I saw a “Made in America” segment on the news. Lenovo is now assembling computers in America. It proves that Chinese labor and shipping costs are going up and we can be competitive again.
TwinTurbo, Curious about what you meant who disagreed with you, so I went back and looked. Don’t sweat it. Forum is supposed to be different folks with different opinions. I think you are both right if we make sure what we are talking about.
For most of us the quality of the tool is very important because we are not competent enough to compensate easily for poor tools.
The very best at anything can compensate for poor tools, and can do good work with junk.
I am talking the top 1 or 2% of competency. I worked with a few people like that.
True, you can buy the Craftsman tools for less money than the Snap On, but there’s more to it than that. The Craftsman tools simply do not work as well or for as long as Snap On, Matco, etc.
Whether you’re a mechanic or just doing mechanical work at home, a broken tool stops production. For a professional, a busted ratchet or cracked socket may mean more than inconvenience. It could mean not finishing a job on time and losing a day’s pay until the next pay period. If you make your living with the tools, they’re not just desirable. They are necessary.
I’ve actually seen some of those cheap chinese tools snap in half, during use
You’re not taking off a lugnut, if the breaker bar snapped in half, or if the 1/2" square drive broke off
I’ve actually seen that happen to a few cheapskate colleagues. It was hard to keep from laughing out loud.
The guy who had the 1/2" drive breaker bar with the handle snapped in half decided to NOT take this as a sign he needs to buy better tools. He slipped a pipe over the broken handle . . .
I agee with irlandes that you can compensate, but only a little. if a tool breaks or stretches or wears out, not even I can do good work with it. I may be able to figure out a work around, but that is not the way to do things efficiently or safely.
@asemaster - sure a broken tool is a problem, but I have replaced one Craftsman tool in 40 years. I bought most of them with my gas station earnings, and the ones I don’t still have are because I lost them. Obviously none of them are the Chinese ones, but I bet 99% of home mechanics would not suffer using them compared to Snap On, and would be hundreds of $$ ahead. Sure, I would like Snap On, but need them? Nope.
There are two tools where I like the originals - Vise Grips and Channel Lock pliers. I had to grip my (chromed, Craftsman) deep socket to remove a valve stem on my shower. The cheap slip joint pliers wouldn’t grip it, but the Channel Locks did.
I can see @TwinTurbo’s point. About professionals later wanting the better line of tools.
In Horseshoeing, I started out with a hoof nippers made by “Diamond Tool”, As I wore out a few pairs in a few years each…I decided to go with a better quality Nippers by GE Forge.
The diamonds now are $35…the GE’s are $200. The diamonds are thjrow away when they get too bad…the GE’s …for about 75 I can send them in and they will rebuild them like a brand new pair. Even the rebuilt ones will take about 5 years before I need to have them rebuilt.
Time is money and I can’t be fooling around with tools that don’t work good.
I have mostly CRaftsman and Allen sockets and wrenches, and can only remember cracking one CRaftsman socket, and I returned a craftsman wrench that was mismarked.
Yosemite
Community colleges with automotive programs will require new students entering the program to purchase a tool chest and a fairly comprehensive list of initial tools. They’ll have a “tool day” at the school where a company such as Snap On shows up with the chests and the tools ready for the students to purchase, typically at a substantial discount (think 40% off or more). The arrangement works for everyone involved, and that’s often where techs will get their first tools.
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If I were a pro, I’d get Snap On, for sure.
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For a professional, a busted ratchet or cracked socket may mean more than inconvenience. It could mean not finishing a job on time and losing a day’s pay until the next pay period.
See, those ratchets/sockets are so expensive, you can only afford one!! and when it breaks, you’re done for the day…whereas I have 4 sets of sockets and multiple ratchets for the same money. 
Hey, I already qualified it regarding professional tools. But I do have quite a few friends that could not afford Snap-On or Matco tools until they made some cash using their Craftsman sets. Those high end tools were bought as upgrades over time and still serve as back ups if the preferred tools break…
I myself have 4 sets of just about everything in roll arounds. They are located where the work happens in garages, sheds, basement… I spent the better part of being single collecting and filling out my tool collection(s). I have quite a few high end tools but a lot of mid-grade stuff too. The only stuff I had fail outright was the stuff I cheaped out on big time. No way I could have the convenience of all those tools if they were all Snap-Ons…
there is a big difference between a Chinese craftsman and a Chinese really cheap socket set.
the really cheap ones are almost single use if that.
The only Snap-On tool I ever bought was a special socked to remove the front axle nuts on a F250 4X4 in order to grease the bearings and manual hub locks. It cost about $30 (late '80s) and paid for itself with the first use.
I’m not against quality tools at all and you should buy them to fit the needs you have. The problem for someone like me is that I also have interests in wood working, metal working, home projects, etc, in addition to cars. So I have to have saws, nailers, welders, chop saws, miter saws, buffers, grinders, table saws, etc. etc. I like quality and sometimes putting a repair kit into a pawn shop nailer is a good deal, but I can’t have a $2000 wire feed welder sitting around and not hardly used.
I’m a little ashamed that I bought a cordless B&D drill/driver yesterday for $70. I should have gotten a good one for $150 and might be sorry later on. But I had to try and look at the potential need versus cost. My wife thought I shouldn’t have paid more than $20 and that some other tool should now be thrown out. So its a fine line we walk on so forgive me if I buy a cheap tool sometime.
black and decker 18v cordless are surprisingly good bing. I think you ll be happy. I was a tried and true Milwaukee man, but my son got me a b&d cordless drill one Christmas and the rest is history
B&D cordless drills are great. I have a lithium-ion one, a homeowner size (don’t know the voltage) that takes numerous attachments, a circle saw, a flush cut saw, a drill, a chisel, a corner sander, and others. While none of the attachments work as well as a single purpose contractor tool, it’s great because I can throw the drill with all the attachments (I keep it all together in a toolbox) in the back of the car when I head out to help a friend and I’m prepared for anything. I use the tool far more than I ever thought I would.
90 % of my tools are Craftsman, the rest are Huskey, J.H. Williams, New Brittan, Lisle, and two Snap-On. They all work well but the Snap-On combo wrench and screwdriver feel wonderful in your hand. If I was a pro, it would be worth the money to lessen hand fatigue.
will the Snap-On truck make a special delivery to replace a broken tool? Or do you have to wait for the next time the truck stops by? At least with a Craftsman I can get a replacement right now providing they have one in stock.
My Snap On dealer comes by once a week and will replace any brokens without question. Last time I had to exchange a Craftsman tool I had to make time on my day off to get to the mall, hope they had what I needed, and hope the guy didn’t argue with me about the tool not being warranteed for industrial use. What a hassle.
My Snap On dealer will routinely just start going through my toolbox looking for worn sockets, wrenches, screwdrivers, ratchets to replace before they break. He will replace a wrench with plating starting to peel before I even notice it. He seems to take pride in the tools he sells and the job he does.
Sears?
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My Snap On dealer comes by once a week
That answered it. So if you broke something you still lost time waiting for him to come back around, unless you had a back-up or borrowed one from some one in the shop.