Urrea handtools

[davestlouis]

I was snooping around the the Urrea website, the Proto DNA is obvious in their ratchets, even he SKU#s are old Proto #s. ANyone here have personal esperience with this brand?

[cruiser808]

I was snooping around the the Urrea website, the Proto DNA is obvious in their ratchets, even he SKU#s are old Proto #s. ANyone here have personal esperience with this brand?


No direct experience, but I know quite a bit about Proto tools and everything I've been told and read is Urrea tools are Proto clones which means the quality is there. From my understanding, the Mexican factory was set up and initially run by Proto. I would not hesitate to use Urrea tools in a professonal setting.

[davestlouis]

I'm told they were initially called Proto-MEX, I guess my concern was with build quality. I'm tempted to buy a couple of ratchets and see what they're like.

[krusty the clown]

I'm told they were initially called Proto-MEX, I guess my concern was with build quality. I'm tempted to buy a couple of ratchets and see what they're like.


from what i can remember it was a joint ventue between proto and urrea. proto set up the urrea factory to make tools in mexico but eventualy sold it's stake in the company too urrea.

[davestlouis]

I wonder how that name is pronounced...if it's UREA, like urea nitrogen fertilizer, isn't that urine? Just seems like an unfortunate English pronunciation.

[billymade]

A little info from this website: http://www.vannattabros.com/saw51.html
Plomb to Proto

Proto traces its history to Alfonso Plomb who started a blacksmith shop in Los Angeles in 1907. He was not with the company for long but it carried his name. Plomb began making automotive tools in 1921, and invented what we now call the 'combination wrench' or 'Box end open end', now an industry standard, in 1933.
In 1941, Plomb Tool acquired P & C Hand Forged Tool Company in Milwaukie (Portland, Oregon). Mr. John Peterson & Mr. Charles Carlborg established P& C in 1920. The facilities augmented contract production and continued producing P&C tools until about 1964. They were a familiar brand of automotive tools here in Oregon at least in their day.

In the late 1940's Plomb Tool company of Los Angeles was on the wrong end of a Trademark case with Plumb Tool Company, a maker of hammer wrenches. After 1950 and a painful lawsuit the tools were using the Proto trademark.

The company as sold to Ingersoll Rand in 1964, and then to the Stanley Works in 1984.

Before that, though in 1962, Proto formed a joint enterprise with a Mr. Urrea of Mexico to create a Mexican company, "Protomex, SA" to manufacture Proto tools in Mexico. After Ingersoll Rand bought Proto, Urrea bought out the American share of Protomex S.A. but also gave up the rights to use the Proto trademark, and today we have URREA tools the biggest tool maker in Mexico, marketing tools not only in Mexico but also in the US which are remarkably similar to the Proto brand including even the same part numbers but bearing the URREA brand.

Here is a video about their history: http://www.urreaprofessionaltools.com/images/home_video.wmv

Their website: http://www.urreaprofessionaltools.com
Their overall company/subsidiary website: http://www.urreaweb.com.mx/defaultEng.asp?SwitchLang=true

Turns out they have a contract with Witte (German group Kirchoff) to make screwdrivers, they also have a contract with Mayhew as well and I'm thinking Waterloo too; some of their toolboxes look identical to Waterloo/Craftsman offerings...

[rhandwor]

I bought some Snap on bits and they were 14mm and the holders I had were 1/2 inch. I bought some Urrea 14mm allen heads because the holders had a set screw. The bits fit perfectly and I saved the allen heads I had a set of Mac's allens. I was satisfied with the holders and think they are a good tool. I was making a 1/2 inch drive torx plus tamper and torx plus.