Do you buy professional tools or cheap ones?
- Thread starter ZZman
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I feel like we've had this thread already.
I buy nice things.
I buy nice things.
Cheap. I don't use them anywhere near enough to warrant paying for, "the best". (Which would entail a 6 page argument here to determine what "the best" even was).
Cheap , Harbor Freight , if they stock it .
Many times , specialty tools . At my age , if they last that one time , that is often sufficient .
Many times , specialty tools . At my age , if they last that one time , that is often sufficient .
High quality unless its a one time use thing or I need to make something like HF long nose pliers bent to pull Subaru and Nissan side feed injectors.
Both. "He who dies with the most tools wind."
I did the bulk of my tool purchasing in the past when I made my living as a diesel mechanic. It was 99% Snap On back then with a slight mixture of Mac and Cornwell.
Now, I basically have a desk job with a small mix of fixing stuff so I only buy tools if I need something for a job at hand. I recently needed a new floor jack and metric impact sockets and they came from Harbor Freight.
I'll usually eyeball the Craftsman stuff at Ace and grab something if it will be of some use. If I need a Snap On tool I ask my brother to pick it up for me since he still has a guy come by his shop on Tuesdays.
I do lots of bicycle stuff now and I like Park Tool and sometimes Pedro's. Of course I use my Snap On allen wrenches and screwdrivers and stuff on them as well. You need quality tools for bikes. I build some pretty high end stuff for paying customers and you can't deliver em marked up.
Now, I basically have a desk job with a small mix of fixing stuff so I only buy tools if I need something for a job at hand. I recently needed a new floor jack and metric impact sockets and they came from Harbor Freight.
I'll usually eyeball the Craftsman stuff at Ace and grab something if it will be of some use. If I need a Snap On tool I ask my brother to pick it up for me since he still has a guy come by his shop on Tuesdays.
I do lots of bicycle stuff now and I like Park Tool and sometimes Pedro's. Of course I use my Snap On allen wrenches and screwdrivers and stuff on them as well. You need quality tools for bikes. I build some pretty high end stuff for paying customers and you can't deliver em marked up.
Years ago(30-40 yrs ago), I'd buy Craftsman, Stanley etc., and I have many of my Dad's tools, S-K, Snap-On, Cornwell plus circular, jug & table saws, drills etc. Today if I need just a single tool, I'll buy one from SEARS, AAP, AZ, HD, HF, PBs etc.
Today with the "need a quick tool", I have a hodgepodge of tools such as AutoCraft, HUSKY, IronMan, Pittsburgh or whatever brand name sold by that particular store.
I certainly don't need anything anymore 'cept a speciality tool for a particular job I may reluctantly get myself involved in.
Today with the "need a quick tool", I have a hodgepodge of tools such as AutoCraft, HUSKY, IronMan, Pittsburgh or whatever brand name sold by that particular store.
I certainly don't need anything anymore 'cept a speciality tool for a particular job I may reluctantly get myself involved in.
I get the HF if it's a good tool. If not, I head up the road to Lowe's or Sears.
Little of both. My wrenches and sockets are mostly snap-on. My favorite ratchet is the plastic coated one from harbor freight. It works great but and is comfy,been using it for years with no issues.
Screwdrivers are a mix. The harbor freight ones with the hardened tip are very good,Craftsman ones are junk.
Screwdrivers are a mix. The harbor freight ones with the hardened tip are very good,Craftsman ones are junk.
Important tools like torque wrenches, dial gauges etc I buy good quality, and stuff that gets used every day I buy good quality.
If its a one-off job or something that won't get used for another 2-3 years I buy cheap, and if a cheap tool fails I replace it with a good quality one.
If its a one-off job or something that won't get used for another 2-3 years I buy cheap, and if a cheap tool fails I replace it with a good quality one.
Many of my typical wrenches are 80's Craftsman with some S-K and Protos thrown in.
My specialty tools are Snap-On and Matco.
Sometimes I'll need to "modify" a socket or driver to fit funky applications. I remember doing CX-9 rear wheel bearings and had to grind down a torx to fit. I used a HF to do it. Worked well.
If I had to buy a new set of wrenches, I would probably stick with Matco.
My specialty tools are Snap-On and Matco.
Sometimes I'll need to "modify" a socket or driver to fit funky applications. I remember doing CX-9 rear wheel bearings and had to grind down a torx to fit. I used a HF to do it. Worked well.
If I had to buy a new set of wrenches, I would probably stick with Matco.
I started out with a set of Craftsman wrenches and sockets. Almost 50yrs ago. 100$ worth of tools. Other than "found" stuff, It has been Chinesium from HF,Lowes, etc since. The hand tools I bought to earn a living were mostly Klein. Hammers ,chisels, punches, blood sweat and tears were used instead of specialty tools that would see limited use.
I have a pretty good mix for auto repair. For my business I go with only professional quality tools.
My tool boxes have tools collected since I was 12.Anything that works, wont easily break.Craftsman is cheap and available,in stock and usually fine for most things.Snap-on tools?Ya gotta be kidding on those prices.I don't care how well made it is.I love seeing the prices people will pay for them.
I use my Craftsman set that I bought 63 years ago. Used regularly for the first 40 years and I only broke one socket which was replaced. ED
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