Thread: Matco Tools?

Tweet

It is very important to spend the extra money on the better screw drivers. Stanley, for example, makes an absolutely horrible screw driver. Their #2 phillips fits terrible and is more prone to rounding out the screw than any other driver I've used. The split if you hit them with a hammer. Craftsman, their thinner shank drivers are prone to spinning the shank in the handle. The handle is very impact resistant and you can hit the drivers with a hammer. The thinner flat blade drivers are prone to twisting the blade. On the #2 phillips, if you look closely after a few uses, you'll notice that the splines get twisted which makes the driver more prone to rounding a screw. Snap-on, they harden the tips of their screw drivers which is a big plus. Though, I have had the ends of Snap-on drivers break beacause they are brittle due to the hardening.

The round handle Craftsman ratchets are excellent. I really don't like the square handled quick release ratchets. Snap-on ratchets seem to have a little too coarse of a ratchet action for me, I actually prefer the craftsman round handle over the snap-on. Sockets are pretty much the same as long as you go craftsman or better.

For open end wrenches, do spend a little money there, too. It's no fun when you're wrenching real hard on a bolt and the jaws expand causing the wrench to slip and you to bust your knuckles on the nearest piece of metal. Also, stiffer jaws mean you're less likely to round nuts and bolts.

If you're looking for a high quality tool set, Proto is a seldom thought of name. They're a little pricey though, I think their lowest priced set (85 pieces) is around $500 and they go up to $13,000 for a 1000 piece set.

I really don't believe Snap-on is the best anymore. The best tools are those made by those small manufacturing companies that you've never heard of. I can't think of any names off the top of my head except for Kearney and Stott. They make files, which I believe to be superior to Nicholson who are pretty much the standard. Stay away from rubber gripped tools because the rubber will hold on to dirt and deteriorate quickly. I hate gimmicky tools, except for ratcheting combo wrenches.

I have done Marketing for several tool manufacturers over the last several years... That, along with being an all-around car guy and someone that wrenches on the weekends has given me a little insight into some of the major tool manufacturers... First off you should understand that like most industrys, handtools are acually only made by a few founderys around the globe... Much of the time competing brands are made at the same factories using either exclusive design or similar designs...

There are good tools out on the market that go highly unrecognized just as 76GMC1500 mentioned about Proto... Proto Tools are usually available through your local Granger or other Maintence supply stores... Mac, Proto, Husky, and Stanley Professional Grade are all produced by basically the same company and some of the lines are very similar if compaired side by side...

You may or may not know this but marketing studies show that the reason that most mechanics by tools "off-the-truck" is because the local distributors provide credit "off-the-truck" and collect on a weekly basis if needed... The main reason "off-the-truck" tool are priced higher is because of the high return rate of broken tools... Many brands like Craftsman have life time warranties but the actual exchange rate of tools is much lower...

Bottom line there are many great brands out there, just be sure to shop around for what you like...

Hope this helps...

Dave Brisco

I have Snap on triple boxes and a couple Craftsman double boxes. Some Snap on tools but most are Craftsman. I have never been a line mechanic,so if I had been I may feel differently about this. Every time I buy Snap on I feel like I just got reamed. I do think the snap on is a little better quality though. It seems to me there are 6 to 8 good tool companies out there that make quality tools. I buy Craftsman when they are on a real good sale. Example= Within the last 2 months I bought Craftsman professional 9 peice combination sets for 24.98 These wrenches have the open end on one end and box end ratchet on the other end, This sale was only until 11 A M. Ten minutes later they were 49.95. The next day they were 59.95. I dont think I could have bought more than 1 of these tools off one of the tool trucks for that price. At the same time I bought several other things at half price or less. When I was the service director in a major dealership I remember my younger mechanics were always married to the tool man. I wonder how many still have those tools today?Ive never taken a defective tool back to Sears that they didn't give me a new replacment.

Yeah Gassersrule, I hear the truck guy here is into old cars and was a mechanic and had a shop for like 30 some odd years and is really good and if he never shows when he says then it's because something happened to him my teacher said... Funny when he said that because a kid said that the truck probably could break down and needs to get towed. Why get it towed, he has every damn tool you need on it. This truck isn't one of those kinds of Snap On ones you see all the time, it's a HUGE one. But yeah my teacher said that the guy knows what he is doing and said there are some tool truck guys out there that have no clue what you ask for sometimes if you ask for a odd tool and will take forever to get it to you. Streets, I know there are other threads, I read two of them and they weren't just like this one. I asked if I should take the discount and buy Matco or keep buying Craftsman.

You might not get another chance to get a discount like that. Consider it an investment in your future. I've been looking into Cornwell tools. I haven't had any experience with them, but they appear to be on par with Snap-on and the others, just at a slightly lower price.

You usually get what you paid for.

