What makes Snap-On tools so expensive?

[bobby_hamill]

My Grandfather was a diesel mechanic at a local sawmill for 20 years and after he retired he would still do rebuilds of the 4 cylinder Detroit Diesel in his shop at home and I was his "grease monkey" growing up.

He swore by Snap-On Tools and if he ever found a metric tool in his Snap-On tool chest he would take it out and put it in his scrap metal barrel . Which I would promptly remove and place in my tool box.

One of the local Snap-On reps found out he had a vintage Snap-On socket from the 1920s and tried to talk him out of it. One of the high brass from the Snap-On tool museum found out he had it and they wanted it for their museum. He wound up getting the VIP tour of the museum and getting a free rolling tool chest in exchange for the socket.

I spent many happy days wrenching with him in my youth and would have not traded it for anything else. He is gone now passed at 94, Thanks GD for the memories !!

Bobby

 

[augendoc]

I wanted to build a base cabinet for a garage work bench similar to what John Coker shows on his website and decided to use a couple of Harbor Freight 8-drawer rolling tool chests. I removed the wheels and put them on a wooden base to get the final height I wanted. Made the top out of two sheets of 3/4” glued and screwed particle board with a tempered Masonite top skin, urethane varnished. They cost me about $280 each, on sale. The equivalent Snap-Ons were about 10x the price. It should be noted that John is a quality guy and used Snap-On tool cabinets for his builds.

Here’s what i found: the HF casters were total crap. I removed them for my application but they would not have handled a very heavy load. The two HF cabinets i got were side by side in their stock room but had slightly different SKU numbers. Other than the mounting holes for the handles, the construction was completely different, leading to enormous frustration in building and getting the base to fit. Even the drawer locking mechanism was different. Sheetmetal was I think 1 gauge thinner for the HF. The biggest PITA was the HF chests were not square. Almost, but not quite. It would not have made any difference had the cabinets been solo and on casters, but bolted together it was a total nightmare and trying to level that with a gazillion little wedges was extremely time consuming.

Despite something like 80 pounds of self-adhesive sound dampening rubber sheets applied to the bottom, top, back, sides, and the bottom of each drawer and the heavy top bolted onto the cabinets, it vibrates, though a lot less than before the sound dampening. The cabinets adjacent to this that i built from Ikea base cabinets with vertical 2x6 supports between and at the end of each cabinet and skinned with an end panel are dead quiet and solid. I’ve got a 50 pound 6” vise bolted to the top just above one of the vertical 2x6s and I can pound on it all day with absolutely no wiggle or bounce.

The moral of the story is you get what you pay for with Harbor Freight. Would the Snap-On at 10x the price have been worth it? I think it depends on what you think your time is worth, your personal skills in “shim to fit / caulk like ****” construction techniques, and your mental tolerance for things that are not square. I am sure there is stuff out there that is somewhere between the price of HF and SO but with a build closer to SO. There is karma in this world and you do get what you pay for.

 

[rharshberger]

Their calendar only has cars or motorcycles or trucks. Has been for quite a while. At least 10 years.

Yeah, their calendars got "politically correct" a decade-ish ago....bummer.

 

[boatgeek]

All are good points. The question is, how much are all those worth? 50% more than other brands? Maybe. Five times more than other brands? I guess that's a matter of individual choice. In rocket terms: if a rocket kit manufacturer charged $400 for a basic 4" cardboard-tube rocket and gave that same level of quality and service, would it be worthwhile?

I think it's less a percentage and more a raw dollars value of time. If a car shop can get a job done 15 minutes faster, it generates something like $10-$20 more in profits. If a better tool can do that 5 times in a year, it's worth paying $50-$100 for it.

Same thing with a local fastener shop I like to go to. They're a little more expensive and they're barely open on weekends because they market to professionals. Half of the people in the shop are wearing coveralls. You go up to the counter, ask for what you need, and they bring it out. There's no fooling around in the bins like at Lowe's Depot. And they have everything... When I was buying shear pins, I went in there and asked for #2 nylon screws, 1/4" long. The counter guy didn't miss a beat and asked if I wanted countersunk or round head and if a package of 100 was OK. For pros, that kind of service saves time and money.

 

[rharshberger]

I think it's less a percentage and more a raw dollars value of time. If a car shop can get a job done 15 minutes faster, it generates something like $10-$20 more in profits. If a better tool can do that 5 times in a year, it's worth paying $50-$100 for it.

