I'm 18 and my dad has a set of the Popular Mechanics sockets that he got back in the 80's or 90's. We still use them every day on impacts and breaker bars. They're 12 point 1/2 drive. Great sockets
Tahnk you!! You took me back to 1970 working for US Steel as an electrician; everyone had Craftsman!!!! Yeah we "talked" about Snap-on.......BUT no one could afford them...
I have a scar on my hands from everytime I tried to use cheap tools. Especially Crapsman. Cheap tools cost so much more in the long run. When you have to take down time from work to have your hand sewn up. But the best tools I own, were usually found in the bottom of doors. Stuffed under aprons hovering underneath batteries . And my favorite... Still on the last nut they were used on. Free tools are obviously the best ones. And for that, I thank my fellow technicians. Thanks guys.
I collect Popular Mechanics tools I bought a crap ton at all my pawn shops and they are still getting more in. Actually they are still made but they are not by Walmart it is now The Hearst Corporation that makes them. I buy the vintage ones in the pawn shops they also have great screwdrivers as a professional mechanic their screwdrivers are great.
I use gear wrench at work. The 90 tooth ratchet kinda disappoints but sockets fit amazing. Also the Pittsburgh pro ratchets and impact sockets seem to be good. I also have used a lot of Kobalt sockets, ratchets and cordless impacts. If you are in a pinch and just starting out I can personally recommend and have used in a shop daily Gear wrench sockets and ratchets Pittsburgh pro impact sockets, adapters and ratchets. Earthquake xt impact(surprisingly good) Kobalt cordless impacts(the compact and large one,get a couple 4ah batteries) Kobalt ratchets and a few sockets Have a few Husky sockets(fit great and haven't broken yet) For what it's worth I work only about 5 miles from lowes and harbor freight so if I have a problem with the sockets,ratchets or anything under warranty I can easily go and get it replaced during lunch. Also I highly recommend you have a spare ratchet and common socket sizes. You don't want to get stuck in the middle of a job because of a broken tool.
Even with all the snap on wrenches and everything else available, nothing feels quite right to me except my proto professional wrenches, I love the matte finish they come with and they kind of wear like blue jeans, the ones you use the most slowly become polished wrenches just from use lol.
i go to the pawn shop and find alot of snap on even if it is broke i get it anyway and just warrentee it out with my snapon guy. best way to own awesome tools
Here in canada, canadian tire sells brands called mastercraft and the higher end mastercraft maximum brand. Dewalt and stanly also have alot of stuff. I have alot of mastercraft stuff like long needlenose pliers and ratcheting wrenches. Also have a set of universal 3/8 impacts that i use everyday. Not as good as snap on but the lifetime warranty is good and they are no hassle, in canada everytown has atleast one canadian tire to ! They can be a hit or miss you tend to know what you need in the higher end snap on stuff and the stuff u can deal with in lower end name brand stuff.
About 8 years ago I bought some MasterCraft tools and I was thinking what a bunch of cheap junk but I needed it. Well those tools have stood by my side and worked in bad situations and they are still in my big tool box.
Mastercraft stuff is generally made out of crappy steel. Maximum on the other hand is not that easy to break and I wouldn't be making fun of their basic hand tools. When I go to Canadian tire I generally buy Maximum branded stuff over Mastercraft.
CarEnthusiast i have broken lots of maximum stuff lol broke multiple universal impact sockets i broke 2 maximum impact guns and have switched to the ir2235 which blows maximum out of the water. Like i said its a hit or miss and as a certified mechanic i know what i need from the trucks and what i can deal with from crappy tire.
Great video as always. Also brought back a lot of good memories when I started out. I had husky (USA made), and popular mechanics sockets from Walmart back in 1995. I think I paid less than 10 bucks for the set and still have them.
I have been a tech. For close to 20yrs I got everything from harbor freight to Snapon. All my impact sockets are sunex except my 3/8 shallow are Snapon. I would say the sunex is as good as my Snapon.
Great video! I started back when tools via internet weren’t a viable proposition and moved on to Gearwrench before I decided to buy SO. The biggest letdown in tool trucks is walking onto Matco and realizing half of it is / was GW
@@mcmahon1130 yea a lil bit. When seasons change everything in my garage gets that coating a water on it. The sizes that I never use they got a little light rust on them. They don't perform any better or any worse in the toolbox as compared with any of my other tools that get that dew on them
I love SUNEX sockets. I’ve heard MAC rebrands them but not sure how true that is. Regardless they are some of the best in the business. I own Snap On but not a blind fanboy drinking the Koolaid!
Great socket set for 1/4 3/8 and 1/2 is the dewalt 192 piece set. Made in Taiwan which is near USA quality with closer to Chinese price. Each set comes with extensions, ratchets, and skips no sizes except 23mm. Great buy and can be found for around $150 at certain stores if you search.
I'm an S&K guy myself but you would see some snap-on, mac, matco, craftsman, gearwrench in my box as well. Even have a set of Penncraft (JC Penney USA Made) 3/8 sockets from 1970. Still use them.
