$10,325.00 USD
Ten thousand three hundred and twenty five dollars.
Was the steel used in this box folded a thousand times and is strong enough to cut through tanks?
How do the Snap On salesmen get poor mechanics to pay this much for a tool box when the money could go 1/10 of the way on a fucking home mortgage instead? Why would the owner of a shop pay this much for a box? Do they hire the world's dumbest accountants to budget the cost of tools for them?
Unfortunately I think the only answer you'll get goes something like:
"if you actually used tools everyday then you would understand"
No one can ever seem to objectively say where the value comes from.
>>1015457
It's a combination of name brand, fanboyism, and the fact that all the tools come with a lifetime guarantee. Also, they deliver it right to the shop.
That said, a know a lot of mechanics who don't buy snap-on stuff because it's do expensive.
50% name and branding
50% lifetime warranty
50% banking on retards bandwagoning
>>1015455
lifetime warranty
>poor mechanics to pay this much for a tool box when the money could go 1/10 of the way on a fucking home mortgage instead?
As nobody has actually mentioned the real reason - HERE, TAKE IT NOW! PAY FOR IT LATER!! - its easy credit.
like mortgages, some credit is handy - but the Snap-On Jew basically just rolls up in his shiny truck, presses some vastly overpirced shiny sockets in the grubby mechanics hand, and says those immortal words "JUST PAY IT UP, ONLY A FEW DOLLARS A WEEK!"
Fuckers dont even look at the price - Snap-On reps do not fuck around wtih credit checks and shit either - everyone gets it, their bump rate is higher than average, but, as long as they are getting regular from the rest, the odd one can do a bunk, its priced in. And most mechanics will not be offered $10k toolboxes, sockets-n-shit does.
The aim is not to sell you something outirght, nor get you to pay it 100% off, but to keep you onhook, for whatever they think you can afford, every week/month, whatever.
Its the oldest trick in the book. And thats because it still works, every fucking time.
>>1015455
that shit will probably go for something crazy like $5k at auction
>>1015455
I bought two of these guys from harbor freight when I got Dad's tools.
Ive been incredibly happy with them for the two years ive had em
>>1015455
There are very high quality tools that create a lot of value and the resulting efficiency and reliability does payback. Take Hilti for example.
A toolbox does not do that.
I've got a piece of shit Stanley toolbox I got on sale from costco. 42", good ball bearing slides. Fuck paying 10k for something I paid less than 700 for, and works just as well
>>1015504
>>1015499
The really fucked up thing to me is that the people who advocate snap-on most are proletarian wage earners. If you are a the average master mechanic you are talking about 300+ hours of work to pay for that shit. If you are doing import cars and keeping 100% of the rate for yourself then you are still talking about 80+ hours of work.
My friend cracked an impact socket, and started ranting about how he needed to get rid of his shitty quality tools and buy a set of snap-on impacts. I wanted to tell him that he is an idiot for going to spend $400 on a socket set because he broke one socket and to just return it for warranty and get another, but I knew he would never listen.
>>1015485
This
They are very high quality tools.
The stuff is made in the USA which feeds into nationalism.
You have a tool truck guy show up, you get new toys to play with without paying for it up front
You have a tool truck guy show up and do your warranty for you.
Top of the line tools cost money no matter what brand.
People are willing to pay extra for the convenience of the tool truck guy, and the no questions asked credit the truck guy does.
Is it a good use of your money?
Well thats relative to anything.
Lot of these guys use these tools for their own cars, its their hobby as well as their job.
What I dont get is why people get so mad about people buying high end stuff. Doesnt really make sense to me.
>buying tools with money you don't have
Are you nuts?
>when equivalents exist for a tenth of the cost
Are you fucking stupid?
>paying ten grand for a toolbox
Are you going to live in it?
Mechanics aren't the sharpest tacks in the pack.
>>1015527
>everyone who has a credit card is a retard
lel
>>1015531
Did I say that?
You should have enough liquidity to your name to pay off short-term loans like credit card bills at a moment's notice. If you aren't paying off the statement amount, you are a fool. If you treat a credit card as anything but a convenience you deserve all that's coming to you.
>>1015535
Welp, I guess everyone who has taken a loan to buy a house is also an utter retard.
>>1015537
Not him, but he DID say short-term loans. Big stuff like a house or car make sense, many people couldn't afford them without a loan. But the fellow living in the ghetto buying a 60" flat screen on credit makes a lot less sense.
>>1015460
who the fuck needs a lifetime warranty on a box
>>1015554
Buying a full set of tools that will hold their value, that you plan on using for the next 50 years making your living. Thats different than Rent A Center televisions.
And the simple fact is, if something forseen did happen. You sell the tools back to him or someone else and you arent that far away from paying your debt off.
The circumstances behind tools are pretty unique.
Also, very few regular snap-on buyers pay for those big ass boxes.
You pay 1000$ for a regular sized box, when the Kobalt one at Lowes is almost 700$
>>1015502
>Hilti
muh nigga
I bought a snap on krl series box from my dealer for $3500 with stainless top and cover. The trick is to wait until someone trades theirs up and it becomes available second hand.. the box brand new with stainless top is 10K +.. I floated the balance on the truck and give him $80 a week interest free..
Hold on a minute - you mean the box is empty?
>>1015571
Why would you expect the toolbox to have tools in it?
If you are buying a gigantic tool chest, you already have a lot of money invested in tools.
>>1015570
>I bought a snap on krl series box from my dealer for $3500 with stainless top and cover. The trick is to wait until someone trades theirs up and it becomes available second hand
Are you me? This is exactly what I did.
>master series master race
>>1015460
The warranty is not even really needed.
My father's toolbox is probably close to 40 years old now. No problems with it. His sockets are starting to wear out after 30+ years of use. Snap-On guy comes by once a week to shoot the shit and see if anything needs replacing.
The people complaining about cost need to realize the cost is spread over it's lifetime and use. If a socket breaks and you need to warranty it then you either need a new one or to figure out another way of doing the job on time. If a bearing or slide fails in a toolbox it will jam and piss you off every time you use it. Having a tool truck come out to replace gear means less down time and aggravation.
Some things are worth the value. I spent 200 dollars on a set of Wiha precision screwdrivers. I've used them daily for the last 5 years and they still look brand new. They feel much better than the shit Stanley drivers.
Most Harbor Freight hand tools come with lifetime warranties too. Super serious. Just take anything that you broke there and they'll give you a new one just so you can stop bothering them.
Same deal with Home Depot's Husky and Lowes Kobalt house brand tools.
>muh lifetime warranty and tool trukk service makes muh ratchetz worth $300 a pop MADE IN AMURICKA
get the fuck out of here.
>>1015599
Craftsman does too.
>>1015599
There is a stark difference between buying a premium tool that has a lifetime warranty, and a hardware store house brand that has a lifetime warranty.
One company has raised the prices of their tools to compensate for rising cost of production without lowering their quality.
You are getting a tool that will last you many decades of daily use. Got mechanics using tools they bought in the 60s-70s still.
There is the perk that in a very rare occasion, if it breaks it can be replaced.
