[cjperotti]

I had a discussion with both my Snap-on and Mac tools guy’s about this very subject.

Both explained this side of the problem. If you show up every week and nobody buys anything, do you continue stopping there? Obviously, you have to make a decision, and it may not be favorable to the shop. The other reason is they were burnt once too often at a location. Both told me that even if I or another person who are good customers began employment at these locations they still wouldn’t service that location because they would have to service everyone else that worked there.

Don’t think I’m altogether with just their side of things. I got into it with my Snap-On rep about every time I go on his truck all he carries is “made in Japan” Blue-Point crap. Tried to purchase a Devillbiss gun and all he could offer me were Blue-Point junk. Had to have my Mac rep order it and it took two months to arrive. Same thing with a warranted half-inch impact extension.

Sad part of this story is that in the near future all tools will be made overseas at inflated prices. Be prepared to take a trip to emergency for a broken knuckle when your tools start to fail.

[oldred]

Your post about sums it up and is all too often the case with some of these dealers. While I can see their point they are still totally out of line with that kind of thinking, why? Because they made a promise when they sold those high priced tools to back them and provide service after the sale. I like Snap-On tools and IMO they are the very best you can buy, worth every cent as long as Snap-On lives up to it's promises which those salesmen are refusing to do. They have an obligation whether they want to admit it or not, that obligation was part of the deal when the mechanic laid out all that hard earned money for those expensive tools!

[MARTINSR]

However, I have talked to these dealers too and the SnapOn company has gotten tighter and tighter with the dealer. They reinburse less money than they used to on tools being WAY more picky with returns. They are tighter with the credit to them.

The introduction of all the cheapie Bluepoint and such, the dealer is hardly at fault.

Brian

[C-10]

Originally Posted by deadbodyman

c10 ,you can get that at Lowes for 25.oo Dewalt has them 1/4" & 3/8" drive

I didn't even look there. Thanks for the heads up. I may still check 'em out.

[C-10]

Finally getting to post up a short review.

Ok, I now have the extensions that were ordered by my Snap On dealer. Very nice fully locking driver extensions. I recommend them.

As far as service, he did order multiples of this tool this time around so the next Joe can get them more quickly. My Snap On dealer works 5, 12 hour days a week on his route. He always stops by every Friday. My delay was a rarity, according to the dealer AND the employees of the shop.

All in all I'm happy. I don't spend a bunch of money on Snap On tools but the service (at least in my neck of the woods) is very good.

[froggy2]

bla bla bla thats all i hear,snap-on is the maker of fine quality tools i know ,i have been a mechanic for 35 years and my tool box is full there is around at last count 85,000 dollars in the stupid box,but anyways you know the snap-on dude wont show up at your shop if you never buy anything,come on now if you were selling tools ,would you go to places that dont buy tools HELL NO,so if you want to see him buy something sometimes,i got the same problem and im in canada but if i buy a thing or two ,he shows up every secon week to see if he cant get some of my money and that's when i nail him with broken tools,it's not rocket science get with the program LOL.

[RLT]

If you have a good SO guy you get good service. When he quits or retires you have a pot shoot if you get any service.

I'm 51 and grew up doing ag and heavy construction repair. I've used Craftsman successfully for many years.

I have spent more then 40k on Snap on as well over the years. The tools that I have the most problems warrantying have been Snap on. Some dealers are great others are just plain crooks.

Now for the comment on independent tool dealers. There are many of them around the country.

There is no Franchise junk when you do it. You buy a truck or van. Find a good distributor that will work with you stock up and hit the streets.

The most common tools on them are SK, Armstrong and some Wright. Gearwrench is starting to become more common.

You buy the tools wholesale and sell them retail. Lisle,OTC,Sunnex and several others supply most of the special tools. (They also supply many of SO,MAC, and Matco's)

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by froggy2

bla bla bla thats all i hear,snap-on is the maker of fine quality tools i know ,i have been a mechanic for 35 years and my tool box is full there is around at last count 85,000 dollars in the stupid box,but anyways you know the snap-on dude wont show up at your shop if you never buy anything,come on now if you were selling tools ,would you go to places that dont buy tools HELL NO,so if you want to see him buy something sometimes,i got the same problem and im in canada but if i buy a thing or two ,he shows up every secon week to see if he cant get some of my money and that's when i nail him with broken tools,it's not rocket science get with the program LOL.

I am always blown away by the figures guys throw out there that they have in tools.

I know that a mechanic has more specialty tools, many more sometimes.

I know that some guys have tool boxes full of tools they don't use.

I have made a living for 35 years with my tools and I have $12500 including the box! Most Snap On or Mac, all quality tools, and I don't "need" any more. How is it I can do this and others need fifty grand in tools?

Brian

[Old Rotor Flap]

If you see a Snap On tool in my box, it probably belongs to someone else.

I see Snap On branded items at my local Ace Hardware store. Snap On has rented their name to importers of Chinese stuff such as trouble lights and I think it's a harbinger of a trend that will erode the futures of the very people who made them a household name.

If I were a Snap On truck route franchisee, I'd get out of the business as fast as I could.

I wonder if the Snap On name will show up on products at Wal-Mart?

