Will be done with school next semester and will be buying a ton of tools (Aviation Maintenance)

Whats your guys views on both?

I have used both and do like the snap-on wratchets a lot better.


I do have beef with craftsmans new warrenty and think they are hosing themselves with it.

A buddy of mine bought a high dollar floor jack from them not to long ago and it broke about a year later.

Took it back and they pretty much said sorry, can't do anything for you.

As far as I know Snap-on has an equal warrenty or will still take back a broke tool no matter how long you have had it (been forever since I talked to the snap-on guy that went to out school).

What do you like or perfer and for what reasons?

 

Well When I worked at the GMC dealership usually the snap on guy would warranty stuff IF you bought it from him. Sometimes they are picky if the tools are really old and the lifetime warranty isnt on everything they sell on the tool truck. The craftsmen stuff is ok if you are not using it everyday or just working on your car in your garage. A lot of your specialty tools specific to your field you will probably need to purchase from a snap-on/matco/mac dealer. At my school Matco offered a Votech program where if you were going to school to be a tech you could get tools at a discounted rate (sometimes 50-60% off).

Do yourself a favor and get a big tool box to begin with so you can stay organized and have extra room as your tool collection grows. Nothing sucks worse than having a 30 min job turning into a 60 minute job because you cant find what you need. Also you wont have to spend the extra money to upgrade later on.

Just my 2 cents.

 

I dont think i would get any specialty tools from craftsman, but for all the regular **** (wrenches, sockets, etc.) i'd just go craftsman, i use them everyday at work (sears auto center) and never experience any problems, and if i do, i'll just march up to the main store and get some new **** for free. my employee discount doesnt hurt either...i believe snap-on is the most expensive though, the Mac guy comes to sears and we buy **** from him.

 

Sears impact stuff is okay, I've broken several of their chrome, not even using them on air tools, but with regular hand tools. So for the chrome I'd buy from one of the tool guys, all of their sockets will do a better job on partially rounded off fasteners anyhow. I don't however beleive you should buy a big box from the beginning. Tools are what make you your money and while those big boxes are nice, I built my tool collection in a stack of cheap craftsman boxes for the first year and a half I was in my shop. I have since upgraded to a Matco box because I outgrew the sears box, I didn't want to make it any taller than it was already by stacking another box on it and it was already showing its age, the drawer slides kept falling off, they started opening hard, etc. Take that as when your ready to buy a large tool box, spend the money and you'll get a good product. I've sat on my top drawer, full of sockets and it will hold all their weight plus me @ 270. I would never try that on a c-man box.

 

Im not going to get a BIG box to start with, just a regular sized roll around then get a larger one or just get a smaller one to put on top.

 

Snap-on ftw

 

Best way is to do like I did start out with Craftsman stuff and build a collection of tools over the years..it has taken me 6.. to phase out all my Craftsman tools for Mac or Snap On...You just have to be patient and realize that you'll be spending 25k pretty easly...dealership or highly specialized mechanics can be 100k

 

Cool...another aviation nut.

I'm an A&P at a company owned by Bell Helicopter. Here's what works for me.
(BTW, being owned by Textron, we get Snap Ons industrial discount~about half price)

Tool box....don't buy the multi-level boxes. Buy a big roll around to start with. Even a cheap 40" Husky or Craftsman is better than buying an upper and lower 26" set. We work almost exclusively off of the top of our own boxes. I had a 40" Husky roll cab. Worked ok. A lot of people at our place are buying the cheap 40" box from Harbor Freight. It's not bad for the price, and even made me wish I hadn't bought the Husky. I now have a Matco MB7525. It is the 'perfect' work surface and someone compliments it every single day. Only problem is, I've outgrown it a month later. Lesson learned on that one. Ebay a box if you have to. You can get a good Snap On or Matco box below $2k if you look.

Tools....I would say to get the 1/4" Snap On stubby ratchet. It's like 3" long I think. I also mostly use a Matco 1/4" ratchet. It's the 8" plastic handled one. Works great. Don't buy the locking extensions. Everyone I know who has those have had the little ball stop moving. Then what happens is, you lose your socket somewhere impossible to get, ie around the engine. I took all of mine home.

