Let's have fun--what brand of tools do you prefer?

[Andy Greever]

Well I make a living with mine so here goes:

For mechanical, I buy Husky wrenches and socket sets. (Home Depot)
They don't get "heavy use"

For electrical grade srcewdrivers I use Klein.

Power tools, Milwaukee is hands down some of the best out there. Dewalt is "Homeowner" grade stuff and OK for lite-duty work.

Bosch, is also good for Hammerdrills. (I like the SDS quick release system, for the bits)

Cordless drills, again Milwaukee wins hands down. I have the new 28 volt Lithium-ion Hammer drill/driver kit, (also have the cordless saws with the same battery). I can drill as many as 8, 3/4" holes through the wall of an average house. I only run an electrical cord on big jobs these days. The cordless drills are that good. (I remember when the Makita 9.6 was the top of the line cordless! LOL!)

I install Roll-A-Shield security shutters. Basically, I "Fish" a lot of electrical wire, run conduit, mount heavy objects to walls, and sometimes have to build out the opening with wood or aluminum. I pump a lot of caulking too. Every now and then we get to install a "Trick" control system for the electric shutters. Usually an RTS (radio), or an IGC (integrated group control) system.

I love my job!

 

[JohnR]

I have some of everything. Kobalt, Hilti, Craftsman, Ryobi, Stanley (screwdrivers), Black and Decker (the Saturday Night Special of tools), and the lovely Central Machinery and Chicago Electric brands from Harbor Freight.

 

[jesse]

A few years ago a friend of mine gave me a metric socket set from Stanley. I left it in the box for about a year because I knew it was cheap crap. When I got the Extra and needed metric tools I opened the Stanley set. Low and behold, not bad at all. In fact, I like the socket from the stanley set better than any of the Craftsman sockets I have.

Some of my "walmart" tools are Stanley. Quite frankly I've never had a problem.

 

[Anthony]

I try to avoid buying tools and avoid going to Lowes, Home Depot, etc. Just not into it, unless I'm forced. However, when I have bought tools its been Craftsman. Got a full set ot sockets and other stuff for the car, plane, etc.

 

[CowboyPilot]

I try to avoid buying tools and avoid going to Lowes, Home Depot, etc. Just not into it, unless I'm forced.

A lot of Tiger flyers are afraid of breaking a nail. . .

(Couldn't resist--my FBI partner/laison owns and flies a beautiful Tiger out of Orlando. All I ever see him doing is polishing it with a diaper. . . )

Regards.

-JD

 

[N7702Y]

Although I've worked as a mechanic, that was as a farm machinery mechanic, which tends towards "get a bigger hammer and the torch" kind of work that's not so suitable for airplanes. Most of the time I'd rather have a pro working on my plane.

For those jobs that I do work on, I go with Craftsman. Good quality, good guarantee, and while they don't deliver like Snap-On does, there's a Sears store dang near everywhere.

Jay

 

[Henning]

For those jobs that I do work on, I go with Craftsman. Good quality, good guarantee, and while they don't deliver like Snap-On does, there's a Sears store dang near everywhere.

Jay

No Sears in Aus, but we've got the Snap On man.

 

[CJones]

Although I've worked as a mechanic, that was as a farm machinery mechanic, which tends towards "get a bigger hammer and the torch" kind of work ...
Jay

Same here.. gotta love the "amazing blue wrench". I introduced Tony to it last weekend while working on his glider trailer. He said "Well, I tried to get those screws out before, but they were tough." I said "I've got just the solution. Meet the amazing blue wrench." Disassembly is SO much easier when you don't have to worry about getting the pieces back together.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

Craftsman or Snap-on. I have the scars from cheap tools that broke.

 

[N7702Y]

No Sears in Aus, but we've got the Snap On man.

You've got a point there!

When I said everywhere, I should have said "in the US".

Jay

 

[Bill M.]

Klein hand tools are by far the best if you don't mind spending the money. Milwaulkee for drills and sawzalls, Hilti for larger and more specialized drills. Craftsman wrenches are good as they are warrantied for life no questions.

