Snap-on vs Craftsman (Timing Lights)

Both Crapsman and Strap-on tools can be returned for a new tool, but Crapsman tools do go back while the later are less likely to. Besides, the strap-on salesman will not only come to your house, but he will buy you a beer when he sees you and the crapsman salesman can't afford one for himself.

I don't know whether they are any better than any other tool out there, but I remember a time when they were **only** available off the back of the Snap-on truck which would travel from shop to shop. The dealers even ran a tab in many cases, so it became very easy to acquire tools. I think the fact that they were exclusive, convenient (as in personal service) and accommodating allowed them to be branded as the best tools available and consequently charge a premium.

Looks like another home-run up to the marketing department.

GaryT

Snap-on delivers to your (usually commercial) garage. For the tradesman they offer financing and time payments plus have super warranty for those that need to use that tool every day to make a living. Its like a white shirt and red tie for a businessman -- a status symbol that says you are a professional mechanic. If you only use it once every six months or year then I'd just get a cheap one from Advance Auto or Harbor Freight. Get one with inductive pickup - and replaceable bulb.

jjs' attitude toward both brands of tools suggests that his toolbox is filled with MIC brand hand tools. As in, Made in China. Feh.

My opinion is that Craftsman hand tools (those not requiring power, such as electricity or gasoline) are more than good enough for the home mechanic. Seems that they also are trying to innovate; I've recently seen some new wrenches that are box end ratchets that have a lever which allows you to switch from tighten to loosen without removing the tool from the nut/bolt. Kinda cool.

When exchanging a broken Craftsman hand tool with the lifetime warranty, my experience has always been very good. If you find a Craftsman tool at a yard sale or whatever, and it's cheap, buy it. The warranty still applies.. no receipt needed.

You asked about timing lights. My experience with Craftsman powered tools isn't better than other brands. The warranty is not lifetime on these tools; usually you get one year.

Snap-On is targetted to the professional. That's another reason they're more expensive.

-Rob

jjs wrote:

I guess it's like owning a Harley.  "If I have to tell you, you wouldn't understand" Actually, if you work with these tools "professonally", you would be able to tell alot of difference at the end of the day.  For the "hobbist"(sp?), craftsman is just fine, unless you want to impress people.   Jim "Karls Vladimir Peña" wrote: Hey guys (and gals), have you noticed the huge price difference beetween Snap-on and almost every other brand of timing lights out there? Craftsmans go for anything around 50-80 dls, and Snap-on STARTS at 200 dls. What do these snao-on things do? do they make your engine double its horsepower? for that price they should. Is anyone outhere with a reason to buy snap-on tools? I have no reference since my only snap-on tools are a set of screwdrivers.

On Fri, 05 Dec 2003 07:05:14 -0800, Rob J scribbled this interesting note:

Most everyone has some of these...

"Good enough." I have owned many different brands of tools over the years, from brand new, top of the line stuff to cheap and inexpensive. In my experience you get what you pay for (and if you are an informed shopper this does not necessarily mean paying a higher price.) The biggest reason to buy from Sears as opposed to Snap-On or Mac or Matco is when you need to return a tool (note I said when, not if, because if you really use your tools you will occasionally break one no matter who made it!:~) at least you don't have to chase down the Sears Store!:~)

Then you are lucky. Most every time I've had to return a tool to Sears they no longer make that exact version of it and instead try to stick me with a less expensive version. To me this is not a "Lifetime Warranty." To me this is a version of bait and switch.

Yes they are marketed to the professional. That isn't why they are more expensive. They cost more because they are better tools in general, and that is what makes them more expensive since, as we all know quality takes time and time is money and that is what increases the cost to the end user. One example is the ratcheting screwdriver Snap-On sells. I've broken tips out of these things countless times, but I've never broken the ratchet inside. I can't say the same for any other variety of ratcheting device I've ever owned. These screwdrivers sell in the $30 range USED. New they are between $40 and $50. And the extra price is worth it to me. In fact I'm always looking for another one to put in the tool box just so I can have extras.

The moral of the story is always the same. No difference what you are buying. Purchase the best example you can find of what you are looking for at the least cost.

