Ordered Some Tools...

Well, I don't exactly have a huge amount of tools (atleast not a nice set) so I am taking advantage of my schools discount with Snap-On. The kit includes over 200 pieces and covers metric and standard. Mostly hand tools, but a few little things. Oh, and if your wondering about the price I paid - 50% off. I also ordered two torque wrenchs (3/8s and 1/2).

Tool Set:

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?search=true&item_ID=65297&PartNo=9200AGSO&group_id=2290&store=snapon-store&tool=all

I will probably take pictures of the set once it arrives. If anyones curious I have craftsman tools as of right now - they aren't bad, but I use Snap-On a lot and I don't like the way craftsmans stuff feels. Plus, we have a snap on guy that comes by the shop who already has a lot of my money.

-Drew

 

[Rick]

Looks like a good set. If you haven't got them already a pair of Snap-On 3/8" impact swivel sockets can be real life savers. The impact swivel sockets work much better than the U-joint type and they will allow you to get to places you wouldn't otherwise be able to reach.

 

[MONMIX]

Nice set. Also grab a 5.5mm deep socket. You need it in more than a few places on Ford stuff. Also I noticed although there were sockets I didnt see any ratchets,,,,,

 

[BrooklynBay]

I saw that set in the link. It was over $4,100! You managed to get it half price? If this would be a Craftsman set, what would you estimate the price would be? I'm just curious on the difference in price of both companies on their tools.

 

[ExplorerDMB]

I bought like a 90 piece set from craftsman for like $95 bucks. I would suspect craftsmans stuff to be in like the $350 area. The way I look at it is this - I bought snap on...i bought it once - if it breaks I go outside to the snap on guy and get a new one. No questions asked. Cause if I would of gone with craftsman or whoever else; I would have to mail it in, wait a few weeks, then recieve it back. I don't have time at the shop to wait around for my tools to come in. But that is Snap-Ons sales point as well "buy it once, but it for life."

-Drew

EDIT: yeah it was half off. The torque wrenchs are normally close to 300 and i got them for a little over 100/150. I have an account with MATCO as well and that I can get up to 60% off. I've bought a Fluke meter from them, digital caliper, and a LED flash light from them. That fluke meter was expensive

 

[aldive]

Cause if I would of gone with craftsman or whoever else; I would have to mail it in, wait a few weeks, then recieve it back. I don't have time at the shop to wait around for my tools to come in.

Not quite accurate; if a warranted Craftsman tool needs to be replaced, simply go to any Sears store and they will replace it on the spot.

 

[BrooklynBay]

I think what Drew meant was that some Craftsman items are called "catalog exclusive". They don't sell them in their retail stores. You have to order them from the catalog, and mail them back the same way if they fail. If the Craftsman set would cost $350 in comparison to $4,100 for the Snap on set, you could buy 2, or 3 sets to keep as spares while the other 1, or 2 sets are mailed back. I wonder if you could just return one to a local Sears, and maybe they would order a new replacement tool directly to your house, or to a Sears store.

 

[chriswells78]

Snap-on and MAC are both really nice, but those of us of whom are shade tree sort of guys don't have a Snap-on or a MAC guy to go to. That's why we buy Craftsman.

I did notice that they are selling Craftsman tools in K-Mart since the merge. I wonder if you can take them back to K-Mart now too?

If a hardware store sells MIT tools, they are supposed to have a No questions asked warranty. I have never had to test it because I haven't broken any of them that I have yet (just a set of 1/2 dr deep wells) I have had the deep wells for about 5 years and used them alot. No cracks, breaks or even chipping of the chrome. I'm impressed. Anybody else broken and MIT?

