Harbor Freight Taiwan OEM

[pedrodagr8]

Please forgive me if this is well known or it isn't the right area (if it's not, mods please move it). I love playing detective and decided to see which company made the harbor freight insulated screwdrivers. Searching eventually led me to this company:
http://www.forge-master.com/home.html

Look familiar?

Plus a few others. I couldn't find an exact match for my screwdrivers though it appears a few of the insulated pliers look similar to HF offerings as well.

Just figured a few of you would find this interesting for better or worse.


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[fitz11]

I think a lot of the Asian made tools are made in the same factory and rebranded.

 

[monomach]

looks a lot like...

 

[uart]

Searching eventually led me to this company:
http://www.forge-master.com/home.html

Looking over that site, a lot of their stuff looks pretty decent.

 

[steveo3002]

I think a lot of the Asian made tools are made in the same factory and rebranded.

yeah we get the same stuff here in england with other brand names on

 

[Spudland_Dave]

If only we could get a run of special Green Handled composites...

The red & black Composite Rats look better then the gray ones currently on the shelf at HF...

 

[Bull]

Taiwan tools are good tools, IME.

 

[sberry]

I think a lot of the Asian made tools are made in the same factory and rebranded.

Hard to slip one by you .

 

[kythri]

If only we could get a run of special Green Handled composites...

Here's orange handled versions of the ones above:

http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/288253028/Composite_Ratchet_Handle_Non_Conductive_1.html

Looking at the picture of the HF ones on the website:

http://www.harborfreight.com/3-8-eighth-inch-heavy-duty-composite-ratchet-66313.html

These seem like more of a match (note handle details). If they can do blue, I'm sure they can do green.

http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/508152744/_ALH_00052_COMPOSITE_RATCHET_HANDLE.html

I'd bet they could even make the whole ratchet green, with black handles, rather than black with green handles.

I'd also bet if someone took the risk/initiative to import in the minimum 1000 pieces (or whatever it may be), they'd probably sell them off pretty quickly, and no small portion to folks here, given the favorable reviews of the HF composites and the fanaticism for day-glow green.

I'd even commit to buy the first set of them...

 

[Rico.]

yeah we get the same stuff here in england with other brand names on

have we ever

Sealey
Draper
Bergen
Nielsen
Clarke (Machine Mart)

and probably many others. Some of it isn't too bad.

 

[Spudland_Dave]

These seem like more of a match (note handle details). If they can do blue, I'm sure they can do green.

I'd bet they could even make the whole ratchet green, with black handles, rather than black with green handles.

I'd also bet if someone took the risk/initiative to import in the minimum 1000 pieces (or whatever it may be), they'd probably sell them off pretty quickly, and no small portion to folks here, given the favorable reviews of the HF composites and the fanaticism for day-glow green.

I'd even commit to buy the first set of them...

Admittedly, I'm a fan of my Dual80's and T72's, but credit where credit is due, I bought my 3yo Son one of the 1/4" Composites once when we were killing time at HF. At home I was playing around with it and I was actually impressed.

One of those deals where I don't "NEED" another set of Rats, but if they had a green set or some other gimmick to get me to buy them, I wouldn't hesitate to commit to the 2nd set of green ones. I just went to check on Amazon if there were any other brands and the Tekton's look like the same head & design but different over-molding on the handle.

 

[MJB24]

Sounds like someone should quote a 2014 Garage Journal Green ratchet set in bulk.

 

[fitz11]

Hard to slip one by you .

Very helpful to the thread. Thank you for the contribution.

 

[kythri]

I just made an order inquiry.

 

[pedrodagr8]

Glad I was able to spark a bit of conversation. I was worried as a noob here that this would have been beaten to death already.

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[bcradio]

Glad I was able to spark a bit of conversation. I was worried as a noob here that this would have been beaten to death already.

