Snap On vs. S&K Tools

Married2Allis

Well-known Member
Got behind a Snap On tool truck the other day. Had the name of the franchise owner on it. I just got to wondering how these people stay in business with all of the tool manufacturers, outlets, and UPS deliveries out there now.

Everybody has a preference. My grandfather was a professional mechanic and always had S&K tools in the 50's and 60's. If I had the money (which I don';t) I would buy a set of those before getting Snap Ons. Heck the green would even match my Oliver! And I think S&K is sold at Sears now. Have no idea if S&K has gone asian or not.
 
I don't buy much from the tool truck,
but of the few that come around snap on
is the only that's still top notch, most
Mac stuff is Stanley tools with a bigger
price tag. The common tools from any
tooltruck brand are astronomically
priced because they know wrenches,
sockets etc they will replace at least a
few times over there lifetime specialty
tools tend to be more inline prices with
other brands. What the toolman does that
few stores do is hassle free warranty
and payment plans that's how he has a
niche market.
 
When I started work in a shop in 1972 I bought a bunch of S&K tools. I think I've still got the receipt for the roll around, and top box, and some basic tools, for 200 some dollars! It was easy to add to that over the first few years as the Snap On truck stopped in every week. But it didn't take long for me to not even go out. It's taken me a life time to collect the tools I wanted, hand, shop, and otherwise. I sure hope someone in the future can appreciate them!
 
the tool trucks generally make a living selling to repair shops. here at my shop most of our tools come from the tool trucks. they are generally the only source for all the specialty tools you need to work on new vehicles. for example, to remove the outer door handle from a volkswagon, it requires a special set of tools to get them out. about 90 dollars. then there are the scanners, the tools for the tpms tire monitors, ect ect ect. sears just aint gonna have em.
 
S-K has not, to the best of my knowledge gone Asian. They seem to be making a big point of still being made in USA. Truthfully, I love my 3/8" ratchet to the point where I bought two used ones. They make really good stuff at a fair price.
 
I have SKs in 3/8 and 1/2. Maybe not quite Snap-On but very good. A few years ago I posted here about getting some cracked sockets replaced and someone on the forum said they are now USA Tools. Got in touch with a distributor and he replaced them.
 

From day one 44 years ago Snap-on has kept up there part of the deal. I can not say that about any other brand. It has not been a trouble free deal its had its ups and downs but I could always find a Snap-on dealer/truck. I have quite a few worn out SK tools I guess I am stuck with them if I had brought Snap-on instead they would be replaced no questions asked.

To the guys that will ware them out it matters to those that won't why pay the price for a tool you will never outlive. You would have to use your hand tools every day to understand the convince of a tool truck that stops by every week.

I will still buy SK at a deal on cracklist/auctions but not at retail prices the value is not there.
 
It can be a regional thing. The last shop where I turned wrenches had a Snap-On truck that stopped every now and then, whenever he felt like it.....and then suddenly not at all. Out of the blue, he quit and there was no replacement.
The Matco guy (used that brand since the early 80s), was the friendliest guy around and would bend over backwards for the techs. Guess who sold the most tools?
 
Comparing Snap On to S&K is like comparing a apple to a tennis shoe. Snap On is so far superior over S&K. I know everyone complains about the cost of Snap On but other than that there are no complaints. I have thousands & I mean a lot of thousands of $$$ in Snap On tools & it is like money in the bank. The Snap On stuff I bought back in the 70s is worth triple if not more than what I paid for it back then plus I got to use it all these years. The stuff I bought in the 80s - 90s is probably worth double what I paid for it. You can't say that about Craftsman or S&K. My box & tools are probably 95% Snap On & you will never convince me to buy anything else.
 
Several reasons they make it, quality reputation, real life time warranty, convenience of the truck coming by the shop, the ultimate impulse buying experience...

