Snap on Vs Kobalt (Hand Tools)

[SVTDice]

So, Recently as some of you may or may not have known there was a world Snap on convention in Orlando that I went too, Anyways, I was messing around with the handtools, Great tools. But I looked at the price, and I just couldnt swallow it I guess. I’ve mostly used Kobalt and they have worked great so far. No breaking, Nothing. Then again I am just a weekend warrior. Soo….I don’t know, Anyways let me know what you guys think of both would you?

Thanks guys!

Topic

[Matt]

I can’t comment on Kobalt in particular, but I’ve had Snap-on ratchets and Mac ratchets, and I’ve also had Craftsmen ratchets. I’ve abused my snap-on and mac stuff, and used my Craftsmen stuff fairly mildly. The Snap-on and Mac ratchets have never given me problems, but the Craftsman flex-head 3/8″ inch drive I’ve already replaced twice. It’s just been my experience, but you really do get what you pay for. Granted, I paid nothing for the replacment, but I did have to make a trip to the local Sears to have the crazy lady at the counter ask me what I even had in my hand… Anyway, just my input. I also had a 32 oz Craftsman ballpeen hammer lose the pin in the head and fall off, and my Mac hammers haven’t done that (yet). So, we’ll see. Screwdriver wise, I have a Craftsman set and a mac set. The Craftsman set is decent, but the tips especially on the phillips are fairly deformed, and that little black (carbide or something?) tip on my Mac set has yet to move. I should add that most of the high end tools I have aquired have come from when I was in school, and I got a 50-60 percent discount.

[killman]

Many of the Kobalt ratchets, sockets, wrenches, and drive acessories were made by Danaher in the USA . The same company has the made Craftsman tools such as those for over 20 years. Sadly both Craftsman and Kobalt have recently started to sell Danaher tools made overseas, with Kobalt being mainly made in Taiwan this year and Craftsman slowly but surely going over to mainly made in China Danaher products for the past few years. Even some of the tool truck guys have overseas tools (usually very high quality Taiwanese) creeping into their trucks.

Snap-On is fine as is Mac, Matco, Cornwell, etc. But you have to be careful about the warranty issues with the tool truck guys. Mac will not warranty many parts on a $150 flex head ratchet for example and it can take weeks to get the needed parts. Also Snap-On will not warranty screwdrivers for abuse (prying, etc). Craftsman will take back all of those items under those conditions (no rust warranty though) and the worst thing that can happen is you get a salesman that does not want to warranty the item so you ask another salesman/manager or go to a different store. No way that you can do that with a tool truck guy.

[swagish]

When i fisrt started at a dealership as a lube tech/basic service technician. i bought a terific $500 craftsman tool set and box. after a year or so i noticed i had fewer and fewer tools, also the sears people stopped taking my returns. They said i had to buy craftsman professional to get that kind of warrenty. Its been about 3 years since i started, i now work at a european specialy tech shop, and have been buying mostly from mac, but the ratchety stuff and my box from snap-on. That being said, customers dont like there nuts, bolts, screws, and plastic clips broken, or things scratched and rounded. Based on my experience, all the major tool companys “engioneer” there tools with wierd edges and curved sidewalls as to reduce rounding. So if your gonna try to be a pro, research your tools, i saw a pittsburg socket set that was awesome!!! And a snap on set from the 70’s be horid… Cost dosent matter, what matters is design. another example. i got the old otc ball joint press. then when i started doing HD, i needed another set, and for some specialty applications, that would be an extra 400$ for the 2 extra sets. In the end i went to snap on for there master ball joint set. And its AWESOME!!! i’ve never found a ball joint i can’t service, its also vise mountable, however it cost $600.

sorry for the long story, but i just mean to say… research what your gonna pay alot of cash for.

[southpark]

i think if you’re just a weekender that will make it hard for you to justify SO tools. if Kobalt/Cman/NAPA/Matco has worked for you so far, no need to upgrade. however if you have the money and its burning a hole in your pocket i would recommend investing in a Dual80. the misses won’t be able to keep ya in bed Saturday morning after ya get it.

[johnzcarz]

The hand tools are probably OK, but the Kobalt airtools are T-(
I went through a couple of their die grinders before buying an Ingersoll Rand unit. No more problems.

IMO almost any house brand tool will do the job for a DIYer, but the tools will not hold up well being abused 8-10 hours a day, every day.

[jeffk14]

Quoted From southpark:

i think if you’re just a weekender that will make it hard for you to justify SO tools. if Kobalt/Cman/NAPA/Matco has worked for you so far, no need to upgrade. however if you have the money and its burning a hole in your pocket i would recommend investing in a Dual80. the misses won’t be able to keep ya in bed Saturday morning after ya get it.

I agree. SO is just priced BEYOND the stratosphere unless you can find what you want used.

Since Kobalt recently went to the (mostly) Taiwanese line, the tools actually look and feel better than the old USA stuff. They’re still priced way too high for what they are though. Northern Tool, AutoZone and even HF all have very similar (if not identical) hardline tools for much less money.

