Just but the tools that you actually need to get the job done is a timely manor. Time is money. Quality of work is what keeps who pays the salary and the lights on coming back
New tool thread
- Thread starter jhellwig
- Start date
The marketing guys at Snap On studied this long ago, when they were developing their sales model. Over time the model changed to maximize profit vs. the cost of free socks they throw at @AutoMechanicIf I were a grad student working towards a PhD in psychology I would be researching tool truck addiction.
Zee09
$200 Site Donor 2023
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
- Messages
- 21,043
I quit buying machine tools.
Have 8 garages full. Got backups for backups.
10-15 years or so ago cheapness ruled the world and they no longer pay for themselves..
I can flip on the stock market or simply sit the money in a low interest account and be far better off.
Of course you are just starting out but don't get caught in the trap. Save for a rainy day eh???
The Tekton 1/2” drive 24” breaker bar lists for $39 delivered. Plus 10% towards your next purchase if bought on their site.
The same Snap-On breaker lists for $153.
The spec listed on the Snap-On site is ASME/ANSI B107.10. I assume this means the bar meets or exceeds the B107.10 spec.
Tekton lists the ASME/ANSI B107.10 spec plus a graph showing the amount that their BB exceeds the ANSI spec.
Assuming both breaker bars meet the B107.10 spec and are used properly (within the spec), is Snap-On worth 3.92x more than Tekton?
This is where I get stuck.
Last edited:
AutoMechanic
Site Donor 2025
Warranty replacement Proto 15/16 socket. Number 5430. 12 point. Very quick and easy warranty. I emailed late one night and next day got a response asking for an address. Didn’t even send a picture and they didn’t ask for one.
GON
$150 Site Donor 2025
Purchased this Lisle universal brake tool fit for two reasons.
(1) I have a handful of brake specialty tools, and I forget I have them and they get mixed in with non brake specialty tools. Now I can have a little dedicated bag for brake tools. I have a handful of prior bought brake tools to add into this bag like the Pontiac Bonneville caliper retraction tool (can't use a clamp on those).
(2) I have a handful of brake jobs to do, including emergency brake service. This kit increases the odds I will have any specialty tool on hand when I do a brake job often on a Saturday afternoon.
(1) I have a handful of brake specialty tools, and I forget I have them and they get mixed in with non brake specialty tools. Now I can have a little dedicated bag for brake tools. I have a handful of prior bought brake tools to add into this bag like the Pontiac Bonneville caliper retraction tool (can't use a clamp on those).
(2) I have a handful of brake jobs to do, including emergency brake service. This kit increases the odds I will have any specialty tool on hand when I do a brake job often on a Saturday afternoon.
AutoMechanic
Site Donor 2025
Rebuild kit for my old SK ratchet. Took a few months but it arrived today. Thank you SK.
A pair of 28" Vastools grabber tools from Amazon, one flexible and one formable. Around $12 each. They have a 1/2" ring magnet on the end, along with 4 claws. I tested the magnet on a standard length Tekton 17/19mm flexhead ratcheting wrench, and it was able to lift the wrench.
AutoMechanic
Site Donor 2025
Boy did I go on a spree today lol. Stopped at three stores and spent lots of money. First up Duralast 3/8 drive metric deep well 6 point sockets. Yes I know I have thousands of sockets but there seem to be a few I still didn’t have well was going to buy 3 individual deep ones but the whole set was $1 less than 3 individual ones and the guy is like do you just want the set I said yeah you’d be crazy not to take the set for that price. They are really good sockets I like them really well which is why I went with Duralast. Then I got a regular 16mm. That’s one size I don’t have a lot of and the ones at work I have the chrome is peeling on and since I only use that size occasionally didn’t see a need to buy a really fancy one. The 8mm is to replace a Craftsman China that doesn’t have detents so it falls off the ratchet. Then got some 4 inch locking pliers I know probably not the best pliers by any means but they seem really well made and have high ratings so I figured I need small sets to complete my pliers assortments and that’s the smallest set I could find so for them. They appear to sell well too as that was the last pair.
Moving on to the DieHard wrench. Honestly not a need at all but you know me when I see a new brand of tool it must go in my collection. First and only one I’ve seen at any of the stores around here. For those who don’t know DieHard is replacing TEQ at Advance Auto. Me and dad were like yeah we don’t need this but…. So we own it now lol. And I will use that size all the time on dads Freightliner so not going to collect dust.
