find their Wright Grip wrenches better than Snap On, the beam is much more comfortable. Also their Contour Grip ratchets are nice and don't break the bank. Pliers go with Channel Lock or Knipex if you're feeling spendy. Hammers the good old Estwing has never let me down. If you want good quality US made tools check out Epsteins that's where I get a lot of stuff.
ETA: I have a Snap On govt account and pay half retail, they arenf the end all be all but do excel in a few areas. I 2 nd the SO pliers I got the 4 PC set but haven't had a chance to use it yet to objectively review it. Drill bits I like Norseman. Screwdrivers I prefer German I find that their bits are harder and sized very precisely. Wiha, Wera, Felo, etc. |
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Check out Wright Tool, great company that makes great tools. I find their Wright Grip wrenches better than Snap On, the beam is much more comfortable. Also their Contour Grip ratchets are nice and don't break the bank. Pliers go with Channel Lock or Knipex if you're feeling spendy. Hammers the good old Estwing has never let me down. If you want good quality US made tools check out Epsteins that's where I get a lot of stuff. Wright grip = Proto anti slip = snap on flank drive plus |
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Check out Wright Tool, great company that makes great tools. I find their Wright Grip wrenches better than Snap On, the beam is much more comfortable. Also their Contour Grip ratchets are nice and don't break the bank. Pliers go with Channel Lock or Knipex if you're feeling spendy. Hammers the good old Estwing has never let me down. If you want good quality US made tools check out Epsteins that's where I get a lot of stuff. +1 for epsteins |
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+1 for epsteins Quoted:
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Check out Wright Tool, great company that makes great tools. I find their Wright Grip wrenches better than Snap On, the beam is much more comfortable. Also their Contour Grip ratchets are nice and don't break the bank. Pliers go with Channel Lock or Knipex if you're feeling spendy. Hammers the good old Estwing has never let me down. If you want good quality US made tools check out Epsteins that's where I get a lot of stuff. +1 for epsteins I know it doesn't maximize your post count, but there is a thing called the edit button. |
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Looking for hand tools, whats the best brand for wrenches, sockets etc. All i have is crappy tools right now. Want to build a real tool box. Snap on seems to expensive, whats the next best bet, craftsman etc? Sorry man, you gotta pay to play. 
Any of the "Big 3" are good. Matco, Mac Tools, and Snap-On. Craftsman is junk, and now made in China, Harbor Freight tools are better, honestly. 
ETA: For pliers and screwdrivers, you can't go wrong with Klein, same goes for Channel Loc pliers. |
| Snap-on, mac, and matco make the best tools in the industry, but they are pricey and nicer than most people need for occasional around-the-house use. I use these brands in my workshop working on cars and Harleys. I also got them used from someone that needed $ bad. Also about the only "retail" source (at least where I live) are the "truck vendors" who drive to and from job sights to vend their products and do warranty related service. Kobalt (vended by Lowe's) and most of all Craftsman (vended by sears) will probably be your best bet. I know sears has great warranty on Craftsman hand tools, not sure about Kobalt. So if there's a Sears and/or Lowe's near you, I would look there. |
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Snap-On for wrenches and sockets Klein for electrical tools and screwdrivers Milkwakee for cordless power tools Bosch for drill bits (all types) Dewalt for nut drivers for cordless drills That about covers it I think. Does bosch make good cobalt drill bits? |
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junk. my brother had a 1/4 drive set, and the wratchet was incorrectly sized, couldn't put a socket on it. the gears in the wratchet also felt grindy. lowest quality I'll buy is cornwell, and I've had to hand the tool guy back a set of air chisels after one fractured and sent a piece flying, bouncing off my safety glasses and sticking in my nose. dangerous metallurgy. Hazet is another great brand. Quoted:
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SNAP ON, AST, Stahlwille even the other tool brands, even most of the trucks, are just sub-par. do yourself a favor and don't waste your money on the crap they sell in stores. buy once cry once. crapsman, kobalt, SK, anything from harbor freight or the auto parts stores, all junk. I use em when I have to bend a wrench for special purpose.
junk. my brother had a 1/4 drive set, and the wratchet was incorrectly sized, couldn't put a socket on it. the gears in the wratchet also felt grindy. lowest quality I'll buy is cornwell, and I've had to hand the tool guy back a set of air chisels after one fractured and sent a piece flying, bouncing off my safety glasses and sticking in my nose. dangerous metallurgy. Hazet is another great brand. SK went through a patch of bad management and money troubles and the quality suffered. They are much improved under the current management. |
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Hand tools are a bit like car batteries . It is not just the thing you are buying , but the warrantee .
