Snap-On and Autel both compete in the Diagnostic Electrical tools category.
Snap-On Tools have been a staple in the toolboxes of everyone from the lube tech to the engine rebuilder since the 1950s. (According to its website)
With that being said, it’s not hard to imagine why an auto technician would be skeptical of anything claiming to be even close in quality. Especially when the company was just founded in 2004.
But lo and behold, the Snap-On versus Autel arguments have become as passionate as the ones against Milwaukee electric tools and my question is this- Does the Autel/Snap-On argument even really have any merit? Can’t we just mix and match a little of both. I promise your tool selection will be better off for it!
In this post, I’m going to take a look at some of the reasons I believe a Snap-On versus Autel argument is a waste of time and the best move is to co-mingle with two of the top electrical diagnostic tool companies in the world. Owning a healthy mix of Autel and Snap-On tools will end up being the route 90% of auto techs take. This is especially true with vehicle diagnosticians given that the intricate and complicated systems in late model cars require many different testing tools.
Anyways, here are the reasons I think an Autel and Snap-On argument is kind of silly.
First though, I want to offer this to you. It’s very likely that if you’re buying a scan tool, you might be the shop owner. If this is the case, Amazon has made it easy for automotive business owners to order tools, shop and office supplies etc. with Amazon Business. It’s worth it.
Autel Scanner’s are Cheap
When Autel tools came to market in the early 2000’s, they were an unknown. With the company only just releasing its first code reader in the year 2005, one would think Snap-On is worlds ahead of them. In reality though, Autel OBD scan tools are extremely high tech and they are a lot cheaper than Snap-On.
My point with that being, a diagnostic tech could easily own an Autel MaxiSys Ultra alongside an Apollo or Triton or Zeus.
Why would anyone have TWO scan tools?
The answer to why a technician would have an Autel and a Snap-On scanner is because one of the tools (Snap-On) have an extremely strong in domestic vehicles and the other (Autel) is preferred for European cars.