CORNWELL OR SNAP ON

[MEMRACING62]

Which sockets would you say are stronger....impacts and standard..time to replace a bunch of my stuff. looking at both cornwell & snap on...no more matco.

[markdunlap]

Anybody like Craftsman tools and tool boxes? They cost less than half and have a lifetime warrenty.

You don't need to finance them like the off the truck brands.

Is it an ego thing to own a $5000 toolbox when a $1000 box will hold the same number of tools?

Will Craftsman tools even go into a Snap On tool box?

[MEMRACING62]

Im with you when it comes to the box..Im looking to replace mainly socket sets with something better...craftsman sockets now break like glass...same goes for there impact sockets,tired of replacing junk with junk....now craftsman stuff is made in china.

[mopar1968]

I have a bunch of Craftsman tool's, Snap-on is too high, Craftsman has the same warranty :!: :!:


Mark

[MEMRACING62]

I have a bunch of Craftsman tool's, Snap-on is too high, Craftsman has the same warranty :!: :!:


Mark same here....I have boxes full of craftsman stuff I have picked up over the years...most of the common sockets that we all bust or lose are picked out....the newer stuff breaks easy...now there stuff is made in china.... matco is no better...up here in the rusty salt belt our sockets & wrenchs get there azz kicked taking apart all the rusty junk we work on up here.

[lively]

have had my craftsman set for for 40 years now--broke 1 --3/8 ratchet and 2-- 3/4 sockets ==both replaced under warrenty

my son has mostly snap on tools but all craftsman sockets [2 years old craftsman-- never broke 1 yet]

broke 2 snapon tools --1--1/2 inch breaker bar and 1--1/4 inch ratchet

like has been said---YOU HAVE TO GO IN DEPT FOR THE SNAPON TOOLS .DEEPLY

HARD CHOICE 8)

[TheRabbit]

I've never been a craftsman tool buyer . When I turned wrences for a living I bought mostly Mac. I also bought Snap On, Matco and some SK. Mac guy quit, Matco guy quit, the only one left is the Snap On man. I do like most of the Snap On tools, but do not like their wrenches. They're to thin. I don't like their cheap Blue Point impact wrenches though. You can buy an IR from Lowes for the same $ and it's a better impact.

In the last few years I have bought some Craftsman stuff and it's ok for the race trailer and I do like their professional wrenches.

[bixblk]

I recently brought a broken ratchet into a sears store and the guy behind the counter handed a ratchet "rebuilding kit" I asked him if he was serious.He said YES, I asked him about the lifetime warranty and he said if the kit does not fix it bring it back and they would replace it. What a shame !!!!! I remember when sears cared about customers !

[lively]

GO TO A DIFFERENT SEARS STORE !!!! 8)

[Gimmethakick]

I've been getting Kobalt tools lately and I like the way they look and feel and they have a lifetime warranty. Snap On and Mac are like the Aarons rentals of tools. You pay alot more because they finance.

[MEMRACING62]

have had my craftsman set for for 40 years now--broke 1 --3/8 ratchet and 2-- 3/4 sockets ==both replaced under warrenty

my son has mostly snap on tools but all craftsman sockets [2 years old craftsman-- never broke 1 yet]

broke 2 snapon tools --1--1/2 inch breaker bar and 1--1/4 inch ratchet

like has been said---YOU HAVE TO GO IN DEPT FOR THE SNAPON TOOLS .DEEPLY

HARD CHOICE 8) I would agree old craftsman isn't to bad..alot of what I have is old craftsman..I have some sk...matco..my torque wrenches are all snap on ( best ive ever had). Its the newer (under 5 yr old craftsman stuff Im tired of breaking when I need them) broke two 15 mm 6 pt 1/2 dr today changing bearing hubs on a van...one impact...one standard.....dug into one of the misc boxes I have here and found an sk to finish job...it didn't break!....Im tired of this crap and will spend some cake to get better.

[outlaw256]

well guys ive had them all. todays tools are all junk compared to what we used to be able to buy. ive about given up looking for good made tools. i now go to swap meets, yardsales etc. to buy all the old stuff i can find. there are alot of tools out there athat you can buy super cheap. ive just bought a complete set of proto sockets for 10.00.

[fast75vega]

I recently brought a broken ratchet into a sears store and the guy behind the counter handed a ratchet "rebuilding kit" I asked him if he was serious.He said YES, I asked him about the lifetime warranty and he said if the kit does not fix it bring it back and they would replace it. What a shame !!!!! I remember when sears cared about customers !

same thing here .... they give you a rebuild kit now! i use to just put what was broke or wore out on the counter and they would match me with new stuff..... wtf i remember they tried giving me craftsmen wrenches that said made in china.... i told them they are out of their fricken mind.....!

[TS1955]

I recently brought a broken ratchet into a sears store and the guy behind the counter handed a ratchet "rebuilding kit" I asked him if he was serious.He said YES, I asked him about the lifetime warranty and he said if the kit does not fix it bring it back and they would replace it. What a shame !!!!! I remember when sears cared about customers !

same thing here .... they give you a rebuild kit now! i use to just put what was broke or wore out on the counter and they would match me with new stuff..... wtf i remember they tried giving me craftsmen wrenches that said made in china.... i told them they are out of their fricken mind.....!

