And we think of Snap-On as the top dawg..

"Grindintosecond" (Grindintosecond) 12/13/2019 at 14:59 • Filed to: None

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Meet Germany’s Stahlwille. Produced for seriously high end and aviation grade work with an unbreakable finish that won’t blind you in bright shops. Thats like a satin nickel over chrome I think..This 22 pc socket set is just under $800 usd...in Europe. Getting this over to the US practically doubles the price. But imagine the number of likes you would get on your instagram and youtube channel! You gotta love the mechanical Germans.

M.T. Blake > Grindintosecond 12/13/2019 at 15:10

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Someone is going to spend $800 to make $50 on their YouTube video now.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Grindintosecond 12/13/2019 at 15:11

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I didn’t catch your post yesterday - is this what you landed on?!?  

I have mostly Craftsman sockets, as well as a nice set of 12 pt Snap- on shallows I rescued. But I would vote SK if you can swing it.  I lost my good SK 3/8 wrench recently, fell out of my pocket at the landfill (I need it to take the side off and unload my trailer) and I about cried, it was my grandfathers. But I think the wifey is coming through for Christmas for me.

Aremmes > Grindintosecond 12/13/2019 at 15:12

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$800, and not a single six-point socket .

For Sweden > Grindintosecond 12/13/2019 at 15:13

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Think of how many wing boxes contain lost Stahl wille sockets.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Grindintosecond 12/13/2019 at 15:17

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This is just straight up tool porn.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Aremmes 12/13/2019 at 15:17

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Yeah that is disturbing. 

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > Aremmes 12/13/2019 at 15:17

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That’s a feature, is it not?  Especially because German cars love the 12-pt

slipperysallylikespenguins > Grindintosecond 12/13/2019 at 15:19

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Interesting, I’ve got a bunch of older Stahwille stuff including a 3/4" drive ratchet. Never realized it was worth much.

promoted by the color red > Grindintosecond 12/13/2019 at 15:24

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But does Snap-on offer a socket & torx set in the form of an advent calendar?

https://www.kctoolco.com/stahlwille-advent-calendar-2019/?ctk=79205ede-4443-4fe1-982c-2ba30f633f59

Tripper > Grindintosecond 12/13/2019 at 15:30

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Wowzers! I love how they put it in a “nothing” box too. Super cool.

Chinny Raccoon > Grindintosecond 12/13/2019 at 15:31

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I’ve got a few bits and pieces, it’s nice stuff. There’s other German brands like Gedore, Heyco and Padre that aren’t that well known either. Amazon sometimes clear it out at silly prices so I stock up then.

Grindintosecond > Aremmes 12/13/2019 at 15:33

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well....another $800 and you can have the 6 point socket kit.

Grindintosecond > Snuze: Needs another Swede 12/13/2019 at 15:34

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Its what I found out there. I’m not landing on this by far, holy cow. I’m gonna probably pop for a Gearwrench 68 pc. set. SK would be my favorite high dollar kit but it doesn’t make much sense given what I do and how often. Unless the wife says,”Oh, no it’s okay. You can have that....just let me have a $$$$$$$ and a $$$$$$$ and that’ll be good!”

Grindintosecond > Chinny Raccoon 12/13/2019 at 15:38

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I just saw a 19pc Stahlwille set on Amazon for a bit over $200, so some of there more plebian offerings are something “affordable”. That set above is one of their finest

Snuze: Needs another Swede > M.T. Blake 12/13/2019 at 15:39

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I already ordered it.  Now I need to figure out how to YouTube...

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Grindintosecond 12/13/2019 at 15:45

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I think the Gearwrench would be perfect. I have some of their box wrenches and ratcheting wrenches and I’m generally very happy with them. The S K I lost was a 3/8ths drive, so basically my go to, so I would like to have another one.

I’ve already broken a lot of Craftsman crap (Crapsman?). I have some older tools I got from my father and grandfather that are nice, but a lot of my newer Craftsman stuff has been disappointing. Moving forward I’m trying to buy nicer tools like SK, but only as I add/replace things that are lost/broken . That or if it’s something I know I won’t use much I just buy used on FB or CL, or go estate sale hunting, or just get it at Harbor Freight and save the $$$.  

Also, I bought the Mrs. a new laptop for Xmas, so I’m hoping she can spring for an wrench.

slipperysallylikespenguins > Chinny Raccoon 12/13/2019 at 15:47

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Knipex is another top notch German brand

M.T. Blake > Snuze: Needs another Swede 12/13/2019 at 15:49

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You’ve done the easy part, now you need an alternative persona with a cool name.

Grindintosecond > Snuze: Needs another Swede 12/13/2019 at 15:58

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check your pawn shops too for the older usa made craftsman bits. I’ll slowly do that so my leftovers can make a fairly complete travel kit for the mini once i get it all together again.

I wonder what Craftsman could sell for if it was US made again. I’ll look into that when I win the powerball.

kanadanmajava1 > Grindintosecond 12/13/2019 at 16:13

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My favorite tool company is ( French) Facom. Like Stah lwille and Snap-O n these are also very expe nsive, high quality and here they are only sold by specialty tool shops .