EXCELLENT video! Thank you! Very well said and to the point......one buys and uses what they can afford and like to use. Period> Respect the opinions and choices of others!
I can atest to those old walmart impact sockets. I have used mine for over 20+ years and beat the pizz willy out of them and they still come back for more. Also i'm the type that has almost every brand name in my toolbox, so i don't really hate on any brand as long as it gets the job done and doesn't damage or round off any fasteners, the old chineesium wrenches were famous for that.
How I built my collection. Even my socket sets are mis matching brands. Brand loyalists are the type of people that would eat their own shit if Fox News told them it would prevent cancer.
I’m a tool snob! - but gave a 👍🏼. 😳🥺🤣 Good info, thank you! I was fortunate enough to have a RailRoad machinist father from whom I inherited all his Snap-On and Proto tools from the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. When I started wrenching on airplanes in the 80’s, I just went into Snap-On tool truck debt for the smaller sized and specialized tools required for aviation. NOT the way to go with all the choices today.
Donald Glenn Dekle naw brother no laughs here duralast was some of the first sockets I got when I became a mechanic I still have them never broke 1 I love em
I bought a Duralast O2 sensor socket and a 14mm spark plug socket for half the price as any online deal. Work great! Autozone is in the parts sales business. Not tool sales!
Donald Glenn Dekle I've used Duralast for the past 6 years without an issue. I don't care for their ratchets and for what they don't carry I go to Carlyle.
Both Cornwell BluePower and Carlyle 19pc metric wrench sets are the same. But I feel like BluePower has a nicer chrome finish. It just feels nice on the hands.
I can say I have a set of advice matco shallow half inch impact sockets and I love them. About 3 years ago Mac had a deal on their expert series impact sockets. So I bought them. Wayyyyyy cheaper. Haven't broken one and if for some reason I ever do and I don't think that will happen it's still warrantied on the truck. For ease of replacement of tools the tool trucks cheaper options aren't bad
I recently switched from craftsman to tekton d/t their warranty process. Both of my local sears dont have a good inventory and require you to give them your socket, fill out a form with your information and wait for the socket in the mail. This takes roughly 1.5-2 weeks.
great vid, I also have a set of pm sockets from walmart and have owned them for about at least 19 years and sometimes I will use them more than my snap on ones been wrenching for about 26 years now
I actually have a set of the popular mechanics sockets. Not even sure how old they are. My dad gave them to me when I first started out working on cars. And he had them for years. Have yet to break one yet. I’ve wore out some of the craftsman sockets before the popular mechanics. Good info too for those who may not want to buy tool trucks or may not have that option. 👍🏻
Great video thanks brother. I think you hit the nail on the head here. I have a mixture of tools and tool truck brands. I have some that will never be able to warranty because I beat them with a hammer or sledgehammer. I have heated and bent some good ones just for a specific fasteners. keep up the great work see you in the next video
Gearwrench, knipex, proto, tekton, sunex. Also research a lot and get the brands that the big names rebrand as their own, and buy them for a fraction of the price.
If you can find them indestro and duro sockets are one of the strongest sockets I've used, they may not be shiny but they are strong and have a really good bite. If you are looking for craftsman find a sears hometown store they get nos of made in USA sockets, wrenches, ratchets, professional series stuff for like a dollar. But a great alternative is Menards masterforce which is made in USA, by apex.
i have a set of 1/4 drive metric popular mechanic sockets i bought at walmart when i was 14 and i still have and use them and im 39 now. tech makes the tools not the other way around
I have a set of deep sae and metric Sunex impact sockets I bought from Cornwell in 93 and till this day I have not cracked not one of them. I don't know if the quality is still as good today as it was back then , but I have had great success with them all these years.
I started with HF impact sockets & never broke 1 but was missing sizes.. I upgraded to Sunex impact kits (1/2 & 3/8 master kits) (never broke for the lifetime warranty) & love them. I own snap-on chrome sockets. My mid-lengths are Sunex. My axle sockets 6 pionts are Matco & 12 points are ATD from Tooltopia.
For me it all about quality vs price! I currently don't have any trunk accounts cause i love my 1st born😂😂😂😂. For me, the turning point was Milwaukee vs Matco power tools & finding out about the tool websites by accident.
I have a set of Harbor Freight deep sockets. With the exception of the 19mm they have yet to fail. Paid about $18 12 years ago. Also 1/2 swivel socket set has yet to break, cant say that about some of my 3/8 Matco swivels.
I've been loving my NAPA Carlisle Ratchets. Remember Sears has Layaway, so if they don't need it right away they can make payments on it. Also Sears offers credit cards to just about anyone. They are high interest, but even at 29% APR compounded daily it would be cheaper than the Snap On tax.
I say if you're going to buy Tool Truck, do a little at a time. I say start out with a couple of good ratchets. Snap On, SK, or MAC, that's it. Because you're going to use your ratchets everyday for mostly everything you do.
If you were to open my tool box you'd see maybe 5 tool truck tools and some of those were from pawn shops. The rest is an endless mix of brands like SK, Tekton, Gear Wrench, Williams, Channel Lock, and many others. Everyone else in my shop is strictly Matco or Snap On. But guess who's entire box is paid for and who usually has the highest efficiency rating every week? Me. With a tiny fraction of the money invested and I can't remember the last time I broke a tool.
