Harbor Freight

[JimN]

Originally Posted by TayMC197

Lol love the rant.

I bought 2 $50 dollar winches there and 80 bucks worth of chain. That almost $200 of cheap hardware pulled my truck out of a hole that was going to cost me $600 plus... Yes the winches failed after I used them that one time but considering the work they did, they deserved to die. The chain still holds strong. lol

Like others said, I don't buy my everyday handtools there, I'll buy the cheap stuff that doesn't have any working components like pry bars, grease guns, grease, tool magnets, etc... wrenches and everything like are bought from Sears... Sears has never failed me when i have broke a tool, they exchange it and I'm on my way... They truly are one of the good ol' stores for tools. highly underrated in my opinion.

I'm pretty sure the HF hand tools (wrenches, sockets, extensions) have lifetime warranty. I gave up on Craftsman screwdrivers (except slotted, which I absolutely REFUSE to spend a lot for because I think slotted screws' time passed about 20 years before I was born and I have no use for them. I don't even like Phillips, but when I was doing car audio, it was hard to find a car that didn't have them. I had replaced a #2 Craftsman Phillips one night and the first time I used it, the tip fractured. Later that day, the Snap On truck showed u p and I bought a few- I have never had a problem with them. They do wear, but that's the nature of Phillips screws and drivers- unlike square-drive, Torx and some others, Phillips head can cam out of the screw and that's why I don't like them, either.

Point is, a company that rests on its laurels will fail and that's what Sears has done. They used to replace a whole ratchet wrench and now, they only tell me they can give me a rebuild kit. Also, a lifetime warranty is great but if I need to drive all over town to replace tools all the time, I'd rather pay more for a tool that won't fail in the first place and that's why I bought Snap On for the things I used all the time and could wear. I think I wore out one Snap On impact socket and that's only because I used it more than any other and impact sockets are softer than the plated ones.

[thatsmrmastercraft]

No question that Snap-On tools are the ticket for anyone who uses tools in their profession. They are simply the best overall choice, and what I relied on for my years of wrenching. there is also a lot of overpriced junk out there from most manufacturers, and you really have to be careful not to just go by brand when purchasing.

[JimN]

Originally Posted by thatsmrmastercraft

No question that Snap-On tools are the ticket for anyone who uses tools in their profession. They are simply the best overall choice, and what I relied on for my years of wrenching. there is also a lot of overpriced junk out there from most manufacturers, and you really have to be careful not to just go by brand when purchasing.

Having been in many tool trucks, I saw a lot of the same tools with different names- plug gap tools, piston ring compressors, pick tool sets, small screwdriver sets and others that are exactly the same as some of the Northern/Harbor Freight/big box tools but the Snap On/Mac/Matco/Cornwell etc bread & butter is box/combo/ratchet wrenches, tool boxes and other major items. I know a Snap On dealer and his accountant told him that he doesn't have enough deductions for how much he makes and Snap On tool profit is about 25%, which isn't really a lot. OTOH, he doesn't need to have a B&M store, just his truck and garage, where he stores bulk/fast moving inventory.

[thatsmrmastercraft]

Originally Posted by JimN

Having been in many tool trucks, I saw a lot of the same tools with different names- plug gap tools, piston ring compressors, pick tool sets, small screwdriver sets and others that are exactly the same as some of the Northern/Harbor Freight/big box tools but the Snap On/Mac/Matco/Cornwell etc bread & butter is box/combo/ratchet wrenches, tool boxes and other major items. I know a Snap On dealer and his accountant told him that he doesn't have enough deductions for how much he makes and Snap On tool profit is about 25%, which isn't really a lot. OTOH, he doesn't need to have a B&M store, just his truck and garage, where he stores bulk/fast moving inventory.

Interesting........I would have guessed at more than 25%. Those tool guys put a lot of time in. thought about it at one time, but glad I went another direction.

[ncsone]

All -

For what it is worth - I am a member of a garage/tool forum as well and they have a running thread about which HF tools are worth it or not. If you are looking for something from there, it might be worth a look at this first:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/s...ht+pass%2Ffail

NCS

[SP Maristar]

An excellent redirect to the garage journal thread. Like a Consumer Reports for HF tools. I'll check it before my next purchase there.

[JimN]

Originally Posted by thatsmrmastercraft

Interesting........I would have guessed at more than 25%. Those tool guys put a lot of time in. thought about it at one time, but glad I went another direction.

The guy he bought his route from retired at 40, with tons of cash and over 300 acres in northern WI.

[ncsone]

Originally Posted by JimN

The guy he bought his route from retired at 40, with tons of cash and over 300 acres in northern WI.

Those truck franchises, especially Snap-On, can be very lucrative, especially if you are running more than one truck. My local guy has 4 trucks and a couple of vans, the drivers get to keep 30% of what they collect and the owner is doing very well.

It is a tough business, though, from what I hear. Lots of chasing people around for money they owe.

[thatsmrmastercraft]

Originally Posted by JimN

The guy he bought his route from retired at 40, with tons of cash and over 300 acres in northern WI.

I suspect he made out like a bandit through the late 80's and 90's when everyone had plenty of money. I bet it will become more a struggle as our economy slides downhill.

[JimN]

Originally Posted by ncsone

Those truck franchises, especially Snap-On, can be very lucrative, especially if you are running more than one truck. My local guy has 4 trucks and a couple of vans, the drivers get to keep 30% of what they collect and the owner is doing very well.

It is a tough business, though, from what I hear. Lots of chasing people around for money they owe.

It was an established route and the shops do well around here so there's not much chasing needed. This is a single-truck operation, too.