Shamrock98TA

These are the tools sold at autozone. I had never heard of these before yesterday. I was reading a page and saw someone say something about Snap-on making them and they just have a different stamp. I took a look at the ratchets on autozone's website and they do look like Snap-on ratchets. They even offer a soft handle that is like Snap-on's. When I got off work I went to autozone to get a closer look, the resemblence is uncanny. The only difference is the stamps and instead of having the part number stamped in the ring groove on the handle, they have put some knurling there.

Let me go ahead and say it, these are not made by Snap-on. They are made in Tawain.

I know that Snap-on sells Blue Point tools, that are made in Tawain. I have a set of ratcheting wrenches that are like that. The look exactly the same as the Snap-on, except instead of being stamped, they have used laser etching. I'm willing to bet that the same factory that makes these wrenches is also making the duralast tools. Probably using fixtures Snap-on has designed and the same programs for the machining.

Both the Snap-on and Duralast 3/8's drive ratchets use 10 degrees of gear action. I'm seriously considering buying one of the duralast ratchets, taking it into work and testing the hardness on it. If it came up to about 50 Rockwells it would be a very inexpensive alternative to the Snap-on.

I just found this very intersting and thought I would share. Here's some pics of each so you can see for yourself.

Duralast:




Snap-on:

budhayes3

iTrader: (19)

Looks like a SnapOn...sounds like a battery (doesn't Sears make a duralast battery?) Hey, if it holds up, why not! I'd like to see some test results!

Boostaholic

iTrader: (4)

I have a bunch of these tools and they are great for me, never have broke one or had a problem with it.

And I've heard the same thing from autozone employees