I got two friends that know mechanic work and they fix my truck almost for free just beers food or some tools And just bring a bucket with harbor freight tools and they know a lot and do great work
I would recommend getting the biggest package of Harbor Freight mechanics set that you can afford. Then replace it with the brands that he mentions. So many mechanics use Harbor Freight and they continue to do so.
Great video, just to show others there's life outside of the tool trucks! Keep up the good work. I love the budget type videos for those of us just starting out.
Unfortunately sir, you can't walk into a Sears at all anymore. Dang shame too because they were once a great all purpose stop for good tools at reasonable prices. Perfect for both the starting technicianor the 20 year veteran. I agree with the brands you mentioned 100% I've also seen decent results with Performance Tool and the GM performance brand that O'Reilly's carries. Not sure who makes them but definitely good for the beginner or in a pinch.
I am in my early 50s and we had a mobile PBE jobber who doubled as a tool truck in the 70s & 80s. My first tools were SK and I will most likely be using them today. I still have them on my cart that I use for tear downs.
Tekton is not a bad option with good warranty. I have sk that is over 30 years old never broke one. Sunex is also good. My choices were snap on Mac and Sears there were no other choices. We used to get the big truck come to town with cheap tools. Great vid
Man I about broke my hand using popular mechanics sockets more than once. Socket split right down the side with a 3/8 ratchet and NO cheater bar. Those thing were dangerous. Yes some would be good tools but others would get u hurt
It's all about ROI, love my Tekton, got a set of Popular Mechanics too, real solid. If you've never tried them I'd recommend Klutch brand sockets from Northern Tool, price is hard to beat for the quality.
I'm gonna be getting a bunch of grey pneumatic sockets soon for a heavy equipment job im trying to get price is great and all positive reviews. You didnt mention Armstrong tools there nice to
Good vid. The only problem is warranty with broken off brands. It gets tough. I will say i have had my daily 1/2 in standard and metric sockets from grey pnuematic for 15 years with no problems. Gear wrench is really good also
I have been slowly cycling out my cheap tools for Mac (and some snap on). So far the only times i've thought "Man thank god i didn't cheap out on this" is my 3/8 ratchet from snap on i can jump on it and it wont even slip a tooth. That ratchet is almost always the first tool i grab when doing a repair. The other thing is my 1/2 impact sockets that have multiple teeth and many times grabbed stripped bolts/nuts that the cheap sockets won't (very good if you have customers who are youtube mechanics).
I like Made in USA so I went with Wrightgrip wrenches on Amazon. They have an 18 piece set with gripping teeth on the open end. Can't wait for the delievery date!
I have to say some good things about Gearwrench Hex bit sockets in metric 3/8" chrome. I've used the shit out of them on impact guns. Just some mushrooming on the square drive, but never broke one. But then again those things are low torques anyway. For the price of $30, lasted me 3 years and I only sold them because I went for some Action impacts (Grey Pneumatic in Australia). Chrome sockets I always use Snap-On, Hazet and certain stubby Blue-Point ones. Impact sockets, whatever I use, they will all wear out just as quicky. It came to my attention that certain Taiwanese made thick walled impact sockets tend to last longer as my 17mm deep well typically lasts 3 months on the Milwaukee impact gun, only taking off lug bolts on Bimmers. Eventually the gun will just rattle on the socket on bolts too tight, but a new socket will fix that. Its already worn out and worn out sockets typically are hard to return for warranty, so get a load of cheap 17mm deep impact sockets.
Husky's new tools are amazingly well made and carry a lifetime no BS warranty now. I abused a 1/2 - 3/8 socket adapter and some wrenches with a cheater bar. Walked into home depot with the broken tools, walked out with new ones. They even gave me a whole new wrench set since they didn't have a single in the size I brought in. No receipt nonsense, just in and out.
The Channellock V groove wrenches are great for the money,I have these and holding up well.If I break one,trip to my local HWI Do It Best hardware store to get it replaced.I started with some Craftsman,used the well known raised panel wrenches at first and then upgraded from them
i myself own nearly nothing but snap on,but ive been in the business for 25+ years and have upgraded over the years. personally i dont care what kind of tools other techs have,as long as they have tools and dont need to borrow from me all the time.
Pretty good talk. I have a lot of Snap On, Mac, S-K, Craftsman and others. There is a brand that is the only Industrial Hand tool Manufacturer in Canada that is called Gray Tools. My 3/4 Drive Stuff is from them. Great Rollers and Chests too. Lifetime Warranty. These folks are Good.
I will say sunex makes some good stuff for the price in my opinion, as well as gearwrench is always a safe option as you mentioned. Now this is just my opinion but when you think about it yes in the long run you pay out more on the trucks but for me alot of times its more affordable and easier to budget paying 50 bucks a week on the truck istead of psying 300 or 400 dollars all at once. Love the video really good topic and i look forward to the next one as always
I bought a 21 and 22 sunex to go with my grey pneumatic 3/8 impacts. They look identical. I have a little bit of everything. The only truck that comes around is snap on.
