You are considering buying snap-on tools but one question comes: why are snap-on tools so expensive? Due to their high-quality construction and materials, Snap-On tools are pricey.
From its base in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Snap-On produces premium tools. Snap-On wrenches and ratchets are praised for their durability and high quality by skilled mechanics.
You might wonder why their tools cost so much because they are very expensive as well. We will explain and solve your doubts!
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Why is Snap-On So Expensive? (Top 11 Reasons)
Below we list the top 11 reasons why are snap-on tools so expensive.
1. Quality Materials
It is simple to locate inexpensive iron wrenches and screwdrivers. But you’ll have to pay for premium chrome alloy tools if you want them.
In fact, even a no-name, budget chromium-vanadium spanner will cost you between $8 and $15.
It is unclear what specific steel alloy Snap-On uses for its tools. We only know that it’s heat-treated to a specific hardness level and that it’s a “special blend” with a nickel-chrome plating.
The premium materials speak for themselves. They make extremely durable, lifetime-lasting tools.
When removing a pipe or bolt with rust welding, a Snap-On wrench will never split in half.
2. Target Audience
The target market for Snap-on’s products is professionals, as was previously stated. These people who have that kind of money to spend on tools are licensed, technicians and contractors.
Many times, the business rather than the particular contractor covers the cost of the pricy tools. However, some independent contractors will also accept that amount of payment.
These people lead busy lives. The time required to look around for tools is insufficient.
As a result of their desire for the best, they don’t have to worry and can devote the majority of their time to actually using the tools to generate income.
As a result, they don’t hesitate to pay for Snap-on’s pricey tools because they are prepared to pay a premium for high-quality tools.
It’s comparable to high-end designers producing goods for the wealthy. They are aware that their intended audience anticipates paying a high price. They are also aware that their intended market will pay those prices.
Snap-on is aware that its target market relies on the company to deliver high-caliber tools.
The price of the tools doesn’t matter all that much because they are professionals, many of whom work for big corporations.
Snap-on tools appear to be too expensive when ordinary homeowners or hobbyists try to purchase them.
These are people who might not use their tools very often.
The cost of those tools may seem high when they’re not being used professionally.
3. Lifetime Warranty
Except for torque wrenches, all Snap-On and Blue-Point hand tools come with a lifetime warranty from Snap-On. It varies by product, but power tools and meters frequently have a year-long warranty.
Your only obligation is to keep the receipt because any wrench or screwdriver you purchase comes with a lifetime warranty.
One of the main reasons why people adore Snap-On as a brand is the warranty.
It also implies a high initial cost because it accounts for the cost of replacement in the event that your tools do break.
4. Shipping Costs
Even though tools are expensive, that isn’t the only cost that goes toward your final bill.
The shipping costs will be very expensive. Snap-on charges high shipping costs for a number of reasons.
The first factor is the size of the toolbox or chest. Large special tools will require a lot of space on the truck if you decide to purchase one. As a result, they are unable to make more deliveries in a single trip.
They can’t earn as much money as a result. They’ll increase the price on you to make up for the lost revenue.
The order’s weight is another consideration. The weight of your chest or your tools also affects how much each truck can carry.
Each delivery vehicle carries a specific amount of cargo. If the load is heavier than that, the truck may be harmed. Weight restrictions are also present on some streets.
The carrier will have to fork over money if a truck needs to use it.
Next, the cost of shipping is determined by all of these expenses.
Last but not least, Snap-on delivers the majority of its goods right to your business or store. They don’t always depend on outsiders to complete the journey. They increase the cost of their operating procedures as a result.
This is particularly true if they need to deliver goods to places that are far from the nearest warehouse or factory.
Given that you already paid a significant sum for your tools, the cost of shipping may increase the cost of your order.
5. Training
The delivery staff at Snap-on doesn’t just deliver tools and goods.
They are also trained and knowledgeable about how to use each tool.
Another reason why many customers choose to purchase from Snap-on is if your business recently purchased a sizable collection of tools but nobody on the team is entirely confident in their use.
