Craftsman wrenches vs. Husky - which are better?

[aldive]

Funny how you want all the so clled best "toys" for your truck but don't want the best tools to care for it with.

Sure Craftsman has good tools, I have many older than you.

 

[Hotweels]

Just my .02 but...........I work as a heavy duty mechanic at a large trucking company and i pull wrenches all day long, i have used crap-on, master crap, and even some rusty but trusty husky tools.

I personaly find that when reefing on a very stubborn bolt with a snap-on wrench it seems to feel like the wrench is trying to seperate my knuckles and at the end of the day i can hardley hang on to my steering wheel cause my hands are all bruised an mangled, but the make a dam fine ratchet but if you buy a torque wrench from them and you need it calibrated better work some double extra O/T cause last i checked they charged 1/2 the wrenches value.

I am a littel biased about craftsman, i have heated a 5/8 wrench and bent it to reach the backside of a VN660 D12B powersteering pump and when i was done i took it to sears for a joke and told them the story and they handed over a brand new wrench. they might not be shiney as a crap-on but they are a dam good tool and sears backs up the warranty no questions asked.

My experiance with husky is rather limited but they get the job done and are rather comfy in the palm of yer hand, there ratchets look a bit dated but have a nice close sweep maybe even a bit better then craftsman.

My own tool box has no snap-on and no craftsman tools in it, i would not spend the money for crap-on and i cannot find a master set of craftsman tools that has what i need so i will settel for my mastercraft canadian tire brand wrenches and sockets till i have the cash for a nice master set from proto call me old school but from what i have seen of all the tools out there proto are great value per dollar, i have put a 10ft pipe on a 3/4 drive ratchet and a 1" socket while working on a old catapillar and me and a buddy jumped and pulled and dident scratch the bloody socket.

Just remember that you get no warranty if you lose the tool

 

[Hotweels]

BTW yes i know husky and proto are all a part of stanley tools.

 

[kram]

Some Stanley brand stuff isn't too great, but their Fatmax tape measures are hard to beat...

 

[XLT Xtreme]

The Craftsman Pro series wrenches are just as polished and smooth as any Snap-On IMO.

 

[aldive]

Originally posted by XLT Xtreme
The Craftsman Pro series wrenches are just as polished and smooth as any Snap-On IMO.

Then why do the vast majority of Pros use Snap On?

 

[XLT Xtreme]

Don't get me wrong I also have a few Snap-On tools in my box its just easier for the non-pro's to go down to the local Sears. Less money and no need to have to wait for a truck to stop. Better for the pro because he comes to the job site and has quality tools and automotive equipment. No need to take the time and go shopping, never leave the job site. Just a thought.

 

[Xlt-RATED]

Craftsman Pro Series = SWEET!

 

[MONMIX]

Heartman hit the nail on the head.
Snap-On in not for DIY's.
I have worked in colision repair for over ten years.
I make a living with these tools so it is in me best intrests to have the best stuff. If my wrench breaks , I am not making any money. ( this is not good )
I have a Craftsman work light and some craftsman tools that I have truned into " Speciality Tools "
but that is it for Craftsman stuff.

No question a Snap-On makes a better tool. I have been through the Craftsman , and I now own mostly Snap-On and Matco. My Snap-On screwdrivers have broken loose screws that my old Crftsman stuff could not. My Matco 1/4 inch air ratchet has had five times the life on old Crftsman 1/4 inch air ratchet.
No doubt , no question there IS a difference.

There is some stuff Matco makes better than Snap-On , some stuff The other way around.

One tip for you all , Sunex sockets are amazing. I have had their 2/8 & 1/2 inch sockets for ever. They are bad a$$. You'll never believe me when I tell you the price !!
I think www.toolweb.com has them.

 

[Stephen S]

I've got a mix of Craftsman, Snap On, and Proto tools in my box (mostly Craftsman). For the weekend do-it-yourselfer, I find that the Craftsman tools are all that I really need. The quality is good enough and it is easy to go to the Sears and get a replacement if need be.

