If you came to the comments to crow about snapon beating icon by a tiny bit in TTC's latest test refer back to this: 08:19 🤣 As I stated in this video, unless you are testing hundreds of samples these sorts of tests are just not that reliable, all they can tell you is what leage they are in and in BOTH TTC videos they showed that icon is on par with snapon for $500 less 🥰 AND as I stated in the video, if you want to buy USA made tools you can buy my favorite, Wright, that clearly beat Snapon for 1/3rd the price. Sorry fanboys, when your tools costs that much "beating" a budget brand by an amount that is within the margin of error is not a win, hell It's embarrassing and I'm stunned you would even bring it up. 🙃
Good observation. Honestly you should try a few select items from Vevor. They do just like harbor freight have some crap....but they have some stuff that HF does not have that are good quality. Thanks for stopping by from time to time. Again I support but i will call you out if I see something weird!!!
@@Mikefngarage Vevor has some decent stuff the issue with them is quality control and warranty. They are kind of like old school HF where 1 in 5 items you picked up were just bad from the factory. Which at HF might be a pita you can still just go to the store and swap it out. Vevor is online and they have a well documented history of telling people NO when it comes to warranty issues. I did a video on it a while back.
@@denoftools warranty is the only downside. But most of the stuff I get it would not really matter. on that.....90 days is not much either. Like their welding carts are just much better, The Hose reels cheaper and better, many other items like that Hand tools. I would not go there except for a road box. Their electric ratchet is half the price of the eartquake and it works great (no warranty but way cheaper so who really cares.)
I work industrial maintenance and quit a few guys use HF tools. They never have issues like all those snap on fan boys try to say. Their excuse is always the same things. You get what you pay for and they break easily. Trust me working maintenance is hard on tools and if I’m not seeing these tools break then they must be decent tools. I own the U.S. General 6 drawer mechanics cart and it’s been holding up great. I replaced the casters with a heavy duty type and I push this thing at least a couple miles a day. The other guys have been using those 5 drawer carts and they don’t hold up that great but they are abused. Usually the guys build a frame out of angle iron and sit the box on it. That and the key breaking is the issues they have but even if it was a snap on box it would do the same thing cause I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Snap on is way overpriced. No reason to be charging the prices they charge for tools. It’s all a scam.
I was a mechanic in the early 80’s. I ended up spending thousands of dollars on Snap On tools. Driver was nice until I stopped buying tools. Threatened not to stop by the shop unless the mechanics bought more tools. Almost 40 years later, I broke some teeth in a 3/8th inch torque wrench. Contacted Snap On directly and was told the repair parts were no longer available. Found a Snap On truck stopped at a shop and the driver fixed it in less than 10 minutes for free. So thanks Snap On corporate for trying to get me to throw away a perfectly serviceable tool.
I bought a second hand 1/4" snap on ratchet, it needed a rebuild, I didn't even bother contacting snap on, I fully expected them to reject me out of hand! I went on ebay and bought a snap on rebuild kit for a low price, in yellowed old plastic. Rebuilt it myself, it's as good as new!
I have never bought a snap on tool from a snap on dealer. I have multiple other brands, SK, Wright, Craftsman, Facom, Sykes Pickavent, Metrinch, Gearwrench, etc. I'm perfectly happy NOT to have given shit loads of money to snap on.
You are correct, if you/or others are not stuffing the Snap-On truck with $$$$ every week they will stop showing up to your shop. I contacted Snap-On corporate about tool warranty and was told it can only be done by a route salesperson, they’ll show up one time and warranty some tools but will not return if you aren’t stuffing their pockets with $$$$.
When I got out of the Air Force in 1987 and got my first miserably low paying aerospace mechanic job where I was required to have my own tools, there outside the hanger door was a Snap-On truck selling the most insanely high priced tools I'd ever seen in my life. Luckily, they had financing, which suckered a lot of people in. My dad, who was a WWII vet and worked for decades in aerospace, told me to buy a set of Craftsman tools for a fraction of the cost that had a lifetime warranty. I did as he said and the majority of the tools outlasted my career, and until Sears went under, I could just walk in and replace any hand tool that failed - which wasn't many. The money I saved by not buying overpriced Snap-On tools, I used towards a down payment on my first house, which went up in value every year I owned it. My advice to anyone starting out is to get the affordable Icon tools and let the geniuses that love Snap-On pat themselves on the back as they go into debt and flush their money down the toilet. Just my 2 cents!
Too funny, we must have gotten the same job. In 82 I went to work with Hays Aircraft in B'Ham AL and had to show up with a basic set of hand tools, I went to Sears and now 42 years later I'm still using those crappy Craftsman tools.
Craftsman tools made me plenty of money. Those snap-on boys in the shop would talk trash about me not having real mechanics tools. I doubt they made it as far as I did.
My uncle owned a shop for a good 40 years both auto and farm equipment all craftsman tools. If he broke something there was a sears 45 min away and if he was doing a field repair and lost something it didn’t hurt the wallet to replace it.
@theallseeingmaster Thats insane money for the typical fork lift driver here. It's not great work around here. Pays better than fast food but not by much
80 year old mining mechanic. I only bought Snap on special tools. The polishey tools were for prity boys. The damn wrenches were so slick you had to wear gloves or wrap a rag on them to pull a torque When oily you couldn't hold on to them, loose them in the belly pan of a dozer. I made my living with Craftsman tools. Later used Harbor freight tools.
Yep. I just realized they swapped wrenches when they extended the parking lot sale. I’m returning these that I ordered online. Didn’t need em just wanted a spare set of the anti-slips I already own. It was a kinda tricky deal on HF’s part of you ask me.
I got my multiple sets and icon tools a few weeks ago when they were 40 to 50 percent off had to go to 3 different stores around 40 miles of driving icon all the way
You didnt loose it, you said what needed to be said. All it takes for evil to win is good men do nothing. You're a good man, and doing what needs to be done. Bless you Sir
Lol…this ain’t a battle between good and evil…they’re just god damn tools. This dude be crying like a 🐈 on RUclips trying to get sympathy points. Veteran or not, fools will get scammed one way or another. If these idiots didn’t lose their money at a tool truck, they would have done so on other stupid things like time share. No sympathy from me.
@funny0000000 I don't think he's "trying to put Snap On out of business" or "hurt their company and workers". He's providing a level of transparency that Snap On would likely not want available to the general public. I realize there's more than one side to every story, but it's hard not to categorize these actions as anything but predatory.
I haven't regretted selling my Epiq 84" Snap On tool box and many of their tools to change to ICON, GearWrench, Milwaukee, Tekton, VIM, Launch and many others in the shop. It has been well over 3 years without a problem, which is impossible according to tool snobs. Well, it is possible, iv'e done it.
agreed I started young around my dads shop he was working at in the summer buying some snap on stuff, I have the first ratchet he bought me when I turned 12 besides that all my snap on stuff is pretty much gone, the local rep is a prick and honestly Capri, Tekton, Milwaukee, Vim, Icon, Gearwrench, Quinn, Doyle, Wilde, Mayhew, Craftsman don't sleep on Craftsman they have some nice stuff if you watch what you buy, pretty much fills out my hand tools, besides my SK stuff my grandpa had that was inherited.
To some people, buying that complete set of Snap-On is like wearing a Rolex: It doesn’t keep time better than a Casio, but it’s really expensive so that makes you cool.🙄
Yeah well the Rolex is also usually gold or platinum too. Yes I know they have some very expensive steel Rolex also but come on Rolex is a true status symbol tools are not.
But it does work better. And that “traveling salesman” is what makes snap on worth buying. Icon doesn’t have a tool truck that comes to you to warranty anything you may need. For people who make them living with their tools, that’s huge.
I've had a set of Proto combination wrenches for 45 years now. They live on a commercial fishing vessel and have for 33 years. I have never broke one and they are the go to wrench every time and even though the salt water has taken off the finish, they still perform. Back in the day when I was working in a shop the Strap on truck would stop by every week, I would look but my paycheck was more important to me than buying a name but a couple of my buddies bought in and next thing they knew they owed many thousands to the tool truck. Yep, my Proto wasn't as shiny but at the end of the days work, mine did their job at 1/3rd the price. The only Snap On I stuff I own is a few wrenches I have gotten in auctions and they get virtually no use, they are tool box queens, just like the fan boys! Next time don't hold back on how you really feel! :)
My dad mechaniced for years. Most of his tools were Craftsmen. He instilled in me to never buy high priced tools, buy quality tool. Cause some of the high price tools have the tendency to fail just as likely as the cheap tools. How you use them and how you take care of them makes a BIG difference. To this day, that is what i look for in a tool...quality. And i am finding Harbor Freight as my goto tool store. Especially since Sears closed down most all of their stores and it is hard to find a good quality Craftsmen tool anymore. Quality vs Price...there is no comparison. I will alway get quality as often as i can (when money and/or time allows it) I love what you do. Keep up the good work. God bless you and your family, and God bless America. 🤠 🇺🇸
Craftsman quality went down the shitter when they went to China. Unfortunate, but when people realized they could buy old rusty worn-out Craftsman and trade in for brand new, no questions asked, there was no way they could sustain that.
25 years in manufacturing maintenance. Never saw any tool truck come to my plant. Tool boxes were Waterloo, Kennedy (not so anymore), and Craftsman. Tools were Craftsman, Blackhawk and SK. Then everyone went HF. I have a set of Pittsburgh sockets that I have used 70 hours a week for years. Now ICON. I only look to tool truck brands for specific tools that nobody else makes.
Waterloo was the "secret" manufacturer of SnapOn boxes for a long time. Waterloo boxes are great, but the boxes they made for SnapOn were higher guage steel, higher quality slides, etc. All manufactured to SnapOn specification. And indeed, for a much higher price.
Damn. I’m a vet and when i separated from the Marines. I seriously considered doing Snap-On. Very seriously. But most of my decision was based on how much I trusted Snap-On and the military. I can’t believe how I felt when I saw this video in how it made me realized what a bullet I dodged by not doing it. Wow. I feel your pain. I really do. Thx for the video.
The lesson is dont buy the cheap or expensive tool. Buy the good tool. I used to buy super cheap tools, especially power tools, and even with the light duty stuff I use tools for I would still have my screwdrivers tips get bent in screws, hammer handles break, cutters that don't cut at all, cordless drill that is totally unusable after just a few recharges, etc. I splurged a few years ago and bought a nice set from Milwaukee with the M18 Driver, Drill, Multi Tool combo and the difference is night and day to cheap tools. I changed over to their bits as well and those bits are still serving me well. I am slowly going through all my tools, using reviews to find the reliable, good value brands but so far the ones I have changed have been serving me well.
The Bear was on fire tonight spitting out the truth. It needed to be said and Bear held nothing back and talked from the heart. I will forever be a supporter of this channel. I'm fed up with Snap On cult members calling people "poor" or "just shade tree mechanics that have no idea" for not buying Snap On tools. I'm proud to spend my money wisely and to be a supporter of Den of Tools ✊️✌️
Do you need a snap-on pair of long nose pliers just to hold a wire while you are soldering it? Nope And with the lower cost of other good tools I can buy more for dinner.
It's funny how you see those comments on RUclips but anyone that works in automotive knows mechanics are all poor. Which tells me they don't actually work as a mechanic and are talking out of their butt. It's crazy how many guys on RUclips have garages full of Snap-On that have clearly never been used.
Well I'll take POOR ANS SHADE TREE AND COUNTRY BOY MECHANIC ANY DAMNED DAY!!! I been screwed over by too many of the high end shops!!! Glad to rob me take my money or make me walk!! Had 1 shop charge me like 600 on my 2nd car once! Kept charging me for shit they said was wrong but knew wasn't wrong! They hadn't even replaced the shit they said they had! I mean u name it they had done it or not done it!! A friend of my ole man's said he once had a car have the same ghost issues as mine and it took an old STM to find it!! Others didn't know shit kept telling him this that and like me making him out to be crazy! He said go get u a new syllanoid and get someone to put it on for u! It fixed my ghost car issues and I bet it fixes urs! And at this point u got nothing to lose! So I went got one got a cousin next door to put it on! He charged me only 25 ro do it!! Car never acted possessed ever again! Thr ghost went away!! I had 1 argue me later that couldn't have been it because there's no damned connection!! So I said WELL U can argue that shit all u want buddy but fact is it was posted 247 til I did that STM shit and once I did the car was fine!! And to me the facts speak for themselves!!!! I told him I go by facts I cam see and ones that effect my car my driving my job and ability to get there and THIS FIXED IT WHETHER U CAN ADMIT IT BELIEVE IT OR NOT!! GD car comp tried to tell me I needed fn 2500 worth of shit done to a van I had! But I DIDNT HAVE IT!! WASNT GONNA FN PAY IT!! Took it to a word of mouth STM!! He checked it out said all u need is a damned alternator!! I got one he put it on DONE!!! PROBLEMS WERE SOLVED!!! DIDNT NEED NO DAMNED 2500 WORTH OF BS! STM r honest work hard work under the tree rt out of their yard!! And they don't have some expensive upkeep of some HP SHOP!! They don't spend a damned fortune on shit like SO!! And they pass these massive savings on us poor poor gotta walk customers!! Which helps most keep their jobs feed their families!! Pay their bills!! A good STM knows their shit!!! Gets rt to the heart of the issue! They don't say u need shit u dont!! They know rt off!? And they get it done!! And they dont charge a fortune! They keep it reasonable and fair!! They know it's life death for u and they do their best to help u keep it running!! We don't have enough of these around now!! Their a dying quick breed now!! I got a GOOD 35YR? CHEVY TRUCK I LOVE AND DRIVE AND LIVE ON!! AND A GOOD STM IS ONE ID TRUST TO FIX IT KEEP IT GOING!! SO KNOW THAT ONES LIKE ME DEPEND ON THEM U AND THAT IF IT WASNT FOR U STM U POOR BOYS WE POOR GIRLS POOR CUSTOMERS COULDNT KEEP GOING!! LIVING!! OUR LIVES R IN UR HANDS AND I FOR ONE LOVE U GUYS AND THANK U!!!! 😊❤😊
You are awesome! I am a mechanic and the best tools are the tools that get work done for the least amount of money. I am fortunate that my company bought me Proto, at home I still have my Craftsman USA from 20 years ago and still no issues lol....
