Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Repco tools definatly best value for money with out a doubt.
broken tools replaced on the spot (in the trade so they would want to)
used every day. 3/8 sockets on 1/2 rattle guns etc etc gave them a very hard time (once reduced all the way down to 1/4" with 7mm deep socket) they replaced it no questions asked. i have only broken 2 breaker bars (with 3 foot pole on end) 1 3/8 ratchet (with 1 ft pole on end) socket mentioned above and 5 mm allen socket (was abusing this too). all replaced without a fuss.

they dont feel as nice as your strap-on
sometimes an extra few teeth inside the rachets would be very handy
but they the only small things i can fault

Dingo wrote:Most of the old Australian tool companies have been bought up , chopped up and sold off for there good names only to have the new owners create rubbish trying to save a $

Thats is what I think is causing headaches with a lot of people. They have a set of "WHATEVER" brand they have had since dad was a boy, but the modern versions of those are 1000 for a $ in china ones.

I've also had mates with Sidchromes that have had problems, which is one reason why Im a little hesitant with them....

Repco maybe the go...

I have tools from almost all of the manufacturers named (including just one 15mm Supercheap socket) and most are my late dad's and mine from 20 years ago.

Recent purchases have been Repco in Australia and Craftsman in the US.

I broke a Craftsman ratchet and walked into Sears in Hawaii and they replaced it no questions asked.

There was a Craftsman store in Castle Hill Sydney some years ago.

If buying more it would be Repco sockets, Craftsman drives and ratchet ring spanners but I have yet to find decent screwdrivers.

I have broken stanley, Repco & Snap-On screwdrivers.

My favourite is Facom from France. I have a set of gold passivated titanium open ended spanners that weigh next to nothing and seem unbreakable.

I've found that sp tools are good for the price and they are a lifetime warranty.. wouldnt go near sidcrome or kingcrome as i've broken far too many of them.. but really you cant beat snap on in my opinion.. if you break it. by snap on

I recetly had need to use a mechanics tools last month and they were all Snap-On.

The 1/4" drive had lost the ball from the end of the extension so the socket fell off and the 3/8" drive had the reversing lever missing so you had to take the drive off the nut/bolt and use your other hand to reverse the ratchet.

There were a few cracked sockets as well.

I realise this is a mechanics set and get used a lot but this was plain stupid.

I actually said to him I have better tools in my chests at home.

And I know I didn't spnd anywhere near what he did.

I use my tools daily as I'm retired and work with them all the time tinkering.

Bad_Zook wrote:on a side note- the new stuff from supercheap.. is made on the same factory floor as sidchrome/kinchrome/stanely. same for the 'hsv' tools..

A few years back when I was working for them we had a set of sockets come in and in amongst the S/W Gold stuff were a few sizes stamped as Repco sockets.

zuffen wrote:I recetly had need to use a mechanics tools last month and they were all Snap-On.

The 1/4" drive had lost the ball from the end of the extension so the socket fell off and the 3/8" drive had the reversing lever missing so you had to take the drive off the nut/bolt and use your other hand to reverse the ratchet.

There were a few cracked sockets as well.

I realise this is a mechanics set and get used a lot but this was plain stupid.

I actually said to him I have better tools in my chests at home.

And I know I didn't spnd anywhere near what he did.

I use my tools daily as I'm retired and work with them all the time tinkering.

I've been working in the Smash Repair trade for about 15 years and I'm yet to see a Snap On socket break. 90% of the Tools in both Smash shops i've worked at are Snap On and these sockets are on Rattle guns and air rachets all day long. It's not because there the only reps who come to our shops either as there have been several but the others usually don't get the sales so they don't come back.

Recenty I had to get some radius arms out of a Landcruiser which my mate had been trying for about 4 hours. He snapped a Repco socked and stripped a rachet, broken a couple of other sockets (all 1/2 inch) and couldn't get them off. He asked me if I had anything to get them out with. I ended up putting a 6 foot pipe on the end of my 1/2 inch Snap On rachet and loosened all the bolts with 2 of us swinging off this pipe. We also bent the pipe like a banana in the process. We had the 4wd over a Pit and had pretty much all our weight on this pipe but it didn't hurt the rachet or break the socket.

So I would really love to know how in hell he had all these cracked sockets. For the record all of those broken pieces would be replaced under warrenty with no questions asked anyway.

