With being a newbie here, i'm starting to learn about all the different brands/manufacturers of tools...mainly sockets as i'm trying to fill my hansen type socket holders. Being from the east coast in canada, i've mainly only been exposed to mostly mastercraft and Gray tools for sockets n stuff....craftsman as well, but its not the same as your craftsman stuff in the US as i've been reading. Anyways, bought a small box of mixed sockets, wrenches, and ratchets a while back...sorted through ones i wanted to keep...came accross a few by KAL...never heard of them til i read another post on here. My question...how is the quality for the KAL sockets? and who would they compare to? some have Taiwan on them, and some have USA on them...
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KAL sockets??
- Thread starter Jmac00
- Start date
nyrapscalion
Well-known member
KAL is a Japanese company looking to establish a presence in the US. I would say it was around 1990. I have KAL sockets & extensions from Japan and ratchets from the US. Seems to be of good quality. I've used cheater bars on the ratchets without problems. Keep the stuff clean (read : sans rust) and it should work fine for you.
KAL is a Japanese company looking to establish a presence in the US. I would say it was around 1990. I have KAL sockets & extensions from Japan and ratchets from the US. Seems to be of good quality. I've used cheater bars on the ratchets without problems. Keep the stuff clean (read : sans rust) and it should work fine for you.
My understanding was "KAL" was actually an American company that imported tools from Japan and not a actual Japanese company marketing tools here.
There is a thread somewhere around here that showed the American KAL company winning a military contract to supply a specific tool set. Some tools were KAL USA made and some were unmarked. Somebody sued stating that the KAL tools not USA marked were Japanese made ones and the contract should not have been awarded because of that.
Supposedly there is still some remnants of the American KAL still in business but they have disassociated themselves from the old Japanese imported stuff and no longer honoring any warranty on that stuff.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=60098
RRmech
Well-known member
KAL/USA was out of Los Angeleas, CA.
They later began importing tools from Japan.
FWIW.....The KAL/USA satin finish combo wrenches I have look more impressive, than the KAL/Japan raised panel combo wrenches that I also own.
Steve
They later began importing tools from Japan.
FWIW.....The KAL/USA satin finish combo wrenches I have look more impressive, than the KAL/Japan raised panel combo wrenches that I also own.
Steve
Fedwrench
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Kal has been around for years. They had large government supply contacts in the late 1970s-at least the 1990s. They supplied everything from pliers, to ratchets, sockets, and wrenches. I never really saw them on the commercial market just, government sourced tools.
Good to hear they're decent quality, i'll leave em on the trays. I know once i break it, i won't have to worry about getting it replaced...LOL
This is one of the main reasons alot of canadians just buy mastercraft...no questions asked with warranty and ample places to exchange. They're fine for us hobbiests....for professionals, yeah i understand spending the extra money for higher stuff like SO, etc.
Cheers, thanks for the help and info.
This is one of the main reasons alot of canadians just buy mastercraft...no questions asked with warranty and ample places to exchange. They're fine for us hobbiests....for professionals, yeah i understand spending the extra money for higher stuff like SO, etc.
Cheers, thanks for the help and info.