I’ve been a mechanic for 20 years. I’ve spent 150k in tools mainly snap on. I’ve completely changed my mind. The icon ball joint press is $200. It’s simple now, icon is a great product for the price
I work at Harbor Freight. I used to be a diesel mechanic. I have a Pittsburg "Heavy Duty Commercial Truck U-joint Puller" that I got from there in 2006. That thing made those jobs so simple. I paid around $80 for it. The Snap On guy wanted like $600 for the SAME tool! Keep in mind this is in 2006 a dollar went a little farther back then. We carry an ICON now for $110. In 2024. Game over snap on. Lets see how long the fanboys can keep them going.
I just watched a RUclips review comparing both sets side by side with a live demo - first of all the harbour freight one flexes more under load which is sketchy, especially if you’re using its daily for professional use in the rust belt. Secondly. If you just look at them side by side its obvious Harbor freight literally copied Snap-on. If Snap-on never invented that set the harbour freight one wouldn’t exist 😂
@@joiion913 ok then dummy, you would be that stupid to buy the snap on, if they are copied right? dummy! Using it in the rust belt? ok so in 15 years buy another set and still save 4 times. Or you could walk into harbor freight and replace them for free! you must be a genius
Best video you have ever done in my opinion. About time someone called them out. My dad was a shop foreman, airplane mechanic and heavy equipment mechanic for 65 years. He told me all the time about guys he worked with owing the tool trucks $1000's. he would laugh when he bought Craftsman or Harbor Freight
I used a set of Pittsburgh Forge wrenches for six years on M1 tanks. Cost me about $20 in 1995 and they still work perfectly. I gave them to my son. He uses them to restore museum aircraft. A $600 set of combination wrenches doesn't make one a better mechanic. It makes them an idiot that overspent for no reason.
I work on large plastic blow molding machinery and bought both sets, SAE and metric, of Harbor Freight's large wrenches, the ones that go above 2 inches, over 20 years ago. To this day the entire set is still in great shape.
Did the military not supply you with tools to work on the M1s? I was not involved in maintenance but I know the guys on the bases I was assigned to who did aircraft maintenance had tools that just lived in the hanger that the government owned.
You are a legend and I don’t comment much. But as a man who was in the military, had no father and wanted to break the cycle so my family would have a man who could work on anything. YOU, you have helped me so much. I’m a harbor freight guy. I am also a tradey and all my tools are either HF or craftsman. I use them everyday and I’m proud of it
I've been a professional mechanical my whole adult life starting in 1995. I have a very complete set of tools from Snap On including an old KR series top and bottom box. I did the whole tool truck account thing. But in the '90's you didn't have much choice. You had tool trucks, Craftsman, and just plain garbage. All that Snap On stuff is now currently in my home shop. I have a second very complete set of tools for my current job as a municipal fleet mechanic. I can count on one hand the Snap On tools I have in my box at work. I bought an Extreme Tools really nice large roll cabinet and it's filled with sockets from Autozone tons of Harbor Freight stuff, lots of Tekton, and some other off brand stuff like Carlyle and things from northern tool. I do have the full sets including the larger sets of wrenches from Icon and absolutely love them. Point is yes, maybe in some cases on a particular tool, Snap On might have an advantage, but I can say that as an owner of two complete setups, one being Snap On and one being all "off brand", I would buy all "off brand" again if I had to put a third tool setup together again. The cost of tool truck tools is just absolutely insane! My "off brand" tools at work have not hindered my job performance once.
I was a MOS 15Y (AH64 avionics tech) in the Army, and we did have Snap-On tools when I was in AIT. These tools, however were from probably the 1980s or 90s. All absolutely superb quality. When I was deployed we had either MAC or Tekton, and they were every bit as good. 😊
...Huh. I always just kind of assumed that the original "Independence Day" movie had (sorta) the right idea, that some of the insane costs for things that were revealed in various government reports in the '90s were at least in part actually ways of hiding parts of the "black" budgets, but apparently, it was the military just buying all the Snap-On tools at list price ;p
You are spot on! My father was a military mechanic, leading delivery convoys. He is retired now. All of his tools were mostly Craftsman and SK, and none were Snap On!
I never comment on youtube videos, but i feel the need to do this. Jeff hats off to you for showing and expressing your honest and whole hearted opinion, but the best was your love for the Vets. Thank you for your support, brother.
Long before I was born, my grandfather was working as a salesmen at the state fair. His task was demonstrating indestructible dinnerware. He was supposed to take a plate and hit it with a hammer to show how tough it was. According to family legend, standing in front of a crowd, he hit a plate with the hammer and it shattered. He did not sell many plates.
Love the royal auto care channel. He does a great job walking through troubleshooting. As we all know, figuring out what is wrong is harder than fixing the problem 99%of the time
The tool truck part of Snap-On, Matco, etc is that they will put the tools on payments. Another advantage is the tool truck goes to the workshop. Most of the time a mechanic can borrow a special tool from a co-worker. I have both Snap-On and Harbor freight tools and I have no problem using Harbor freight on a daily basis with the only problem is that they don't hold up as good as Snap-On / Matco. Harbor Freight is getting better for sure and Icon is a definite step up.
I bought my first Harbor Freight tools back in 2008, when they were relatively new and unknown. I started out small and moved up over the years. Hand tools, small power tools and misc. I have been very satisfied with everything, for a light-use DIYer. It is also refreshing to go into their stores where employees are very helpful and, unlike other places, don't seem to hate their jobs.
Before they started having retail stores they used to do the traveling One time fall tool sale in my area Which was basically Harbor Freight But I will say since they've Put in the box stores and put the Harbor Freight name on it the quality has gone way up
Been with you for years. Best vid yet hands-down! Speak truth! I'm a 30-year LEO and preached the Snap-On/Veteran rip-off cases for years! Thanks for caring, knowing, and putting the most important negative fact about Snap-On out there for all to see! SHINE ON! Nuff said!
Well, I guess I got here at a lucky time, then. I've been watching Bear's videos for about 2 weeks now. This was about my 10th or so. And I got $60 savings on each of the Icon 14-piece Professional Combination Wrench sets, both Metric and SAE, During the video, thanks to Bear's screenshot at 7:38. By the way the coupon code is 15503750 in case you're interested. 😉
When I was a kid in the 70’s, my stepdad owned a Ford tractor dealership, so I grew up around grease and wrenches and the visiting Snap-On tool trucks. Just as you said, no internet, no way to verify claims, but they were believed to be the best by the mechanics in the shop. I became an engineer after my stint in the service, so didn’t get sucked down the Snap-On rabbit hole as I would have had I become a mechanic instead. Thank you for showing that it is time to give up the blind beliefs and base decisions on fair and honest testing. The wrecked finances, lives and lawsuits, and the unethical behavior that crosses the line is appalling. Thank you Jeff for caring enough about people to forcefully stand up for what is right. It’s people like you who restore my faith in humanity. ❤
I am a professional mechanic and I buy most tools from Harbor Freight. I will not buy snap on. 30 years as a mercedes mechanic with my own shop. Love my US GENERAL tool box. Love my Pittsburgh pro and Icon.
I have a ton of snap-on and Craftsman from back when I was turning wrenches in the late seventies and eighties. I recently bought some more Craftsmen, harbor freight and gearwrench and I'm perfectly happy with them. No issues with any of them. Stay off the truck.
@@nopasanadaracing5546 this is the typical response from snap on fan boys. all they can try to do is shame those of us who refuse to drink the snap on coolaid. they want to shame us for the brand of socket or screwdriver we use! this is the best they can do. it is all they got because they know snap on is a joke. they are like women who judge other women for not spending 3k on a designer purse. But thank you for your rude comment. I hope all can see it as you just prove my point. perhaps someday you will learn to work on cars. For now go get your shoe shine box
Thank you from Australia , yes here too some people go crazy about buying the best tools and then you see them for sale on line , you are so honest man and deserve an award for your moral ,cheers Bob
I absolutely love your passion. You are a real person who actually cares about us little guys. My snap on guy comes every week and maybe once every 2 months I buy something small. My co worker spent over 80 grand in 2 years on snap on and doesn't use 3/4 of the tools he bought. I'm all about other companies over snap on
I absolute love your honesty! I was a snap on fan boy myself but after watching this video I’ll never buy another snap on tool again. Thank you for being real!
My current GearWrench dealer was a Snap On dealer. He won a lawsuit against them also. You nailed it. I've been a mechanic for 42 years and a Master Mechanic for 30.
I love Den of Tools! You’re the reason I discovered Harbor Freight and it’s been a blessing to get quality tools at a price I’m comfortable with paying. It’s easy on my budget and the same tools I’m buying are putting food on the table and a roof over my family’s head. Thanks bro!! Keep educating the stubborn people!!
Thanks I learned a lot in this video, one point I love about Harbor Freight is that I have one 5 minutes from house and the tools are great for home owner projects.
Just had a friend help me work on my car who has 30 years of experience as a mechanic. I told him “you have way better tools than I do, I live on Harbor Freight”. He said “it’s not about the tool, but more about the person holding it”. Crazy I see this video 3 hours later, respect to you bear!
@@Petesworkshop2225 If you say so… He’s a very resourceful guy always thinking outside the box thanks to decades of experience. In times of a lack of tools I’ve seen him use a small ratchet and a wrench just to get better leverage to loosen suspension bolts. I can very well buy some Snap On tools cash and still won’t be half the mechanic he is
My wrenches are old school Craftsman and Pittsburgh from HF. Never had issues and they all just work. My son has a few icon ratchets for working on his car but the rest of his tools are a mix of Pittsburgh and a smattering of my tools. They work just fine - he's pulled apart the suspension on multiple cars with them no issues. My brother owns a Jetski repair shop and he uses Pittsburgh because they're cheap and they work.
@@KameraShy I started in the late 70s with SK, still have my original 3/8 drive set, although I don't have the green metal box any more. I have a lot of Craftsman from back then also.
I had an Army battle buddy who had gone through a certified ASE High School program before He joined the Army. Cool guy, knew his stuff. He was of the opinion back then, that although Snap-On is great. So was Craftsman, mainly because you wouldn't have to wait for the tool truck. So true. My Dad used to have Me (as a teen) go to Sears to exchange broken tools (this is when power tools were covered too). It was super easy, that's why He had me do it. My Harbor Freight is surrounded by places to eat. Couldn't be more convenient.
Thank you sir! I am a vet and ABSOLUTELY LOVE Harbor Freight. They have stepped up their game so much that I can even begin to say how great alot of their tools are. I'm in there sometimes 3 times a week and wish I could get all of the great stuff they offer but in time. I often say if I retired from my job serving NYS as a law enforcement professional that would be my favorite place to work. Unfortunately starting at the entry level wage just may not be an option but I would be proud to put on their colors if I ever ask to be part or their team. Thank you for speaking from the heart and with truth. Semper Fi my friend!
Torque test channel just answered our prayers!! snap on did better over all by a tiny margin but when you compare that to price forget about it. Plus some craftsman wrenches had something to say about snap on too!!
I was an Aircraft Mechanic back in the '90's. I have Snap-On, Mac, Matco, Old Craftsman, SK Wayne, Wright, Chicago Pneumatic, Milwaukee, Icon, Bauer, Hercules, Chicago Electric, Desooter, and a few I can't remember right now. There are good tools from many sources as you have said here. I am of the belief you can not have too many guns, knives, tools, flashlights, firewood, caned goods, and Close Friends, acquaintances I can do without, all they do is bring negativity to our lives. As I get older, 61 now, my circle of friends has shrunk a bunch, and I'm OK with that, all I nee is my wife, and daughter, the rest of my family is gone. Best of Luck to All who read this, Thank You Tool Bear.
Hey Bear, I just wanted to say a big thank you for stepping up and giving us the information that WE need to make the best decisions for ourselves. I had no idea of all of this smoke and mirrors displayed by snap- on. I thank you Sir
I worked as a CNC Operator for Snap On making sockets and extensions. Their business practices are disgusting. Their electrical tools are not made in America, we used to get big bins shipped to the MKE plant and they would assemble them there. I would crank out 2500+ sockets from scratch in one 8 hour shift then watch them charge $600 for a 24 piece set. If you are playing ball as an employee and kissing ass, everything is OK. It's a decent place to earn a living. If you go against the grain in any way shape or form, even just getting caught on your phone, they fire people without hesitation. To put that into perspective as a CNC Op you set your tooling start your run, and basically sit there all day feeding them parts. You are just waiting there for 8 hours until you need to change your tooling. So you're supposed to stare at a wall for 30 minutes at a time, load more parts, stare at the wall, over and over. Lol.
@@thunderthormx Seriously lol. I can fully understand not wanting employees constantly on their phones, but they were firing people for changing songs (you could have a Bluetooth speaker quietly) etc there was really zero tolerance. My whole thing is If your production and QC is on point why would you harass someone about their downtime while waiting for the parts to feed. Makes no sense!
Thank you, thank you for preaching to the choir. I never had to make a living with tools , but I had to keep junk running to put my kids in cars and to put them through college. The best investment I ever made was buying a set of Buffalo impact wobble sockets years and years ago. Again thank you.
I just bought the ICON non-slip wrench SAE during the parking lot sale. and they are the best wrenches I have put in my hand it just felt so good. Glad you let it out man I learned things I didn't know about Snap-on other than knowing there tools are over priced. Thank you!!
