What brand of hand tools do you prefer?

[CertifiedPotato]

When I first started out wrenching on stuff I always wanted to be all in one brand. It started at Husky, that morphed into Snap-on and now my box is mixed with many brands. I am a die hard Snap-On ratchet guy but because one can hardly justify a toolbox filled with only Snap-on I went with Carlyle (Napa) and Craftsman to fill in the gaps. Knipex (German) makes fantastic pliers and Vessel (Japanese) makes my all time favorite screwdrivers.
It's a cool to see someones tool box and see how it was inspired by their experience.

 

[MISWFL]

Depends on the job and setting. Different tool brands/quality for each specific task. IMO, most recently made stuff is trash, big name brands like Snap Off included.

If possible, I prefer old/used tools made before the 1990s or whenever that particular brand stated going to crap. The prices they charge for new tools is almost obscene. If I had to choose new, I'd go with ICON because Taiwanese is usually good.

Crappy or fake chrome and laser etched markings are a huge negative for me. I'd rather buy a decent Taiwanese tool with real non environmentally friendly chrome plating then US made trash with flakey ( Crapman was very guilty of this for years ) or clear paint coated over flash chrome washed junk that fades and corrodes quickly.

Plastic parts on ratchets like switches and non oil resistant soft cushion grip handles.

Lifetime warranties that are basically useless. Try getting the tool truck guy to warranty a tool that you didn't buy from him and don't have a weekly payment schedule. Sears/Lambert got me to the tune of several hundred dollars in the late 1990s/early 2000s. I had a big box of broken tools I couldn't warranty because they discontinued them and I stupidly didn't save my receipts and the packaging. They should have kept their obsolete tool item numbers in their computer and at least offered a swap to something of approximately equal value.

 

[superj]

I just use whatever I can find that's close by when I need something odd. Otherwise, nonmoving tools, box/open end wrenches, hammers, screwdrivers, etc, are any brand from Walmart 5 dollar packs, harbor freight, craftsman, husky, snapon, blueprint, anything I can find for a decent price

 

[John97]

I got a mix... Milwaukee, Harbor Freight, Kobalt (Lowes), Husky (Depot), and some old Craftsman stuff rolling around in various places.