The delivery person can assist you in accessing your tools and opening your shipment.
When your team is ready, they will take time out of their day to teach them how to be used. Businesses can save a ton of time and money by doing this. For starters, they can train their team themselves instead of hiring outside help to teach them how to use the tools.
In addition, they can immediately begin work with their contractors. When it comes to learning about their tools, Snap-on essentially saves its clients’ time. Companies don’t have to pay a set fee to receive this kind of assistance, but it is essentially included in the high price.
Snap-on is aware that some of its customers will require some help using their new tools.
They are able to raise customer satisfaction by investing the time and money in educating their drivers.
Naturally, increased operational costs accompany time and expense.
Additionally, the driver is not out making deliveries if they are spending time teaching.
All of these elements raise Snap-on’s costs. They raise their prices when they sell to cover those expenses. In order to better serve their customers, few other companies go above and beyond.
Professionals choose Snap-on over other tools for this and other reasons. Snap-on is aware that it can charge them a little bit more due to their loyalty.
6. Extra Services
The additional services offered by Snap-on may be one of the reasons why professionals continue to use them.
While many of these services are free, they are included in the overall costs of Snap-on’s products.
Transportation of tools is one of those services. In the event that you change jobs and have a workshop full of tools, Snap-on will assist you in moving your equipment to your new workshop.
Keep in mind that you can only do this if you are moving Snap-on tools. They’re more willing to assist you, especially if you use their chests to transport their tools.
That is because they are aware how challenging it is to move their large tool chests.
A large tool chest may not fit in every driver’s truck or car.
Fewer still can carry the chest and your tools at the same time.
In order to load up your bulky chest and transport it to its destination, Snap-on will send a driver to your location. Even setting it up at the new location will be assisted by them.
Snap-on offers this service in addition to providing excellent customer service because it doesn’t want its products to sustain damage.
The tool chest, in particular, could sustain damage if they are not moved properly. It might even fall apart on the way to the new location, scattering your tools all over the place.
Snap-on would prefer to spend less money by having a driver assist you in order to avoid that happening and having to pay money to replace that mess because they offer a lifetime warranty.
Nevertheless, these services do raise the cost of their business operations. They make sure their overall prices are high to cover them.
The cost of the additional services that Snap-on offers is what makes them expensive.
7. Financing
Snap-on is aware that its high prices for its tools are prohibitive for many people.
As a result, they provide financing. Financing is an excellent system that enables immediate access to some products, but it can occasionally result in higher product costs.
Snap-on is responsible for its own financing. You can ask them to finance your purchase if you meet the requirements.
You’ll eventually repay them while still having access to the tools.
This is excellent for people who are just starting a business and need the resources to turn a profit.
You will have to look elsewhere for financing options, though, if you don’t meet their other requirements or have bad credit.
A certain amount of interest is typically assessed when working with a financing company. They make money while lending you money in this way.
Poor credit scores typically result in higher interest rates for borrowers.
This is because you appear to be a financial risk to the financing company.
A low credit score is a sign that you don’t always make your debt or bill payments. As a result, it implies that you might decide not to repay them for the money they are owed.
They will impose a high interest rate on your financing terms in order to make sure they can profit as much as possible from the deal.
As a result, you are not only paying back the money you received from Snap-on for your tools, but also paying more than you actually owe.
You might wind up paying much more than the tools’ original price depending on how high the interest rate is.
If you can’t afford them upfront, this can make buying them very expensive.
When you need to use Snap-on’s financing program but have a low credit score, it is expensive.
8. Resale Value
Snap-on is conscious of how valuable its tools are. The resale value of Snap-on tools is quite high due to their high quality and durability.
Tools and chests can be sold used for a small markdown from their original price.
They won’t get every penny back, but they’ll recover a sizable portion of it.
Some individuals may even consider some of Snap-on’s tools to be collectible due to their extraordinary quality.