Snap On started the plastic hex deal in the early 80's and were back then using the box end because of the flank drive which they stole from Bonney's Loc-Rite design and had to pay for it. A guy I worked with would put up an SK plain old raised panel SK wrench and he beat the S-O every time and the dealer just stood there and said that shouldn't happen.
I said it over on the original video, competition is good. Consumers win. I will never understand the whole brand loyalty for anything. I can guarantee that the company does not care about you the second you stop buying their products. Icon right now probably one of the best bang for the buck brands right now in their space. If SnapOn works for you and you are happy with them great, if Pittsburgh works for you that's great too. Anything that lowers the barrier of entry to get into a hobby or profession is great for all of us.
I agree. I had a 15 year old M18 Milwaukee Hammer drill. I wore it out. Fair enough. I got my monies worth. I replaced it with the Fuel hammer drill. The chuck on that drill has serious issues. Milwaukee acted like there was no a systematic issue. a An internet search says otherwise. Milwaukee bought in their slippage routine. I replaced the chuck on a new drill out of pocket. The replacement chuck is just as dangerous. You ratchet the chuck down tight. Start to drill, not even hammer drill, and the chuck opens up and releases the bit as you drill. If you have your weight into it. You fall over. I would buy a Hercules instead of Milwaukee now. This experience along with some M12 poor quality screams out to never be a fan boy of any manufacturer. What may have been great 15 years ago. Can be crap today. Milwaukee tools are schizophrenic. You don't know what you will get for tools. You do know you will get bad warranty service.
Well said Jeff! I don't know how these Snap-On reps sleep at night. As a maintenance mechanic for the last 12 years of my working life and as a tool user for all of my working life, I did whatever I could to not be sucked in to the vortex of a tool truck. Most of my tools are old, Most of my tools were made in the USA. Most are Craftsman, Sparta, S-K and even a few Blue Points. None of my open-ends or my open combo wrenches have teeth, grip bars, or any other so-called gimik to make them better. In using any and all of these tools, I can't ever recall slipping being a problem. To that distributor who lost everything to the tool truck vortex, I hear you, I feel for you and I am sorry for your loss, and for your famly's loss as well. Thank you, Jeff, for listening to them and sharing their story. Tool trucks deliver expensive tools and empty promises, especially to those who deserve it he least.
Well said. I retired from turning wrenches in the auto / truck industry. I only purchased a handful of items from snap-on and always had quality tools to use. There are a lot of less expensive tools that are equal in quality, and when using any of them, you can't tell the difference.
Thanks for everything you do for us. I started wrenching in the 60's. I got more greef because I bought Craftsman tools instead of Snap-On tools. Now a days I can afford to buy any tool I want. So I buy Harbour Freight.
As a 60 plus year old DIYer who would never claim to be a professionaI I have a varied collection of mechanics hand tools from various manufacturers including Craftsman, Wright, Williams, S-K and yes Snap On. As a young man I always tried to purchase USA made tools and was pleased with their performance. Well many years have passed and I have watched American companies try to ride on the reputations they earned years ago while starting to produce mediocre products at best. They sell hype instead of quality. Whether its tools, appliances or automobiles they give us high tech features we never asked for and expect us to replace these items every 5 years rather than build a product that will last 25. Corporate greed at the expense of our families needs. It disgusts me as it should you all. My compliments to the Bear for having the balls to speak the truth. True and fair competition should determine the products we purchase. Thank you for opening up my eyes to the evil that is the Snap On corporation. I for one will never again purchase one of their products.
I'm 48 and you're so spot on, they rely on brand recognition rather than actually being superior in anyway. I used Craftsman quite a bit because they were good and it was easy to get them replaced at Sears. Harbor Freight tools have come a very long way.
I think a lot of these Snap On guys display their thousands of dollars of wrenches proudly on the wall and reach for a Harbor Freight tool when they actually have to use it, for that exact reason.
@@mattorama I used to be a snap on groupie. I must say though, use my snap on tools on my heavy equipment without regard. If they get damaged, warranty it. I have since purchased a lot of Wright and Mac and HF tools. I like the Milwaukee hand tools and Gearwrench too! I no longer buy snap on, but I do own a lot and I do use them...
Only snap on wrench set I’ve ever bought was a used set of 14 pc sae 4 way angle wrenches off eBay for 300.00. They are like over a grand new an I would never ever pay that, but I will say I’ve really enjoyed using them. They are nice… but I do also have a set of Sunex ones in my shop as well that are great too. Those were only 75.00 . An do the same thing . 😂
Snap-On fan boys remind me of the "Royal Nonsuch" plays from Huckleberry Finn, "But what makes the con men’s show a real success, however, is not any ingenuity on their part-they are as inept as ever-but rather the audience’s own selfishness and vindictiveness. Rather than warn the other townspeople that the show was terrible, the first night’s ticketholders would rather see everyone else get ripped off in the same way they did. "
That's right bear hope this vid goes viral I have 50k in snap on tools and I been using icon for about 2 years now never had a problem the best part is I don't have to wait for a truck to warranty them I just go in and out with new one brand new out the box
My two cents, I have Snap On, I love Snap On, but I stopped buying a long time ago. I just couldn't justify paying their prices anymore. So, I found other tools that I love and work JUST AS GOOD. Pittsburgh, Tekton, Sunex and many more. Great PSA Bear ! 👍
The last half of this video was worth every second and needed aired. Put it out in the open, since the best disinfectant for corruption is the light of day.
I never ever comment on videos but I have to agree with you. My family owns a tractor dealership, my grandfather opened it in 1965. The trade I learned was diesel mechanic. From age 12-22 I worked there. From time to time a tool truck would stop by and I'd drool over the tools. We rarely bought anything bc we simply couldn't kill our Craftsman tools (the good old school Craftsman of yester-year) that we purchased from Sears. I'm so glad we didn't fall into the tool truck trap. I know a young man from my church that works at a car dealership. He fell hook, line, and sinker into the tool truck prestige. He got into so much debt with them that it took almost his whole paycheck. He was literally working to pay for tools. Yes, I know this is his fault, but idk how someone could sleep at night talking a dumb kid into that much debt. He was in so much tool debt that it almost bankrupted him and he considered taking his own life. Thankfully he's past those issues now and will be the first to tell you HF and box store tools work just as good and actually make him more money than the tool truck stuff. Thanks for making this video and speaking the truth. I started buying ICON tools bc they are good tools, decent prices, and it takes me about 15 mins to go to HF if I ever have an issue.
We were JUST talking about this tonight! My nephew died AT WORK and didn’t snap on call her THEN show up to try and collect what he still owed on his tools FROM HER?! This was after they raped his boxes and left garbage in a couple of cardboard boxes at his work. I’m a retired veteran and have seen through the smoke screen for decades soo naturally I lost my shit with them, but try to talk a fanboy out of their stuff it’s like there’s just no getting through. You’re 110% spot on brother, DO NOT believe the hype!
I am truly sorry to hear about your nephew. And yeah, some of these dealers are known to go through guys boxes and take not just their tools but anything else they can grab.
Snap On dealers really are some of the scummiest and worst people you'll find Mr. Subaru on youtube comes to mind, but its absolutely ridiculous people want to defend a company that is as cold hearted built their company off of lies and promise a easy warranty through a truck that will quit coming when no one has stuff to be paid on, its literally one of the saddest things to see, my dealer basically cussed me out because I broke a ratchet twice in the same week on the same bolt i warrantied it he drove off it broke again and then he came back and called me everything under the sun, I was 14? I think at the time, my dad heard him dads boss paid off his bill, my bill, and dads bill and told him to not come back to his shop. About 3 months later he lost the route cause no one wanted to deal with the arrogant prick.
Buy whatever you can afford. I love my Snap On Tools everybody’s always hating on Snap on what about all the other tool trucks that rebrand everything that’s because they’re smart they put their prices below Snap on i’m going to keep supporting my snap on dealer he shows up to the shop every week and I rather support him he takes care of everybody in the shop
This the most deep schooling and truthfulness I’ve seen in a long time. It made me well up with tears with this message put out to public. I own all brands of tools and work with them every day. I have my opinions of what works for me the best. None of which are Snap-On anymore. I still use their tools I have, and they get the job done. But there are soooo many better and cheaper options; it’s just not even a joke anymore.
@ The Den Of Tools, You are speaking a 100 % truth about Strap-On truck routes. Some are a waste of time to consider and other routes might be profitable. A close friend almost bought into a Strap-On truck and he said, "Thank God he didn't." He also told me Icon are good tools and at a more affordable price. I have a few snap on tools but 95% of tools are Craftsman back from 1980. Now if I buy any tools I get Cornwell, Gearwrench, Wright, Carlyle. Keep doing you and spread the truth.
35 years ago I talked to a mechanic about Snap On and he said he doesn't buy them anymore. He has a broken Snap On toolbox full of broken Snap On tools that he cannot get replaced because he doesn't buy from Snap On anymore. This is why I don't own any Snap On, Not that I cannot afford them. I proudly own a Huge collection of Craftsman Professional tools.
In my 13 years of wrenching, I've had 3 different snapon dealers. Not one time was I ever rejected or questioned about warranty from something I purchased from another dealer.
Should we really have to explain that $600 is only TEN times more the $60…?😂 100 times more would be $6,000 That said… their prices are absolutely ridiculous!
That had been my one rationale for Snap On tools. There are some people who need 20-50% better because of the stress their tools endure the precision needed for the job to be done properly, etc. If they want to pay an extra 100% for that increase, more power to them. But most don't, so use what you can afford and keep your profits for yourself. But I've seen too many comparisons that show Snap-on isn't that much better, it's just more expensive. Add to it their sketchy business model and there's no way to justify buying from them.
Jeff, I admire your passion and your restraint. Please keep bringing attention to companies like Wright that make their tools in America (I learned about them from you) and companies like Harbor Freight that employ tons of Americans and are working to improve their products.
I use almost exclusively Harbor Freight tools in my day to day job as a light duty and heavy duty mechanic. I have never had any issues with any of my tools, simply take care of them and they last. I have a combination of Pittsburgh, Quinn, Icon, Doyle etc as well as a bunch of Hercules power tools like my Ultra Torque impact. All of them have been absolutely stellar for me and cost way less than any of the other options for the power you get. I am the biggest Harbor Freight fan girl ever. I have turned down tools before from other manufacturers and waited to get the tool I was wanting from Harbor Freight. I put my trust in them for my livelihood and they have never failed me. Consider this a customer testimonial if you want but I absolutely love Harbor Freight. =)
I love your post. My first time posting. First time thumbs up (will from now on). As an 11, 12 year old my dad was a Craftsman guy. I still have them to this day and happy to find out (based on real experience) Lowes honors their hand tool warrenty (1/4" drive ratchet). But I have alot of harbor freight tools as an "aggressive" weekend warrior. Your tool reviews have been a huge help. As a family man that extra money to golf lessons, basketball league or a Disney trip are well worth the savings. No offense, I pass up on some amazing tool deals with or withoutt your opinion on them. But this video here brings light to the fact that tools are important, quality to value means somthing, but you! You know that family means the most. A shot to you my friend! Thank you for your insight and I appreciate the work you do. From a blue color (land surveyor/DIY) weekend/family man warrior; Keep doing what your doing. Speak your truth! And for the ones who disagree, that's ok too. Let's have a drink, let's discuss it, and realize we agree on the most important things in life. Familyand friends. Rack em up, I'll break!
As for the craftsman warranty,some lowes will and some won't. It depends on the store manager. My local Lowes used to be fairly good. New manager won't even warranty their own brand without a receipt and they won't break a set.
Bravo Jeff, well said,!!!! I have a relative that's a snap on fan boy he is at best a marginal DIYer. His wife bought him a Craftsman set years ago. He refused to use them and went out an spent $6k twenty years ago. Massive waste of money for a guy who won't do his own brake job. Back when I was a poor Marine, in 1967 at. Naval Station Long Beach, my dad bought me a basic tool set at Monkey Wards. It was made in the USA. I was so grateful to have more that a crescent wrench vice grips. I took grat offense when I hear folks down budget tools. If you have no tools budget tools are a Godsend. It's like someone looking down on the less fortunate.. that pisses me off too
The 50% off coupon releasing immediately after the original video dropped was savage by Harbor Freight. They got a set of their wrenches into every garage in the country. Word will spread quick lol
@W2IRT Oh I don't know, I was just going off the screenshot in the video and comments I had seen on the original video. Just checked their website, and it looks like only the non anti-slip version is half-off right now. It might have ended
@@paulp7561Yeah the sale this weekend is for the regular box end sets not the anti-slip. I snagged both, the anti-slip last week, and the regular this weekend, both in SAE. I already had them all in Metric, but wanted a reliable non-skip set of SAE for the rare occasions I need them. I wanted the regular set, cause you don't always need the anti-slip, nor want to marr certain fasteners.
Good video! I use tools as tools and not vanity accessories. if I were starting out as a mechanic, I would buy Icon. Keep in mind, they have a lifetime warranty and stores all over the country. The only tool I ever got replaced from Harbor freight was an impact hex socket that I used on thousands of bolts with a 4 foot cheater bar. I’ve heard of people having lots of problems getting things replaced off the snap on truck’s
My grandpa bought the first tools available after WW2. Snap-On still in my garage. Only one broken socket and 3 ratchet rebuilds! This is my test of generations, and I own several other brands!