On the other hand you have hardware house brands that have gone through tons of OEMs to keep their margins high. Their warranty is a selling point to people who are barely weekend warriors and would never break or wear a tool out.
You dont know what tool you are getting when you buy from these places. All you know is that they arent going to last to prolonged daily use.
Gonna fill your toolbox up with tools you dont trust, just to replace them 4-5 years down the line?
How is that going to save you money, unless you continue replacing them with other cheap as fuck tools?
>>1015564
Fair point.
>>1015455
Op are you seriously that stupid. I doubt anybody has ever paid full price for that box. My dad traded 2 craftsman 26 inch boxes that retailed for 400 a piece for a 2000 dollar credit towards that same box, after discounts so he was only into it 6000 dollars in the end. And for a box that has lasted 20 years without so much as a dented end from falling off a ramp. These boxes are seriously worth the money. I have a 600 dollar husky box ( the big one) and it's super flimsy compared to my fathers snap on.
>>1015570
what does "floated the balance" mean?
What makes tool truck tools like Snap-On convenient is the fact that they offer a life time warranty for commercial work, something that box store tools don't offer and can turn you away if they think the tool broken in commercial use.
Plus the tool vendor comes to YOU, rather then having to fuck off to a store for 30-45 mins to argue with someone about how long a "lifetime" warranty is. You hand the broken tool to the guy, he goes back into his truck, he comes out with a new tool that isn't fucked, if he has one on board.
Plus tools from Snap-On and Mac tend to actually be pretty good, even if the quality has slipped in recent years.
>>1015642
>even if the quality has slipped in recent years.
I havent noticed that.
But then again, my buddy has a full Mac box and I hate the feel of most of his tools.
>>1015642
>tool truck tools
tool truck? you mean mobile workstation?
>>1015648
Big truck that sells tools.
>>1015564
>You pay 1000$ for a regular sized box
which still begs the question why the big box is 10x as much
I bought a used snap on roller box. 5 or 6 drawers and the side box. Got it for $500. Is it worth that much? Hard to say. The drawers glide flawlessly. Could I get a new box of another brand for comparable price? Probably. Can I sell this box for more than the $500 I paid? Probably. I'm happy. Would I pay a couple grand for this box new? Absolutely not.
>>1015499
I work in a die and mold shop.
There are literally 45 US General toolboxes of varying size in a shop of about 80 guys. The only guy with a Snap-On box is the dildo who thinks he's gods gift to CNC. There's a handful of Kennedys too.
US General toolboxes are fantastic. Never had a problem that couldn't be fixed with grease.
>>1015642
Why does every mechanic make it seem like the truck is parked outside the store 24/7 and has every item in the back?
My brother-in-law has to wait like 2 weeks for the truck to come around because he is in the middle of no where and the driver doesn't make money off little shops in the country..
The tools are a gimmick. Sure they're of good quality, and sure they have a lifetime warranty. Does that make them worth the cost? Generally not. You can find those qualities in many lines of tools, often at a cheaper price.
I'm not sure why people care so much though. Who cares if people want to spend their money on a bragging right?
>>1015601
only the old craftsman... the evolve series does not, and I've heard of a few cases where the guy behind the counter exchanged an evolve tool for a craftsman one... and then your fucked and they're not gonna warranty it... also sears is debating selling off craftsman like they did lands end... in general sears is slowly dying.... it's pathetic
>>1015673
>only the old craftsman... the evolve series does not
What?
Evolve was the cheap chinese garbage along side their USA stuff. Sears has always had a lower end brand of tools, and it was just renamed Evolve like 10 years ago. Never had a warranty
You are making it sound like standard Craftsman has been replaced with Evolve
Standard Craftsman is still around, but they are just made in the same exact factory as the Evolve tools are. But dont worry, they kept the prices at a premium.
>>1015455
A lot of the time even professional mechanics aren't likely to get value out of the greater quality of Snap-On tools.
People buy things from Snap-On like stubby wrenches, picks, ball pein hammers, adjustable wrenches, ratcheting wrenches, thumb wheel ratchets, stubby ratchets etc that require you to misuse the tool to even break a generic brand. This is wasted money.
I can understand buying the quality in tools like ratchets that are used to death. However the usual justification for buying the Snap-On is that it is much stronger than the generic brands. The comparison becomes silly when you realize for less than the cost of 3/8th Snap-On ratchet and socket set you could have brought a generic 1/2 or even 3/4 set. In any situation where you have enough space to test a tool to its limit you could probably fit the larger drive size anyway.
yes, Its the finest Japanese iron folded over 1000 times
>>1015697
Funny you say that. Koken tools, which is the premiere Japaense "Made In Japan" tools cost just as much as Snap-On does.
And mechanics in Japan dont play around, they dont play around with cheap tools. Their culture is different.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=148018
http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2323865&posted=1#post2323865
Amazing shit.
>>1015702
Damn, that would be cool to have a store like that around. Too bad people would steal everything if this existed in any country other than Japan.
I don't get it? The box is empty?
>>1015778
Yep empty box, not a tool and box combo for new trades/apprentices
>How do the Snap On salesmen get poor mechanics to pay this much for a tool box
They get the mechanics to finance it at some ridiculous 10 year rate. The payment is usually super low, but the tech doesn't bother to notice he's paying 30% interest or some shit.
So dumbass mechanics think they're getting it for free practically because they're only paying like $50 a month, which is nothing compared to their $30,000 truck bill that they're paying $100 a week on.
Most techs I know who have $100,000 in snap on laying around can't afford it at all, they're just paying on it. They're usually shitty techs too, the good techs I know use old pawn shop or garage sale boxes that they've welded together to make a big roller.
The techs who put themselves into insane debt usually don't stay techs for very long, because the second they get laid off or lose their job, all their tools get repo'd and then they have to get a job as a security guard. I've known at least 20 that exact thing happened to.
>>1015564
>Buying a full set of tools that will hold their value, that you plan on using for the next 50 years making your living.
Uh....no they don't. Look up snap on tools on ebay. Even the snap on guy will only give you about 25% value on trade in stuff.
>You sell the tools back to him or someone else and you arent that far away from paying your debt off.
Once again, the tool truck guy will only give you about 25% value. I seen a lot of techs completely fuck up their lives when they can't pay the tool guy off.
>Also, very few regular snap-on buyers pay for those big ass boxes.
Uh....no. I'd say about 75% of techs that i know who go snap on will buy a big one like that.
>You pay 1000$ for a regular sized box
Are you fucking nuts?
<--- This is a $1000 box from snap on. That's about the size as most guy's side box or roller cart. A $1000 from lowes is about 4x as big.
Snap on tools are nice as they generally do have a great warranty on tools, of course that warranty doesn't cover losing the damn tool, which is the biggest problem for techs. Warranty for their toolboxes is a totally different story, I've known guys who boxes were damaged from delivery who couldn't get their shit fixed after years of bitching.
I'd stay far away from snap on shit, unless of course you can buy one second hand, with a seriously reduced price.
Good boxes aren't cheap, but Lista are better than Snap-on and less known to plebs. They are probably the best boxes and cabinets available. I even persuaded the Lista and Snap-on salesmen to work together because I insisted on Lista boxes for our F-16 inspection section. I've run Air Force and civilian tool rooms and it's fair to say I'm an expert.
