Tiger03447

I think that the reason that Snap -on and Mac are so expensive that there is a 100% surcharge added to the company's cost of the tool..that pays the salesman to keep his truck on the road and provide him with a decent living..whereas other outfits use a brick and mortar storefront to sell their tools, which is less expensive to run than a truck and you can defray the costs over a wider base, since the "store" carries multiple lines of product..jus sayin..2 cents worth..Tiger 03447

Otto Mechanic

To tell the truth? I've never bought a Snap-On tool. I don't live in an area they serve so it's never been an option. I did have parts delivered once by Fastenall, it was a one off and it didn't happen again.

These days Amazon is pretty much where I go for tools, with their Prime service I get them in two days, which is usually acceptable. The customer ratings work pretty well as a guide as far as I can tell. The alternative of driving 60 miles to tour the local suppliers isn't really cost effective with gas at $3.50/gallon. Just doesn't make sense.

Otto Mechanic

I will, in truth I have It's one of those 20/20 hindsight things, i would have done it last time but for me this is the first time...

FRporscheman

In America there is a compulsion amongst mechanics (amateur, professional, and competitive) to have a tool box full of Snap-On tools, or else look like a fool. SO has made remarkably high quality tools from the beginning, and built such a good reputation that word spread and now they enjoy making sales due to making a good tool as well as having the name that everyone wants. In truth, almost any job could be done with only Harbor Freight tools, if you know how to use them.

When I used to be a part-time mechanic in college, my coworkers would call my collection of Craftsman tools things like "cute" and "OK for a newbie like me" (I was not a newbie, they were teasing me). Even back in the day when Craftsman tools were at their best, they weren't as good as SO, and today they're made in China. (BTW, some of the Chinese Craftsman tools seem to be made better than the US-made ones in the years prior.) They tried to pressure me to get SO tools (or at LEAST Matco or MAC) because it's what all the cool kids have. The fact that they're actually good tools almost seems like a justification for the "fad", when it should be the other way around. SO charges the prices they do because people pay them.

I have bought 2 Snap-On tools brand new: an 8mm, long triple-square socket; a 3/8 torque wrench. Both are amazingly high quality, and I got them because I needed amazingly high quality, and zero wear/use. I've also scored some used SO tools on ebay. I'm not into the hype of replacing every single tool with the top names, but when I realize I need a higher quality tool, I look for a few different brand names and I usually pick Stahlwille or Hazet because they're just as good as SO (if not better) and they're usually a little cheaper. YES... warrantying one of those will be next to impossible. But, I hear that warrantying a SO tool is pretty tricky unless you're best buddies with your local SO truck guy. And besides, I don't overload my tools.