I own Blackhawk, craftsman, SK, Snap-on, Mac, Bonney, Williams. Slowly the tools are separating the wheat from the chaff and I haven’t had a Williams or Bonney ratchet in probably 40 years. I’ve broken a trash can full of craftsman ratchets. I have damaged 3 snapon ratchets and one socket. I am not responsible for those purchases. I love Blackhawk but their ratchets are crap. The fact that I used to have forearms as big as a 5# coffee can attributed to many broken ratchets new out of the bag. But only 3 from snapon, 4-5 from Mac and all of them from all the rest! I’ve broken a 1/2 drive craftsman breaker bar brand new with a 1” socket and embedded the drive in my right hand! So my personal experience is that snapon makes better ratchets. I’ve got a bucket full of ratchets that can prove this truth, and every brand of tools and broken fingers from ratchet failures. 57 years old and unable to work any longer due to brain damage. From meningitis, I’ll never work a regular job ever again. The best single tool I’ve ever owned was my 86F150, 370,000 miles when a tree fell on it.
I don’t care what anybody says after 40 years of working as a technician the snap on wrenches are really nice to use and if you use something every single day all day long it might as well be something that you like. I’ve always chose snap on.
I don't care for the snapon wrenches, they are too thin and hurt my hand. I have 7 snappy wrenches and they are the last ones to come out of my tool box
That's how I always felt about my Craftsman tools. I never looked down on the Snap On and Mac guys for blowing their money, but they sure gave me a lot of guff for my "Crapman" tools. Funny thing was, we all made about the same amount of money, but I took all of mine home while they had to split theirs with the tool truck.
Wow two F bombs in one video. That earns you a thumbs up. You know I am for using the right tool for the job. Looks like SnapOn is NOT the right tool for the job or any job for that matter. Great video. It was very informative and well thought out. Thank you.
Icon is on the up and up, people are finally realizing the quality and service available for the price. Also I enjoyed the angry Bear portion of the video, hopefully it doesn’t affect your monetization. It’s important to keep it real with delusional fan boys, especially when they are hurting people
Retired in 1995 and I never hear of Icon. However I did find this out in my years as a technician. Snap On wrenches and sockets got on ANY nut or bolt ESPECIALLY ones that had a cheap wrench on them before that had boogered the corners of the nut. Good mechanics in those days had three sets of wrenches: Snap On, Mac and Sears Craftsman. *Snap On* was for your every day work. You could depend on them to fit on any nut and turn it with enough torque to get the job done. It didn't slip most of the time. All that was because of their patented design that allowed for a boogered corner on the nut. *Mac* was for your show car stuff that had brand new chrome plated nuts because it fitted so tightly to the nut that it would not damage the nut and turn it better than any wrench and slipped only when the nut failed, but you didn't use it on your daily work because you could often run into a nut that had had a Sears craftsmen wrench on it and the corners were boogered up. On a nut like that you had to hammer your nice pristine Mac wrench onto it. *Sears Craftsman* was the set you started with when you were a kid. They were why Snap On wrenches and sockets were in demand in the first place: The clearances were so loose that they almost always left their imprint on every nut and bolt they turned, an ugly little booger on the corners they pressed against. Those were the wrenches in your bottom drawer that you got when you needed to torch them and bend them to fit a unique application. So Snap On is high priced? Yes. Call me a fan boy, I don't care. When I was on the job it mattered if you had trouble getting the wrench on the nut. With Snap On I almost NEVER had any trouble getting it on the nut. Only the most deformed nut or bolt gave me any trouble and then it was mostly torch time. You see when you're making a living working on cars, speed counts. Having trouble getting a wrench on a troublesome nut means stop and make a trip to the tool box to look for a better fit, and having a loose fit cheap wrench may mean torch time that that cheap wrench caused. Maybe Icon is just as good as Snap On in those qualities I just described, I don't know about Icon because I never saw one. I'm not crying about your take on Snap On. I only know what I know about how Snap On was a trouble free wrench that fit every nut and turned it with enough torque to get the job done. I made a hundred times the money I spent on them on the time saved on jobs I could get done quicker so I could get to the next job. Mechanics get paid piecemeal, not salary or hourly. Time saved is money in my pocket and Snap On added up to a lot of time saved.
Started out as a mechanic in the 90s with a small craftsman tool box and tool set. Had an older mechanic tell me to get what you NEED off the tool truck but if they ever pull out the credit application to run away they'll own you forever. Snap on credit is like borrowing from the Mafia!! Been turning wrenches for 30 years with plenty of cheap tools. I think the Internet, Amazon and harbor freight have put snap on in a corner and all that's left is fan boys. Great video
Tool trucks hated me because I purchased everything in cash. They hand out credit like samples to a junkie. The truck owners earn their pay on the backs of the poor souls starting out in the auto industry. Every other manufacturer has caught up in the last ten years, so SNAP On is headed towards the Craftsman path. Especially in this bad economy, who in their right mind would pay triple or more for the same quality and value. Cheer up Bear, you are humanist.
I did the same to the Snapon dealer in the mid 70s, drove him nuts The prices were comparatively better then. Later there was a big jump in prices, and I was out. In the 70s, the boxes were better than the others by far, Still have those with no regrets.
Tell 'em Jeff! 🔥 Side note, my dad sold Cutco knives briefly, before I was even born. I'll be damned if my parents still don't have his demo set and send it in for free sharpening periodically, lol. Half of the knives have been replaced with new at this point - apparently they don't bother sharpening serrated knives 😅
I owned a large motorcycle dealership in the 70s and 80s. I had a couple of customers who owned snap-on routes so naturally I tried to do some business with them. Most of the tools were generally small metric stuff thats common today with most of us. When I retired I kept all of the shop owned tools, about 500 pounds worth. There is not one snap-on wrench or snap-on tool anything left in this pile of tools. One of the last snap-on wrenches I remember was a 10mm combo wrench that broke at the open end side working on my daughter’s bicycle. I can recall a set of snap-on needle nose pliers doing the same thing. I guess if they don’t last for small equipment, I’m glad I wasn’t a semi-truck dealer.
Hi Bear, I feel you man. I am a little older than you, 60. When I was young Craftsman was the king of the hill. Thats what our fathers used. So I have seen a lot of who's the best, back and forth, etc. There is nothing wrong with wanting nice things, but at the end of the day all that matters is does the tool work or not. I can say with great pride in my American heart that I never paid $ 600.00 for a set of wrenches. P.S. I'm from Atlanta. LOVE the Vic reference.
Most of Us Mechanic's Don't care who makes the Tool As long as it gets the Job Done all that matters at the end of the day Is the job is done and the customer is happy. I Can see your Passion in this video Jeff 14:47 @The Den Of Tools
Hi I live in Australia, I just spent $3000 on tools for work 2 full sets of combination spanners metric 2mm to 32mm no missing sizes in all sets, 2 full sets of A/F spanners sets, 2 sets of geared spanners 1/2-inch Sid chrome drive socket set. Spanners are Gear wrench, TTI. Makita angle grinder box set 115mm. 3 Gear wrench pry bars, Milwaukee electrical 15-piece screwdriver set, Stanley electrical 3-piece plyer set. and Kin chrome full tang screwdrivers. They all work well, no snap on anywhere. So to Snap on people what would 3 grand buy you. cheers like the video.
I have bought tools from several different companies over the years. Some of my first was from Snap On, is there a difference between between them and cheap tools? Yes, but I still use Harbor freight tools more than them. I had a ratchet Snap On that broke and my brother in law couldn't get the guy to replace it. As far as losing it? No you didn't lose anything, you spoke the truth and from the heart. Please keep up the great videos!
The Snap-On folks sound similar to the Festool crowd. They pay $$$$ for their tools and when someone says something bad or contrary to their opinion they lose their minds.
Yeah if you want to pay buco money for your tools go ahead... Just don't get bent out of shape when other people don't agree with you... Go ahead rip on my husky tools I throw them around abuse them and lose them without a care in the world... and they work for me, and I think they provide value for what I paid. If you have a different thought please explain it but otherwise I'm going to keep doing what I've been doing
The snappy folks are aggressive in their hate, the Festool crowd just looks down on you while sipping on their nut milk, fair trade, vegan, macchiatos.
I love the Torque Test Channel. What's also eye opening is that Hazet came out on top when it comes to a non-specialty open end combo wrenches (i.e. no teeth) coming close to the wrenches with the non-slip open ends. Also, one minor correction, TTC will accept free tools, not from manufacturers but from viewers or friends who loan them the tools to test. To TTC's credit, they are fully transparent when they get a tool under those circumstances.
Well said. And in the Euro scene, BMW, Mercedes, etc - Hazet makes some specialty stuff that nobody else does. Transmission driveshaft yoke socket for BMWs for instance. But you think SnapOn is pricey??
Great content my friend snap on makes some beautiful tools I can't argue that but I've been a mechanic for 30 years and I never used one snap on tool and I got many jobs done without any problems if you treat your tools right they will serve you well I grew up using Williams indestro new Britain proto and a few craftsman tools and I still use them to this day and enjoy using them and most are vintage I would be impressed if snap on could make a ratchet as smooth as new Britain's killness patented ratchets that would be a tough act to follow if it was easy other companies would have capitalized on the design thanks for sharing my friend take care
Auto mechanic is the most expensive trade to get into. They start out with buying a brand new cheap $15,000 Snap On cabinet not realizing they’re in a hole for the rest of their lives.
That first line is a fact. I wish it wasn't true but it is, for a lot of reasons. Then once you invest tens of thousands in tools, and you will, quickly, you're basically stuck in that field.
Maybe there's a marketing opportunity for HFT there. Sell pre-assembled professional mechanic's set at a discount. Or give discounts for bulk purchases over $1k, $5k, $10k est.
@@kinte1870 No you can't. Not only do you need a scan tool to retract parking brakes today, you're going to have bolts break and that requires everything from a torch to extractor sets. Just doing brakes and fluid changes you're looking at a couple thousand in tools/box, or more.
If you come up against a bolt or a nut, that is so tight, then use a single hex socket or a ring spanner.If that fails use heat.ANY open ended spanner will round off the flats.You may shift it with a spanner twice the thickness, if they make them, but I’ve never seen one.I never use a spanner where I can use a single hex socket, double hex if access is tight.
If you came to the comments to crow about snapon beating icon by a tiny bit in TTC's latest test refer back to this: 08:19 🤣 As I stated in this video, unless you are testing hundreds of samples these sorts of tests are just not that reliable, all they can tell you is what leage they are in and in BOTH TTC videos they showed that icon is on par with snapon for $500 less 🥰 AND as I stated in the video, if you want to buy USA made tools you can buy my favorite, Wright, that clearly beat Snapon for 1/3rd the price. Sorry fanboys, when your tools costs that much "beating" a budget brand by an amount that is within the margin of error is not a win, hell It's embarrassing and I'm stunned you would even bring it up. 🙃
Let's talk about that craftsman overdrive though...I was surprised when they pulled that out
Good observation. Honestly you should try a few select items from Vevor. They do just like harbor freight have some crap....but they have some stuff that HF does not have that are good quality. Thanks for stopping by from time to time. Again I support but i will call you out if I see something weird!!!
@@Mikefngarage Vevor has some decent stuff the issue with them is quality control and warranty. They are kind of like old school HF where 1 in 5 items you picked up were just bad from the factory. Which at HF might be a pita you can still just go to the store and swap it out. Vevor is online and they have a well documented history of telling people NO when it comes to warranty issues. I did a video on it a while back.
@@denoftools warranty is the only downside. But most of the stuff I get it would not really matter. on that.....90 days is not much either. Like their welding carts are just much better, The Hose reels cheaper and better, many other items like that Hand tools. I would not go there except for a road box. Their electric ratchet is half the price of the eartquake and it works great (no warranty but way cheaper so who really cares.)
I work industrial maintenance and quit a few guys use HF tools. They never have issues like all those snap on fan boys try to say. Their excuse is always the same things. You get what you pay for and they break easily. Trust me working maintenance is hard on tools and if I’m not seeing these tools break then they must be decent tools. I own the U.S. General 6 drawer mechanics cart and it’s been holding up great. I replaced the casters with a heavy duty type and I push this thing at least a couple miles a day. The other guys have been using those 5 drawer carts and they don’t hold up that great but they are abused. Usually the guys build a frame out of angle iron and sit the box on it. That and the key breaking is the issues they have but even if it was a snap on box it would do the same thing cause I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Snap on is way overpriced. No reason to be charging the prices they charge for tools. It’s all a scam.
I was a mechanic in the early 80’s. I ended up spending thousands of dollars on Snap On tools. Driver was nice until I stopped buying tools. Threatened not to stop by the shop unless the mechanics bought more tools. Almost 40 years later, I broke some teeth in a 3/8th inch torque wrench. Contacted Snap On directly and was told the repair parts were no longer available. Found a Snap On truck stopped at a shop and the driver fixed it in less than 10 minutes for free. So thanks Snap On corporate for trying to get me to throw away a perfectly serviceable tool.
I bought a second hand 1/4" snap on ratchet, it needed a rebuild, I didn't even bother contacting snap on, I fully expected them to reject me out of hand! I went on ebay and bought a snap on rebuild kit for a low price, in yellowed old plastic. Rebuilt it myself, it's as good as new!
I have never bought a snap on tool from a snap on dealer. I have multiple other brands, SK, Wright, Craftsman, Facom, Sykes Pickavent, Metrinch, Gearwrench, etc. I'm perfectly happy NOT to have given shit loads of money to snap on.
It's corporate WEF/CCP globalist cults
You are correct, if you/or others are not stuffing the Snap-On truck with $$$$ every week they will stop showing up to your shop. I contacted Snap-On corporate about tool warranty and was told it can only be done by a route salesperson, they’ll show up one time and warranty some tools but will not return if you aren’t stuffing their pockets with $$$$.
The snap on wrench was backwards
When I got out of the Air Force in 1987 and got my first miserably low paying aerospace mechanic job where I was required to have my own tools, there outside the hanger door was a Snap-On truck selling the most insanely high priced tools I'd ever seen in my life. Luckily, they had financing, which suckered a lot of people in. My dad, who was a WWII vet and worked for decades in aerospace, told me to buy a set of Craftsman tools for a fraction of the cost that had a lifetime warranty. I did as he said and the majority of the tools outlasted my career, and until Sears went under, I could just walk in and replace any hand tool that failed - which wasn't many. The money I saved by not buying overpriced Snap-On tools, I used towards a down payment on my first house, which went up in value every year I owned it.
