I received a curious email today, asking about any connections between Snap-on and Harbor Freight Tools.
They wrote:
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Hello, I am an assistant to a Snap-on mobile dealer. I’ve had a few guys get on the truck in recent weeks and say “Snap-on is owned by harbor freight,” but I can’t seem to find anything about ties connecting these two companies. Can you confirm or deny this for me?
To my knowledge, NO, Snap-on is NOT in any way, shape, or form owned by Harbor Freight Tools.
Snap-on is a part of Snap-on Incorporated, which is a publicly-traded company with symbol SNA. In other words, individuals and institutions hold shares of the company in the same way as with other publicly-traded brands such as Coca Cola, Apple, Home Depot, and Stanley Black & Decker.
Harbor Freight is a privately-owned company.
I could not find any known, acknowledged, or suspected connections between the two companies.
While in theory Harbor Freight Tools could own shares in Snap-on Incorporated, that’s not what would be implied by “Snap-on is owned by Harbor Freight.”
This is an unsubstantiated falsity, one that’s no more true than the idea of Home Depot owning Lowe’s.
There are April Fools Day jokes on public forums every few years, about Snap-on buying parts of Harbor Freight, or Harbor Freight owning Snap-on, but none of that is true, at least not to my knowledge.
There have been lawsuits between the two companies, and Harbor Freight often “compares” their tools to Snap-on’s higher-priced offerings in marketing language.
Unless anyone can come form with concrete information, it’s safe to say that NO, Harbor Freight does NOT own Snap-on Tools.
Jim Felt says
To badly paraphrase a rather famous cinema line “The absurdity is strong with this one”…
Angelika Little says
The new icon hand tools and tool boxes are Only compared to snap-on Throughout the store. With lifetime warranties on the icon name, and the quality of the tool- no absurdity found here!
Bob Barley says
There is probably some garbage meme going around on Facebook….where the guys get their ‘news’
Roy says
Someone told me that some tool boxes are the same as snap-on and made by the same Chinese company. Look into this for yourself
Randy Loyd says
Very comparable but not the same. My buddy has all snap on tools tucked away in a I believe 72″ u.s. general box. I ask him why and he says “I bought it if the snap on truck” I then asked, no it’s harbor freight brand. He chuckled and says it was traded in to snap on truck. The guy told him it that’s it’s equally as good as a snap on box
Plain grainy says
I posted down below about this. There’s a YouTube video comparing HF to Snap on’s Blue Point tool carts. Both were quite similar., but not exactly the same. Both were made in China. The SO Blue Point Cart was $6-700 higher.
Mike Green says
All Snap-on tool boxes are made in Algona Iowa in a Snap-on facility
Monty says
Not true. I’ve seen several of their boxes made in Canada.
Plain grainy says
This tool cart was from Snap on’s lower tier tool line(Blue Point). Their regular main tool line boxes are probably not in China.
Scott says
Snap-on Roll Cabs are made in Algona Iowa. USA!
LC says
There was a survey of sorts, conducted; in Nov 2016 I understand, that showed, that there are a lot of people ready to believe almost anything. The more outrageous and unlikely the better. We’re doomed.
Wayne R. says
Well said.
Matt J. says
I can believe that. Waiiiiiittttt a minute……
Andy Hong says
?
Frank D says
Shocking that people actually believe urban myth like stuff.
Dom says
I believe the questions arise from the new icon line looking almost identical to snap on sockets. Compare the deep sockets next to each other and everything from the plastic molded case is almost identical, however the snap on sockets are marked with a USA stamp next to the item number and the icon are not as they are made over seas.
Plain grainy says
Could be HF is a major stockholder.
fred says
SnapOn is a publicly traded corporation. They regularly publish who their major stockholders are. Eric Smidt ( the owner of Harbor Freight) is not among them (mostly institutional investors – with Vanguard leading the group)
Robert says
Duh. The illuminati own everything so…
Mr. Illuminati says
No I don’t ?
Plain grainy says
As far as HF targeting Snap On in ads. I think HF is focused on DIY customers. HF knows their attack ads won’t affect Snap Ons business oriented customers at all.
