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Triumph-Snap on Toolbox

2K views 23 replies 12 participants last post by  Wire-Wheels 
#1 ·
#5 ·
Lots of money just for the tool box, how much money will you spend filling it up with Snapon tools, here I Aussie land Snapon tools are very expensive and way beyond my price range but they are good quility for sure, but I stick to my poor man tools, they work good enough for me.

Ashley
 
#8 · (Edited)
Nice box ! This has always been the part of collecting tools that I have found difficult. It is easy for me to let go of a pretty good sum to buy a tool I need or want to get something done. You get to the point though you are forced to do something. Spending money on tool.boxes is hard for me because they don'DO anything. They just hold stuff. I am to the point I now have 2 mechanic's bottom boxes, 4 top boxes, a machinist's chest, and a roll around for the home improvement stuff. Still not enough room. The cross bed tool box on my crewcab has tools in it because they have nowhere else to go. I have tools on shelves and in drawers. This is what happens when you have worked with your hands all your life. I am 73 and have never had a desk job longer than a few months. When I die, my wife is going to have to have a giant yard sale. ...J.D.
 
#9 ·
Tool box on wheels just get in my way in my workshop I have my work benches all set up with tool boards with 3 sides of my work area has all my tools set up each side has tools for my different bikes as well socket rails for the sockets, you still got to get up to grab a tool whether from the tool board or rolling tool box, my shed is motorcycles only, can't even get a car up my back yard only bikes, my Noton has a lot of witworth nuts and bolts so another full set of WW tools, nearlly all my big shed had tool boards my lathe and milling machine has there own tools and looking at my tool boards I know when a tool is missing or not in the right place.
If I need to do work on my Land Rover I just put the tools I need in a carry box or when traveling just take the tools need in a tool box.
Works for me without spending to much money on something that gets in the way.

Ashley
 
#10 ·
My roll around boxes came from my days in the auto repair business. When I left that business in 1984, all my mechanic's tools came home. This year I am in the process of moving my mechanical/machine shop over to our attached garage. I just finished putting natural gas heat in that shop so I can work comfortably in the winter. I don't think the wife likes the idea too much, but as long as I give her a place to park her car she has no grounds for complaint. That leaves the other big shop for all my maintenance and construction tools. It has a big swamp cooler for the summer months. Still will have to park the motorcycles and one car over there though.

As for Snap-On ? The first time a Snap-On vendor drove in to a shop I was working in, the first thing he did without saying a word was hand me a credit application. They never got the credit app. or my business. I used to call them "Snap-on-to-your-wallet". ...J.D.
 
#13 ·
I bought nearly all my Snap-on tools second hand. I used awards from work to buy of few sets and a some ratchets new from the Snap-on dealer. Everything else has been from here and there at swap meets and private sales. Over the years I have built quiet the collection. I love tools and tool boxes. Snap-on are excellent tools!

Weird story - One time in the classified sales was a lady selling a rare racing model Sea-doo on the trailer for $500. The Sea-Doo engine top-end was taken apart and all the parts in boxes. The complete engine compartment was full of tons of Snap-on tools and super high dollar aftermarket engine parts. This Ski was tricked out. Her husband was a Snap-on dealer and he had killed himself a 6 months earlier and she was super pissed that he left her in a financial mess. She told me the price was firm at $500 and I had to take everything ! I was hooking the trailer up to the truck and she even brought two more huge tubs of more Snap-on tools and said to take this crap with you! "Sure, I can do that":grin2:

Another wild story -
Years ago when I was working, our aerospace company bought out a big company back east. They were moving all the tooling and equipment out here to AZ. One morning I was walking past the huge dumpster that was for scrap metal. There was a kid with a great big three tier shelving cart full of all kinds of tooling. He was taking inventory tags of the tooling and throwing the parts into the dumpster. Being the curious type that I am I needed to check this out. Low and behold were all these Snap-on tools. Combination wrench sets, Blue-point adjustable wrenches in every size, breaker bars in all sizes, speeders, some ratchets, pullers, several pliers types, tons of stuff. I told the kid I would take those off his hands - His only big concern was that I had to take the tags off and give the tags to him for the inventory count. "no problem, I can do that!":grin2: Three boxes of Snap-on tools.

The killer was that the kid said he had been doing this for the last week----

Couple great scores !!! :grin2:
 
#14 · (Edited)
My tools were never bought for anything but work. The cost of tools was a working expense. I was making a living. I have been retired now for 10 1/2 years. My working life was garages, factories, machine shops, engineering maintenance depts. etc. no glamor, but made a solid living and a excellent retirement. My kids all have the same motorhead gene. That is a tool you are born with. I alway felt Snap-On was for the pretenders. ...J.D.
 
#15 ·
Mr. Wire-Wheels, I do not understand that logic? I am not trying to be confrontational or disrespectful. I just do not agree to that last statement what so ever.
Most people that are tool users appreciate high quality tools. Those of us that are tool guys know good tools, junk tools, quality and top quality tools. I understand that tools are expensive and Snap-on tools are extremely expensive and I always considered them to be over priced. But I also know that they are some of the highest quality tools that can be had. It has never even crossed my mind that people who own Snap-on are anything but guys that just wanted the best and were willing to pay for them.

