View Full Version : Is anyone here also a "tool guy" ? I need some advice on tool shopping.
black22rifle
03-17-16, 18:06
I recently obtained a job as a maintenance mechanic/electrician and I need to supply my own tools for it. I do have some tools but they will not be adequate, all guys there have a tool box/cart loaded and I need to do the same. I was given a list of tools needed, most of which were pretty basic stuff like wrenches, sockets, ratchets, and a CAT III Voltmeter, but I don't know where to start in regards to brand.
All together I need to drop about $500 on the hand tools, not including the meter, I plan on dropping another $400 on a Fluke down the road after electrical training. What brands do you recommend? Basically I am looking for the Colt 6920 of tools, so to speak. I'm thinking Craftsman would be my best bet since they will be spending 99.9% of the time at work and only be used there. In the past I have always done work on my car myself and used my fathers Craftsmans tools to do so and they never failed me, although I am not sure if they were the "good" Craftsman before they started being made in China.
Having been around a lot of tradesmen, I would say that electricians use Klein and Fluke nearly exclusively. Craftsman tools are good for the weekend warrior, I use them to work on my car, but professionals will use other brands.
Eletrical tools look towards klien. I keep three pairs of rebar pliers in my grip for the past 15 years. Screwdrivers, I like Klien but screwdrivers come up missing daily so I go with Craftsman. Sockets, wrenches ect, SK or Craftsman. For tool carts Craftsman used to have a few heavy dutyone but have removed them from the catalog. Check Napa. I like nice buy once tools but half the window lickers I work with are thieves or don't care about other peoples stuff.
.46caliber
03-17-16, 18:45
Klein for electrical hand tools and drivers. The only Klein tool I have that I don't like is the RJ45 crimp tool. Everything else has been great.
Fluke testers are the bees knees. Their network tester has been a Godsend at work.
Craftsman sockets and wrenches are OK. If budget is limited, I can see it. All the electricians my dad worked with, himself included, used SK.
If you do a little research you can figure out who makes Snap-On and Mac and the like and buy it for way cheaper than off the truck.
SK is a big one for both. Proto.
If you need torque wrench CDI makes Snap On for sure and probably a few others.
Ive moved a bit away from Craftsman and have been buying the home depot and lowes stuff(huskey and kobalt). Same chinese stuff as Craftsman has become and its easier to return/replace if it breaks. Same life time warranty too. Only reason I buy Craftsman anymore is when stuff is on sale. I needed a 27mm and a 32mm socket for 2 projects and each socket was $10. Sears was running a sale on a 27-32mm socket set for $23($45 normally) so I picked up the whole set.
horseman234
03-17-16, 19:13
The forum http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/index.php has a tool discussion thread which can be a great resource.
SilverBullet432
03-17-16, 19:55
Proto.
As others have said, Fluke is where to look when it comes to a mutlimeter and other electrical testing equipment. I can also recommend Klein hand tools as well. I personally use their electricians scissors pretty often and find them to be one of the most useful tools around if you are working with smaller gauge wiring.
Quality hand tools, in no particular order:
Snap-On
Matco
Cornwell
Klein
Keep your receipts for your Accountant; business expenses. For electrical, go Fluke.
I am particular to Matco and Snap-On. Turned wrenches on the farm and for John Deere to pay for college.
I do a bit weekend hobby electronics, tube amp repairs, bias, maintenance etc. I'm fairly well equipped in this dept but after doing many years and miles of cabling with strippers and razor knives I stumbled onto this stripper. Just spin it a few times til you feel the resistance letup and your done, no conductor nicks. Recently used it on Mogami w2319 for pedal boards and had no issues with outer insulation. That coax is like .197" dia with a heavy outer jacket. I use a precision stripper for 22 gauge and less. Anyhow, you won't regret this tool if you are cabling, and it's cheap. +1 Fluke.
