The Prophet

Tool Time!

In this thread we can present tool finds, stories, deals, experiences, tips, etc.

Here's an interesting comparison / rating of various Tool Manufacturers. I guess it's pretty fair, others may agree/disagree! Of course!!

Ratings Of Tools By Brand - Ninja250Wiki

Personally, I've been a dedicated Craftsman guy for over 40 years, but if you want to GIVE me a Snap-On tool for a gift, I'll take it anytime.

Real point to ponder is: Don't buy cheap, crap tools, they end up breaking or causing damage to fasteners or worse. That said, cheapies are - in the end - the most expensive!!

What do you think?

Ride Safe!

Bob

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• A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving. ~Lao Tzu
• Motorcyles are not my whole life, but they make my life whole. ` me

Speedtrip

When I buy new I usually go with Craftsman, good tools with lifetime warranty and no hassles when/if you return them. At work we use mostly Snap on because the truck comes once a week and we have an account with him.

That said I do love to dig through tools at pawn shops, always finding good deals there. If you can't find a tool anywhere else, start hitting your local Pawn shops.

The Prophet

+1 on Craftsman. A little off topic but...

Many years ago - as in 20 or so - I began to collect Woodworking tools (Hand tools). I used to search through Classified Ads for "Estate Sales", and if the homeowners (usually "former") were detected as "old", I would go to look for these things. 9times out of 10, the people running the sale didn't have a clue as to the worth of the tools, and considered them "old junk", so I rarely paid over $20 bucks for any single one. Most are worth at least $100 at the moment, a few items in the $300-$500 range. Therefore, not a bad investment.

I currently have a HUGE collection of old Stanley and other famous name woodworking planes, carving chisels, hand drills, measuring instruments, you name it. All from roughly 1920's and earlier, all in VG to excellent condition, no junk or rusty stuff.

I keep them mainly because I just happen to like them, and I've frequently used some of the larger (24" long) planes for making matching panels. Someday when I kick the bucket my kids can sell them off for whatever they're worth, but for now... I enjoy them. Someday when I retire, I want to make a nice hand crafted wooden/glass display cabinet for them. Kind of organic?

Back to Craftsman - nothing better than - when forced to take the wife to the shopping mall on a rainy Saturday - spending time roaming the Sears Craftsman Tool Department, eyeballing all the great variations of tools, and then realising that you needed a thinwall, deepwell, 6-point socket, but you can't remember which size. I believe this is called a "Senior Moment", but I've personally been doing this for decades now!

Ride Safe (and well equipped with Tools)!

Bob

The Prophet

Another excellent resource for that very specific tool that may be needed for a project.

Motion Pro - Tools

More for professional Mechanics, but some practical everyday items as well.

Ride (and wrench) Safe!

Bob