I think that the overall quality, fit and finish of Snap On is better than Craftsman and most all of the other brands of tools out there. Yes they are expensive, but I also believe that you get what you pay for. I've also found pretty significant price differences from supply truck to supply truck. The drivers actually set there own prices, so if you find one guy too high, try to find another truck. My dad is a diesel mechanic (marine applications) and he uses mostly Snap On. He's got tools in his box older than I am. He's never had any problems with turning tools in for warranty.

I love Snap On's ratchets compared to my Craftsman's. They are much smoother and the throw from click to click in the ratchet head is much shorter (good for tight places). I find their extensions are better too. They hold onto the sockets tighter so you can actually pull them off spark plugs in a Toyota's cylinder heads.

If I could afford them, I would buy only Snap On, but for what I need, I'll take my Craftsman.

 

[brokenman]

I've been using Craftsman all my life[I'm only 18 though]. But, when I was 14 I used to work at my uncle's semi-trucking business and him and the mechanics would always say... the two best things to have in the world are Mack Trucks and Craftsman tools..lol
anyways, I've never had a problem with Craftsman and they've survived where other ones wouldn't. Although I've never used Snap-On.

 

[AdamsGuitar]

Maybe it's just me, but it sounds as if some people are taking this a bit too personally...a tool is a tool, and everyone is entitled to their own opinion as to which one suits them best. No one is more right than the other, no matter how much you disagree.

It reminds me of the Mac vs. PC's battles I would encounter daily in my life years ago as a 12-16 year old internet geek. People arguing incessantly about something that is a matter of personal choice, just as this is.

If you break a tool, take it back. If it breaks again, get something better. Sorry for the rant

 

[Vozar]

Have you guys ever heard of Durabuilt.Do you think there cheap? I just got a 122 piece tool set for X-mas and they look pretty good. Now I just got to use them

 

[hrbib21]

Originally posted by aldive
Funny how you want all the so clled best "toys" for your truck but don't want the best tools to care for it with.

That's ridiculous. I am not a mechanic, only a DIYer. Why exactly would I need to spend all that money on the "best" tools when I don't need them? There is no reason in the world that I need Snap-on tools. No reason. I buy Husky and have never had a problem. How, exactly, is a Snap-on ratchet any better than a Husky one? Sorry, I just don't see it. I've had the same Husky ratchet set for at least 8 years, I think it's been. I probably paid, what, a quarter of the price of the Snap-on version?

Unless you're a professional mechanic and using your tools every day, it's a waste of money.

 

[aldive]

Originally posted by hrbib21
There is no reason in the world that I need Snap-on tools. No reason.

Unless you're a professional mechanic and using your tools every day, it's a waste of money.

Have YOU ever used Snap On tooks?

No one said that YOU should have the best tools, only that Snap On was the best.

 

[BradE.]

Originally posted by hrbib21
How, exactly, is a Snap-on ratchet any better than a Husky one?

Snap-on, and even Mac and other professional tools, are built with much better materials. Better grade steel, better plating, better gears in the heads of the ratchets.

Also tools like Snap-On are built to much tighter tolerances than cheaper tools. That's why Snap-On sockets can remove bolts other can't and the fit of the tools is much better.

 

[Dennis Myers]

Snap-on Tools

I have been reading this post and stayed out because I am a Snap-on Industrial Account Manager and bias about tools. If you are interested in getting 25% off on Snap-on tools please feel free to pm me.

Dennis

 

[XLT Xtreme]

Re: Snap-on Tools

Originally posted by Dennis Myers
I have been reading this post and stayed out because I am a Snap-on Industrial Account Manager and bias about tools. If you are interested in getting 25% off on Snap-on tools please feel free to pm me.

Dennis

Sounds like a good deal Dennis. I asume you will be getting a few pm's. If I was looking for some tools right now I know I would probly get ahold of you. And yes this is coming from mostly a craftsman guy but if the price is right, why not, right.

 

[POSex92]

Snap-on is probably the best bu you cant go wrong with craftmans return policy. Getting a new one on the spot is nice.

 

[MONMIX]

95% Of Snap-On and Matco have the same warrenty.