I understand by this rule. It's a manufacture policy. Craftsman tools are made by the same company as my NAPA tools. BUT, there's a diffrerence when someone brings me a broken ratchet. IF I have a kit in stock at the time "I" will install the kit and try the ratchet out. If it fixes it, we are all happy. If it doesn't fix it then I replace the tool. We are all happy. Also if I don't have a kit in stock, then I just go ahead and replace the ratchet.

TS1955

[bixblk]

Thats good, it shows the customer you care, I did not get that feeling when he threw the kit on the counter. I have not bought anything from sears since. Bad move on sears part. But to be honest I have not been using Sears that much anymore anyway.

[zipper06]

I don't have a dog in this fight, because i've never turned wrenches for a living, but i think we would all be surprised how many of today's tools are made in Tiwan/China. I still have tools i had in the 60's, a few yrs ago i gave away all my Japenese sockets and wrenches to a kid who didn't have any money. I still have the machinest tool box and some of the micrometers and tools that i bought from an old guy (in the day) in 1958 when he retired at 62, that tool box has to be atleast 80 yrs. old along with the measuring instruments. I can remember when i used to drive by Sturvant Mfg. the original Torque wrench maker, i Schiller Park Il. i have duplicates of almost every size sockets and if i break one i just toss it. The last time i bought any new tools was about 5 yrs ago and it was from MSC, our major machinest tool supplier at work. It was a Cresent tool kit in a plastic fold up box about 18"X18" for my trailer,it fits in the drawers and has all MM and SAE sockets and wrenches sizes up to 7/8" and the sale price was $89.00, i don't leave home or go to the track without it.
I agree Craftman has turned into junk, but who can afford to buy Snapon, except for their timing light, which is the best on the planet IMO.

Guess i could be called a HOARDER :oops: :lol:

Zip.

[TheYellaBrick]

Back when I was bendin' wrenches for a living, my EXCLUSIVE tools of choice were Snap On with a few Craftsman thrown in. I have Craftsman wrenches and sockets, that I still use, from when my Dad gave 'em to us boys for Christmas when we were 10-11 years old.
You couldn't GIVE me ANYthing Craftsman any more. They just don't feel right when I grip 'em. They give off that 'made in China' vibe that makes me drop them like a hot piece of iron.

[MEMRACING62]

for me craftsman is no longer an option I would consider other than a throw away set to put in the trunk of the car or in my service van for ocasional use.

[TheYellaBrick]

for me craftsman is no longer an option I would consider other than a throw away set to put in the trunk of the car or in my service van for ocasional use.

IMHO
The BIG problem with keeping 'throw away' tools in your rigs for 'emergency use', is THAT is when you need good tools ! Any roadside repair usually ends up being repaired using a very small selection of tools, which are going to be maxed out in doing the job with less than ideal conditions. I sure as heck don't want a Chinese Junk ratchet to strip out on me on the first hard pull, or the one and only socket of that size to shatter like glass, of that philips screw driver head to snap on the first turn of the last screw.
Just like my CC iron, I pack quality tools .

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[fast75vega]

for me craftsman is no longer an option I would consider other than a throw away set to put in the trunk of the car or in my service van for ocasional use.

IMHO
The BIG problem with keeping 'throw away' tools in your rigs for 'emergency use', is THAT is when you need good tools ! Any roadside repair usually ends up being repaired using a very small selection of tools, which are going to be maxed out in doing the job with less than ideal conditions. I sure as heck don't want a Chinese Junk ratchet to strip out on me on the first hard pull, or the one and only socket of that size to shatter like glass, of that philips screw driver head to snap on the first turn of the last screw.
Just like my CC iron, I pack quality tools .

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hell yeah..... very well said :) nothing sucks worse then when its cold as hell out and the friggin ratchet skips and you bust ur damn knuckles
:x

[coolracing]

The biggest thing I have seen with matco, snap on, mac, and cornwell is alot of the tools are the same just rebadged. Plus if any of you seen the episode of hows it made you would of seen waterloo tool box companys assembly line and when they get to the trim department they were not getting waterloo badges. I will tell you this my buddy has a custom snap-on box with a made in waterloo Ia sticker on it, same goes for my mac tools cart. I beleive all tool boxs come from the same place but each manufacturer requires different quilty when built! As for sockets I only buy snap-on but keep in mind that blue point which is sold by snap-on is made in china or someplace like that.

[drewcrew]

I still have some of the Craftsman tools my Dad used over 40 years ago and haven't broken one yet, maybe I'm not trying hard enough. I still think Snap-On is the best. I have lots of their sockets and haven't broken one of them, but they are so expensive.

