Why are expensive hand tools better than cheaper ones?

[Supercharged111]

Toyota is Japanese Chevy! Inexpensive and reliable!

Which is both good and bad.

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[SlowZ71]

I started out wrenching in the trucking industry with mostly craftsman tools, slowly upgraded to a mix of snap on, Matco and Cornwell. Everything works a little better depending on the use. Basically all snap on sockets now, got an extra long box end matco 14mm wrench with a flex ratcheting box end for Volvo turbo mounting nuts. I won’t buy something from a tool truck unless I perceive that I’ve got a need for it

 

[thinger2]

It really is all about spending your money on the tools that really matter.
A Snap-On or similiar ratchet is far better than a harbor freight.
A Snap On hammer is not worth the money and is probably made in China.
A good example.
My 10 ton porta power is harbor freight.
I bought it at a garage sale for 20 bucks.
It was normally about 180 or so.
My friend has a Snap- On ten ton.
They are identical. Same color same parts same case everything.
His was 680 dollars.
The only difference is his has a Snap-On sticker on the case and it came with a "free" hat.
Nope
Thats a 400 hundred dollar hat.
Put the money into the tools that make things easier.
Dont just buy it for the label.

 

[Hipster]

It really is all about spending your money on the tools that really matter.
A Snap-On or similiar ratchet is far better than a harbor freight.
A Snap On hammer is not worth the money and is probably made in China.
A good example.
My 10 ton porta power is harbor freight.
I bought it at a garage sale for 20 bucks.
It was normally about 180 or so.
My friend has a Snap- On ten ton.
They are identical. Same color same parts same case everything.
His was 680 dollars.
The only difference is his has a Snap-On sticker on the case and it came with a "free" hat.
Nope
Thats a 400 hundred dollar hat.
Put the money into the tools that make things easier.
Dont just buy it for the label.

The hf porto powers are junk, I've blown up both a 4 ton and a 10 ton before I bought a Porter Ferguson porto power. Blackhawk used to be a good name but not so much anymore. Otc used to make decent porto powers as well.

There different qualities and price points of tools coming out of China and what looks the same isn't necessarily the same but it can be quite a crap shoot on the tool trucks as well.

 

[MrPink]

I have a wide variety of tools, ranging from Snap-on to Craftsman and some HF/China brands. I use my Snap-on ratchets more than any other, but I sold my Snap-on/Blue Point ratchet wrenches in favor of the Gearwrench ones I have. I am looking to start getting more sockets in larger sizes. I have a list of things I need to buy tool wise.

 

[thinger2]

The hf porto powers are junk, I've blown up both a 4 ton and a 10 ton before I bought a Porter Ferguson porto power. Blackhawk used to be a good name but not so much anymore. Otc used to make decent porto powers as well.

There different qualities and price points of tools coming out of China and what looks the same isn't necessarily the same but it can be quite a crap shoot on the tool trucks as well.

Yep. I would never have bought it if it wasnt so cheap.
Im in the middle of what has turned into a multi year project to siesmic retrofit my house and garage.
Now that we cant get earthquake insurance anymore.

I used the porta power to push a corner of the garage back onto the foundation after the Nisqually earthquake and it was a fairly spooky thing to do.
Pressurized oil can really make for a bad experiance.

 

[grey wolf]

As others have mentioned, it really just depends what you need them for. For instance, if you're just wrenching on your own cars in your spare time, then you get the cheaper stuff. If you use your tools every day to make a living, you get the good stuff. Of course quality tools almost always feel better in the hand as well, and when you use them every day, that makes a difference.

That being said, for some things it's not necessary. Like a hammer for example, no need to buy a Snap-on hammer, pretty much any hammer (the right type of hammer of course) will do the same job just as well. I have a generic 2 pound hammer I got on sale from some local tool store that I use all the time, and it's better than any other hammer I've seen on the Snap-on truck. Other stuff, like screwdrivers for example, it pays to get something really good like Snap-on ones. The cheap crap just strips out the screws, or won't bite into them the same way.

 

[Erik the Awful]

I saw this video yesterday. Go straight to the 1:30 mark for the best advice.

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[Kchevys]

I am not a professional mechanic, if I were I would probably be more willing to purchase high end tools. I would consider myself an advanced DIYer. I cannot remember who turned me on to them but I have always had good luck with Tekton tools. Their sizing has been accurate and they have held up well.

 

[Schurkey]

If I broke one of my tools, I'd get it warrantied (if there was a warranty) and keep going. If I broke a tool, and saw blood, I'd get it warrantied (if applicable) then sell or give it away. I'd buy a quality tool for actual use.

