Do you segregate your China tools from your real ones?

[CloseEnough]

Everyones been in a situation where you were in a bind and had to get something done and was forced to buy something that was made in china.

I have a little drawer that I keep all my junky tools in away from the American ones.

 

[Bill R.]

Nope i keep them all together, in fact alot of the chinese ones seem to work better on bmw....

 

[Brian_B_]

Unfortunately, no I don't.

 

[mikefromme]

I keep all my cheap tools in a five gallon pail. My 18 month old uses them when we work in the garage. About the Only reason I haven't thrown them away.

 

[CloseEnough]

Haha funny you say that Mike cause if I am using an emergency cheapo tool and It gets too greasy sometimes I just throw it out instead of cleaning it.

 

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

Do you segregate your China tools from your real ones? I separate my tools by brand. I don't like them to interbreed.

 

[Brian_B_]

Do you segregate your China tools from your real ones? I separate my tools by brand. I don't like them to interbreed.

Hmm...i sort of wish they would. My chinese ones breed with the 2 snap on tools I own. Maybe they could end up somewhere around the mid grade USA\japan craftsmen I own.

 

[ishiboo]

Of course not.

I do separate by quality though. IE, the GearWrench and Kobalt stuff is together and can be relied on, as like Made in USA there is both good stuff and complete junk... you just don't see it much as it's so expensive to produce in the US

I have an old Craftsman 3-drawer full of the cheap sockets, ratchets, etc. you find in the $10 dollar store/BORG store sets, that I use if I am doing something underwater, going to loose it, etc. Most of that stuff I bought when I was in high school and college, now-days the Kobalt sets are so inexpensive all my "take along" sets are a quality set I can rely on.

 

[CloseEnough]

Haha : Snapburg .... All because you were in a bind and didn't segregate.

 

[cderalow]

I keep most of my junkier tools in what I consider to be my household or travel bag.

the one I take to jobsites, or to charity/volunteer jobs so if I lose it I don't care as much.

 

[RedFordTruck]

My only Chinese tools are Husky mini-pliers. Needed some tiny needle nose and a 6-piece Husky set was on clearance for 6 bucks.

Theyre in the drawer with the rest of my pliers, but the Channellock 440's and 11C vise grips keep them in line...

There are a few Taiwan scattered in there too, but they done cause too much trouble...

I like my German made Clamps though. Needed a few 4'' clamps quick, and lowes had either Chinese or German. Obvious what I went with, and ive been pleased!

 

[RKA]

I like my German made Clamps though. Needed a few 4'' clamps quick, and lowes had either Chinese or German. Obvious what I went with, and ive been pleased!

If they are a 4" ratcheting hand clamp by Bessey, I just threw up a review on amazon you might be interested in.

Going back to the OP...no. But I am replacing some of the cheaper stuff I've bought over the years, so the extra chinese junk that ends up being a dup goes in the basement where the "house tools" are. But just because it's chinese doesn't mean it can't live with the good stuff. A tool usually is better than no tool (in some cases).

 

[1969]

Absolutely! When put together they get into fights,******* matches, start pulling out national flags. Horrible carnage! I just couldn't stand it any more.

 

[jeffmoss26]

yes, they go in a bucket of steel destined for the scrap yard...

 

[crewchief888]

all my chinese tools are cowering in a corner of the drawer....

 

[Cryptic1911]

Nope, I have various brands, and they are all in the same drawers with similar tools.

I dont spend time worrying if my peas and carrots are touching, so I'm sure the **** not going to keep tools apart because of their country of origin. I'm not a brand snob, I buy what works for me, and what I can afford. If it gets the job done, works as it should, and doesn't break, then I have no issue with it.

 

[concealer404]

Nope, I have various brands, and they are all in the same drawers with similar tools.

I dont spend time worrying if my peas and carrots are touching, so I'm sure the **** not going to keep tools apart because of their country of origin. I'm not a brand snob, I buy what works for me, and what I can afford. If it gets the job done, works as it should, and doesn't break, then I have no issue with it.