Same thing with a local fastener shop I like to go to. They're a little more expensive and they're barely open on weekends because they market to professionals. Half of the people in the shop are wearing coveralls. You go up to the counter, ask for what you need, and they bring it out. There's no fooling around in the bins like at Lowe's Depot. And they have everything... When I was buying shear pins, I went in there and asked for #2 nylon screws, 1/4" long. The counter guy didn't miss a beat and asked if I wanted countersunk or round head and if a package of 100 was OK. For pros, that kind of service saves time and money.

You are correct on the service issue for sure, mechanics and millrights who use tools to make their livings (as well as many other crafts) don't have time to search around town for the right tool, when they can call someone with a known quality brand and have it delivered and continue working on other projects that will pay, so that when the tool arrives they can jump back on that project with little lost productivity.

 

[afadeev]

I wanted to build a base cabinet for a garage work bench similar to what John Coker shows on his website and decided to use a couple of Harbor Freight 8-drawer rolling tool chests. [...]
The moral of the story is you get what you pay for with Harbor Freight. Would the Snap-On at 10x the price have been worth it? I think it depends on what you think your time is worth [...] There is karma in this world and you do get what you pay for.

If anyone else is into kitting out there garages and work-benches, you might enjoy this web site:
www.ultimategarage.com
https://www.ultimategarage.com/about.htm
Steve has been a fantastic source of knowledge on all things related to garage tools, equipment, construction, and supplies for 20+ years I've bought things from him.
And that was before I met him in person!

 

[Joshua F Thomas]

People will pay a premium for life-time replacement and quick service? Who woulda thunk it?

 

[manixFan]

"You never regret buying quality" "I'd rather buy expensive once than cheap three times" "A cheap tool that breaks when you need it becomes very expensive" Etc.

On the other hand, buying something like Snap On for casual weekend use around the house may not be the best use of resources. I do believe in quality, but I also believe in suitability. If a Craftsman toolset is good enough to handle my household chores, spending a lot of extra money on a tool I won't benefit from does not seem like a good use of my money. I have two rolling metal tool chests, a Craftsman and a Dewalt. I bought both on sale and they have worked well. I've heard the biggest issue with very inexpensive ones is that the drawers can't handle a lot a weight before the runners start having issues.


Tony

 

[tsmmiller]

"You never regret buying quality" "I'd rather buy expensive once than cheap three times" "A cheap tool that breaks when you need it becomes very expensive" Etc.

On the other hand, buying something like Snap On for casual weekend use around the house may not be the best use of resources. I do believe in quality, but I also believe in suitability. If a Craftsman toolset is good enough to handle my household chores, spending a lot of extra money on a tool I won't benefit from does not seem like a good use of my money. I have two rolling metal tool chests, a Craftsman and a Dewalt. I bought both on sale and they have worked well. I've heard the biggest issue with very inexpensive ones is that the drawers can't handle a lot a weight before the runners start having issues.


Tony

You right on here. As I posted above, all my tools are now home. I am not allowed to turn a wrench any longer since moving into QA, that and the elimination of FOD, all personal tools were removed and replaced by company owned.
While my Snap-On and Max served me professionally Craftsman was all I had at home. My garage now has one Professional Mac tool box and two Craftsman. When the BIL wants to work on his car I open the Craftsman for him. It has all the metric stuff anyway.
The MAC still stays locked.

 

[jd2cylman]

Here’s one other reason I buy Snap On tools. Open end wrenches. Buy a Craftsman or cheaper wrench and compare the flex in the open end. When you can only use an open end to loosen a very tight fastener, the Snap On wrench will do the job without rounding off the hex. The other brands will spread and round off the hex. Do that a couple of times and the Snap On wrench pays for itself.

 

[Maxitout]

I spent almost 30 years as as auto mechanic. Good tools were really important. Something like Snap-On, Mac, or Matco are well-made, and have advantages over other tools. when I started, a Craftsman wrench was a good tool, but it had a rough finish, and was a little clunky. Due to clearance issues, some of those would not be able to go on a nut or bolt, while a Snap-on, (or one of the others) would. Unfortunately, after I left that business, I put my too boxes in storage. Somebody broke in, and all they stole were my tools, almost $15,000 worth.
Now, I'm afraid I may have to do it all again, I volunteer at an air museum in the restoration dept. Phil L.

 

[Maxitout]

Forgot to mention that I never bought a new tool box. Usually, the tool guy would have a good deal on an experienced tool box, so that's what I did. Never paid more than about $400, but remember, this was almost 25 years ago.....