Quality boxes matter when each drawer is heavily loaded and they are opened and closed many times every day, often by two or three shifts. Quality casters are important when boxes are moved every day. Most DIYers don't do that. Industrial and military users often weld steel carts with extra-large casters so they can tow boxes without tearing out the corners when casters hit bumps.
Snap-on isn't meme shit if you use their speciality tools, work in industry, or are a line mechanic. I don't buy them new but if I wrenched for a living I would buy a mix of Snap-on, Mac, Proto, etc. For aircraft use quality tools are mandatory. Snap-on offer spline drive tools and other items chain store companies don't.
Craftsman has turned to shit, ratchets in particular are awful, but good enough for DIY.
If you contact tool truck drivers they often repo full boxes which they'll sell cheap because they take up a lot of space. Also lurk Craigslist and auction sites like auctionzip.
The best way to equip a personal toolkit is cherry-picking tools for your use case. I wouldn't buy Snap-on hammers, inspection mirrors or other generic items. I wouldn't buy their welders (well made by CK mostly, but overpriced) or air tools. Their sockets and wrenches and ratchets are sweet, but of those the best items to own for DIY are the ratchets. I'm not picky about sockets for DIY use. If you want good Harbor Freight sockets, buy their impact sockets. I've accumulated a shitload of Craftsman but Kobalt are equal or better. Wiha make great screwdrivers. Every computer tool kit should have a few.
>>1015790
Does the warranty transfer, or first-purchaser only?
>They're usually shitty techs too, the good techs I know use old pawn shop or garage sale boxes that they've welded together to make a big roller.
Combining boxes is fun and you can build a cart around them if you want a specialty top or accessories the stock sheet metal or butcher block box tops won't support. Weld the bottom and bolt the upper sections for convenience. A 20-foot stick of 2" angle isn't expensive.
>>1015792
I don't know if it technically does, but snap on guys pretty much never ask any questions when you warranty a tool.
I used to buy snap on shit off ebay, even broken stuff, all the time and then warranty it for a new tool, my snap on guy never asked.
For toolboxes, i don't really know how it works because i never had a snap on box, but like i said even guys who bough their box from the dealer had a hard time getting their shit fixed under warranty.
Matco and Mac boxes are as good as Snap-on. Lots of deals on used ones out there, especially when plebs buy some NASCAR or other decorated joke for too much money then have to sell it for crack...
>>1015455
>over 10k
>comes with ugly ass nigger wheels
>>1015791
There's your answer. The only people dumb enough to buy their shit are buying it with other people's money. Be it the government's or the bank's.
>>1015663
The instant you try opening the drawers on the Snapon you'll see where the money was spent. The Harbor Freight box is flimsy and doesn't have the satisfying bank vault door feeling of a pro grade box snapping shut.
Both will hold tools just fine but that's where the similarities end.
>>1015618
I have a shitload of Kobalt tools, while I'm no professional wrench turner I have warrantied a phillips head screw driver and a couple of other hand tools. Shit lasted for 10ish years but they have a lifetime warranty, so fuck it. For me a trip to Lowe's isn't that big of a deal.
>>1015855
are you storing wrenches or egyptian stone tablets?
>>1015855
Reinforce the corners of a harbor freight box, replace the casters, and swap in better hinges and drawer rollers.
Half a day's worth of work just saved you 10k.
>>1015863
phew is that all?
might as well just build it from scratch
>>1015884
You're on dyi, are you really complaining about 4 hours of minor repairs that save you 10k?
>>1015859
I can afford it, and damn it feels good tho... I hope you will someday get the feeling that comes along with it. I recommend learning a trade instead of sitting in your parents basement playing vidya
>>1015861
>why buy a Lexus when you can buy a Kia instead? they'll both get you from a to b lol
Piss off.
>>1015933
Why buy a stadard HDMI cord when you can buy a Diamond-Insulated, Gold-Lined HDMI cord.
>>1015637
basically he is saying the truck acts as a creditor and charges interest until paid off.
>>1015936
More like
>why buy nice furniture when Walmart seller particle board furniture for cheaper
>>1015860
Cobalt 10 years ago is different than today. They go through OEMs more than anyone else.
They have been moving from Taiwan to China, making their stuff even shittier as of recent
>>1016015
>furniture
Exactly my point. It offers no additional functionality. Its a feminine fashion item. To the extent that its better quality, the same features ciuld be added for 100 dollars in parts and a few hours of labor.
>>1016085
The extra 100$ in parts and extra labor would make the Walmart furniture 3 times the price.
The cheapening out of it creates furniture that barely lasts 2 or 3 years, while you pay extra for stuff that doesn't fall apart
>>1016088
That 100 dollars was in reference to the difference between snap on and harbor freight tool chests.
A $10000 tool chest is a waste. The only people who would waste that kind of money on one are government procurers or people buying on credit.
>>1016015
more like:
>Why buy a $10,000 dollar toolbox when other companies make ones with the same quality for half the price. Or buy a lesser quality one for 1/10th the price and spend maybe an extra couple of hundred bucks to beef it up yourself.
When i was a tech, I used a $800 craftsman roller box for 10 years. Wasn't as shiny and as heavy duty as snap ons, but did the job fine. It got destroyed when i was loading it into a truck with a forklift, but oh well, I just bought another one. Even with buying a new box, i still have invested nowhere near the 10k or so it would cost to get a similar snap on quality one.
It's the same with a lot of snap on things. I could spend $600 to get a 3/4" impact set from them, or $60 to get one from harbor freight, and even if one breaks (which one never has) I can still afford to buy several whole new sets before I'd get anywhere near the price of snap on.
They make some great stuff, I love my snap on gear puller set. But most of the time the cost really doesn't justify their price.
This..
>>1016096
>The only people who would waste that kind of money on one are government procurers or people buying on credit.
No regular old mechanic buys these.
This whole thread is hyperbole based upon the highest priced thing they could find from Snap-On
You see these gigantic boxes in NHRA pits, not in regular shops.
Yet these people who arent mechanics making outrageous claims about anyone who buys any premium tool as a whole.
>>1016097
>most of the time the cost really doesn't justify their price.
Not when you are cherry picking stuff like a huge pit tool box and 3/4 impact sockets.
They sell everything, of course you arent going to be able to justify every single tool. Because people have specialized jobs.
Its amazing to me that these bait threads always have people who are high and mighty. Think really highly of themselves for buying cut rate tools.
>>1015618
This, all the way..
>>1016101
>No regular old mechanic buys these.
Uh...yeah they do. Every shop I worked at, about 80% of the techs there would have a similar box, then there would always be that one guy who had the $40,000 cabinet.
Walk into any auto shop and you'll see the same.
None of them can actually afford it, but who cares?
>>1015618
Most all of the handtools I owned were craftsman or some other similar lesser brand. I used most of them for 10 years plus professionally.
They have lifetime warranties, even if they are fairly shitty tools. One big advantage is if anything breaks, I can just go to the store and get it replaced.
