Excellent advice for a new tech, thank you bubba

National tool warehouse is where i had to go during Covid, when no tool trucks were allowed on site.

I use gear wrench at work. The 90 tooth ratchet kinda disappoints but sockets fit amazing. Also the Pittsburgh pro ratchets and impact sockets seem to be good. I also have used a lot of Kobalt sockets, ratchets and cordless impacts. If you are in a pinch and just starting out I can personally recommend and have used in a shop daily Gear wrench sockets and ratchets Pittsburgh pro impact sockets, adapters and ratchets. Earthquake xt impact(surprisingly good) Kobalt cordless impacts(the compact and large one,get a couple 4ah batteries) Kobalt ratchets and a few sockets Have a few Husky sockets(fit great and haven't broken yet) For what it's worth I work only about 5 miles from lowes and harbor freight so if I have a problem with the sockets,ratchets or anything under warranty I can easily go and get it replaced during lunch. Also I highly recommend you have a spare ratchet and common socket sizes. You don't want to get stuck in the middle of a job because of a broken tool.

i have a set of 1/4 drive metric popular mechanic sockets i bought at walmart when i was 14 and i still have and use them and im 39 now. tech makes the tools not the other way around

HF Pittsburg Pro line is very good. Especially for the money.

used blue point plumb proto and wright are awsome

I'm 18 and my dad has a set of the Popular Mechanics sockets that he got back in the 80's or 90's. We still use them every day on impacts and breaker bars. They're 12 point 1/2 drive. Great sockets

Gearwrench, knipex, proto, tekton, sunex. Also research a lot and get the brands that the big names rebrand as their own, and buy them for a fraction of the price.

Husky in the house! Haha

If your shop uses NAPA, their Carlyle Brand is great and won't break the bank. easy warranty too.

Astro pneumatic coolant pressure tester, ball join remove tool , "Big Nasty" etc ......

Proto is my go to. The quality is great and their warranty process is fantastic.

I would add Icon & Maddox from H-Freight, Astro Pnuematic, Some of the titan tools, OEM tools, ATD tools, EZ red, Perfromance tool and a few more. Not all are great, but some are the same as the tool truck stuff as some make tools for them and brand it

I have been a tech. For close to 20yrs I got everything from harbor freight to Snapon. All my impact sockets are sunex except my 3/8 shallow are Snapon. I would say the sunex is as good as my Snapon.

I'm a d wire and I'm buy a lot of stuff at Harbor Freight and I'm not a professional I only use it once or twice you know every 6-7 months of whatever but they've been very good to me and I got complete tool set it does everything I've ever asked to use like I said I'm a DIY wire I'm not a professional but I've had very good luck with Harbor Freight

Tahnk you!! You took me back to 1970 working for US Steel as an electrician; everyone had Craftsman!!!! Yeah we "talked" about Snap-on.......BUT no one could afford them...

I collect Popular Mechanics tools I bought a crap ton at all my pawn shops and they are still getting more in. Actually they are still made but they are not by Walmart it is now The Hearst Corporation that makes them. I buy the vintage ones in the pawn shops they also have great screwdrivers as a professional mechanic their screwdrivers are great.

Tekton makes some very high quality tools. Their sockets and impact sockets are very high quality.

Taiwan made sockets and socket riches are actually really good

We don’t have the best tool trucks but Napa and Home Depot share the same parking lot as us so I use a lot of there brands haven’t been disappointed yet

I love grey pneumatic and they are easy on your wallet

back in my day you could go to most hardware stores and some vendors and get s.k. tools at a great price

Both Cornwell BluePower and Carlyle 19pc metric wrench sets are the same. But I feel like BluePower has a nicer chrome finish. It just feels nice on the hands.

I'm gonna be getting a bunch of grey pneumatic sockets soon for a heavy equipment job im trying to get price is great and all positive reviews. You didnt mention Armstrong tools there nice to

Yeah we got a couple tools snobs in our machine shop we tend to just ignore them because we do better work.

I've had since great luck with the new kobalt and husky tools

I still go to flea markets and automotive swap meets. I buy older Proto, great tools.

Astro pneumatic has some great stuff too.

I love SUNEX sockets. I’ve heard MAC rebrands them but not sure how true that is. Regardless they are some of the best in the business. I own Snap On but not a blind fanboy drinking the Koolaid!

I have nice truck tools but find myself working with backups for most shitty side work. I guess if your making x amount of big$ per hour it does not matter if you like truck tools. Besides most truck tool exclusives are just better tools than the equivalent from a smaller brand, the problem is that beginners feel pressured into buying truck tools because the Ace mechanics have more than a few, and find out they do not want to be a tech later down the line. which makes the subject of truck tools sour. great Vid.