 

[EBInterceptor]

Sounds like a nice deal but way out of my price range! I was looking at socket sets, but the problem I found with the Craftsman ones, is that they include wrenches and all sorts of other various tools that I already have. So instead of buying one of those, I did find in their catalog, that they have a full set of 1/4, 3/8, 1/2" drives with basically everything you'd need. I think it even has several breaker bars, and torque wrench. I figure that I'd rather save the $480, and get everything that I'll ever need, than grow out of it and have to buy individual pieces later, or additional sets that overlap. I've gone with my friend to replace tools at Sears before, and it couldn't be easier too.

(For anyone with a Craftsman catalog, pg. 58, G.)

 

[toypaseo]

Nice starter tool setup. Lots of good stuff. I wish I had $2k to burn on some Snap-On

Puts my "almost all on sale" Craftsman and other medley brands of tools to shame. For my occational wrenching, it is kinda overkill

 

[BrooklynBay]

The latest trend now is the laser etching system now being used on Craftsman, and Great Neck sockets. The sockets with the "O" in the middle (hollow center) are pretty useful for tight spaces where you can't get a deep well socket into. The Sidewinder wrench is also useful for getting into tight spots, and has a quick turn "T" handle on the bottom.

 

[ExplorerDMB]

tools were shipped yesterday -- should be here soon!

-Drew

 

[BrooklynBay]

Drew, you mentioned that you liked the feel of the Snap on tools better than the Craftsman ones. Could you do a side by side comparison in a picture of those so we could see the difference? I know the picture won't be as good as actually holding both of them to compare, but it is something to see anyway. I'm sure that there is some sort of noticeable difference.

 

[BrooklynBay]

One thing I was wondering about is if you could have bought the tool set from a Snap on truck, wouldn't you have saved on shipping charges? Maybe the trucks wouldn't have given you that huge discount. I don't know how that would work with their company.

 

[spindlecone]

Snap-on, S&K, Mac, all great tools for sure, if you use them to make your living you buy them one time, besides thay are 100% tax deductable.
As far as craftsman tools go, they have two lines of tools, top of the line pro series are american made and still carry the liftime warranty, at half the price you get the cheap offshore made crap, that cannot be returned.
For the DIY home mech,the topline craftsman tools will also last a lifetime

 

[ExplorerDMB]

One thing I was wondering about is if you could have bought the tool set from a Snap on truck, wouldn't you have saved on shipping charges? Maybe the trucks wouldn't have given you that huge discount. I don't know how that would work with their company.

I would of paid the retail amount. I go through the Snap On Industrial section of the company, while the truck guys are part of the retail group and private investors. They are totally different things. Everytime I talked to Joey (the truck guy) he would back up and be like "I don't mess with that stuff and don't know anything about it." Basically, the discount is a one time thing and only through the school/industrial group.

-Drew

 

[BrooklynBay]

Besides basic hand tools, are you planning on getting any electronic diagnostic equipment, like a scope, DMM, scanner, DIS tester, etc?

 

[ExplorerDMB]

Besides basic hand tools, are you planning on getting any electronic diagnostic equipment, like a scope, DMM, scanner, DIS tester, etc?

I just recently bought a Fluke 87 V -- scanners and all the diagnostic equipment is supplied by my work. I have access to all ford, gm, toyota, and some foreign cars factory scan tools (Tech 1, Tech 2, Master Tech, NGS, etc.) We will soon have Fords laptop software and we have a reprogrammer for air bag modules, vehicle updates, etc. I did my speedo however with the NGS. I have access to three Snap-On Modis scan tools (which I love), and a few other engine analizers and such from Vetronix (GM and Toyotas company that they look at for scanners). They supply the tools - I supply the diagnosis. That's how it works -- and I can use all of it as much as I want

-Drew

 

[ExplorerDMB]

And to shed some light on this discount -- the truck guy said he can't even get that price for that set.

-Drew

 

[BrooklynBay]

What kind of adapters to they have for laptops to connect to a vehicle? When you get the software, could you show a screen shot of what it displays on the computer's screen? What company makes that laptop kit? Does your school sell their old equipment when they upgrade to newer equipment, and tools?