Who Makes Your Tools

[Chasnracin]

I wasn’t sure where to post this as a general tool topic so I’ll just leave it here. Ever wonder who makes your tools? You might be surprised. Hope everyone has a great day. 😷

https://toolguyd.com/tool-brands-corporate-affiliations/

[Dave W]

I've seen this in the past. Looks like there are fewer individually made tools/companies every year with Stanley - Black&Decker still leading the pack. As much as I try, I avoid that conglomerate but it's getting harder and harder. My old standbys., like Porter Cable and Dewalt have been turned into low end tho not their pricing

[CADman_KS]

Originally Posted by Dave W

... My old standbys., like Porter Cable and Dewalt have been turned into low end tho not their pricing

I have some older PC tools, and they are nice for sure, but don't have any newer ones, so I can't speak to their quality.

The DeWalt tools have been turned into what I would call more of a "full range" type of tool. While they do have some lower quality stuff, they also have some upper end stuff too. It is all about price. If a DeWalt drill costs $120, it's going to be a $120 drill. If it costs $300, it's going to be a formidable tool. So, you have to know what you're getting and where you want to be on the spectrum when you buy them.

Generally speaking, most of the brushless motor stuff that comes in the black hard side cases is the higher end DeWalt stuff. I own several of the these tools that fit the higher end of the specturm, and they have absolutely been beasts of tools, but they do cost a lot...

[Elevguy]

Milwaukee for electric ones. Snap on for hand tools

[Chasnracin]

Originally Posted by Elevguy

Milwaukee for electric ones. Snap on for hand tools

I also am slowly transitioning my electric tools for all Milwaukee. I have been having the best luck with them. As for my hand tools, I have started using Kobalt from Lowe's. Being just a shadetree mechanic and handyman, they seem to do the job I need.

[McRod]

Originally Posted by Elevguy

Milwaukee for electric ones. Snap on for hand tools

I'm DeWalt for electric and Craftsman for mechanics. I do like both of yours, but never could afford Snap-on. My dad owned a small car lot and I remember the Snap-on truck coming by every week to make a sale. They are great tools.

[Charlie 3931fb]

You don't know who's who of who's who anymore. 99.9% of the tool's I buy today I get at Harbor Freight (Automotive type) and then Home Depot for wood working tool's. Makess my llife easier.

[CADman_KS]

Originally Posted by Charlie 3931fb

You don't know who's who of who's who anymore. 99.9% of the tool's I buy today I get at Harbor Freight (Automotive type) and then Home Depot for wood working tool's. Makess my llife easier.

HF has really stepped up it's game over the last few years. They have a lot of tools that are respectable for the average home user. Not professional quality, but good enough for everyday use. At a 1/3 the cost, if it breaks, you get another one.

[mhs4771]

Most of us are not Professionals and don't need top quality tools that will last forever in everyday use. So for our once or twice a year use Harbor Freight tools work just fine.

[BB_TX]

Originally Posted by mhs4771

Most of us are not Professionals and don't need top quality tools that will last forever in everyday use. So for our once or twice a year use Harbor Freight tools work just fine.

I fully agree. If I was using my tools for my livelyhood, I might buy the expensive ones. But for the occasional use I have used mine for for so many years, the less expensive ones work fine. I have a real mixed bag of brands, some of which I have never heard of, that I have accumulated over the years. And as far as hand tools, I have never had one fail. And only 2-3 power tools have ever failed. And that covers 50+ years. Yeah, I got some old ones.

[TLightning]

Originally Posted by mhs4771

Most of us are not Professionals and don't need top quality tools that will last forever in everyday use. So for our once or twice a year use Harbor Freight tools work just fine.

Same here, plus they have the same warranty as Craftsman....if it breaks, return it and they will give you another one.

[mlh]

I’ve saw some independent testing if Harbor Freight Ican tools. They performed as great as the tool truck, read Snapon, tools. I saw one test of torque wrenches the Icon beat the Snapon in every test and cost 1/3. Of course this is one tool the next test with two different tools might be reversed but HF has come a long way.
We use DeWalt battery operated tools in the shop and have a half dozen drills. The reason we use them is we have many batteries. We use them very light duty so they almost never wear out. If I had to replace them all I’d get HF Hercules. I have one of them. It came with a 2.5 AH battery where the DeWalts have a 1.5 AH battery. That is a two edged sword the bigger battery makes it heavy and if you pick it up a few hundred times a day it makes a BIG difference at quitting tire.
Lynwood

[Dave W]

I've had several 1/2 drive battery powered drills. The first one was waaaay back when these were not much more then a toy. The next was s P-C that was s work horse until the clutch blew. A couple low enders that went to the dump after premature battery failures then I went wild and bought a Bosch. Fantastic drill but the batteries are no longer available except as $15 Chinese 'compatibles'. While these batteries areOK, not great but for a year keeps this tool going. I also have a new DeWalt that I bought while waiting a couple 'compatible' batteries for the Bosch. A $200+ buck ho hum drill. Yes. it has power but the variable speed control 'sucks', it's rough running and the 2.0 AH batteries are way too much money and really don't last as long as the clunk NiCD's on the ancient Bosch.