But I had a driver tell me once, the thing that drives his business the most was his willingness to let the mechanics put a down payment on a tool, take possession, and pay it out! I asked if he had many to skip town with the tools, he said it rarely happened. By making the rounds to all the shops in his area, he got to know them, their job stability, their payment dependability. If someone left a job, they would generally turn up at another shop, or someone would know where they went.
 
I just ask a mechanic friend and he said that beside quality, snap-on has a lot of specialty tools that are needed on today's cars. If you start off with a snap-on set of tools and you want to expand you would have a tendency to stay with snap-on. If tools are your livelihood, I guess good tools are a business investment. When time is money, you can't be fighting with a cheap tool that slips or breaks.
 
I bought my frist Snap On tool in 1959 still have it. Worked 44+ yrs at commission only and when something broke Snap On replaced it on their time and gas not mine! I had a drawer in one of the Snap On boxes that both they and Matco would look in each week for tools that needed replaced, when I broke it, it went in the drawer. I do have a few S&K, at one time we had a salesman come around.
 
I have no idea how the tool truck owners make it now. Very few people getting into the wrenching business anymore. When I look at the
monthly Snap On fliers, I wonder how in the world somebody could pay that much for basic hand tools. This month's flier has Torx socket
sets for between $350 and $400. No thanks, I buy basic hand tools in the Carlyle brand from my Napa that delivers. Quarter the price,
same warranty, and same day replacement instead of once a week. Those that think their Snappy tools are money in the bank best be
checking what used sells for now. Ebay and Craigslist are full of name brand tools selling for pennies on the dollar from tech school
dropouts. Had a Sap On truck owner tell me Snappy direct markets to tech school kids and sell them the tools for less than he could buy
them for. They don't even bring top dollar at auctions anymore, I bought a Snappy power steering puller set at auction for $60, retails at
almost $400. Snap On is not the investment it used to be.
 
I've got plenty of both, and they each have their good and bad points.
SK is alive and well and standing warranty on the old stuff.
With Snap-On shifting some production overseas, I'm buying more SK. Granted, they don't have the selection Snap On does, but what they have is top notch. I've got SK and Snap on from 1/4" to 3/4" drive and it's all held up great.
 
I have snap-on tools as well as most other brands. As far as breaking there is not much difference as I've broken many snap-on tools. But when it comes to using them, especially taking apart rusted or damaged fasteners, there is no comparison. Snap-on used to demonstrate by taking a craftsman 6pt socket and rounding a nut so it wouldn't come loose, then taking that nut loose with a snap-on 12pt socket. Some of the snap-on stuff is not as good as other brands, but wrenches, sockets, pry bars and screwdrivers at least are far superior to other brands. I think Mac and Matco are good too.
 
Last week I broke my 30 year old SK 3/8
ratchet. Called and left a message stating
the serial number on the ratchet, two days
later a package shows up with new guts for
my ratchet. I'm happy.
 
I own and use, every day, tools of about every brand ever made, from Snap-on,Craftsman,S-K,
Plumb-Plomb-Stanley-Matco-Globemaster-Herbrand-Williams-some with no names and some with names I can't pronounce. Some of my tools are over 60 years old. No doubt Snap-on is the
best,but few people can actually afford them. The best cheap tools on the market today,as
far as I am concerned are made by Gearwrench. I have dozens of their tools and have never
broken one or have ever taken one back for warranty replacement.
 
SK rachets will take a lot more stress on the internal workings than Snap-On will but they won't fit into as tight a space. You can put a 4 foot long piece of pipe on a SK rachet and the internal parts will take it without stripping the gears. The Snap-On will take it some of the time, sometimes they won't. Snap-On impact screw driver bits and Allen head are far superior to anything else on the market. I still have the majority of an SK socket set my father bought in the late 1940's. SK has replaced the few sockets that have broken at no charge. I have Snap-On sockets that were purchased on the early 1960's Most of them are still around, too. Any that were broken were replaced no charge. Snap-On punches and chisels are too hard. They tend to bounce when they are struck. Don't know how it is today, but Craftsman punches and chisels were far superior to Snap-On as little as 10 years ago. Had a set of combination wrench's made in India I bought around 40 years ago and they were as good as anything on the market. So my answer would be if Snap-On is worth the price, is "Most of the time".
 