UTP/STP Cable Stripper
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AIBH3B0
On a budget I'd go with Craftsman. I'd rather be able to afford both 6 point and 12 point combination wrenches and sockets from a semi-good brand - the guarantee is the deal.
TacticalMark
03-17-16, 21:10
The newer craftsman tools in the last 3-4 years are junk besides the warranty and I would stay away from the majority of their stuff. Blue Point or JH Williams are Snap-on Tools industrial and imported stuff ( made overseas ) at 1/3 of the cost. I would look at basic sets like this http://www.amazon.com/Williams-50607-8-Inch-Deluxe-78-Piece/dp/B001DNOQIU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1458266527&sr=8-2&keywords=JH+Williams and which is a good deal and most tool truck dealers will warranty, but check first. Fluke is the way to go for electrical meters.
On a budget I'd go with Craftsman. I'd rather be able to afford both 6 point and 12 point combination wrenches and sockets from a semi-good brand - the guarantee is the deal.
Love ya' brother, but that is bad advice. Craftsman is $h-t these days. 30 yrs. ago, I would concur. Today, not a chance. Sears is a shell of its former self and the warranty doesn't mean much when the co. is out of biz; which is highly likely in the foreseeable future. Not to mention the quality has steadily gone downhill.
.
Fluke meters.
Klein side cutters, dikes, & needle nose.
Channelock pliers.
I like Craftsman screw driver's handles for 1 hand use.
Make a list & hit pawn shops.
They get all the above reqularly.
.
....I plan on dropping another $400 on a Fluke down the road after electrical training....
While I think you should only purchase a Fluke, one that expensive is for bench technicians.
You will be well served getting a model that is about 1/2 that price .
Over the years I have purchased like new ones off of eBay and saved even more.
Love ya' brother, but that is bad advice. Craftsman is $h-t these days. 30 yrs. ago, I would concur. Today, not a chance. Sears is a shell of its former self and the warranty doesn't mean much when the co. is out of biz; which is highly likely in the foreseeable future. Not to mention the quality has steadily gone downhill.
Okay, I'm not arguing with you guys,especially since the Sears at our mall closed a couple years ago. I started on Craftsman in high school - thought I wanted to be a mechanic - dad was a Proto guy and thought that was great because I wouldn't be stealing his tools anymore - I still have a lot of his Proto stuff, as a remembrance - don't use them though. I've stuck with craftsman pretty much throughout the years, although I guess I should rethink that.
I prefer Craftsman and Armstrong. A lot of people like Snap-On, Matco, but I find them to be uncomfortable. There is not a single company who makes all their tools in the U.S., not one. Armstrong seems to have the largest line-up made in the U.S. but are expensive. There is also not a single company who makes power tools in the U.S.; look to Metabo (made in Germany and super high quality but expensive).
I have tons of Craftsman tools and 99% of them are quality. You will have those brand loyalists who say they knew someone who was at Wyo-Tech or Lincoln Tech who broke Craftsman left and right, yada yada. Every brand loyalist says the same thing; they are anecdotal and post hoc fallacies. The majority of the time tools break because they are using the wrong tool for the job, e.g. a 1/2" ratchet when they need a 3/4" for proper torque, and they snap a ratchet or crack a socket (this is the most perpetuated one I hear) or they use standard sockets when they need high impact, etc etc. Then you have those people trying to wrench on a nut torqued down extremely heavy with a high tooth ratchet, and wonder why it broke.
I do keep Harbor Freight Tools in my truck because I do not want to be out a butt load of money if someone breaks into it and steals them.
I grew up wrenching on cars and using tools for other things around the home with my step dad and about 3/4 of them are Harbor Freight and I can say we have broken very very few tools. Hell, he has tools from there that are older than me. I am not the biggest fan of them but they do have quite a few hand tools that are decent for the price, and other tools not worth a damn.