So Cal Man says
Interesting! I have been a Snap-On customer since 95′. Needed some stubby’s an sockets in SAE and went with ICON. Is it affecting Snap-On? I believe so, at least to the to the tune of about $700 on this transaction. These other companies are chipping away at the market S-O once dominated. The issue for S-O is that foreign companies now have equivalent manufacturing capacities and hand tool technology is not some big secret. Snappy better come up with a good a good strategy because us older tech’s are being replaced by a generation with more options.
Astrobuf says
HF’s low end lines are poor quality,but their newer high end products are quite good. My favorite pro mechanic Eric O at South Main Auto uses some of the better HF tools: Earthquake impacts and a few others.
Personally, I am a semi pro. I can and do pretty much anything from oil changes to engine and tranny rebuilds. I recently replaced a dead torque wrench with an Icon clicker. Very happy.
Toolfreak says
The justification I’ve heard is mainly from those who think HF’s ratchets, particularly the soft handles, and some other tools have the same appearance as SO, therefore they are actually the same ratchets, from the same company, and so HF is just selling the same tools at a higher price to those other people with the SO branding. I’ve also heard the same about HF tools really being Matco/Gearwrench/Danaher/APEX/etc. and the power tools really being made by Dewalt/Milwaukee/etc.
Thing is, these people have never held both tools in their hands side-by-side, or maybe never even held another ratchet at all, and seen for themselves that the SO/GW ratchets are much more compact. They only look similar in images where the size difference isn’t apparent, not to mention the difference in metallurgy and internal mechanisms.
I’d guess this is just some kind of reverse tool snobbery of certain people who shop at HF who do mental gymnastics to make themselves feel superior to buyers of more expensive tools , i.e. ‘I’m smarter because I’m getting the same tools at a lower price.’, rather than a more reasonable ‘I’m getting tools that do the job and have a lower price because that works for me.’
Charlie D says
Just like dog/cat food brands, you’d be surprised what is made where with just different branding.
CJ says
I think you hit it right on the head if you heald the 2 brands in your hand and used them you would immediately throw one away! I think it’s just ignorant.
Peter S. says
Hey CJ, I’ve owned snap on all my life , have a very successful Bus & Truck facility with three locations in N.Y. with over 80 employees, and I my self still turn wrenches, I can tell you for sure that harbor freight tools of today are just as good as Snap-on, wrenches, sockets, ratchets, pliers, toolboxes, service equipment, welders, ECT, I have all different tools in my three shops and I can tell you that the harbor freight does just as well, that a fact. Also if you knew anything about the tools , Snap – On for years just put there name on everyone’s tools except for ratchets, sockets, wrenches and screwdrivers. So don’t be so proud to think your snap on is so great, there not, today there are many good tool manufacturers, wake up smell the coffee save your money
Mike (the other one) says
LOL. HF and Snap-On are in two different universes.
I could see how a ‘Snap-on is owned by Williams’ rumor could go around, but come on.
Mark Georgeff says
Williams and blue point are divisions of snap on..
Freddy says
I was wondering how long it would take someone to put Snap On and Williams in the same sentence. It’s like saying Hank 3 sounds like his grandpa — Bullshit.
fred says
J H Williams was acquired by SnapOn in 1993
Mike Green says
incorrect. SNAP-ON Owns Blue Point/Williams.
Mike (the other one) says
I know, that’s why I said it would be believable that Williams would own Snap-on.
B Paul says
You have that backwards, Williams is a Snap On industrial brand
Mike (the other one) says
Yes, that’s common knowledge. I’m saying the rumor that circulates is backwards.
Joel Quinn says
So anyone wanna talk about Par X? Ever hear of them? I was a mechanic from 88 to 98. Started with Craftsman then bought my first set of screwdrivers f Snap-on. I still droll over my tools especially the 749 fine tooth ratchet. Anyway ya cant beat Snap-on for quality and i believe that till this day…… So, Par X was around many moons ago and was Snap-on. Snap-on….mmm i love saying it, Snap-on, thinking it, Snap-on, typing it, Snap-on….snaponsnapon….oh sorry. Glock….i better go. Later
Billy Teague says
I’ve been a super heavy mechanic for 30 years and snap off is without doubt the easiest to break piece of crap. But that’s how bad their quality is now, but if you go back to anything pre 75 it’s the highest quality but we’re not in 75 little buddy so you go play with your shiny turds and I will keep using anything but snap off, oh yeah I like the sound of that snap off, snap off, snapthatshitoff.
