I was just wondering what make of tools you guys/gals use. Snap-On and Mac come around the shop peddling their wares every two weeks. Today a Matco truck showed up. I have a mix of Mastercraft, Snap-On, Mac and Milwaukee tools. I have no experience with Matco tools but their stuff looks pretty nice. Anyways, the point of my long winded post is what do you prefer for air, electric, and hand tools?

 

air is old ingersol rand or chicago pneumatic.
hand tools are a mix match of snap on, mac, matco, craftsman, and harbor freight stiff for in the truck so if it gets lost no big deal.

 

I myself have a collection including Cornwell, Snap On, Wright, SK but my corded and cordless tools are mostly all older Milwaukee stuff, that still made in the USA at the time.

Have a few no-name pneumatic tools basically bought for one-off jobs but lasted a good 20+ years with just occasional use. If an impact gun were a daily use item I'd have Ingersoll-Rand's USA made stuff---Snap On pricing but one of the best impacts around. (I have a Snap On bought in the early 90's that still works perfectly--gets used about once a year though.)

The biggest decision factor in my tool purchases tends to be the best quality, price somewhat irrelevant. So far I've lost far more tools than have ever failed on me which is good I think.

Matco makes some great tools and I dare say most of their USA made stuff gives Snap On competition. The prices are a bit more fair, they have a strong guarantee and most dealers easy enough to work with. Even if your local dealer folds the corporate office still supports the sale so you're not in danger of being left with a costly tool and no support.

Wright Tools is another of my USA favorites, they've every bit as good as Snap On, have a similar guarantee too.

 

Snap-on. Proto

 

I've always said with expensive tools, part of what you are paying for is the name, but not all. All of the brands mentioned are fine. I've bought far more Snap-On than Mac or Matco, but have been satisfied with all of them. My philosophy has been that you need a top-notch tool if you use them every day to make a living - as I always have. That's why my carry-around box that I work out of on a daily basis has Snap-On wrenches and sockets, Wiha screwdrivers and Allen wrenches, and Knipex pliers in it. In my garage box, however, I have a few of those brands, but most are Craftsman - albeit OLD Craftsman. I've also got some Ampro wrenches - from Advance Auto Parts - which I've found to be quite good. Also, for some things that I use rarely, I've got some Harbor freight stuff. For something I use once or twice in a year, that is usually adequate, and the savings is significant. If I can buy something I might break or wear out one or two of in a lifetime, at 10% of the cost of a name brand, I can well afford to take the chance. Buy what is appropriate for the usage it will see and the importance of the job it will do. You will also find, in time, that some of the unknown brands are really good - such as the Ampro's I mentioned, and some known brands have changed over the years. It pays to see who owns a company now and where their stuff is made. For instance, the Stanley stuff they sell at Wal-mart is a mixed bag. I've never had one of those sockets fail, but you can't run fast enough to give me one of the ratchets or screwdrivers for free. ;-) Likewise, with pliers, if you get, and get used to a pair of Knipex Alligator pliers, you'll never want to use anything else, even if one pair costs more than a full set of cheaper ones and you'll throw rocks at Channel-Locks. (they've gone to crap too, IMHO).

 

I've got old Craftsman. Not sure what I would get now if I had to replace everything. Have some cheaper Lowes stuff I keep in the truck in case it gets stolen but my garage items are mostly Craftsman that was handed down to me by my dad many years ago.

 

harbor freight, if i know ill abuse or use it once in awhile, (mig welder, cheap sockets that end up with splater from said welder, and pliers that are destened for the torch) when i worked maintenance cleaning injection molders i knew they would be over heated and trashed. the price makes me not feel bad.

i have wrenches from snap on i use daily, big wrenches from farm and fleet, used monthly.

and i've been burning through my power tools i bought everywhere when i was getting into tools. menards, home depot, farm and fleet. whatever was handy. i'm replacing them with used brand name tools. harbor freight price for a milwaukee, i trust it a little more and still don't have to feel bad bouncing it around in the bed of my truck. the only things i buy new are food and underwear.

200000+f150 has the same idea as me, My philosophy has been that you need a top-notch tool if you use them every day to make a living

 

Snap-on and Matco are my 1st choice, Craftsman is next. And I have no use for Mac tools (personal reasons).