Here in canada, canadian tire sells brands called mastercraft and the higher end mastercraft maximum brand. Dewalt and stanly also have alot of stuff. I have alot of mastercraft stuff like long needlenose pliers and ratcheting wrenches. Also have a set of universal 3/8 impacts that i use everyday. Not as good as snap on but the lifetime warranty is good and they are no hassle, in canada everytown has atleast one canadian tire to ! They can be a hit or miss you tend to know what you need in the higher end snap on stuff and the stuff u can deal with in lower end name brand stuff.

I've had good luck with sk and Carlyle

Variety is the spice of life!

i myself own nearly nothing but snap on,but ive been in the business for 25+ years and have upgraded over the years. personally i dont care what kind of tools other techs have,as long as they have tools and dont need to borrow from me all the time.

Raise hand... I'm a tool snob! I'm a snap on guy whole hardly. I started out with craftsman stuff and as I got more experience and making more money. The craftsman stuff was replaced and moved to the tool box at home. And yes that one is a craftsman box too. I'm am particular about where it's made through.

Great video as always. Also brought back a lot of good memories when I started out. I had husky (USA made), and popular mechanics sockets from Walmart back in 1995. I think I paid less than 10 bucks for the set and still have them.

EXCELLENT video! Thank you! Very well said and to the point......one buys and uses what they can afford and like to use. Period> Respect the opinions and choices of others!

When i first started out i started buying Snap on at first and recently started buying tools off amazon Tekton has some really good impact sockets

FRM great video, I'm just a trucker who works on my own trucks but I love your videos and have learned alot from them.

For you UK based guys, King Dick (hehe) make some great stuff, and its made here in Birmingham as far as I can tell the only British tool maker left.

I have a scar on my hands from everytime I tried to use cheap tools. Especially Crapsman. Cheap tools cost so much more in the long run. When you have to take down time from work to have your hand sewn up. But the best tools I own, were usually found in the bottom of doors. Stuffed under aprons hovering underneath batteries . And my favorite... Still on the last nut they were used on. Free tools are obviously the best ones. And for that, I thank my fellow technicians. Thanks guys.

The Auto zone Duralast sockets are a damn good socket plus the Harbor freight Pittsburgh Pro Impact sockets are damn good for the money.

Grey pneumatic is really good. I really like OTC, lisle, knipex, Milwaukee and mityvac

I can say I have a set of advice matco shallow half inch impact sockets and I love them. About 3 years ago Mac had a deal on their expert series impact sockets. So I bought them. Wayyyyyy cheaper. Haven't broken one and if for some reason I ever do and I don't think that will happen it's still warrantied on the truck. For ease of replacement of tools the tool trucks cheaper options aren't bad

my tool box is husky...its not bad for me being new to automotive field

I’m a tool snob! - but gave a 👍🏼. 😳🥺🤣 Good info, thank you! I was fortunate enough to have a RailRoad machinist father from whom I inherited all his Snap-On and Proto tools from the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. When I started wrenching on airplanes in the 80’s, I just went into Snap-On tool truck debt for the smaller sized and specialized tools required for aviation. NOT the way to go with all the choices today.

I'm an S&K guy myself but you would see some snap-on, mac, matco, craftsman, gearwrench in my box as well. Even have a set of Penncraft (JC Penney USA Made) 3/8 sockets from 1970. Still use them.

Top 3 alternatives. S&K Proto Gearwrench

Hazet, Gedore, Stahlwille, Ko-ken ...

I can atest to those old walmart impact sockets. I have used mine for over 20+ years and beat the pizz willy out of them and they still come back for more. Also i'm the type that has almost every brand name in my toolbox, so i don't really hate on any brand as long as it gets the job done and doesn't damage or round off any fasteners, the old chineesium wrenches were famous for that.

I started buying John Deere wrenches 20yrs ago and now I'm a heavy equipment mechanic and their still going strong.

Great Subject FRM 😀😊👍🏼 PS. Got the FRM Stickers That Thomas Made You Thanks Guys I Proudly Put Them On My Top Box Cabinet 😀😀👍🏼

Unfortunately sir, you can't walk into a Sears at all anymore. Dang shame too because they were once a great all purpose stop for good tools at reasonable prices. Perfect for both the starting technicianor the 20 year veteran. I agree with the brands you mentioned 100% I've also seen decent results with Performance Tool and the GM performance brand that O'Reilly's carries. Not sure who makes them but definitely good for the beginner or in a pinch.

capri makes great tools at a reasonable price

Advance used to sell the AmPro brand of tools... I bought a socket/ratchet set from them and so far I have had none of them break. Had them for about 10 years or so. I believe you can still buy AmPro but you gotta get them online, not aware of any retailer that has them. Advance has some really crappy stuff called Autocraft or something now and it isn't very good in my opinion.