With the tooltruck guys, you have to wait next week (if you're lucky) for them to come around and get them replaced. They always tell you just call if something breaks and they'll run right by and replace it for you. Sure...uh huh, give that a try and see how that works out. The fucks never answer their phone. Then, even if they do show up, a lot of the time they don't want to dip into their truck inventory to replace it, so they tell you to wait another week while they order a new one.
So, at least with something like craftsman, I know I have a much better shot of getting something replaced pretty quickly.
>How is that going to save you money, unless you continue replacing them with other cheap as fuck tools
Well, if they're warrantied, then it doesn't cost you anything. Also, as I pointed out here,
>>1016097
a lot of the times you can buy 10 of the cheaper quality tools before it gets to the cost of buying 1 of the tool truck stuff.
They're good tools, but the cost just isn't worth it most of the time.
I still had a lot of snap on stuff, but it was mainly stuff i couldn't get anywhere else, or stuff i really did not want any trouble at all with, but still 80% of my tools were just regular store brands. Probably 10% of tool truck stuff was shit i got used, only another 10% was shit i payed full price for.
>>1016106
Everywhere I have worked, people have modest MAC branded boxes. Because they are literally everywhere and you can get them for a decent price. Every bit as nice as Snapon ones.
And a lot have their backup or old tools laying around in like 70s-80s Craftsman or Mac boxes.
Of course nobody uses Mac tools.
Its all Snap-On, vintage Snap-On and 30 year old Craftsman.
The only guy who has an outrageous box where I work now is the faggot shop foreman.
Its not indicative of most mechanics.
>>1016107
>So, at least with something like craftsman, I know I have a much better shot of getting something replaced pretty quickly.
Tool Truck tools dont break that often, so thats not a huge deal.
And yes, Craftsman was a mainstay for a very long time. Too bad their tools have taken such a huge shit that a new mechanic cant go into Sears right now and get the same assurance of a long lasting tool.
But hey, at least they can run to sears 3 times a week to replace their new chink craftsman tools!
And they only cost 3 times more than Harbor freight garbage!
>>1016108
Yeah, but MAC boxes are pretty similarly priced as the snap on ones. You'll pay pretty much the same.
If you get one used, then that's totally different, you can get used snap on for much less too, I'd buy used snap on stuff all the time.
I'm guessing you didn't work in many places, or only places where the MAC guy really worked his route. Everywhere I've worked the MAC guy was the most unreliable dude around.
Still, I'd say 80% of people would have a new snap on (or similar brand) box that cost at least 1/3 of their annual salary.
>>1016110
>Tool Truck tools dont break that often, so thats not a huge deal.
Yeah they do. I never broke tools that much, cheap brand or otherwise, but tool truck stuff broke just about as much as any other brand I had. Now that I think about it, the only tool I ever had trouble breaking on a regular basis was my snap on 3/8 flex, fine tooth ratchet. Fucker only lasts a year or so before needing rebuilt, but man is it nice to use.
>But hey, at least they can run to sears 3 times a week to replace their new chink craftsman tools!
I wouldn't buy anything new craftsman. The only reason I go with them is because I bought most of my hand tools in the 90s, when craftsman was still pretty good, so now I just go there to get shit warrantied. Their quality is shit yeah, but I'm not paying for it. And like i said, even shit quality tools still hold up surprisingly well, even with professional work. Also I would only run to sears maybe once or twice a year to get something replaced.
>And they only cost 3 times more than Harbor freight garbage!
I started going a lot more with harbor freight stuff. Like you said, it's similar quality to craftsman, but much cheaper.
Plus nobody has mentioned that the bane of the mechanic isn't tools breaking, as that rarely happens. Hell, the only times i ever really broke a tool out was when I was doing something that i knew would break them. The big problem is LOSING tools, like screwdrivers, sockets, general hand tools. No warranty on earth covers that, it doesn't matter if you got a snap on socket, or a harbor freight one, if you lose the fucker, you got to buy a new one.
>>1016110
New anon.
In an industrial setting like I work in, it's not how often they break, its that when they do, you need it RIGHT FUCKING NOW and waiting a week for the tool truck isn't an option. Instead we buy the meh brand tools in quantity, so one breaks, we have more.
Snap-ons warranty is meh and their tools are meme tier.
Especially when half of their "high quality" tools are re-badged as other brands and sold for a 1/4 of the price.
Same with MAC.
>"No boss, we're not going to have the earth mover up and running until next week because x tool broke and the truck came yesterday"
is a really good way to lose a job in 10 minutes.
>>1016132
Snap-ons warranty is meh
In my experience with them, their warranty is good in that they replace any shit I want them to.
But yeah, the big issue is they usually take forever to replace shit. Most of the time you have to wait for the truck to come around, that's a week there, then you have to wait another 1-3 weeks for the tool to come in for him to replace it, even more if he misses a week coming around.
I always have backup tools for most situations, so it was never that huge of a deal, but still the truck guys take forever, where I can just run to the fucking store and get a tool warrantied on my break with other brands.
>>1016140
It is meh for me.
>hey tool guy, this flathead screwdriver broke on a screw that we ended up having to cut because the driver broke.
>no anon, you used this as a prybar, that isn't covered
>toolguy, if I had used this as a pry bar, it would be bent in one direction, not in a helical manner like it is because I used it on a rustwelded screw.
>sorry anon, i've never actually used a tool in my life. You broke it, not my problem.
new tool guy
>hey tool guy, this ratchet is shit now, I want a warranty replacement.
>anon, using a pipe as a cheater isn't covered.
>but I didn't use a pipe as a cheater, it locked up even though I maintain it. Using it with a cheater would do the opposite.
>anon I've worked for this company for 15 years, you don't know what the fuck you're talking about blah blah blah, sucks, not covered.
Even if the corporate policy says it covers stuff, good luck getting the dealers to honor it if they don't already.
I don't have a month to wait on my tool to get to HQ and back via mail. By that time I've found a better one and moved the fuck on.
>>1016157
Many tool truck drivers (any brand) are dicks about warranty.
Each one has a franchise so quality can vary drastically. Even one of our military reps was such a dick we dropped Snap-on for a couple of years until his cool replacement showed up and treated us right.
Its about quality. You'll know when you feel it in your hand.
Limited lifetime warranty! If it breaks, we'll replace it!
Just a few dollars a week for quality tools!
>>1016201
>Snap on stamped yeti
Lel $2000 cooler there.
>>1015455
shit that's cheap for snap on. saw one the other day for $36k. looks to be about the same size but it had a wooden top so it could be used as a work bench or some shit
Sparky here.
A lifetime warranty is only as good as the replacement, which, frankly, is not always given. I have some Craftsman tools that Sears will no longer replace because they are not being manufactured, anymore. I have Klein screwdrivers that I can't get replaced because the painted logos on the back end have worn off due to sweat and age (not hammering). I have personally seen 5 Snap-On toolboxes that have been damaged in shipping and not a thing was done about it. There is no way in hell that I would fork over the cash for Strap-Ons at 5× the price of a quality product that doesn't break the bank and offers the exact same bullshit "guarantee".
