I'm starting to buy new tools and would like 1 major brand to stick with and I'm leaning towards Craftman. So why are Snap On and Mac tools so overpriced when it comes down to the same tool? Is it really quality, and does Craftman suck compared to the others? Shifty.gif

 

Lifetime warranty on Craftsman tools.

My buddy is a mechanic and buys most of his specialty tools from Snapon/Matco. He says its because he can get a replacement off the tool truck faster than he can get to Sears for a replacement.

 

Did the dealer tech thing for awhile, my craftsman / craftsman pro tools did just fine, and 1/3rd to 1/10th the cost of snap-on or Mac, in fact snap-on wrenches are very uncomfortable for me to use because they are very thin. Strength between them is comparable only ever cracked one craftsman socket, a silver 15mm one on an Ingersoll Rand TiMaxx Impact that could have easily cracked a normal impact socket.

 

I warped a Craftsman breaker bar once, granted it was doing something totally stupid but still it bent. Took it to Sears and they copped out of the replacement, had to go through a mess just to get it replaced and even at that had to mail it in at cost (I wound up getting refunded) and was without my tool for 4 weeks.

I broke the tip on a Snapon screw driver trying to pry the reference sensors out of the 944 and the snap on guy came to my place and replaced it no questions asked. I was without my tool for 90 minutes.


That's why, it's no so much the quality as the support.

 

LOL

My dad rounded off a slotted Craftsman screwdriver tip scraping weeds from the gaps between the cement sections of our driveway, took it to Sears and they replaced it. smile.gif

 

In Craftsman's defense I have yet to have another one of their tools break.
And the torque wrench in my toolbox that I swear by is a Craftsman. But they still don't deliver same day tongue.gif

 

Delivery. My Snap-On guy takes weekly payments with no interest or credit check.

Plus Craftsman stuff's been going downhill quickly ever since K-Mart bought Sears. Also, Sears used to have a lifetime warranty on anything with the Craftsman badge on it. Then, they dropped it from anything but tools. Then they dropped it from their power tools. Now they no longer have it on "precision" or specialty tools. Basically, Craftsman's lifetime warranty is only on basic hand tools and they no longer swap out ratchets. They give you a rebuild kit.

 

Craftsman is the better advertised, word of mouth, "my dad's dad used craftsman and so should you" brand. Real tool heads don't generally buy craftsman for most reasons stated above.

 

Being a dealership tech there are pros and cons between both manf. of tools. I do have craftsman sockets and hand tools and when they do break Sears usally does not ask any questions and warranty them right then and there. Lately with snap-on or mac I get the question, like were you using an impact gun or a pry bar on that socket or wrench and half the time they don't it have on the truck so I'm out for a week until I get it back. in my line of work can cost money. Some of craftsman tools that are coming out are getting real good in quaility. If you don't have the cake for all snap-on tools ,craftsman tools is not a bad choice.

 

I buy my tools from Harbor Freight. Lol.

BUT when I break one, I buy better quality, usually Craftsman. Since my tools aren't how I make my living it's a lot better for me to have a great complete collection of sub-par tools than a very incomplete collection of top quality tools. A lot of the things I have I've either only used a couple of times or maybe never at all.

I have a great collection of tools now that would never have been possible for me to accumulate by this point if I was buying even Craftsman tools unless I financed a lot of them. Anything that sees heavy use I either have multiples or I've upgraded to higher quality.