I abuse my tools knowing i've got a warrenty and they will always get replaced if I do break something but it got me stuffed how you could break one of there spanners or sockets as i'm yet to see either yet. I think some people on here might be getting Snap On and Blue Point mixed up as it's comparing a Kia to a Porshe. There's also a bit difference in price too.

Cheers Mick.

Mick. wrote:

zuffen wrote:I recetly had need to use a mechanics tools last month and they were all Snap-On.

The 1/4" drive had lost the ball from the end of the extension so the socket fell off and the 3/8" drive had the reversing lever missing so you had to take the drive off the nut/bolt and use your other hand to reverse the ratchet.

There were a few cracked sockets as well.

I realise this is a mechanics set and get used a lot but this was plain stupid.

I actually said to him I have better tools in my chests at home.





And I know I didn't spnd anywhere near what he did.

I use my tools daily as I'm retired and work with them all the time tinkering.

I've been working in the Smash Repair trade for about 15 years and I'm yet to see a Snap On socket break. 90% of the Tools in both Smash shops i've worked at are Snap On and these sockets are on Rattle guns and air rachets all day long. It's not because there the only reps who come to our shops either as there have been several but the others usually don't get the sales so they don't come back.

Recenty I had to get some radius arms out of a Landcruiser which my mate had been trying for about 4 hours. He snapped a Repco socked and stripped a rachet, broken a couple of other sockets (all 1/2 inch) and couldn't get them off. He asked me if I had anything to get them out with. I ended up putting a 6 foot pipe on the end of my 1/2 inch Snap On rachet and loosened all the bolts with 2 of us swinging off this pipe. We also bent the pipe like a banana in the process. We had the 4wd over a Pit and had pretty much all our weight on this pipe but it didn't hurt the rachet or break the socket.

So I would really love to know how in hell he had all these cracked sockets. For the record all of those broken pieces would be replaced under warrenty with no questions asked anyway.

I abuse my tools knowing i've got a warrenty and they will always get replaced if I do break something but it got me stuffed how you could break one of there spanners or sockets as i'm yet to see either yet. I think some people on here might be getting Snap On and Blue Point mixed up as it's comparing a Kia to a Porshe. There's also a bit difference in price too.

Cheers Mick.

X2 I call bullshit zaffen ive only ever seen one broken snapon socket and I did it abusing the fark out of it. I broke a snapon 1/4 ratchet with a 14 mm socket on if by putting a ext bar about 400 mm long on it, and trust me it took some breaking.Ive broken two screw drivers in 18 years.
all you have to do is hand them to the snapon man get your repacement no questions. so why would your mechanic have so many broken ones???

ajsr wrote:

Mick. wrote:

zuffen wrote:I recetly had need to use a mechanics tools last month and they were all Snap-On.

The 1/4" drive had lost the ball from the end of the extension so the socket fell off and the 3/8" drive had the reversing lever missing so you had to take the drive off the nut/bolt and use your other hand to reverse the ratchet.

There were a few cracked sockets as well.

I realise this is a mechanics set and get used a lot but this was plain stupid.

I actually said to him I have better tools in my chests at home.





And I know I didn't spnd anywhere near what he did.

I use my tools daily as I'm retired and work with them all the time tinkering.

I've been working in the Smash Repair trade for about 15 years and I'm yet to see a Snap On socket break. 90% of the Tools in both Smash shops i've worked at are Snap On and these sockets are on Rattle guns and air rachets all day long. It's not because there the only reps who come to our shops either as there have been several but the others usually don't get the sales so they don't come back.

Recenty I had to get some radius arms out of a Landcruiser which my mate had been trying for about 4 hours. He snapped a Repco socked and stripped a rachet, broken a couple of other sockets (all 1/2 inch) and couldn't get them off. He asked me if I had anything to get them out with. I ended up putting a 6 foot pipe on the end of my 1/2 inch Snap On rachet and loosened all the bolts with 2 of us swinging off this pipe. We also bent the pipe like a banana in the process. We had the 4wd over a Pit and had pretty much all our weight on this pipe but it didn't hurt the rachet or break the socket.

So I would really love to know how in hell he had all these cracked sockets. For the record all of those broken pieces would be replaced under warrenty with no questions asked anyway.

I abuse my tools knowing i've got a warrenty and they will always get replaced if I do break something but it got me stuffed how you could break one of there spanners or sockets as i'm yet to see either yet. I think some people on here might be getting Snap On and Blue Point mixed up as it's comparing a Kia to a Porshe. There's also a bit difference in price too.