I was just in the market for a big box. The snap-on boxes were something like 24" deep, compared to the 16" deep hf unit. That would really matter if you are stuck in a fixed sized bay or you use the box as a work surface. The weight capacity per drawer was 2x or more the hf (don't remember exactly).
I have purchased a big lista cabinet new as well.
I ended up getting the really big hf unit with the 55" box top. I'll end up replacing it in some years with something better. Re hf quality - ok but with a big run in the paint. worth every penny overall though. Thin steel. (duh)
If you have $30k of tools in your box, why cheap out on the box itself.
In the non-neet world $10k is not that much money, particularly for a capital asset that gets used every day.
>>1016261
No, you're delusional.
$10k is a fuckton of money for a toolbox.
God god. Just build wooden toolboxes for pennies on the dollar, and have fun making em. You may have to rebuild parts of em from time to time, but when you're done you can go take a trip to Hawaii with the money you saved.
>>1016310
LOL wooden toolboxes.
Clearly you don't have a blue collar job or know anything about working one.
![Lowcost-Coffin-made- of-wooden-pallets[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/auxE3z9.jpg "Lowcost-Coffin-made- of-wooden-pallets[1].jpg")
>>1016310
damn right, fk these buyfags. I made mine out of old pallets, with the added advantage, I can also be buried in it, as I ded after trying to move it when full. Was totally cheap, but.
>>1016310
No. Unless it's one of those shits you carry wood working tools in and the box is basically like a resume.
People do know this is for people that work for a living and have 100k+ in tools. They typically have much beefier security features for shop environments and obv. not for tinkerers or hillbillies.
>>1016216
>I have personally seen 5 Snap-On toolboxes that have been damaged in shipping and not a thing was done about it
I've seen that too, several times. Not just like a little ding either, like a fucking drawer was kicked in and won't open. Snap on guys put every one of those guys through so much shit, that they eventually just dropped it and fixed it themselves.
>There is no way in hell that I would fork over the cash for Strap-Ons at 5× the price of a quality product that doesn't break the bank and offers the exact same bullshit "guarantee".
In most cases I think snap on isn't worth the money. For one, snap on definitely does take other brands of tools and slap their name on it, then charge 5x the price everyone else sells it for. A lot of times you can find the EXACT same tool from another brand at a much lesser price, and still with a lifetime warranty.
But they do make great stuff that nobody else makes also. All in all only about 10% of my tools were tool truck stuff when i was a mechanic. The rest of was just store brand shit.
Mechanics don't make much money at all, and the ones who have snap on everything really don't make any money at all because they're so in debt to the tooltruck that they're basically paying money for the privileged of coming to work. These guys usually lose their jobs and can't pay their bill, so everything gets repo'd, then they get some other shitty job and are amazed how much money they make without having to pay for their own tools.
>>1016361
If you have 100K+ in tools as a tech, you're doing something seriously wrong.
The best techs I ever knew used store brand boxes they welded together, and mostly store brand tools. They probably only had around 30-40k worth of tools in total.
of course, there's always the jackass at every shop who has the $40,000 snap on roller cabinet and $100,000 worth of tools sitting in it. They're generally the worst mechanic there too.
>>1016361
You could buy all of the shop equipment and materials required to make the tool cabinet as good or better than the snap-on, and still have a few grand left over for beer at 10k.
There is literally nothing about that cabinet that justifies a $10k price.
There is not 10k worth of parts nor labor in that cabinet.
This coming from an engineer who makes 150k/year and works in the field.
10k for a tool chest is fucking insane, and you're delusional if you think any warranty or "quality feel" makes it worth it.
>>1016365
A lot of guys love it just for the cool factor. Kind of like spoilers and body kits for their car (which they usually have too). Adds no function at all, but damn it looks cool.
I never argued with those guys, if looking cool at a shitty mechanic job is worth 10k to you, whatever.
>>1016365
>No one can have nice things that they like.
Oh cool.
>>1016383
You can get a nice cabinet that's probably better for less than 10k. This isn't Ferrari vs Lexus, or Ferrari vs Toyota. This is Toyota vs Toyota with red calipers and a Ferrari badge at Ferrari price.
I never said you can't have the Toyota with the extra Italian rice, simply that paying the Ferrari price is retarded, and thinking it's necessary is delusional. Don't put words in my mouth faggot.
If you think spending 10k is necessary, please work the rest of your life paying off your tools so my taxes don't end up going to you when you're unemployed.
>>1015455
>Snap-On
>12 piece 3/8 drive ratchet/socket set
>$800
Yeah, Fuck you Snap-On. Fuck you forever. and don't forget it.
>>1016404
I paid $110 for a single ratchet. It really killed me to do it, but it's a nice goddamn ratchet. Best one i've ever used actually....despite the goddamn thing needing rebuilt every fucking year.
I still don't think it's worth $110 but I haven't found a nicer working one.
>>1016331
underrated post right here
>>1016201
>the reason its so expensive is because its great quality! itll never break!
>the reason its so expensive is because of its lifetime warranty, if you ever break our unbreakable tools, we'll replace them FOR FREE
>oy vey, if we just charge small amounts over a long period of time, the goyim will not know he's being screwed over!
just buy craftsman, husky, dewalt, milwankee, stanley, and whatever the fuck else that isnt over-p(riced) garbage, its literally the same shit but lower cost, and if a mechanic really believes that snap-on is worth it, then theyre fucking idiots who dont realize that price=/= quality, and sometimes it is better to buy it twice
>>1016387
>No one can have nice things because cheap things exist.
Lel for a kid who says he makes 150k a year, you're pretty retarded.
>>1016487
>not reading my post this hard
No wonder you people fall for fap-on
I have a bunch of snap on sockets, extensions and wrenches that i found under the hood after driving home from the repair shop...
there was some swag after every visit.
every fucking time.
>>1016533
>fap-on
>>1015460
What do you do to your tool chest that you need a lifetime warranty? Do you make a habit of dropping it off flat beds?
Jesus, even a harbor freight box will last you twenty years if you don't leave it outside or dump it on its back. Think about what you're saying, man.
>>1015897
>I can afford it
Are you saving for retirement? If you're not maxing a 401k and/or putting away at least 10k a year, then no you actually can't afford it.
I see a lot of manual laborers literally falling apart at 50, and they can't afford to stop working because they never saved. So, they toil through the arthritis and bad backs, and lower their overall quality of life so they could have that $10k toolbox instead of a chance to quit the rat race.
>>1015554
being and idiot is just retarded in every respect
>>1017152
>implying retirement exists for the current middle class labor force
>>1017160
If they cannot retire it is due in part to flat wages, but to a larger extent because of dumbass financial decisions. The amount of money wasted on status items and inefficiencies is absurd.
How many people do you that have a written budget? Do we really need a new car every 5 years, McDonalds 4 times a week, the latest tech every cycle? Time is money, and most of us are frittering our lives away for meaningless, temporary trash.
>>1017160
Fine, let's call it saving for your invalid-degenerate years.
Do you really think you're just going to live happily, without acare in the world, until you hit 68, then go from working one day to dead the next in a labor intensive job? Because that really, REALLY is not how it works.
