Socket purchase -noob question
#31
Rennlist Member
to each his own, but it has nothing to do with being a snob. Better tools are better not because of the price. The material they use and the precision of their measure are vastly superior. Light duty stuff may not matter but if you have a stubborn fastener, you are going to want quality tools. It can be the difference between a massive headache or getting the job done. There is a reason you will never see a pro using cheap sockets
#32
Rennlist Member
The cheap tools are great until you round off a fastener the night before a track day. All of a sudden the money saved doesn't seem so important.
m3driver is right. And I've never seen a pro use cheap sockets. It's just false economy.
m3driver is right. And I've never seen a pro use cheap sockets. It's just false economy.
#33
Three Wheelin'
That's because pro's are using them day in and day out
for occasional use you don't need to spend $$$
BTW, I have a bunch of craftsman tools. Old ones and they are great. The new ones are no better than HF
for occasional use you don't need to spend $$$
BTW, I have a bunch of craftsman tools. Old ones and they are great. The new ones are no better than HF
#34
they dont use them them because they wear out, they don't use them, because they don't use garbage when it counts. If it was just about the money every pro on the planet would be using HF tools. Its much more than that. Buy some quality tools and use them, there is a difference
#36
Rennlist Member
...and they can finance them straight off the truck. Ask your average mechanic (and I know quite a few) how much is on their "tab" with SnapOn...."owe my sole to the company store". Impulse marketing at its finest level. REALLY nice stuff though, in most cases.
Casio vs Rolex
Casio vs Rolex
#37
to each his own, but it has nothing to do with being a snob. Better tools are better not because of the price. The material they use and the precision of their measure are vastly superior. Light duty stuff may not matter but if you have a stubborn fastener, you are going to want quality tools. It can be the difference between a massive headache or getting the job done. There is a reason you will never see a pro using cheap sockets
#38
...and they can finance them straight off the truck. Ask your average mechanic (and I know quite a few) how much is on their "tab" with SnapOn...."owe my sole to the company store". Impulse marketing at its finest level. REALLY nice stuff though, in most cases.
Casio vs Rolex
Casio vs Rolex
#39
Racer
One thing I haven't seen mentioned is a set of plastic coated sockets for rim removal and replace. Saves the finish on the rims. And please use a torque wrench when tightening the wheel nuts. My '02 specs 96 ft lbs and one of the biggest problems is bad torque causing possible brake shake and often so tight you can't remove them if you get stuck on the road. FWIW I also like Kobalt tools from Lowes. Good quality, fair price and also a lifetime warranty.
#41
Rennlist Member
And while the Snap-On toolbox above is nice, Armstrong makes Snap-On look and feel like Chinese junk.
When your reputation and your family's lives are on the line, you don't trust some guy selling tools out of his trunk.
When your reputation and your family's lives are on the line, you don't trust some guy selling tools out of his trunk.
#42
Pro
Sears recently sold the Craftsman brand to Black and Decker: Sears sells Craftsman. So the brand will live on. In the home depot for home tools, it seems like some B&D products are not the highest quality. But they probably will maintain the high quality of the Craftsman labeled tools otherwise this purchase / plan would make no sense.
#43
Rennlist Member
You recommend snap-on but use Mobile 1? That makes no sense at all.
#44
Three Wheelin'
they dont use them them because they wear out, they don't use them, because they don't use garbage when it counts. If it was just about the money every pro on the planet would be using HF tools. Its much more than that. Buy some quality tools and use them, there is a difference
For most normal people, HF and others are fine
Most HF tools are not garbage. A few, sure, but their sockets and wrenches are fine.
It all comes down use and cost. If I had unlimited funds like some here, I might consider snapon for all my tools
BTW., the old craftsman tools were made by Moore Drop Forge, the same as Snapon I believe
Same with the HF torque wrench. For most stuff, they are fine. Rebuilding an engine, well no.
BTW, I had my HF torque wrenches tested and they were within 1 %. I can buy at least 20 of them for the cost of 1 snapon one
#45
Rennlist Member
Lots of talk about HF vs. Craftsman. For small/normal jobs with sockets you can probably use either and not notice much of a difference. BUT as soon as you start pushing extremes (IE using a 3/8" socket through an adapter to 1/2" on the end of a 24" breaker bar because you don't have a 1/2" socket in 6 point, or in deep well, or for whatever other reason) you're going to start snapping HF stuff quick. I just twisted a HF 3/8" extension apart replacing my engine mounts a couple months ago.
Of course, that is a rare case - but here is yet another example and a word of caution... When I installed my IMS Solution I needed to remove and later re-install a snap ring. Easy as cake, right? Well I didn't have snap ring pliers and since I just had to do this once I decided to get a $5 set from Harbor Freight. Big mistake. I spent 45 frustrating minutes under the car trying to get that snap ring out. I not only wasted time but I risked damaging the ring trying to get an absolute piece of crap flimsy set of pliers to work properly. I eventually got it out using a combination of the pliers and a screw driver, but it was not easy. Re-installing it was impossible. I eventually gave up, drove to Sears and bought a set of Craftsman pliers. The ring went in in 5 seconds. I just started laughing because it was so ridiculously easy with a quality tool.
Of course, that is a rare case - but here is yet another example and a word of caution... When I installed my IMS Solution I needed to remove and later re-install a snap ring. Easy as cake, right? Well I didn't have snap ring pliers and since I just had to do this once I decided to get a $5 set from Harbor Freight. Big mistake. I spent 45 frustrating minutes under the car trying to get that snap ring out. I not only wasted time but I risked damaging the ring trying to get an absolute piece of crap flimsy set of pliers to work properly. I eventually got it out using a combination of the pliers and a screw driver, but it was not easy. Re-installing it was impossible. I eventually gave up, drove to Sears and bought a set of Craftsman pliers. The ring went in in 5 seconds. I just started laughing because it was so ridiculously easy with a quality tool.