Good day
Pete says
Their icon line is lifetime but no way compared to snap on or matco tools. Hf is good to start off with and work your way to real Tools that don’t break.
James says
Doesn’t matter what tools you have, use them and they will eventually break. Just have to make more return trips to exchange the tools at HF as they aren’t delivered from a truck.
fred says
Therein lies some of the appeal of the SnapOn sales strategy:
Sell tools that have a reputation and history for being premium products.
Bring the tools (and the sales pitch) right to the workplace – mostly via small business franchisee tool truck operators.
Provide a lifetime warranty and then bring replacements for any tools having issues to the workplace.
Provide revolving credit plans – that help promote sales.
chad w says
Snap on tools just as often as any other tools. Dont be a fool.
chad w says
Oops- *snap on tools break just as often
Ola Crawford says
I’ve got a drawer full of snap-on broken stuff . Everything fails ..
Depends on how you use it .
Have good ones and bad ones . Have made in Taiwan 1/2″ drive rachet I’ve put 5′ pipe on for leverage and 100’s of times and still works fine . 15 years later .
The only thing I go to snap-on for anymore is specialized equipment.
Scanners and the odd specialty tool .
It’s all In How you use them .
Gordon says
About 10 years ago I had an argument with a bartender about whether or not the local craft breweries were owned by Labatt. He was adamant that they used small corporations to hide the transfer of money so no one would get upset about them not being craft. Problem is, I knew many of the owners that supposedly took these payouts and pretended to run the brewery. Not a single one of them, let alone the half dozen or so, would have been able to keep their mouth shut about it.
Big news like this doesn’t get hushed up.
Eric Schmidt (Owner of HF) is worth between $3-5 billion. Snap-on’s market cap is around $8 billion. That’s too big of a difference to hide.
Patrick says
Eric Smidt owns Harbor Freight. Eric Schmidt is the former CEO of Google.
Bob Barley says
That is a different Eric Schmidt…The ceo and son of the guy who started Harbor Freight – Eric Schmidt has nothing to do with Google…This is precisely how information like the topic gets spread around people posting garbage without doing 5 minutes of fact checking.
Patrick says
Fact checking you say?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Smidt
“Eric L. Smidt is an American businessman. He is Chairman and CEO of Harbor Freight Tools”
And from the Harbor Freight about us page, https://www.harborfreight.com/about-us
“Eric Smidt,
Owner and Founder
Harbor Freight Tools”
Smidt != Schmidt.
Gordon says
You’re right, That was an auto-correct mistake.
Tracy says
As someone who use to build the tools for Snap-On, the union destroyed the company. Where I made the tools, nothing is left except the parking lot. The Union ran the company and no one would get fired. I use to watch employees in the polish department throw tools out the door because they didn’t want to work them.
As I use to run tools for them, the that steel was from China and pitted so bad that I had to grind the stamping off and get them re-stamped. Harbor Freight in most of thier tools are as good as Snap-on and the steel comes from the same place. China. Why do you pay so much for Snap-on tools? Because they are totally mismanaged. You are paying for a Union not a tool.
Shane says
Which manufacturing plant did you work at for Snap on?
craigl says
Unions are the worst! Corporate executives are the real heroes.
Plain grainy says
Well I worked my entire career in a unionized company. My company flourished and made great lives for their working family’s. I think there was more at play at your factory’s troubles. My guess would be astronomical business & property tax rates. And environmental laws that your company couldn’t afford to comply with. Most of the bad mouthing about the union at my plant, usually came from workers the union bailed out. They were forced by management & union officials to enter drug programs, or other rehab. Then spent the rest of their working life berating the union for not getting them off completely free.
Plain grainy says
As of 2016 snap on had total assets of $4.7 billion. Total assets of 2.6 billion.
Plain grainy says
Total assets $4.7 billion. Total equity of 2.6 billion for snap on as of 2016.