Cheers Mick.

X2 I call bullshit zaffen ive only ever seen one broken snapon socket and I did it abusing the fark out of it. I broke a snapon 1/4 ratchet with a 14 mm socket on if by putting a ext bar about 400 mm long on it, and trust me it took some breaking.Ive broken two screw drivers in 18 years.
all you have to do is hand them to the snapon man get your repacement no questions. so why would your mechanic have so many broken ones???

Just because you haven't seen much busted snap-on gear doesn't mean it doesn't happen. My brother and a few guys he works with have busted a decent amount of snap-on gear in the last 12 months, most of it gets a proper flogging but its always replaced so they never complain.

I've also noticed nobody has mentioned Crescent gear. It's exactly the same as the Snap-On ratchets and spanners. I've put them side by side and the only difference is the naming. Haven't had to worry about warranty on the Crescent stuff because I've never broken it...I just leave spanners on the bullbar and forget about them pretty sure thats not covered

clm434 wrote:

ajsr wrote:

Mick. wrote:

zuffen wrote:I recetly had need to use a mechanics tools last month and they were all Snap-On.

The 1/4" drive had lost the ball from the end of the extension so the socket fell off and the 3/8" drive had the reversing lever missing so you had to take the drive off the nut/bolt and use your other hand to reverse the ratchet.

There were a few cracked sockets as well.

I realise this is a mechanics set and get used a lot but this was plain stupid.

I actually said to him I have better tools in my chests at home.





And I know I didn't spnd anywhere near what he did.

I use my tools daily as I'm retired and work with them all the time tinkering.

I've been working in the Smash Repair trade for about 15 years and I'm yet to see a Snap On socket break. 90% of the Tools in both Smash shops i've worked at are Snap On and these sockets are on Rattle guns and air rachets all day long. It's not because there the only reps who come to our shops either as there have been several but the others usually don't get the sales so they don't come back.

Recenty I had to get some radius arms out of a Landcruiser which my mate had been trying for about 4 hours. He snapped a Repco socked and stripped a rachet, broken a couple of other sockets (all 1/2 inch) and couldn't get them off. He asked me if I had anything to get them out with. I ended up putting a 6 foot pipe on the end of my 1/2 inch Snap On rachet and loosened all the bolts with 2 of us swinging off this pipe. We also bent the pipe like a banana in the process. We had the 4wd over a Pit and had pretty much all our weight on this pipe but it didn't hurt the rachet or break the socket.

So I would really love to know how in hell he had all these cracked sockets. For the record all of those broken pieces would be replaced under warrenty with no questions asked anyway.

I abuse my tools knowing i've got a warrenty and they will always get replaced if I do break something but it got me stuffed how you could break one of there spanners or sockets as i'm yet to see either yet. I think some people on here might be getting Snap On and Blue Point mixed up as it's comparing a Kia to a Porshe. There's also a bit difference in price too.

Cheers Mick.

X2 I call bullshit zaffen ive only ever seen one broken snapon socket and I did it abusing the fark out of it. I broke a snapon 1/4 ratchet with a 14 mm socket on if by putting a ext bar about 400 mm long on it, and trust me it took some breaking.Ive broken two screw drivers in 18 years.
all you have to do is hand them to the snapon man get your repacement no questions. so why would your mechanic have so many broken ones???

Just because you haven't seen much busted snap-on gear doesn't mean it doesn't happen. My brother and a few guys he works with have busted a decent amount of snap-on gear in the last 12 months, most of it gets a proper flogging but its always replaced so they never complain.

I've also noticed nobody has mentioned Crescent gear. It's exactly the same as the Snap-On ratchets and spanners. I've put them side by side and the only difference is the naming. Haven't had to worry about warranty on the Crescent stuff because I've never broken it...I just leave spanners on the bullbar and forget about them pretty sure thats not covered

I never said that it doesn't break all I said was I haven't seen a socket or spanner break and thats under some serious abuse. For people to be breaking them like they say they must be abusing the living crap out of them.

Thats no different to getting a new engine and red lining it everywhere and then getting on the interent and bagging the crap out of the product.

Theres a lot of heres say bullsh!t on this forum coming from my mates brother sisters nehews dads cousin bullshit and no real info from the guys who actually own the product. It seems the guys how actually own the tools aren't complaining it seems to be there mates brothers sisters cousin an so on.

