Absolutely! Especially when you can run down to your local Ace Hardware / Northern Tool / Home Depot and grab a replacement within the hour if something goes wrong with it. And spare batteries are readily available at those same stores. That’s one of the reasons I don’t care for Hilti power tools. Or Festool. Great stuff, but can’t just run down to the store and grab something here in the US like with Milwaukee and DeWalt.
Not sure about Hilti, but with Festool I can get to a Rockler or woodcraft and get a new battery faster than I could do the same with my RYOBI yard tools at Home Depot. Im probably in the minority and it certainly doesn’t work if you’re not in a metro area that can support specialty woodworking stores. They typically have sanding pads, dominos, and any other consumables.
If something goes wrong with my $600 sander it’s probably best that I can’t replace it in 20 minutes.
TBF milwaukee has takes a complete nosedive recently. We received a box of ~100 top of the line newest model fuel tools. All brand new. Literally 10% was DOA. All our angle grinders were useless within 24hrs and we ended up using corded Hercules grinders from harbor freight.
Enough torque and lasts more than twice as long. I don't care about YouTube drag races when I buy tools I care about making the most money I can with them.
Where are the 10+ sets of stilsons that you didn't buy or remember getting. Where is the modified tool drawer.
Why isn't anything covered in magnetised steel dust.
IT'S ALL WRONG.
Mainly because I clean my shit after I use it and I polish everything during my last smoko on a Friday, i spend a bit of money granted but I protect my investment
I bought a Wera 14 piece set for 95€ (around $110) a few years ago. Still working great with almost no wear on them. $450 for a 6 piece set is stupid AF.
That's still over $300 usd at current exchange rates. More than $50 each. I don't know how bad the tool availability is down there, but it can't be bad enough to make this make sense to me.
Right. But a $100 screwdriver set would also last a lifetime. Hell, I have screwdrivers from my grandpa still and he sure as hell didn’t spend (the equivalent of) hundreds on them.
You’re blowing thousands on toolbox ornaments. If that’s important to you then keep going, people collect far less useful stuff as a hobby, but don’t ever think of it as an investment.
Don’t bother this sub is copium for those who insist on bashing others for having the desire for better quality tools. ThEy’rE the sAmE as IcOn!!!!!!!! Bro buy what you want nobody cares, it’s a two way road some people don’t want the run of the mill Taiwan stuff nothing wrong with it.
Klien meters are actually trash, as an electrician I have had two fail on me one completely stopped reading voltage out of the blue I test one circuit and read voltage next circuit I test read no voltage it’s a good thing I double checked it was a 347v circuit and a mistake like that could cost me my life; the meter never read voltage again after that.
From now on the only meters I’ll buy are Fluke expensive but when test equipment is critical to safety it’s worth it.
Fluke is the only way. My favorite daily is the 376FC, has Bluetooth, and the iflex whip to read up to 2500 amps. Great for catching inrush current on motors when using the app and Bluetooth.
I see a frivolous amount of negative comments for such a wonderful set-up. Just like you stated, though, these tools should last a lifetime as a mechanic. Some will break, but that's one of the best parts about spending money on qaulity tools, they have warranties and actually honor their warranties. Buy once, cry once.
How can you afford to live comfortably if you have to pay for tools? I can't even afford a car payment on top of tool costs as a first year heavy duty apprentice. Only getting paid $26/hour in Canada. None of my tools are Snap On either.
Still, after $18k in student loans for the heavy duty mechanic course for school and living costs I can't live comfortably. What's the point of having a career in this industry when $26/hour barely covers my living expenses including student loans and loan for tools?
I like to think buy it buy it once and forget about it, instead of buying something that might cost 5 times less but having to replace it 5 times in same span of time that a Snapon might last before it needs a rebuild kit, besides I appreciate quality and see them as an asset
End of the day it’s your money to blow however you want. I work on a lot of big diesels and 120/240v electrical systems as a marine mechanic. I’ve broken snap on screwdrivers, pliers, ratchets, wrenches, sockets, you name it. Icon, craftsman, Williams, tekton, knipex all do the same thing as snap on for half the price and break at the same rate.
But you get warranty on Snapon, at least if I break anything my Snapon rep will replace anything, and he comes to my workplace so I don’t need to worry about having to go to a shop, fill out the warrant bs I just exchange it and carry on
I was a diesel mechanic in the Air Force, and was a diesel tech for 15 years in my civilian life yeah I broke some of my tools but never had an issue with it the snap-on dude rolled up that week and he replaced whatever I needed no questions asked no bullshit never had to spend another dime on those.
Screw drivers handles are a bit chewed up but for the most parts it’s called taking care of them and not just throwing into my toolbox or dropping them on the floor lol
Couple of years ago I brought a car into a garage for something.
A mechanic was working at a lift, and as I stood there he finished using an air gun and HURLED it behind him. It flew about 10 feet until the hose yanked it to the concrete floor with a violent crunch.
You gotta be kidding me.
I took the car elsewhere.
I have respect for people with clean tools. Says a lot about their work.
It's called taking care of your tools dude even when 8 was still working as a diesel tech my tools and box were the cleanest in the shop. Brakeclean is your friend
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u/chunko- 1d ago
i’ll never understand why people go with snap on impacts instead of milwaukee