-- John Willis (Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)

craftsman has served me well for close to 25 years. i have not broken a single tool yet. (mostly car tools) reasonably priced and will last a very long time. mine have seen many cars, bicycles, lawn mowers, etc.

a mechanic friend of mine told me that the ratchets are a good deal only because they last longer than the others before needing a rebuild. but then again, he uses them every day, all day long and then at home on his vws.

a good tool is worth the money. crappy tools are worthless by the time i buy them, they break prematurely, and then i have to go to the store and buy the tool again.

snap on for me?? nah. don't have the extra moolah, and i don't use them every day, all day long either. my kids will be able to use the tools i have when they are adults. a decent timing light will do just as good as the gold plated model for the average hobbyist.

just my 2 cents worth

I've owned both tools sets and I can assure you that I do like Craftman tools very well. Not only for the convenience of returning a broken tool to Sears when needed instead of trying to track down a Snap-on dealer or truck and end up buying a cheap tool just to get by until you can return the snap-on that broke. I have never been questioned by Sears when returning a tool like: "how did you break it" because we all know that screwdrivers function in many other ways than just turning screws, and at times they break.... I can't always say that about Snap-on. Sears timing lights have a 1 year warranty unlike the lifetime warranty of their hand tools. My 2 cents on the timing light... whatever brand you get try to invest in one with 0-60 degree advance feature.

Narley Dude®

...never broken a wrench....hmm....of any make....have had a snap-off one get so rounded on the inside that it wa suseless and had to return it. I have broken snap on ratchets, and breaker bars. I have broken the same items of other brands as well. I think snap-off tools are well made, but severely over priced. If you use em every day they

...Gareth

On Sat, 06 Dec 2003 02:49:47 GMT, Narley Dude® scribbled this interesting note:

And you want the inductive timing light, not the kind with the little spring thingy that will eventually shock the hell out of you when you forget and try to take it off while the engine is still running....not that I would ever do such a thing as that!:~)

Seriously, I've broken almost every kind of tool. The ones I haven't broken are just the ones that I'll eventually break since I usually exceed the capacity of most of my tools. Sometimes you just have to make do with what you've got on hand. Sometimes this strategy will work and sometimes that socket will shatter. Chances are the Craftsman socket will not out perform the Snap-On when you really will need it most. Which is why I believe every good tool collection will consist of some tools that are there to be used and abused and others that are there to simply do the job correctly day in and day out. I know my garage has quite a number that fit into both categories.

-- John Willis (Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)

If you were a union mechanic, in a union shop, in a union town, you would not speak to people who bought tools made in a non-union shop, or sold in a non-union store.

Same here. Crafstman tools are not as good as they used to be - the metal isn't as strong. Yes, I've broken a few myself and stripped out sockets galore(tends to happen why you use pipes as levers on big nuts and bolts). The free replacement policy is good, though, but I'd rather not have it break in the middle of a job.

My father has an old set of Klein sockets - must be 20 years old. The driver outlasted three sets of Craftsman ones. I'd rate it as comparable to Snap-On. It will literally strip the sockets before the bearings fail.

Me? I'm of the one set and forget it mindset. Honestly, a few thousand dollars once in your life is a pretty easy expense if you get them while you are still young.

Dont buy cheap tools...

I have a craftsman timing light and it still works fine after 20 years. If you take care or your tools and dont severly abuse them they will last a long time.

i have been known to break ratchets by beating them with a hammer... and mushrooming an extension using it as a drift and screwdrivers as prybars... lol

--

Pe??????????????????????????????" wrote:

So where are Craftsman tools made?

My first thoughts when I read that, were and still are "Screw em".

Randy

On Sat, 06 Dec 2003 06:39:58 GMT, Michael Kelly scribbled this interesting note:

Am I the only one who fails to understand the relevance of this statement?

-- John Willis (Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)

I understand what he is trying to say. It is all about the economy. The old-world union mystique was to promise that every factory worker in the USA would have a guaranteed job with mandated protections from the shop owner's avarice. It did help a lot during the early days and made for more reasonable conditions. Unfortunately, its socialist base didn't mix with the avarice of the third-generation American union worker and they demanded pay scales beyond all reason, and when the US economy soured in the sixties it went to hell.

Is there a all-union town in the USA today?