Tool dealers at shops: dying off or more efforts to make money?

What are you guys seeing out there? My Matco, Snap-On and Cornwell are all died off. Still in business, just too unconcerned to come by and keep business going. My Mac guy is religously always here, but not stocking his truck.
I would think the opposite: Money's tight, make more effort. Snap-On told me upfront if I didn't spend $50 a week with him, its not worth his time to be here.

So, I'm at work and buying tools at Lowe's and Sears I guess......

 

Snap On, Fastenal, Granger, MSC, Airgas, MSC, Praxair........etc...

They are all dealers for us, calling for quotes all day, every day. Haven't seen much of a slow down on my end.

 

my snap-on guy still comes by every week, but i have all the tools i need at this time. he gets a few bucks out of me once in a while. haven't seen mac in years.

 

Never cared for Snap On much. My first job i headed the teardown department at an engine machine shop. we had both snap on and craftsman. The snap on tools were always breaking. And when they did, you had to wait a month for the guy to come. Then you would try to exchange the tool and the guy would give you the third degree. and on top of it all, he never had the tools! he always had to order it and he would bring it next month. Craftsman, you just walk into sears and 5 minutes later you have the tool. Maybe our snap on just ****ed.

The tear down department of a machine shop is where tools are tested. We had some engines come through there that i thought were never gonna come apart!

 

A few of the longtime MAC and Snap-On dealers here in Billings, sold off their trucks around the same time and left the industry (about 2 years ago). I wondered if the "arrangement" between the dealers and the corp office changed.

 

might have something to do with the credit situation....think about it

 

if you think about it, all the tools are the same in the end, save for some of the specialty tools from snap-on or mac. they all have the same life time warantee. and at the end of the day, even if the mac or snap-on guy come by once a week, if you break a tool there's always a sears near by and you can replace it there, that day. if you want to get your car running sooner or you have a customers car waiting, "time is of the essence". "life time" is "life time", no matter who its from.

 

Snap-On may be making a comeback. I have a friend flying somewhere up north on Snap-On's dime for an interview today. He tells me that corporate will supply the truck, stock, and expense acct. I thought the older guys had to buy or buy into their rigs and stock them to boot. And they supposedly offered him 58K to start plus commission. This is for the Central Louisiana market that is not very big at all. Looks like marketing is getting the right idea. Steven.

 

I drop my SnapOn ratchets off at a frends shop for the tool man to repair when they need serviced. If I won the lotto he would be the second happiest guy around because I would redo my tool box. I have all brands and off brands of tools in my tool boxes but I always reach for the SnapOn tools first when I reach in the box.

It doesn't matter what brand of tool a person uses as long it doesn't tear up the nuts and bolts and feels right in /her hands. I've got two 3/8 Ace Hardware ratchets that in a blindfold test feel pretty close to the same as a SnapOn 3/8 ratchet. Good feel, easy on the hand push ****on socket release and under 18 bucks.
<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden">

 

what the hell were you doing to them? if you use the proper tool for the job in the proper fashion I have not had a Snap-On wrench, ratchet, or socket break. Put a pipe on the end of the ratchet and ****, it's busted. I have MAc, Matco, Cornwell, and Snap On tools as well as Craftsmen. The others are higher quality than Craftsmen.

 

We get em all calling on us as usual.

 

I have a friend who was a Snap-On dealer for many years. He quit about 7 or 8 years ago. Corporate BS ... was the reason. They cut his profit margin by as much as 40 per cent. He needed a NEW truck ( according to them ). Paperwork had increased and Snap-On factory service was way down to him. He was having to tote the $$$ on all the tools ... sold to customers and not yet paid for. ( if you own the tool guy money ... it is his money out there ... not Snap-Ons ).

He sold the truck and went to work for the government.
He said the $$$ was about the same ... at the end of the week and NO worries. Just show up ... do your time and go home.

Now the Snap-On man and the Mac tool guy ... show up where I worked ... every two weeks. They actually alternate weeks ... in order to miss each other. The Sears store in my area will not exchange a tool ... if you are a professional mechanic Good thing I am a hobbyist ...

My box unfortunately has all brands of tools. I bought a good bit of stuff ( used, repro ect ) from my Snap-On friend. My favorite tools are Mac yet Snap-On, Craftsman, Proto and other stuff found it's way into my tool box. When I worked at the junk yard part-time ... I found and kept a LOT of other brands. ( no oversesa stuff until the other day ). I needed a new 15MM deep socket the other day and went to CarQuest and bought one. It had made in China on it.