[TheRabbit]

The biggest thing I have seen with matco, snap on, mac, and cornwell is alot of the tools are the same just rebadged. Plus if any of you seen the episode of hows it made you would of seen waterloo tool box companys assembly line and when they get to the trim department they were not getting waterloo badges. I will tell you this my buddy has a custom snap-on box with a made in waterloo Ia sticker on it, same goes for my mac tools cart. I beleive all tool boxs come from the same place but each manufacturer requires different quilty when built! As for sockets I only buy snap-on but keep in mind that blue point which is sold by snap-on is made in china or someplace like that.

Just like batteries. Many of them are made by US Battery. They are made to different specs and get different cases and decals, but come off the same assy line. We have two US battery plants here.

[dragonmaster093]

ok ive got snap on mac craftsman and some matco and stanley yes stanley few yrs back it was like mac or matco that bought stanley ive had my stanleys for about 4 yrs and havent broke a one now my favorite snap on ratchet has been repaired or replaced 5 times in less then a yr and local snap on dealer is a smug jerk thats me .02

[coolracing]

local snap on dealer is a smug jerk



I think that comes with the job! I have yet to meet one thats not!

[hotrod1994]

ive always had luck with craftsman

[ghustler]

I do beleive all Sears just puts in a kit and gives the same one back.
1 thing I notice is the craftsman has a wide clicking area which is hard to get the sockets to turn in tight spaces, where some of the higher priced socket wrenches have tighter sprockets and work better in tight places.
I have several "blackhawk" wrenches and they are indestructible.

[olds48]

Does anyone remember yeeeears ago when Walmart used to sell Popular Mechanic tools? I bought a very complete ratchet and socket set from there right before I started driving,which would have been early 1996. Havent lost or broken a single piece yet! I did break a snapon pivoting head ratchet ,though.And a Craftsman breaker bar.But have never broken any of the PM stuff.Being a Chevy guy with the same set of sockets for over 15 years I have wore the engraving plum off my 9/16 socket. It's just smooth now :D

I'm a big fan of Kobalt right now.

[roadkill2]

For years, Craftsman, Snap on, Matco, S&K and several other premium brands of wrenches, and other steel hand tools were made at Western Forge in Colorado Springs. They all came out of the same foundry using the same equipment. The only difference was the design specs from each retailer . . and how shiny they were. The shinier, the more expensive . .

At one time, I had a huge tool box full of Snap On and Matco hand tools . . then I got clear out of the business and hobby . . since then, in the last 30 years I've built two race cars and a street rod with mostly Craftsman Tools . . can't really complain about any of them, other than the old fine ratcheting Ratchets, both Snap On and Craftsman wear out faster than they used to . . And, I haven't "Broken" any of them . . Use 'em as they were designed to be used and you won't . .

But then again, to each his own . . . . .

[olds48]

I broke my 1/2" Craftsman breaker bar and the Snap-on ratchet using one hand on it. My PM 1/4" has seen more pressure than that Snap-on 3/8 did. Sears exchanged the breaker bar with no questions.Snap-on was not so nice and therefore has never sold me another tool. :wink:

[MEMRACING62]

With the new craftsman you dont have to worry about the breaker bars breaking anymore....the new sockets snap like popcorn....old craftsman was good , new is chit! :(

[Scorpion1110]

Mike-

I pick up a Craftsman tool and it breaks- Simply self-destructs.

Best advice, make friends with a snap-on tool guy. My boxes are mostly all Snap-on now and the stuff just holds up, and except for some of the Blue-Point stuff its all US. I pick up used when I see it if its reasonable.

I just bought a Snap-on 3/8" drive impact gun and that thing is incredible.

I will say I have some Cornwell stuff and its held-up well; doesnt seem to be many dealers locally though.

Scorp

[Scooterz]

Got a few S & K tools... a ratchet that is 15 years old now & still is great... one is 3/8" & the other end is 1/4"... S & K's are fine. If I were doing this commercially, I guess the Snap-On would be choice. The finer clicks on the ratchets really matter to me... I hate those 1/4 turn= 1 click cheap chitty ones.

[olds48]

Dang karma! I broke my Craftsman 1/2" clicker torque wrench tonight setting up a rear-end. I ain't saying nuthin' else!

[MEMRACING62]

I decided to go with snapon, trying to find a cornwell dealer has been a bit difficult. buying about 1k at a time starting with sockets & drivers......my craftsman torque wrenches took a dump about 3 yrs ago....bit the bullet and bought snapon ....best torque wrenches Ive ever had.

[TheRabbit]

Dang karma! I broke my Craftsman 1/2" clicker torque wrench tonight setting up a rear-end. I ain't saying nuthin' else!

MEMRACING62 Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 5:49 pm Post subject:

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I decided to go with snapon, trying to find a cornwell dealer has been a bit difficult. buying about 1k at a time starting with sockets & drivers......my craftsman torque wrenches took a dump about 3 yrs ago....bit the bullet and bought snapon ....best torque wrenches Ive ever had.


Seriously Snap On makes a super good torque wrench. My dad gave me a 3/8 Snap On torque wrench around my 16 or 17 birthday and I still have it. That may have been why I like snap on and Mac tools so much more than I did craftsman.