Check this link out:
http://www.stillmadeinusa.com/tools.html
As a former Electrician (10 years in the trade, now a union elevator constructor) I can tell you to avoid Klein. They blow, plain and simple. A lot of electricians use them because they see other electricians use them so they think that's the only thing to use. The only Klein in my electrical bag is the Klein curve strippers. There pliers are ok but there are much better, and the screwdrivers are garbage. I like German pliers and screwdrivers. I use and highly recommend Knipex for any type of pliers and Wiha, Wera, or PB Swiss for any kind of screwdrivers. I personally use mostly Wiha screwdrivers as they're awesome, not pricey and they have tons of options for different applications. I spent time turning wrenches on motors before and can't stand craftsman. I like SK for cheap stuff and prefer Proto and Mac on the higher end.
As far as meters go I will only use Fluke.
Dist. Expert 26
03-17-16, 23:02
My tool cart at work is nothing but Kobalt due to the fact that the company only lets us shop at Lowes and I'm not taking my tools up there to get stolen.
At home I've got a couple craftsman sets (Christmas gifts, but I have yet to break anything), some Snap-on and some Kobalt. IMO some things, like good ratchets, are worth spending money on. Screwdirvers, sockets, allen wrenches, stuff that gets lost, go cheaper. It hurts a lot less losing a Craftsman socket than a Snap-on.
http://www.amazon.com/Wiha-Slotted-Phillips-Insulated-Screwdriver/dp/B00PIB9MC8
Get these screwdrivers and be done with it. Love them and all I used doing electrical work.
Moose-Knuckle
03-18-16, 01:43
Here is a thread I started six years ago that is chalked full of nuggets of knowledge . . .
Hand Tools (https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?62057-Hand-Tools)
If you have a specific tool list, just get what is on the list. Buying "sets" isn't a good investment since money would be better spent on buying better quality for what you specifically need. Get the best you can afford since you are relying on these tools to make a living. If they aren't working, neither are you and you aren't making money.
I have always been a gear head and worked my way through college as a mechanic. I bought the best tools I could afford and 25-30 years later, can still use most of them (a very few have worn out). My preferences, since I worked in a Euro car dealer with old guy Germans, were German tools. So most of my stuff is Hazet, Stahlwille, Wiha, with a little Snap-On (a couple of wrenches, and a torque screwdriver) and lots of Beta, Facom from when I lived in Italy (I literally brought back a 20 foot shipping container full of tools, tool boxes, benches, etc.).
Even though the Snap-On, Mac, and Matco trucks came to the dealer nearly every day (lots of guys owed them money), I bought my tools through the dealer parts department, which ended up being cheaper than the same thing off the tool truck. Back then a 17mm Stahlwille combination wrench was $7 through MB parts and would get delivered within the next day or two, whereas the same wrench from Snap-On was something like $30. The parts department just deducted expenses from my paycheck so I never needed to use the E-Z-Credit plan with the Snap-On franchisee. The only other guys that did this were the Germans working there, since they knew about MB's super cheap pricing (basically passing on what they pay at the factory for tools in huge quantity discounts) and the "Werkzeug und Spezial Umbauteile Katalog" was in German only and didn't have any pictures. You ordered by MB part number or DIN number so you had to know what each one meant and how to decipher them. I would just order tools on a Friday and have them on Monday morning with the parts delivery from the depot.
Rather than buying "starter sets" on credit, I just bought what I needed since back then (as now), no Mercedes car has SAE hardware in it, so no need for a 1/4"-1 1/2" set of wrenches or sockets in the Snap-On sets. The "starter sets" all had so much bloat that would never get used, but the finance program made for lots of customers with lots of stuff that they would never use.
Before I worked at the dealer, I traveled to Germany with my Dad when I was in high school and bought tools there. Back then, one of my jobs was working part time after school at a Euro repair and restoration shop run by a German guy who gave me a list of tools that an "apprentice" required. That job was fun. We had some interesting customers like Don Ameche (one of the Duke brothers in Trading Places) and 1911 Gunsmith Armand Swensen (I could never afford his touch on my $25 surplus 1911 then, since I was only making $5 per hour to change the oil in his wife's car), and this crazy guy named Dave Deal who claimed that the ancient Hebrews discovered America (he has been featured on the "Ancient Aliens" TV show) that had a purple Ferrari 246GTS and a Mercedes 280 SEL that had a gold Star of David instead of the Mercedes emblems and hood stars. Getting to chat will these guys as a 16 year old was interesting to say the least.