 

[jd2cylman]

I bought one new Snap On toolbox so far. The current one I have now. Got a great deal on it. The rest were trade-ins. The bottom box is the new one. The top box I had on a bottom box that was the same size previously. Needed a little more room.

 

[manixFan]

I bought one new Snap On toolbox so far. The current one I have now. Got a great deal on it. The rest were trade-ins. The bottom box is the new one. The top box I had on a bottom box that was the same size previously. Needed a little more room.

Wow, that's a toolbox. Needs a beer can for scale.


Tony

 

[jd2cylman]

Wow, that's a toolbox. Needs a beer can for scale.


Tony

And mine is small compared to what they offer now. But eventually I’ll have to organize it better to make room for a lot of the tools that are on my SVC truck. New company believes that if you have a SVC truck, you’re on the road all the time. No working in the shop unless it’s dead slow. So for now I’m still the main field service mechanic. They are trying to hire a full time field mechanic. Then I’ll be back-up. And when they decide to retire my truck, I’ll stay in the shop full time. I like field service, but I also like the variety of both. But since I’m gonna be 54 this year, I’m ready to work in a warm shop in the winter...

 

[jd2cylman]

Wow, that's a toolbox. Needs a beer can for scale.


Tony

Also forgot to show you this...
It’s a chest style fridge/freezer. Top opens up. Won it from the previous Snap On dealer in a drawing. Keep it in the GF’s garage. My garage was too small.
Tony, 5 gallon bucket for scale...

 

[Maxitout]

Forgive the pun, but that is pretty cool!

 

[jd2cylman]

Forgive the pun, but that is pretty cool!

And useful. The well water at the GF’s house is horrendously sulfur smelling and full of iron. Even after going through the water softener. So the chest fridge is full of bottled water. There might be a barley pop or two in there, I don’t touch the stuff
Now vodka...

 

[manixFan]

Also forgot to show you this...
It’s a chest style fridge/freezer. Top opens up. Won it from the previous Snap On dealer in a drawing. Keep it in the GF’s garage. My garage was too small.
Tony, 5 gallon bucket for scale...

Wow, that is quite the prize! Very impressive. Nice that it works out for your GF as well, great use of the cooler. Plus, I bet all of her girlfriend's boyfriends or husbands are jealous as well.

Tony

 

[tsmmiller]

I bought one new Snap On toolbox so far. The current one I have now. Got a great deal on it. The rest were trade-ins. The bottom box is the new one. The top box I had on a bottom box that was the same size previously. Needed a little more room.

Mine doesn’t even compare.
One of the guys in my previous employment had several boxes stacked.
I am 6’4” and even I had to stand on a foot stool to reach the top box. That in my opinion was a bit of overkill.
This also reminds me of a little practical joke and a brand spanking new Snap On tool box.
Maintenance guy had just purchased a massive stacked Limited Edition box. It was gloss black and lots of Chrome.
He had rolled it into the shop to work on our test bench, leaving it for lunch.
I had discovered that the Teflon tape we use, dark brown in color, if you cut it in really fine strips, you could fake a deep scratch.
Get where this is going?
I cut a 2 1/2 foot piece and placed it on the side of his box, then moved a couple of wire baskets to close proximity.
When he came back from lunch we all just sat back and watched.
He walked up and saw the “scratch.” His face went three shades paler and a f me escaped his lips. We all just laughed. When he touched it he realized of course it was fake.
It‘s been over 20 years since I did that. He still shakes his head every time we pass one another.

 

[prfesser]

People will pay a premium for life-time replacement and quick service? Who woulda thunk it?

I guess my concern is the SIZE of the premium. At Lowes, a $200 item generally offers two years of replacement insurance. for $20-30. For Snap-On, a $2000 item (tool chest) plus an additional $9000+ for that that kind of service or insurance? Seems a bit much to me, but maybe I'm over reacting.

 

[lakeroadster]

I'm a Craftsman guy. Worked at Sears back in the late 1970's when I was a teenager. Started buying tools then. I've had them ever since and if something breaks the replacement is free.

