Tool truck power tools are always older models rebranded.

We have a large motor shop and our shop guys have every tool brand there is. Last with power tools I would stay away from tool truck brands period. Budget brands are OK for some things like sockets or sledge hammers but not socket wrenches. If you lose sockets a lot like if you’re working out of a truck, this is where you shop. These still have good warranties and face it, an impact socket is going to be the same from everybody. Third are industrial supply house budget brands. The difference between say a Dewalt and a Proto or MAC tool will be minor if at all. Husky and Craftsman are lower grade budget brands for homeowners. The second would be home improvement store brands. And you can get the industrial tool shipped to your house or the shop usually the next day. The industrial and tool truck brands are identical except price. Every one of these companies makes multiple grades and brands. This is still at the Marco/Snapon/MAC grade.

Often an automotive store carries these too. It is the exact same tool just with a different brand name and markup. So for instance you can buy Williams from an industrial supplier or you can buy Snapon. Look on the list on (search for who owns brands) to see how it works. One option will be industrial supply house brands. So that means if you have to buy a wrench and you can buy a $300 Snapon or the exact same one in Williams brand at $80, even if you get paid $30/hour that Snapon is eating an entire days pay instead of a couple hours. The thing is most of us have to supply our own tools. Look at older mechanics and unless they are in a shop bay environment where peer pressure might matter, you are paid for your skills, not your tool brand. It’s just impractical to use tool truck brands long term. Either way then you are stuck driving across town or to the next town on your time to catch the truck to replace your socket wrenches. So every couple years the tool truck brand changes. Tool truck drivers quickly reach a point where they get burned out and get out if the business. Typically the guy doing that doesn’t know how to use the tools they own. It’s like lifting your truck and putting Mickey Thompson tires on it or wearing Under Armor shirts and Duluth Trading pants. They sometimes fall to peer pressure too. Second the reason guys buy those tool truck brands is because they want to show off. Do high markups are needed compared to buying from an industrial supply house or even a local automotive store where 10-20% is normal.

Guys running tool trucks have an insane amount of cost in inventory on the truck and they don’t make much money on their routes in the first place. Even if you get a 50% discount in school you are still paying 150%. If you notice older mechanics have less of those, if at all.įirst thing, those tool markups are normally 300%.

Who makes mac tool boxes