Best brand or best bang for the buck? I'm trying to get my first tool set might it be snap on or craftsman. My friends say craftsman is equally just as good as snap on it's just snap on is a name brand so its more expensive. And i currently have no tools and plan on working on my car daily trying to be a mechanic.(17 years old) what brand and how much to spend on first tool set? or tools? my friends getting a snap on starter set for 2k.

 

get what you can afford, especially since your just tinkering on your own car. If you ever get a job as a real mechanic worry about getting better stuff then.

 

Snap on is expensive
Craftsman is a good value and theyre products have a lifetime warranty. When you break something, you can just go to sears and exchange it no questions asked. Matco is also good and cheaper than snap on.

From what i hear you have to go through a dealer or ebay for craftsman.

 

there are millions of mechanics who don't have enough money to get all of the snapon tools. no way a 17 year old kid starting out messing with cars and be able to buy it.

IE. a set of snapon 3/8 sockets goes for $200-300 vs. craftsman $40-50.

don't forget you need deep socket, metric, standards (if you work on domestic), 1/4 sets, 1/2 sets.

that's just sockets lol.

mechanics who have all snapon are usually +$20k in debt (which i personally know) and he still don't have half of what snapon offer.

 

Snap-On warranties all tools without question and there are no limitations that I know of. Craftsman warranties the use of tools for non commercial purposes so if you work with these tools for a living do not count on getting replacement tools from Craftsman.

 

This may not be the most professional setup, but i am very happy with my Husky professional series $100 Mechanic set. The quality isnt the greatest, having previously worked with snap-ons and craftsmans, it is obvious to tell the quality isnt the same but you cant be the price. They also have a lifetime warranty and will replace the whole set if one piece brakes.

What i dont have in the set i got craftsman b/c of availbility and price

 

If you really want to save money, only buy metric tools. you won't use standard tools on any honda/acura so dont waste money on those big metric/standard sets. here's a site i use till this day, and i work at a honda dealer. http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net. they have great stuff.

if you're not going to use your tools as a career this is the best place to start. only snap-on stuff i have are wrenches because they're honestly the best. the rest i buy from that site or matco.

when i started working on hondas in my backyard i had metric 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" ratchets/sockets 8-19mm and 32mm, assortment of extension, pliers, pry bars, screwdrivers, a hammer, and a 24" 1/2" breaker bar. that's it. and i was able to do swaps and regular maintenance to my cars.

so if you're working on cars for yourself, that'll run you around $500 for a setup like that.

 

if your just tinkering with your own car...buy craftsman, and maybe pick up a few snap on tools (1/4 ratchet, 3/8 ratchet, and a set of 3/8 shallow and deep sockets) and get everything else craftsman.

every tool in my toolbox is snap on...I don't even want to think about total investment in tools...**** just this year (since jan 1) I am over 5k in snap on tools and I have been doing this for a living for 10+ years

but I can tell you if you are doing this everyday snap on is the way to go

 

I started with matco and im going to continue with matco. Ive tried craftsman and snapon and personally dont like either. Dont like the feel of anything craftsman has, and snapon is just too god damn expensive. Never tried Mac so cant say anything about them. But this is just my opinion.....

At the tool show for school, i browsed through all the bigger companies and some offbrand new companies. Matco was comparing their 60 tooth ratchets to snapon along with their extremely well built tool boxes. Sadly all snapon had to say was "you get what you pay for" and said nothing about whats so special about their tools comparied to everyone else.

But for your average (not touching cars for a living) backyard "mechanics" go with craftsman or whatever is cheapest.

If you are on a really tight budget, check out harbor freight and other off brand tools. Dont compare your box to lifetime mechanics who have been there forever. They have a good $20-30g's invested in tools/boxes. Every "mechanic" starts out somewhere, doesnt really matter where you start, its just whether or not you are happy with what you have at the end of the day. All the brands will get the job done, just some have a different feel to it.

At my work, the mechanics there have a variety of everything as far as brands go and they have been there for 20 years.

BTW OP theres a couple big threads about tool brands somewhere in here

 

im a tech and most of my tools are craftsman......nothing wrong with the tools.....they get the job done and they offer a lifetime warranty just like everyone else.

snap-on tools are good. just extremely over priced

mac tools are ok. over priced...some of MAC's tool are more expensive than snap-on's.

depends who you talk to and what you plan to use them for.....generally if you can afford the expensive stuff then go for it.....but at the end of the day they all do the exact same thing

 

i'm a tech as well.. personally I have a ton of snap on tools and franikly I think i have spent way too much money on my box/tools. I also have a ton of craftsman tools and I find that they work some-what as well as snap on. My snap on tools usually feel stronger and have a longer life than crapsman. But if your 17 and looking for your first kit I definately recommend craftsman, you dont need snap on stuff man. Snap on is for people who do this stuff for a living.

 

IF YOU LIVE IN CANADA... BUY mastercraft maxium, im first year apprentice..

to me sockets can be craftsman/ mastercraft
certain tools like impact guns.. get snap on, IR, CP, MAC tools

just my personaly experience..
dont buy the whole set of snapon .. when u really just need the 17mm?? correct??
only buy snapon when you use it on more than a daily basis.. say more than 50 times!! swivels are a must snapon..

 

A little more expensive than craftsman but still less expensive than snap-on is gearwrench...I like their sockets because they are the open top, and what I mean by that is if you have a long bolt with a nut at the bottom etc, the whole socket and ratchet slide all the way over and you can get the job done.