My advice to anyone starting out is to get the affordable Icon tools and let the geniuses that love Snap-On pat themselves on the back as they go into debt and flush their money down the toilet. Just my 2 cents!
Too funny, we must have gotten the same job. In 82 I went to work with Hays Aircraft in B'Ham AL and had to show up with a basic set of hand tools, I went to Sears and now 42 years later I'm still using those crappy Craftsman tools.
@@Mr_D555 My cousin was a supervisor at Hays
Craftsman tools made me plenty of money. Those snap-on boys in the shop would talk trash about me not having real mechanics tools. I doubt they made it as far as I did.
My uncle owned a shop for a good 40 years both auto and farm equipment all craftsman tools. If he broke something there was a sears 45 min away and if he was doing a field repair and lost something it didn’t hurt the wallet to replace it.
I got a broken Craftsman ratchet wrench replaced through my local Ace.
I work for harbor freight at a warehouse as a forklift driver they're probably one of the chillest places i ever worked at and make 27hr
Forklifting is a great job. I would come out of retirement to do it again in a heartbeat.
If they treat their help good that may decide my tipping point between carlyle and icon.
That’s good money! Probably a fun job too
@theallseeingmaster Thats insane money for the typical fork lift driver here. It's not great work around here. Pays better than fast food but not by much
@@adamhanne8431 I got a raise last month now I'm at little over 28hr
80 year old mining mechanic. I only bought Snap on special tools. The polishey tools were for prity boys. The damn wrenches were so slick you had to wear gloves or wrap a rag on them to pull a torque
When oily you couldn't hold on to them, loose them in the belly pan of a dozer. I made my living with Craftsman tools. Later used Harbor freight tools.
The downside to these recent videos is that all the anti-slip Icon wrenches are sold out everywhere. I Love It!
Yep. I just realized they swapped wrenches when they extended the parking lot sale. I’m returning these that I ordered online. Didn’t need em just wanted a spare set of the anti-slips I already own. It was a kinda tricky deal on HF’s part of you ask me.
The ones I just bought at the parking lot sale are the anti slip kind.
@@MachineEarth yes but when they extended the parking lot sale they switched them.
@@cowcatcher9186 switched what? All the Icon ratchets were on 40% off sale.
I got my multiple sets and icon tools a few weeks ago when they were 40 to 50 percent off had to go to 3 different stores around 40 miles of driving icon all the way
You didnt loose it, you said what needed to be said. All it takes for evil to win is good men do nothing. You're a good man, and doing what needs to be done. Bless you Sir
Lol…this ain’t a battle between good and evil…they’re just god damn tools. This dude be crying like a 🐈 on RUclips trying to get sympathy points. Veteran or not, fools will get scammed one way or another. If these idiots didn’t lose their money at a tool truck, they would have done so on other stupid things like time share. No sympathy from me.
I concur with your statement👏🏻
@@funny0000000how is exposing the parlor tricks their salesmen do putting the company out of business.
@funny0000000 I don't think he's "trying to put Snap On out of business" or "hurt their company and workers". He's providing a level of transparency that Snap On would likely not want available to the general public. I realize there's more than one side to every story, but it's hard not to categorize these actions as anything but predatory.
@funny0000000 it wasn't just one person that made a "BAD BUSINESS DECISION" snap on have been sued more then once
I haven't regretted selling my Epiq 84" Snap On tool box and many of their tools to change to ICON, GearWrench, Milwaukee, Tekton, VIM, Launch and many others in the shop. It has been well over 3 years without a problem, which is impossible according to tool snobs.
Well, it is possible, iv'e done it.
Hey it’s Jimmy in here. The real deal mechanic in Florida!
Pinned for being real!
agreed I started young around my dads shop he was working at in the summer buying some snap on stuff, I have the first ratchet he bought me when I turned 12 besides that all my snap on stuff is pretty much gone, the local rep is a prick and honestly Capri, Tekton, Milwaukee, Vim, Icon, Gearwrench, Quinn, Doyle, Wilde, Mayhew, Craftsman don't sleep on Craftsman they have some nice stuff if you watch what you buy, pretty much fills out my hand tools, besides my SK stuff my grandpa had that was inherited.
Icon at 50% off means you can buy both sets.
@denoftools let's hope MAC trickle down crafrman
To some people, buying that complete set of Snap-On is like wearing a Rolex: It doesn’t keep time better than a Casio, but it’s really expensive so that makes you cool.🙄
That is a great analogy!
Yep, it's blue collar Gucci.
Perfect analogy
Yeah well the Rolex is also usually gold or platinum too. Yes I know they have some very expensive steel Rolex also but come on Rolex is a true status symbol tools are not.
But it does work better. And that “traveling salesman” is what makes snap on worth buying. Icon doesn’t have a tool truck that comes to you to warranty anything you may need. For people who make them living with their tools, that’s huge.
I've had a set of Proto combination wrenches for 45 years now. They live on a commercial fishing vessel and have for 33 years. I have never broke one and they are the go to wrench every time and even though the salt water has taken off the finish, they still perform. Back in the day when I was working in a shop the Strap on truck would stop by every week, I would look but my paycheck was more important to me than buying a name but a couple of my buddies bought in and next thing they knew they owed many thousands to the tool truck. Yep, my Proto wasn't as shiny but at the end of the days work, mine did their job at 1/3rd the price. The only Snap On I stuff I own is a few wrenches I have gotten in auctions and they get virtually no use, they are tool box queens, just like the fan boys! Next time don't hold back on how you really feel! :)
My dad mechaniced for years. Most of his tools were Craftsmen. He instilled in me to never buy high priced tools, buy quality tool. Cause some of the high price tools have the tendency to fail just as likely as the cheap tools. How you use them and how you take care of them makes a BIG difference.
To this day, that is what i look for in a tool...quality. And i am finding Harbor Freight as my goto tool store. Especially since Sears closed down most all of their stores and it is hard to find a good quality Craftsmen tool anymore.
Quality vs Price...there is no comparison. I will alway get quality as often as i can (when money and/or time allows it)
I love what you do. Keep up the good work. God bless you and your family, and God bless America. 🤠 🇺🇸
Craftsman quality went down the shitter when they went to China. Unfortunate, but when people realized they could buy old rusty worn-out Craftsman and trade in for brand new, no questions asked, there was no way they could sustain that.
Go watch the torque test channel vid on this then.
Value is there for sure, but raw performance showed the real story.
25 years in manufacturing maintenance. Never saw any tool truck come to my plant. Tool boxes were Waterloo, Kennedy (not so anymore), and Craftsman. Tools were Craftsman, Blackhawk and SK. Then everyone went HF. I have a set of Pittsburgh sockets that I have used 70 hours a week for years. Now ICON. I only look to tool truck brands for specific tools that nobody else makes.
Waterloo was the "secret" manufacturer of SnapOn boxes for a long time. Waterloo boxes are great, but the boxes they made for SnapOn were higher guage steel, higher quality slides, etc. All manufactured to SnapOn specification. And indeed, for a much higher price.
Damn. I’m a vet and when i separated from the Marines. I seriously considered doing Snap-On. Very seriously. But most of my decision was based on how much I trusted Snap-On and the military. I can’t believe how I felt when I saw this video in how it made me realized what a bullet I dodged by not doing it. Wow. I feel your pain. I really do. Thx for the video.
when i first read your post, i thought you were an animal doctor,,,
The lesson is dont buy the cheap or expensive tool. Buy the good tool. I used to buy super cheap tools, especially power tools, and even with the light duty stuff I use tools for I would still have my screwdrivers tips get bent in screws, hammer handles break, cutters that don't cut at all, cordless drill that is totally unusable after just a few recharges, etc. I splurged a few years ago and bought a nice set from Milwaukee with the M18 Driver, Drill, Multi Tool combo and the difference is night and day to cheap tools. I changed over to their bits as well and those bits are still serving me well. I am slowly going through all my tools, using reviews to find the reliable, good value brands but so far the ones I have changed have been serving me well.
The Bear was on fire tonight spitting out the truth. It needed to be said and Bear held nothing back and talked from the heart. I will forever be a supporter of this channel. I'm fed up with Snap On cult members calling people "poor" or "just shade tree mechanics that have no idea" for not buying Snap On tools. I'm proud to spend my money wisely and to be a supporter of Den of Tools ✊️✌️
Do you need a snap-on pair of long nose pliers just to hold a wire while you are soldering it? Nope
And with the lower cost of other good tools I can buy more for dinner.
It's funny how you see those comments on RUclips but anyone that works in automotive knows mechanics are all poor.
Which tells me they don't actually work as a mechanic and are talking out of their butt.
It's crazy how many guys on RUclips have garages full of Snap-On that have clearly never been used.
Agreed
Well I'll take POOR ANS SHADE TREE AND COUNTRY BOY MECHANIC ANY DAMNED DAY!!!
I been screwed over by too many of the high end shops!!! Glad to rob me take my money or make me walk!!
Had 1 shop charge me like 600 on my 2nd car once! Kept charging me for shit they said was wrong but knew wasn't wrong! They hadn't even replaced the shit they said they had! I mean u name it they had done it or not done it!!
A friend of my ole man's said he once had a car have the same ghost issues as mine and it took an old STM to find it!!
Others didn't know shit kept telling him this that and like me making him out to be crazy! He said go get u a new syllanoid and get someone to put it on for u! It fixed my ghost car issues and I bet it fixes urs! And at this point u got nothing to lose! So I went got one got a cousin next door to put it on! He charged me only 25 ro do it!!
Car never acted possessed ever again! Thr ghost went away!!
I had 1 argue me later that couldn't have been it because there's no damned connection!! So I said WELL U can argue that shit all u want buddy but fact is it was posted 247 til I did that STM shit and once I did the car was fine!! And to me the facts speak for themselves!!!! I told him I go by facts I cam see and ones that effect my car my driving my job and ability to get there and THIS FIXED IT WHETHER U CAN ADMIT IT BELIEVE IT OR NOT!!
GD car comp tried to tell me I needed fn 2500 worth of shit done to a van I had! But I DIDNT HAVE IT!! WASNT GONNA FN PAY IT!!
Took it to a word of mouth STM!! He checked it out said all u need is a damned alternator!! I got one he put it on DONE!!! PROBLEMS WERE SOLVED!!! DIDNT NEED NO DAMNED 2500 WORTH OF BS!
STM r honest work hard work under the tree rt out of their yard!! And they don't have some expensive upkeep of some HP SHOP!! They don't spend a damned fortune on shit like SO!! And they pass these massive savings on us poor poor gotta walk customers!! Which helps most keep their jobs feed their families!! Pay their bills!!
A good STM knows their shit!!! Gets rt to the heart of the issue! They don't say u need shit u dont!! They know rt off!? And they get it done!! And they dont charge a fortune! They keep it reasonable and fair!! They know it's life death for u and they do their best to help u keep it running!!
We don't have enough of these around now!! Their a dying quick breed now!!
I got a GOOD 35YR? CHEVY TRUCK I LOVE AND DRIVE AND LIVE ON!! AND A GOOD STM IS ONE ID TRUST TO FIX IT KEEP IT GOING!!
SO KNOW THAT ONES LIKE ME DEPEND ON THEM U AND THAT IF IT WASNT FOR U STM U POOR BOYS WE POOR GIRLS POOR CUSTOMERS COULDNT KEEP GOING!! LIVING!! OUR LIVES R IN UR HANDS AND I FOR ONE LOVE U GUYS AND THANK U!!!! 😊❤😊
Like I've said before, Snap On isn't for the working man/woman. Not at those damn prices. Greedy as hell.
You are awesome! I am a mechanic and the best tools are the tools that get work done for the least amount of money. I am fortunate that my company bought me Proto, at home I still have my Craftsman USA from 20 years ago and still no issues lol....
There's some guys at work that only buy snapon. I buy them lunch every once in a while cause they can't afford lunch😅
I’ve been a mechanic for 20 years. I’ve spent 150k in tools mainly snap on. I’ve completely changed my mind. The icon ball joint press is $200. It’s simple now, icon is a great product for the price
7.5k a year?
What do you work on?
I work at Harbor Freight. I used to be a diesel mechanic. I have a Pittsburg "Heavy Duty Commercial Truck U-joint Puller" that I got from there in 2006. That thing made those jobs so simple. I paid around $80 for it. The Snap On guy wanted like $600 for the SAME tool! Keep in mind this is in 2006 a dollar went a little farther back then. We carry an ICON now for $110. In 2024. Game over snap on. Lets see how long the fanboys can keep them going.
@@stusue9733 started in heavy equipment 08 finished that off now a fleet mechanic on semi
I just watched a RUclips review comparing both sets side by side with a live demo - first of all the harbour freight one flexes more under load which is sketchy, especially if you’re using its daily for professional use in the rust belt.
Secondly. If you just look at them side by side its obvious Harbor freight literally copied Snap-on. If Snap-on never invented that set the harbour freight one wouldn’t exist 😂
@@joiion913 ok then dummy, you would be that stupid to buy the snap on, if they are copied right? dummy! Using it in the rust belt? ok so in 15 years buy another set and still save 4 times. Or you could walk into harbor freight and replace them for free! you must be a genius
Best video you have ever done in my opinion. About time someone called them out. My dad was a shop foreman, airplane mechanic and heavy equipment mechanic for 65 years. He told me all the time about guys he worked with owing the tool trucks $1000's. he would laugh when he bought Craftsman or Harbor Freight
I used a set of Pittsburgh Forge wrenches for six years on M1 tanks. Cost me about $20 in 1995 and they still work perfectly. I gave them to my son. He uses them to restore museum aircraft. A $600 set of combination wrenches doesn't make one a better mechanic. It makes them an idiot that overspent for no reason.
