What Tools to buy

[Jamie Mac]

As a "retired?" aircraft mechanic I say start with Craftsman. Quality tools with a replacement warantee. As you get more experience you get you will notice which tools you need to borrow from a fellow mechanic. My policy was if you borrow it twice you need to buy it. Craftsman will get you through most things but the others do have specialty tools that are worth the money. I know I got blasted for being anti China with my made in CHina turnsignals thread but stay away from that crap. It is garbage steel that breaks and rounds off easy. Thats why its cheap so you can buy it again and again and again and... Ok so I critisized the Camaro5 favorite country of China so blast away.

[Superman09]

like most people have said so far start with craftsman they are cheap and get the job done. My boss who has been an auto mechanic for the last 30 years still uses some craftsman stuff daily. But as you get more experience go with Mac that is what I use mostly. The only thing Strap-on is good for in my opinion is their impact sockets hands down the best. Matco is also good they are between Mac and Strap-on in price. But it also depends on your preference see if somebody will let you use different brands for awhile and develop your own opinion. Also each brand has their own little spin off sub brands I can't recall the names right off but be careful with them sometimes they don't have a lifetime warranty like the big names do.

[Muscle Master]

Originally Posted by My new Camaro

snap on. own about $20,000 worth and there tool boxes are the best hands down. blackhawk tools are very good but hard to find

I like snap on too, but what my teachers told me ( and their master techs and then some, and a few been around when GM and Chrysler started) told us that Snap on is POS ..... funny thing is, I did a credit check and I will be able to finance $4,500 worth of tools ...

BTW-thanks for the advice guys, I might just start out with craftsman

[primemover]

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.

[Michael_Js]

I have mostly Craftsman, and really like them. My Dad 9retired auto mechanic) only used Snap-On and swore by them. They are very expensive, but I feel great tools. Not in my budget though, so I stick with Sears.

[shank0668]

Craftsman. Power tools Milwaukee. Im only 13 but my dad has so many craftsman tools. Its nice, Shi+ I broke the most used 9/16 socket, yay free replacement. Also he has 2 atleast 15 year old Milwaukee drills and they are in great working condition. About 5 years of their life they were used daily.

[TFord]

Not a mechanic, but in the shop's/commands Ive been at from what I've seen:

Tool Box-Snap-On has had the best quality/durability
Tools- Craftsman to start off with, Snap-On when the budget justifies it. I've broken nearly every ratchet Ive used with the exception of those two.
Power Tools- From what Ive seen Milwaukee would be my choice, anything heavy duty Hilti will handle with ease...but as a mechanic I dont think you'd need em

If you ever need a multimeter, just spend the money and get a Fluke!

I liked by Cobalt tools as well, but haven't seen the brand in a few years.

[jennakortan]

What are the best brand of HID headlights, I'm thinking about getting some, they look so dope!

[mstrfdsstr]

I have a mix of every thing snap on.cornwell,craftman,even harbor freight.Depnds what i am ueing it for!

[Scrapppy666]

Craftsman 154 pc. Mechanics Tool Set

Pretty much all you need. I have a fairly large upright toolbox full of Craftsman tools, probably ~$5000 worth and I always find myself just using the 154pc set. Any specialty tools you need you can likely rent from local parts store.

[Bungo]

If you are doing work at home and do not have a regular tool guy then Craftsman is the way to go. If you do not have a "tool guy" it can be a pain trying to get tools replaced or you are just shipping them off to the manufacturer which takes alot longer than driving to Sears and getting replacements.

I have Matco and love the tools. I never bought Snap-On due to the fact that the Snap-On guy that came to my work was a drunken idiot and if you broke a tool it took him almost 2 months to bring a new one back. My Matco guy would never forget replacements, he always had a clean truck with all of the newest tools. I personally have over 20K in tools and I have 1 Snap-On ratchet that I inherited from my grandfather. Alot of it is preference and I simply prefer my Matco tools.