If you're not saving for that eventuality, you're delusional, man. Nobody wants to have to live off whatever social security disability they can get in their golden years.
>>1017160
You sound like commie. Still pissed that Bernie lost and now you can't get free shit?
>>1017162
This guy gets it.
Snap on hand tools are overpriced, period. You'd get similar utility out of a decent quality house brand hand tool with a comparable warranty, and that would cost you less than half of what snap on costs used in most cases.
Then, you take that extra money, plug it in a diversified ETF within a retirement account (401k if possible, otherwise an ira), and leave it for the next 30 years. That way, you can still retire, even if you get cancer or are in a serious non work-related accident that would require you to declare bankruptcy.
Do that with 5k per year for the next 35 years, and on average you'll have over a million by the time you're ready to retire.
>>1017166
Not that anon, but it is a mathematical fact that wealth in this country is shifting from the middle class towards the top 1%. In fact, since 1980, the top 1% went from owning 10% of the country's wealth to the current 20%.
The same case is true of social mobility, the measure of how likely a person born into one wealth bracket will die in a different bracket. This is the "American Dream", whereby a poor person can work their way to the top and the lazy amongst those at the top sink to poverty. We are amongst the worst of any industrialized country.
Government isn't the answer or the problem. The real problem is an entrenched wealthy establishment that monopolizes political and economic power to strengthen their wealth. Neither party cares about any other class than this class, the class that "butters their bread." Politicians will distract you will trivial -trivial in the big scheme- issues like abortion or minimum wage or terrorism or drugs.
>>1017171
(cont) The real question is not "Why does the middle class feel entitled to more wealth", but "Why do the wealthy feel entitled to twice as much wealth as they've historically cobtrolled?" A shift of trillions of dollars in wealth does happen by coincidence. Why do the wealthy feel entitled to shred meritocracy and basic fairness behind closed doors. If we are a real Republic, I beg you to point to the informed public that voted for these policies. You can't, because these decisions were made in shady corners and behind closed doors.
The result of our current system is a economy that largely disregards merit and is directed by a wealthy plutocracy; the very thing you are arguing that the "commie" who just wants "free shit" supports.
>>1017171
>>1017173
So in other words gas the rich class war now?
>>1017176
Soon, comrade.
>>1017176
Class warfare has been going on since the beginning of time. The goal of those in power is to maintain or increase their power.
The US has been getting fucked by the rich for at least the last 30 years. Even a cursory glance at the 2008 crisis will reveal this. The wealthy sold mortgages in a reckless manner, deliberately targeting the ignorant and the poor. In the process they tanked the world economy.
At the end of the day, the poor get their credit ruined, the middle class paid for the bailouts, the rich profited immensely, and not a single banker went to jail.
Who makes the best ratchets? I have a good. complete set of Kobalt sockets but the Kobalt ratchets are the shitty kind with too few teeth.
>>1017184
The powerful have always sought to exploit that power to increase or maintain the power. It has been gettibg out of hand lately. The last time we had such wealth inequality in America was immediately prior to the great depression. Such a large percentage of wealth held in the stock market is another reason a simple market correction in the banking industry in 2008 turned into a world-wide recession.
>>1015558
Its a little to no bullshit warrenty.
"Fuck, Jim was fucking about on the forklift and busted me box"
Then you just return it to the Snap On man and get another.
Which, for a box, fine who the fuck cares. But its Snap On offers that on everything. Spanner explode? Get another. Rather finally give up after you stuck a 5 foot cheater bar on it? Get another one.
"I'd just go to the store and get another fucking one for the price"
They do that shit if you're in the middle of the fucking desert. My father worked on rigs for years, shit snaps, he's get it the next day from some poor shit in a van.
>>1017189
As stated above, the warranty depends largely on the franchisee that services your area. In any case, I doubt it would cover damage from obvious neglect. Even if it did, you could 10 identical tools of another brand for the same price, obviating the need to wait for the warranty claim, which is rarely overnight as you suggest.
>>1017189
Trucks don't visit everyday even when you live in large cities with competition for customers. No way in hell would they slog it out to the desert on such short notice.
Plus, if you break a tool, often times you can't afford to wait a day to get it replaced; time is money after all, and waiting for the truck to come by is hit or miss at best. So you with own decent tools you could warranty at a store in 20 mins, or you wait for the truck to roll through and hope to good one of your coworkers is generous enough to let you borrow theirs until you can get yours replaced.
God forbid you break something essential, like a ratchet or an impact gun. You'd be fucked into next week, literally.
>>1017189
Oil rigs are an extreme example, and if snap-on really gives that level of service then it is worth it in that example. The average mechanic never needs that level of service. The downtime cost of oil and gas are huge, so paying 10x or 100x for a tool is worth it in that limited case.
>>1017264
I think by rig he meant semi-truck, because I've never gotten delivery via van, or next day, on an off-shore oil platform.
>>1017189
how long does it take to replace one of those $10k boxes?
>>1015485
This.most of the mechanics where i work have monthly payments on their stuff.i guess its not unlike a student loan.
>>1015457
This.
With that said, it's complete bullshit. It's a joke. Much of my family never had nearly enough money for shit like this, but we use tools non stop.
>>1016331
I honestly can't tell if those are knots or nails
>>1017185
You do realize that it is the poor folk who put their money directly into the rich man's hands right?
Also why would the rich man ever give the poor man money he spent decades sucking dick for when the poor man sits in his couch watching tv?
>>1017173
>>1017171
the middle class has more resources and access to opportunity/money then any other time in history. oh rick people are getting more rich too? so fucking what faggot? when you buy food from the store and you see someone else pays with a 100 dollar bill but you pay in all 10's and 20's do you demand the other guy pay for your shit? fuck you commie
>>1017561
I had an 1800 character response typed out and my phone died. I don't feel like retyping it, so here is the essence of it.
I appreciate your analogy, but adults deal in realities, not oversimplified analogies. If you want to know who is taking money from whom, you only need to look at where the country's wealth is going. In the last 30 years, the percentage of the country's wealth owned by the top 1% has doubled. We need to be asking why the top 1% is demanding that the rest of the country should "pay for their shit."
As for opportunity. Americans currently have less opportunity than at any time since the Great Depression. You should look up an economic statistic called "social mobility" and see where we rank versus the rest of the world. Hell even some "commie" countries have more opportunity than the US.
It is understandable that you would drastically overestimate social mobility, it is typical of the youth to dk that. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103115000062
Wealth inequality is a real problem. Things haven't been this unequal since immediately prior to the Great Depression. The percentage of the country's wealth that the rich have invested in the stock market was a major reason that what should have been a minor market correction in 2008 turned into a worldwide recession.
To put things in perspective: the richest 20 (Twenty, 2-0) Americans control more wealth than the bottom 173 MILLION Americans.
To be fair, I'm not going after people making 50 or even 150k, they are being robbed as much as everyone else. The real problem is those making 10m+ every year. Its this class that is robbing the country.
I know that "communism" is a loaded word with you folks, but what do you call a system like ours where the elite dictate policies that benefit the elite and rob the rest of us of the opportunity to gain wealth?