I used to collect tools and still do, but now I don't care if they are the best. I just care if they are better than they need to be. My needs may not be your needs. I also don't need every little individual tool..... unless... I need every little individual tool.
I have learned to appreciate .. "what do want to do" "what are your long term needs" and for me personally I think along the lines of what can I resell it for after I use it short term.
I've got tools made by people that have had works in museums and they are made from ordinary household items. It's the same old story. It's the craftsman.
I like Stanley tools. They have lasted me years and held up really well considering most of them came from Walmart. Some of my Stanley sockets and wrenches that are as old as my Craftsman have less rust. Especially combination wrenches. Something about the smoother chrome plating of the Stanley wrenches seems to resist rust better.
Neither would probably have any rust if I cleaned them more often but I give Stanley the edge.
If I want better stuff I go with Proto.
Leaveammoforme
03-18-16, 03:20
$500 budget guys.
Get a Fluke first and foremost. Then only get the tools on the list. As long as you purchase the lifetime warranty line of Craftsman, it's fine. You can always upgrade later & then your Craftsman tools become backups or donors for "exotics".
Craftsman wrenches/ratchets will flex more and not feel as good in the hand as Snap-on, but they will still turn a fastener.
Since I assume you will have a mentor or trainer of some sorts, save your left over budget money until you're on the job. Your mentor will have anything and everything. A mentor won't mind loaning you a tool (once!).
Once you see what tool(s) you had to borrow, purchase them. It doesn't have to come from the tool truck. An equivalent will be fine as long as it has a warranty. Ask questions if you see an exotic/unique/homemade tool in your mentors box.
horseman234
03-18-16, 05:45
I have a number of older Craftsman hand tools, and they have never broken, although I'm not a professional tradesman. Just be aware that many are now made in China, and that the lifetime warranty is only as good as Sears' financial health. Given Sears/Kmart's performance since their merger, I believe it's only a question of time until they cease to exist.
All I can comment on is drills. I'd suggest Milwaukee 18v or Dewalt 20v. The brushless look great but more money and don't know if it's worth it to you.
I went milwakee, our maintenance guys use both of the above and they are pretty beat up, but still working.
I got mine for $100 with charger. Pick up a bigger battery. My small one dies pretty quick but recharges in 20-30 min.
http://www.amazon.com/Wiha-Slotted-Phillips-Insulated-Screwdriver/dp/B00PIB9MC8
Get these screwdrivers and be done with it. Love them and all I used doing electrical work.
I hate you, and Amazon one click. :)
I use Craftsman/Kobalt/Husky around the house for hand tools, but if I was using them for work day in and day out I'd go with a pro brand like the one's mentioned above. Don't think any of them will serve you badly.
Fluke is awesome as well. Our babysitters husband gave me a nice fluke meter that someone had left in one of their rentals. That was a happy day.
The Craftsman warranty is not exactly tied to Sears like it used to be either. Several other places carry Craftsman including Ace Hardware and the way the parent Sears Holding company is structured, even if they go under Craftsman will likely survive.
Averageman
03-18-16, 14:27
Both of my Flukes have been the best meters I have ever used.
When it comes to hand tools I mix it up.
Stanley makes some surprisingly good impact sockets. they are dirt cheap and last forever.
Craftsman has decent sockets and as long as you don't go to crazy they will last forever.
I do like Snap-on ratchets and wrenches, but the price of their ratchet wrenches is steep.
I would stick with Craftsman ratchet wrenches.
I actually have an entire box of mixed metric and standard wrenches that I wish I could hand off to someone. They aren't a matched set, but they are all nice wrenches.
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