Great question.
I have a ton of craftsman tools. I also have some alltrade and snap-on tools. Snap-on makes a great tool, but man are they spendy! I just can't justify spending tons of money on em all the time. That being said, quality tools are important to have. When you only have one shot at something and can't strip a head or are in a hard to reach spot, higher tolerances and materials can make the difference.
Conversely, I'm a huge fan of the disposable tool. You never know when you might need to cut a wrench in half to get to something. Do you want to cut your snap on in half and deal with the snap on dealer asking questions when you want to exercise your warranty or do you just want to cut a 1.50 Pittsburgh Steel Harbour Freight wrench in half and be done with it after you get the bolt off? I know my answer, but I only speak for myself!
The other applicability of cheap tools is in your roadside/breakdown toolbox. I've had a few buddies keep their grab bags in the bed boxes for when they on the break on the trail or blow something up out and about. Some of those same guys have had their nice craftsman/snap on tools stolen in the middle of the night or while their truck was at the grocery store. Their roadside setup=250$, mine=60$. If I break a tool and can't fix it there, I'll wait the three hours for a tow truck.
Just a few thoughts!
