Hand Tools: The highest quality/value

[NeilWilson]

In the UK there is a car accessory chain called Halfords - this is normally stocked with blingy things for the yoof, leds for the dash, furry dice sort of stuff. However they also do a professional range of tools which have a life time guarantee, occasionally I pass through the local branch and recently got a really good set of rachet spanners for £40 ($80) that helped no end in my latest round of Discovery mods.
The rest of my tool set is made up of various bits accumulated over the years.

Neil

 

[Willman]

I love my Craftsman set.....

Klein Tools/bags for wiring all the way! There bags are HD!.....When i worked in the trades.....Klein bags ruled the trades....I'm sure it is still the same!

If you had the $$$$$$........A snap-on set would be nice!

Since most people don't have the extra $25,000 to drop on a tool set/box......Craftsman is the way to go!

.02

 

[Wyoming Shooter]

Craftsman Hand Tool Sale

You guys just cost me $99.73 at the Sears store in Riverton, WY! Thanks for the great thread. For those interested, Sears has some hand tools on sale now. I saved $35 on the ratcheting wrenches and the "Professional" screwdrivers. http://www.sears.com/shc/s/c_10153_12605_Tools_Hand+Tools%2C+General+Purpose Best regards, ELN.

 

[Ca. Bowhunter]

Nice box and good color choice Atavuss . I have been addicted to the snap on drug dealer for around 20 or so years now. The main reason I keep with them is when I was a young lad in A&P (Airframe & Powerplant) school the local snap-on dealer helped all the students start there tool box’s . If the Mac guy came by I would be a Mac owner now. I have and will most likely always frequent the snap-on truck because he is a nice guy and I like helping out the small business owners when I can. The quality of the tool is important but as long as you know the tools limits and never ever shop at harbor freight you should not have problems . I have broke more tools using them incorrectly then was the tools fault.



Randy

 

[Redline]

I love my gear wrenches. I want to buy a second set for the road, but not sure if I should consider the newer swivel head type this time or the standard shaped/reversible and the neat little pop-in sockets.

Sears/Craftsman

While the in store service and selection at my local Sears is worse all the time, yesterday, a Sunday, I was able to walk in and replace a 10-MM hex driver that I snapped the day before. It's hard to get that type of warranty/convenience anywhere else except maybe Home Depot/Lowes, but I don't think they have as many automotive tools.

You guys just cost me $99.73 at the Sears store in Riverton, WY! Thanks for the great thread. For those interested, Sears has some hand tools on sale now. I saved $35 on the ratcheting wrenches and the "Professional" screwdrivers. http://www.sears.com/shc/s/c_10153_12605_Tools_Hand+Tools%2C+General+Purpose Best regards, ELN.

 

[SpeedAgent]

If price is no object Facom tools are the only way to go. There is no other choice.

 

[ntsqd]

Funny that most of the European wrench-turners that I know want (covet) Snap-On.

Grass is always greener syndrome?


BTW: Facom.com

 

[Doin_It]

I don't know guys...............but here's what I'm hearing,

Nice box and good color

,

I love my...

,

One thing I will say

,

Grass is always greener

. All that to say to this topic is, your wife (girlfriend) is beautiful, and fun to hang with, but I love mine, cause

There is no other choice.

. I like my mixed back of tools from Sears, Canadian Tire, John Deere, and even the odd specialty Snap-On stuff. What I like is when I use my ratchet for a hammer and it dosen't ratchet no more, they all give me a new one, no questions asked. So you see to me a guys tools are sort of like his Mrs. I love what I have, just like you love what you have and it works for both of us.

 

[sinuhexavier]

17 hard miles from the nearest road, 110 miles from the nearest town bigger than a single gas station, 250+ miles to the nearest larger town wher etools and repairs may be found....

Snap-On...

 

[bigredpigdriver]

I have 3 tool bags full of everything from hand tools to air stuff. Mac, Sears, Snap-on and even some odd stuff from the local auto store and Harbor fright. My thought is more is better, thats why i have 3 or 4 of the same tool. So I will give my vote to "Doin It" on his thoughts about tools and and women...:bowdown:

 

[big sky trapper]

Ive been wrenching professionally for going on 30 years (20 in the uasf on heavy equipment) and have used them all at one point or another. My 1st choice is allways snap on. Even most of own own tool sets are snap on, with a lot of the geman equiv..a brand called HAZET. snap on quality without the shinny bling finish....There are a few craftsman, blackhawk, armstrong, sk, and a few other even more odd balls in the extreme specilaty peices in there, but there far in few between.....

 

[sinuhexavier]

My thought is more is better, thats why i have 3 or 4 of the same tool.

Have fun with that philosophy... While in the field you should have everything you need and leave behind anything you don't need.

 

[ntsqd]

Have fun with that philosophy... While in the field you should have everything you need and leave behind anything you don't need.

When my main off road exploration vehicle was the 'glass buggy I adopted the philosophy of always working from the buggy's tool box. I started with an empty box and added tools as prep chores required them. I traveled with up to 9 other buggies, so not having some special tool was never a problem. I did only borrow each special tool once at most. By the next trip I had one in the buggy's tool box.

Worked out as a great way to only carry what was needed. With maybe 75HP and one wheel drive, weight considerations were high on the list.

 

[bigredpigdriver]

so i guess my on board welder is overkill. I have been in the middle of no where with out ONCE, Never again. I dont see what the problem is taking few of the sametime of tool, in different sizes? A long screwdriver and a stub screwdriver? I pack what I feel I need, if you can do it with a leathermans tool, well let me know when you go out, because I would like to learn how to use that to replace a c-clip on a D35.

 

[kellymoe]

So far, Craftsman tools have been more than adequate, but I am looking to begin a tool upgrade, shifting my Craftsman tools to a trail/travel set and begin replacing with the highest quality sets I can.

What are your thoughts on:

Snap-on

Craftsman Professional (I have quite a bit of this)

Facom

Matco, etc.

Drool

If Craftsman are more than adequate then why spend more money than is needed? Snap On makes great stuff, no question. But it seems like a many buy it for status rather than for quality. Spend what you have to, not what you can.