it amazes me the people that use regular sockets for impacting and why the stuff breaks! the only time I'll use a regular socket on any kind of impact device is my 1/4" mini air wench

 

I have quite a few craftsman tools that i am cycling off of my truck and into my garage. The only craftsman tools i break are the old style 3/4" drive sockets and they hold up pretty well with the 4ft snap on ratchet until I put an extension on it to 7ft...lol go figure.

Snap on is good quality but I dont expect anything made from plastic to last in my field.I mainly buy snap on for the warranty and availability. Any jobsite I go to in any state always has a snap on truck.

 

i realize that...

i use snap-on impact sockets to torque down fasteners to 2000+ ft-lbs, (hydraulic torque wrench) and never skipped a beat.

I've got a 3/8 flex head LONG ratchet wrench that is 30 years old, it's by far my favorite tool. I have no fear standing on it or grabbing a cheater bar to get a fastener loose.

i love my full set of 1/2" drive wobble deep impact sockets, too.

in the last two weeks i've gone through the following:

1 3/8 drive deep socket (craftsman, cracked all the way down)
2 3/8 drive 3/8 hex key (craftsman, one cracked at drive, the other, the key spun)
1 big craftsman screwdriver (handle cracked in two)
1 big snap-on screwdriver (chipped tiny piece out of tip, i put a long wrench and cheater bar on the handle)
1 3/8 drive 3/4" shallow socket (craftsman, cracked)
1 1/4" drive 6" extension (craftsman, the square drive on the end twisted off)

i'm not easy on tools, and i don't like having to replace them. snap-on and matco dumdumdum

 

Damn thats alot of TQ. I use a HYTORK for PLI washers and assembling high press fluid ends. They come with thier own sockets.

 

how did you loose a tooth

 

I've only had 2 snap-on hand tools that I've ever had problems with and both in my opinion are POS. 1 is a 3/8 flex head long ratchet that I've stripped the gears out in 3 times and snapped the bolt at the flex point. And it's not the fine tooth **** either.

THe other is an 18 inch 1/2 inch breader bar that I've snapped the bolt where the socket snaps in.

Snap-On impacts in my opinion are junk. Unless you wanna pay $500 for them you can't get any that are strong enough. I've always loved my Ingersoll Titanium and have never had a problem with it. I even bought it used.

 

Most of my tools at work are Snap-On. I have to have Snap-On torque wrenches and those are recalibrateded every 6 months. I use craftsman at home but I love my 1/2" cordless Snap-On impact at the race track. The 4' long 3/4 drive ratchet is awesome for turning over a 15L diesel. I switched jobs at work and I have a ton of tools that I hardly ever use. now it's a 7/16ths deep well for hose clamps and a 28mm wrench/socket to srap the wheel chalks down.

Time for a top and middle box from snap-on. my bottom box is full.

 

Mac's still in business . LOL MAC dosent have a big presence in NY I guess Had 1 guy in my last 10 jobs

 

I agree I hate thier air guns . They have the best air ratchet though , and there screwdriver bite the best hands down

 

I'm a cheap bastard. Stanley socket sets. I've used and abused 3/8 ratchets busting head bolts loose and bell housing bolts loose. I did twist the end off a 12'' extension, but welded it to a 3'' extension and has held up. Bell housing bolts are a PITA.

 

They aren't the same. I've been working in sears hardware since july '06 and the professional series ratchet have different rebuild kit. I used to be an mca and had to rebuild them for days. Also the loosen/tighten switch on the pro series is actually made of metal not plastic and the release button is beefed up too. Internally all the gears are thinner profile, the spring and the ball bearing might be the same, but that would be it. The rebuild kit even say for thin-profile 3/8. Craftsman tools are great, they are not made to be used at a shop though, many of my customers swear by them and love the ease of replacing broken tools quickly and not having to wait for the truck to come around or order some more. I know they are not the best quality, but for a home mechanic they fit the bill perfectly. This one guy was using a long handled 1/2 drive with a 1/2 ratchet to 3/4 adapter with 3/4 socket and cheater bar to do god knows what and came back three time with it busted; can someone say tool abuse. Anyways I warrantied that ratchet for him every single time. The only warranty exchange I ever turned down was a guy who welded a flathead screwdriver tip to his socket and want to exchange it .For those of you who have problems with getting stuff warrantied it is never the associates fault, please understand that. I have a thread going for craftsman ?'s so you can post there to find out why. Craftsman was never made to be used commercially thats what you have to understand, you want commercial hand tools be ready to pay for them.

Q: What do Matco, Gearwrench, Kobalt, Craftsman tools all have in common?

A: They are all made by the SAME manufacturer; Danaher Hand Tools

Don't believe me.... Look it up!!

 

you mean you guys actually prefer snap-on over Great Neck?

 

I prefer duralast over snapon lol.....j/k

 

I love my snap on and matco tools, dont have any but like the mac tools I have used, I have a couple craftsman tools but I got tired of taking them back when they broke.

 

Meh, I can't say that i'm a fan of craftsmen tools but they are easily replaced when you are wrenching at home on the weeked. With that being said, i own matco/snap-off/ and craftsmen tools.

 

even though my craftsman tools aren't no were near as well built as my snap-on ones i still like craftsman because of there warranty an prices. I have never even been questioned about a tool when i have brought it back to sears.

with snap-on i have a hell of a time proving that its not tool misuse age

 

I am a die hard snap on guy. I love all my tools from them I dont think I have ever had a problem with them. I will agree though there impacts are not strong and too pricey. have the Titanium IR 1/2" gun and its amazing. I also have one hell of a good snap on dealer, awesome on warranties and gives really good deals. Been wrenching for cummins diesel for quite some time and I put my tools through some rough times and they havent failed me yet.

 

On the Craftsman only the thin profile wrenches use a different rebuild kit. The standard ones and the full polished ons use the same kit. Alot of people call the older style polished ratchets the professional series. I have all craftsman hand tools and the only thing I've evr broken was a 1/4 inch socket wrench.

 

been working on 18 wheelers for 20 years and using air impact on my crome craftsmen sockets and break one ever once in while but it didnt cost much,craftsmen wrenches are good as anybodys no problems,impact and torque wrenches and micrometers and very accurate stuff is snapon or ir or mac only,craftsman and stanley dont measure up.but for wrenches and ratchets and sockets and screwdrivers for hand use craftsmen just as good as the rest hands down period,but i gess if you work in a big shop like freightliner,peterbuilt,GM,ford or dodge and charge 70 to 95 bucks an hour you can afford to get the high dollar stuff besides if i took my car in to GM and it cost alot and the mechanic used craftsmen id be pissed cause i paid enough for snapon ha ha .

 

heres what ive found as a chevy tech for 3 years.
i will never use craftsman impact sockets or ratchets at work, but its all i use at home
i do use craftsman sockets for regular hand ratcheting at work and have never had a problem
however, i hate snapon wrenches. for a fraction of the cost, i have gearwrench in every size plus my regular craftsman ratchets. ive never had a problem with a craftsman wrench, chrome socket (IF USED PROPERLY) screwdrivers etc.
i think its stupid to buy snapon screwdriver sets. the only time poeple break flatheads is when they are prying with them hahah