Hand tools - dang but I really love my Snap on, S-K, MAC and early Craftsman but my wallet says that Harbor Freight will outlast me now.

[Theunz]

Originally Posted by Dave W

I've had several 1/2 drive battery powered drills. The first one was waaaay back when these were not much more then a toy. The next was s P-C that was s work horse until the clutch blew. A couple low enders that went to the dump after premature battery failures then I went wild and bought a Bosch. Fantastic drill but the batteries are no longer available except as $15 Chinese 'compatibles'. While these batteries areOK, not great but for a year keeps this tool going. I also have a new DeWalt that I bought while waiting a couple 'compatible' batteries for the Bosch. A $200+ buck ho hum drill. Yes. it has power but the variable speed control 'sucks', it's rough running and the 2.0 AH batteries are way too much money and really don't last as long as the clunk NiCD's on the ancient Bosch.


Hand tools - dang but I really love my Snap on, S-K, MAC and early Craftsman but my wallet says that Harbor Freight will outlast me now.

There are shops around that rebuild cordless tool batteries for around half the cost of new. Certainly a viable option for obsolete batteries. Basically they just put new cells in your case.

[Dave W]

Originally Posted by Theunz

There are shops around that rebuild cordless tool batteries for around half the cost of new. Certainly a viable option for obsolete batteries. Basically they just put new cells in your case.

Correct. I've priced them and the least expensive found was about $45 per battery for a NiCd plus tax and shipping each way, or about $55 each. I also could ebuild them myself as I have a couple times. Unfortunately the quality of the individual replacement sub-C battery cells all all of which are made in that Far Eastern country we often bash, is less then stellar. Even the so-called name brands. This makes the $15-$20 ebay/Amazon knock offs pretty attractive. Then there is the age of that driver. Will it go to battery tool heaven the day the rebuilt batteries arrive?



With all that said, I recently rebatteried a little Ryobi 4.5V screw driver with a purported Samsung battery and it now runs better then it did new.

[JABURKHOLDER]

Been using Craftsman for many, many years. Never had a bad tool. One time I found a Craftsman screwdriver on the beach all mangled and rusted. Took it to Sears and got a free replacement. Never lost a tool, ever. My roll around and hand tool boxes are shadowed. When I put tools away, it is immediately evident if a tool is missing. Everything has a place and everything is in its place. Anal I guess.

[mtlakejim]

Originally Posted by Dave W

Correct. I've priced them and the least expensive found was about $45 per battery for a NiCd plus tax and shipping each way, or about $55 each. I also could ebuild them myself as I have a couple times. Unfortunately the quality of the individual replacement sub-C battery cells all all of which are made in that Far Eastern country we often bash, is less then stellar. Even the so-called name brands. This makes the $15-$20 ebay/Amazon knock offs pretty attractive. Then there is the age of that driver. Will it go to battery tool heaven the day the rebuilt batteries arrive?



With all that said, I recently rebatteried a little Ryobi 4.5V screw driver with a purported Samsung battery and it now runs better then it did new.

I will assume like me most of you experienced the more or less throw away cordless tools of yesterday (primarily because of the battery shelf life not the tool. And of course replacement battery costs. As I mentioned above I went Ryobi despite their less than stellar quality based on their commitment to standardizing their batteries across their lineup AND across time.

IF the top end brands make the same commitment (or have already--let me know) then I will revisit buying better quality.

Hands down though Snap on makes the best hand tools on the market if you ask me. You can FEEL the quality. Of course you pay for that quality.

[CADman_KS]

Originally Posted by mlh

...
We use DeWalt battery operated tools in the shop and have a half dozen drills. The reason we use them is we have many batteries. We use them very light duty so they almost never wear out. If I had to replace them all I’d get HF Hercules. I have one of them. It came with a 2.5 AH battery where the DeWalts have a 1.5 AH battery. That is a two edged sword the bigger battery makes it heavy and if you pick it up a few hundred times a day it makes a BIG difference at quitting tire.
Lynwood

You are right about the trade off power vs. weight, but DeWalt makes all different flavors of batteries too. All if mi Li-ion batteries are 5.0 AH. Heavy, yes, but I never change them. They last forever...

[richfaa]

I am not a tool guy or doing things yourself guy. We have a bunch of tools gathered over the years and really have little idea who makes them.

[Creeker]

As someone who has made their living with tools in hand every single day for 30+ years, I find the replies here intriguing. I can't even put a number on the tools I've bent, broken, stripped, burned out or simply lost.

I can say this with confidence; Some of you guys don't own cheater pipes.