I have a mixed collection of Snap On, Gray and Mastercraft tools. Nowadays I get my Snap Ons from e bay

I am going with Matco Tools. I can get a whole entire set with a 55" wide tool box customized with my name, any color I wan't, etc and then a whole set of tools with basically everything you need for $3,505 bucks. The tool box is regularly $3,800 and I will get it for $1,540 and then the other tools regularly cost over 3,900 bucks and I get them for $1,964. So I guess I would be dumb to pass this offer up.

This is what comes with the tool set...
FULL FLOW OSHA BLOW GUN V3150
1 16 OZ HAMMER BH16
1 22OZ SLIMLINE DEADBLOW HAMMER DB22SL
1 GAUGE-25 BLADE FG3
1 8MM LG MOD COMB WRENCH-12PT MCL8M2
1 9MM LG MOD COMB WRENCH 12PT MCL9M2
1 2-1/4" ROUND MIRROR MC2
1 MAGNETIC PICK-UP TOOL MPF19X
1 UTILITY KNIFE PK200
1 6" STEEL RULE-MATCO BRAND SR6CM
1 4PC UNIV PLIER SET SPU4T
1 33 PC RATCHETING SCREWDRIVER SRS330B
1 12PC LG MOD COMB WRENCH SET SMCL122T
1 15 PC ALLEN STD AW668
1 9-PC METRIC ALLEN WRENCH SET AM9MA
1 1/4 10-PC DP 6PT SKT SET SAD106TA
1 1/4 X 2 EXTENSION AX2K
1 1/4 X 6 EXTENSION AX6K
1 14PC 1/4 MM SKT ST SAM146TA
1 14PC 1/4 DP MM SKT ST 6PT SAMD146TA
1 ASTRO BLACK SAFETY SPEC-CLEAR SS135BLK
1 3/8,1/2 6PC TORX DRIVER SET SBC6TXA
1 1/2 10-PC 6PT SAE SKT SET SC106TA
1 1/2 8PC 6PT sae SKT SET SC86TA
1 3/8 13-PC 6PT SAE SOCKET SET SB136TA
1 3/8 13-PC DP 6PT SAE SKT SET SBD136TA
1 3/8 14-PC 6 PT MET SKT SET SBM146TA
1 3/8 14-PC MET DR 6 PT SKT SET SBDM146TA
1 3/8" DR x 3" EXTENSION BX3K
1 1/2 X 10 EXTENSION CX10
1 1/2" FLEX HANDLE C16FC
1 1/2 X 5 EXTENSION CX5
1 10" VISE GRIP V10R
1 3/8 DR X 10" EXTENSION BX10K
1 12PC PUNCH & CHISEL SET SPL12KA
1 4 PC COMBO 8" FILE SET ORANGE CF48SO
1 1/4 10-PC 6PT SKT SET SA106TA
1 HD FENDER COVER MFC5439
1 6MM COMBO WRENCH MC6M2
1 7MM LONG MOD COMBO WRENCH MCL7M2
1 10P LNG MOD COMBO WRNCH ST-6PT SMCLM106T
1 WIRE STRIPPER/CUTTER/CRIMPER MST46E
1 CIRCUIT TESTER W/5FT CORD MD113A
1 5PC HOOK/PICK/SCREWDRIVER SET HP5G
1 6" MATCO SPIN HANDLE A6DRA
1 17" PRYBAR GREEN-ANGLE TIP PBG17B
1 1"X3-3/4" SCRAPER SCG24A
1 1/4 UNIVERSAL JOINT A3UA
1 SPARK PLUG 2PC SOCKET SET SBD26PTB
1 3/8 X 3/8 MALE UNIV JOINT B3UA
1 SPARK PLUG GUAGE & GAPPER FG26
1 1/4 X 5" 60 TOOTH RATCHET AFR5T
1 3/8-8"(60 TOOTH)TEARDRP RACHET BFR8T
1 1/2"X 10"(60TH)RATCHET STRGHT CFR10T
1 GREEN 8 PC SCRWRVR SET SSPCG8C

The 1's in front mean how many of each thing. There is a ton of stuff that comes with it and sounds like a great deal to me.