Like everything else, in my opinion, manufacturers make good and sort of good and junk. I only use Snap-on line wrenches. I don't care much for their 1/2 inch drive impacts. (Ingersol wins there.) You couldn't give me any of their locking pliers. They are absolute junk. The only locking plier in my book is a Vise Grip brand.
 
S-K tools used to be made down the road about 20 miles so there are a lot of them around here. In fact there are older ones that say Lectrolite on them that were made in the same factory. I do know they are not made in Defiance Ohio any more.
 
Dad bought SK tools from the Gambles store I still have them in the original steel box they still work good, their at least 60 years old. Something he took care of. I like Snap on torque wrenches, only ones we had in the tire shop that stood up to being used 2 or 3 dozen times daily.
 
If you pull on a wrench full time for a living you know the quality and service from Snap on. Sk was a very good tool for many years. year or two ago you couldn't get anything warrantied. That really turned me off from them. Maybe they are back and on firm ground now, but when I need a tool replaced I needed it now, not someday after we reorganize. Snap on has never missed a beat. Seen many tool trucks and owners come and go. Sometimes you have to stop one along the road to get him to stop at your shop. once he knows your there you get service. He lasts a year or two then he is gone. Time to find the new kid, but they always seed one out. Sk I have to hunt for what parts store sells them this week. Then they drop the franchise. Not even sure where to take a broke wrench. I am old school, I dont want to have to box n mail something away for warranty. Snap on cost more, but the whole package makes it worth it.
 
Any tool with a lifetime unlimited replacement warranty is just as good as the best tool on the market. That includes Craftsman.
 
I have SK in metric and American and made here in USA. Also have Craftsman. Most of my tools have come from large flea markets whose vendors have name brand tools. I also have two large sets from "Harbor Freight" many years ago for my crawler and large tractor.
 
Every tool manufacturer has their strong points and weak points. I have found that Snap-On sockets and ratchets are about the best. Every tool manufacturer has good combination wrenches. Some have a better feel than others, but they all do the same job and in the same way. Snap-on's biggest failing is their screwdrivers. Overpriced junk. With SK Wayne's reputation from the old days, their tools were good but their warranty was not so good. They would try to void a warranty on a socket by saying that it was used on an impact wrench.
For impact wrenches, Ingersoll is the best by far. I have one that I still use after I bought it used over 40 years ago. That was after I broke enough of the CP impacts.
One thing that I always hated about Craftsman was their insistence for many years of making all 12-point sockets. Stripped too many bolt heads and nuts with them.
So, if it feels good in your hand, does the job you need it for adequately, and is within your budget, you have a winner - regardless of brand.

P. S. I might add that Matco, Mac, Cornwell, Bonney, and even Harbor Freight also make some good tools.
 
I started on S-K Tools . When I was a mechanic I converted to Snap-On for the convenience of buying from the truck at work. You can state your opinions all you want but to me there is no comparison to Snap-On by any other brand. The way they stay in business is a form of brainwashing you into not minding spending ridiculus money on them.
 
(quoted from post at 00:45:16 09/10/16) Comparing Snap On to S&K is like comparing a apple to a tennis shoe. Snap On is so far superior over S&K. I know everyone complains about the cost of Snap On but other than that there are no complaints. I have thousands & I mean a lot of thousands of $$$ in Snap On tools & it is like money in the bank. The Snap On stuff I bought back in the 70s is worth triple if not more than what I paid for it back then plus I got to use it all these years. The stuff I bought in the 80s - 90s is probably worth double what I paid for it. You can't say that about Craftsman or S&K. My box & tools are probably 95% Snap On & you will never convince me to buy anything else.

I knew a long time SNP sales guy; told me one third of the retail price was to cover the losses when flakes took off without paying their credit bill. Only time I bought SN was when they had something I needed that I couldn't get anywhere else; like metric crowfoot line wrenches. Everybody has them now, but 40 years ago, SN exclusive.