 

I have some Craftsman hand tools. They're pretty good quality, and if something breaks all I have to do is run down to Sears and get it replaced for free. Have some cheaper Stanley hand tools that ride around in my truck. Have a few off-brand hand tools just because they were cheap and I needed them. Would have all Matco if I could, but it's too expensive for now...

My air tools are cheap. Alltrade and Husky. They work fine every time.

Electric tools are a wide blend... Sears, Chicago Electric, B&D, Ryobi, Porter-Cable, etc...

Would really like to buy an electric impact driver soon!

 

I have quite a mix at work. I have a lot of snap on, crafstman and harbor freight stuff. I have actually been very pleased with the harbor freight sockets which i own. My impacts are an IR 2135 and an old mac which i like both, and cp air ratchet which is great and will smash you fingers if you dont pay attention. I prefer air tools to electric at work because we have a large compressor that can keep up.

 

I have Harbor Freight and Master Craft as that's all I can afford. My dad though, with 30+ years of being a heavy equipment/diesel mechanic, prayed at the alter of Mac until about 12 years ago. Stanley switched Mac to over seas tool steel and their quality went down in my dads opinion. Now he has a mix of Matco and Cornwell.

 

I prefer quality Crescent brand wrenches found in a parking lot while "checking on" (stalking?) an old GF. I prefer tools and boxes left behind by my late father-in-law, that my brother-in-law has overlooked or forgotten about. I prefer a Craftsman/Alltrade three box combo full of Craftsman and other fine brand tools taken from the garage of a dead friend of my brother-in-law, and stored, moved, moved stumbled over and now claimed as mine for my efforts...... I like a found tool, maybe it's really old like the Chicago Pneumatic half inch impact, or fairly new like the "Bulldog" bench grinder some burglar left in the corner of my mother-in-laws carport, God only knows where it came from....I like my first tool set, the Craftsman Metric set I bought in '71 just after I delighted my parents with the purchase of a 1971 Honda CL175.....I even like the old screw jack I found in ma's garage, with the only marking on it saying "King Dick".......I like the point/chisle combo bar, and the 1 1/4" diameter railroad bar "liberated" (I assume, they were also in the mess at the in-laws garage) by my sister-in-law during her years at the RR.....but maybe I like the hefty ball peen with "AT & SF RR" cut into the head......similarly liberated but I don't know how as she never worked that road......

I think I shall work harder to put my garage into better order and make those fold-down work benches out of those '56 Ford tailgates. Maybe I will find more tools I really like.

 

I have a mixture of tools, mostly from Mastercraft and Craftsman. Lately, I have been adding cheaper tools from Princess Auto and Harbor Freight. I do not make my living with my tools so I figure that as long as the tool has a lifetime warranty, it will do.

Before I had a compressor, I bought my first electric impact wrench (Craftsman) and it has served me well for over 30 years. I still prefer it to the air impact, but I must say I have switched most of my impact use to my cordless (2 Chicago Electric and 1 PowerFist)

 

mine is a mixture too, mac, snap-on, and harbor freight stuff. all the more "important tools" are name brand, such as my mac torque wrench and impact sockets, snap on screwdrivers, fluke multimeter and what not, I generally only buy harbor freight when i'm too broke or if its something im not going to use much, which is easier now that i am not making a living out of my box (older snap on off of craigslist)

I should also add that I have a top of the line 1/2" impact from napa that has been amazing these past couple years, and has great power, I love my gear wrenches, and channel lock (the brand, with the blue grips) pliers. however i would slap a tiger for a set of knipex's!

 

My hand tools are mostly craftsman, My power tools are old Porter Cable saws, routers planers & drills made in Jackson Tn. Many are 20 years old & still running like new. I'm a finish carpenter. I take care of my tools but they get worked hard. My newer tools are Dewalt & Milwaukee. I have many of the 12 volt Milwaukee tools I like the power per size of these tools The impact is tiny but it will drive 150 three inch screws with one battery. I have 2 Dewalt miter saws a double compound & a slide compound both 12 inch. Great saws tough as nails.