I quit buying ****** tools mostly because I got tired of seeing my own blood. Cheap universal joints/universal sockets (swivels) were especially bad, and there were plenty of other "ooopsies". Open-end wrenches that spread-apart and slipped. Sockets that shattered. Ratchets that slipped on their gear-teeth. But there were two other reasons:

I got tired of the Craftsman Ratchet Merry-go-round; new ratchet, six months later, need a repair kit because the retainer ball wouldn't hold an extension or socket. Six months later, the friction ball is worn out again, but so are the teeth machined into the inside of the ratchet head. The repair kit doesn't fix that, so I get a new ratchet. Six months later, repair kit. Six months later, new ratchet. Craftsman was sold as "Professional" grade--and the USA-made stuff genuinely was pro-grade. But let's remember that APPRENTICES are professionals, they're just at the bottom-end of the professional ladder. Craftsman was "apprentice grade", and a great value for BEGINNERS and HOMEOWNERS. I have broken Craftsman USA sockets that I won't warranty because I'd rather have a broken Craftsman USA socket than a brand-new Crapsman Communist socket.

Warranty replacement of that ratchet wasn't costing me any significant money, but it was wasting my time, and I spent too much time working with a ratchet that was worn but not totally worn-out. Not confidence-inspiring.

I bought a pear-head ratchet from Snappy; and needed my first repair kit after 15 years of vigorous Pro use, plus five-ish years of hobby-shop use after I retired. I've got ten+ years on it since then, and it feels like new even though the chrome is pretty thin and dinged-up. Honest scars on a heavily-used ~35-year-old tool. Since then, I've bought a bunch of quality ratchets in various handle lengths, drive sizes, and with other configurations and features. Given a choice, I'll take a quality ratchet and a cheap socket over the other way around--until the socket gets so crappy that it damages the fastener. (That is NOT tolerated! It's also not the same as crappy or seized fasteners that are damaged during removal by adequate tools.) I've got plenty of junk ratchets, too--they're the ones I loan out, or put in the travel box so I don't cry if they get stolen. I still have that old Craftsman; but I can't remember the last time I used it.

Another reason is that cheap tool brands didn't have the selection of specialty stuff like there is now. Long-handle ratchets, long-pattern wrenches, stubby wrenches, mid-length sockets, extra-long or extra-short Allen sockets. Not to mention the specialty vehicle-specific sockets, wrenches, cam-sprocket holders, cooling-system or ignition or transmission or chassis/brake specialty tools. When I was buying the basics, and working professionally, the only way to get the weird stuff was to buy the expensive stuff.

Want very-good quality but don't want to pay "Tool Truck" prices?
Proto (be careful, some of the product line is imported) Proto and Mac are very similar, and both owned by Stanley.

Power Tools | PROTO

Our power tools are made to live on the jobsite. That’s where they’re tested. And if there’s a problem, it’s where we solve it. The result is tools that we can stand behind.

www.protoindustrial.com

Williams (be careful, some of the product line is imported) Williams is owned by Snap-On.

Williams Industrial Tools

Strong, trusted tools for industrial professionals focusing on safety, reliablity and productivity.

www.williams-industrial.com

Wright (far as I know, almost all is made-in-USA) Wright is a family-owned company. https://www.wrighttool.com/

I used to buy SK, but they were sold to the Communist Chinese last year. They had good tools, but I'm not buying any more from them unless I get it used/closeout.

Armstrong (out of business, you'd be buying used or B-stock/Closeouts) About the same level of quality as USA Craftsman, since they were the supplier of a large part of the Craftsman line; and the source for some older MATCO tools as well.

And spend some time at www.garagejournal.com/forum since there's a thread or two about "Tool Truck equivalent" tools--stuff you can buy from the manufacturer that's actually supplying Snappy, Mac, MATCO, Cornwell. You get the same tool, but perhaps with a different-color plastic handle and an unfamiliar name on the packaging. Warranty may vary from the Tool Truck, also. Note that this is not the same as buying a "Knockoff" tool, a low-budget, bottom-feeder that only LOOKS like the proper tool.

www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/the-truck-tool-equivalents-thread-gathering-data.136120/

The Truck Tool Equivalents Thread - Gathering Data

While searching for some good bang-for-the-buck tools, I've discovered that many of the tool truck brands can be purchased for about 1/2 price by going through their industrial brand. I'd like to use this thread to identify some of the most common brands and tools for easy reference. Here's my...

www.garagejournal.com