[oldred]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

I am always blown away by the figures guys throw out there that they have in tools.

I know that a mechanic has more specialty tools, many more sometimes.

I know that some guys have tool boxes full of tools they don't use.

I have made a living for 35 years with my tools and I have $12500 including the box! Most Snap On or Mac, all quality tools, and I don't "need" any more. How is it I can do this and others need fifty grand in tools?

Brian

I don't know an exact figure but I can get close at around (conservative estimate) $70,000 in tools in my box(s) when I was still on the job. Where the big bucks came in was the 3/4" and 1" drive stuff, heck the sockets for my 1" drive went up to 4 1/2". When you get into really heavy equipment it is easy to spend a lot of money, just price a 100 ton EnerPac hydraulic ram for instance. A large portion of what I had was bought used and a lot of it was bought in early 70's dollars and I can just imagine what a set-up like that would cost today. This was for tools to maintain D11 Caterpillar dozers, 240 ton rock trucks and huge mining shovels and draglines so I would think it would cost substantially less to outfit a tool box in an automotive shop even in today's dollars.

[deadbodyman]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

I am always blown away by the figures guys throw out there that they have in tools.

I know that a mechanic has more specialty tools, many more sometimes.

I know that some guys have tool boxes full of tools they don't use.

I have made a living for 35 years with my tools and I have $12500 including the box! Most Snap On or Mac, all quality tools, and I don't "need" any more. How is it I can do this and others need fifty grand in tools?

Brian

A bodymans tools havent changed a whole lot over the years....On the other hand a mechanics tools Have to be updated every time some engineer thinks up some crazy new way to design somthing plus all the differnt tools for differnt models. For instance: I just changed the clutch, flywheel and pressure plate in my 70 bug and had to buy a special tool to hold the flywheel while torking the nut .... I'd hate to spend the money a good , top notch mechanic does on tools.

[MARTINSR]

Yeah, the big rig stuff, that is a whole different ball game. I know my larger Snap On wrenches (26 mm is as big as I go) are about $100 each. I do have sockets (S-K for impact and MAC short for reg duty) go up to 35.

Deadman, I have bought updated tools over the years, but it sure is a lot less than a mechanic I guess.

Brian

[PapaG]

My first Snap-on Dealer sold tools out of his '55 2dr station wagon. He finally got too old. This was in the late '60. Old fella. Great old guy. He would charge tools too.

Until 1980 or so the dealers would just give you a new ratchet if yours broke.

THEN it changed, they would repair them, or have to send them in. If my impact went out I didn't need to wait several weeks to get a replacement. He started to catch a lot of flack from all of us. One dealer did carry rebuilt to replace your broken ratchet and such. I did not mind that. Scratched broken tool, for a scratched working one. Some of it was not his fault, as Snap-on changed on how they treated the dealers on this stuff. I did have one tool man that actually worked for Snap-on. I have not seen a poor tool dealer.

I later bought tools from a "tool guy" that sold tools out of the trunk of his caddy. He did stand behind what he sold. Good CP air stuff. He finally died . I have never had a tool man since then.

My first tool set was one of those Craftsman with Big top and bottom boxes, plus a bunch of tools. I still have them. Some Mac stuff tools.

[bj66]

my father was a 50s rodder and he started out using any old thing he could that still wasn't broken. later along comes Snap On and he finally sees real quality, relative to the day. Goes nuts and buys it all. later I come along and putter in the garage with what lays around, no snap on, thats all locked in the big box. Dad helps me choose my first Craftsman 600 pc set, and its not bad but does not do any more or less than dad's worn snap on stuff. years have passed and now I have 2 craftsman sockets, total. the rest is pretul, lisle, wurth, obi or any other brand that offered a great tool at a good price. none of it cheap!!! even some of the german stuff, which cost big, is made in asian countries but is soooo nice! (wurth) bottom line, get what works and breaks the least!!! even my chinese 3/4 socket set has 3 years of use in heavy equiptment service and I have not broken one thing....that cost 100 dollars....just avoid putting them on the impact and they hold up. abuse is a bigger problem than guarantees sometimes! use your head and rest your wallets.

[stimpy]

when I was a wrench I always got picked on for my "Crapsmans " well one of our "School eddumbcated Techs " who picked on me because of my tools was a Snapon only guy and told me a mechanic was only as good as his tools , well the tool destroyed the owner of the shops sons car engine trying to prove to us it was a loose flexplate when it was a Rod Knock ( even I knew it ) well after mr Snap on was finished dropping in the replacement motor in the regal he was shown the door , well that must mean Snapon s where junk acording to him ... I only have Snap on Hydraulic wrenches and line wrenches as they seem to work better than other I have had , recently I step on the tool wagon and asked for some hydraulic wrenches to replace the ones I lost over the years , I didn't have enought money on me at the time and he wanted me to open an account , told him If I don't have the cash I don't buy . looked at me odd , he showed up the next week and I paid cash for them ( I looked up the prices online to see if I was getting gouged first , his prices are right inline with corp ) we have a used/offbrand guy who shows up I like his prices and he carry allot of good deals and I can call him on saterday and get tools delivered ( even met him one time at his house to get a wrench I needed on a saterday night ) .