Snuze: Needs another Swede > M.T. Blake 12/13/2019 at 16:28

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My alternate persona is Lil Earl. H e’s from the Appalachians in W estern Maryland. His grandpappy owned a country-western bar and collected Econolines. Earl’s the son of a tradesman , drives a Chevy, drinks whiskey, and can shoot a squirrel dead between the eyes at 200 yards.

I’m not sure if this would be the best content  or the worst content.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Grindintosecond 12/13/2019 at 16:31

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Pawn shops are another good one! Though I live in suburbia right outside of DC. Most people here are wealthy enough to pay for someone to do their manual labor for them. So when grandpa kicks the bucket, they unload tools cheap so one of the best bets around here is a t estate sales. The only problem is finding metric stuff is tricky because grandpa was probably wrenching on stuff before the auto industry adopted those infernal communist units.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Grindintosecond 12/13/2019 at 16:34

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Honest question, are high end sockets worth it? Most of my stuff is off the shelf at an auto parts store or Husky. I’ve only screwed up my hex set with Husky and it has a lifetime warranty. I just walked into the store and swapped it out.

I get power tools, but ratchets...sockets....What’s the advantage of high end?

Aremmes > Grindintosecond 12/13/2019 at 16:39

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Probably a yearly subscription, available only if you buy the top trim level with the advanced attachment package.

Grindintosecond > Future next gen S2000 owner 12/13/2019 at 16:41

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I hear ya. What I understand, is that the chrome plating...the protection and hardening, should be inside as well and the cheap ones don’t have that or are pretty roughly done. Chipping, flaking, etc. So there’s that but then with a warranty and easy access to the store makes up for that, if your job isn’t depending on everything holding together, then its a decent part I guess. I’ve rounded corners inside bad 12pt sockets before and if my job needed that socket, and the nut is stuck in it.....well....what am I gonna do if the store is closed then.

Probably user error, but a good hardened socket with protection wouldn’t have done that as badly. So I guess mission critical sockets are worth it. If you’re not stuck in the garage on a jack with a lug nut stuck in the only socket you have that fits (happened!)...well....then anything should do.

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > Future next gen S2000 owner 12/13/2019 at 16:51

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For a home user, almost never. Grey Pneumatic and Sunex are excellent budget brands. For a professional, it starts to become a question of “Does this tool make you money?” and “How much would it cost to be without it?” That is where the higher end tools start to make a lot of sense. When that extra little bit of quality control, metallurgy, and consistency, really is worth hundreds of dollars.

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > Snuze: Needs another Swede 12/13/2019 at 16:52

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Gearwrench’s 120xp ratchets really are amazing. I got a set for christmas a few years back, used the hell out of them when pulling my Corvair’s engine, didn’t even think about grabbing an air wrench.

M.T. Blake > Snuze: Needs another Swede 12/13/2019 at 17:07

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Either way I’d pull up a seat and shoot whiskey with him. 

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. 12/13/2019 at 17:17

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I don’t have the 120XP, just some regular ones, but they are good tools.  

Snuze: Needs another Swede > M.T. Blake 12/13/2019 at 17:23

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Well, that’s actually fairly autobiographical.  I just pretend to be a normal person most of the time.  So pull up a seat, I’ll get the bottle. 

Future next gen S2000 owner > Grindintosecond 12/13/2019 at 17:30

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I’ve never like 12 pt for that reason. I always try to buy 6 pt.

lone_liberal > Future next gen S2000 owner 12/13/2019 at 17:32

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I have had a HF box end wrench break on me while only applying light force so while I don’t think it’s worth it for a typical home wrencher to go all Snap-On I mostly stay away from the dirt cheap unless it’s something that will only rarely be used. 

dogisbadob > Grindintosecond 12/13/2019 at 17:38

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ohhhh ok :p

I thought this was going to be a shitpost about Harbor Freight’s knockoffs lol

cluelessk > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. 12/13/2019 at 17:42

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Even Sunex is fine for most mechanics.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Grindintosecond 12/13/2019 at 17:47

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Stahlwille is awesome. A lot of our special tools are made by them. Or Hazet.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Aremmes 12/13/2019 at 17:48

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These are so good you don't need 6 point.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > slipperysallylikespenguins 12/13/2019 at 17:49

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I llllooooooooooooovvvvvvveeeeeee knipex

TheFoeYouKnow > Future next gen S2000 owner 12/13/2019 at 18:27

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I can't speak to this kind of high end, but I pay extra for snap on, not because they don't break, but because when they do, snap on comes to me. Forever. And as a pro, my duty cycle is much more intense. Husky, s-k, craftsman, these tools last a day or 2 in my environment. We consider them "sacrificial". 

His Stigness > Grindintosecond 12/13/2019 at 18:50

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Interesting, I have some Stahlwille stuff I’ve ordered from Amazon.de or Amazon.co.uk and it’s always been cheaper than Hazet, which I’ve found to be the German version of Snap-On, just much, much better. 

