These Snap-On Socket Set Prices Will Blow Your Mind

Picking up a socket set would typically cost you a few hundred bucks at most, but Snap-On has taken things to another level. There are some eye-popping prices listed on Snap On's website that will surely have you doing a double-take. This might seem strange at first, but Snap-On tool prices do tend to run higher than the competition.

For $28,665, you can bring home a 14-piece socket set. There's a 20-piece and 29-piece set available that'll cost you $4,785 and $1,835 respectively. Not everything on the website is priced that high, but you get the picture. Those last two are far more in line with a normal price, but you'll notice it's still far more expensive than similar products from brands like Craftsman and Milwaukee. This effectively leaves the Snap-On brand out of reach for the average person. That leaves us with the question — who is the brand for? If the price has given you pause on going ahead with a purchase, then you can probably count yourself out as the intended audience.

The Snap-On brand has a much higher price tag than its competitors, and there are several factors at play there. A big one is the lifetime guarantee the brand offers. This could mean the higher upfront cost pays for potential replacements needed down the road for other buyers, even if you never get anything replaced yourself.

Another factor at play is the fact that the majority of Snap-On tools are made with professionals in mind. People who are more serious about their craft are more likely to search for higher quality tools, which comes with a price. While budget brands are fine for the average person, experienced mechanics will want very reliable tools. Spending close to $2,000 on a socket set guaranteed to last for life isn't the worst deal when you think about it from that standpoint. With mechanics essentially living or dying by the tools they have, having good quality is important. Buying cheap tools that have to be replaced over and over can become more costly in the long run. 

Snap-On boasts they use a proprietary formula to craft their tools, which could also be a factor in a higher price tag. On top of that, the company says the sockets are heat treated to increase their life and allow them to withstand prolonged use, but whether that's worth paying more than $1,000 is up to you.