[TimMullen]

These discussions about tools always seem to become like PC/Mac wars - one is always better than another.

One group claims that Snap-On is the only tool to have and anything less is not good enough.

Another group is firmly in the Craftsman side.

Still others believe anything is good enough (and often buy all their tools from Harbor Freight).

They are all right, depending on their point of view.

Snap-On tools are the best. But not everyone needs or can afford them. Kind of like Ferrari - and we don't all drive them do we?

Craftsman tools are good enough to get the job done at a fairly reasonable price - great performance for the price. We drive Elises don't we?

Cheap tools are can get the job done, but you may not enjoy it, and you may have other problems with it. Like driving a Yugo - it meets the minimum requirement, but it make break just when you need it the most.

Like all things, there is a compromise. The professional tools Snap-On, Matco, Proto, etc. are great if you are a pro - you make your living with the tools. The truck stops by your place of work, and brings the new ones right to you, and brings the replacements should you break one.

Craftsman, (and Husky, which appears to be made by the same company - Kobalt started as good tools, but have apparently rapidly done down hill), a great tools for the home mechanic. They are quality, work well, and have a great warranty. One advantage of "store bought" tools is that if the tools breaks on a Saturday afternoon, a quick run to Sears, and you get it replaced (I've had no problems getting replacements for the one or two Craftsman tools that I've broken in the last 30+ years, but the one time that I had a broken Husky tool, it took forever, and they didn't stock individual replacement tools). By the way, lots, and lots of professional mechanics make their living with Craftsman tools.

Cheap tools, often don't fit well, break, and are hard to replace - you really want to avoid them, unless you understand their limitations. Although I avoid most of Harbor Freight tools, for example, I have bought some bargain tools there and have had no problems. I've also bought quite a few air tools from HF - they are not the highest quality, but for the use I give them, they work fine.

Me, I have a combination of tools - the vast majority of my tools are Craftsman. I have a few Snap-On tools, and a selection of HF "specialty" tools that have been handy for a few tasks, but if they break, I throw them away.

One of the comments above concerned torque wrenches. I have a selection of Craftsman clicker type torque wrenches, some fairly new, one that's over 30 years old. For the occasional use that they get, they are very accurate - I've actually compared them to a calibrated wrench, and they are spot on, including the 30 year old one. Just make sure that you always crank the setting down to the lowest setting when you put them away, and take care of them - they are a precision instrument.

By the way, the tool boxs show above, is an example of what I was talking about of the less "deep" top tool boxes setting on the "deeper" lower box. Sears (and others) now sell boxes that the top is essentially as "deep" as the bottom - you can fit a lot more tools in the "deeper" drawers.