Hey...love your channel, keep it up. I live up in Canada and another excellent tool company, if you can get it in the USA is GRAY Tools Canada, and they are made in Canada...no overseas...but pricey as well but not as bad and Snappy. I liked what you said about the Walmart brand, Popular Mechanics. I bought a crapload of those sockets from Walmart and back in the 90s and still going strong. If you look at the part number of the socket it will match the NAPA part number. Back then they were made by Danaher, which made Napa, Popular Mechanics and I think also Stanley....just wanted to let you know.
Williams tools are a good option for cheaper USA made tools, owned by Snap On. The impact sockets I have exactly the same socket as the Snap On branded sockets at 1/2 to 1/3 the price and they carry the same warranty.
Great video. I love my 3/8 sunex master impact set. $125 for 7-22 in shallow, deep and swivel. I know, why would you need a 22mm 3/8 universal? First day I had them I needed to put a camber bolt in a civic. Without that socket I would have had to take the alignment head off, remove the wheel, put it back together and recompensate.
I would add Icon & Maddox from H-Freight, Astro Pnuematic, Some of the titan tools, OEM tools, ATD tools, EZ red, Perfromance tool and a few more. Not all are great, but some are the same as the tool truck stuff as some make tools for them and brand it
My dad has a box full of kmart sockets and wrenches and a bunch of popular mechanic sockets. My dad told me you buy the tools you need when you need them based on the money in your wallet. My dad went over 30 years and he has all the tool truck brands and other old brands like Bonney but he was always die hard craftsman because sears is down the street warranty and price but now thats changed
I'm a d wire and I'm buy a lot of stuff at Harbor Freight and I'm not a professional I only use it once or twice you know every 6-7 months of whatever but they've been very good to me and I got complete tool set it does everything I've ever asked to use like I said I'm a DIY wire I'm not a professional but I've had very good luck with Harbor Freight
Raise hand... I'm a tool snob! I'm a snap on guy whole hardly. I started out with craftsman stuff and as I got more experience and making more money. The craftsman stuff was replaced and moved to the tool box at home. And yes that one is a craftsman box too. I'm am particular about where it's made through.
You mentioned some good tools. I've been learning about alternatives as well because as a DIY'er I just don't need the top end tools. Not that I wouldn't love them! :)
We don’t have the best tool trucks but Napa and Home Depot share the same parking lot as us so I use a lot of there brands haven’t been disappointed yet
National tool warehouse is where i had to go during Covid, when no tool trucks were allowed on site.
If your shop uses NAPA, their Carlyle Brand is great and won't break the bank. easy warranty too.
I'm 18 and my dad has a set of the Popular Mechanics sockets that he got back in the 80's or 90's. We still use them every day on impacts and breaker bars. They're 12 point 1/2 drive. Great sockets
Proto is my go to. The quality is great and their warranty process is fantastic.
Tahnk you!! You took me back to 1970 working for US Steel as an electrician; everyone had Craftsman!!!! Yeah we "talked" about Snap-on.......BUT no one could afford them...
I have a scar on my hands from everytime I tried to use cheap tools. Especially Crapsman. Cheap tools cost so much more in the long run. When you have to take down time from work to have your hand sewn up. But the best tools I own, were usually found in the bottom of doors. Stuffed under aprons hovering underneath batteries . And my favorite... Still on the last nut they were used on. Free tools are obviously the best ones. And for that, I thank my fellow technicians. Thanks guys.
I collect Popular Mechanics tools I bought a crap ton at all my pawn shops and they are still getting more in. Actually they are still made but they are not by Walmart it is now The Hearst Corporation that makes them. I buy the vintage ones in the pawn shops they also have great screwdrivers as a professional mechanic their screwdrivers are great.
I use gear wrench at work. The 90 tooth ratchet kinda disappoints but sockets fit amazing. Also the Pittsburgh pro ratchets and impact sockets seem to be good.
I also have used a lot of Kobalt sockets, ratchets and cordless impacts. If you are in a pinch and just starting out I can personally recommend and have used in a shop daily
Gear wrench sockets and ratchets
Pittsburgh pro impact sockets, adapters and ratchets. Earthquake xt impact(surprisingly good)
Kobalt cordless impacts(the compact and large one,get a couple 4ah batteries)
Kobalt ratchets and a few sockets
Have a few Husky sockets(fit great and haven't broken yet)
For what it's worth I work only about 5 miles from lowes and harbor freight so if I have a problem with the sockets,ratchets or anything under warranty I can easily go and get it replaced during lunch.
Also I highly recommend you have a spare ratchet and common socket sizes. You don't want to get stuck in the middle of a job because of a broken tool.
I still go to flea markets and automotive swap meets. I buy older Proto, great tools.
