Craftsman is fine for almost all DIY’ers. The cost is way below the pro tools, and as stated, the warranty is a big selling point.
Some pros will tell you if you have a ratchet or wrench in your hands for eight hours a day most everyday that the pro tools make a huge difference. I would agree. I like Snap-on and Mac and have quite a bit of Stahlwille (German tools), but I use a lot of vintage Craftsman as well. My personal opinion is that the Craftsman tools of today have far less quality than 20-30 years ago. The warranty is the same but I don’t like the way the new wrenches and sockets fit the fastener. Not really precise. If you can find some 20-30 year old Craftsman wrenches for sale grab them. Probably the best deal out there.
The Snap-on and Mac trucks have the pro shops on their route and visit them weekly. For specialty tools the pro tools have the big advantage. It’s also very expensive to buy a specialty tool to finish a job, and know you won’t use the tool again for six months.
One of Snap-Ons biggest selling point is in house financing. If you’re just starting out the Snap-On dealer will set you up with the basic tools then sell you a few more every month. Not a bad way for a young person to start building their investment. And investment it is. Most people have no concept how many dollars in tools it takes to work professionally.
Benzman