Workshop tools

[V8Druid]

someone has to pay for their shiny white vans and the driver .. plus they get away with their stupido prices 'cos the skint spanner monkeys get it all on the drip ... totally over hyped and over rated IMHDO I have a 17mm snap on combi that has opened up/spread .. I would expect the nut to round before the spanner opens up

 

[DaveDCB]

someone has to pay for their shiny white vans and the driver .. plus they get away with their stupido prices 'cos the skint spanner monkeys get it all on the drip ... totally over hyped and over rated IMHDO I have a 17mm snap on combi that has opened up/spread .. I would expect the nut to round before the spanner opens up

Give it back to them, you’ll get a new shiny one

 

[Stroppymonkey]

agreed on Snapon .. van used to come round and even back then the prices were bonkers compared to Britool and facom in the local engineering supplies could never figure out htf you could even begin to spend that on spanner monkey salary..till he said oh i can do credit ,people like Wera and Milwaukee are wiping the floor with them now.
Wera joker spanners for instance.
but do maintain their roll cabs are the best and still have the street cred..no one needs to open them to see the bergen stuff

lol about screwfix etc..as a kid i got a makita stick drill for 8th birthday...still got it!
my lads both got an M12 similar age.

ahh we do like tool talk

The makita sticks were awesome. NiMH I think compared to Nicad on everything else.
My first socket set was Draper Expert which I still have most of. Excellent value.

 

[William127]

I’ve always looked at the price of snap on and thought ‘what a joke’

They seem to exist just to get young impressionable apprentices into debt for so-so tools. Fifty quid for a small screwdriver set? Utter joke. Their powertools prove that they are just trading on a name- utter outdated wank compared to the competition.

A guy I work with started out as a car mechanic, has a tiny old snap on top box full of a few snap on tools and a collection of random other stuff.
If he'd spent the same on well bought bahcos, Halfords and us pro he'd have built up a decent tool kit over the same time. He also bought a big bulky 1/2 snap on nut gut, around the same time I spent half the money on a makita 1/2 , half the size, same power.

The one and only Snap on I have bought is an inch ish long 1/2 extension bar, purely because I saw it, liked it and bought it. Was a tenner which sounds OK but you can buy a whole bahco socket set for 50 quid if you look around...

 

[Lancs Lad]

The makita sticks were awesome. NiMH I think compared to Nicad on everything else.
My first socket set was Draper Expert which I still have most of. Excellent value.

I need to dig it out for a laugh

 

[DaveDCB]

The makita sticks were awesome. NiMH I think compared to Nicad on everything else.
My first socket set was Draper Expert which I still have most of. Excellent value.

I exploded my 1” drive draper expert ratchet… it did have a 10ft scaffold tube on it but let’s not mention that to the warrenty dept

 

[6feetdown]

The makita sticks were awesome. NiMH I think compared to Nicad on everything else.
My first socket set was Draper Expert which I still have most of. Excellent value.

I've still got 1 from 30 odd years ago pretty good tbf

 

[jd6820]

As some of you will already know, I mechanic as a day job on Agricultural and Plant equipment. Have a snap-on top box 26" purchased used and a Halfords Advanced socket set, the ratchets replaced with Snap-on flex head with locks (1/2", 3/8 and 1/4), bought new but by a mile the best ratchets i've used. Spanners are draper expert (good because they have an offset box end) and some cheap MAC tools ratchet spanners. Screwdrivers mostly electrical insulated type, think Jefferson just what was about when I needed some. Teng circlip pliers (complete set), Bergen extra large circlip pliers. Random brands for all my other pliers (MAC tools, Knipex, Amazon cheapies for Snap ring pliers and Irwin). Hammer is Clarke for Ball Pein and Snap-on for dead blow. Numerous Milwaukee cordless tools, had one or two Snap-on but were rubbish. I do have Snap-on prybars, punches and picks. Tried other brands but they are made out of monkey metal in comparison and bend or flex far too easy. Hex sockets, Clarke Pro/Snap-on then Hex keys are Bondhuis who produce for Snap-on. Mole grips/Vice grips are Irwin as are my large slip joint pliers. Laser spanners from 34mm-50mm. Halfords Advance 3/4 socket set. Snap-on Carbide gasket scraper (absolutely fantastic and cheap enough too!) Bluepoint seal remover another cracking tool. Various extensions of all brands and sizes. Impact swivels (Snap-on) along with adapters that convert between 3/4, 1/2, 3/8 and 1/4 (Snap-on again as warrantied) who doesn't use a 3/4 to 1/2 and give it some pain? Torque wrenches are Norbar and Snap-on, cover 3/4 down to 3/8 (750nm to 1nm). Other tools are miscellaneos brands, like Tenma multimeter etc... Think that's most of it covered?

Whilst I agree with people saying Snap-on is over priced I do agree and hence some of my tools are other brands but they have certain items I wouldn't entertain using other brands having tried cheaper first and replacing with more expensive brands. Gasket scraper and seal pullers are prime examples. Started out with Clarke and the didn't last two minutes. Had a set of Bergen picks, they were junk too, but can't go wrong with Bergen for some stuff like sockets and spanners they hold up just fine. Got a few teng spanners in large sizes and their fibreglass ratchets are bad to beat, near indestructible just not long handle flex head, I'm a small chap so struggle for strength so have longer ratchets to make life easier.