Plain grainy says
Snap on also distributes lower quality tools. Called Blue point brand. Perhaps this line is intermingled with some of HF tools.
Steve says
This started on that one garage forum I’m sure many of you are familiar with, it was an April Fool’s thread, “Harbor Freight buys Snap-on” a few years back. Since then it keeps coming up again and again. I saw it mentioned last week on a Dewalt owners FB group I’m in, complete with link. Whoever started it got more mileage from his April Fool’s joke than he could have ever imagined.
Kevin says
Well HF would be wise to own some stock in their portfolio. After all, SO tools have a 600% mark up by the time it reaches their consumers hands!! Think about that the next time you browse their trucks!!
Jim Felt says
Really? Any actual documentation? Or just your opinion?
After all everything single resale object has a “markup”.
Unless, of course, it’s stolen.
Plain grainy says
There’s a YouTube video comparing tool carts from HF & Snap on’s Blue point. Both were similar except in price. HF cart was$200+, Blue point around $900.00. Both were made in China.
fred says
Some real info instead of fake news:
https://money.cnn.com/quote/shareholders/shareholders.html?symb=SNA&subView=institutional
Plain grainy says
A lot of institutional buying. Perhaps a buyout or merger is in the works.
CJ says
I own alot of snap on, blue point and some crude harbor freight tools. That’s the nicest thing I can say about them. No Comparison.
Clayton Bower says
Snap on makes bluepoint and kobalt and nothing else
Stuart says
They don’t make Kobalt tools.
B Paul says
Kobalt at one time when they first started the brand were made by Williams, a Snap On industrial brand. I have a bunch! (Need ratchet repair kits I can’t find) Soon after that, the contract expired and most tool manufacturing went to China with a couple of exceptions there were some USA made wrenches sold until 5-6? years ago not sure what else.
OhioHead says
I own a big set of Williams made Kobalt ratchets & sockets (circa 2004-2005) from clearance, I dread the day anything breaks.
Matt J. says
Danaher also made sockets and wrenches for them at me point (between the Williams and Chinese phases).
Tim Johnson says
Yes HF owns Snap-On especially once SO went all China. Their tools are Garbage now and they have a bunch of fanboys who likely have cataracts and can’t tell the difference between USA and May tools and China made tools. The thing that’s funny to me is how all of these commoners above me are talking about how great snap-on is when they just screw the USA just like all the rest of these so-called patriotic businesses. snap-ons been stealing people’s money for years and giving it right to the communist party isn’t that great? So harbor freight does own them they own them in that they don’t stick [beep] as far in the customers [beep] as snap-on does.
Anthony says
Exactly. I shop at Harbor Freight because they sell chinese stuff and at
least pass some of the cost savings to the customer vs these “American” tool companies that have all their stuff also made in china and just keep the profits for their executive tools.
Andy says
I’m not sure how you say they steal people’s money and give it to the communist party. They’re a publicly traded company. Any American that wants to can invest in Snap On and take part in the profits. Business exist for the owners, not the manufacturing vendors.
Jim Felt says
I doubt he’s read any annual reports or corporate balance sheets lately. (Okay. If ever).
Angelika Little says
This is just ignorant. Harbor Freight manufactures their own tools, and treat their employees much better. It’s the new age of affordable tools. And it’s a trend
NoahG says
This is the same nonsense as “Dewalt makes power tools to different standards depending on if they’re sold at a big box stores or a trades dealer, even if the part number is the same”
Jim Felt says
We live in “the age of opinions over facts”…
And obviously it’s reinforced hourly from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Sad and tragic.
Gordon says
I think that comes from some companies that actually do make exclusive items. Kohler for instance has certain models that are only sold at HD or Lowe’s, and some you can only get through their showroom. People claim that they are made to a different standard, but I don’t see a lot of proof of that. The expensive, and noticeable part, like the ceramic valve in a faucet is a generic part used in many different faucets. It would probably cost Kohler more money to make different versions than they would save. Not to mention all the tracking that would have to happen to make sure that 2 parts with the same part number go to the correct location. Most likely someone heard that you can only by the cheap products at HD or Lowe’s and they twisted that.