The company won’t be making money from those sales because many of the tools they sell continue to be used for a considerable amount of time after they have been sold.
Additionally, because their potential customer is purchasing it from a reseller instead, they are losing out on sales.
Snap-on needs to sell its new tools at a price that will allow it to maintain a profit in order to prevent suffering significant losses.
In some circumstances, there isn’t much they can come up with other than new models and perhaps more effective tools.
For example, a hammer will always be a hammer.
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In contrast to having customers purchase the discounted hammer, a new model has nothing novel to offer.
Because Snap-on’s tools have a high market value, they must charge high prices in order to make a profit.
Additionally, professionals are content to purchase their tools because they can resell them at a higher price than they would resell other tools.
Additionally, it gives them the assurance to purchase costly tools from Snap-on, further supporting the company’s high prices.
Due to the high resale value of Snap-on’s tools, the company is pricy.
9. Brand Name
A product may become more expensive if it has a name brand.
Even if the two products are identical, the one with a well-known brand name will cost more even if the two products are otherwise identical.
The reason for this is that consumers favor name-brand products over generic counterparts.
In the tool industry, a brand’s reputation is crucial because it determines how long and effectively a tool will last.
People won’t want to spend money on a brand if their products are known for frequently breaking.
They will, however, be more willing to pay the higher prices for their products if the brand has a good reputation for producing durable tools, such as Snap-on.
Snap-on’s high prices are partially a result of the time it took to establish its reputation.
Snap-on remained true to its mission and goals of providing high-quality tools, even when doing so may not have always been the most profitable course of action.
The business rose to the top of professionals’ preferences as word of its excellence spread.
Professionals are more likely to trust the brand and pay more for it than they would for an unproven one.
Due to the brand’s excellent reputation, Snap-on is pricey.
10. Hollywood Fame
Another factor contributing to Snap-on’s high price is how frequently Hollywood movies feature it in their productions and feature it.
Some of the movies that have featured Snap-on products before include:
- Captain Marvel
- Avengers: Infinity War
- Pitch Perfect 3
- The Fate of the Furious
- John Wick 2
- Chips
- Interstellar
- Iron Man 3
- The Dark Knight Rises
Your brand begins to establish a reputation for itself when it appears frequently in Hollywood movies.
It is implied that if individuals like Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark use Snap-on products, they must be the best of the best.
The tools are more expensive because they are associated with Hollywood.
Any product will become expensive due to the prevalence of product placement in movies.
11. Made in the USA
American manufacturers produce the majority of Snap-On tools. manufacturing facilities in Several places, including Wisconsin, Arkansas, and Iowa.
Some products, primarily power tools, are manufactured outside of the United States, for instance in China and Canada.
In spite of this, a Snap-On ratchet or wrench you buy at your neighborhood hardware store is most likely made in the USA. American wages also come with American labor.
The price you pay for the finished product is significantly increased by the higher labor costs.
But Snap-On is also helping the United States by manufacturing their goods here. economy, they’re also able to monitor product quality much better, which is why their tools are so well-regarded.
Related Reading: Where Are Snap-on Tools Made?
Are Snap-On Tools Worth It?
Snap-On equipment is worthwhile. They use high-quality materials that won’t break in the middle of your project, they come with a lifetime warranty, and they’re a wise investment. Snap-On tools offer excellent value for your money despite the significant upfront cost.
Professional mechanics require top-notch, long-lasting, and dependable tools, and Snap-On offers all of those.
You must be cautious about who you lend your wrench to at work due to the popularity of Snap-On tools.
The wrench is so good that your coworkers might not want to return it!
Despite the jokes, you won’t ever have to be concerned about the effectiveness of your toolkit.
You can concentrate on the current task, which increases your productivity.
Final Thoughts on Why Are Snap-on Tools So Expensive?
For a number of reasons, Snap-On tools are expensive. Most of their tools are produced in the USA, they use strong steel alloys that won’t break, and their employees are skilled professionals.
The good news is that you can also likely resell your Snap-on tools for a high price, too.
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