 

[Bob]

Got a few snapon spanners when dozers and scrappers use to come in the yard I use to drop belly plates and find them in the mud .you couldnt ring up the site and ask anyone lost a spanner all the fitters would says it was theres and would want to fight over the spanner also got some big combination spanners which I will never use again some over 2 " AF

 

[V8Druid]

....... long handle flex head, I'm a small chap so struggle for strength so have longer ratchets to make life easier.

It's something I DO NOT understand ... using looong handle ratchets to crack off with .. was always taught Tee bar if you're going to have 'pipe' it -- Knuckle bar other wise, then get your rachet on it .. there are a lot of little bits in that ratchet that really aren't designed for that level of abuse

 

[Smiffy]

It's something I DO NOT understand ... using looong handle ratchets to crack off with .. was always taught Tee bar if you're going to have 'pipe' it -- Knuckle bar other wise, then get your rachet on it .. there are a lot of little bits in that ratchet that really aren't designed for that level of abuse

Plenty of destruction tests on you tube proving that a decent quality long handle ratchet is better than the average breaker bar.
My dad has had a long handled round head facom 1/2 ratchet for as long as I can remember, and I'm sure it's probably been around longer than me. Still going strong. Once you try one you will be converted especially 3/8 drive ones.

 

[V8Druid]

Plenty of destruction tests on you tube proving that a decent quality long handle ratchet is better than the average breaker bar.
My dad has had a long handled round head facom 1/2 ratchet for as long as I can remember, and I'm sure it's probably been around longer than me. Still going strong. Once you try one you will be converted especially 3/8 drive ones.

that relies on a single pin ... I said " Tee bar if you're going to have 'pipe' it "

 

[Quattromike]

I used to swear by Gedore 1B spanners as an unbeatable combi spanner but TBH I think nowadays there all made in the same Chinese factory. Gedore facom beta corolus bacho. All similar nowadays

 

[Smiffy]

that relies on a single pin ... I said " Tee bar if you're going to have 'pipe' it "

It never seems to be the pin that breaks the knuckle snaps. And take a look at the internals of high quality modern ratchets and you will see there is a huge area of contact in them.

 

[Bri963]

It never seems to be the pin that breaks the knuckle snaps. And take a look at the internals of high quality modern ratchets and you will see there is a huge area of contact in them.

I’ve got one of those Facom long handled knuckle ratchets, nearly 20 years old. There are some jobs I’ve used this on where you can’t physically get a breaker bar in to do the job.

I picked up 3 13mm Snap On combi wrenches, one was a dead fit on a 13 bolt, one wouldn’t go on, one was a soggy fit. Also got a Proto 15mm, and in the States these used to be higher regarded than SO (certainly more expensive) and it’s a perfect fit on a 9/16” UNF head.

I’ve bust Halfords and SO sockets, bent or snapped most makes of wrench and at the end of the day I treat them all as consumables and buy accordingly. It’s no good getting too in love with something that’s going to get broken, worn out, dropped in a belly pan or nicked. I’ve got a few Cat branded tools and I daren’t use them when anyone else is about. Too many buggers about with magnetic fingers.

What I will say for SO is the range of odd balls they do, like ultra-deep sockets for example, that you struggle to find elsewhere. Adjustables, Bahco all the way.

 

[Bri963]

On power tools, we’re heavy Milwaukee and Makita users, and I mean heavy. We’re finding now after about five years of the kids going Milwaukee-happy for a bit that the green team drills and impacts are out lasting the reds by about two to one.

 

[jd6820]

It's something I DO NOT understand ... using looong handle ratchets to crack off with .. was always taught Tee bar if you're going to have 'pipe' it -- Knuckle bar other wise, then get your rachet on it .. there are a lot of little bits in that ratchet that really aren't designed for that level of abuse

Don’t worry I’m not strong enough to break them and don’t believe in using pipe to increase leverage I just move up the tool size till it shifts or snaps. If 3/4 drive won’t do it gets super heated till it budges or cut off. I’m not a complete animal just like to make life easier.

 

[doobin]

On power tools, we’re heavy Milwaukee and Makita users, and I mean heavy. We’re finding now after about five years of the kids going Milwaukee-happy for a bit that the green team drills and impacts are out lasting the reds by about two to one.

I have had totally the opposite experience. All top of the range tools from both brands.

 

[Stroppymonkey]

I have had totally the opposite experience. All top of the range tools from both brands.

We run yellow and red. Can't say I notice much difference in quality/durability. Maybe red is a bit ahead, but always dearer than yellow.

 

[Bri963]

I have had totally the opposite experience. All top of the range tools from both brands.

Some Milwaukee I like, like riveters, angle ratchets, but the main tools, 3/8 & 1/2 impacts and drills, constant switch failures. Never get that with Makita.