Even with all the snap on wrenches and everything else available, nothing feels quite right to me except my proto professional wrenches, I love the matte finish they come with and they kind of wear like blue jeans, the ones you use the most slowly become polished wrenches just from use lol.
i go to the pawn shop and find alot of snap on even if it is broke i get it anyway and just warrentee it out with my snapon guy. best way to own awesome tools
Here in canada, canadian tire sells brands called mastercraft and the higher end mastercraft maximum brand. Dewalt and stanly also have alot of stuff. I have alot of mastercraft stuff like long needlenose pliers and ratcheting wrenches. Also have a set of universal 3/8 impacts that i use everyday. Not as good as snap on but the lifetime warranty is good and they are no hassle, in canada everytown has atleast one canadian tire to ! They can be a hit or miss you tend to know what you need in the higher end snap on stuff and the stuff u can deal with in lower end name brand stuff.
About 8 years ago I bought some MasterCraft tools and I was thinking what a bunch of cheap junk but I needed it. Well those tools have stood by my side and worked in bad situations and they are still in my big tool box.
Mastercraft stuff is generally made out of crappy steel. Maximum on the other hand is not that easy to break and I wouldn't be making fun of their basic hand tools. When I go to Canadian tire I generally buy Maximum branded stuff over Mastercraft.
CarEnthusiast i have broken lots of maximum stuff lol broke multiple universal impact sockets i broke 2 maximum impact guns and have switched to the ir2235 which blows maximum out of the water. Like i said its a hit or miss and as a certified mechanic i know what i need from the trucks and what i can deal with from crappy tire.
I started buying John Deere wrenches 20yrs ago and now I'm a heavy equipment mechanic and their still going strong.
Great video as always. Also brought back a lot of good memories when I started out. I had husky (USA made), and popular mechanics sockets from Walmart back in 1995. I think I paid less than 10 bucks for the set and still have them.
I have been a tech. For close to 20yrs I got everything from harbor freight to Snapon. All my impact sockets are sunex except my 3/8 shallow are Snapon. I would say the sunex is as good as my Snapon.
Well done FRM. Your work and your character (as a mechanic) will speak for itself ; not what brand is in your box. Great advice.
Great video! I started back when tools via internet weren’t a viable proposition and moved on to Gearwrench before I decided to buy SO. The biggest letdown in tool trucks is walking onto Matco and realizing half of it is / was GW
When i first started out i started buying Snap on at first and recently started buying tools off amazon Tekton has some really good impact sockets
Top 3 alternatives.
S&K
Proto
Gearwrench
I used to sell S-K and love them I have a set of S-K locking extentions 1/4 and 3/8s and the X-frame wrenches are kick ass
There just as expensive
Tekton is ok too
@@andybub45 tekton was just starting to get good when the original comment was made, but I agree that tekton now belongs on that list
FRM great video, I'm just a trucker who works on my own trucks but I love your videos and have learned alot from them.
Grey pneumatic are pretty good impact sockets .
ashton nuckols iv had real good luck with my gp duo sockets
@@rustybrowneye
Have you had any issues with rust?
@@mcmahon1130 yea a lil bit. When seasons change everything in my garage gets that coating a water on it. The sizes that I never use they got a little light rust on them. They don't perform any better or any worse in the toolbox as compared with any of my other tools that get that dew on them
I love SUNEX sockets. I’ve heard MAC rebrands them but not sure how true that is. Regardless they are some of the best in the business. I own Snap On but not a blind fanboy drinking the Koolaid!
Great socket set for 1/4 3/8 and 1/2 is the dewalt 192 piece set. Made in Taiwan which is near USA quality with closer to Chinese price. Each set comes with extensions, ratchets, and skips no sizes except 23mm. Great buy and can be found for around $150 at certain stores if you search.
I'm an S&K guy myself but you would see some snap-on, mac, matco, craftsman, gearwrench in my box as well. Even have a set of Penncraft (JC Penney USA Made) 3/8 sockets from 1970. Still use them.
EXCELLENT video! Thank you! Very well said and to the point......one buys and uses what they can afford and like to use. Period> Respect the opinions and choices of others!
I've had since great luck with the new kobalt and husky tools
Tekton makes some very high quality tools. Their sockets and impact sockets are very high quality.
Crescent brand sockets and ratchets. Bought them for my son at a farm & fleet store and am really impressed!
130 pc set like $79... 1/4 and 3/8...
Stanley pliers and wrenches.
Just saw a set of Popular Mechanics 40 pc set at an Ollies store for $24.95!
I can atest to those old walmart impact sockets. I have used mine for over 20+ years and beat the pizz willy out of them and they still come back for more. Also i'm the type that has almost every brand name in my toolbox, so i don't really hate on any brand as long as it gets the job done and doesn't damage or round off any fasteners, the old chineesium wrenches were famous for that.
Carlyle has great tools with lifetime warranty and there is a napa in most towns. No waiting on truck
Kc Edwards love em!
Whenever I go to a pawn shop or swap meet or flea market. I make it a point to look for Popular Mechanics tools.. Dang good tools..
How I built my collection. Even my socket sets are mis matching brands. Brand loyalists are the type of people that would eat their own shit if Fox News told them it would prevent cancer.