Husky hand tools are a bit rough and not the end all/be all of tools but for the homeowner/shade tree mechanic they can be a reasonable deal considering the no bs warrantee. Decent selection of basic tools at reasonable prices or great prices if you hit the sales. When you happen to break a ratchet you take it to any Home Depot and they say "Yup , its a HUSKY, here , take this one" Yeah they are not snap on but I can't justify spending all that and I am not lucky enough to find the divorce sale where the ex wife is selling the snap on roll away for $600 because that's what the ex claimed he paid for them |
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Their website works well. Quoted:
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do you really have to find some local joe with a snap on truck to buy snap on? Their website works well. Your asshole will get sore using Snap-On's website all that is full retail. Look up your local snap-on guy, I'm sure a local garage will have his number. I know the snap-on guy that visits my garage has customers all over, not just shops and garages, he has individuals, they call, he'll meet them where ever. Normally better deals can be had from your local Snap-On guy as well. After Snap-on, I'd say Kobalt would be my next choice. |
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All my ratchet wrenches/ratcheting screwdrivers are Snap-On. Simply put, they are the best. http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h367/Use_the_2nd/1C9A587D-E02A-4D60-84A8-E7E600237E59_zps52puonb4.jpg Yep. like the profile on the shank of screwdrivers for using a wrench to add more torque. The fine tooth profile of the snap on ratchets, it's like butter. It's like there's no gear at all. no noisy teeth. no worrying about a tooth on a gear not wanting to get that "last click" in a tight place, and trying to hold the extension and get that shit to click. I absolutely love my snap-on ratchets. Extensions (wobble plus are fucking awesome.) universal sockets, universal impacts (especially on a cordless impact!) Yeah. snap on is #1, hands down, for practically all the important hand tools. |
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I saw some USA made Craftsman tool sets at COSTCO the last time I went.
Most of my hand tools are USA made Craftsman with a mixture of others. I really like the fine tooth ratchet from Craftsman as well and my 12v ratchet from Milwaukee.. I am not buying any more Craftsman tools since they moved to China. |
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I saw some USA made Craftsman tool sets at COSTCO the last time I went. Most of my hand tools are USA made Craftsman with a mixture of others. I really like the fine tooth ratchet from Craftsman as well and my 12v ratchet from Milwaukee.. I am not buying any more Craftsman tools since they moved to China. Yep. most all of craftsman's mfg has moved to china now. As a result, i refuse to even buy the craftsman-pro line or oddball still made in usa tool and to all the clowns talking about "old craftsman tools" that's great, i had a bunch of it too. but i've broken a bunch. and i don't want a quality tool, that finally gave to be replaced with a shitty Chinese tool injection cast by a 10 year old kid. that's alright. It's not the inconvenience of it breaking, and having to walk into a store and have it replaced. It's more along the lines of if a coworker goes to use it, it breaks, and in turn he slips and gets hurt. I have to live with that kind of shit. fuck craftsman, fuck sears, fuck all the sell outs that cut american jobs, to increase profit ratios, and cut quality. |
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Yep. like the profile on the shank of screwdrivers for using a wrench to add more torque. The fine tooth profile of the snap on ratchets, it's like butter. It's like there's no gear at all. no noisy teeth. no worrying about a tooth on a gear not wanting to get that "last click" in a tight place, and trying to hold the extension and get that shit to click. I absolutely love my snap-on ratchets. Extensions (wobble plus are fucking awesome.) universal sockets, universal impacts (especially on a cordless impact!) Yeah. snap on is #1, hands down, for practically all the important hand tools. Quoted:
