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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!
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Back in 95 i had a snap on swivel ratchet that the lever for the back and forward broek off.So all i did was found a small allen key that fit in it and welded it in and now its been fine since..Have craftsman everything for hand tools..got a deal on a new 800 piece set for cheap.Plus the pro sets of screw drivers and ratchet wrenches.i have broke a few 3/8 sockets but my fault i should of been using the 1/2 inch breaker bar set not the 3/8 ratchet on this bolt..Oh well. I am happy with craftsman for the money and they have lasted me over the years…
Snap On is having warranty problems and some dealers can be a holes.Basically hand the the broken tool back to you and refuse to replace the broken tool for a reason.Have a not purchased from me excuse.My father kicked his dealer out in 1998,bad service and treated him like crap.Plus the dealer my father had would not warranty a worn out tool saying anything worn out is not covered.Still is doing this to this day.Mac and Matco used to be together as partners in the tool selling,split in 1979 for some reason.If you don’t have a Mac or Cornwell dealer around,you can send the broken tools in and they send you replacements.Cornwell,you send a letter of explanation why it needs replaced with the part numbers,your address and phone number with the broken tools.Matco and Craftsman breaker bars do use one same part,the drive head which has the same part number too.
It’s been said from cars to computer parts to tools to good set of Knives… you get what you pay for. And for the most part it holds true, Farberware has got nothing on Classic Wusthoff, nor does Husky have anything on Snap-On.
There is a point of diminishing returns however, where you’ve spent WAAAaaayyyy more than needed and are getting very little if anything more/over the cheaper alternatives. Will there be times when you go to Harbor Freight, Tractor Supply or that strange “store” down the street and buy a ratchet or drill that costs a nickel and lasts forever and puts up to abuse… yes. That being said the”percentage” of that happening is significantly lower with cheaper tools and significantly higher with better tools.
Kobalt, Rigid, Husky, Mastercraft, etc… These are usually Store Brands (Lowes is Kobalt, Ridgid is Home Depot) that are usually produced by a different brand or larger conglomerate company. As mentioned, the production has moved over seas, especially to China. I have a set of ratchets, sockets, screwdrivers, and pliers from Kobalt, Stanley, Craftsman, Rigid, etc… as well as power/air tools. I’m staring at a ratchet with destroyed teeth that skips constantly, a dewalt drill that is cracked and falling apart, and several pairs of pliers with shattered tips. That’s cheap for ya. The steel isn’t the same, and even kobalt clamps will “bend” rather than clamp said objects.
Snap-On, Matco, etc… usually make fantastic products. As was mentioned it really comes down to each individual tool and how it was designed. I’ve seen shitty Makita saws, but Fantastic Hitachi Impact Drivers (their the leader of drills IMO but suck at most other stuff), bought great Socket sets from Stanley that lasted forever and heck… even Ridgid is known for Great pipe tools and Wet Vacs. As a climber… I buy the pretty and expensive stuff (Petzl, Arc-Teryx) but the cheap stuff as well… I just make an informed decision. If you’re like me and know that hot dipped handles last forever and won’t slide around on ya when working with fence or pulling the hose off in the car… you’re less likely to pick up that “super cheap” off brand with the crappy grips because you know they’ll be twisted off in a matter of full work days.
My advice… buy cheap… super cheap… and figure out what you hate about it… what you can live with… and then go buy something that fits your criteria. Hope it helps.
I am a big believer also in ‘you get what you pay for’ when it comes to buying tools for automotive use C8-)
I have a 1/4 air ratchet from Harbor Freight I use at work,the earthquake model and still works although it is a year old.I have used IR 1/4 air ratchets,the heads wear out quickly.I admit Matco including Armstrong and Craftsman have the best impact swivels,a pin less design first used in 2004 and no failures yet.I have a couple of the Matco sets,a set in metric and one in sae in 1/2 drive.There is one thing that burns me and I hate this.Some leave out 18mm,sometimes 15mm out of their sets.The cheap tool sets are very terrible at this.The commonly used metric sizes on a domestic car are 8mm,10mm,13mm,15mm and 18mm.The Japanese and Korean cars,10mm,12mm,14mm,17mm and 19mm are used a lot.
I like kobalt. Snap-on’s too expensive even with the student pricing…
I have a friend who thinks kobalt is owned by snap-on.
He always says I have a snap-on torque wrench, then I check it out and it’s kobalt but, he says it’s still snap-on.
I tried to inform him that Matco is sister company with kobalt under the danaher corporation(according to the tool guy) but, whatever. Ignorance is bliss I guess….
I’ve been hammering on my Kobalt tools since I’ve got them on the Black Friday sale. Not a single thing has broken yet. But only time will tell. Honestly I’m extremely happy with the way they are. The sad part is I can buy 10 sets of Kobalt for 1 full set of Snap on. I just do not find it worth it. Not even close.
Kobalt used to be owned by Snap On,then it was sold to Danaher tools whom owns Matco,Gearwrench,Allen,KD,Armstrong.Danaher sold the Kobalt line,lost money on this tool line.My Matco tool dealer said this.
Well, here’s my two cents about Snap On vs Kobalt. I inherited most of my tools from my father and two grandfathers. Pop bought cheap tools because the good ones always seemed to end up going home with his employees. One of my grandfathers bought Craftsman, and the other bought Snap On. I buy Kobalt because I’m always in the local Lowes buying stuff for my rental business. I don’t any one job full-time, and I don’t use any one type of tool daily. For my properties I do a little carpentry, painting, plumbing, landscaping, and electrical work, but nothing really all the time. I also do a lot of my own car repairs (where my grandfathers’ tools come in handy). Over the past 30 years I’ve broken a Craftman ratchet wrench and a Kobalt ratchet screwdriver (and I’ve burned up three B&D electric drills). For me, the Kobalt tools have worked pretty well. I refuse to buy anymore Craftsman because I don’t know how long Sears will be around, and they pestered me once about buying an extended warranty for a small air compressor. I didn’t buy the compressor, and I never went back. Basically, for my needs Kobalt is all I need.
I need a table saw. I am tempted to buy a Kobalt 10-inch portable table saw, but a buddy keeps telling me to buy a Bosch, which is twice the price. I also need an air impact wrench, and Kobalt makes a cheap one. Any suggestions or comments on Kobalt Power tools or pneumatic tools?
And, for what it’s worth, I love my Porter Cable 20-volt lithium ion tools. I do a lot of deck repair, and they help me greatly.
“The sad part is I can buy 10 sets of Kobalt for 1 full set of Snap on.”
That’s my same philosophy. The Snap Ons might be better, but are they THAT much better? Besides, if one of my Kobalts breaks I am never more than 10 miles from a Lowes. Heck, there are three Lowes stores within 10 miles of my home. My biggest problem with tools is losing them to my sons, who tend to borrow them way too much. THEIR philosophy is “Why should I buy my own when Dad already has plenty?”
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