Small Hand Tools...which Do You Like And Use?

EmilioG

EmilioG

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I know everyone here loves tools, of all type.
I've been buying new and used tools for machining, wood work and automotive.
I own many from Starrett to Snap-On and some Husky cheapo tools.
I also own Pittsburgh, Wera, Wiha, Craftsman, and other brands depending on price/quality and
use.

My question is, what tool brands are better today new? I like vintage in great condition but sometimes I just buy something new to avoid problems. Recently I've been buying German tools, which I find outstanding and less expensive than Snap On, which are the best but pricey. The cheaper import tools just don't cut it for me. The break, bend and "munge" too easily. It's frustrating to use some cheapo tools, so I try to buy good used as opposed to new/crap.

Machinists hand tools, ? I try to always buy the best that I can afford. Some are expensive but they are simply better.
 
As I am a Chrome Slinger for Snap-On, I am biased, but I was very proud when it was announced that Snap-On's high line of measuring/machinist tools are made for us by Starrett.

Snap-On has a reputation for not disclosing that tools are made by others, much less who those other companies are, thus I was even more excited and proud when it was announced that Starrett had partnered up with us.

I also like seeing the new Starrett stuff on display at our conferences.
 
These are a couple of my favorites: ;)

But seriously folks, my hand tool collecting started with my grandpa, a race car driver and auto mechanic back at the turn of the century i.e. 1900's.
From there, I still have a few of my dads hand tools, not real high end but very good quality, mostly unbranded. My own collection is quite eclectic with a few snap-ons quite a bit of the higher end Craftsman, (don't know how todays Craftsmans compare), Starrett (my favorites by a mile) I'm very picky about quality, life is too short for cheap tools! I've taken knuckles out with broken wrenches, I learned, and I don't repeat.

CHuck the grumpy old guy

hand tools.jpg
 
no having a snap-on guy that comes around . makes it a pita to get warranty tools
 
OK, I got the 36" breaker bar and a 3/8" ratchet. Love Snap On tools!
 
Craftsman professional tools have some of the same part numbers as Snap-on, just a different name. I prefer craftsman for home and snap-on for work because we get them at a reduced cost at work (our industrial account is something like 50% of retail, but we have probably 90,000 employees that have snap-on tools)
 
I have used many of the big name hand tools in the injection molding industry. I didn't notice much difference in most of them, but NAPA ratchets took the most abuse before needing replaced. Craftsman took the least. I still have a Wright 3/4" socket set that was indestructible except for the ratchet, but the Williams "super ratchet" I replaced it with has been unkillable. I am still hunting a set of indestructible screw drivers that can take the abuse of being used as everything but driving screws.
-Spike
 
I have a hodge podge of different hand tools. Craftsman, Proto, Utica, Klein, SK, etc. My most treasured is a set of SK sockets purchased by my grandfather after World War II. He also handed down a Snap On socket wrench from the same time period. It has snap on written in cursive and you change directions by pulling out the socket holder and putting it on the opposite side.
 
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