 

[Lawreston]

My Dad could fix anything - cars, motorcycles, the farm fleet, whatever, and was known far and wide as Ken with the magic screwdriver. At Dragon Cement Company(Martin Marietta) where he ran the big Ingersoll-Rand rotary drill rigs Safety & Maintenance left him to himself. "Don't worry about Crute; if he can't service his machine he'll let you know." M/M even let him keep his own tools with the rigs, and the tools were Craftsman. In my garage are more Craftsman tools than I know how to use, many of them go back 30 or 40 years. I took one power tool to the hangar, an electric rotary sander/polisher/buffer. It works beautifully. How old is it? Well, the brand name on it is All-State. I showed it to the local Sears personnel who said it's before the "Craftsman" days. With it are a couple packages of buffing pads -- package of 2 - $1.79 per package. Good stuff.

HR

 

[SCCutler]

This thread prompted 30 minutes of wasted-time surfing (as so often happens), stumbled across this interesting page:

http://www.geocities.com/rab_cdg1/tools.htm

Was looking for "Indestro" tools, which I sold when in the parts house in the 70s- great tools, but apparently, the manufacturer is no more, as it was a trade name of "Duro Metal Products" of Chicago, also... long gone.

I also have a few TRW tools from when I sold those at a parts house in Austin. TRW certainly no longer makes tools (actually, TRW is no longer an independent company, having been bought by Northrop-Grumman), but they were extremely robust tools.

 

[Snoopy]

I have pretty good luck with Craftsmen, Snap on is very good but more than I need for a home shop.

 

[Greg Bockelman]

I just like knowing the job was done right,

I had to laugh at that one, Bill. Sometimes, for me, knowing that the job is done right, means PAYING SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT.

I find the older I get, I have more money than time to do these things. I tend to let others do it.

 

[Bill]

II find the older I get, I have more money than time to do these things. I tend to let others do it.

I understand that, but sometimes I can't help myself. A co-worker recently told me he had new brakes put on all four wheels of his truck, $800. I had recently done that myself (same model of truck) for $160 in parts and three hours of my time. (800-160)/3 = $213/hr.

$213/hr equates to an annual income of $443k/yr.

 

[wsuffa]

I had to laugh at that one, Bill. Sometimes, for me, knowing that the job is done right, means PAYING SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT.

I find the older I get, I have more money than time to do these things. I tend to let others do it.

Greg,

I understand - and agree for the most part - to your statement. However, there have been a significant number of times that I've found the job NOT to be done right, even by people who are well reputed and highly paid. A couple of times it could have been life threatening.

Now it's trust, but verify.

 

[Richard]

A cheap tool you buy twice.

I use a combo of Craftsmen and Snap-On for sockets and wrenchs. Hammers by Forstner, leather and rubber mallets I make myself. Shears and other hand tools by Klein. I love any Klein tool so much I have written several letters of appreciation to the company. A great tool is hard to find.

Like Henning, most of my wood working tools are between 40-130 yrs old. Who makes a high quality socket chisel anymore? Current day Veritas is junk. I have several slick chisels I made myself. My hand planes are old Stanleys. I have around 300 profiling planes. My old block planes were made by the guy who used them.

Milwaukee, older Porter-Cable, Hitachi for drills, and believe it or not, DeWalt battery powered drills are what I have. I have an ancient hand powered Craftsmen miter saw and a DeWalt compound miter saw for the down and dirty. I also have 5 braces of different sizes with various sized Jacobs chucks.

My auger bits were made by Fein I think. Diston made all my saws except the Swedish made fine backsaws.

 

[steve45]

Surprised that nobody has mentioned Proto tools. They are the tool of choice in most refineries, chemical plants, pipeline stations, etc. where they work on the 'big iron'. My dad sold them and I've got a pretty fair collection, many as old as I am.

My favorite pliers however are Knipex (German), but $30-50 dollars each is a bit steep. I have yet to find any jewelers screwdrivers that even come close to Wiha (also German). Most of my cordless power tools are Panasonic. I've got some Snap-On tools, plus some Mac, Allen, K-D, & S-K.

Lately, I've tried some of the Harbor Freight tools and I've been surprised at the good quality of some things.