Mmm my own shit
Excellent advice for a new tech, thank you bubba
I’m a tool snob! - but gave a 👍🏼. 😳🥺🤣 Good info, thank you! I was fortunate enough to have a RailRoad machinist father from whom I inherited all his Snap-On and Proto tools from the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. When I started wrenching on airplanes in the 80’s, I just went into Snap-On tool truck debt for the smaller sized and specialized tools required for aviation. NOT the way to go with all the choices today.
Great Subject FRM 😀😊👍🏼 PS. Got the FRM Stickers That Thomas Made You Thanks Guys I Proudly Put Them On My Top Box Cabinet 😀😀👍🏼
Just remember any brand tool that gets the job done right and efficiently is the right tool to buy. Great video Flat Rate Master. Keep them coming.
I'll probably get laughed at, but I have been getting pretty good use out of Autozone's Duralast tools. Served me well so far.
Donald Glenn Dekle naw brother no laughs here duralast was some of the first sockets I got when I became a mechanic I still have them never broke 1 I love em
I bought a Duralast O2 sensor socket and a 14mm spark plug socket for half the price as any online deal. Work great! Autozone is in the parts sales business. Not tool sales!
No Laughing there Really Good Tools 😎👍🏼
Duralaat makes some good stuff, and you can take them back for warranty if you break it.
Donald Glenn Dekle I've used Duralast for the past 6 years without an issue. I don't care for their ratchets and for what they don't carry I go to Carlyle.
The Auto zone Duralast sockets are a damn good socket plus the Harbor freight Pittsburgh Pro Impact sockets are damn good for the money.
Yeah man those popular mechanics sockets are tough as nails my set has survived farm life for 20 + years. Great video
Both Cornwell BluePower and Carlyle 19pc metric wrench sets are the same. But I feel like BluePower has a nicer chrome finish. It just feels nice on the hands.
Grey pneumatic is really good. I really like OTC, lisle, knipex, Milwaukee and mityvac
I can say I have a set of advice matco shallow half inch impact sockets and I love them. About 3 years ago Mac had a deal on their expert series impact sockets. So I bought them. Wayyyyyy cheaper. Haven't broken one and if for some reason I ever do and I don't think that will happen it's still warrantied on the truck. For ease of replacement of tools the tool trucks cheaper options aren't bad
I recently switched from craftsman to tekton d/t their warranty process. Both of my local sears dont have a good inventory and require you to give them your socket, fill out a form with your information and wait for the socket in the mail. This takes roughly 1.5-2 weeks.
great vid, I also have a set of pm sockets from walmart and have owned them for about at least 19 years and sometimes I will use them more than my snap on ones been wrenching for about 26 years now
I actually have a set of the popular mechanics sockets. Not even sure how old they are. My dad gave them to me when I first started out working on cars. And he had them for years. Have yet to break one yet. I’ve wore out some of the craftsman sockets before the popular mechanics. Good info too for those who may not want to buy tool trucks or may not have that option. 👍🏻
Variety is the spice of life!
Great video thanks brother. I think you hit the nail on the head here. I have a mixture of tools and tool truck brands. I have some that will never be able to warranty because I beat them with a hammer or sledgehammer. I have heated and bent some good ones just for a specific fasteners. keep up the great work see you in the next video
Gearwrench, knipex, proto, tekton, sunex. Also research a lot and get the brands that the big names rebrand as their own, and buy them for a fraction of the price.
If you can find them indestro and duro sockets are one of the strongest sockets I've used, they may not be shiny but they are strong and have a really good bite. If you are looking for craftsman find a sears hometown store they get nos of made in USA sockets, wrenches, ratchets, professional series stuff for like a dollar. But a great alternative is Menards masterforce which is made in USA, by apex.
i have a set of 1/4 drive metric popular mechanic sockets i bought at walmart when i was 14 and i still have and use them and im 39 now. tech makes the tools not the other way around
Ive still got some popular mechanics wrenches and a few sockets, they have been great...i believe i bought them a wal mart years ago!
Thanks, also give Carlyle hand tools a try. I’m impressed with there screwdrivers and wrenches.
Usually the shittiest techs have the flashiest tools (Snap On)
121212 I ran into that slot myself
LMFAO!
Or the Cleanest Tools And Toolbox
I have a set of deep sae and metric Sunex impact sockets I bought from Cornwell in 93 and till this day I have not cracked not one of them. I don't know if the quality is still as good today as it was back then , but I have had great success with them all these years.
@@bobneuman8124 They absolutely are!
I started with HF impact sockets & never broke 1 but was missing sizes.. I upgraded to Sunex impact kits (1/2 & 3/8 master kits) (never broke for the lifetime warranty) & love them. I own snap-on chrome sockets. My mid-lengths are Sunex. My axle sockets 6 pionts are Matco & 12 points are ATD from Tooltopia.
For me it all about quality vs price! I currently don't have any trunk accounts cause i love my 1st born😂😂😂😂. For me, the turning point was Milwaukee vs Matco power tools & finding out about the tool websites by accident.
I can vouch for the sunex. I got the ADV rebranded 3/8" impact sockets in metric 7mm to 19 mm with no skips from matco. Well worth the money.
