I certainly believe in quality equipment when justified. But I know way too many mechanics that have never made more than $40K in a year that don't have a single dime in savings or retirement rolling around new $4-5,000 tool boxes. 
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New tool Box
- Thread starter 73 K5 Blazer
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DEMON44
Low-Tech Redneck
theres bad moneymen in every walk of life nothing you can do about that.
and if everyone waited till they where "financially secure" to buy a quality box, they'd all be 50..... better off buying it young, before life gets in the way...
$4,000 - $5,000 wouldn't touch my box.
Martin
Martin
I have 0 debt and an 11 grand box... can you say the same?
I don't have a single credit card, and my total debt is about $8,000. What ever you need to tell yourself though.
Martin
smalltruckbigcid
1/2 ton status
All of my stuff is paid for...well ok I owe the tool truck about $125...
Fabrimacator21
1/2 ton status
No point in arguing the value of snap-on and similar boxes... some people believe it's justified and others don't. At my previous job it was pretty much 50/50. We'd give the guys with 5k toolboxes crap about how much they paid for a wrench or tool and they'd give it right back. Sort of a agree to disagree thing. There was a kid rolling around a $5k cornwell box who had almost no tools to put in it because he couldn't afford it. 
For me....I'm just looking for a lifetime warranty that doesn't kill my wallet... I'd rather pay 30 bucks for a full set of wrenchs 3/8"-1 1/4" with a lifetime warranty(harbor freight) then pay 100 bucks for ONE snap-on 1 1/4 wrench. Sure I might break one, but I could have a ton of spares for the same price as 1 snap on wrench... I feel the same about their boxes.
I don't like crapsman boxes though.... I'll take a kobalt ball bearing box anyday over craftsman.
But again... thats just me. Everyones got their opinions.
For me....I'm just looking for a lifetime warranty that doesn't kill my wallet... I'd rather pay 30 bucks for a full set of wrenchs 3/8"-1 1/4" with a lifetime warranty(harbor freight) then pay 100 bucks for ONE snap-on 1 1/4 wrench. Sure I might break one, but I could have a ton of spares for the same price as 1 snap on wrench... I feel the same about their boxes.
I don't like crapsman boxes though.... I'll take a kobalt ball bearing box anyday over craftsman.
But again... thats just me. Everyones got their opinions.
DEMON44
Low-Tech Redneck
well that theory right there is the fundamental difference between an amateur/hobbyist and professional mechanic.................. {well I can buy 7 cheap china brand wrenches for 1 snapon wrench} until you spread the jaws for the last damn time and round the fastener and smash your knuckles. yup thats a great one.
there is no comparing a quality wrench (no matter the name) to a piece of crap.
what trade do you do actually? whats your mainstay tool? welder? something else. Do you buy brand name welding machines? or do you choose the piece of crap china welder because you prefer crap or you're just a cheap sob.
BTW I owe nothing on my tools either. in fact I just bought a 207 piece Mastercraft kit to shore up my fieldbox. nice junk, OK to lose in the field.
there is no comparing a quality wrench (no matter the name) to a piece of crap.
what trade do you do actually? whats your mainstay tool? welder? something else. Do you buy brand name welding machines? or do you choose the piece of crap china welder because you prefer crap or you're just a cheap sob.
BTW I owe nothing on my tools either. in fact I just bought a 207 piece Mastercraft kit to shore up my fieldbox. nice junk, OK to lose in the field.
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DEMON44
Low-Tech Redneck
I certainly believe in quality equipment when justified. But I know way too many mechanics that have never made more than $40K in a year that don't have a single dime in savings or retirement rolling around new $4-5,000 tool boxes.
my '07 and '08 guvment returns were each 6 figure. does that mean I should have a $20k tool box?
Desert Rat
Fetch the comfy chair
I have some debt and nearly a million dollar box. Wait, we are talking tools here aren't we? Damnit, sidetracked again by somebody who I hope doesn't come look over my shoulder. I have a Craftsman and for home use it has served me fine but I've found I have grown out of the size rather quickly. I also buy Craftsman tools and just take them back when they break. But, I would admit in a heartbeat that if I had the cash, I'd buy better quality. I think it comes down to what you can afford and what you can live with until you can afford it of you choose. Are those Snap-On ones magnetic though?....
I also had a buddy who was working a side job at some huge manufacturing plant. They folded up shop and he got to grab all kinds of stuff they offered up to the employees before they closed the doors. I could kick myself for not getting in on that deal. He picked up a couple of workbenches that were fantastic along with cabinets and of all things a huge steel cabinet that contained about every nut, washer, bolt, fastener, or other doo dad imaginable for free.
the people who dont feel its justified aren't making there living from a tool box. being a welder/fabricator is not the same as being a being a Mechanic its not even close.
answer me this: if your chinese wrench breaks in the middle of a project . how much lost revenue would there be in the time it took you to drive to sears or harbor freight and back??
its fine that you dont need a good box or tools no ones dogging you for that.
but you have no friggin clue what your talking about when you say good tools and boxes are a waste of money. that attitude is why theres so much made in china crap in this country today.
To the OP awesome score and neat idea
Fabrimacator21
1/2 ton status
well, see thats my point... I could buy 3 SETS of wrenches for the price of one snap on wrench. That means I'd have 2 back ups for 3/8" through 1 1/4 for the price of one snap on wrench... or say I got in a spot where I needed 2 open end/box wreches of the same size... I'd have em.
