Tools of choice?

[BigEarl325is]

Just interested to know what kind of tools you do-it-yourselfers out there use. My father just built a garage and he has some old tools but I know he'd like to get some nice new ones so I figured we'd kinda buy em together. So I was wondering what all you prefer. Snap-On, Craftsman... what'll it be?

 

[frolf]

Snap-On
_________

Craftsman

 

[Tigas Bud]

Been buying Allen box wrenches, made in USA, thinner and longer than Craftman. Craftsman is good but not as strong as others.
Have Proto crescent style and they are better than any other adjustable I've used.
Also buy SK when I need something specific.
If I made my living turning wrenches it would be Snap-on or Mac Tools in the box.

 

[carcus]

Craftsman, life time warranty from Sears.....can't beat that. But I use any tool that works, even if it is cheap.

 

[BigEarl325is]

Yeah I just recently did a lot of work to my car and I used ALL Snap-On tools. They're so great. They're strong and they're chromed so they clean REAL easy. I also used craftsman (about a week later) and I couldn't STAND them. The ratchet kept letting go of the socket and it was just a pain in the neck. I'm probably still just gonna get Craftsman because they're cheap and have a life-time warranty but I was hoping they're something in the middle. Remember, I don't know a whole lot about the brands of tools so if you could be a little more clear about what you said Tigus Bud, that would help

 

[Tigas Bud]

I had the same experience with my Craftsman 3/8 drive first year living at the lake. My wife was helping me put in a dock, a bee buzzed by, she took a swing with the socket wrench and the deepwell 9/16 drive went flying off and was lost in the silt on the lake bottom. It was part of an extra long set and it's replacement is a good 3/4" shorter.

You can see about SK @ www.skhandtools.com
I found Allen on the web @ www.arizonatools.com
Craftsmancan be found by a redirect if you use www.craftsman.com
Proto is @ stanleyproto.com
Snap-On is @ snapon.com
Mac is @ mactools.com

Your experience speaks to my point. Snap-on, Mac, SK tools are standardly longer and thinner and nice and smooth compared to Craftsman tools. Since I'm constantly designing parts when there is a certain area I have to put a wrench or socket on the part for installation or adjustment I typically check tools to see if what I'm planning works for the installer. High end sockets are thinner wall, at least as strong and take less room to design clearances around therefore I tend to favor them.
My Proto crescent wrenches have a little snap like feature to them that has meant they keep the space constant on the adjustable setting as I take the wrench off to make the next twist. None of that annoying resetting or slipping each time you have to get on the nut.
Since Craftsman have a lifetime warranty put one on a 1/2-13 grade 8 bolt and nut and tighten. It used to be you'd find you will break the socket at someplace between 75 and 90 foot pounds. You won't do that with Snap-on or SK. Maybe it's better now... but it's 28 miles to Sears from here so I don't ask my Craftsman tools for that much. If you are just putzing around like me at home that's no big deal but if you are paid as a mechanic by what you fix you have no time to run out to Sears and get another socket that still won't take the 120 ft-lbs you need on the camshaft pulley on a Volvo.
I've been buying the Allen brand because they feel good and are available in the hardware store 3 miles from here. All these brands have lifetime warranty it just depends what you're asking your tools to do.
Make sure you don't ask something cheap to do more than you ask. It hurts and bleeds like hell when your wrench lets go and you hit your hand/arm.

 

[BigEarl325is]

Yeah, the cranshaft bolt on our M50 motors is torqued to 300 ft/lbs and get much strong the longer it sits there and builds corrosion around it. Needless to say we used Snap-On for that job...