Snap-On/Mac Tools question
right then all, im not in the motor trade so dont have the pleasure of having the local Snap-On or Mac dealer coming to visit. But is it possible to have them visit me at home?? I have started my tool box, using Halfords Pro/Advanced range, but would really like a decent rollercab
youre welcome and Good luck mate 
If you go the Snap On route mate most dealers will have secondhand boxes and rollcabs that you can buy from them at a huge discount!! make sure you have a good haggle aswell as they like to turn stuff over quickly

If you go the Snap On route mate most dealers will have secondhand boxes and rollcabs that you can buy from them at a huge discount!! make sure you have a good haggle aswell as they like to turn stuff over quickly
Machine mart have plenty choice for boxes but steer clear for 'in regular use' tools as they are for occasional use only.
My Snap on man gave me his address, I just ring him, he gets and I pick it up at his home.
or arrange to meet him on route somewhere,
Jobs a good un
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Disagree totally????
Ok then you can take the snap on roll cab filled with silverline and rolson tools.
Il take the machinemart box filled with snap-on and mac tools.
Lets see who finishes that zafira 2l dti clutch job first eh? lol
ps/with knuckles still intact.
Ok then you can take the snap on roll cab filled with silverline and rolson tools.
Il take the machinemart box filled with snap-on and mac tools.
Lets see who finishes that zafira 2l dti clutch job first eh? lol
ps/with knuckles still intact.
Last edited by Venetian Fred; Dec 10, 2010 at 11:38 AM.
also the halfords pro boxes/cabs are shite really, the industrial stuff however is spot on.
it's a shame they only make top and bottom boxes though as an intermediate one would be ideal to get more stuff in.
honestly best boxes for price, especially when sales are on, i blagged both top box and roll cab for Ł270 a few years back and never had a problem with build quality at all, to say regular retail is over Ł600 for them.
Last edited by xr2wishy; Jan 2, 2011 at 01:36 PM.
i've been buying snap on since 1994 i did buy a few mac bits before that, but the spanners are crap. the open end of combination spanners always spreads.
if you're doing a few jobs at home then buy cheap, but if you're in the trade or doing full restorations i'd buy snap on everyday.
at the end of the day its also about personal choice, you buy whatever the feck you want to.it's your money. if you go through life buying cheaper substandard versions of everything, you would be on passionkia!!!!
snap on boxes are bloody expensive, but second hand ones are usually good value, try and buy one with lock'n'roll drawers (roller bearings) as they cope with a lot more weight.
if you're doing a few jobs at home then buy cheap, but if you're in the trade or doing full restorations i'd buy snap on everyday.
at the end of the day its also about personal choice, you buy whatever the feck you want to.it's your money. if you go through life buying cheaper substandard versions of everything, you would be on passionkia!!!!
snap on boxes are bloody expensive, but second hand ones are usually good value, try and buy one with lock'n'roll drawers (roller bearings) as they cope with a lot more weight.
a decent mechanic will buy decent tools, decent box, will have mega skill and lots of knowledge. Zafira Dti clutch job... at least pick something a bit challenging lol
I just call around my snap on dealer at home ; ) Hes the best one i've had and would never go to another 1 . Got 2 nice motor carbon fiber anglia and harvey gibbs old escort cosworth lol.
Is anyone using Teng Tools 1001 piece kit? Any feedback on it? Thinking with Autosprt International fast approaching I might splash out if I get a good deal! Or has anyone any info on other tool manufactures that supply a complete tool kit like tengs?
the ones i've got only max out at around just over 2 feet wide, so not wide enough for some of my larger tools
you can get massive discounts mate....
Ive known dealers knocking 70% off the price on a basically new Roll cab/box because it was refused by the buyer for having a small scratch or a tiny ding!!
major bargains to be had!!
I dont see that dealer anymore as we had a massive fall out but i would imagine that most Snap on dealers have supplies of used boxes and ALL of them can speak to the main depot to see what "damaged" boxes are availacble for sale.
Last edited by Mark 3D; Nov 13, 2011 at 01:18 PM.
holy shit!!!!, i recently bought a 7 drawer and 5 drawer ball bearing set from halfords for a grand total of Ł230 and i thought i was paying too much 
i think i put a thread up about it too

i think i put a thread up about it too
No they are not pal if own the best tools you need the best boxes as well
I qualified as a mechanic in 1989 and have been collecting snap-on tools ever since. The build quality of the new boxes is nowhere near as good as they used to be so if you starting out buy second hand and have it painted I now have a collection of boxes including the mclaren box and even have tools they do not make anymore. I now own more than 300k worth of tools and still need more as new cars have new tools needed.
Whoever started this thread opened one hell of a can of worms.
I qualified as a mechanic in 1989 and have been collecting snap-on tools ever since. The build quality of the new boxes is nowhere near as good as they used to be so if you starting out buy second hand and have it painted I now have a collection of boxes including the mclaren box and even have tools they do not make anymore. I now own more than 300k worth of tools and still need more as new cars have new tools needed.
Whoever started this thread opened one hell of a can of worms.
No they are not pal if own the best tools you need the best boxes as well
I qualified as a mechanic in 1989 and have been collecting snap-on tools ever since. The build quality of the new boxes is nowhere near as good as they used to be so if you starting out buy second hand and have it painted I now have a collection of boxes including the mclaren box and even have tools they do not make anymore. I now own more than 300k worth of tools and still need more as new cars have new tools needed.
Whoever started this thread opened one hell of a can of worms.
I qualified as a mechanic in 1989 and have been collecting snap-on tools ever since. The build quality of the new boxes is nowhere near as good as they used to be so if you starting out buy second hand and have it painted I now have a collection of boxes including the mclaren box and even have tools they do not make anymore. I now own more than 300k worth of tools and still need more as new cars have new tools needed.
Whoever started this thread opened one hell of a can of worms.
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I need to stay the fu>k away from the snap on truck.
I recently bought a new box, tho now also have the locker for the side of it.
Went with a mate determinded not to buy anything last week when he was collecting some stuff and came home with a cordless screwdriver, safety glasses, knife and tape measure, torch and a magnet pick up tool

