In misc.rural Keith R. Williams wrote:
In article ,
says...

Sorry, but I disagree. The current line of Craftsman has good service
too, but they're not as robust or comfortable as the snapon tools.

I didn't know Sears went to mechanics to sell tools. I didn't
know they came around to the mechanics and replaced defective
tools.

I didn't say they do; they replace broken tools, which is reasonably good
service. My point is, I don't care if they'd come out & polish them
weekly for me, I still have no use for a tool that's more likely to
fail. I've had craftsman sockets split up the sides, using hand pressure.
Not good.

The service is fine, but the service doesn't help on a sunday night when yet
another craftsman ratchet goes stupid on you. I have only had one failure
of a SnapOn ratchet, and that was my own fault.

I've never had a Craftsman drive fail either. I've one for
thirty years. One of my screwdrivers has closer to 40 years on
it.

Perhaps they were making them better 40 years ago?

I've used a friend's Snap-ons. Snap-on makes good tools no
doubt, though Craftsman *hand* tools are not that bad.


The geometry of their sockets is novel and quite effective as well...there
are real differences, not just in sales.

The major difference is the snap-on sockets are thinner while
being at least as strong.

Nope. The geometry is different; the corners are somewhat further from
the center of the fastner than you would expect, which minimizes rounding of
seized bolts & nuts. I've used them to take off some pretty ugly looking
(rounded) fasteners, and as they work on the flats and not just the corners,
it works great. I seem to recall they have a patent on that particular
socket geometry; I'm sure a poke around on their website would be useful
but I'm just in for a little bit before heading back outside to put the
tiller on the garden tractor

They're finishing is somewhat better
too. However, it's the service that sells Snap-on. Their
customers aren't home-owners and weekend mechanics.

Great service would be useless if the tool quality didn't back it up.

Dave Hinz