I work on large plastic blow molding machinery and bought both sets, SAE and metric, of Harbor Freight's large wrenches, the ones that go above 2 inches, over 20 years ago. To this day the entire set is still in great shape.
I bought a set of Pittsburgh sockets a long time ago, still got them and they work great even now
Sure he does
Did the military not supply you with tools to work on the M1s? I was not involved in maintenance but I know the guys on the bases I was assigned to who did aircraft maintenance had tools that just lived in the hanger that the government owned.
It is their money and their choice. You don’t get to call someone and idiot for spending their money on what they want, unless you are a communist
You are a legend and I don’t comment much. But as a man who was in the military, had no father and wanted to break the cycle so my family would have a man who could work on anything. YOU, you have helped me so much. I’m a harbor freight guy. I am also a tradey and all my tools are either HF or craftsman. I use them everyday and I’m proud of it
I've been a professional mechanical my whole adult life starting in 1995. I have a very complete set of tools from Snap On including an old KR series top and bottom box. I did the whole tool truck account thing. But in the '90's you didn't have much choice. You had tool trucks, Craftsman, and just plain garbage. All that Snap On stuff is now currently in my home shop. I have a second very complete set of tools for my current job as a municipal fleet mechanic. I can count on one hand the Snap On tools I have in my box at work. I bought an Extreme Tools really nice large roll cabinet and it's filled with sockets from Autozone tons of Harbor Freight stuff, lots of Tekton, and some other off brand stuff like Carlyle and things from northern tool. I do have the full sets including the larger sets of wrenches from Icon and absolutely love them. Point is yes, maybe in some cases on a particular tool, Snap On might have an advantage, but I can say that as an owner of two complete setups, one being Snap On and one being all "off brand", I would buy all "off brand" again if I had to put a third tool setup together again. The cost of tool truck tools is just absolutely insane! My "off brand" tools at work have not hindered my job performance once.
A certain subaru guy somewhere getting even more upset 😆
I hear his voice in my head right now....doing his rebuttal
Dude is the biggest Snap-On meat rider 🍆but I appreciate his videos that show tool truck alternatives that don't screw your wallet.
Such an underrated comment. 😂
His head gaskets will take his mind off of it.
He already made a video about it. Maybe he needs to focus on his shitty cars.
I was a MOS 15Y (AH64 avionics tech) in the Army, and we did have Snap-On tools when I was in AIT. These tools, however were from probably the 1980s or 90s. All absolutely superb quality. When I was deployed we had either MAC or Tekton, and they were every bit as good. 😊
...Huh. I always just kind of assumed that the original "Independence Day" movie had (sorta) the right idea, that some of the insane costs for things that were revealed in various government reports in the '90s were at least in part actually ways of hiding parts of the "black" budgets, but apparently, it was the military just buying all the Snap-On tools at list price ;p
Dang tellm how you really feel.
I was a Navy aircraft electrician 20 years ago. Our hand tools were mostly Craftsman. Our torque wrenches may have been Snap-on?
The emotion and passion in this video are on another level. Thank you for shooting straight. And straight from the heart.
You are spot on! My father was a military mechanic, leading delivery convoys. He is retired now. All of his tools were mostly Craftsman and SK, and none were Snap On!
I never comment on youtube videos, but i feel the need to do this. Jeff hats off to you for showing and expressing your honest and whole hearted opinion, but the best was your love for the Vets. Thank you for your support, brother.
If Snap On didn’t exist…the work would still get done. Just think about that a minute.
And done cheaper.
Snap-on
Bose speakers
John Deere
Boeing
Yeah cuz matco, Cornwell,SK, Mac and others.
Yes. There's also Mac, Matco, and Cornwell when it comes to tool truck brands.
Knipex
FLUKE
Apple
Weller
Wiha
Wera
Just selling overpriced stuff for fanboys, if company does not pay for that - stay away.
Long before I was born, my grandfather was working as a salesmen at the state fair. His task was demonstrating indestructible dinnerware.
He was supposed to take a plate and hit it with a hammer to show how tough it was. According to family legend, standing in front of a crowd, he hit a plate with the hammer and it shattered.
He did not sell many plates.
Love the royal auto care channel. He does a great job walking through troubleshooting. As we all know, figuring out what is wrong is harder than fixing the problem 99%of the time
check out pine hollow and south main auto...those guys are excellent diagnostic teachers
@@workingshlub8861 will do ty
The tool truck part of Snap-On, Matco, etc is that they will put the tools on payments. Another advantage is the tool truck goes to the workshop. Most of the time a mechanic can borrow a special tool from a co-worker. I have both Snap-On and Harbor freight tools and I have no problem using Harbor freight on a daily basis with the only problem is that they don't hold up as good as Snap-On / Matco. Harbor Freight is getting better for sure and Icon is a definite step up.
I bought my first Harbor Freight tools back in 2008, when they were relatively new and unknown. I started out small and moved up over the years. Hand tools, small power tools and misc. I have been very satisfied with everything, for a light-use DIYer. It is also refreshing to go into their stores where employees are very helpful and, unlike other places, don't seem to hate their jobs.
Before they started having retail stores they used to do the traveling One time fall tool sale in my area Which was basically Harbor Freight But I will say since they've Put in the box stores and put the Harbor Freight name on it the quality has gone way up
Been with you for years. Best vid yet hands-down! Speak truth! I'm a 30-year LEO and preached the Snap-On/Veteran rip-off cases for years! Thanks for caring, knowing, and putting the most important negative fact about Snap-On out there for all to see! SHINE ON! Nuff said!
ABSOLUTELY THE BEST EVER.
Well, I guess I got here at a lucky time, then. I've been watching Bear's videos for about 2 weeks now. This was about my 10th or so.
And I got $60 savings on each of the Icon 14-piece Professional Combination Wrench sets, both Metric and SAE, During the video, thanks to Bear's screenshot at 7:38. By the way the coupon code is 15503750 in case you're interested. 😉
When I was a kid in the 70’s, my stepdad owned a Ford tractor dealership, so I grew up around grease and wrenches and the visiting Snap-On tool trucks. Just as you said, no internet, no way to verify claims, but they were believed to be the best by the mechanics in the shop. I became an engineer after my stint in the service, so didn’t get sucked down the Snap-On rabbit hole as I would have had I become a mechanic instead. Thank you for showing that it is time to give up the blind beliefs and base decisions on fair and honest testing. The wrecked finances, lives and lawsuits, and the unethical behavior that crosses the line is appalling. Thank you Jeff for caring enough about people to forcefully stand up for what is right. It’s people like you who restore my faith in humanity. ❤
I am a professional mechanic and I buy most tools from Harbor Freight. I will not buy snap on. 30 years as a mercedes mechanic with my own shop. Love my US GENERAL tool box. Love my Pittsburgh pro and Icon.
I have a ton of snap-on and Craftsman from back when I was turning wrenches in the late seventies and eighties. I recently bought some more Craftsmen, harbor freight and gearwrench and I'm perfectly happy with them. No issues with any of them. Stay off the truck.
Imagine paying good money to get your Mercedes worked on at a shop where they use the cheapest shit lol embarrassing
@@nopasanadaracing5546 this is the typical response from snap on fan boys. all they can try to do is shame those of us who refuse to drink the snap on coolaid. they want to shame us for the brand of socket or screwdriver we use! this is the best they can do. it is all they got because they know snap on is a joke. they are like women who judge other women for not spending 3k on a designer purse. But thank you for your rude comment. I hope all can see it as you just prove my point. perhaps someday you will learn to work on cars. For now go get your shoe shine box
Thank you from Australia , yes here too some people go crazy about buying the best tools and then you see them for sale on line , you are so honest man and deserve an award for your moral ,cheers Bob
We need Project Farm to settle this.
^^^^THIS^^^^
I absolutely love your passion. You are a real person who actually cares about us little guys. My snap on guy comes every week and maybe once every 2 months I buy something small. My co worker spent over 80 grand in 2 years on snap on and doesn't use 3/4 of the tools he bought. I'm all about other companies over snap on
I absolute love your honesty! I was a snap on fan boy myself but after watching this video I’ll never buy another snap on tool again. Thank you for being real!
My current GearWrench dealer was a Snap On dealer. He won a lawsuit against them also.
You nailed it. I've been a mechanic for 42 years and a Master Mechanic for 30.
Damn, I meant to talk about the independent trucks. Thanks for reminding me.
@@denoftools next vid?
Gearwrench has a tool truck?
@@TurkeyTender513IKR all my GW came from Amazon.
@@denoftools we got an independent tool truck here in my town. The guy is great. His interest is serving the customer with what they need.
I love Den of Tools! You’re the reason I discovered Harbor Freight and it’s been a blessing to get quality tools at a price I’m comfortable with paying. It’s easy on my budget and the same tools I’m buying are putting food on the table and a roof over my family’s head. Thanks bro!! Keep educating the stubborn people!!
Thanks I learned a lot in this video, one point I love about Harbor Freight is that I have one 5 minutes from house and the tools are great for home owner projects.
Just had a friend help me work on my car who has 30 years of experience as a mechanic. I told him “you have way better tools than I do, I live on Harbor Freight”. He said “it’s not about the tool, but more about the person holding it”. Crazy I see this video 3 hours later, respect to you bear!
I disagree with this statement.
A mechanic is only as good as the tools he holds.
@@Petesworkshop2225sssoooooo
The tool makes the mechanic!
Good to know! So I see a guy with snap on I'll be assured in getting a top rate job done!
@jonjacobjingleheimerschmid3798 No , just you will be paying for his 30-year loan on his 100th 10mm socket he's had to buy again. LoL
@@Petesworkshop2225 If you say so… He’s a very resourceful guy always thinking outside the box thanks to decades of experience. In times of a lack of tools I’ve seen him use a small ratchet and a wrench just to get better leverage to loosen suspension bolts. I can very well buy some Snap On tools cash and still won’t be half the mechanic he is
@@Petesworkshop2225Bullshit. It's the tool between the ears that make the mechanic. And the hands. Lol
My wrenches are old school Craftsman and Pittsburgh from HF. Never had issues and they all just work. My son has a few icon ratchets for working on his car but the rest of his tools are a mix of Pittsburgh and a smattering of my tools. They work just fine - he's pulled apart the suspension on multiple cars with them no issues. My brother owns a Jetski repair shop and he uses Pittsburgh because they're cheap and they work.
I assembled my essential tool kit back in the late 60's and 70's with Craftsman. Dumb luck.
@@KameraShy I started in the late 70s with SK, still have my original 3/8 drive set, although I don't have the green metal box any more. I have a lot of Craftsman from back then also.
I had an Army battle buddy who had gone through a certified ASE High School program before He joined the Army. Cool guy, knew his stuff. He was of the opinion back then, that although Snap-On is great. So was Craftsman, mainly because you wouldn't have to wait for the tool truck. So true. My Dad used to have Me (as a teen) go to Sears to exchange broken tools (this is when power tools were covered too). It was super easy, that's why He had me do it.
My Harbor Freight is surrounded by places to eat. Couldn't be more convenient.
Thank you sir! I am a vet and ABSOLUTELY LOVE Harbor Freight. They have stepped up their game so much that I can even begin to say how great alot of their tools are. I'm in there sometimes 3 times a week and wish I could get all of the great stuff they offer but in time. I often say if I retired from my job serving NYS as a law enforcement professional that would be my favorite place to work. Unfortunately starting at the entry level wage just may not be an option but I would be proud to put on their colors if I ever ask to be part or their team. Thank you for speaking from the heart and with truth. Semper Fi my friend!
Torque test channel just answered our prayers!! snap on did better over all by a tiny margin but when you compare that to price forget about it. Plus some craftsman wrenches had something to say about snap on too!!
I was an Aircraft Mechanic back in the '90's. I have Snap-On, Mac, Matco, Old Craftsman, SK Wayne, Wright, Chicago Pneumatic, Milwaukee, Icon, Bauer, Hercules, Chicago Electric, Desooter, and a few I can't remember right now. There are good tools from many sources as you have said here. I am of the belief you can not have too many guns, knives, tools, flashlights, firewood, caned goods, and Close Friends, acquaintances I can do without, all they do is bring negativity to our lives. As I get older, 61 now, my circle of friends has shrunk a bunch, and I'm OK with that, all I nee is my wife, and daughter, the rest of my family is gone. Best of Luck to All who read this, Thank You Tool Bear.
Hey Bear, I just wanted to say a big thank you for stepping up and giving us the information that WE need to make the best decisions for ourselves. I had no idea of all of this smoke and mirrors displayed by snap- on. I thank you Sir
I worked as a CNC Operator for Snap On making sockets and extensions. Their business practices are disgusting. Their electrical tools are not made in America, we used to get big bins shipped to the MKE plant and they would assemble them there. I would crank out 2500+ sockets from scratch in one 8 hour shift then watch them charge $600 for a 24 piece set. If you are playing ball as an employee and kissing ass, everything is OK. It's a decent place to earn a living. If you go against the grain in any way shape or form, even just getting caught on your phone, they fire people without hesitation. To put that into perspective as a CNC Op you set your tooling start your run, and basically sit there all day feeding them parts. You are just waiting there for 8 hours until you need to change your tooling. So you're supposed to stare at a wall for 30 minutes at a time, load more parts, stare at the wall, over and over. Lol.
Luckily we own our own shop. If I have long runtimes I play on my phone all the time. I don't think I'd survive at a normal shop. 😅
@@thunderthormx Seriously lol. I can fully understand not wanting employees constantly on their phones, but they were firing people for changing songs (you could have a Bluetooth speaker quietly) etc there was really zero tolerance. My whole thing is If your production and QC is on point why would you harass someone about their downtime while waiting for the parts to feed. Makes no sense!
