What tool manufacturer do you primarily use?

My father was always a traditional Snap-On and Craftsman man. However Snap-on is just too overpriced on their tools. I am not willing to pay 400-600% more for a tool of similar quality(Pittsburgh-pro) just because it is "made in USA". Craftsman tool's quality has decreased lately as well.

I purchased a complete Pittsburgh-pro tool kit for around $1200(toolbox and all tools I might need). I have had that tool set since I was 17 and must admit that they have never let me down. I have not had any wrenches or sockets strip out on me and if they did a short drive to Harbor Freight would yield me a brand new replacement(Lifetime warranty).

The only tools that have been defective were a few screwdrivers, Wide-grip Pliers, Needle nose pliers.

All of the other tools have proven to be quite robust and durable. My father has even had to borrow a few of the tools on occasion and admitted that they are pretty good quality, for the price.

What is/are your preferred tool brand(s)?

I have since modified my box to have Matco screwdrivers, Channel-lock brand pliers, and the rest are Pittsburgh-Pro.

 

cordless tools are all Milwaukee

Corded tools are mostly Dewalt

hand tools are a mix, but mostly Gear Wrench, Klein and Milwaukee

and all the gas powered stuff is Stihl or Husqvarna

 

Since craftsman moved their production to China, the quality of hand tools has fallen... Stupid things like laser etching not lining up and so on...

So.. Given that, I now buy SK tools... Made in America and beautiful to work with and a fraction of the price of snapon...

I love picking up snapon tools at auction but deals are few and far between... I have a suspicion that matco are also made in China now and are exactly the sane as gearwrench... Nothing wrong with gearwrench... Great tools for the price, I'd just rather American.

 

Corded and most cordless are dewalt

Some Milwaukee cordless

Husky and Kobalt hand tools

 

It's funny, with HF you can win some but you definitely lose just as many. Breaker bar? Not a HF tool. Lol.

I have a lot of Craftsman myself but I agree, since production moved to China, they aren't the same. I will check out SK tools. I haven't seen any of them. My dad used to barter pressure washing a Snap-On guy's truck and I got some pretty cool Snap-On stuff that way. I can't afford it though.

I just recently upgraded to the DeWalt 20V Brushless Lithium Drill and Impact. That stuff is amazing. My corded stuff tends to be Dewalt also. I have a few HF specials, angle grinder, air stuff I don't use much. For the rest of the air tools I have had good luck with my old Craftsman stuff so far...

 

I have always been a straight up Craftsmen tool guy (mechanical hand tools only) , Makita cordless and Bosch for all electric hand tools. I also like the Pittsburgh stuff from Harbor Freight for hand tools they are inexpensive for some really nice metric hand tools but I have too many old school craftsmen stuff now so I don't need to replace them but if I did I would hit up Harbor Freight .

Edit* I think the poll is misleading in one aspect, I don't believe too many folks shop Craftsmen hand tools these days , most folks are using the original stuff that was actually built to last , the new stuff is almost sub-par.

 

Most of my tools are snapon. IMHO, I just think that snapon hand tools are the most durable for my job.

 

I have a mix but mostly craftsman some snapon and matco

 

I have lil bit this n that that i from got from my father Craftsman Milwaukee DeWalt Kobalt Gearwrench

 

I use a hodge podge of mfrs..Craftsman, Dewalt, Miwaukee, Rigid. (How come Harbor Freight "Pittsburgh" brand tools didn't make the poll???)

 

I use Old School Craftsman hand tools, because they were built right and last forever. Dewalt cordless powertools, Stihl chainsaw. I have no problem paying a premium for tools if I know they are made right and are going to last me, which is why I've stayed away from the new generation of Craftsman stuff.

 

Tool boxes.. snapon and Craftsman,husky and pelican.

Hand tools snapon, Craftsman, husky few HF tools.

Power tools 18v Milwaukee and DeWalt.

120 v tools Milwaukee and HF.

Wood working Bosch and Craftsman.

Meters fluke and radio shack ( yep you saw that right) And a few Chinese ones.

 

Hard to say on hand tools. I have a bunch of stuff without any direction to the brand (lots of garage sale). Drills I used Makita and Ridgid and the rest are really all over the place. Woodworking tools would be Stanley, festool, ridged, and I found this company that distributes out by me called WEN tools.