Man I about broke my hand using popular mechanics sockets more than once. Socket split right down the side with a 3/8 ratchet and NO cheater bar. Those thing were dangerous. Yes some would be good tools but others would get u hurt

Great socket set for 1/4 3/8 and 1/2 is the dewalt 192 piece set. Made in Taiwan which is near USA quality with closer to Chinese price. Each set comes with extensions, ratchets, and skips no sizes except 23mm. Great buy and can be found for around $150 at certain stores if you search.

I have a set of Harbor Freight deep sockets. With the exception of the 19mm they have yet to fail. Paid about $18 12 years ago. Also 1/2 swivel socket set has yet to break, cant say that about some of my 3/8 Matco swivels.

My old made in the USA Husky long wrenches have held up great for me.

I actually have a set of the popular mechanics sockets. Not even sure how old they are. My dad gave them to me when I first started out working on cars. And he had them for years. Have yet to break one yet. I’ve wore out some of the craftsman sockets before the popular mechanics. Good info too for those who may not want to buy tool trucks or may not have that option. 👍🏻

great vid, I also have a set of pm sockets from walmart and have owned them for about at least 19 years and sometimes I will use them more than my snap on ones been wrenching for about 26 years now

Thanks, also give Carlyle hand tools a try. I’m impressed with there screwdrivers and wrenches.

Ive still got some popular mechanics wrenches and a few sockets, they have been great...i believe i bought them a wal mart years ago!

Crescent brand sockets and ratchets. Bought them for my son at a farm & fleet store and am really impressed!

Whenever I go to a pawn shop or swap meet or flea market. I make it a point to look for Popular Mechanics tools.. Dang good tools..

Grey pneumatic are pretty good impact sockets .

Good advice I must say you covered the alternative well and without the credit program snap on would have never succeeded!

If you can find them indestro and duro sockets are one of the strongest sockets I've used, they may not be shiny but they are strong and have a really good bite. If you are looking for craftsman find a sears hometown store they get nos of made in USA sockets, wrenches, ratchets, professional series stuff for like a dollar. But a great alternative is Menards masterforce which is made in USA, by apex.

Well done FRM. Your work and your character (as a mechanic) will speak for itself ; not what brand is in your box. Great advice.

I can vouch for the sunex. I got the ADV rebranded 3/8" impact sockets in metric 7mm to 19 mm with no skips from matco. Well worth the money.

Great video! I started back when tools via internet weren’t a viable proposition and moved on to Gearwrench before I decided to buy SO. The biggest letdown in tool trucks is walking onto Matco and realizing half of it is / was GW

If you were to open my tool box you'd see maybe 5 tool truck tools and some of those were from pawn shops. The rest is an endless mix of brands like SK, Tekton, Gear Wrench, Williams, Channel Lock, and many others. Everyone else in my shop is strictly Matco or Snap On. But guess who's entire box is paid for and who usually has the highest efficiency rating every week? Me. With a tiny fraction of the money invested and I can't remember the last time I broke a tool.

Great video thanks brother. I think you hit the nail on the head here. I have a mixture of tools and tool truck brands. I have some that will never be able to warranty because I beat them with a hammer or sledgehammer. I have heated and bent some good ones just for a specific fasteners. keep up the great work see you in the next video

Yeah man those popular mechanics sockets are tough as nails my set has survived farm life for 20 + years. Great video

Can you do a video on pinch off pliers?

I bought a 21 and 22 sunex to go with my grey pneumatic 3/8 impacts. They look identical. I have a little bit of everything. The only truck that comes around is snap on.

Carlyle has great tools with lifetime warranty and there is a napa in most towns. No waiting on truck

I've had some very good luck with the gearwrench wrenches in rear world vs the Flank Drives plus on tie-rod jam nuts

I recently switched from craftsman to tekton d/t their warranty process. Both of my local sears dont have a good inventory and require you to give them your socket, fill out a form with your information and wait for the socket in the mail. This takes roughly 1.5-2 weeks.

The Channellock V groove wrenches are great for the money,I have these and holding up well.If I break one,trip to my local HWI Do It Best hardware store to get it replaced.I started with some Craftsman,used the well known raised panel wrenches at first and then upgraded from them

On amazon you can find great deals on ingersoll rand. Not the high end titanium but decent tools that will get you by.

