Picked a used Snap-On socket set over a new Harbor Freight set and it paid off fast

About two weeks ago I was staring at my toolbox needing a 3/8 drive deep socket set. I had about $150 to spend and I was stuck between a used Snap-On set from a retired mechanic on Craigslist and a brand new set of Pittsburghs from Harbor Freight. The Snap-On was $120 and showed some wear, the Pittsburghs were $90 and shiny. I went with the old Snap-On because the guy who sold it to me said he used them for 20 years without a single crack. Then yesterday I had to yank a rusted bolt off a 2003 F-150 rear suspension and that socket took all the force I could give it with a breaker bar. No spread or damage at all. Has anyone else had good luck going used over new on tools like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

oliver24215d ago

Yeah but you gotta be careful with used Snap-On, sometimes that "gently used" stuff is someone else's broken junk they're dumping. I've seen guys sell beat up ratchets with broken internals that look fine on the outside. If you can check the mechanism and sockets for cracks before you hand over cash, it's usually a solid deal though.

thompson.tyler15d ago

Man, @oliver242 you actually got me rethinking this. I used to think used Snap-On was always a steal if you knew what you were looking at. But then a buddy of mine bought a used 3/8 drive ratchet that looked spotless on the outside, first time he put some real torque on it the guts just gave out and the thing was a paperweight. Now I always pop the cover off and spin the gear by hand before buying, and I check sockets for hairline cracks around the square drive. Its easy to miss that stuff when you're just looking at the chrome.