 

[KennyFlys]

Surprised that nobody has mentioned Proto tools. They are the tool of choice in most refineries, chemical plants, pipeline stations, etc. where they work on the 'big iron'. My dad sold them and I've got a pretty fair collection, many as old as I am.

My favorite pliers however are Knipex (German), but $30-50 dollars each is a bit steep. I have yet to find any jewelers screwdrivers that even come close to Wiha (also German). Most of my cordless power tools are Panasonic. I've got some Snap-On tools, plus some Mac, Allen, K-D, & S-K.

I have Proto safety wire pliers. The only place around Atlanta I could even find those pliers at all when I needed them was Grainger for $104. Ouch!

Other options I've found go down to as little as $35 online then there was Harbor Freight online for something like $11. Why do I think those pliers would break before the safety wire I'm twisting?

 

[SCCutler]

Klein tools.

Like fine French Champagne or a well-engineered Swiss watch.

Poetry in tool steel.

 

[The rogue]

My Dad and Grandpa were carpenters and then millwrights. I inherited most of my tools. Craftsman tools.

When I went to work at an ATV shop during flight school, I was able to buy some Craftsman tools BY THE POUND at a local pawn shop. Scrounge around, you can find this stuff cheaper. And then if it breaks, as long as it has "Craftsman" stamped into the side, take it back to Sears.

Funny story, don't tell my wife, but I think I got "good deals" on the tools all the time. You see, when buying tools by the pound, the checkout girl can ring them up as "Craftsman" at $3 a pound, or as the knockoffs at $2 a pound depending on how nicely you smile. Many of my Craftsman tools were bought at this lower rate. The moral of the story: look poor and smile at the girl so she'll take pity on you and give you a dollar off....

--Matt

 

[supercub185]

I really like quality tools.I own a qood size auto shop and have a nice krl series snap on box there.At the new hanger i just bought a snap on tool wagon.The tools at the hanger mostly came off ebay at considerable savings.I also have a mix of matco and mac,mostly extras.Sk was once a good tool,but have a hard time getting them replaced.My grandfather left me a good size set of old herrbrand tools,and they are good quality.My electric tools are dewalt and makita,but milwaukee seem to be good as well.If buying pneumatic ingersoll rand is by far the best.

 

[mikea]

I have Proto safety wire pliers. The only place around Atlanta I could even find those pliers at all when I needed them was Grainger for $104. Ouch!

Other options I've found go down to as little as $35 online then there was Harbor Freight online for something like $11. Why do I think those pliers would break before the safety wire I'm twisting?

Because they will break. Harbor Freight doesn't have surplus stuff. It has the cheapest Chinese-made look alike stuff. It's like the stuff they sell on the Home Shopping Network. They have(had?) an HSN outlet store in Kenosha I visited. I was amazed that EVERYTHING was crap but it was made to look good on TV - like a prop.

I have found one or two things at Harbor Freight where I know what I'm getting, like my Harold the Hoot Owl. It's only good when you intend to get dollar-store quality. What's scary is these guys sell floor jacks, hydraulic presses, metal brakes, welding rigs... All I see when I see those is guys with missing limbs.

---------------

Costco.com just started handling Stanley tools. I have this set on my wish list:
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Produc...73&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&Sp=C&ec=&topnav=

 

[steve45]

Because they will break. Harbor Freight doesn't have surplus stuff. It has the cheapest Chinese-made look alike stuff. It's like the stuff they sell on the Home Shopping Network. They have(had?) an HSN outlet store in Kenosha I visited. I was amazed that EVERYTHING was crap but it was made to look good on TV - like a prop.

I have found one or two things at Harbor Freight where I know what I'm getting, like my Harold the Hoot Owl. It's only good when you intend to get dollar-store quality. What's scary is these guys sell floor jacks, hydraulic presses, metal brakes, welding rigs... All I see when I see those is guys with missing limbs.

Well, I like GOOD tools. My Proto collection alone is worth about $10K, and, quite frankly, I can't afford to buy top quality for everything. I also like innovative tools, and Harbor Freight has some innovative items.

The quality of HF tools has come up elsewhere. Here's a link to a thread entitled, "Harbor Freight Tools That Don't Suck": http://www.weldingweb.com/showthread.php?t=3165

You may be surprised.