I think SK is best for the money.

I got two friends that know mechanic work and they fix my truck almost for free just beers food or some tools And just bring a bucket with harbor freight tools and they know a lot and do great work

Good video! I have some Pittsburg but just discovered I can buy Tekton for the same price online with Home Depot.

Milwaukee and snap on and you can't go wrong . GREAT GREAT GREAT VIDEO AND YES I KNOW A COUPLE OF TOOL SNOBS .

I've been loving my NAPA Carlisle Ratchets. Remember Sears has Layaway, so if they don't need it right away they can make payments on it. Also Sears offers credit cards to just about anyone. They are high interest, but even at 29% APR compounded daily it would be cheaper than the Snap On tax.

I have been slowly cycling out my cheap tools for Mac (and some snap on). So far the only times i've thought "Man thank god i didn't cheap out on this" is my 3/8 ratchet from snap on i can jump on it and it wont even slip a tooth. That ratchet is almost always the first tool i grab when doing a repair. The other thing is my 1/2 impact sockets that have multiple teeth and many times grabbed stripped bolts/nuts that the cheap sockets won't (very good if you have customers who are youtube mechanics).

Can’t go wrong with Carlyle. I have some Carlyle sockets and wrenches and they are awesome especially for the price

I have to say some good things about Gearwrench Hex bit sockets in metric 3/8" chrome. I've used the shit out of them on impact guns. Just some mushrooming on the square drive, but never broke one. But then again those things are low torques anyway. For the price of $30, lasted me 3 years and I only sold them because I went for some Action impacts (Grey Pneumatic in Australia). Chrome sockets I always use Snap-On, Hazet and certain stubby Blue-Point ones. Impact sockets, whatever I use, they will all wear out just as quicky. It came to my attention that certain Taiwanese made thick walled impact sockets tend to last longer as my 17mm deep well typically lasts 3 months on the Milwaukee impact gun, only taking off lug bolts on Bimmers. Eventually the gun will just rattle on the socket on bolts too tight, but a new socket will fix that. Its already worn out and worn out sockets typically are hard to return for warranty, so get a load of cheap 17mm deep impact sockets.

When your starting out buy quantity and cheap. Gearwrench, gp, sunnex, ir, carlyle, husky, kobalt, craftsman. Buy what you need and upgrade to tool truck brands later on and take the cheaper stuff home then.

Hey...love your channel, keep it up. I live up in Canada and another excellent tool company, if you can get it in the USA is GRAY Tools Canada, and they are made in Canada...no overseas...but pricey as well but not as bad and Snappy. I liked what you said about the Walmart brand, Popular Mechanics. I bought a crapload of those sockets from Walmart and back in the 90s and still going strong. If you look at the part number of the socket it will match the NAPA part number. Back then they were made by Danaher, which made Napa, Popular Mechanics and I think also Stanley....just wanted to let you know.

I started with HF impact sockets & never broke 1 but was missing sizes.. I upgraded to Sunex impact kits (1/2 & 3/8 master kits) (never broke for the lifetime warranty) & love them. I own snap-on chrome sockets. My mid-lengths are Sunex. My axle sockets 6 pionts are Matco & 12 points are ATD from Tooltopia.

thank you for the stickers they came today

Tekton is not a bad option with good warranty. I have sk that is over 30 years old never broke one. Sunex is also good. My choices were snap on Mac and Sears there were no other choices. We used to get the big truck come to town with cheap tools. Great vid

Pretty good talk. I have a lot of Snap On, Mac, S-K, Craftsman and others. There is a brand that is the only Industrial Hand tool Manufacturer in Canada that is called Gray Tools. My 3/4 Drive Stuff is from them. Great Rollers and Chests too. Lifetime Warranty. These folks are Good.

I like Made in USA so I went with Wrightgrip wrenches on Amazon. They have an 18 piece set with gripping teeth on the open end. Can't wait for the delievery date!

I would recommend getting the biggest package of Harbor Freight mechanics set that you can afford. Then replace it with the brands that he mentions. So many mechanics use Harbor Freight and they continue to do so.

Carlyle are great wrenches,craftsman makes a great amp clamp Dvm, harbor freight sells a great test light.

Great video. I love my 3/8 sunex master impact set. $125 for 7-22 in shallow, deep and swivel. I know, why would you need a 22mm 3/8 universal? First day I had them I needed to put a camber bolt in a civic. Without that socket I would have had to take the alignment head off, remove the wheel, put it back together and recompensate.

Look into th he Milwaukee line of tools. Their stuff is top notch now... maybe not the warranty, but good stuff.