[cashflyer]

Being from a family of mechanics, and owning a shop, I have bought a lot of tools over the years. Even so, YMMV.

Our local Sears has told us that the lifetime warranty does not apply to power tools, or to "precision tools" such as their micrometers and such. Their digitorque and microtorque torque wrenches are only covered for 90 days.

Snap-on has a system of "independent dealers" and YMMV depending upon your individual dealer. Some have repaired ratchets for me with no problem at all, while others tell me I have to buy the ratchet repair kit. I think it may depend mostly upon how much business you do with them.

I have also bought from the MAC tool guy, but since MAC and PROTO are just sub-brands of The Stanley Works, I really hate to pay the premium for their tools. Many of the basic tools are made in the same dies, with different name plates slipped in the die for different production runs. They claim that their Proto line gets some additional QC treatments that the plain Stanley line does not.

Back when Lowes carried the really shiney, kinda square bodied wrenches, I bought a bunch of them. Why? Because they were made by JH Williams (a division of Snap-on) and private labelled for Lowes. Now, the wrenches are different. Althought they still carry the Lowes "Kobalt" brand label, they are now made by Danaher - the same company that makes MatCo and who now makes Craftsman.

Pre-1994, Craftsman hand tools were made by Stanley.
Husky is made by Stanley.

I buy almost all of my basic hand tools from Craftsman, simply because I know I can walk into Sears and get a replacement without any hassel, and without having to wait on the tool truck to come by.