What are the best tools?

[89911]

Which tools would you order if you had the choice. Personally, I use Craftsmen since the store is very close for returns. I have thought of "upgrading" at some time to something better. Just don't know if you get more for your money.

[masraum]

I'd like to try some of the Facom tools, SK makes gearwrench, those rock. Snap On makes good tools, never had any exp with Matco or Mac. There are lots of really good tools out there.

[klaucke]

If I had unlimited funds, I'd go for Snap-On. A good friend of mine has a huge assortment of snap-on tools, which we frequently use while working on projects and its always a pleasure working with them. Not only do they perform well, they look nice, and of course they are guarenteed. Personally, on my very limited budget, I buy Craftsman. The store is right down the street and they have a lifetime warentee, so I can just bring it back when I break it (often).

[david914]

As far as value for the money, Craftsman is a good value for hand tools. I tend to go elsewhere for power tools (Porter-Cable, etc) and specialty tools like torque wrenches and the like. Snap On stuff is real nice, but unless you've got deep pockets or pull wrenches for a living, it's hard to justify the cost.

[Groesbeck Hurricane]

Snap-On if you wrench for a living. Craftsman if you are working occasionally on your vehicle. I have mainly Craftsman, some Snap-On specialty tools, and an assortment of older names from my father. But hey, guys CANNOT have too many tools!!

[82SC]

search the archives...thee was a poll back in the day about the same subject

[IROC]

I voted Craftsman only because I am defining "best" with a very large weighting factor on "value". For most of us "weekend" mechanics, I think Craftsman offers good quality, fair prices and they are readily available.

Mike

[pwd72s]

I answered the poll honestly, voting for snap-on as the best. And they are, hands down. What brand do I usually buy? Craftsman, the better value. If my lotto numbers ever came in, I'd make the local Snap-on man happy, but reality budget restraints translate to most of my tools being purchased at Sears. Watch their sales flyers, and do join their "Craftsman Club"...it's free to join, and often offers deeper discounts.

[bigrubberjeep]

If you want rolling tool boxes that last generations go with Snap-On
Same with the tools. I am sure my son will have a full set of the same ORIGINAL tools I used when he's working on his cars.

Kind of neat to pass on tools.

[Grady Clay]

I’ll vote SnapOn and Stahlwille.

SnapOn http://www.snapon.com/ has an incredible range of both common and specialty tools. Good function, great service, and (like a 911) hold value.

Stahlwille http://www.samstagsales.com/stahlwille.htm Are wonderful tools; light weight, skinny, and strong. They reek “Porsche.” They also have the perfect combination wrenches for 911 oil line fittings.

Matco, http://www.matcotools.com/
Mac, http://www.mactools.com/home.aspx
and some other are worthwhile for some slightly different variation for a specific purpose.

Craftsman http://www.sears.com/sr/craftsman/craftsman_home.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0879519063.109 5353736@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccleadcmieljmelcehgcemgdffmdflk.0&vertical=SEARS
is a great choice for the amateur mechanic. They are readily available and very cost effective. I still have mine from the ‘50s. Some time in the early ‘70s they beefed-up the combination wrenches and sockets. They no longer fit some close clearance applications.

Harbor Freight http://www.harborfreight.com/ is a favorite because of low cost and acceptable quality.

Of course our host has a great selection of Porsche specific tools.

You can buy Porsche Factory tools from PCNA dealers.

Best,
Grady

[pwd72s]

Originally posted by bigrubberjeep


Kind of neat to pass on tools.

So true! My dad died years ago. I still smile and thank him when I use one of his tools...

[Bill Verburg]

Craftsman, except for specials like this little beauty

[azasadny]

S&K all the way!!!

[tobluforu]

The best tools in my mind are the ones that work. I have had a tool kit that my parents bought for me about 30 years ago when I use to work on and race go-karts. But, if you have the money and have a sweet garage then go for broke and buy snap-on. Nothing better then driving your car in a garage that has rows of snap-on tools mounted on the walls, or are in those sweet looking tool boxes

[JeremyD]

I think it depends - For quality stuff - like a torque wrench and I have a high end metric socket set from them - I have a snap on - I want the best for something that is that important. For a majority of my ratchets and general purpose tools I have craftsman and Kobalt. For the oddball or speciality tool I use Harbor Freight.

[911mot]

Snap-on all day long.
I have been using them for nearly 20 years and honestly say the quality and reliability is second to none. They are the porsche equivalent in the tools world. Perfect weight distribution, great handling and sexy lines.
Mac are second best. Great value but they wont take the kind of abuse you can give a snap-on. Excellent tool chests though.
Anything else goes in the bottom drawer.