I was looking at the Harbor Freight rolling tool cart for $99. Reviews are pretty good on it. I need a centralized place for my sockets/wrenches/etc..

 

I'll give you a tip - I was a Market Manager for Grainger. If you go there with your Craftsmen tools they need replacement, they'll find a way to take a trade.

 

Speaking about tools - get your corded/battery operated tools from a dealer or where real contractors get their tools. The tools at HD and Lowes are for homeowners. It cost less because us homeowners don't usually use tools at the rate of a contractor. You'll get longer life and better service by not buying them at the big box.

 

As far as power tools I'm entirely Dewalt with a 12V drill, 20V drill and 20V impact. The hand tools are a mix of Craftsman and Tactix (Murdochs brand).

 

Pittsburgh tools are on there. I only use the Pittsburgh-Pro line. However many of the tools are just "plain" HF Pittsburgh tools.

 

Dewalt Corded and cordless
Tekton hand tools (YouTube reviews sold me on them)
Stihl power equipment
John Deere mower

I hit up Lowe's for Kobalt when I'm in a pinch and need something now.

 

For hand tools mostly Craftsman, with some Stanley, Channellock, and others.
Power tools Dewalt or Makita.
Gas powered Honda, Oldschool Toro, or husqvarna.
Air tools Senco, or Bostitch

 

I stick to craftsman hand tools when I can

 

I prefer the older Craftsman tools. I hit garage sales and flea markets on occasion, if I see an old Craftsman tool at a decent price I add it to the collection.

 

I too use a lot of Gearwrench stuff. Klein too. For cordless I like Ridgid stuff - I have a Ridgid combo drill I've had for about 7 years, dropped from over 40 feet onto concrete and it still works just fine. Lifetime replacement warranty on the battery packs too.

 

I'm still using 5 dewalt cordless drills 9 12 & 18 volt that I have had for over 19 years...replace batteries every 4-5 years. Climate controlled shop is key to long battery life.

 

Most my hand tools are Craftsman as I bought them as a big set several years ago. Nowadays I do buy a lot of Kobalt tools from Lowes, I think their quality is superior to Craftsman. My torque wrenches are Kobalt and when I had the calibration checked they were spot on. Last year I bought one of the big stainless steel tool boxes from Lowes and the quality is also good. For air tools I exclusively use Ingersoll Rand.

 

I use a mixture. Stabila and Flange Wizard levels, Empire squares, Mastercraft Maximum and pre-China Craftsman handtools, Ridgid and Makita corded and cordless tools, air tools are Mastercraft Maximum for now but will be replaced with Ingersoll Rand as funds provide.

Work provides me wirh DeWalt grinders. I hate them. As far as I'm concerned, DeWalt is French for "fucking garbage". I run a Lincoln Electric welder at work and its decent. Cordless tools provided at work are Milwaukee Fuel brushless. Not too shabby either, though the chucks wear out fast.

 

Power tools are Milwaukee, hand tools are a mix of old Snap-On that I just "had to have" when I first started buying tools, some original Craftsman, and lately the metric stuff I've added has been DeWalt wrenches and sockets.

 

I’m all dewalt. Just decided I like them the most and always buy that brand when I can. Think i have a few dozen of ther corded and cordless tools. Buying all there 60 and 120volt cordless tools now. Getting a couple of the large tool chests they have as well to store it all.

 

Very interesting read! Thanks all

 

Dewalt and Milwaukee for power tools and years old Craftsman for the majority of my hand tools. For what I do and use them for Craftsman has always been good enough and have worked very well for me for a lot of years. BUT,the last time I traded in one of my 3/8 ratchets they gave me the plastic version and IMO it's crap.
Since we got a Harbor Freight in town I have started to use some of their stuff for rarely used things like pipe wrenches for home plumbing. I wouldnt use them for a paying job but they work for my home use.
I also have a set of Tin snips that are over thirty years old and they came from the local semi truck sale that stopped in town a couple times a year. This was the traveling version of HF years ago and as little as I use the tin snips they have lasted all of these years.

 

I use snap on at work but couldn’t afford my own set, so I bought craftsman instead.