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Future next gen S2000 owner 12/13/2019 at 19:27

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As a homeowner little. But as a question of is a stripped bolt going to stop my operation very important

HammerheadFistpunch > Future next gen S2000 owner 12/13/2019 at 19:35

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I think it’ s one of those things where the price increases exponentially, and quality improvement decreases linearly. A $800 socket set might be only twice as good as a $100 one for example.  That being said, if your living is made on those tools, or its life or death...

HammerheadFistpunch > Future next gen S2000 owner 12/13/2019 at 19:36

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my feelings exactly.  6pt all the way.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Future next gen S2000 owner 12/13/2019 at 19:39

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Everything. Finishes, strength , made from better grades of steel, dimensional tolerances, quality and durability of mechanisms. I’ve got an old 3/8th’s Snap-On ratchet left over from my professional wrench turning days that cost around $200. It is a stunningly good tool, and it will still be a great tool when my grandchildren have it in their tool boxes.

That said, the only way you can really justify owning high-end tools is when you’re making a living with them. A good quality, off the shelf (say Craftsman ‘professional’ line ) ratchet would last me a couple of months in daily use back when I was turning wrenches for a living. After about the third or fourth time warrantying a Craftsman profession/kobalt tool at the store, even if it didn’t cost money it costs time, i t wasn’t hard the give the tool guy big money for tool that will have a lifespan of from now on when he stopped by the shop the next week.

If you’re not turning wrenches for a living, don’t bother. You’ll never get enough use out of them to justify the investment.

winterlegacy, here 'till the end > Future next gen S2000 owner 12/13/2019 at 20:03

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The adage seems to be “if it breaks, pay more for higher quality”.

For most of us wrenching in garages, the H arbor F reight dime-a-dozens will work just fine until we can pay up for something a little more name-brand.

For professionals though... that’s the market that these guys focus on.

MM54 > HammerheadFistpunch 12/13/2019 at 22:12

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I’ve always been in this camp as well, the only time a 12pt should be used is on a 12pt bolt.

That said, because of the above I’ve shunned 12 point sockets. Building the engine for the Chevelle I’m using a lot of ARP hardware... with 12pt heads. I’ve had to run out and buy a couple pretty common sockets...

DrRocks0 > Grindintosecond 12/14/2019 at 00:42

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I’ll weigh in on this. 20 year mechanic with 150K of tools. For a non daily user it’s not a big deal, but remember a professional uses those tools 40-60 hours a week for years. That worn down cheap socket that rounds off that #$-_$@ bolt waaay back behind that cylinder head just cost you hours while you try to figure a way to get it off. Pay for quality, and a truck to come to you to replace worn and broken stuff is worth it.

My advice fir isa hobbyist is spend money on anything that ratchets, electric impacts, and a good Allen socket set. The rest get what’s in your budget.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > lone_liberal 12/14/2019 at 01:01

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Rule of thumb is to stay away from ANYTHING in HF with a shiny bright finish on it... especially the sockets and the jacks.

On the other hand, the grey impact 1/2" sockets with   long breaker bars from HF are my standard issue for my tow rigs. Makes a huge difference in muscling tires off the trailers at inopportune times.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Future next gen S2000 owner 12/14/2019 at 01:02

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Yeah, I have this bias... Saw the 12-point pattern and cooled my jets a lot.

I’m sure they are epic good quality... but 12-point?

Bobby > Future next gen S2000 owner 12/14/2019 at 01:35

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In aviation everything is 12 point.  In my shop, a ton of new imports are also going 12 point.  A deep 12 point metric set is crucial, in all 3 sets.

Cé hé sin > Grindintosecond 12/14/2019 at 07:08

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I’ve only ever bought socket sets (I’ve had t o buy a 3/8 one because the original 1/4 wasn’t up to the Torx sockets I nee ded) i n Halfords. Prob ably made in China but then so is the iPad I’m typing this on....

Todd > Grindintosecond 12/14/2019 at 08:19

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I’m a auto mechanic and its a 12 point set....useless for heavy use. Ger man automob iles are the most despised by mechanics...keep that in mind

Todd > Future next gen S2000 owner 12/14/2019 at 08:20

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no they aren't unless you use them professionally

Old-Busted-Hotness > Future next gen S2000 owner 12/14/2019 at 13:38

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Me too, and then I find myself faced with 12-point fasteners. 

atfsgeoff > Grindintosecond 12/14/2019 at 14:31

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I love my Stahlwille DBE deep offset wrenches. Outstanding satin chrome finish. The broaching is dead-center on every one.

They fit in all kinds of weird places where regular box wrenches and even swivel sockets don’t fit.

Steve in Manhattan > Grindintosecond 12/14/2019 at 22:26

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Yes, but Snap-On rolls up to your shop and sells you what you need. My uncle was a Snap-On guy for a while. The truck was packed with great stuff.