Dropped $400 on a Snap-On scanner and it paid for itself in one job

3 comments

3 Comments

terryf6229d agoMost Upvoted

lol $400 is actually pretty cheap for a Snap-On scanner, I'm surprised it's still working. But here's something nobody's talking about - you probably just got lucky that the first job it paid for itself on was a straightforward diag. I've seen guys drop that same money on a scanner and then the next three jobs are intermittent electrical gremlins that take all day to chase down without a scope. The real test is whether it makes you money on job number two and three, not just the first one. Still, can't argue with results.

loganthompson17d ago

Man, my old OTC scanner was the same way. I picked it up for $300 off a retiring tech back in 2017, and I swear it paid for itself on the very first job, a bad crank sensor on a Ford F-150. But you're right, the second job was a nightmare - a 2012 Civic with a intermittent misfire that took me three hours of wiggling wires and checking grounds. That scanner just gave me the code and I had to figure out the rest with a test light and a prayer. Still, it made me $1800 over the next six months before the screen started ghosting out on me. I don't know, I guess the point is that even a basic tool can work if you're willing to do the legwork.

paige42729d ago

Yeah but you gotta admit, there's something satisfying about an old tool like that still pulling its weight. I had a beat-up multimeter that paid for itself ten times over before it finally gave up.