 

[Conway Stevens]

35 years experience as an tech in the automotive repair industry. Worked for GM , Toyota and others. Prefer independents. Working at independent ownership shops means you work on all makes all models. I work in vehicles as old as 1905 and as new as 2020. I work on gas, diesel, electric, hybrid, alcohol powered vehicles cars trucks. Doesn't matter if its a gm, Toyota or a European car/truck. This means you will need more tools to do the job. More tools mean more storage. When your in the industry its important to have tools that help you. Don't break everytime you use it, don't break your knuckles, do the job and then some to support the abuse you will put your tools through. Not all infact most cheaper tools won't work long enough. Some tools are great for the hobbyist, the diy'r or someone not using that tool daily 1000 times a day. Snap on. Matco. Cornwell and Mac all offer tools to do this. They also offer service others dont. Thats huge. They show up at my shop. Finance me no interest on truck. Sell me a premium tool and warranty with great support. As far as tool boxes. Seen some guys try to use cheap tool boxes. And they just aren't meant to handle being open and closed 1000 times a day. Support 1000s of lbs of weight thats in them. They dont handle being moved with said weight in them. There is a huge difference in quality, strength and longevity. But.... I prefer to spend my money on tools. And buy a tool box second hand from either repo boxes that snap on has to recover. Or guys getting out after buying them. I probably have close to $90 to $100k in tools alone. Lots of special tools to do specific work and tasks. Tools only offered by the main tool vendors. One of my scan tools alone was $12k and with so much becoming software you need multiple units. The box prices are expensive. But you do pay for what you get in quality. If you take one of those husky, or others cheap tool boxes in a shop environment filled with my tools and used like they are in a shop environment it wouldn't last 3 years. Snap on boxes will last you a lifetime in that same environment. Most people won't see the value in them that aren't in the profession. Most the less expensive boxes and tools work great for people not using them the way we do in my industry. At home use is much easier in tools.

 

[jd2cylman]

35 years experience as an tech in the automotive repair industry. Worked for GM , Toyota and others. Prefer independents. Working at independent ownership shops means you work on all makes all models. I work in vehicles as old as 1905 and as new as 2020. I work on gas, diesel, electric, hybrid, alcohol powered vehicles cars trucks. Doesn't matter if its a gm, Toyota or a European car/truck. This means you will need more tools to do the job. More tools mean more storage. When your in the industry its important to have tools that help you. Don't break everytime you use it, don't break your knuckles, do the job and then some to support the abuse you will put your tools through. Not all intact most cheaper tools won't work long enough. Some tools are great for the hobbyist, the diy'r or someone not using that tool daily 1000 times a day. Snap on. Matco. Cornwell and Mac all offer tools to do this. They also offer service others dont. Thats huge. They show up at my shop. Finance me no interest on truck. Sell me a premium tool and warrant with great support. As far as tool boxes. Seen some guys try to use cheap tool boxes. And they just aren't meant to handle being open and closed 1000 times a day. Support 1000s of lbs of weight thats in them. They dont handle being moved with said weight in them. There is a huge difference in quality, strength and longevity. But.... I prefer to spend my money on tools. And buy a tool box second hand from either repo boxes that snap on has to recover. Or guys getting out after buying them. I probably have close to $90 to $100k in tools alone. Lots of special tools to do specific work and tasks.

I wish I only had $100k in tools. Having to have a full set in the shop and a fuller set on the truck adds up to some serious coin... Now with the new company buying us out, I have to re-inventory everything and come up with a list for insurance. Gonna take a day or two...

 

[David Schwantz]

I also have a large Snap-On work station. It is second to none. Worth every penny. I still own and use Blue Point. The guys that have them now what the are. My first Snap-On box was bought in High School, I am now 60, 43 years over service. Not going to get that from cheap stuff. So think about it, $1200 investment over 43 years = $27.90 per year.
But can nobody admit the real reason you buy Snap-On.

 

[Woody's Workshop]

Working as a professional auto body tech for 20 years, if you didn't own a Snap-On tool box you were considered 3rd class. It is definitely a status symbol everyone thinks you need to have if your a professional.
While I flipped for a box, I didn't buy much else from Snap-On. What I did buy from the dealer were Hutchens Air Tools for body work. I did by a couple pick hammers with the Snap-On logo on them because it was the only place I could get that specialty hammer. However, Snap-On did not make them, but sole them exclusively.
Snap-On is American made. Very tough tools, highly finished. Look at the finish on a Snap-On wrench and a Craftsman Wrench. Same warranty. Put a cheater bar on both and Craftsman will bend or break where Snap-On's won't.
Snap-On will finance you, and most local truck dealers will give you time payments on less expensive items interest free.
We had Snap-On, MacTools and Cornwell in our area that where there every week. Some others that would stop in on occasion. I mostly bought from Corny. Bought all my S-K Chrome and Impact sockets and accessories from him. And all my I-R Air Tools from him too. While the other guys drove around in brand new trucks, Corny had a refurbished Snap-On truck. He put the 5th motor in it before I got out of it, and he soon retired after that. Now some lady drives around this area in a NEW Corny Truck. Debt.
A lot has to do with the area your in as well. Some large cities around the country will pay over $30 an hour so they can keep them. While here in rural America, you are lucky if see 1/2 that. Having is directly related to being able to afford it.
While I made pretty good, and I didn't buy all top end tools, just good tools...I figured I spent about 1/4 of my gross income over the years for tools.
Snap-On does seam to retain resale value better than the rest, I will say that.
Oh, and that guy that was selling the box...
Snap-On runs promotions on occasion for over stocked items. If you pay cash, you get 50% off.
While he was selling a new never used box that was $12,000 for $8000.
He probably was making $2000, and if he sells it fast enough he probably will turn around and buy another.
Snap-On IS a good investment, if your income warrants it.
It's like a house. You can't buy a 3 story house if all you can afford is a mobile home!