Justice says
I know that snap on and harbor frights beans Pittsburgh share the same warehouse as I worked at a Harbor Freight store and that’s what I was told by my store manager.
Anthony says
I am a Snap On Employee and he’ll no that’s a big negative in no way shape or form are we affiliated with Harbor Freight!
skfarmer says
wow…………..
i am surprised toolguyd even touched this subject. you had to know this would bring out all the wackadoodles and………………..it did.
Mark says
I was told by a HF employee that HF hired a Snap-On engineer and that’s the reason for the similarities in tools.
Santa Claus says
Lately, I have bought some Harbor Freight hand tools. When I put them in my tool boxes next to the Snap-On, Craftsman, and Mac tools that I have, I don’t see much difference. Plus, they all come with a lifetime guarantee just like the majors. I haven’t broken any yet. They seem well made. They are certainly not like the Harbor Freight tools from years ago.
MichaelT says
This is better than the Sunday paper comic strips
Jim Felt says
“Better” or just more absurd?
Johnpaul says
I earn money. I put money in the bank. I buy things. When I save money at Harbor Freight I keep more money in the bank to buy things. I am buying a Lamborghini soon. My Harbor Freight tools are guaranteed for life. Snapon tools are both tools and status items. Instead of paying three times the price for the status of Snapon I would rather have tools that function only as tools with absolutely zero status and put the money I save into the ultimate status of a Lamborghini. Everyone has their own values. One guy might have fortythousand dollars worth of Snapon tools and rent a trailer and drive a Pinto. I would rather gladly buy the low status tool and have enough money in the bank to buy a Cessna or a ChrisCraft. jus’ sayin’…
Billy Teague says
Sadly it’s not funny when the harbor freight tools are of much higher quality than snap-off but yet the price of snap-off is scandalous.
John says
We Americans are just stupid.
Rcward says
That is for sure dude
Plain grainy says
Many great inventors have endured many verbal beatings over their work. Stupid, a kook, nuts, just a few of the adjectives used. These inventors have greatly benefited society. We are lucky that not everyone thinks the same way. It has lead to many breakthroughs in history. I think the man who developed the cat scan or MRI endured a lot of negativity on his idea.
fred says
Actually -you may only be partly correct. The fellow that I had for quantum mechanics – won the Nobel prize for measuring and describing nuclear magnetic resonance – the underlying basis for NMRI (aka MRI). That work in 1938 had to wait upon the development of practical superconducting magnets to allow the phenomenon to be used in a practical (medical imaging) way.
Plain grainy says
That’s contrary to my research info. I found that images were usable at the start, limiting factor was slow computers. Resulting in test results often taking over a day to process. The man was berated by the X-ray & imaging people at first. They continuously improved the machine as time went on. The magnets you mention are probably one of the major improvements in the machines ongoing development.
Plain grainy says
This guy shared the Nobel Prize in 1979.
fred says
We are talking about 2 different people. Rabbi received his Nobel Prize in 1944 for his discoveries on NMR – the work having been reported on in 1938.
Plain grainy says
Yes i’m sorry, i misread your comment. The 1938 didn’t register with me at first.
Plain grainy says
Rabi developed a method to measure (NM) for his Nobel Prize. Then two physicists named Purcell & Bloch improved on his method for the 1952 Nobel Prize. If not for these three men’s technology contribution, Mr Houndfield’s MRI wouldn’t have been possible. All the articles I have read on the MRI failed to mention Rabi, Purcell or Bloch. They certainly laid the foundation for Mr Hounsfield’s invention.
Kevin says
Harbor freight does not own snap-on but amazon did purchase harbor freight for a very high price. Hell of a profit from a business that started in a storage unit in Camarillo California
Stuart says
Amazon did NOT acquire Harbor Freight.
fred says
I see some third-party sellers on Amazon who try to resell HF items at a mark-up. That hardly qualifies as logic for saying that Amazon owns HF. When you search on Amazon for Harbor Freight (Home Depot or Lowes too) – you can get some od listings.
BTW, the Amazon Prime vans that deliver packages in my neck of the woods are Mercedes-Benz sprinters. Applying some cuckoo logic – I might start a rumor that Amazon has bought out Mercedes – rather than saying that Amazon buys vans from Mercedes.