This.

Some of my best tools are Chinese/Taiwanese.

 

[lennoxlennox]

absolutely have to

in fact my chinese tools centrally planned my toolbox organization

my german tools policed it

my spanish tools didn't want to do this, or any work for that matter

my italian tools are covered in grease

my canadian tools are too polite to get involved

my greek tools keep trying to do each other

my japanese tools are waiting for the fax back from tokyo to know what to do

my russian tools are broken and soaking in vodka

my english tools are forming a union about it and putting all the other tools, including themselves out of work

while my american tools are worried about who is the biggest and shiniest

 

[Steevo]

yes, they go in a bucket of steel destined for the scrap yard...

Which will return (from a Chinese steel maker) in the form of Craftsman, Snap-On and HF tools.

 

[JeremyManning]

seriously?

 

[TheGrooveking]

This past weekend I went to help a friend over 50 miles from me, I took my Snap On 1/2" 18 volt cordless impact, but forgot my impact sockets, so I ended up going to a Harbor Freight near him and bought the Pittsburgh Pro 1/2" drive SAE and Metric shallow impact sets and the Pittsburgh 1/2" drive SAE and Metric deep sets, all for $80. I used the **** out of the 3/4" deep and the 1-1/4" shallow, probably 60 bolts in total that were torqued very tight and I was surprised that they took the abuse. So I now have them as part of the junk yard box/wagon and will be leaving them in my truck box.

As to separating chicom from USA/German/English/other countries, nope they are stored according to their functionality and my need/frequency to acquire them.

TheGrooveking

 

[greasemonkey44]

absolutely have to

in fact my chinese tools centrally planned my toolbox organization

my german tools policed it

my spanish tools didn't want to do this, or any work for that matter

my italian tools are covered in grease

my canadian tools are too polite to get involved

my greek tools keep trying to do each other

my japanese tools are waiting for the fax back from tokyo to know what to do

my russian tools are broken and soaking in vodka

my english tools are forming a union about it and putting all the other tools, including themselves out of work

while my american tools are worried about who is the biggest and shiniest

lol
good one man; you thought it through
i have mostly import tools; its a reality for starting out in this business without debt
that said i keep the good tools away from the garbage grade welding and grinding stuff
honestly i like having a cheap set of wrenches and sockets available; when i have to grind one to fit or slot it for a sensor wirei would hate to do that to my snappy stuff

 

[supersteve]

absolutely have to

in fact my chinese tools centrally planned my toolbox organization

my german tools policed it

my spanish tools didn't want to do this, or any work for that matter

my italian tools are covered in grease

my canadian tools are too polite to get involved

my greek tools keep trying to do each other

my japanese tools are waiting for the fax back from tokyo to know what to do

my russian tools are broken and soaking in vodka

my english tools are forming a union about it and putting all the other tools, including themselves out of work

while my american tools are worried about who is the biggest and shiniest

Off Topic Lame Joke Time!

The Difference Between Heaven and Hell:

In Heaven the cooks are French,
the mechanics German,
the policemen British,
the lovers Italian,
and it's all organized by the Swiss.

In Hell the cooks are British,
the mechanics French,
the policemen German,
the lovers Swiss,
and it's all organized by the Italians.


To answer the OP question: I hardly have any Chinese tools but I see no need to segregate them.

 

[Big Johnson]

Everyones been in a situation where you were in a bind and had to get something done and was forced to buy something that was made in china.

I have a little drawer that I keep all my junky tools in away from the American ones.

You are seriously misinformed, but coming from Jersey you get a pass. Every company that manufactures tools outsources from other countries including, but not limited to China. You are better off watching Ni Hao, Kai Lan than worrying about putting your Chinese made tools in a separate drawer. List of companies that have outsourced to China: Snap-On, Mac, Matco, Cornwell, Craftsman, everybody.....

 

[CAOS]

seriously?

Someone on here would buy a bag of **** just because the bag had Made in USA on it.