I hated the wrenches with the thin beam that would slice your fingers off if you didn't use a shop rag to protect them. I got a full set of Proto SAE with my tuition from Motech and bought Cornwell and Craftsman metric to fill it out. Living in the rust free left coast makes wrenching mucho easier than youse guys in the rust belt. I bailed on that 40 years ago next week....
 
I'm a senior master ford tech, been in business for only 12 years, have tens of thousands in tool, mainly snap on,you can't beat the service, any tool will fail, but to get a free one, within the week, can't beat it. Actually looked into snapon as a career recently, lot of up front cost, but to the tune of 3k avg TAKE HOME a week, wouldn't be a bad gig, but it takes a special person to do it. I don't have any experience with sk but between craftsman, matco, and Mac snapon is by far the best. My two cents????
 
(quoted from post at 11:06:01 09/10/16) I started on S-K Tools . When I was a mechanic I converted to Snap-On for the convenience of buying from the truck at work. You can state your opinions all you want but to me there is no comparison to Snap-On by any other brand. The way they stay in business is a form of brainwashing you into not minding spending ridiculus money on them.

I too had SK tools when I started to pull wrenched professionally. The problem I had was the wrenches too often would bend where the other mechanics that had Snap-On tools could get the same bolts loose with their wrenches. Within a few years i had replaced most of the SK tools in my tool box with Snap-On tools. They were more expensive but have served me well for 40+ years. I do have a few other brands where there are differences in design where they work better for me. One thing is some of my deep 12 point sockets. The internal splines run all the way to near the top of the socket. Need that extra clearance when removing glow plugs from an IH D-282 engine.
 
(quoted from post at 17:54:58 09/09/16) I have no idea how the tool truck owners make it now. Very few people getting into the wrenching business anymore. When I look at the
monthly Snap On fliers, I wonder how in the world somebody could pay that much for basic hand tools. This month's flier has Torx socket
sets for between $350 and $400. No thanks, I buy basic hand tools in the Carlyle brand from my Napa that delivers. Quarter the price,
same warranty, and same day replacement instead of once a week. Those that think their Snappy tools are money in the bank best be
checking what used sells for now. Ebay and Craigslist are full of name brand tools selling for pennies on the dollar from tech school
dropouts. Had a Sap On truck owner tell me Snappy direct markets to tech school kids and sell them the tools for less than he could buy
them for. They don't even bring top dollar at auctions anymore, I bought a Snappy power steering puller set at auction for $60, retails at
almost $400. Snap On is not the investment it used to be.

It's not about what you might get out of your equipment after you are done with it, it's what you get out of your equipment when you are making a living with it.
 
I'm a senior master ford tech, been in business for only 12 years, have tens of thousands in tool, mainly snap on,you can't beat the service, any tool will fail, but to get a free one, within the week, can't beat it. Actually looked into snapon as a career recently, lot of up front cost, but to the tune of 3k avg TAKE HOME a week, wouldn't be a bad gig, but it takes a special person to do it. I don't have any experience with sk but between craftsman, matco, and Mac snapon is by far the best. My two cents????
 
(quoted from post at 16:02:28 09/09/16)
From day one 44 years ago Snap-on has kept up there part of the deal. I can not say that about any other brand. It has not been a trouble free deal its had its ups and downs but I could always find a Snap-on dealer/truck. I have quite a few worn out SK tools I guess I am stuck with them if I had brought Snap-on instead they would be replaced no questions asked.

To the guys that will ware them out it matters to those that won't why pay the price for a tool you will never outlive. You would have to use your hand tools every day to understand the convince of a tool truck that stops by every week.

I will still buy SK at a deal on cracklist/auctions but not at retail prices the value is not there.

Box those wore out S&K and ship them to me. I will pay the shipping as I have an S&K dealer not 5 miles away to get them replaced.
 
If you are interested here is a web site http://www.tooldesk.com/. I have bought a lot of SK from him, really good guy
 

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