Not sure I should have just said all that, but I did anyway. Again, no disrespect in any manner intended. Just difference of opinions.
 
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#18 ·
Mr. Wire-Wheels, I do not understand that logic?
Sorry. I meant no offense. It is just that the mechanic's business is just that...A business. At the end of the month, it is not about how fine a tool collection you have. It is about putting food on the table. Now that I am retired, I can buy what ever I want, but when you are feeding your family. You have to be able to balance cost with necessity. That is all I was saying. The perception that you have to pay that much for the tools of the trade to get quality is pretty much marketing hype and not the reality. ...J.D
 
#16 ·
:Fencing
 
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#19 · (Edited)
Well some mechanics I have known swore by Snap On stuff. They claimed the tools fit the fasteners better. I don't know if was true or not but that's what they thought and they were the ones selling their soul to the Land Shark. They I always felt Snap On had a quality product and a 3M price (MUCH MORE MONEY) .


In the early 80's I did purchase any socket or wrench they had for the old Brit stuff and a click style torque wrench. I was at one store where our Service Manager was on real good terms with the Snap On guy. He sold me a real nice used top box for not a lot of money. Other than that my other boxes are 2 tops and 3 bottoms and one other roll around bit. Bought some, inherited one set, and got one bottom out of the trash. Hand tools are assorted mostly Craftsman or S-K.


When I was working at one place as a maintenance mechanic I used to a multi drawer carry around in my trunk. The old Ford and IH tractors and dirt carts I worked on didn't needs a lot of fancy tools.


On a personal level I always liked S-K tools.


I can also say anyone that buys that "Triumph Special" box for the ultimate enthusiast garage is not some one I would get along with for various reasons. Not to mention I can just hear the Mrs K (aka THE BARBARA) if I would tell her I was spending $2800 plus for a tool box.:surprise:.

Edit: I just googled Snap On tool box #KRSC46H (that's the part number without the TRIUMPH LOGO). Its ONLY $1965.00 so you are paying over $600 for the Hinckley LOGO:laughhard. I think some people in Atlanta think they are still in Milwaukee.


K
 
#21 ·
More money than cents to to me, some people just have to much money to spend but I came up with a good idea, my daughter works at a Auto parts store and I get 1/2 price off everything with her staff discounts so I might buy a few rolling tool boxes, not Snapon but they sell good quility stuff, then mount a Triumph or any other bike brand for that matter amblem on them and sell them to the ones who have to much money to play with, for 3 times or more in what I paid for them, then I might get enough money to spend on stuff I can do without>:)

When I left school at 15 I brought my first dirt bike a Honda MT125 and needed a set of tools, a full set of metric sockets as well full set of open end spanners and a full set of ring spanners all in the one set for $24, well after 47 years I still have all them tools on my tool boards and they still get used to this day, it was a good cheap set that has proved itself time over time, its the only metric set I have other than a few other metric tools, I also have AF tools as well full set of Withworth tools and I have never paid over a $100 for any full set of tools.

But one thing I did buy off Snapon was a Keyshaw pocket knife back in the late 80s, cost me $65 its such a nice knife and always keeps it edge, I have only sharpen it a few times in its life with me and gets well used, I use to carry it in my pocket everyday but now its not legal to carry a knife on you in my State of Queensland.

Ashley
 
#22 · (Edited)
Gentelmen

I just told Mrs. K (aka THE BARBARA) I was seriously thinking about purchasing the Special Edition Tool Box. Her suggestion after I told her the cost of the Box was I should try to mate with myself. Not exactly a direct quote but I'm sure you can figure it out :badum.


Used to be fun watching her deal with Patched Guy's at Swap Meets.

K
 
#23 · (Edited)
Looking back on the history of my tool collection- not sure if all of these names are known outside of North America. Still have nearly everything I've ever bought or was given to me since the late '60s. First socket-wrench set (metric) was Penncraft (JC Penney). Second socket-wrench set (non-metric) was Powercraft (Montgomery Ward) including metal tool box. Someone knew I needed an extra metal tool box and bought me a fishing-tackle box! It carries parts memorabilia to this day.

Since, it's been whatever I needed at the moment - Craftsman, Snap on, S&K and others I've forgotten the names to. Have been given many high quality tools over the years and have had a number 'borrowed' and never returned, knowingly or otherwise. Alot of stuff I need in the spur of the moment anymore is 'no name' chinese made like torx bits and such. Local Lowe's Hardware with their Colbalt Tool Line is also a good source for the occasional socket replacement.

Still have a dedicated feeler gauge used for SOHC CB750 valve adjustment, and hammer powered impact driver last used on early CB 750s, among other memorabilia. Last major purchase: (aluminum tank)
 

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#24 ·
After all these years you would think I would not need to buy any more tools...NOT ! Manufacturing keeps coming up with new things to try your patience. I had to service the automatic transmission (supposedly non-serviceable) on my wife's Volvo. A set of large Torx bits were needed. My Mitsubishi developed some emission control problems after 17 years of faultless service. The previous owner had cross threaded one oxygen sensor in it's very expensive manifold. A tap for re-threading the hole was needed along with a strange set of wrenched to reach the sensor in the first place. Fun job(again...NOT). It never ends. Paying 3X prices for tools does not cut it. ...J.D.
 
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