Jim Felt says
Bezos/Amazon has invested heavily in two full EV Sprinter size van companies.
fred says
Amazon is running TV Ads promoting their environmental policies. One talks about their plan for a zero carbon footprint – and features the EV van fleet that they have in the San Diego area. They don’t go beyond that layer of depth so you can’t tell if they charge the EV fleet batteries using renewable energy sources – or are just buying power off the SDGE grid. Anyway – tailpipe emissions should be zero.
ProAMT says
“The problem with quotes on the Internet is that it is hard to verify their authenticity. For example saying, ‘Snap-On is owned by Harbor Freight’ – clearly fake news made up by some hipster Matco wanker.”
~ Abraham Lincoln (source: the Internet)
JR3 Home Performance says
After reading some comments I have to wonder if this post just made the rumor that much more sticky. Subconscious is a powerful thing
fred says
Some people who half read what’s posted – may say “I read it on ToolGuyd – and I believe Stuart” – and “where there’s smoke there must be fire.” – then go on just spreading the falsehood. But others will just get a chuckle out of all of this and think about easily persuaded many of us have become.
Stuart says
How can one dispel a false rumor without discussion of it?
fred says
One can not.
It used to be a widely held belief that if you shined a strong enough light on something that was profoundly stupid or just plain wrong that you could dispel that idea. In this era of the internet and conspiracy theories, I’m not so sure that it still works. But that does not say that we should not keep trying to quash rumors and falsehoods – and I applaud you for trying.
west_seattle_wrench says
wow a lot of comments, some interesting misdirection i feel like. i think it’s pretty simple. you don’t have to be the same company to go to another and buy something from them. look at snapon stahlwille and bahco ratcheting screwdrivers. there are the same tool, just different paint, guess where it’s made? i snapon went to china and payed to have them make a million tool boxes to sell to the fanboys in the USA after they put on a snappy sticker and upcharge a few grand that kind of seems like business as normal nowadays.
Gordon says
Contract manufacturing is hardly the same as being owned by the same company. Snap-on has never hidden the fact that they contract out a lot of the ancillary products. The COO is disclosed for every product I’ve looked at.
Aaron says
I doubt harbor freight owns SO,or vise versa,but…if you worship SO, you’re in for a rude awakening. All these “Made in USA” tools are manufactured in China,one way or another. China can make the parts and they can be assembled or polished in the USA and they can say “Made in USA” and fanboys go crazy for it. These Chinese companies get contracts on different levels that build and/or manufacture huge and I mean huge quantities of tools etc. Some companies even design them with little to no input from the contractor. They then just stamp the part with a logo of the primary contractor,owning the original piece/design they can then sell it without the logo (that they don’t own) to another company. Thus you have the “same” tool. You see this with all the major brands oftentimes even having the same color scheme. But inside they are the same. No matter what, everything you buy will have something from China…you just pay for a name.
There’s a plethora of comparison videos testing these tools side by side and don’t act like HF is the only company to use different companies designs…they all do it. I own basically every brand of tool you can think of and use them daily,I know for a fact HF hand tools are tough..when I go to HF I get a Chinese made tool with whatever specs it claims. Because that’s what HF tells me,they have an honest business model. SO just blatantly lies and people love a sales pitch so much they eat it up and pay $600 for a $60 tool. To justify it,they have to say SO is the best,when in reality…it’s just another brand at this point.
And for reference,don’t think because something is Chinese it’s trash, because the majority of things you own are Chinese and its about the quality of each independent manufacturer. Your phones are made in China,TV’s,a large portion of your cars electronic components,lights etc. You name it. So if you’re truely “made in the USA” you probably only own 10 tools from the 50’s in a shack on the outskirts of town.
Gordon says
https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/complying-made-usa-standard
With both US Customs and the FTC ready to jump on any misuse, I can assure you that “made in the USA” means exactly what it says.
But if you have substantiated information to the contrary, there is an email and 1-800 number to notify the FTC.
George says
I can’t believe somebody would even fix their mouths to compare Harbor Freight To Snap-On tools Snap On tools are waaaaaaaaaaaaay better and higher quality. Now HF’s Icon brand is a huge step up in quality and those are comparable but the Pittsburgh stuff is for the birds.