Snap On angle head wrenches....get the whole set....a true life saver. Get a normal set of combo wrenches, whatever suites your taste. I also have a shorty set of Craftsman Pro wrenches as well as a set of their short ratcheting wrenches. You will find they both have their place in aircraft work.
Get some Bonney style wrenches. I got a set of the Martin Forge brand from Sears site a few months ago for $110. They have saved my *** many times.
Also, I have seen many places on these helicopters where a Craftsman tool simply will not fit, but Snap On will. You will see this over time.


You will probably need a good air drill. Get the one from Sioux. It is by far our most owned drill here. I think it is 2600 or 3600 RPM's? It is non reversible and has the Braughm chuck. (get at Brown tool) The perfect air tool. For a cordless drill, most people here use the 18v Dewalt. Mine kept messing up like everyone else's (usually the selector on top 1-2-3). I replaced mine with a Makita 18v Lithium Ion drill. I LOVE this one.

Here are some sites I highly recommend to aircraft mechanics:

www.browntool.com
www.yardstore.com
http://aircraftspruce.com

Are you getting your A&P? We are in desperate need of mechanics, fyi. They just can't find anyone. We're getting ready to move to 3 new buildings, and they are talking about keeping the old building to start doing overhauls. They should be hiring many more towards the new year.

 

Aviation work, eh???? I thought that the aviation guys preferred Proto tools.

For 1/4" stuff, you can use the Snap On ratchets, butr I actually prefer my SK and Facom 1/4 ratchets. My 3/8 Snap On owns, though.

As far as Textron, don't they own the patent on Torx fasteners?

 

Yeah I will have my A&P come March, choppers ehh? Allwasy thought I might like that...

Been looking at those Harbor Freight boxes, good cheap starter box.

Thanks for all the info, we have a old Jet Ranger at school that I got to mess with a little. That and a fully operational 737-200 GOOD OLD JT-8D!

 

I am in an A&P class and I am buying up all the Snap On stuff I can. I am buying specialty tools and my box from Snap On. Most of the other small stuff Craftsman would be fine, but I still prefer Snap On.

 

Another A&P here
Been at it for close to 20yrs, and for me I find the Snap On tools more comfortable to use for the 8-12 hrs I'm twisting wrenches, took me a while to replace the Craftsman stuff I started out with, probably 3-4 years.
Upgraded to a new tool box here a couple of years ago, I went with the Kobalt (Lowes) cheaper than Snap On or Mac, and works just as well, paid 975 for the top and bottom, roller brg drawers and all the fancy stuff.
Just get ready cause the snap ons are expensive
BTW JT8s suck LOL

 

i love all my snap-on stuff and i also liked there 35th an. edition ss box so i bought it and got a locker and a hutch.... its nice stuff and they will replace anything i break

 

I'm not sure if Snap-On has better quality, but they do have a better selection. But then, they target the professional mechanic audience. For the average Joe, Craftsman are fine. The nice thing about Craftsman is that I can exchange tools just about anywhere. Military Post Exchanges now sell some Craftsman tools. Post Exchanges are worldwide. Since my job can relocate me anywhere in the world, that's a selling point for me.

 

Start out with craftsman. They will be fine. About the time you start to notice that they are starting to round off and not fit like they used to should be about the time you start to upgrade to either Snap on, Matco or Mac. It's really all preference. Snap on, Matco and Mac are pretty much of the same quality give or take. It has alot to do with your tool guy. Build a good foundation with him and he will do anything to make you happy. At that point you now have a good start at a set of tools for home as well as for work. I'm also a fan of S-K and Cornwell.

 

Id be carefull with the specialty tools, don't go buying a torque wrench or anything, you will never use your own after school on an aircraft.


Gotta love the Tool Room


Yeah JT-8's are just big paper weights HAHAHA

 

**** snap-on. They make great ****, but way over priced.

Seriously buy snap-on ratchets and air tools...they are like no other.

Then buy blue point **** or craftsman professional stuff...its a bit bulkier, but its not the cheap casted feel of regular craftsman.

Its not worth it to spend a 1/4 of your paycheck on tools. Unless you do it like previously mentioned and build up your snap-on collection.

Good luck.

 

What exactly has changed about Craftsman's warranty? I hadn't heard anything. Oh well, I work for Lowe's now so I'll be buying some Kobalt tools...they are made at the same plant as one of the premium tool brands

 

I wasnt aware that craftsman changed anything.....what is it now?

 

I can always use the torque wrench on the WS6.