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All my ratchet wrenches/ratcheting screwdrivers are Snap-On. Simply put, they are the best. http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h367/Use_the_2nd/1C9A587D-E02A-4D60-84A8-E7E600237E59_zps52puonb4.jpg Yep. like the profile on the shank of screwdrivers for using a wrench to add more torque. The fine tooth profile of the snap on ratchets, it's like butter. It's like there's no gear at all. no noisy teeth. no worrying about a tooth on a gear not wanting to get that "last click" in a tight place, and trying to hold the extension and get that shit to click. I absolutely love my snap-on ratchets. Extensions (wobble plus are fucking awesome.) universal sockets, universal impacts (especially on a cordless impact!) Yeah. snap on is #1, hands down, for practically all the important hand tools. The instinct handle on the screwdrivers 
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Quoted: Yep. like the profile on the shank of screwdrivers for using a wrench to add more torque. The fine tooth profile of the snap on ratchets, it's like butter. It's like there's no gear at all. no noisy teeth. no worrying about a tooth on a gear not wanting to get that "last click" in a tight place, and trying to hold the extension and get that shit to click. I absolutely love my snap-on ratchets. Extensions (wobble plus are fucking awesome.) universal sockets, universal impacts (especially on a cordless impact!) Yeah. snap on is #1, hands down, for practically all the important hand tools. Quoted: Quoted: All my ratchet wrenches/ratcheting screwdrivers are Snap-On. Simply put, they are the best. http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h367/Use_the_2nd/1C9A587D-E02A-4D60-84A8-E7E600237E59_zps52puonb4.jpg Yep. like the profile on the shank of screwdrivers for using a wrench to add more torque. The fine tooth profile of the snap on ratchets, it's like butter. It's like there's no gear at all. no noisy teeth. no worrying about a tooth on a gear not wanting to get that "last click" in a tight place, and trying to hold the extension and get that shit to click. I absolutely love my snap-on ratchets. Extensions (wobble plus are fucking awesome.) universal sockets, universal impacts (especially on a cordless impact!) Yeah. snap on is #1, hands down, for practically all the important hand tools. 80-tooth gear FTMFW! Had a job just this past week, where my "overpriced" Snap-On ratchet was the only one in the shop to turn a fastener in a tiny access panel.  People kind of understood the price I paid that day for quality gear. That said, Snap-On for tools, and KAC for ARs, is going to be my demise
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Quoted: The instinct handle on the screwdrivers http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h367/Use_the_2nd/62FBB25A-8313-4131-9278-3903278FB3DB_zps2jzr7bkw.jpg Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: All my ratchet wrenches/ratcheting screwdrivers are Snap-On. Simply put, they are the best. http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h367/Use_the_2nd/1C9A587D-E02A-4D60-84A8-E7E600237E59_zps52puonb4.jpg Yep. like the profile on the shank of screwdrivers for using a wrench to add more torque. The fine tooth profile of the snap on ratchets, it's like butter. It's like there's no gear at all. no noisy teeth. no worrying about a tooth on a gear not wanting to get that "last click" in a tight place, and trying to hold the extension and get that shit to click. I absolutely love my snap-on ratchets. Extensions (wobble plus are fucking awesome.) universal sockets, universal impacts (especially on a cordless impact!) Yeah. snap on is #1, hands down, for practically all the important hand tools. The instinct handle on the screwdrivers http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h367/Use_the_2nd/62FBB25A-8313-4131-9278-3903278FB3DB_zps2jzr7bkw.jpg Yup. Got the set on the bottom right of your pic. Fucking love those
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I like Lowe's and they sell Kobalt so that's what I bought. I'm an admin pogue so about the only things I use my tools on is...fuck, I can't remember the last time I used my tools on something!!!
That blue and chrome sure do look purty sitting in my toolbox though! |
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Quoted: Hand tools are a bit like car batteries . It is not just the thing you are buying , but the warrantee . Husky hand tools are a bit rough and not the end all/be all of tools but for the homeowner/shade tree mechanic they can be a reasonable deal considering the no bs warrantee. Decent selection of basic tools at reasonable prices or great prices if you hit the sales. When you happen to break a ratchet you take it to any Home Depot and they say "Yup , its a HUSKY, here , take this one" Yeah they are not snap on but I can't justify spending all that and I am not lucky enough to find the divorce sale where the ex wife is selling the snap on roll away for $600 because that's what the ex claimed he paid for them <in bold> I swear to God if you ever buy my "$600" SR15, I will hunt you down with my real $600 PSA  |