[klaucke]

Now that I think about it, my father has tons of oddball wrenches (most/many are machinist wrenches) and sockets and ratchets around from "other" companies, like Williams, and I find that these are often just as good if not better than Snap-On equivalents. Unfortunately I only have a couple of a certain brand normally. Snap-On is probably the best commercially available as I think most of the oddball brands I have are long out of business. I normally pick up this type of stuff at yardsales, which is great if you ever have to grind a wrench thinner, grind it wider (easily turn a English into a metric size) or cut it stubby- who could bear to do that to a Snap-On? Having an assortment of brands also can be helpful because they often have different offsets for open end wrenches, so you can switch in tight spaces. S&K ratchets are great too.

But, come to think of who makes the best tools, well, I do (custom cam nut removal tools):

[vash]

i used almost exclusively craftsman. i do have some snap on stuff, and i seriously dont think the quality blows away, the sears stuff. it is better, the ratchets click "clickity" better, but not the amount that the price difference reflects. last check, i needed some metric allen sockets, snapON man wanted $227, i went to sears (for $27) and they didnt strip or break on the many motorcycles i abused them with. this is the classic case of "prestige pricing".

[sammyg2]

Snap-on tools are so overpriced and over-rated for what you get the only positive I can say about them is they make a good status symbol if you are trying to keep up with the Jones' (except for snap-on ratchets, I like those).

Chraftsman tools are..... convenient. The quality is on par with most of the better tools coming from taiwan or Korea, slightly better than most of the stuff from China. Same with Mac. Still overpriced but not as bad as snap-on. The newer craftsman ratchets are absolute junk IMO. Last one I bought was worse than a ratchet from Harbor Freight. It used to be craftsman meant high quality, now it means outsourced overseas product. What about some of that crap Bob Villa pushes on TV? (shudder)

Over the past 10 years I've bought over $200,000 worth of tools for the shops I ran and for the mechanics who worked for me (can't use personal tools in oil refinery). I also made a living as a millwright/mechanic for many years when I was younger so I've spent way too much time with tools.
You left off my personal choice for value, quality, reliability and warranty:
Proto. Not that blue point crap, real proto. Half the price of snap-on, just as good of a tool if you can get over the shinyness of the snap-on. BTW I really don't like using shiny, smooth tools. Too hard to grip. I prefer a matte finish like proto has.
Almost all tools nowadays are guaranteed. Convenience is the key on that. Used to be that sears would take back tools no questions asked, lots 'o folks have reported that aint the case no more.

If I hit the lottery and money was no object, I would still pick proto over snap-on.

[Rich Lambert]

Speaking of tools...I forget where this originally came from, but it's interesting.

"Lowes now (as of earlier this year) is selling a line of Mechanics Tools called Kobalt which is made by Snap-On. They are good tools.

Home Depot's Husky brand is made by Stanley Mechanics Tools, a division of the Stanley Works. Husky are also good tools and have a good lifetime warranty (they'll even replace your broken Craftsman with an equivalent Husky).

Until 1994 or so, Stanley also made Sears Craftsman tools. Sears Craftsman is now made by Danaher Tools. They beat out Stanley on the contract over price. Danaher also manufactures MatCo Tools, the third largest player in the Mobile Automotive industry (behind MAC and Snap-On). Odds are, if you own any Craftsman tools that are older than about five years ago, they were made by Stanley in plants in Dallas, Texas, Witchita Falls, Texas, and Sabina, Ohio.

Stanley also owns MAC Tools and manufactures MAC tools in the same plants. Now here's the kicker: MAC Tools, Proto Tools (a very expensive industrial brand), Husky Tools, and, (prior to five or so years ago) Craftsman Tools are all made from the same forgings in the same plants. Proto is unique because it goes through addtional testing and certification because it is used by NASA, the military, and industrial customers (including General Motors).

There are three MAJOR players in the USA mechanics tool business: Stanley, Danaher, and Snap-On. Stanley and Danaher (almost identical in sales revenue at about $28 billion each) are the biggest followed by Snap-On. Each of these three manufacture and sell tools under a variety of brands (there are many other brands that Stanley makes that I haven't even named). The quality between these three manufacturers is roughly the same. I know its a bit of a let-down to hear that, but its a simple fact.

FACOM ( Franco-Americaine de Construction d'Outillage Mecanique). French for "French-American Mechanical Tool Manufacturing. FACOM owns S-K outright. You'll notice (if you look through the catalogs from preceeding years) that the tools are becoming more and more alike. The S-K "pro" screwdrivers are now FACOM ergotwist screwdrivers. The "tuff1" ratchets are S-K pro ratchet handles avec FACOM innards. FACOM's ratcheting flare wrench now has S-K stamped on the side of it. I don't like it because we could get FACOM tools from S-K dealers for over 10 years, but now they're getting more and more reluctant to give us FACOM stuff, they'd rather sell S-K stuff. Which is why you get S-K catalogs instead of FACOM. If you specifically request (demand) a FACOM catalog, you get their _american_ catalog, which is abbreviated."