 

[92GreenYJ]

Yep. Garage rolling boxes are all Craftsman, Husky, and Kobalt. The harbor freight stuff is on the bench, and in my truck and jeep tool boxes respectively. I prefer to keep cheap stuff in the vehicles cause when they inevitably get lost, borrowed, rusty, etc it's not that big of a deal and I'm not out much.

 

[Big Johnson]

Someone on here would buy a bag of **** just because the bag had Made in USA on it.

That is funny You had to change to "bag of ****" because "bag of manuer" did not get your point across.

 

[Fedwrench]

No, they're in the top till of my tool cart so, I can easily install all of the Chinese made auto parts the shop buys from OEMs and the Aftermarket.

 

[MarkH]

I keep the cheapies separate and a 3.99 socket set from HF and other similar tools are what they are. That way no one needs to see the good ones if they come to borrow something. For some strange reason they all say made in China or India on them.

 

[jabberwoki]

Any Chinese tool i happen upon immediately goes to the scrapper.

 

[chris142]

I keep my SO,Mac, Cornwell and Matco stuff at work. Every other brand is at home. I did go through my home box and removed the really low quality junk, kept the decient stuff. Kept the Taiwan, Easco and Craftsman stuff mainly.

 

[Link-Belt]

Yup segregated them right into my 4yo sons box. Hell he is only 4 and don't know any better yet and if he loses one no big deal.

 

[Jarhead0408]

I do not buy any American bags of ****!

I make my own!

I have a FEW chicoms left. Fazing them out though. Give most away to my Brother and Brother-in-Law.

 

[GSteg]

Of course I segregate them. My made in China Snap On tools go into a 5 gallon bucket when I'm done, while my nice made in the US Craftsman Raised Panels are stored in a proper toolbox.







I sort tools by functionality. Good tools, China or US, goes into the drawers. Not so stellar tools goes into the bucket.

 

[1967lemans]

Yeah I guess I do. I inherited my late FIL's tools, The good stuff went into my tool box. Mostly proto, armstrong, and sk. Also had a few things that were made in india and tawian.
The cheap stuff is set to the side and I use it for loaners, road tools, and if i need to modify something. They only way if made it to the box was if it was a size I needed or performed a task that my others didn't

 

[JDS968]

Is...is this a parody of GarageJournal, or are you guys serious?

I understand wanting quality products, but the automatic disdain you guys have for anything and everything manufactured in China is irrational bordering on paranoid. I can't believe I'm reading that some of you people throw away or scrap perfectly functional tools just because you have a problem with the country that manufactured them. Hell, I can't stand the Castro brothers and that island they run 90 miles away from me, but I'll drink Havana Club like a fish whenever I can get my hands on it.

Forced to buy something made in China? I happily, hell eagerly buy things made in China. A few of them turn out to be ****, some of them turn out to be good, a few of them turn out to be excellent.

And no, I don't segregate them like I think they're infectious or something. They sit right next to my American-made Snap-On and other brands of tools, and I use them side by side. My Chinese Harbor Freight Pittsburgh Pro 18 piece disk brake toolset sits right next to my Snap-On twist socket extractors, my MAC 57-piece quick-connect drill bit set, and my SIR Tools 11 piece Pry Master Set. And oddly enough...the tools in the Pittsburgh Pro set are every bit as well made, in materials, finish, machining, performance, etc, as the three top of the line American brands. No, the vast majority of Chinese tools aren't as good as this, but that's not because they're Chinese...it's because they're ****, and **** is international.

 

[HaroRider]

I have some HF stuff and its in my tool box. For me as long as it works it stays in the box. I try to limit my Chinese stuff and buy USA when it makes sense.

That being said if a USA tool didnt work well it is no longer welcomed in my box.

 

[HaroRider]

I was thinking about fazing out my Chinese stuff but they work and I have grown to like them.

If I was a professional it might be different.

 

[pilotman81]

I don't care if my tools are segregated, as long as they are clean and well organized, what difference does it make?

 

[ianguilly]

Tools go in my tool box, regardless of COO.