Tim Johnson says
Snap-on used to be wayyyy better, now they are almost as great as the harbor freight stuff. You just wait till HF comes out with tool trucks and it will be curtains for SO and Matvo. You want great made in USA tools, then hit up garage/estate sales and buy snap-on and craftsman stuff from the pre-china great sellout expansion. The only thing I want from China is a hot oil massage with a happy ending, that is the only thing worth importing. And I want it cheap too. The majority of the clothes, gear and other stuff is now made in China. Support legitimate made in USA stuff only and send a message to the manufacturers that you want to buy it for life and from the USA. HF should open manufacturing facilities here in the US and put pressure on the other importers. China poisoned our babies with melamine baby formula, our pets and then unleashed a pandemic on the world. China is an evil empire and we should do everything in our power to not support their regime.
Jim Felt says
The de-industrialization of the US started with Wall Street’s ever increasing search for deals and subsequent profits. Main Street and Workers per se played nearly* no part in this except to ignore Congressional tax code modifications that benefited offshoring and the initial influx of Hedge Fund creation.
*Except if they were lucky maybe IRA mutual fund growth.
Mostly but not exclusively at the hands of the GOP.
But to this day it’s all the Chinese or whomever overseas fault.
Oh and the return of a more level industrial playing field decades after the end of WWII.
And need I mention the abject lack of universal health care that keeps American workers perpetually fiscally and health wise behind the balance of the First World?
Shawn says
The truth is that Wright Tools are the best and made in the USA!
OhioHead says
:medal post!
Bob says
HF makes *some* decent hand tools. They make all their tools to a price point. They are not to the same quality level of Snap On. Sorry they just are not. HF tools are predominately made in a country that has little respect for the environment, the worker, free enterprise, human rights and the list goes on.
When you factor in paying a living wage to US based workers manufacturing an extremely high quality product in the USA is it any wonder Snap On tools cost so much?
Its a free country and we are all free to purchase tools from wherever we like. I however will not be purchasing any tools from countries that blantantly don’t value human life or the environment or free trade. I encourage you all to do the same if at all possible.
To be clear I am no snap on fan boy. I think *some* of therir tools are ridiculously overpriced. Luckily we have other options. I for one am really hoping SBD-Craftsman makes good on their promise to manufacture handtools in their big Texas ( I think it’s Texas) plant they are building.
Also wasn’t one of the largest trade agreements to destroy the US industrial base, NAFTA , endorsed and eventualy signed into law by Bill Clinton. Just saying. We can blame D’s & R’s both pretty equaly for de-industrializing our country.
I guess we also have to blame ourselves the consumer. Most of us are just concerned about saving an extra few pennies on a purchase. Perhaps if we took a look where products are made and actually thought about the consequences of rewarding companies that will have goods manufactured in certain parts of the world we might not be in the mess we are in right now.
And obviously Snap On is owned by the iluminatti. How else but super secret alien technology could Snap On chrome stay to shiny for so long. Hahaha
Mark says
NAFTA actually was slight win for the US.
You can trace the fall of US industrialization to a number of Post WW2 factors…then Nixon. Oh…and Reagen put the nail in the coffin
Mark says
Oh…and NAFTA was negotiated by George Bush Sr. Google is your friend….; )
Laurence says
Not even close to the truth. Snap-on boxes are built in a Snap-on factory in Algona Iowa. People will believe anything these days.
MICAH TYLER says
I guess snap in got a 18v chicago electric impact driver available too.
Jerry Barnes says
Harbor Freight has some great tools as long as you don’t want to use them over twice in a heavy duty application!
Cjq says
They have numerous tools that fall under that category.
And they have numerous tools that are actually pretty damn good.
The Doyle and Icon lines are pretty damn good. (I’ve heard the Herc is good but never used).
I’d buy them everyday over SnapOn and twice on Sunday. I think snap on is so ridiculous and their quality is SEVERELY overstated. My brother, s friend and I owned a racing auto shop for about 10yrs as a side business basically to pay for our own race cars. And we broke 5-10 snapon for every craftsman/husky/kobalt.
