I guess that means they are very durable.
And since you didn't replace them in the last 50 years, you must be happy with the control of the manufacturing tolerances.
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What kind of tolerances are we talking about on, say, a 15 mm Crow's foot for snap on? My Orion Tech micd at 15.7 mm which I measured after use, which is ridiculous. It obviously felt loose. I should have stopped. But that was after several uses. However the measurement front to back was consistent.
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My neighbor's father was a lifelong mechanic. His son inherited racks and drawers and cabinets full of snap-on, Mac, and really old craftsman stuff I've never seen. I borrowed a 15 mm crows foot this morning and was able to finish torquing the rounded bolt. I try not to borrow stuff all the time because that's annoying, but maybe I'll have to borrow it more often.

 

Most professional mechanics use “tool truck” tools. They come by weekly, they carry contracts so you can work and make money with good tools. They are expensive and most have a lifetime warranty handled by the owner/ driver of the route. They buy franchises from the manufactures of the tools. They realize that tools break and wear out, they will rebuild the ratchets on the spot and exchange worn sockets and wrenches. You pay weekly or however you work it out. The sign on the steps leading up into the truck has a sign that states “ it is consensual past the top step”. I have mostly SnapOn tools but I also have Mac and Matco. I have actually been buying some tools at Harbor Freight, some of their stuff works well enough and they stand behind it. Just have to drive to them.

 

I am aware

As a lifelong user of snap-on tools, have you ever purchased a tool off the truck that was just "off"? A wrench that simply felt wrong in your hands when you went to use it the first time because the fit was sloppy? Or is the reproducibility of these more expensive tools so good that this never happens?

It's a QC question. Are these tools absolutely spot on for fit 99.9% of the time?

The answer maybe screamingly obvious to you, but to someone who has never purchased a tool from any of those three companies and has not spent a lifetime using the highest quality tools available, it's not necessarily screamingly obvious. I literally have no hands on experience.

I'm guessing the answer is yes, because professional mechanics don't have time to use **** tools. But every now and then I get tired of guessing about things.

 

I still have many of my original tools, they perform as new but look 50 years old. Sliding on concrete floors tends to wear through the plating. The lower use tools look just like they did when purchased. Any tool that breaks on bends beyond acceptable limits are replaced on the spot. SnapOn wrenches are often double wrenched for extra leverage. You hook the box end onto the open end of the next wrench, this is when using the box end. Never had one fail. Sockets do pop and split at times when too much torque is applied. I need to warrantee a 1/4 drive 10mm wobbly. Ford Modular v8s have a ton of 10mm bolts.

 

So, once again, do you ever get truck tools that are just not quite right?

 

Not that I can remember.

 

Cool.

Thanks