>>1017574
I call that an oligarchy
>>1017575
Of course, but we can both agree that the travesty of communism was that it was merely an economic system that allowed the political elite to enrich themselves at the expense of the population. The same could be said for our current system.
In all economic models the real enemy is large concentrations of power. Things will never be equal, nor should that be the aim. The aim should be fo allow for the greatest opportunity for people to profit through their merits and obtain the greatest fulfillment from their occupation.
>>1017574
>>1017563
we have no laws to stop people from being uber rich
we need to crack down and enforce the laws not throw them out and "lynch the elites"
removing bs like frank-dodd will go a long way, yes the gap has increased but thats bc they have old money, there is nothing we can do about that. also its not impossible for americans to move up its just tht many are irresponsible, many americans already are the top 1% of the planet and go in and out of that throughout life.
follow the constitution, remove gov. from places its not supposed to be, crack skulls of those who break the laws, do not go full leftists nor should we go full fascism
that book is shit, its written by a "social-personality psychologist" aka a know nothing make work tier title. it quotes obama and a bunch of btfo theorems from the 1950's.
>I know that "communism" is a loaded word with you folks, but what do you call a system like ours where the elite dictate policies that benefit the elite and rob the rest of us of the opportunity to gain wealth?
they are free to do what they want with there money? how about just not buy there products?
you dont have to buy general mills or (insert "evil corp")
communism has literally never been successful ,in every country its ever been done the people are worse off and the gov/elites fuck over more people
>>1017577
>The aim should be fo allow for the greatest opportunity for people to profit through their merits and obtain the greatest fulfillment from their occupation.
and that system is capitalism
there isnt a perfect system but the one that does provide the most opportunity for the most amount of people is capitalism
equal opportunity > equal outcome
>>1017580
>>1017583
We are largely in agreement.
Fundamentally the labels: capitalism, socialism, and communism are meaningless. The thing you have to realize is that the only difference between socialism and capitalism (communism has never existed, read Marx) is the degree of government intervention in the economy. Pure capitalism or pure socialism only exists in shitholes, neither work on their own. What we are left with is a mix of socialism and capitalism. So the real question is merely to what extent the government intervenes in the economy and who benefits from those interventions.
In the last 30 years, the über-rich have been the largest benefactors of government interventions. Removing the estate tax, lowering capital gains taxes, corporate welfare, the farm bill, etc are all government interventions that disproportionately benefit the wealthy.
I'm not arguing that its impossible for someone to work their way up in America, merely that it is more difficult to do that in America than virtually any other industrialized country. The poor stay poor and the rich stay rich.
The statistics on this are clear.
http://www.epi.org/publication/usa-lags-peer-countries-mobility/
>>1017596
>So the real question is merely to what extent the government intervenes in the economy and who benefits from those interventions.
as outlined in the constitution, but many things are not stated for instance food safety laws. i would call for a complete over hall of all regulations. did you know that 95% of ALL legal rules are made outside of the legislative branch? we need to cut out almost all of independent executive agencies and independent legislative commissions. I do agree with your point about certain "players" using their influence in a way that protects/gains them more power over more aspects of life in more people, but thats where "an informed and moral people" come into play, im afraid if we go with a strong man clean up situation it will just get worse, ex. obama doing whatever he wants right after he says he doesnt have the power to act alone
>subsidies
corporate welfare/farm bill/etc? fuck yes cut that out immediately, and pull out all energy subsidies entirely let the best form win. but, estate tax is double taxation though; even non elites give their kids a lil house or car/checking account sometimes and theres no need to hit them twice.
>http://www.epi.org/publication/usa-lags-peer-countries-mobility/
im not intentionally just saying nah to your sources, i do appreciate the reading, and new sources of info, but I no longer put a whole lot of value in economists other then a handful of peeps, considering the majority are complete shit at predicting things.
also the only reference she gave for evidence is the father-son generational wages and the USA was #5. and #3 if you count 1st world countries only, and on top of that italy/uk are both in the EU which skews things and we still have better quality of life
you Keyens(i know whats happening today would make keyens slap peoples shit in but its what many claim to believe in)
or Austrian econ?
youre right we do agree on most things, just slightly diff ideas about how make things better
>>1017596
i keep running out of space, just wanted to say i do acknowledge that it can be more difficult to reach the level of self ownership that was so common place during the middle 1900's and diminishing ever sense, but I really do beleive the vast majority of that is bc of artificial moves made by untouchable players, the FED, relieving door people like colen powell,clintons,bushes, soros, etc, and the rest I chaulk it up to people just not caring about the repercussions of their actions, doing good for a particular group at the detriment to the whole and things like that. i think if we cut back on a ton of government we could do so much better
good talks anon
>Dads mom was a hoe, had my dad at 15 and his dad had to drop out and work, while being ostracized from family.
>Moms parents didn't fit in with their families, eloped. Both sets were broke as fuck.
>My parents and I lived in a room at my grandmas house, then a used single wide next door.
>My dad worked construction to put my mom through nursing school right after I was born. Whole family lived on shit we grew/raised and dried beans. Worked on 20 acre farm since I can remember til college.
>Dad then started his own company at 30, paid back bank and turned a profit in 2 years. Was making 100k for himself a year by 35 in the 90s.
>Was able to put me through college, then had terrible health and died. He sold company to pay for medical bills along the way.
>Had secret life insurance plans he took out earlier, and never told us about. Made us all pretty well off, but my family and I decided to invest it, and it's now well over 2 million spread across 3 accounts and growing by 7% avg each year.
>I'm now making 80k a year where money goes far at 28. My wife makes 70k. My mom is a nurse practitioner now making 150k.
From the fucking derelicts of society to 1% in under 3 generations. Fuck all of the bullshit "it's impossible! Systems rigged!" You're just lazy and/or stupid.
Shit I have a buddy who's struggle isn't over yet but between him and his family, they'll go from illegal beaners to top 1% in the US in 2 generations.
>>1017628
>anecdotal accounts totally disprove all economists and fifty years of trends written in black & white.
>>1017628
youre the fucking man, whatever you do dont let you kids get away with too much otherwise they will never learn what it takes to overcome challenges, no matter how much you feel like "giving them everything i didnt have"
and never call them smart it teaches them to get praise from things they didnt earn, just chiming in bc ive seen many cases where the 1st and 2nd generation of a family that overcame hardship the kids didnt learn where they came from/squandered everything/got into drug addiction bc they took everything as a given
>>1017628
>supporting an entire family and affording higher education on a single blue collar income
lel, good luck doing that today
>starting a small business
impossible if you don't already have money to begin with
80% of small businesses fail so that's terrible odds to invest your life savings into
either your dad was an idiot and risked everything or wasn't nearly as derelict as you claim
>inheritance
you sure worked hard for that, huh
>investing
so you're making money by having money, sure is easy when you have dad's bootstraps
basically your dad worked for a bit, got lucky, you got lucky off your dad's inheritance, and that's somehow evidence that you got where you are today by being intelligent and hard-working?
