I don't know where you're at, but I've been buying my tools at Canadian
Tire. I keep an eye on their weekly fliers and it seems like every week
they have a couple of hand tools/sets on for half price. The
Mastercraft stuff seems ok, and they have a really good warranty (I've
heard from lots of people that they have a no-questions-asked exchange
policy if you have a broken Mastercraft tool and you take it back to the
store. I have yet to break anything, so I don't know first-hand).

Like you mentioned, I'd love to be able to just give the Snap-On guy a
call and tell him to hook me up with all the tools I need, but that's
not going to happen. Not anytime soon anyway. (I went through a
600 page Snap-On catalog last night and man, do they have some nice
stuff. Especially the tool boxes).

Anyway, the prices on Canadian Tire stuff seem like good "bang for the
buck". I guess that's what you were really asking, huh? This is
just MVHO and YMMV.

And congrats on the toolbox. 19 drawers! No wonder you're in the
market for some tools to fill it up!

chem

The Hurdy Gurdy Man wrote:
I know the issue of who makes the best hand tools has been rehashed many
times here in the past (generally consisting of a list of who makes better
stuff than Sears/Craftsman), but I'm wondering whose tools would provide the
best bang for the buck. I ask because I just purchased a really nifty
rolling tool chest at Costco (I believe it's a 19 drawer unit, all ball
bearing supported, with drawer liners included and made entirely out of 304
stainless, definitely looks nice in the garage!) and want to fill it with
new tools. Can't go contaminating a new tool chest with old tools, right?
And seeing as I'm single, I don't have to justify my logic to anyone.

Craftsman has a 240-something piece tool set that looks like it'd be what I
want, and the price doesn't seem so bad for what it is... around $300 or so.
And for the types of things I do the Craftsman stuff would be sufficient
enough, even though I'd like something better... but price is definitely an
issue. Craftsman quality aside, are there any other tool sets out there
that are a better value for the cost? I haven't been too pleased with the
Husky tools I've used, and the Stanley stuff I've used seems alright but the
price never seems to be as good... oh sure, I'd love to plunk down the
change for a nice Snap-On or Mac or Matco or whatever set, but I just can't
justify that. And short of doing a successful stint on Monster Garage, I
can't see a better value around. Does anyone have any other preferred hand
tool vendors that I've overlooked? Something with a Craftsman-grade
warranty (or better), but with a suitable amount of quality for the price?
Thanks in advance for any advice!

Bryan