Junk.

Husky tools are not that much more expensive and budget is no excuse because when you buy junk you eventually have to replace it.

oddball said:

I don't know anything about michigan industrial tools, but i do know that Pittsburg Tools has the same warranty as Craftsman.  Also, the Mac dealer who serves the mechanic's at the stone quarry I work at told me those Pittsburg sockets are just as tuff as Mac or Snap-On sockets.  But he said if I told anyone this, he would deny it.

Another note regarding Craftsman Tools – If you ever break one of their tools, DO NOT tell them you used that tool in a professional enviroment.  The Craftsmen Tools warranty does not cover usage in a commercial enviroment (ie; auto repair shop).

Your Mac tools guy is on drugs…

But I will say this, often times the cheap sockets and wrenches are just about as strong as the name brand stuff but this is because they make up for using inferior steel and production methods by simply making the socke wall or wrench shoulder thicker.  They also often use a softer steel which, like an impact socket, tends to deform and wear rather then crack; this leads to a socket or wrench that does not break but deforms and no longer tightly holds a fastner and is a recipie for disaster.

Plus strength is not the only thing that matters when it comes to what counts in a tool.  Ever try to fit a cheap socket into the recesed part of a wheel where the lugnuts are below the wheel surface?

I've been turning wrenches to make my living for 20 years and the first thing I tell anyone who is starting out is that the need to purchase quality tools if they want to be any good.  It is true that the tools do not make the man and it is true that a good mechanic can do a lot more with a bad tool then a crappy mechanic can with the best but in the real world what matters is the speed at which they do it, the qauity of the job and how little aggrivation it creates and cheap tools will handicap you everytime.

oddball said:

A few of you make no sense what-so-ever.  First, the guy who buys Pittsburg will save more money than the guy who buys the so-called big name tool.  Because of the fact that Pittsburg will REPLACE THEIR TOOLS under warranty just like Craftsman, Snap-On, etc.

Oh and as for comparing "thickness" of tools?  Huh?  Are you kidding me?  Have you followed Snap-On & Mac lately?  Their 'top drawer' wrenches are getting thinner with each new model.  Pick up one of their magazines or catalogs and read it.

And let's forget the OP of this thread is (what I've been led to believe) looking for tools to work on his Jeep and not in a professional shop since he wrote that he was looking for "the best bang for his buck".  And as every experienced mechanic would tell you, Snap-On is over priced – regardless of their quality.  We have 14 mechanics at my work (heavy equipt, trucks, quarry machinery, etc) and they all admit this – even though most of them have monster sized Snap-On & Mac boxes.

Where do you have to go to get your Pittsburg stuff replaced and do they do it on the spot?  My tool guy comes to me and there is a Sears in every town in America. 

Ever have a tool fail at 4am on a Friday and you need to get yoru rig finsihed for trail run the next day?  Or worse you have a paying customers equipment that has to be out the next morning?  Not fun, I would rather spend moreup front and not have to deal with any of it.

Ever have a crappy tool ruin a fastner and end up costing you time, aggrivation and money to repair the damage and get on with the repair?  I have.

I just compared a fairly new Snap on 9/16 to a cheap tool bin one and guess what, the Snap on is thicker.  Also if you read what I said I have already stated that thickness is only part of it; the Snap on and other good wrenches are made out of a higher quality of steel then the lower end tools and are finished to a tighter tolerance.  Go look at the pics of the Pittsburg wrench vs. the Craftsman and Cornwell wrench and look at the edges, machining and casting quality.  Also be aware not only does the metallurgy matter but so does the manufacturing process.  Some of your high end wrenches are thiner because they are forged and not cast which increases their strength.

Closely related to the quality of manufacture is the engineering of the tool.  High end tools have nice features like chamfered open ends, better angles on the box end, specially designed jaws and flats to grip better.  Plires and side cutters have better joints and hinges; all of these things make the tool work better and last longer.

I am not forgetting that the OP is a recreational wrencher nor am I saying he needs to get Snap on tools; Husky and Craftsman are both excellent brands for the hobby mechanic and very affordable witha large nation wide distribution network that garuntees you can get an easy replacement.  Heck, I own quite a few of both of those tools as well as lesser brands but for the stuff I use everyday and need to work everytime I buy top name stuff.

Snap on is overpriced but did it ever occur to you that there is a reason people keep paying the premium?  They admit the stuff costs a ton but what kind of tools do they have in their monster boxes?  My bet is a big mix of stuff and alot of it is top shelf stuff.

I've been gatting paid to work on stuff for over 15 years now.  I've worked on everything from 747s to lawn mowers.  I've worked with, and employeed, mechanics of every age and skill level (I currently have a age range of 22-67 on my shop and experience levels from 0 years to 45 years) and one thing remians constant; good mechanics like to use reliable tools.

Listen, I said it before and I will say it agian: You are free to buy what you like and I'm not going to judge you for it but don't run around trying to justify it by saying the quality is all the same or one is as good as the other.  This attitude is what is driving the overall quality of products in America down across the board.  Cheap is good but it is never better and rarely equal and when we buy on price and delude ourselves that the quality or value is there we are just making things worse.

I still own, and use, snap on tools I purchased 17 years ago when I was 17 and first started working as a mechanic for a living but none of the cheap tools I had then have survived.  I don't knwo about you but even if I'm just buying stuff for home use I feel pretty good knowing it will be there until I loose it or throw it away.