San Antonio

Love the pool, but leaning towards the "no". I'd take a week in the low 90's to get on a winter tan while we do nothing but float!

 

Is that why you can break a new ratchet really easily

 

They say Milwaukee tools are still made in the United States but I don't believe it

 

Your opinion Kurt I see you down there lurking

 

Depends which and what. Been bought out so many times.....

 

Not going to argue with anyone about stupid shit we aren't even supposed to bring up. Research is available to all.

 

For a while they made in Japan and China. They've always been a good tool.

 

Wait we're not allowed to argue about tools when did talking about tools become politics

 

My very first battery stuff was Milwaukee I got at Lowe's. Some of the best I ever used. Then I wanted more, and Lowe's quit carrying. Then a battery, and no can do. Company had been sold again, and Lowe's was "moving on". I gave it away.

Fact of life these days kids, stuff is made world wide. Stanley may be an American company based in CT, but their plants are all over. I worked for an International Company with 11 plants in the US making lighting. Stuff we used and sold was made world wide. That is how it works. Stuff made in the US can be just dandy, but it's truly dependent on where most of the stuff gets built, because even a US company building it in MX and bringing it here, is ahead in terms of bottom line. And that is where it matters to them. End of my rant.

 

You can talk tools all day. Best not to tow the line on politics and just steer clear. I generally stick to liking posts I agree with and not post a response. Usually I'm drinking and lose my train of thought... and my filter lol

 

This I know. I'll cheap out on trail tools, but I have my preferred brands for professional-grade. I like Matco for screwdrivers, cheap is Stanley. Wrenches I could go Matco or Snap-On for professional (they're cut to better tolerances and slip less than other brands), cheap I'll go with Craftsman, Stanley or Blue Point (Snap-On's cheap line). Sockets are generally meh, but I've never broken a Snap-On impact socket, broken plenty of others, though. For Impact tools I've used craftsman, Ingersoll-rand, Matco and Snap-On. I like how smooth and powerful the Snap-On and Matco ones are, but I worked a few years with a Craftsman that never died, but just wasn't powerful enough.

 

My tools are a mix of what's been handed down, gifts, what was affordable, and what I needed to do the job. My toolbox is a Heinz. I'm not picky. For power tools, I've been abusing DeWalt for a while and I've only ever burnt up battery packs. The best? Doubt it. Affordable? Not really. Yellow and black? Nailed it.

 

I used to run mainly craftsman and Snap-On when I was doing it professionally. I really liked the quality and durability of Matco screwdrivers, though. Sadly, i had to turn them all in to zero out my Snap-On account when I got out of the auto service business.

I run mainly harbor freight and Stanley for hand tools, they work, but fitment and durability is poor. The payoff is they're super cheap.

My power tools are all Dewalt (20V series for battery commonality) and they've been mostly flawless, although the batteries are not super durable. Some tools build a lot of heat and the batteries don't respond well to the heat generated.

 

I have a great selection of hand me down, and what I bought! I was looking for my first Craftsman black socket set the other day, and finally remembered I gave them to my oldest son when he thought he would be a mechanic. Impact rated! I had no idea that I would ever have an impact anything. I just bought them because at that time in High School, I had acquired a 53 Chevy Sedan Delivery, and I knew everything was 20 years old at that time, and they looked sturdy!
I'll be cleaning out the collective boxes of all the other stuff soon, but not too much worried. I call the extras "disposable". I am VERY happy with this years switch to the Lifetime Warranty Ridgid battery tool collection!

 

Impacts are great, even if you don't have an impact. It'll keep you from breaking sockets on a breaker bar.

 

That's exactly what I've done and exactly my primary issue. I will be buying a corded DeWalt drill sooner or later and some of their high capacity batteries with the smart charger.

 

First time I used the "Kit included" Ridgid impact was today on the bumper. Did NOT like too much to break loose the original 07 bolts, so I had a breaker bar do it. But BOY HOWDY it sure would tighten them back up! I rate it a pretty good tool to give an old guy!

 

Sockets are my favorite shrapnel.

 

I have the smart charger, but I need more batteries so when they get hot, I can switch then out to cool down and still have a fully charged one. I'm working with only 2 batteries, right now