Cheers Mick.

geez no need to get narky and be a keyboard hero over it. Nobody said your opinion was right or wrong, and I never said anything about complaining about your precious snap-on gear. I merely stated the fact they've gone through a few sockets and god knows what other things I can't remember off the top of my head, and if you must know they are diesel fitters/apprentice diesel fitters and yes they cop some abuse (cat 997's and the likes)

Personally i haven't had any troubles with snap-on (if that makes you happy to here that) I just personally wouldn't buy it for my personal use when there are other cheaper products capable of fulfilling the same duties.


Obviously anything remotely "anti" snap-on is taboo around here.

ALSR go ask Nas at Thornleigh Cylinder Heads in Sydney for a look at his toolbox.

That will change you small mind.

clm434 wrote: geez no need to get narky and be a keyboard hero over it. Nobody said your opinion was right or wrong, and I never said anything about complaining about your precious snap-on gear. I merely stated the fact they've gone through a few sockets and god knows what other things I can't remember off the top of my head, and if you must know they are diesel fitters/apprentice diesel fitters and yes they cop some abuse (cat 997's and the likes)

Personally i haven't had any troubles with snap-on (if that makes you happy to here that) I just personally wouldn't buy it for my personal use when there are other cheaper products capable of fulfilling the same duties.


Obviously anything remotely "anti" snap-on is taboo around here.

I'm not narky at all it just pisses me off when people get on here saying something is crap by going off what someone mates aunty said.

BTW i'm not a keyboard hero as I would happily say it to your face.

Mick.

zuffen wrote:ALSR go ask Nas at Thornleigh Cylinder Heads in Sydney for a look at his toolbox.

That will change you small mind.

No it wouldn't it would just show me that some tools just don't know how to use tools.

Mick,

I'll bow to your superior interlect and ability to look into someone else's toolbox without getting off your backside.

I'm the guy that used the tools so my comments are 100% accurate.

zuffen wrote:Mick,

I'll bow to your superior interlect and ability to look into someone else's toolbox without getting off your backside.

I'm the guy that used the tools so my comments are 100% accurate.

You used them but you didn't break them. So how can you say they broke with normal day to day use or not?

I never said they wont break or cant break I just don't understand how you could possably break these without doing stupid things with them. Can you read read my posts and tell me where I offended you as I cant for the life of me see it????

You started the childish name calling (small minded ring a bell) not me.

Mick. wrote:

zuffen wrote:Mick,

I'll bow to your superior interlect and ability to look into someone else's toolbox without getting off your backside.

I'm the guy that used the tools so my comments are 100% accurate.

You used them but you didn't break them. So how can you say they broke with normal day to day use or not?

I never said they wont break or cant break I just don't understand how you could possably break these without doing stupid things with them. Can you read read my posts and tell me where I offended you as I cant for the life of me see it????

You started the childish name calling (small minded ring a bell) not me.

Excluding $2 no name tools and the likes of, I'd like to know how anybody could break any tool during "normal" use. However "normal" really does have a varing definition so its open slather to ask such thing.

Normal use to one person may mean sunday handyman fix the mower type stuff, whereas to someone else it maybe working on cars with seized/rusted bolts through to diesel fitters working on Cat, Komatsu, Cummins gear etc where big leverage on sometimes not so average sized, and sometimes regular size nuts and bolts.

So really a "normal life" can vary greatly for the same brands/types of tools in two different toolblboxes.

clm434 wrote:

Mick. wrote:

zuffen wrote:Mick,

I'll bow to your superior interlect and ability to look into someone else's toolbox without getting off your backside.

I'm the guy that used the tools so my comments are 100% accurate.

You used them but you didn't break them. So how can you say they broke with normal day to day use or not?

I never said they wont break or cant break I just don't understand how you could passably break these without doing stupid things with them. Can you read read my posts and tell me where I offended you as I cant for the life of me see it????

You started the childish name calling (small minded ring a bell) not me.

Excluding $2 no name tools and the likes of, I'd like to know how anybody could break any tool during "normal" use. However "normal" really does have a varing definition so its open slather to ask such thing.

Normal use to one person may mean sunday handyman fix the mower type stuff, whereas to someone else it maybe working on cars with seized/rusted bolts through to diesel fitters working on Cat, Komatsu, Cummins gear etc where big leverage on sometimes not so average sized, and sometimes regular size nuts and bolts.