>>1017628
Lol, you're not even half way to the 1%. Congrats on having pretensions of wealth like the rest of the upper middle class. Still, nothing wrong with having a little money and enjoying the fruits of being in the house nigger class of society
>>1015460
What? Every tool I own from Harbor Freight has a lifetime warranty. That's nothing special.
I love certain snap on tools, but I would never, ever buy their rip off fucking boxes.
>>1017181
Depends on what you do. Do you work on big shit, that you apply a lot of torque to? Do you work on finer stuff. Less teeth in a ratchet the force (torque) you can apply to it, but a greater arc swing required. More teeth the less torque you can apply to it but less arc swing to engage it.
Armstrong
Proto
Wera
They all make nice ratchets.
>>1015455
I'd agree that Snap-on boxes have an extremely high markup, but I really don't know of any truly comparable alternatives for less.
There are some high quality boxes made in China (even some far better than HF stuff), but what if you don't want made in China? There are extremely few options for USA made toolboxes these days. Mac and Matco are USA-made, but basically as expensive as Snap-on. Waterloo has some USA made for cheaper, but the quality is far, far lower and the price isn't even quite low enough. I can't even think of any other USA options left aside from those.
Of course there's always the used market, but that wasn't the topic of the thread, and it's highly dependent on location and luck. I've been looking for a good deal on a used toolbox for a couple years and still haven't found one.
After skimming through this thread it seems like most folks here just don't mind buying Chinese, and that's fine, but it's not a fair comparison.
>>1018523
>>1017181
>best ratchets
There are a lot of good ratchets out there, but I'd genuinely recommend Snap-on for anyone living in the US.
Don't even buy one new, just browse eBay for a bit and it's really easy to get them unused/mint for half of MSRP.
The one huge advantage of Snap-on is that even if you don't have access to a truck you can just call them and they will send you a rebuild kit in a timely manner. Technically the warranty only covers the original purchaser, but they won't make you prove that, if they even ask. Worst case scenario, you can just order a rebuild kit from the website for $10, and they tend to offer kits for an extremely long time even for discontinued models. I don't know of any other manufacturer that makes it so easy to get rebuilt kits.
I won't shell out for many Snap-on products, but ratchets are among the few that I will. Sockets are another because I like how Snap-on's sockets have a minimal chamfer for better engagement. Of course I've managed to snag said Snap-on sockets for downwards of 1/4 of MSRP on eBay because I'd never pay anywhere near full price. SK sockets are cheap for USA made but they do have excess chamfer like virtually all other brands.
>>1015458
this really. if you'working it's a hassle to replace shit. you just call the snap-on guy who brings you a new one.
that said, you can buy sockets for 50c-1$ on aliexpress that are good quality now. absolutely no need to spend 50$ per tool. snapon left tasmania and i met a bunch of butthurt mechanics who were required to post their tools to melbourne for replacement. just remember that lifetime warranty is limited by the perpetuation of the scam.
>>1017189
thats not true. ratchet mechanisms are wear items. they're not covered by warranty. neither does obviously damaging your shit.
>>1018638
That still doesn't justify the price. 10k for a box is insane.
Think about it.
10k of materials? Hell no.
10k of labor?
Even at $50/hr that's 200 hours.
It's really down to basic box design, gauge of metal, finish, and the drawer bearings.
For 10k you could buy all of your own shop tooling to make better boxes and still save more than buying the actual box.
Buying used snap-on is another matter, but if you buy any of these extreme meme-boxes at MSRP, you deserve to be poor.
30% warranty
20% Brag/Brand
50% Because the other guys in the garage will call you a faggot if you use anything else.
The Snap-On "Dual 80" ratchets are hands down the best ratchets you can get. High enough tooth count to allow ratcheting with about 4 degrees of swing, very low back drag (tfw you ratchet a nut loose until it stops ratcheting and you still can't spin the nut off by hand), thickest chrome plating of any brand of tool, guaranteed rebuildable until the day you die.
I paid $70 for my 1/4", $100 for the 3/8", about $120 for my long handle 1/2" and considering what I got I say it's a bargain.
>>1018685
>For 10k you could buy all of your own shop tooling to make better boxes and still save more than buying the actual box
Whilst I agree with your general point, the comment you make above is complete and utter bullshit, and devalues your argument.
Please stop ruining your point.
>>1018685
its 10k because you can break it as many times as you want and they will replace it no questions asked
>>1018811
which, as more or less everybody on this thread who sounded like they had half a clue (def. not the majority..) has already said, repeatedly:
WARRANTY REPLACEMENT WITH NO QUSTIONS ASKED IS SELDOM, IF EVER; APPLICABLE TO TOOLBOXES; REHARDLESS WHETHER U A $10-FUCKING-K RETAIL PAYING RETARD OR NOT.
>Thank you for your attention, we now return to your scheduled programme, 'The Death of Capitalism & is your Snap-On rep a cunt? pt. 54'
>>1015455
Those wheels are pimping.
>>1018800
I don't know how it's bullshit.
You can buy all of the sheet-metal working tools (brake, shear, drill press) for about 5k.
You can buy a good, capable welder for 2k.
lets say you buy crazy expensive bearings, drawer bearings and casters are 1.5k.
Metal and assorted materials, 1k.
So far that's only 9.5k.
Tell me what is imperative to making a quality box that isn't in this list.
>>1018872
I like your solution and you get to keep your DIY metal shop. You can order the larger sheets sheared to size by the supplier and have them include the drops when they deliver. You then have to set all that stuff up and have space for it, but that's not hard. Your prices are in the ballpark based on my experience.
You'll have many hours into your box but you could make a King Shit box with a towbar and six large diameter high quality casters. You could have a 5/8" or better steel top for an integral welding table and magnificent work surface. Mount some Reese hitch sockets below the edges for convenient quick disconnect/quick rotate vise, grinder or accessory mounts.
A drill press doesn't have much reach and you don't have a huge number of holes to do. I'd get some machinists center drill bits and a healthy electric drill or three if I didn't already have them. A mag drill is a MUCH better value than a drill press for fabrication but the tool box doesn't really need it. A cold saw can do a lot of minor sheet cutting but a 6" grinder and box of cutting discs is more versatile
Very cool idea. Many people make custom welding tables and combining that with a toolbox would kick ass.
>>1017263
If you're with a big corporate client or the government, you can exchange tools by mail and the rep can and often does send the replacement out first.
All these franchises have options. If your rep is useless, you are screwed. If he's great, you'll be happy.
I've had both even in the Air Force.
>>1018833
>Those wheels are pimping.
You can get better from castor vendors. The Air Force frequently tows that style box behind trucks, tugs and vans on the flightline. The casters are waranteed but they don't have large bearings and when a bearing fails the wheel gets ground flat on one side. Fine with me since they gave us sets when one shit the bed, and fine for normal users. The epic use which some users give Snap-on, Mac, Matco, Proto and the rest justifies them because the money they make or the results they produce make their cost trivial.
We switched to the decades-old traditional method of fabbing a simple angle steel frame for heavier casters. You can do that for any box and add towbar mounts etc if you like. Remember when you make a frame that the drawer side angle will block the bottom drawer unless you flip it in relation to the other three sides. That way you keep the rigidity and have full drawer clearance.
