S-K tools closing doors?

[bimmer630]

I've heard rumours that the SK tool company has been fined by the EPA for polluting the ground with their tool chroming process.
I guess they were having troubles already from a strike last year and werent able to recover..
some guys "in the know" have told me its the end of SK. I think another company will buy it up.. and I hope, because I own alot of their stuff and I'd like to keep my lifetime warranty

[b*saint]

How big is your set?

[mrsleeve]

hope not, I have been buying lots of SK in the last few years to replace all the craftsman in my box that I dont really like.

If so I guess its time to bite the bullet and start buying more Snap-on when I need shit.

[bimmer630]

Its not a "set".. I own tools from all kinds of companies, snapon mac proto cornwell facom SK matco craftsman etc... pretty much a little of everything. I wrench for a living and I have doubles of most of the basic handtools, one set for home and most of it is the cheaper but still quality SK stuff. I do use SK at work too and break a socket here and there.
having a lifetime tool warranty is pretty much essential when working on cars

[BillBrasky]

I heard the same rumor when I asked my local tool store about why they were no longer carrying SK.

[Rigmaster]

Not sure about them going out of business, but a few months ago they implemented a new $5 per tool "service charge" for any tool that needs to be replaced under warranty.

Now, I like SK tools, but it's BS to charge $5 to get a socket or some other small tool warrantied. Might be worth it for a ratchet or other more pricey tool, otherwise they can suck it.

[Skafrog]

which is a shame because they have the best feeling wrenches on the market.

[SpecRaceM5]

I heard from my Snap-on distributor at work that SK was temporarily ending their life time warranty because they were in the hole and needed to save money where ever they could. I guess lifetime now days means the lifetime of the company, not the product they sell. I try and get mostly Snap-on stuff seeing as they are one of the biggest professional tool manufacturers in the states and probably won't be going anywhere any time soon. I do however have many craftsman tools from when I started working on cars as a hobby, and have a few tools from other brands as well. I know everyone has their brand, and I'm just glad that mine wasn't SK at the moment.

[b*saint]

I wish the Mac guy came around more.

[SpecRaceM5]

I wish the Mac guy came around more.

I agree. I like my Snap-on tools, but I have a 1/4" Mac air ratchet that is the shit and a few guys at work have some Mac stuff that seems pretty legit.

[der affe]

in the past 10 years or so Snap-on's quality has gone down and others like Mac (who is owned by Stanley BTW) and Matco has risen drastically. unfortunately for Snap-on, their prices have stayed high while the competition is now a WAY better bargan for the $.

if i can a tool that is 89% as good as the Snap-on for 50% or so the $ and both have a lifetime warrenty, guess which one i am buying??? i'll take that savings and buy more tools with it!

[Farbin Kaiber]

Yeah, I've been doing Matco over Snap-On (because of pricing) and Mac (because of the Stanley).

[bimmer630]

which is a shame because they have the best feeling wrenches on the market.

NOT


Their wrenches suck man! the open ends spread like crazy. The chrome does feel good in your hand but not as nice as a snapon wrench. I even prefer the box shape of the mac wrenches over the sk crap. their other tools are cool though

[bimmer630]

Mac was better before the stanley take over, I think.. Im not sure how long stanley has been calling the shots but when it was just mac and proto, the stuff was all US made and high quality.
now the mac guy is offering cheaper tools, which they probably had to do to stay in buisness.. but the stuff is made in taiwan most of the time.. a normal 1/2 drive socket set from mac is about 350 bucks while the ones that dont say "usa" on them are only 100 bucks

[der affe]

e majority of everyones tools are made in China anymore. some have the raw forgings made in China the finsh machined in the US.

the big problem i have with snap-on is that they still claim 100% made in the USA which is just not true.
the price of tools from them does not reflect that though.

i have a 20mm -24mm wrench set that is SK. it is not too bad, but it is in odd large sizes that i do not use very often or are submitted to lots of abuse. i just could not justify paying for a MATCO set in something that was not going to see tons of use.