Originally posted by FMXhellraiser
This is what comes with the tool set...
FULL FLOW OSHA BLOW GUN V3150
1 16 OZ HAMMER BH16
1 22OZ SLIMLINE DEADBLOW HAMMER DB22SL
1 GAUGE-25 BLADE FG3
1 8MM LG MOD COMB WRENCH-12PT MCL8M2
1 9MM LG MOD COMB WRENCH 12PT MCL9M2
1 2-1/4" ROUND MIRROR MC2
1 MAGNETIC PICK-UP TOOL MPF19X
1 UTILITY KNIFE PK200
1 6" STEEL RULE-MATCO BRAND SR6CM
1 4PC UNIV PLIER SET SPU4T
1 33 PC RATCHETING SCREWDRIVER SRS330B
1 12PC LG MOD COMB WRENCH SET SMCL122T
1 15 PC ALLEN STD AW668
1 9-PC METRIC ALLEN WRENCH SET AM9MA
1 1/4 10-PC DP 6PT SKT SET SAD106TA
1 1/4 X 2 EXTENSION AX2K
1 1/4 X 6 EXTENSION AX6K
1 14PC 1/4 MM SKT ST SAM146TA
1 14PC 1/4 DP MM SKT ST 6PT SAMD146TA
1 ASTRO BLACK SAFETY SPEC-CLEAR SS135BLK
1 3/8,1/2 6PC TORX DRIVER SET SBC6TXA
1 1/2 10-PC 6PT SAE SKT SET SC106TA
1 1/2 8PC 6PT sae SKT SET SC86TA
1 3/8 13-PC 6PT SAE SOCKET SET SB136TA
1 3/8 13-PC DP 6PT SAE SKT SET SBD136TA
1 3/8 14-PC 6 PT MET SKT SET SBM146TA
1 3/8 14-PC MET DR 6 PT SKT SET SBDM146TA
1 3/8" DR x 3" EXTENSION BX3K
1 1/2 X 10 EXTENSION CX10
1 1/2" FLEX HANDLE C16FC
1 1/2 X 5 EXTENSION CX5
1 10" VISE GRIP V10R
1 3/8 DR X 10" EXTENSION BX10K
1 12PC PUNCH & CHISEL SET SPL12KA
1 4 PC COMBO 8" FILE SET ORANGE CF48SO
1 1/4 10-PC 6PT SKT SET SA106TA
1 HD FENDER COVER MFC5439
1 6MM COMBO WRENCH MC6M2
1 7MM LONG MOD COMBO WRENCH MCL7M2
1 10P LNG MOD COMBO WRNCH ST-6PT SMCLM106T
1 WIRE STRIPPER/CUTTER/CRIMPER MST46E
1 CIRCUIT TESTER W/5FT CORD MD113A
1 5PC HOOK/PICK/SCREWDRIVER SET HP5G
1 6" MATCO SPIN HANDLE A6DRA
1 17" PRYBAR GREEN-ANGLE TIP PBG17B
1 1"X3-3/4" SCRAPER SCG24A
1 1/4 UNIVERSAL JOINT A3UA
1 SPARK PLUG 2PC SOCKET SET SBD26PTB
1 3/8 X 3/8 MALE UNIV JOINT B3UA
1 SPARK PLUG GUAGE & GAPPER FG26
1 1/4 X 5" 60 TOOTH RATCHET AFR5T
1 3/8-8"(60 TOOTH)TEARDRP RACHET BFR8T
1 1/2"X 10"(60TH)RATCHET STRGHT CFR10T
1 GREEN 8 PC SCRWRVR SET SSPCG8C

The 1's in front mean how many of each thing. There is a ton of stuff that comes with it and sounds like a great deal to me.

FMXhellraiser This ant none of my bus. but i dont see but about a 256 piece tool set there. you need to take that list down to sears and compare some prices. 1500.00 will get you more tools at sears than you could get in that 48 chev. if its only 250 pieces that not many tools. all im saying check it out. if i missed counted there let me know. any work you gonna do right now sears tools will do fine

Yeah in a way your correct. But if I am going to start working full time in about 4 more months then I was thinking that maybe I should just go ahead and start getting good expensive tools and not ever have to worry about it later, just will have to keep adding on...

Originally posted by FMXhellraiser
Yeah in a way your correct. But if I am going to start working full time in about 4 more months then I was thinking that maybe I should just go ahead and start getting good expensive tools and not ever have to worry about it later, just will have to keep adding on...

FMXhellraiser thats fine do what ever you wont to, but the tools dont make the mechanic. ill bet you ive made as much money turning bolts in my life time as anybody on this board and never bought a tool off of a tool truck, unless i couldnt get it no where else.

Yeah, your right man. I don't have to really worry about a tool box and tools right now, I am saving up for a compressor, spray gun, DA sander and a few other air tools right now so the other stuff will have to wait anyways. Who knows I could die in the next few months and then those tools would have gone to waste if I bought them. My dad would be happy to keep them so nevermind, not a waste. haha

Denny, that's a sweet box. I definetely wan't to buy a Matco tool box because the deal I get is really good and it would be stupid to turn that one down. I can always add onto the tools like you said but won't be able to keep buying tool boxes like I can hand tools, etc. If I started out with a real nice box and just had Craftsman tools, etc then that would be good enough. I think Matco screw drivers and all are too much money but I do wan't a Matco ratchet and sockets. Screwdrivers from Craftsman are good enough in my oppinion.

That Matco box is much bigger and it's 2 bay, etc for 1,540 though...

Haha, crazy that's all I can say. lol