Good advice I must say you covered the alternative well and without the credit program snap on would have never succeeded!
I have a set of Harbor Freight deep sockets. With the exception of the 19mm they have yet to fail. Paid about $18 12 years ago. Also 1/2 swivel socket set has yet to break, cant say that about some of my 3/8 Matco swivels.
I've been loving my NAPA Carlisle Ratchets. Remember Sears has Layaway, so if they don't need it right away they can make payments on it. Also Sears offers credit cards to just about anyone. They are high interest, but even at 29% APR compounded daily it would be cheaper than the Snap On tax.
I say if you're going to buy Tool Truck, do a little at a time. I say start out with a couple of good ratchets. Snap On, SK, or MAC, that's it. Because you're going to use your ratchets everyday for mostly everything you do.
used blue point plumb proto and wright are awsome
If you were to open my tool box you'd see maybe 5 tool truck tools and some of those were from pawn shops. The rest is an endless mix of brands like SK, Tekton, Gear Wrench, Williams, Channel Lock, and many others. Everyone else in my shop is strictly Matco or Snap On. But guess who's entire box is paid for and who usually has the highest efficiency rating every week? Me. With a tiny fraction of the money invested and I can't remember the last time I broke a tool.
I got two friends that know mechanic work and they fix my truck almost for free just beers food or some tools
And just bring a bucket with harbor freight tools and they know a lot and do great work
Can’t go wrong with Carlyle. I have some Carlyle sockets and wrenches and they are awesome especially for the price
Yeah but who sells them besides Napa? Napa is a rip off for tools. Kinda nuts
I would recommend getting the biggest package of Harbor Freight mechanics set that you can afford. Then replace it with the brands that he mentions. So many mechanics use Harbor Freight and they continue to do so.
My old made in the USA Husky long wrenches have held up great for me.
Astro pneumatic has some great stuff too.
HF Pittsburg Pro line is very good. Especially for the money.
Great video, just to show others there's life outside of the tool trucks! Keep up the good work. I love the budget type videos for those of us just starting out.
Unfortunately sir, you can't walk into a Sears at all anymore. Dang shame too because they were once a great all purpose stop for good tools at reasonable prices. Perfect for both the starting technicianor the 20 year veteran. I agree with the brands you mentioned 100% I've also seen decent results with Performance Tool and the GM performance brand that O'Reilly's carries. Not sure who makes them but definitely good for the beginner or in a pinch.
Carlyle are great wrenches,craftsman makes a great amp clamp Dvm, harbor freight sells a great test light.
I am in my early 50s and we had a mobile PBE jobber who doubled as a tool truck in the 70s & 80s. My first tools were SK and I will most likely be using them today. I still have them on my cart that I use for tear downs.
bill beckett hi sir I'm in my upper 50s and still collecting tools
Tekton is not a bad option with good warranty. I have sk that is over 30 years old never broke one. Sunex is also good. My choices were snap on Mac and Sears there were no other choices. We used to get the big truck come to town with cheap tools. Great vid
Man I about broke my hand using popular mechanics sockets more than once. Socket split right down the side with a 3/8 ratchet and NO cheater bar. Those thing were dangerous. Yes some would be good tools but others would get u hurt
It's all about ROI, love my Tekton, got a set of Popular Mechanics too, real solid. If you've never tried them I'd recommend Klutch brand sockets from Northern Tool, price is hard to beat for the quality.
I'm gonna be getting a bunch of grey pneumatic sockets soon for a heavy equipment job im trying to get price is great and all positive reviews. You didnt mention Armstrong tools there nice to
Good vid. The only problem is warranty with broken off brands. It gets tough. I will say i have had my daily 1/2 in standard and metric sockets from grey pnuematic for 15 years with no problems. Gear wrench is really good also
I have been slowly cycling out my cheap tools for Mac (and some snap on). So far the only times i've thought "Man thank god i didn't cheap out on this" is my 3/8 ratchet from snap on i can jump on it and it wont even slip a tooth. That ratchet is almost always the first tool i grab when doing a repair. The other thing is my 1/2 impact sockets that have multiple teeth and many times grabbed stripped bolts/nuts that the cheap sockets won't (very good if you have customers who are youtube mechanics).
I like Made in USA so I went with Wrightgrip wrenches on Amazon. They have an 18 piece set with gripping teeth on the open end. Can't wait for the delievery date!
I've had some very good luck with the gearwrench wrenches in rear world vs the Flank Drives plus on tie-rod jam nuts
I have to say some good things about Gearwrench Hex bit sockets in metric 3/8" chrome. I've used the shit out of them on impact guns. Just some mushrooming on the square drive, but never broke one. But then again those things are low torques anyway. For the price of $30, lasted me 3 years and I only sold them because I went for some Action impacts (Grey Pneumatic in Australia). Chrome sockets I always use Snap-On, Hazet and certain stubby Blue-Point ones. Impact sockets, whatever I use, they will all wear out just as quicky.