I've broke my fair share of bolts using those wrenches but never the wrench itself.
Don't get me wrong, if I had the money I'd buy snap on.... (thats my dream box and set of tools) but the question is do you NEED them to get the job done. I do alot of heavy equipment repair so the harbor freight peice of chit wrenches have had alot of tq on them including 1" impacts. I really don't see how busting a nut on a car is any different. Ever dissassembled a backhoe, bobcat, semi axle, feller buncher, combine, or $250k tractor? I have and it was all with harbor frieght wrenches. Like I said I broke bolts... but never wrenches. I'll go ahead and splurge for good air tools (especially impacts) and certain others that are a necessity and make the job go faster but not a ridiculously priced toolbox or wrenches. I've bent a 3/8" harbor freight wrenche (was my own fault... left it on the bleeder nipple and drove to autozone going "what the hell is that sound"
) and bent it back (not on the nut part). Had that been a snap on wrench it would have snapped because of their temper. Demon: in the case your talking about "spreading the jaws while rounding off a bolt".... well, hasn't happened... and honestly it shouldn't happen if your using the right tool for the job and haven't already rounded the nut/bolt off. Sometimes you have to bend a wrench to get into a spot. Can you do that with a snap? Or are you willing to cut it in order to get into a spot to prevent rounding off a bolt/nut? I'm not a cheap bastard (in some respects
) just more of a get the job done no matter what without unessary cost sort of guy.yellowK20 said:
If I have to pay 5k for a "made in america box" then whats the point?
That would be the "everyone has their own opinion part". Mine is obviously different. Okay so your draws open easy.... is that a necessity of the job? Just sayin man... I can grab a tool just as fast from a 500 dollar box as I can a 5k box. You can spend all day busting your knuckles under a car when it's 100* out but your willing to pay 4k more for a toolbox that opens a little easier? Thats your choice... Dont' take it the wrong way but do you see where I'm coming from? What is the justification other then bragging rights? Easy opening drawers is one, better casters is two...
Heres the deal... all I'm looking for is an explanation for the price. I honestly don't see how they can charge 5k for some sheet metal and drawers. I've walked into plenty of shops and seen 5k dollar toolboxes and 500 dollar boxes 20ft from em... like I said it's 50/50. Ask those two guys to do something and they'll get it done in the same amount of time. One guy may have had to pull harder on his drawers but thats about it. Met plenty of guys who've been wrenching for 30 years and still have the same POS crafstman they bought when they started. Also met plenty of guys who won't buy anthing unless it's snap... We give em chit about what they paid for their tools and they give us chit about what we didn't pay for em. For me, unless it's a necessity or within a reasonable price, I won't be buying it.
Sort of like the ferrari vz corvette deal... I can go faster for half the price so what exactly am I paying for? After all the whole point is to go fast right? If luxury is worth that much to you then it's worth that much to you. Doesn't mean everyone has to agree with it or that if they don't, they have no clue what they're talking about.
Yes I'm young but that doesn't mean I don't know what I'm saying here. Plenty of guys who've been turning wrenches all their lives who feel the same way. Notice all the guys that I've been arguing with have those 5k dollar boxes? Thats just how it goes... was the same way at my job. Some people feel it's worth it and others don't... I'm not telling anyone what they should or shouldn't do. If you want one and can afford it then have at it. More power to ya.
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DEMON44
Low-Tech Redneck
if you've never had the jaws spread on a cheap wrench. either you don't know what I'm talking about, you're liying, or you haven't had to use them nearly enough.
don't get me wrong. i have plenty of sets of cheap wrenches. but its not what I use everyday because they just don't standup.
don't get me wrong. i have plenty of sets of cheap wrenches. but its not what I use everyday because they just don't standup.
Fabrimacator21
1/2 ton status
nope, nope, and probably... I agree that 2 years is not enough time to know whether they'll hold up or not... but I have put some abuse on them and they took it.
Also fab shops are obviously different then mechanic shops but a large part of what I do is wrenching. If I did strip a bolt out, I'd just walk over to the the bin, grab a nut and plug weld it on. Maybe 5 minutes.
And if I were to actually take off and drive to harbor freight for another one I'd be out of a job. Most likely would end up trying the spares or borrowing a high dollar wrench.
Martin
Not to long ago I would have agreed that wrenches for the most part are wrenches. Now I work in a shop full time. I am the prick service manager but I still wrench. The biggest place I see the difference? Oil plugs. Even a half rounded plug and my snap on will grab and loosen since it will not spread. Cheap **** takes the corners off. Even craftsman is bad. I now use snapon everyday and put the rest in my truck for field repairs on the farm.
88LT1withplow
Registered Member
Some of the wrenches and sockets I have are over 25 years old and yes they are high dollar but spread the cost out over the years and it is not so bad. When working in the shop time is money and delays caused by cheap or inferior tools can and do cost money .As far as toolboxes and tools I tell all the new guys buy what you can afford and upgrade when you can afford. If you get a chance measure the inside of a craftman 1 inch wrench ,then a harbor fright , and then a snap-on. I bet you get three different readings with the snap-on being dead on (did this a couple of years ago).