I recently bought a new box, tho now also have the locker for the side of it.
Went with a mate determinded not to buy anything last week when he was collecting some stuff and came home with a cordless screwdriver, safety glasses, knife and tape measure, torch and a magnet pick up tool


as said above go see a dealer! dont forget 99% are self employed and will love a bit of a cash deal on a trade in box! get the money in the old sky rocket!
Dont buy anything cheaper! i had a 53" KRA and sold it back when i left the trade.
Came back in with a Clarke set up and its embarassing compared!
Dont buy anything cheaper! i had a 53" KRA and sold it back when i left the trade.
Came back in with a Clarke set up and its embarassing compared!
Snapon, blue point all day. I started with teng but slowly changing over, there expensive but buy from the monthly offer sheets and last u a life time, plus snapon will always have good residual value so u can chop in ya old tools for new lines.
i do like the snap on gear, but the boxes have gone downhill recently. they moved the production to china and it shows. i bought another side cab 2years ago and you can literally feel the difference in metal thickness. the hand tools are top quality, i have a 24" breaker bar that i bought second hand 15 years ago still going strong and its been abused with a 6' pipe on it to loosen some hub nuts.
Ah ... The old tale of Snap-On tools ..
I use Snap-On and have a Master box (Best money can buy)
Dont buy it for shits and giggles .. Simply not worth it these days unless you earn with tools .. Twat-On make tools for other companys. Most Caterpillar branded tools are made buy them .. Worth going to a CAT dealer and getting a price!
I never heard of Crap-On making tool boxes in China? Not the KRL or EPIQ boxes anyway.
I buy Mastercraft for field work, Lose it .. No big deal .. Lose a Ł50 spanner then I wanna beat my wife.
Iam lucky that the company will give 60% of the money back and replace 100% but thats no good @ 04:00 when you bust a socket and the machine is down!
I use Snap-On and have a Master box (Best money can buy)
Dont buy it for shits and giggles .. Simply not worth it these days unless you earn with tools .. Twat-On make tools for other companys. Most Caterpillar branded tools are made buy them .. Worth going to a CAT dealer and getting a price!
I never heard of Crap-On making tool boxes in China? Not the KRL or EPIQ boxes anyway.
I buy Mastercraft for field work, Lose it .. No big deal .. Lose a Ł50 spanner then I wanna beat my wife.
Iam lucky that the company will give 60% of the money back and replace 100% but thats no good @ 04:00 when you bust a socket and the machine is down!
The older snap on gear is stronger than the new stuff they have gone down hill over the last 10 years in my opinion. So buy second hand stuff. That said if your not using them for your job you don,t need snap on, cheeper stuff will do.
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Agree 100% with the quality going down hill :-(
Ive had a snap-on racing box in my service van for nearlly 13 years and its not even broke 1 spot weld sure its got war wounds but it still functions well.
Ive had a snap-on racing box in my service van for nearlly 13 years and its not even broke 1 spot weld sure its got war wounds but it still functions well.
I've got a lot of old Snap-on Tools and the quality is far superior to the stuff you buy from them today. But their boxes are still the best.
As for boxes, again I've got an old Snap-On rollercab and 5 newer, cheaper makes. You can tell the difference and you can tell why mechanics who are opening and shutting them all day every day will pay for the best, but to be honest to me a box is a box. I'm pretty careful and am only a DIY enthusiast. You can get a perfectly decent and useable toolbox for less than a few hundred quid.
As for boxes, again I've got an old Snap-On rollercab and 5 newer, cheaper makes. You can tell the difference and you can tell why mechanics who are opening and shutting them all day every day will pay for the best, but to be honest to me a box is a box. I'm pretty careful and am only a DIY enthusiast. You can get a perfectly decent and useable toolbox for less than a few hundred quid.
i use teng tools every day didn't get the 1001 kit as theres a lot of crap in it that you don't use I've made my kit buying the stuff i need for the job that i do all the stuff is of good quality and has a lifetime guarantee they also do a cheaper range called limit and farax like this one not lifetime guarantee but has a year
http://www.stockwelltools.co.uk/prod...p/sn/165350109
Anybody buying tools from halfords etc that are branded as lifetime warranty need to be carefull. Most companys only give this warranty as long as its not used for professional use, so dont go into halfords with your overals on with a broken ratchet expecting it be changed as they may say no. As any decent DIYer or full time tech will know the most common failure is a broken ratchet head, this is another thing that halfords wont change under warranty but how often will the handle break? Snap-on ratchets are lifetime on all parts of the ratchet inc the head.
Anybody buying tools from halfords etc that are branded as lifetime warranty need to be carefull. Most companys only give this warranty as long as its not used for professional use, so dont go into halfords with your overals on with a broken ratchet expecting it be changed as they may say no. As any decent DIYer or full time tech will know the most common failure is a broken ratchet head, this is another thing that halfords wont change under warranty but how often will the handle break? Snap-on ratchets are lifetime on all parts of the ratchet inc the head.
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