Thank you, thank you for preaching to the choir. I never had to make a living with tools , but I had to keep junk running to put my kids in cars and to put them through college. The best investment I ever made was buying a set of Buffalo impact wobble sockets years and years ago. Again thank you.
I just bought the ICON non-slip wrench SAE during the parking lot sale. and they are the best wrenches I have put in my hand it just felt so good. Glad you let it out man I learned things I didn't know about Snap-on other than knowing there tools are over priced. Thank you!!
Snap On started the plastic hex deal in the early 80's and were back then using the box end because of the flank drive which they stole from Bonney's Loc-Rite design and had to pay for it. A guy I worked with would put up an SK plain old raised panel SK wrench and he beat the S-O every time and the dealer just stood there and said that shouldn't happen.
I said it over on the original video, competition is good. Consumers win. I will never understand the whole brand loyalty for anything. I can guarantee that the company does not care about you the second you stop buying their products. Icon right now probably one of the best bang for the buck brands right now in their space. If SnapOn works for you and you are happy with them great, if Pittsburgh works for you that's great too. Anything that lowers the barrier of entry to get into a hobby or profession is great for all of us.
Brand loyalty is a suckers game.
I agree. I had a 15 year old M18 Milwaukee Hammer drill. I wore it out. Fair enough. I got my monies worth. I replaced it with the Fuel hammer drill. The chuck on that drill has serious issues. Milwaukee acted like there was no a systematic issue. a An internet search says otherwise. Milwaukee bought in their slippage routine. I replaced the chuck on a new drill out of pocket. The replacement chuck is just as dangerous. You ratchet the chuck down tight. Start to drill, not even hammer drill, and the chuck opens up and releases the bit as you drill. If you have your weight into it. You fall over. I would buy a Hercules instead of Milwaukee now. This experience along with some M12 poor quality screams out to never be a fan boy of any manufacturer. What may have been great 15 years ago. Can be crap today. Milwaukee tools are schizophrenic. You don't know what you will get for tools. You do know you will get bad warranty service.
@@ronaldrowe7910 Love my Milwaukee tools
Well said Jeff! I don't know how these Snap-On reps sleep at night. As a maintenance mechanic for the last 12 years of my working life and as a tool user for all of my working life, I did whatever I could to not be sucked in to the vortex of a tool truck. Most of my tools are old, Most of my tools were made in the USA. Most are Craftsman, Sparta, S-K and even a few Blue Points. None of my open-ends or my open combo wrenches have teeth, grip bars, or any other so-called gimik to make them better. In using any and all of these tools, I can't ever recall slipping being a problem. To that distributor who lost everything to the tool truck vortex, I hear you, I feel for you and I am sorry for your loss, and for your famly's loss as well. Thank you, Jeff, for listening to them and sharing their story. Tool trucks deliver expensive tools and empty promises, especially to those who deserve it he least.
Well said. I retired from turning wrenches in the auto / truck industry. I only purchased a handful of items from snap-on and always had quality tools to use. There are a lot of less expensive tools that are equal in quality, and when using any of them, you can't tell the difference.
Thanks for everything you do for us. I started wrenching in the 60's. I got more greef because I bought Craftsman tools instead of Snap-On tools. Now a days I can afford to buy any tool I want. So I buy Harbour Freight.
As a 60 plus year old DIYer who would never claim to be a professionaI I have a varied collection of mechanics hand tools from various manufacturers including Craftsman, Wright, Williams, S-K and yes Snap On. As a young man I always tried to purchase USA made tools and was pleased with their performance. Well many years have passed and I have watched American companies try to ride on the reputations they earned years ago while starting to produce mediocre products at best. They sell hype instead of quality. Whether its tools, appliances or automobiles they give us high tech features we never asked for and expect us to replace these items every 5 years rather than build a product that will last 25. Corporate greed at the expense of our families needs. It disgusts me as it should you all. My compliments to the Bear for having the balls to speak the truth. True and fair competition should determine the products we purchase. Thank you for opening up my eyes to the evil that is the Snap On corporation. I for one will never again purchase one of their products.
I'm 48 and you're so spot on, they rely on brand recognition rather than actually being superior in anyway. I used Craftsman quite a bit because they were good and it was easy to get them replaced at Sears. Harbor Freight tools have come a very long way.
If I paid $600 for a set of wrenches, I would be afraid to use them and scratch them up.
I think a lot of these Snap On guys display their thousands of dollars of wrenches proudly on the wall and reach for a Harbor Freight tool when they actually have to use it, for that exact reason.
Exactly
@@mattorama I used to be a snap on groupie. I must say though, use my snap on tools on my heavy equipment without regard. If they get damaged, warranty it. I have since purchased a lot of Wright and Mac and HF tools. I like the Milwaukee hand tools and Gearwrench too! I no longer buy snap on, but I do own a lot and I do use them...
Only snap on wrench set I’ve ever bought was a used set of 14 pc sae 4 way angle wrenches off eBay for 300.00. They are like over a grand new an I would never ever pay that, but I will say I’ve really enjoyed using them. They are nice… but I do also have a set of Sunex ones in my shop as well that are great too. Those were only 75.00 . An do the same thing . 😂
Hahahahaha. You’ve never made a living with hand tools then.
Snap-On fan boys remind me of the "Royal Nonsuch" plays from Huckleberry Finn, "But what makes the con men’s show a real success, however, is not any ingenuity on their part-they are as inept as ever-but rather the audience’s own selfishness and vindictiveness. Rather than warn the other townspeople that the show was terrible, the first night’s ticketholders would rather see everyone else get ripped off in the same way they did. "
That's right bear hope this vid goes viral I have 50k in snap on tools and I been using icon for about 2 years now never had a problem the best part is I don't have to wait for a truck to warranty them I just go in and out with new one brand new out the box
My two cents, I have Snap On, I love Snap On, but I stopped buying a long time ago. I just couldn't justify paying their prices anymore. So, I found other tools that I love and work JUST AS GOOD. Pittsburgh, Tekton, Sunex and many more.
Great PSA Bear ! 👍
I didn't know Snap On targeted vets. That's BS.
Every car lot next to a base targets vets.
The tool community needed this video.
The last half of this video was worth every second and needed aired. Put it out in the open, since the best disinfectant for corruption is the light of day.
It's easier to convince someone of a lie, than to convince them they've been lied to
I never ever comment on videos but I have to agree with you. My family owns a tractor dealership, my grandfather opened it in 1965. The trade I learned was diesel mechanic. From age 12-22 I worked there. From time to time a tool truck would stop by and I'd drool over the tools. We rarely bought anything bc we simply couldn't kill our Craftsman tools (the good old school Craftsman of yester-year) that we purchased from Sears.
I'm so glad we didn't fall into the tool truck trap. I know a young man from my church that works at a car dealership. He fell hook, line, and sinker into the tool truck prestige. He got into so much debt with them that it took almost his whole paycheck. He was literally working to pay for tools. Yes, I know this is his fault, but idk how someone could sleep at night talking a dumb kid into that much debt. He was in so much tool debt that it almost bankrupted him and he considered taking his own life.
Thankfully he's past those issues now and will be the first to tell you HF and box store tools work just as good and actually make him more money than the tool truck stuff.
Thanks for making this video and speaking the truth. I started buying ICON tools bc they are good tools, decent prices, and it takes me about 15 mins to go to HF if I ever have an issue.
We were JUST talking about this tonight! My nephew died AT WORK and didn’t snap on call her THEN show up to try and collect what he still owed on his tools FROM HER?! This was after they raped his boxes and left garbage in a couple of cardboard boxes at his work. I’m a retired veteran and have seen through the smoke screen for decades soo naturally I lost my shit with them, but try to talk a fanboy out of their stuff it’s like there’s just no getting through. You’re 110% spot on brother, DO NOT believe the hype!
I am truly sorry to hear about your nephew. And yeah, some of these dealers are known to go through guys boxes and take not just their tools but anything else they can grab.
Snap On dealers really are some of the scummiest and worst people you'll find Mr. Subaru on youtube comes to mind, but its absolutely ridiculous people want to defend a company that is as cold hearted built their company off of lies and promise a easy warranty through a truck that will quit coming when no one has stuff to be paid on, its literally one of the saddest things to see, my dealer basically cussed me out because I broke a ratchet twice in the same week on the same bolt i warrantied it he drove off it broke again and then he came back and called me everything under the sun, I was 14? I think at the time, my dad heard him dads boss paid off his bill, my bill, and dads bill and told him to not come back to his shop. About 3 months later he lost the route cause no one wanted to deal with the arrogant prick.
A mechanic at work a few years ago had his snapon tool box repo'd and he didn't get time to even dump his tools out
Man, that is low JD. By law they cannot do that. Where in God's name was their empathy?
Should have called the police.
If you look closely the Snap-On guy does not pull as hard and at the very end, the snap-on almost starts to slip and he can't get it off the 13mm.
He did it every different direction with different hands and in a vise after that. You’ve never watched the full video or clearly.
Buy whatever you can afford. I love my Snap On Tools everybody’s always hating on Snap on what about all the other tool trucks that rebrand everything that’s because they’re smart they put their prices below Snap on i’m going to keep supporting my snap on dealer he shows up to the shop every week and I rather support him he takes care of everybody in the shop
Maybe he can give you a good price on some commas and periods.
buy a snap on hammer dummy
You can't afford Snap-On, no one can unless they're a millionaire and since you work in a shop.. I know you're not.
This the most deep schooling and truthfulness I’ve seen in a long time. It made me well up with tears with this message put out to public. I own all brands of tools and work with them every day. I have my opinions of what works for me the best. None of which are Snap-On anymore. I still use their tools I have, and they get the job done. But there are soooo many better and cheaper options; it’s just not even a joke anymore.
@ The Den Of Tools, You are speaking a 100 % truth about Strap-On truck routes. Some are a waste of time to consider and other routes might be profitable. A close friend almost bought into a Strap-On truck and he said, "Thank God he didn't." He also told me Icon are good tools and at a more affordable price. I have a few snap on tools but 95% of tools are Craftsman back from 1980. Now if I buy any tools I get Cornwell, Gearwrench, Wright, Carlyle. Keep doing you and spread the truth.
35 years ago I talked to a mechanic about Snap On and he said he doesn't buy them anymore. He has a broken Snap On toolbox full of broken Snap On tools that he cannot get replaced because he doesn't buy from Snap On anymore. This is why I don't own any Snap On, Not that I cannot afford them.
I proudly own a Huge collection of Craftsman Professional tools.
actually if he emails snap on or finds a dealer he can get his tools warrantied, not sure about the box. prob not the box lol
@@joshrod2941 A lot of dealers won't warranty the tool unless they're the ones that sold it to you. Ask me how I know.
@@COBRO98 thats really sad tbh, i wonder if they are obligated to or not? still not cool
In my 13 years of wrenching, I've had 3 different snapon dealers. Not one time was I ever rejected or questioned about warranty from something I purchased from another dealer.
Keep cussing, I like the spice added to the Den of Tools.
It's a good reminder not to twist the Bear's tail, cuz you might end up on the wrong end of his teeth...
I rather he not. I like to be able to share these videos with anyone. No need for it.
@@gills3141 As a general rule, I would agree with you. But, there's definitely a time and a place. And this was it.
@@jamesduncan3673 100%
Keep the cursing to a minimum but I can understand given the circumstances.
Even if Snap on came out on top. There is no way that Snap On is a hundred times better,or even ten times better . as their price reflects.
Should we really have to explain that $600 is only TEN times more the $60…?😂
100 times more would be $6,000
That said… their prices are absolutely ridiculous!
@@brandoncrimmins6296 Thanks for the math lesson. Either way t.hey are not ten time better. Then again Im not sure Icon are worth sixty bucks
@@brandoncrimmins6296 🤣🤣🤣
That had been my one rationale for Snap On tools. There are some people who need 20-50% better because of the stress their tools endure the precision needed for the job to be done properly, etc. If they want to pay an extra 100% for that increase, more power to them. But most don't, so use what you can afford and keep your profits for yourself.
But I've seen too many comparisons that show Snap-on isn't that much better, it's just more expensive. Add to it their sketchy business model and there's no way to justify buying from them.
Jeff, I admire your passion and your restraint. Please keep bringing attention to companies like Wright that make their tools in America (I learned about them from you) and companies like Harbor Freight that employ tons of Americans and are working to improve their products.
I use almost exclusively Harbor Freight tools in my day to day job as a light duty and heavy duty mechanic. I have never had any issues with any of my tools, simply take care of them and they last. I have a combination of Pittsburgh, Quinn, Icon, Doyle etc as well as a bunch of Hercules power tools like my Ultra Torque impact. All of them have been absolutely stellar for me and cost way less than any of the other options for the power you get. I am the biggest Harbor Freight fan girl ever. I have turned down tools before from other manufacturers and waited to get the tool I was wanting from Harbor Freight. I put my trust in them for my livelihood and they have never failed me. Consider this a customer testimonial if you want but I absolutely love Harbor Freight. =)
I love your post. My first time posting. First time thumbs up (will from now on). As an 11, 12 year old my dad was a Craftsman guy. I still have them to this day and happy to find out (based on real experience) Lowes honors their hand tool warrenty (1/4" drive ratchet). But I have alot of harbor freight tools as an "aggressive" weekend warrior.
Your tool reviews have been a huge help. As a family man that extra money to golf lessons, basketball league or a Disney trip are well worth the savings.
No offense, I pass up on some amazing tool deals with or withoutt your opinion on them. But this video here brings light to the fact that tools are important, quality to value means somthing, but you! You know that family means the most.
A shot to you my friend! Thank you for your insight and I appreciate the work you do. From a blue color (land surveyor/DIY) weekend/family man warrior; Keep doing what your doing. Speak your truth! And for the ones who disagree, that's ok too. Let's have a drink, let's discuss it, and realize we agree on the most important things in life. Familyand friends.