 

Some tool truck guys run their bizz better than others. When I turned wrenches at dealerships sometimes the Snappy was the cool guy, and Matco dude was a ****. Other places it was the other way around.

I called the local Snappy to try and get him to stop by the shop where I work now, basically he blew a lot of smoke about how great a dealer he was then we never saw him. That's been three years ago so I guess he bailed on us.

These days there's a lot of Snap-On tools being sold on eBay. That's where I'm buying these days. Not sure what I'll do if something breaks.

 

There have been changes at SnapOn in the past few years, and let's face it, the mechanics aren't getting any younger, so the bulk of the customers have a good inventory. It's a tough gig, drive around all day, selling to a tough crowd, then paperwork at night. Back when I was turning wrenches in San Diego, it seemed like one of the prerequisites for being a SO dealer was being an A-hole. They were always the worst of the bunch.

 

Same thing happened to me. Sears won't stand behind their "warrantied forever" ******** for the people who really use their tools.

That's why I started buying Snap-On.

 

I gave up on Snap -On. I was never able to warranty anything without it being a major task. The guy just didn't care. Even gave me a hard time about buying stuff one time. I sure don't need that aggravation.

It's Craftsman for me these days. Easy to buy & easy to warranty. Plus I pick them up for cheap at the estate sales.

 

I quit Snapon about 20 years ago, for selfish reasons, pure economics. They came out with a kit to repair broken ratchets, that wasn't worth a ****, to fulfill warranty claims. Went to Craftsman where when a ratchet wears out or breaks it's replaced with a new one. I do still have a lot of Snapon left from the good old days, just got pissed off at them for getting cheap on the warranty....................

 

My snap-on ratchet brake all time and I had 1 craftsman ratchet last so long that they don't have a repair kit for it ,just gave me a new off the board..I have to run down the snap-on tool guy and he still does come by to fix his tools ... When I reach in my tool box for a ratchet the snap-on is always the last ratchet I would used

 

all the tool dealers gravitate towards the $$$. i have known more than a handful of tool dealers on a social level and the general is "its all about the benjamins" if your not spending money with them make no sense for them to drop by as they also have to survive. gets to be a fine line between sevice and survival! when it comes to sears and handing me some ****ing "rebuild kit" for a rachet **** that! making myself a 100% satisfied customer as they claim you'll be sometimes making a ****load of noise but when finally heard by the correct set of ears i must say they backup that 100%

 

craftsman is great if you live close to a sears, but if you're not in a metropolitan area it ****s. i don't want to drive an hour if something breaks. i don't have a lot of tools, but nearly everything i have is NAPA. never had a problem with warranties the couple of times something did break and they're all over the place.

 

the Sears here has kits for the ratchets...

 

......shucks, following in Snapon footsteps............oh well, now that I'm retired don't need much but expendables anyhow.........

 

Hell, our Snap-On guy has been coming to the shop since before I was born(19+) every tuesday rain or shine, great guy, loves his job, loves shootin' the **** too. We're gonna be SOL when he retires...The other tool guys ****, MAC, MATCO, and Cornwell show up once a year maybe...

There's 2 things you can expect to happen every week at the shop...Jim the tool guy is gonna show up, he doesn't give 2 ****s if he sells us anything anyway..and Jimmy the welder down the way is gonna come down atleast once a day and give me ****...Just cause.

 

Snap-On has been good to me. From the deals on tools and boxes at tech school to field service, they have been there. The other guys all seem to flake out after a year or two and then you have a gap while they try to find some other guy to fill the route.
Had a decent MAC guy for awhile, he did well and was promoted. I felt bad for the guy who took his place since everyone had bought everything they needed from the previous guy. He's done next week, going back to wrenching, he says it's the time, not the money.
Heard MATCO is on hard times. I have a few things from them, they're good, durable, haven't broken any of it, but it's mostly 1/4 drive stuff or stubby wrenches-stuff that usually won't break.
Sure some of the guys are ****s but you have to be. These guys get stiffed alot on truck credit, you personally loose money when some guy disappears owing you money. Tracking dudes down to collect would make me a crab-*** too. Or hearing excuses as to why they can't pay you and they're rolling a new bike or truck... think about it. Warranty stuff? Never had a problem with any tool guy or Sears. Warranties usually won't cover abuse. Example: Chrome sockets on impact tools. It is pretty obvious when some one is using their chrome sockets on their impact. It tears them up and they just won't last.
Everyone has their own preferences. I work in a shop with 20 other guys and most of us have a combination of Snap-On, MAC, MATCO and Sears, myself included. The biggest issue is guys who are too cheap to buy what they need and are always snooping through your stuff for what they need. Simple Rule: Borrow a tool twice it's probably time to buy one of your own.

