Will Snap-on move production to China?
- Thread starter Merkava_4
- Start date
Production at Kenosha ended this year. Soft handled Instinct screwdrivers are not made in China, but they are made in Placencia de las Armas, Spain.
krusty the clown
Member Emeritus
danski0224
Well-known member
Well, I guess the time is now to buy Snap-On stuff while (some of) it is still made here in the USA 
Nope. Never assume anything.
The point is that Snap on already has production in other countries, primarily for the markets in those countries. No doubt some here will remember when Snap on opposed the FTC when it proposed changes in labeling regulations would allow for fudging on products carrying the Made in USA label; that does not sound like a company prone to underhanded tactics. I am satisfied that the core hand tools sold in the US by Snap on are made right here. Of course there is no way to convince everyone, but examine closely the claims of those who cry the sky is falling at every turn. Buy American, the job you save may be your own.
I just read the link about them setting up factories in China for SE Asia market.
Yeah, right, who is so stupid to believe that they will not be importing that Chinese factory slave made **** to the US market before too long?
(You may now go spit your "up-chuck" into the toilet...
kartracer55
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2005
- Messages
- 5,317
Ever hear of SATA tools?
http://www.satatools.com.sg/index.php
Matco's answer for the "International" market. Quality made in china lol.
http://www.satatools.com.sg/index.php
Matco's answer for the "International" market. Quality made in china lol.
I like the SATA slogan:
Quote: "Best Alternative to Your Professional Choice"
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
Best of the worst? lolI like the SATA slogan:
Quote: "Best Alternative to Your Professional Choice"
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
You will never see that. That is the biggest problem. Manufacturers don't have to label the product with the country of origin...only the packaging.
You might see "Snap-On Tools USA OEXM150B", but the package the wrench comes in might say "Made in China" in microscopic print on the back.
Since the company name is "Snap-On Tools USA", they can put that on the wrench, but it doesn't necessarily mean it is "Made in USA".
Case in point is the photo of those "Neiko Tools USA" wrenches I posted.
This practice is pretty widespread. I have noticed it more and more. The FTC doesn't care as long as the country of origin is labeled somewhere on the packaging. I think it is intentionally deceptive, and the government is happy to receive payola from the big retailers to allow it to continue.
The manufacturers and retailers don't want a big, giant "CHINA" stamped on their brands, because they know it will give the item a negative stigma. They hide the designation somewhere on the packaging so that it will never be seen by 99% of purchasers. The package is thrown away, and the customer is happy with that Craftsman, Milwaukee, Ridgid, Delta, Diamond, etc., tool he just bought, because he "knows" it's a USA brand.
Is that altogether true ? Stanley were censured by the FTC for using 'USA' as a marking on their tools, when they were not 'all, or virtually all, made in the United States'.
Not that it matters, really, since some are clearly willing to argue as to what the definition of 'is' is, if it allows them to continue to believe that their beloved brand is an unwavering stalwart of US industry.
If the "USA" is not part of the company name, it would be implied that the item is of US manufacture. I think in this case, they were using the "USA" to indicate the country of manufacture, with no other indication as to the real origin.
I see. Seems like, as watchdogs go, the FTC is half blind and with no teeth
I sent a complaint to the FTC about those Neiko wrenches. The reponse I received informed me that as long as the packaging indicated the country of origin, it was OK to have "Neiko Tools USA" on the handle.
I replied that since the "USA" is in a smaller typeface than "NEIKO", and located where wrench manufacturers have typically stamped the origin country for over 100 years, it certainly seemed misleading.
The investigator did not agree. I assume he has probably never used a wrench in his life.
Absolutely correct. I have seen what I thought were American made tools that only revealed foreign manufacture upon reading the entire package. It pays to read the fine print...at least until the FTC succumbs and allows retailers to print whatever they please on the packaging.
Da Bull
Well-known member
Yes, I agree with you in part too. The early industrialists did not have any environmental laws, child labor laws or union contracts to follow. I am sure there people who want go back to that era so can maximize profits here in America! That is what I’m afraid of, what are we going to give up for the all mighty dollar! We have come a long way since those days, and I am proud to live in this country, not China!
Yeah, he probably did not know what a wrench looked like...just another GOV-CO beaucrat feeding off the tax payer.
It would not surprise me at all if SO was not importing products from China now and repackaging it with "made in USA". They have little to risk from FTC and all the $ millions to gain from it.
Uncle Buck
Banned
Except the Par-X stuff were still quality domestically made tools though!
Uncle Buck
Banned
For the God Awful outlandish prices Snap-on charges for their tools (and I do not give a rats *** who is driving the little truck around!) their selection should damn well better be made in the USA or you are fooling yourself and simply buying renamed and better plated Harbor Freight tools with of course a huge amount of the money you spend going to the little man driving the truck that you love so much!
This is where I go to my elected representatives. If they get enough flack things happens. I would and most likely will forward it to mine. I was surprised in the past when parts of communications sent have been read in the chambers as support for ideas.
Dear (name)
I work in a profession where the quality of the tools that I use is critical. A poorly made or designed tool can easily lead to injury to myself or my co-workers. So I and others in this profession must have an easy way to identify high quality tools.