Rack em up, I'll break!
As for the craftsman warranty,some lowes will and some won't. It depends on the store manager. My local Lowes used to be fairly good. New manager won't even warranty their own brand without a receipt and they won't break a set.
Bravo Jeff, well said,!!!!
I have a relative that's a snap on fan boy he is at best a marginal DIYer. His wife bought him a Craftsman set years ago. He refused to use them and went out an spent $6k twenty years ago. Massive waste of money for a guy who won't do his own brake job. Back when I was a poor Marine, in 1967 at. Naval Station Long Beach, my dad bought me a basic tool set at Monkey Wards. It was made in the USA. I was so grateful to have more that a crescent wrench vice grips. I took grat offense when I hear folks down budget tools. If you have no tools budget tools are a Godsend. It's like someone looking down on the less fortunate.. that pisses me off too
I have lots of power craft tools from Montgomery wards. They’re 50 years old and still working although like me not as much but I still have them.
@@xltranger98 yup I think Apex made them as well as Craftsman and later Penncraft. Great DIY tools. 👍👍
The 50% off coupon releasing immediately after the original video dropped was savage by Harbor Freight. They got a set of their wrenches into every garage in the country. Word will spread quick lol
Where is that coupon? I'm not seeing anything close to that price.
@W2IRT Oh I don't know, I was just going off the screenshot in the video and comments I had seen on the original video. Just checked their website, and it looks like only the non anti-slip version is half-off right now. It might have ended
@@W2IRTyou didn't need a coupon; it was part of their parking lot sale. Btw sale got extended but the wrenches are likely not in stock.
@@paulp7561Yeah the sale this weekend is for the regular box end sets not the anti-slip. I snagged both, the anti-slip last week, and the regular this weekend, both in SAE. I already had them all in Metric, but wanted a reliable non-skip set of SAE for the rare occasions I need them. I wanted the regular set, cause you don't always need the anti-slip, nor want to marr certain fasteners.
For the standard wrenches not antislip
Good video! I use tools as tools and not vanity accessories. if I were starting out as a mechanic, I would buy Icon. Keep in mind, they have a lifetime warranty and stores all over the country. The only tool I ever got replaced from Harbor freight was an impact hex socket that I used on thousands of bolts with a 4 foot cheater bar. I’ve heard of people having lots of problems getting things replaced off the snap on truck’s
My grandpa bought the first tools available after WW2. Snap-On still in my garage. Only one broken socket and 3 ratchet rebuilds! This is my test of generations, and I own several other brands!
I own Blackhawk, craftsman, SK, Snap-on, Mac, Bonney, Williams. Slowly the tools are separating the wheat from the chaff and I haven’t had a Williams or Bonney ratchet in probably 40 years. I’ve broken a trash can full of craftsman ratchets. I have damaged 3 snapon ratchets and one socket. I am not responsible for those purchases. I love Blackhawk but their ratchets are crap. The fact that I used to have forearms as big as a 5# coffee can attributed to many broken ratchets new out of the bag. But only 3 from snapon, 4-5 from Mac and all of them from all the rest! I’ve broken a 1/2 drive craftsman breaker bar brand new with a 1” socket and embedded the drive in my right hand! So my personal experience is that snapon makes better ratchets. I’ve got a bucket full of ratchets that can prove this truth, and every brand of tools and broken fingers from ratchet failures. 57 years old and unable to work any longer due to brain damage. From meningitis, I’ll never work a regular job ever again. The best single tool I’ve ever owned was my 86F150, 370,000 miles when a tree fell on it.
I don’t care what anybody says after 40 years of working as a technician the snap on wrenches are really nice to use and if you use something every single day all day long it might as well be something that you like. I’ve always chose snap on.
I don't care for the snapon wrenches, they are too thin and hurt my hand. I have 7 snappy wrenches and they are the last ones to come out of my tool box
That's how I always felt about my Craftsman tools. I never looked down on the Snap On and Mac guys for blowing their money, but they sure gave me a lot of guff for my "Crapman" tools. Funny thing was, we all made about the same amount of money, but I took all of mine home while they had to split theirs with the tool truck.
Cognitive dissonance. You only like Snap-On because others told you it was the best, it isn't.
@@COBRO98 years ago I believe it was the best. I have figured out that it isn't anymore. Even before this guy told us.
Wow two F bombs in one video. That earns you a thumbs up. You know I am for using the right tool for the job. Looks like SnapOn is NOT the right tool for the job or any job for that matter. Great video. It was very informative and well thought out. Thank you.
Icon is on the up and up, people are finally realizing the quality and service available for the price. Also I enjoyed the angry Bear portion of the video, hopefully it doesn’t affect your monetization. It’s important to keep it real with delusional fan boys, especially when they are hurting people
the harbor freight maddox line is decent also...
Retired in 1995 and I never hear of Icon. However I did find this out in my years as a technician.
Snap On wrenches and sockets got on ANY nut or bolt ESPECIALLY ones that had a cheap wrench on them before that had boogered the corners of the nut.
Good mechanics in those days had three sets of wrenches: Snap On, Mac and Sears Craftsman.
*Snap On* was for your every day work. You could depend on them to fit on any nut and turn it with enough torque to get the job done. It didn't slip most of the time. All that was because of their patented design that allowed for a boogered corner on the nut.
*Mac* was for your show car stuff that had brand new chrome plated nuts because it fitted so tightly to the nut that it would not damage the nut and turn it better than any wrench and slipped only when the nut failed, but you didn't use it on your daily work because you could often run into a nut that had had a Sears craftsmen wrench on it and the corners were boogered up. On a nut like that you had to hammer your nice pristine Mac wrench onto it.
*Sears Craftsman* was the set you started with when you were a kid. They were why Snap On wrenches and sockets were in demand in the first place: The clearances were so loose that they almost always left their imprint on every nut and bolt they turned, an ugly little booger on the corners they pressed against. Those were the wrenches in your bottom drawer that you got when you needed to torch them and bend them to fit a unique application.
So Snap On is high priced? Yes. Call me a fan boy, I don't care. When I was on the job it mattered if you had trouble getting the wrench on the nut. With Snap On I almost NEVER had any trouble getting it on the nut. Only the most deformed nut or bolt gave me any trouble and then it was mostly torch time.
You see when you're making a living working on cars, speed counts. Having trouble getting a wrench on a troublesome nut means stop and make a trip to the tool box to look for a better fit, and having a loose fit cheap wrench may mean torch time that that cheap wrench caused.
Maybe Icon is just as good as Snap On in those qualities I just described, I don't know about Icon because I never saw one. I'm not crying about your take on Snap On. I only know what I know about how Snap On was a trouble free wrench that fit every nut and turned it with enough torque to get the job done. I made a hundred times the money I spent on them on the time saved on jobs I could get done quicker so I could get to the next job.
Mechanics get paid piecemeal, not salary or hourly. Time saved is money in my pocket and Snap On added up to a lot of time saved.
Started out as a mechanic in the 90s with a small craftsman tool box and tool set. Had an older mechanic tell me to get what you NEED off the tool truck but if they ever pull out the credit application to run away they'll own you forever. Snap on credit is like borrowing from the Mafia!! Been turning wrenches for 30 years with plenty of cheap tools. I think the Internet, Amazon and harbor freight have put snap on in a corner and all that's left is fan boys. Great video
Tool trucks hated me because I purchased everything in cash. They hand out credit like samples to a junkie. The truck owners earn their pay on the backs of the poor souls starting out in the auto industry. Every other manufacturer has caught up in the last ten years, so SNAP On is headed towards the Craftsman path. Especially in this bad economy, who in their right mind would pay triple or more for the same quality and value. Cheer up Bear, you are humanist.
I did the same to the Snapon dealer in the mid 70s, drove him nuts The prices were comparatively better then. Later there was a big jump in prices, and I was out. In the 70s, the boxes were better than the others by far, Still have those with no regrets.
Tell 'em Jeff! 🔥
Side note, my dad sold Cutco knives briefly, before I was even born. I'll be damned if my parents still don't have his demo set and send it in for free sharpening periodically, lol. Half of the knives have been replaced with new at this point - apparently they don't bother sharpening serrated knives 😅
Yeah, sharpening seated knives is next to impossible
I owned a large motorcycle dealership in the 70s and 80s. I had a couple of customers who owned snap-on routes so naturally I tried to do some business with them. Most of the tools were generally small metric stuff thats common today with most of us. When I retired I kept all of the shop owned tools, about 500 pounds worth. There is not one snap-on wrench or snap-on tool anything left in this pile of tools.
One of the last snap-on wrenches I remember was a 10mm combo wrench that broke at the open end side working on my daughter’s bicycle. I can recall a set of snap-on needle nose pliers doing the same thing. I guess if they don’t last for small equipment, I’m glad I wasn’t a semi-truck dealer.
Hi Bear, I feel you man. I am a little older than you, 60. When I was young Craftsman was the king of the hill. Thats what our fathers used. So I have seen a lot of who's the best, back and forth, etc. There is nothing wrong with wanting nice things, but at the end of the day all that matters is does the tool work or not. I can say with great pride in my American heart that I never paid $ 600.00 for a set of wrenches. P.S. I'm from Atlanta. LOVE the Vic reference.
Most of Us Mechanic's Don't care who makes the Tool As long as it gets the Job Done all that matters at the end of the day Is the job is done and the customer is happy. I Can see your Passion in this video Jeff 14:47 @The Den Of Tools
Hi I live in Australia, I just spent $3000 on tools for work 2 full sets of combination spanners metric 2mm to 32mm no missing sizes in all sets, 2 full sets of A/F spanners sets, 2 sets of geared spanners 1/2-inch Sid chrome drive socket set. Spanners are Gear wrench, TTI. Makita angle grinder box set 115mm. 3 Gear wrench pry bars, Milwaukee electrical 15-piece screwdriver set, Stanley electrical 3-piece plyer set. and Kin chrome full tang screwdrivers. They all work well, no snap on anywhere. So to Snap on people what would 3 grand buy you. cheers like the video.
I have bought tools from several different companies over the years. Some of my first was from Snap On, is there a difference between between them and cheap tools? Yes, but I still use Harbor freight tools more than them. I had a ratchet Snap On that broke and my brother in law couldn't get the guy to replace it.
As far as losing it? No you didn't lose anything, you spoke the truth and from the heart. Please keep up the great videos!
The Snap-On folks sound similar to the Festool crowd. They pay $$$$ for their tools and when someone says something bad or contrary to their opinion they lose their minds.
Yeah if you want to pay buco money for your tools go ahead... Just don't get bent out of shape when other people don't agree with you...
Go ahead rip on my husky tools I throw them around abuse them and lose them without a care in the world... and they work for me, and I think they provide value for what I paid.
If you have a different thought please explain it but otherwise I'm going to keep doing what I've been doing
@@xephael3485 Yup - nothing wrong with Husky tools. I have plenty of those. They work just fine for me.
😂😂😂 they are a special bunch
The snappy folks are aggressive in their hate, the Festool crowd just looks down on you while sipping on their nut milk, fair trade, vegan, macchiatos.
@@denoftools 😆Nice one! You said what needed to be said in this video!
I love the Torque Test Channel. What's also eye opening is that Hazet came out on top when it comes to a non-specialty open end combo wrenches (i.e. no teeth) coming close to the wrenches with the non-slip open ends. Also, one minor correction, TTC will accept free tools, not from manufacturers but from viewers or friends who loan them the tools to test. To TTC's credit, they are fully transparent when they get a tool under those circumstances.
Well said. And in the Euro scene, BMW, Mercedes, etc - Hazet makes some specialty stuff that nobody else does. Transmission driveshaft yoke socket for BMWs for instance. But you think SnapOn is pricey??
Great content my friend snap on makes some beautiful tools I can't argue that but I've been a mechanic for 30 years and I never used one snap on tool and I got many jobs done without any problems if you treat your tools right they will serve you well I grew up using Williams indestro new Britain proto and a few craftsman tools and I still use them to this day and enjoy using them and most are vintage I would be impressed if snap on could make a ratchet as smooth as new Britain's killness patented ratchets that would be a tough act to follow if it was easy other companies would have capitalized on the design thanks for sharing my friend take care
ICON doesn't have all the tools you need like Snapon does . You can buy some ICON tools but you will always go to Snap on tools.
This. If you are heavy duty tech good luck getting icon over 25mm for a wrench. Also cant buy singles.
You can get pittsburgh tools to cover those
Auto mechanic is the most expensive trade to get into. They start out with buying a brand new cheap $15,000 Snap On cabinet not realizing they’re in a hole for the rest of their lives.
That first line is a fact. I wish it wasn't true but it is, for a lot of reasons. Then once you invest tens of thousands in tools, and you will, quickly, you're basically stuck in that field.
Maybe there's a marketing opportunity for HFT there. Sell pre-assembled professional mechanic's set at a discount. Or give discounts for bulk purchases over $1k, $5k, $10k est.
I bought a husky box and saved thousands. Bought craftsman, ridgid and matco for the warranty items. Got Stanley for everything else
Depends on what you're doing. You can do brakes for cheap.
@@kinte1870 No you can't. Not only do you need a scan tool to retract parking brakes today, you're going to have bolts break and that requires everything from a torch to extractor sets.
Just doing brakes and fluid changes you're looking at a couple thousand in tools/box, or more.
Oh man Red the Bear came out to attack in this video but he just possessed Jeff’s body
If you come up against a bolt or a nut, that is so tight, then use a single hex socket or a ring spanner.If that fails use heat.ANY open ended spanner will round off the flats.You may shift it with a spanner twice the thickness, if they make them, but I’ve never seen one.I never use a spanner where I can use a single hex socket, double hex if access is tight.