As s matter of fact, I have one of those cheap $20 planers from Harbor Freight. I’ve had this thing for 20 years, and it still works as good as the first day I got it
John M says
A Corporation called Dannaher Owns Snap , craftsman, Matco and a few other well named tool brands .
Stuart says
No they don’t.
https://toolguyd.com/tool-brands-corporate-affiliations/
Fortive owns Matco Tools, Stanley Black & Decker owns Craftsman, Snap-on is owned by Snap-on – did you not read the article?
TonyT says
BTW, Fortive is a Danaher spin-off
Stuart says
True, but the spin-off happened in 2016.
Bob says
Dang it your right. Bush 41 WAS responsible for NAFTA.
Clinton was responsible for getting China into the World Trade Organization. This was the sell out that really put the nail in USA manufacturing.
Sorry the nineties were a blur.
I still maintain the illuminati owns Snap On.
On a serious note can we as consumers kick the habit of cheap disposable goods? I fear that ship has sailed. (Pun intended)
Jim Felt says
Yeah. Like those pesky cheapo annual iPhone upgrades.
I wish.
Dennis Thurman says
Thank GOD it’s not related to Harbor Freight, its still one
Of the few still made in USA.
Kat says
Harbor Freight tools sucks cause I know I use to work there
Dan Battaglia says
Slang terminology: To “Own” someone or something is to make them your “bitch”.
Used in a contextual sentence: “I owned that game!” Means that the player did so well there were no equal rivals playing at the time.
Stuart says
Okay, but in the context here, it’s being used in a literal sense with zero suggestion of slang usage.
Dan Battaglia says
Correct, however do we know that when it was originally said it was in the literal or slang? It sounds to me like it was said in slang and taken literally.
Stuart says
What are the chances that the dealer’s assistant misinterpreted what multiple customers were saying at different times, and that all of those customers were really saying they thought Harbor Freight tools were better than Snap-on, as they were on the truck to purchase new Snap-on tools?
Tim Johnson says
Snap on and Matco are going to be really biting the pillow once harbor freight gets to them with their tool trucks. You don’t think it’s going to happen? Of course it will and there’ll be nothing they can do, as these companies
built their business model around stealing US dollars and shipping it to oversee suppliers forever. At least harbor freight doesn’t pretend not to be a prostitute. Now it’s time for them to get what’s coming to them. The same fools that buy snap on and tell me how great the quality is are the same people that buy Levi’s made in China too. I would trust something made from Canada or Mexico over China any day. You know it’s bad when you when the only thing manufactured in America anymore are America haters and traitors. You know the same vermin who are out in the streets destroying everything that hard-working people built up.
Nathan says
I think a harbor freight tool truck would actually do well. I mean OK once a week they show up – even if you break your prized Icon ratchet – you get a new one. . . . .
and 1/3 the price of Snap on. And they come to your door weekly.
I could see that doing well even if only for the odd ball tools a person might need.
Meanwhile I bet I know where this comes from . Occasionally one of the tool trucks that comes to our hangar has HF stuff on it. I forget which one, we get a snap on, mac and cromwell. But I could see that creating this idea.
Javier A. says
I have enjoyed the HELL out of reading this comment section. One of the best ever.
Jason says
Just because the tools are made in the USA doesn’t mean they they are 100% US . In saying that what I’m talking about is when they make the ingots for the steel they are taking materials from everywhere and mixing the chemicals needed to bind them and bring it up to specs and that metal is from all around the world. In my opinion if the tools aren’t made from ore that is pulled out of the ground in the US and then smelted and forged in the US then it’s not made it the US. If that’s not the case then you have made in US out of foreign materials I went through this in the oilfield, companies were trying to sell high priced iron saying that it was domestic and made in the US but in actuality it was made overseas and left unfinished ie they would leave a bur or not put the threads on the iron and ship it to the states as scrap to avoid paying the import tax and the company would then take the material they received and finish it out and call it US made. So Snap On has a manufacturing plant in the US but where does the materials they use come from. Just my observation and input.
Joshua Foster says
When I applied for the harbor freight credit card they called me to ask questions and the caller ID said snap on