[SVTDice]

Ahhh thanks for all of your replys guys! Yeah I just love the feel, and the look of the Kobalt hand tools. One thing I do know though is I will never ever buy a Stanley tool set. Made in China, I looked at there “Black Chrome” Set at Walmart and I don’t know, It felt awful. I kind of feel the same way with the way that Craftsman is going, I’m talking purely about feel though, If it can sustain the abuse, I don’t know.

[SpawnedX]

Here is the deal on Snap-On/Mac versus Craftsman/Kobalt/Husky/etc.

I have a mostly Craftsman collection, with a starter Snap-On set I got from school. I use my Craftsman daily and they all hold up under long hours of wrenching and re-wrenching.

Snap-On will hold up to everything, including tool abuse. If you plan on doing all the no-no things with your tools, these are a must. Such things include:

– Bashing the handle of your ratchet with a driller hammer to break nuts and bolts.
– Adding a ridiculously long steel pipe to your ratchet hammer to create more leverage while trying to get the nuts and bolts the hammer didn’t get off, off.
– Using your screwdrivers as pry-bars and chisels.
– Making crude leverage bars out of deep sockets and extenstions.
– Stacking 21 different extensions on your ratched to get that hard to reach bolt.

However, if you invest in the proper tools and a good impact gun, and use your Craftsman and etc. tools as intended, they will last forever as well.

[jeremyfountain]

I’ve never had an issue returning tools for warranty on the snapon truck. If it’s broke they fix or replace no questions
Asked. I’ve broken screw drivers used as prybars with no issues, I can count on my tool pusher to be on time and take care of my tool needs, beats wasting time to go return stuff at a big box store(big hassle)

[Shaun_300]

I use tools for a living so I always buy Snap On and Matco. Still have the Mastercraft set I started out with 6 years ago, many of them still in tact. Must say no comparison to the bigger names though. Never broke a snap on ratchet, broke one matco one in half but that was mostly my fault. Went to break a wheel bearing bolt loose in a tight spot with my longer 1/4″ flex ratchet, broke the head right off, oops lol. Broke quite a few sockets, some chrome ones with the impact when i was in a rush, my dealer has never refused warranty. I guess it all depends on the dealer.

[ClicknClack]

For me, it’s all about how the tool feels in your hand. Kobalt and Craftsman ratchets feel very rigid and aren’t the most comfortable thing to be holding. The hardware inside the heads of the ratchet aren’t made very well either. Snap-On and Matco have more teeth in the head so you can turn a bolt in even the tightest situations. If I were to choose one, it would have to be Snap-On. They seem to be the most durable…just don’t lose them because the cost of replacement is painful.

[Fordaholic]

I dont really care actually. I love them all

[Lonestartech]

This is a topic that will never end, “What’s the best tool?” I’ve been working professionally as a technician for 33 years, when I first got out of the military I went down to Sears, got a credit card and bought a small roll-a-way and some tools to get started with and I’ve been buying tools ever since. Here’s what I tell new guys starting out. Buy the best that you can afford. Be it Snap-on, Mac, or what-ever. Don’t short change yourself on the tools you use every day on a continuous basis, like impacts, ratchets, etc. Because poor tool quality leads to frustration and aggravation when the cheap socket strips a bolt or the impact doesn’t have enough torque to free up a nut and if your working flag hours you don’t have time to worry about if the tool is going to do the job or not having the tool because it broke and your tool guy says it’ll be 4 weeks before he can get it repaired for you. When you lay down the big bucks for your tools from a dealer like Snap-on for instance ask him/her what will they do for you if the $400 impact breaks. Will they give you a loaner? or your $4000 scanner locks up, will they give you something to use? Believe it or not some will. Just shop smart your paycheck depends on it. Just my 2 cents for what it’s worth. Btw, I still have some of those original Craftsman tools I bought S:)

[captdavidwebb]

I have mostly matco but I started with craftsman and kobalt ( I STILL LOVE MY KOBALT RATCHETS) that Bought in 05 and haven’t broken one yet . But I’m sorry to say that I think the quality of craftsman and particularly kobalt has gone down into the toilet. They used to have great tools, now its all crap. I have the craftsman pro series wrenches that are the same design as matco only the open end of the matco is a little thicker for more torque and less tip spread, You have to hold them together to even be able to tell the difference. I have matco metric and craftsman fractional but if you go to sears now they don’t carry those any more and the pro series wrench sets they have now don’t seem to be the same quality. As for warranty with snap on, mac ,matco, cornwell,and the rest I find every dealer is his own company to at least some extent and if you deal with primarily one of them on a regular basis you should be able to work out an understanding before you buy.

[outdoorsman310]

i like craftsman if its made in USA and has the forever warranty but today i decided to try a drill and tap set made in china with no warranty the drill bit was a piece of crap and wasnt even straight i tried using it anyway and it could barely drill it was dull after 1/4 inch i had to use a cobalt drill bit and the tap was fine

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