It came to my attention that certain Taiwanese made thick walled impact sockets tend to last longer as my 17mm deep well typically lasts 3 months on the Milwaukee impact gun, only taking off lug bolts on Bimmers. Eventually the gun will just rattle on the socket on bolts too tight, but a new socket will fix that. Its already worn out and worn out sockets typically are hard to return for warranty, so get a load of cheap 17mm deep impact sockets.
Husky's new tools are amazingly well made and carry a lifetime no BS warranty now.
I abused a 1/2 - 3/8 socket adapter and some wrenches with a cheater bar. Walked into home depot with the broken tools, walked out with new ones. They even gave me a whole new wrench set since they didn't have a single in the size I brought in.
No receipt nonsense, just in and out.
That is cool, i started with a lot of husky tools, and broke a lot of them, but that was a long time ago
capri makes great tools at a reasonable price
The Channellock V groove wrenches are great for the money,I have these and holding up well.If I break one,trip to my local HWI Do It Best hardware store to get it replaced.I started with some Craftsman,used the well known raised panel wrenches at first and then upgraded from them
i myself own nearly nothing but snap on,but ive been in the business for 25+ years and have upgraded over the years. personally i dont care what kind of tools other techs have,as long as they have tools and dont need to borrow from me all the time.
My First Box was a Craftsman. I Feel Bad Ordering off line. I've Had the same Matco Man since 1992.
Pretty good talk. I have a lot of Snap On, Mac, S-K, Craftsman and others. There is a brand that is the only Industrial Hand tool Manufacturer in Canada that is called Gray Tools. My 3/4 Drive Stuff is from them. Great Rollers and Chests too. Lifetime Warranty. These folks are Good.
I will say sunex makes some good stuff for the price in my opinion, as well as gearwrench is always a safe option as you mentioned. Now this is just my opinion but when you think about it yes in the long run you pay out more on the trucks but for me alot of times its more affordable and easier to budget paying 50 bucks a week on the truck istead of psying 300 or 400 dollars all at once. Love the video really good topic and i look forward to the next one as always
Vessel screwdrivers are fantastic. Japanese made.
Yes!
Yes. Absolutely essential if you work on Japanese or Korean cars.
I bought a 21 and 22 sunex to go with my grey pneumatic 3/8 impacts. They look identical.
I have a little bit of everything. The only truck that comes around is snap on.
Hey...love your channel, keep it up. I live up in Canada and another excellent tool company, if you can get it in the USA is GRAY Tools Canada, and they are made in Canada...no overseas...but pricey as well but not as bad and Snappy. I liked what you said about the Walmart brand, Popular Mechanics. I bought a crapload of those sockets from Walmart and back in the 90s and still going strong. If you look at the part number of the socket it will match the NAPA part number. Back then they were made by Danaher, which made Napa, Popular Mechanics and I think also Stanley....just wanted to let you know.
Sunex is one of the best overseas brands for the price as far as impact sockets etc are concerned , also grey pneumatic 👌,
Williams tools are a good option for cheaper USA made tools, owned by Snap On. The impact sockets I have exactly the same socket as the Snap On branded sockets at 1/2 to 1/3 the price and they carry the same warranty.
The tolerance is lower but they come off the same line just lower grade which works fine for me. Grey Pneumatic from Taiwan has been my sweet spot
Can you do a video on pinch off pliers?
Great video. I love my 3/8 sunex master impact set. $125 for 7-22 in shallow, deep and swivel. I know, why would you need a 22mm 3/8 universal? First day I had them I needed to put a camber bolt in a civic. Without that socket I would have had to take the alignment head off, remove the wheel, put it back together and recompensate.
I would add Icon & Maddox from H-Freight, Astro Pnuematic, Some of the titan tools, OEM tools, ATD tools, EZ red, Perfromance tool and a few more. Not all are great, but some are the same as the tool truck stuff as some make tools for them and brand it
My dad has a box full of kmart sockets and wrenches and a bunch of popular mechanic sockets. My dad told me you buy the tools you need when you need them based on the money in your wallet. My dad went over 30 years and he has all the tool truck brands and other old brands like Bonney but he was always die hard craftsman because sears is down the street warranty and price but now thats changed
I'm a d wire and I'm buy a lot of stuff at Harbor Freight and I'm not a professional I only use it once or twice you know every 6-7 months of whatever but they've been very good to me and I got complete tool set it does everything I've ever asked to use like I said I'm a DIY wire I'm not a professional but I've had very good luck with Harbor Freight
Astro pneumatic coolant pressure tester, ball join remove tool , "Big Nasty" etc ......
On amazon you can find great deals on ingersoll rand. Not the high end titanium but decent tools that will get you by.
Raise hand... I'm a tool snob! I'm a snap on guy whole hardly. I started out with craftsman stuff and as I got more experience and making more money. The craftsman stuff was replaced and moved to the tool box at home. And yes that one is a craftsman box too. I'm am particular about where it's made through.
You mentioned some good tools. I've been learning about alternatives as well because as a DIY'er I just don't need the top end tools. Not that I wouldn't love them! :)
We don’t have the best tool trucks but Napa and Home Depot share the same parking lot as us so I use a lot of there brands haven’t been disappointed yet
thank you for the stickers they came today