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Tools & Tool Brands

vs-lover

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Yes but if you are using a ratchet all day everyday it's never going to last like one that sits in it's plastic case all day being used every now and again. What you get when you buy Snap On is a lifelong service and support which you just won't get from the disposable brands. As far as SP are concerned as posted earlier to me they are just rubbish with a big marketing program behind them to flog them off. I've been down to CJ Humphries and looked in their Scrap bins and it amazes me the new tools thrown in there that have failed prematurely. These are all very cheaply made Chinese bits of rubbish that simply aren't worth the money that's paid for them.

I'd very much prefer Aussie made Sidchrome and Snap On any day. Sadly Sidchrome support is very poor compared to how it used to be when the company was Siddons Industries. You have to fight and argue with them if the tool you are getting replaced is Aussie Made but doesn't have Made in Australia stamped into it as the dickheads you're dealing with now have no idea unless the wording is smacking them in the face. All their early stuff never had MIA stamped as they didn't have any Asian companies to compete with but once the influx started that's when the MIA appeared in the very early 1980's

Sidcatters.................well my genuine Aussie made units will cut through anything just like Knipex will, wouldn't count on many other cheapies doing that, but like I always say, you only get what you pay for, it's the old peanuts and monkeys situation.
 
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EYY

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Not all sp are rubbish. Not all sidchrome are good. Not worth wasting extra money on certain big name brands just for the brand when it’s better spent elsewhere. Plenty of manufacturers offer decent tools with lifetime warranties.

When you’re paying 90% for the brand name and 10% for the tool, that’s a big turn off. Of course everybody has their own opinion.
 

vs-lover

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Well sadly you can't buy Aussie made Sidchrome new any more and as such you have to pay the "Sidchrome Tax" if you want their gear. I feel you can't go past their last format of combination spanners (ROE) as they are super slim and have the strength to do anything you throw at them, where as most of today's stuff is all much thicker steel to give it added strength and thus they are far more cumbersome to use in very tight engine compartments of today's cars.

I'll be straight up here and say that Sidchrome certainly didn't make everything as the tool world has certainly moved on from that 1980's ~ 90's era with way more specialised gear being thought up and produced, but that's progress I guess. I'm just referring to general spanners and sockets here nothing else when I put up my support for good ol' Australian made products opposed to Chinese shite, just ask Mr Trump how he loves China as well !
 

vc commodore

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I personally look at tools and the support network they have if you need to replace them...I also look if they need replacement, how often.

Yes, I mainly have sp tools I use at home and have only had the single issue with them, which I was able to rectify that day....My snap on ratchet, I have to get the right contact number for the rep, to get it repaired...Then I have to wait for that rep to be around to get it repaired....Shows the support network is pathetic, which doesn't help them too much.

If you have to replace a particular tool on a regular basis, ie like has been mentioned repaired 7 times in 11 years, means they aren't of very good quality, or the person using them is abusing them....So that's an area which has to be taken into consideration, which deciding what brand to buy
 

someguy360

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Sockets - Kinchrome & ToolPro
Spanners - ToolPro & Cresent
Toolboxes/chests - ToolPro
Powertools: Ryobi One+
Breaker bars: 80's Sidchrome (the good stuff).
Torque Wrenches: SP Tools

So far I've been rating ToolPro's stuff much higher than Kinchrome, I've had both for about 5 years and the ToolPro stuff is perfect where as I've gone through 4 Kinchrome ratchets under warranty (ratchet mechanism breaks and they just free spin), most of my hand tools gets used about 4-5 times a week.

As for the power tools I've moved from Makita to Ryobi one (strange switch I know) mainly because the Ryobi 18v lineup is just so much better (work lights, soldering irons, rotary tools, weed sprayers, leaf blowers etc). Makita was great 10+ years ago but for the price I rate the quality of their tools and batteries much lower than Ryobi these days which is 1/2 the price.
 
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lmoengnr

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Snapon.jpg
 

afstruct

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After talking with a workmate about panel beating/ metal working tools earlier in the =week ( looked last night = online = hare & Forbes ), while the missus watched bengiman button ( for the first time amazingly),
Was all fired up to head down to Parramatta ( Sydney), this morning = lucky I rang first = not everything is in stock = order / pay now= efy = end of year sale= save, pick up in a couple of weeks ( some stock not in!)= sooo finally a half decent english wheel to replace my ( not mine ) home made one , plus finally a shrinker/ streacher and some decent dollies/ hammers and sand bags etc!
What mainly spurred this on = a monaro bonnet ( for the cv8 v2) = more sutile than stuipd =( no vz nostrel bonnet) = ( hopefully fairly standard but not the normal = maybe !!! ( full custom) = metal)= bonnet ( I need a decent air gap to the supercharger)= the standard heat mattin does hit / impact decent gap = after.
I need to make templates an mock up!!!!
 

afstruct

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OH !!!!! Look they can be found.
Went for a walk on Monday with missus , down the road from her place is this young idiot ( missus and neighbour call him way worse ), thinks he can fix up cars but just pisses all the neighbours off revving engines heaps , E. G. Sunday on/off from about 5pm to 8 pm.
Across the road from his place a chrome object in the gutter , I go probably a 10mm socket , missus goes take you know you want to.
Well he has to learn 10 mm sockets are impossible to find.
It's even 3/8 drive single hex.
Never heard of Tool Pro
 

vc commodore

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OH !!!!! Look they can be found.
Went for a walk on Monday with missus , down the road from her place is this young idiot ( missus and neighbour call him way worse ), thinks he can fix up cars but just pisses all the neighbours off revving engines heaps , E. G. Sunday on/off from about 5pm to 8 pm.
Across the road from his place a chrome object in the gutter , I go probably a 10mm socket , missus goes take you know you want to.
Well he has to learn 10 mm sockets are impossible to find.
It's even 3/8 drive single hex.
Never heard of Tool Pro

Tool pro is a supercheap brand..Now time to drop a letter in his letter box, I found you're 10 MM...Want it back it'll cost you $50, being as rare as they are...
 

keith reed

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Tool pro is a supercheap brand..Now time to drop a letter in his letter box, I found you're 10 MM...Want it back it'll cost you $50, being as rare as they are...
I went out and had a count up, in total I have five. I'm richer than I thought.
 
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