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You get what you pay for. I have had this debate many times on many different boards. I like to use this example. Find a chef. Ask him how much his knives cost. Then ask him why don't you buy knives at Wal-Mart/Sears/Costco and that is exactly why Snap-on is a half step above Mac and a whole step above Craftsman.
A few off the top of my head: Snap-on has an open end design that "bites" into the fastener. That way you can use it to crack open a flare nut fitting if you don't have the right wrench. The open end is way stronger, I've seen a few Napa wrenches where the open end is starting to look like a "y"
The box end of Snap-on/Mac are noticably thinner than Sears/Napa etc. Makes it easier to get into tight spaces.
Snap-on screwdriver handles are ergonomic wonders. They let you apply a lot of force without slipping, even if your hands are oily. Years ago the Snap-on man had a demo on this, and they keep improving the design. Most of them have a hex where the blade enters the handle, so you can use a wrench to get more torque on that screw.
Mac has "Edge" sockets that actually outperform Snap-on on rounded fasteners and that is no easy feat.
Snap-on has dual-pawl ratchets which allow for more teeth on the ratchet gear. They are silky smooth, strong as hell, and takes less room to get another "bite" on the ratchet. If you ever find yourself where you have to push on a ratchet and there's a sharp edge waiting to smash into your hand when the ratchet slips you'll see why Snap-on costs way more.
So to wrap it up if you are a homeowner/DIY Craftsman and Napa are just fine. When time is of the essence and you make your money off of your tools then you will just have to learn to cough up for Snap-on/Mac. Chromepusher is absolutely right Snap-on are the best tools in the industry, period. I've been lucky in that the 2 dealers I've dealt with are very accomodating, warrantying stuff that's been obviously abused, i.e. prying with screwdrivers and such.
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