 

hope they all go out of business, called all three to come by our shop, they were to busy or they wen't gonna come unless they were promised a big sale,

f@#%^& them i go to harbor frieght for most stuff buy there best brand and most stuff works ok, dont break much if i do it does not cost much to replace .

if i need a special item mcmaster carr gets it for me the next day,

 

all the usual suspects still come to my shop. snap on, mac and matco. I spend money with all of them as do the other techs. i would say our relationship is solid. we need them and they need us. btw, i spend the most money with matco.

 

Snap On comes by my shop every Wed. great guy, works with everyone. Most guys have "Truck" accounts with him and a few have accounts with Snap On Credit overall very good relationship with him (other than the $$$$$ most of the stuff he has cost). Mac Tools came by twice, he had nothing on his truck but a few wrench sets and a set of sockets but he truck sure was full of racin go-kart parts. Havent seen him in over a year. Have never seen a Matco guy. Havent seen the S&K guy in about 5 years. Sears is close but a super pain in the *** to go over there and mess with mall shoppers and the traffic. Harbor Freight gets most of our shop buys, even if it is across town for most of us...pretty much everything is good, they replace handtools if they break and #1 GREAT PRICE!!!

 

About 20 years ago Snapon decided that the dealers were a "profit center". So they lent the start up money, they leased you a truck, and told you what tools to carry on it. When your truck lease was up, you could buy it for nearly new price, or lease another one. You could not go elsewhere to get a truck. It was in the contract. If you worked hard, and started making what they considered too much money, they pressure you to give up some of your territory, so they can put another dealer in, so THEY can make more money. If you refused, your tools were backordered, your warrentee claims were delayed or denied, your customers could not get Snapon credit cards, ect. They would keep this up until you quit, or killed yourself, whichever came first. You could only sell your leftover tools and truck to Snapon, it was in the contract. I looked at being a dealer, this is what the dealers they had told me, and I watched it happen. I knew three dealers that killed themselves. I quit buying Snapon.

 

I believe the traveling tool dealer is going the way of the Electralux vacuum cleaner salesman or Singer sewing machine salesman. When I worked at the Mercedes dealership in Charlotte in the early 70s there were only two mobile tool dealers, Snap-On and Mac. Craftsman were only available at Sears and Western Auto sold Proto, all good tools. Snap-On and Mac were prettier and felt better in your hand but in my opinion Craftsman did not break unless abused or used till it wore out. Even so, just take the pieces to Sears and the salesman cheerfully gave me a new one seemingly surprised I could break one. Then came Matco and Cornwell mobile dealers, each taking a piece of Snap-On and Mac's piece of the pie. Now, you can get quality tools at most every parts store and home improvement store. Have you seen Lowe's Kobalt brand? Not to mention the hundreds of specialty tools mobile dealers must stock or should. Unpaid accounts!!! Thefts!!! To many compe***ors!!!! It's a tough way to make a living. Did you notice Doug Herbert's T/F Dragster advertised SNAP-ON DEALER OPPORTUNITIES last year, his last year with their sponsorship. Thats when I first realized things are not good for dealers. I look for all of them to open stores in large cities in the future. Stores that stock every tool they offer. Mobile dealers just can't stock everything offered. I believe it will increase their sales. The present franchisee should have first opportunity. It has been a convenience for garages to have tool salesman come to them but it may not last much longer. Just my 2c.

 

interesting views here, I was a snap on dealer in lawton okla from 75' to 80' and loverd it. had to move to okc so i had to sell out and switch to matco and hated it. too any backorders etc. back then you had to own the truck, the tools and the money on credit was yours on the ra accounts, the ec or extended was wwnap on credit but you were hung out for the last 25 percent of the contract. and had to collect it. however if you made your stops the way you set them up (you do it yourself, it is your business) and always set your clock by the way you arrive you will be a successful dealer. imagine a new guy in a shop that you dont know and you just hand him say 500 dollars worht of stuff and hope he pays you back as agreed . belive mt they dont always do as they say. they buy hot rod parts, boats women , everything but pay what they owe on there bill to the snap on guy. so think about the way they do business next time you ***** about him,.. are you holding up your end. do you pay 20% of your balance each week, that is the only way he makes the money he should. as for them changing your route it is a given area with a given amount of stops and mechanics you get under your contract, they dont change that unless there is a lot of growth in your area. if you lose shops they will help you find new ones. just my two cents, as I still prefer snap on to any wrench socket etc, and i have never seen the things breaking like i am seeing in this thread, somehow i just dont see that happening.