this isnt new, they've been selling them for years. Also some really questionable quality control on the philips.
Williams had a manufacturing run of Part # SDP-2-8 get with unevenly cut tips in late 2011 and some made it into the distribution chain. When we went through our stock about 10% of the sets had a defective SDP-2-8. All of these were replaced free of charge by Snap-On Industrial and the ones we have been receiving since have been perfect.
How did quality control miss this?
It may seem odd but they do not monitor quality on each individual finished product they make. What they do monitor is the entire process. If the process is perfect, the tool is perfect. When a tool is found to be defective they review each process that made that tool and further refine the process.
How do defects end up on the street?
It is not like they don't care or have zero quality control and keep making duds over several months. They will make a thousand of 1 item in a day over a couple of work shifts that will take 3-6 months to sell down. The mistake is a percentage that may happen in 1 day over two work shifts. The mistake sometimes as in the SDP-2-8 case discovered months after they were made because it takes months to sell the previous production run and then the new production to get on the street. It also take more than a few defect claims to make them start a full blown manufacturing investigation.
When a problem like this is made known it goes up to national and regional managers for SOI, and then down to supply chain and manufacturing in Snap-On. The problem is known and accountable to the very the top Snap-On Industrial management. The affected SKUs and sets with those SKUs at the factory distribution centers are put on hold and an actual internal investigation of the entire process from materials to packaging is reviewed. When the problem has a solution they make a new production run again.
They do make mistakes occasionally as with the SDP-2-8. I am aware of last year 2 defective SKUs out of over 6,385 SKU last year for a .0004% (four hundredths of 1%) defect rate. The other SKU was a torque wrench rubber grip missing a hole.
At least with Snap-On behind the Williams/Bahco/CDI Torque you know if something is not right it will be quick.
Flawless? No
Extremely concerned about quality and reputation? Absolutely 100% yes.