One of the most helpful ways to do the above is to accurately identify the country of manufacture of a tool. For the last 25 - 30 years the way this has been done is to have the country accurately imprinted on the tool itself. Tools can be produced to show this is the standard that is expected. When this standard is violated it makes it hard to distinguish where a tool is made and lead to undesired purchases.
I am looking for primarily made in the USA and if not available made in Germany, UK, Japan, and some Taiwan tools. So it is the misuse of these stamps especially anything that could be interpreted to be made in the USA.
When this happens as good citizens this is reported to what is considered the appropriate government agencies. What is frustrating is the answer that is received from inexperienced government officials flys in the face of daily use by a group of many thousands of people with many members having over 100,000 thousand hours of using the products in question.
Please refer to the following action and response as an example.
"A complaint was sent to the FTC about those Neiko wrenches. The response I received informed me that as long as the packaging indicated the country of origin, it was OK to have "Neiko Tools USA" on the handle.
I replied that since the "USA" is in a smaller typeface than "NEIKO", and located where wrench manufacturers have typically stamped the origin country for over 100 years, it certainly seemed misleading.
The investigator did not agree. I assume he has probably never used a wrench in his life."
Thanks
Your Name
This thread has become filled with unintentional hilarity. "Snap on has a plant in China." "OMG, I'll never buy from them again, all of their tools must be imported!" "Why I'll bet they even lie on their packaging about where their tools are made, and if you don't believe that you are blinded by brand adoration!"For the God Awful outlandish prices Snap-on charges for their tools (and I do not give a rats *** who is driving the little truck around!) their selection should damn well better be made in the USA or you are fooling yourself and simply buying renamed and better plated Harbor Freight tools with of course a huge amount of the money you spend going to the little man driving the truck that you love so much!
So every product sold anywhere in the world by Snap on must be made in the USA? We are ever so right to insist upon American made tools here but the Chinese simply must not be allowed to get Snap on tools made in their country?
Can't get much more American than that I suppose.
If it wasn't for american workers losing there jobs I couldn't care less where snap on goes! I for one am done with buying snap on products! I stepped on the truck the other day at work to buy a new air ratchet, $400 dollars for a new air ratchet they must be out of there minds! When the S-K truck rolled around next day bought his S-K professional air ratchet that pulls 80 foot pounds for $160.00 and it's doing a great job. I have alot of Snap On, Matco, and Mac tools that I have bought over the years but there prices just seem to keep getting higher everytime you climb on the truck! I know everyone on here are big snappie fans and I'm not saying they don't make an excellent product I'm just saying there are other tools that will hold up just as well for alot less money! JMO
danski0224
Well-known member
Another little trick is products branded with an "Ameican" sounding name, or patriotic packaging, with "Made in China" buried somewhere in microscopic print.
"Hampton Bay", "Patriot Lighting" and "Ameriflow" are examples offered at one retailer.
"Hampton Bay", "Patriot Lighting" and "Ameriflow" are examples offered at one retailer.
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danski0224
Well-known member
I'm not a big Snap-On guy... I can't justify spending 3 or 4x the cost of Craftsman- which does the job just fine most of the time.
I do own some Snap-On, though. Things like line wrenches and torque wrenches. Not a lot, though. I also don't earn a living turning wrenches.
Yes, I would still like to have a basic deep and shallow set of standard and metric sockets and wrenches in my toolbox with the Snap-On logo on them... maybe someday.
"Snap-On" is just as much an American icon as "Craftsman". I bet people would be just as PO'd if Sears moved Craftsman hand tool production to China.
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Yeah, I've seen way too many new techs get into financial trouble by buying all their tools off the tool trucks and not be able to pay them off. Repair business has been off for a while due to new cars dealers making it more attractive for people to trade for new than repair what they have (in their opinion). This slow down has caused the local SO rep to have his truck full of repo's, I'm talking high dollar tools and boxes that he has stored in a min warehouse. He still wants too much for the repos, so he will have to eat them or get reasonable for those of us that have $ to buy.
I use SO torque wrenches and some speciality tools, but most of my shop tools are Craftsman and S&K. I just can't see the point in buying a $400 SO impact when and IR impact will do the job.
Jared
Well-known member
The craftsman stuff in Canada is made in china. The only usa made tools i can find locally is snap-on and proto and maybe some others i can't think of right now.
I don't think anyone will disagree about Snap on becoming way too expensive. I only shell out the bucks for them when I need/want something that Craftsman or S&K does not make, and even then I usually manage find them used.
danski0224
Well-known member
Craftsman hand tools (wrenches, sockets, screwdrivers, etc)???
Not Craftsman power tools- especially cordless.
A lot of it is already made there. Not many people notice, because it is assumed that "Craftsman" means "USA". If they were required to actually stamp "CHINA" into those tools, more people would notice, and it would hurt sales.
In the late 80s, they started manufacturing some Craftsman sockets in Taiwan. The sockets said "Craftsman - Taiwan" right on them. There was enough of an uproar from customers that they soon brought production back to the US.
Now that they can be sneaky about it, they are taking full advantage of the offshore labor and consumer indifference.
It used to be when browsing the Sears catalog, any item manufactured overseas had to be labeled "Imported". Now, they can do their best to hide that fact...and the government supports it. Disgusting.
Jared
Well-known member
Yes hand tools, i think they are made by stanley not 100 percent sure though.