 

[Conway Stevens]

I wish I only had $100k in tools. Having to have a full set in the shop and a fuller set on the truck adds up to some serious coin... Now with the new company buying us out, I have to re-inventory everything and come up with a list for insurance. Gonna take a day or two...

Its taken me 35 years of spending money to get that amount of tools.

 

[rocketsaway]

I was a professional mechanic for 22yrs. Diesel and gas. Everything except aircraft and railroad. In the 1970s, my 1st tool sets and top box were Craftsman.
I called them knucklbusters. Replaced w/ Snap-On, Mac some Matco. 90% tools were Snap-on. Impact sockets were Mac.
All pneumatic tools were Snap-On, except for the 1/2" drive, Ingersol Rand. That 1/2" was a beast and was heavy, unlike the pneumatics today. Sold that for $50.
It would take lug nuts off Mack trucks.

Sold almost everything last yr. The bottom Snap-On box, similar to jd2cylman's was sold for what I paid in the late 80s on Craigslist. All Snap-On tools were sold on Ebay, with no problem and top dollar. Replaced all my pneumatics w/ Milwaukee portables.
If purchasing any pneumatics, make sure there are repair kits available. A internal seal kit was still available for the 40yo IR.

I still have the vintage 1976 Craftsman top box and noticed its much heavier than a new Craftsman. Older boxes better steel.
And kept the Craftsman socket and wrench sets.

Snap-On 3/8" wobbler sockets were my best tools. They held their stiffness forever. MAC impact wobblers lost their stiffness.
All my impacts were Mac. Why pay more for impacts.
Craftsman tools dont hold value. Dont buy used Craftsman singles, only buy the sets. New singles are inexpensive enough.
Do not buy any chinese tools, what so ever.. HF, etc.
Not sure about Kobalt tools quality.
Flat rate mechanic, etc buy Snap-On tools. Time is money. The wrenches gripped nuts, bolts heads real good so you dont slip in a tight spot.
Snap On wrenches and sockets, and some MAC wrenches, are thinner and stronger, able to get into tight places and grip. Craftsman are bulkier.

For home use I personally would not buy Snap-on. Good luck getting a warranty. If you try warranty w/ a Snap-on dealer, they frown on it because youre not a regular paying customer.

I did my last repair on vehicle this yr. Replaced a lower ball joint on a 4x4. Im done w/ repairs.
I have 2 different mechanics now. One is for grunt work. He does work cheap. Brakes, head gaskets, exhaust, tires, suspension, etc. The other shop is for diagnostics. Computer, A/C, technical, etc. More expensive, but he's smarter and gets it right the first time.

 

[JohnCoker]

Sounds like there is no answer to whether it's "worth it" unless you're a professional and can put a cost on downtime. For me, this is all hobby so it becomes entirely subjective and all I can say is I take pleasure in using fine things, tools very much included.

 

[jd2cylman]

Its taken me 35 years of spending money to get that amount of tools.

I started out with all Craftsman tools in 1983ish. Including tool boxes. 1/4” drive through 3/4” drive sockets. As I needed more specialized tools, I needed more space. So a lot of my equity was in trading up. Traded my Craftsman boxes for used Snap On ones. Traded my used Snap On boxes for bigger used Snap On boxes until I had good enough value to get a great deal on the new bottom box I currently have. A lot of the Craftsman tools got traded along the way. But still have some. Still have my 3/4” Craftsman socket set. Broke a socket last year. Took it to a lone remaining Craftsman stocking Sears store and exchanged it no problem. However, the USA made one I broke is now a “made in China” thicker replacement. I’m sure the socket breaking had nothing to do with the 36” Snap On ratchet handle...