I think Snap-On mostly only makes sense if the tool truck is visiting your place of work, I hear warrantying stuff as Joe Public can be annoying for them. A whole lot of their stuff is just rebranded these days
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Where to by decent sockets
- Thread starter sburns
- Start date
Agree. The truck makes sense if it visits you regularly. If you have to track it down, it is far more annoying than a store (and you have still paid the premium to cover the frequent visits you don't get). An acquaintance owns a Snap-on truck. Trying to get any information out of him on business structure or markup is banging your head against a wall. If you ask nicely, you may get free tools but you will never be able to make a purchase for less than advertised pricing.
Fwiw, mac is similar. You can often find the same tool with alternate branding without the brand and truck premium. For the home gamer, the OEM brands are a better buy imo.
I meant regular sockets. Impact sockets are a different breed.
I have a 4' 3/4" drive breaker bar. One time I let a mechanic touch my car. They obviously put the wheel on with a gun. Standing on the bar did nothing, it required significant bouncing.
Not good but I guess better than finger tight.
2 years ago or so a local "quick lube change" place in town swapped out tires for a customer in a way where the tires came off the car and the driver saw the tires rolling away on him.
Luckily no one was hurt or killed.
That happens even if torqued to spec *if* there is rust on the hub of the rotor/drum that the wheel mates against. As the driver accelerates/brakes the rust wears down and leaves a gap between the rotor and wheel. The lugs are then loose and keep loosening themselves until the drivers uses some damn sense and stops because of the noise, or doesn't use sense and waits until the wheel(s) pass them.
Regarding Snapon sockets, they actually were better than most sockets because they had thinner walls and could get into spots where cheaper/thicker sockets couldn't. That doesn't seem to be a problem anymore, or at least I've never come across it under normal situations.
I have a really good relationship with my car mechanic. He will lend me tools for a bit if it's an oddball that he doesn't expect to use in the next few days. Once also lent me the factory manual for my '80 F150. Maybe you could borrow the T70 from yours?
sburns
Well-known member
I've known this particular mechanic for almost 40 years. Fords, Toyotas, Hondas, Chevs, and even a Renault. When you always buy used, you need to cultivate a good relationship. He even told me to go away and replace the oil pump on my F150 myself, as he didn't feel it would be worth it for me to spend the money to have him do it. $100 in parts at the time, but $$$ for him to do it. He was right; I did it myself and learned a lot in the process.Good tip.
I drive a Toyota we don't need a mechanic's
I need to try again. I broke off a 3/8" to 1/4" in a bit holder. The nose is stuck in the bit holder so both pieces are scrap. Tried to get them replaced once and CT wanted a receipt for the kit they came from. WTF. They are mastercraft branded with a lifetime warranty. I have no receipt. Left in anger. They are still sitting in the tool box.
Yes go back. I've never had to show a receipt.
Same here. With CT or craftsman. Maybe go to a different CT.
I've been asked for a receipt.
There was extenuating circumstance... a buddy used to be a scrap metal dealer, and the local CTC used the same metal processor as he did. The nice lady at the scale would tell buddy when CTC was recently there, which meant here was at least one 5 gallon pail of broken CTC tools. So buddy would grab the pail and take it home. If we wanted a tool, we could go through the buckets, find a broken one and return it.
seems the local CTC wasn't as stupid as we thought and caught on... something about the same ratchet being returned 3 times....
NO PROBLEM, went to a different CTC. He's been retired for years... still has multiple buckets of broken tools in the garage.
There was extenuating circumstance... a buddy used to be a scrap metal dealer, and the local CTC used the same metal processor as he did. The nice lady at the scale would tell buddy when CTC was recently there, which meant here was at least one 5 gallon pail of broken CTC tools. So buddy would grab the pail and take it home. If we wanted a tool, we could go through the buckets, find a broken one and return it.
seems the local CTC wasn't as stupid as we thought and caught on... something about the same ratchet being returned 3 times....
NO PROBLEM, went to a different CTC. He's been retired for years... still has multiple buckets of broken tools in the garage.
Relax
Well-known member
The problem I've found with CT returns on used items these days is that it very much depends on the location. Since they're all (or mostly?) franchises, the individual store owners/management seem to all have a different take on the returns policy. Dundas and Dixie is the worst, in my experience, but they're also the closest. Luckily I've rarely had to return anything within the last 10 years as I'm much more picky about what I buy from them, whereas before I'd "buy and try" with confidence in the ability to return if it was crap.
sburns
Well-known member
Agree the policy makes no sense when each store can choose to work any way they wish. I've stopped going to 1 of my local CT's just because they refused to refund a new item (I basically opened it and looked at it and put it back in the box) and would only issue a store credit. Walked out and went to another store, no problem with the refund.
You want to see craziness, try Home Hardware. I don't know how they still exist tbh. I haven't found the service is better than others, the prices are higher and they are more siloed than CT. I tried to return an unopened HH only product with a receipt to HH and they said they only accept returns or exchanges of things purchased at their location. Purchase location was hours away. It really pisses consumers off when they see you as an organization and you operate as independents.
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