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02-08-2016, 08:41 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Chandler, AZ
Posts: 2,904
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At minimum
A friend gave a me a set of Snap On screw drivers after telling me how much better they fit screws. I was skeptical but after using them I'm surprised at how deficient the others are.
BTW, I have a very high piece count Craftsman set, including both SAE and Metric. Most will never get used. All the day to day sizes get used though.
No substitute for good tools. I'd love to have a full set up Snap Ons but I couldn't justify the cost for the few of them I'd actually use.
__________________
Darwin N. Barrie
Chandler AZ
www.JDair.com
RV-7 N717EE-Flying (Sold)
RV-7 N717AZ Flying, in paint
EMS Bell 407,
Eurocopter 350 A-Star Driver
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02-08-2016, 08:41 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Posts: 671
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Thanks
Great advice friends. Frankly, I don't think I ever regretted buying a tool. I'll look into the second hand option. John
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02-08-2016, 08:51 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: NC25
Posts: 3,508
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The cheapest tools I use are Craftsman. I love Snap On tools and if I was making a living turning wrenches 8 or more hours a day 40 or more hours a week, Snap On would be the tool of choice.
__________________
Gary A. Sobek
NC25 RV-6 Flying
3,400+ hours
Where is N157GS
Building RV-8 S/N: 80012
To most people, the sky is the limit.
To those who love aviation, the sky is home.
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02-08-2016, 08:58 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Chino, CA
Posts: 202
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SNAP ON
I was a master tech for a Toyota dealer before building airplanes it's true for the most part snap on is a good tool, I only owned what was necessary, snap on is kinda a status or bragging right they are good but who do you think pays for that fancy truck. The guys who had to pay that weekly payment to the salesman is sick when they are just starting out and are pressured into buying tools at out rages prices when there are comparable tools such as sk and proto i was one of the most productive in the dealership without that weekly tool payment
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Jerry Scott
Rocket II
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02-08-2016, 09:04 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: new iberia la
Posts: 768
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Snap On
They are costly, but fit and work much better than less expensive tools. If you need to earn a living with hand tools Snap On is a good investment. If you are more of a weekend warrior you can get by with less quality but the good stuff is sure nice to work with. My collection has Snap On sockets, screwdrivers & angle wrenches, Mac combo wrenches and a assortment of tools from other manufacturers including Craftsman.
Don Broussard. A&P, IA, ATP
RV 9 Rebuild in Progress
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02-09-2016, 04:20 AM
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Asheville, NC
Posts: 2,692
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My brother in law gave me 3 Snap On metric combo wrenches For Christmas 35 years ago. Perfect for the motorcycle work I was doing at the time. They remain the preferred wrenches in that size.
At the moment, I salivate like Pavlov's dog every time I see a set of Snap On 1/4" drive swivel sockets. $260  . My hangarmate has a set and he does not lock his toolbox  For those that don't know, I think they are the most compact and slim units available which means they fit where others fail.
__________________
Bill Pendergrass
ME/AE '82
RV-7A: Flying since April 15, 2012. 850 hrs
YIO-360-M1B, mags, CS, GRT EX and WS H1s & A/P, Navworx
Unpainted, polished....kinda'... Eyeballin' vinyl really hard.
Yeah. The boss got a Silhouette Cameo 4 Xmas 2019.
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02-09-2016, 06:05 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Redding,Ca
Posts: 633
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Good options
They are the best no doubt, but like others have said S-K, proto, MAC and other high quality tools are out there for less money.
Fewer and fewer tools sold by Sears (and OSH hardware) are Craftsman these days and do not carry the same Craftsman lifetime warranty. Also, Sears is failing and may go the way of Montgomery Ward soon, so the Craftsman line and warranty may go with it.
Tim Andres
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02-09-2016, 06:12 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 2,291
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As a person who has made his living working on airplanes, there are some Snap-On tools that are indispensable, and others that are just "nice to have". Others have mentioned the Snap-On 1/4" ratchets. I have had one of these since receiving it as a gift for my 21st birthday. I love it. But when I'm working on airplanes, my go-to ratchet is a cheapo 1/4" / 3/8" reversible ratchet I picked up for $5 at Home Depot. It has a finer ratchet mechanism and allows me to quickly change socket drive sizes, plus its rubberized handle is easier to grip if your hands are slightly dirty.
The one tool for which I have found no substitute is the Snap-On EC710G flush cutting pliers. I use them only for small tefzel wire, zip ties and lacing cord. They cut perfectly flush and they stay sharp forever, thus requiring little applied force to get the job done. If you are wiring an airplane, these are the best cutters you can buy, bar none.
I'm on my second set of these cutters after my daughter ruined the jaws of my first set while making unauthorized use of them to fabricate jewelry. She learned how expensive jewelry can be when she had to fork over the cash to replace my cutters. Thankfully I purchased them at Oshkosh and saved her the show discount...
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02-09-2016, 06:30 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Central IL
Posts: 5,516
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JonJay
S-K is a reasonable compromise. They have the fit and finish of SO but not quite as costly. Blue Point, SO's "economy" line are decent too and about the same cost or a little less than S-K.
You can pick up SO tool boxes all day long for half retail, like new, and they make a great box. Snap-on plays on the ego of the new mechanic and puts them in the "easy payment plan" at the shop. Before you know it, they are in over their head. First to go seems to be the box.
Craftsman are torturous to use after using a pro tool. There are simply places they won't fit and there are lots of examples in our airframes and engines where a quality tool will save your day.
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I have a lot of SK that my Dad got me in '71. In looking for USA made tools that are forged and available, I called SK and asked, they are forged, from solid metal, not PM tools, all of them according to the rep. I am getting SK for my son as gifts now. Proto - look up on internet - Danaher makes this brand - all USA and forged too. Look at their other brands too.
The clearance of SO is unmatched in tight quarters. Even MAC.
Craftsman used to source from Danaher. I have read they are moving off shore, the modern wrenches are certainly not the appearance quality of ones bought in early '70's. Especially sockets & ratchets.
__________________
Bill
RV-7
Lord Kelvin:
“I often say that when you can measure what you are speaking about,
and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you
cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge
is of a meager and unsatisfactory kind.”
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02-09-2016, 07:54 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Alberta
Posts: 84
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The one Snap On tool I find indispensable for the plane is the ratcheting screwdriver. Williams is a Snap On brand and theirs seems OK too.
__________________
RV-6A slow build,
serial # 21681. First flight March 1993
Dec 2019 donation paid
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