Then got a box of gloves at HF since I’m getting low at the house and ITC club members got a good price on them. Also got a set of 5 inch Bremen locking pliers and a hook for my toolbox. The Bremen seem pretty good we used them in school and they worked well so I figured I’d give them a try in the field since it’s hard to find any that size for any other brand.
And the Scott hand cleaner was on sale at Advance I figured I would buy all of them but decided to get the wrench instead as a splurge buy lol. The hand cleaner works really good they are getting rid of it completely at the stores so I will definitely be getting more.
I blame my coworker for needing me to go to Auto Zone to get him a socket they didn’t even have lol
. And I blame this particular Advance Auto for being across the street from Auto Zone lol. And HF in the same shopping mall as Auto Zone. Really made me mad HF was out of the free buckets I was looking forward to getting one.
CleanSump
Site Donor 2022
This thread should be renamed "What did Automechanic and D60 buy today?" 
That's a good lesson on why you don't buy Snap-on pneumatic tools, I'd say the same about their Cordless tools but I love my CT761.
Paying to rebuild stuff like Impacts is usually a losing proposition.
Snap-on is a great resource for Hand Tools (One's made by Snap-on), If you only owe $827....That's not the end of the world.
I think others are just lookin' out for you....Being so young & all.
I was near 30 years in before I bought a new Snap-on tool box, And it was a display model from a Tool Show that I got a really good deal on....With my trade-in, I was able to pay cash for it.
Going into debt over tool storage is one of the worst decisions a young mechanic can make, What's worse than Tool Rep's pushing tool boxes is Mechanics you work with doing it.
What I did for many years before opening my own shop.....Was have a large Fire Cabinet for all my Blow Molded Cases, Coupled with a Double Bank top & bottom Toolbox for all my hand tools.
^^^the mark-up on tool truck tool storage is really beyond absurd. If you've ever worked a sheetmetal shop you'll see what I mean.
For the cost of a 56" combo you can buy a new vertical knee mill. The mill has at least several dozen pieces made to extremely tight tolerances and literally hundreds of moving parts.....X/Y/Z axis, variable speed head, electric reversible motor, power downfeed, rotating turret and a ram on dovetails plus a precision ground and slotted table..most of these pieces can't vary by more than a few thou over several feet of travel.
The box is bent up in a CNC brake and has some slides riveted on along with some casters bolted to the bottom. If you pull a drawer all the way out and it moves 20 or 30 thou to the left or right, who cares, it just doesn't matter.
Tool truck storage certainly can be an investment for life but if you actually take the time to just think about the cost relative to other tools, equipment and even vehicles in this world.....it's absolutely Things that make ya go "Hmmmm"
Just think - it's a steel box for $10k or more. A steel box.
For the cost of a 56" combo you can buy a new vertical knee mill. The mill has at least several dozen pieces made to extremely tight tolerances and literally hundreds of moving parts.....X/Y/Z axis, variable speed head, electric reversible motor, power downfeed, rotating turret and a ram on dovetails plus a precision ground and slotted table..most of these pieces can't vary by more than a few thou over several feet of travel.
The box is bent up in a CNC brake and has some slides riveted on along with some casters bolted to the bottom. If you pull a drawer all the way out and it moves 20 or 30 thou to the left or right, who cares, it just doesn't matter.
Tool truck storage certainly can be an investment for life but if you actually take the time to just think about the cost relative to other tools, equipment and even vehicles in this world.....it's absolutely Things that make ya go "Hmmmm"
Just think - it's a steel box for $10k or more. A steel box.
manicrodder
$50 site donor 2022
Good advice that I often don't use.
I bought several boxes of those HF 5mil nitrile gloves about 2 years ago, when they were around $7 each, for use at home.
Now they are $15 each.
AutoMechanic
Site Donor 2025
YepI bought several boxes of those HF 5mil nitrile gloves about 2 years ago, when they were around $7 each, for use at home.
Now they are $15 each.
. With my membership I got them for $9.99 not the best price but cheaper than anywhere else I’ve found since all the stuff. Even cheaper than Walmart too.