So really a "normal life" can vary greatly for the same brands/types of tools in two different toolblboxes.

Very true but I abuse my tools a fair bit and have broken the ends off a few Snap On screw drivers hitting them with hammers trying to loosen screws which your not supposed to do. They where replaced no questions asked though. As mentioned above I've also had long pipes hanging off ratchets to crack tight bolts on more then one occasion to but I've never broken a ratchet or socket doing it. This is what I call ''not normal use'' and if I did break a socket or ratchet doing this then I would admit it was my fault and not bag the tools out for it.

If I'm doing this and not breaking them then I would like to know what punishment you would have to give them to break as I'd imagine it's far from normal use and I'd doubt Kingcrome, Sidcrome, Stanley or any other well known brands would stand up to this punishment either. I know I have a lot of old Sidcrome stuff laying around thats broken and that was from normal use.

Cheers Mick.

ive gota 40 odd piece sidchrome socket+spanner set. got it back ~2006 and i only work on my cars on the weekends. its pretty good, i like the spanners and sockets, but like someone mentioned earlier i find the spanners a bit thin and they dig into my hand bad on occasions. and someone else also mentioned that the spanners dont work great if they arent nice and perpindicular to the nut, i get this a bit as well usually with the ring end, it strips the end a little.
also, i have munted the ratchet a bit. it doesnt work very well, not very sensitive so you cant ratchet even if the bolt is finger tight its not enough. and if you rest your finger the slightest bit on the 'pin' that changes the ratchet direction it just free spins. occasionaly it gets a grain of sand in it that holds it in enough. reckon i might try get this swapped.
but thats all my griefs with this set. not much, i like it.

i also recently got a stanley screw driver set. its was a 8 piece little box (four - and +) and they are insulated and have magnetic tips. i find these are real good screwdrivers, good grip on your hands and the screws. but they aren't much chop to use for levering anything, they get a bit of flex in the 'rod' towards the handle. so i just bust out a big dodgy flathead for these times.

i also got a big dodgy tool 'sheet' from bunnings. i only needed a 24mm spanner and my sidchrome set only had 8-19mm sockets/spanners. auto shops had the spanner on its own and was like $30. got this kit for $70 for like 62 tools, heaps of ring/open spanners, offset spanners, 6 screwdrivers, regular + needle nose pliers etc. pretty awesome for the price, i just used the spanner and threw the whole lot in the back of the 4wd, good for those odd occasions your gonna need to fix something. and if a tool gets lost or broken, your only down $1.

i sell all three repco ,sidcrome ,kingcrome , go repco for the warrenty (just replace) and good qulity ,kingcrome good qaulity warrenty good to sidcrome have to send back for them to look at it and will prolly say no

beinthemud wrote:i sell all three repco ,sidcrome ,kingcrome , go repco for the warrenty (just replace) and good qulity ,kingcrome good qaulity warrenty good to sidcrome have to send back for them to look at it and will prolly say no

So, any Outers discounts

im a demolisher and we use a lot of KC tools gear, pretty rough with them as well, found the spanners and sockets etc really good... helps when you have a mate that the sales rep for them too.... and they have a lifetime warranty as well, not a lot of people stock them but i well worth a look

if you come see me ill discount tools for the outer crew

I'm not really buying in to the snapon name calling, I can't justify the expense, but as an aside...

I wonder how much more expensive it is to make a snap on socket than, say, a repco one? I'm guessing the production cost is pretty similar. Maybe it's three times dearer to make.... I wonder where the rest of the price difference is going?

My guess is that a lot of the expense in the snap on gear is a result of the warranty replacements - after all, it has to be built into their business model.

Lots of tools offer a great warranty - I was talking to a HVAC mechanic who had a 20 year run from a Bahco shifter and when it broke, it was replaced no problem, but snapon work the warranty thing really hard.

Anyone who breaks a ratchet with a breaker bar on it doesn't deserve to get one replaced under warranty. Abuse is abuse. I've broken heaps of screwdrivers using them as chisels and wouldn't think for a minute that meant I should get a free one... then I bought some cold chisels, and guess what... I don't break screwdrivers any more.

I've had a great run from Kinchrome, and I really like the repco stuff I own, enough that I might start buying more of their stuff, but I don't really seem to break qny 1/2way decent tools. Maybe I'm not hardcore or somehting.

Steve.