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk

No, it's a good thread topic... thanks for sharing

 

[dieseler]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008CM2Z7Y/?tag=atomicindus08-20

they have a pink one

 

[monomach]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008CM2Z7Y/?tag=atomicindus08-20

they have a pink one

My Sears is clearing these out @ $10 each. I thought about picking one up as a loaner.

 

[jd_1138]

I was at HF today to pick up some tarps and a freebie (LED flashlight). I fondled the grey composite ratchets for a bit (I love how they feel and of course the prices), but I can't really justify it when I have 5 CM, SO, and Mac ratchets already.

 

[ishiboo]

Our local Ace has one with a red body.

I don't think Forge-Master is the actual manufacturer.

The Kobalt metal ratchets have the same design as well in terms of internals, you could use a HF composite to rebuild a Kobalt.

 

[Spudland_Dave]

I was at HF today to pick up some tarps and a freebie (LED flashlight). I fondled the grey composite ratchets for a bit (I love how they feel and of course the prices), but I can't really justify it when I have 5 CM, SO, and Mac ratchets already.

Similar situation...that's why I'm waiting for kythri to spin up the run of Green & Black ones...then I can justify one.
Oh, the 5 CM's don't count towards "Rat Justification" numbers

 

[tedsters]

Our local Ace has one with a red body.

I don't think Forge-Master is the actual manufacturer.

The Kobalt metal ratchets have the same design as well in terms of internals, you could use a HF composite to rebuild a Kobalt.

I was in HF last night and the composite ratchets are nice lot of difference in price of the Kobalt metal ratchet and the HF composite if they are the same

 

[d4dawg]

I have never paid much attention to the composite ratchets for the countless number of times I was in HF. Thanks to GJ, I picked up the 1/4 to play with and was impressed with how smooth it was. Just couldn't resist not to buy them for the low price. Incidentally I noticed the regular chrome ratchets are now China not Taiwan.

 

[OxJaw]

Here's a Tekton branded one,

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A50N9V2/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[OxJaw]

Appears to be a metal handle/head with a composite grip

 

[cburnscrx]

Appears to be a metal handle/head with a composite grip

Looks a lot like my Titan which is different from the HF/Kobalt ratchets.

 

[Cryptic1911]

Admittedly, I'm a fan of my Dual80's and T72's, but credit where credit is due, I bought my 3yo Son one of the 1/4" Composites once when we were killing time at HF. At home I was playing around with it and I was actually impressed.

One of those deals where I don't "NEED" another set of Rats, but if they had a green set or some other gimmick to get me to buy them, I wouldn't hesitate to commit to the 2nd set of green ones. I just went to check on Amazon if there were any other brands and the Tekton's look like the same head & design but different over-molding on the handle.

We have a whole drawer full of USA Craftsman, and vintage USA SK ratchets, and I actually use a 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 set of HF composite ratchets as my go-to tools. Those are the first ones I reach for, so they get used for everything. People can say what they want about HF, but those are some nice ratchets

 

[Farmall450]

Here's orange handled versions of the ones above:

http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/288253028/Composite_Ratchet_Handle_Non_Conductive_1.html

Looking at the picture of the HF ones on the website:

http://www.harborfreight.com/3-8-eighth-inch-heavy-duty-composite-ratchet-66313.html

These seem like more of a match (note handle details). If they can do blue, I'm sure they can do green.

http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/508152744/_ALH_00052_COMPOSITE_RATCHET_HANDLE.html

I'd bet they could even make the whole ratchet green, with black handles, rather than black with green handles.

I'd also bet if someone took the risk/initiative to import in the minimum 1000 pieces (or whatever it may be), they'd probably sell them off pretty quickly, and no small portion to folks here, given the favorable reviews of the HF composites and the fanaticism for day-glow green.

I'd even commit to buy the first set of them...

I'd take a green one too

 

[twostall]

I'm holding out for the camo.

 

[SMKS]

Here's a Taiwanese company that makes at least one of the HF ratchets. William Tools is an OEM for a bunch of ratchets, torque wrenches and some other stuff.
http://www.williamtools.com/

William Tools
http://www.williamtools.com/Ratchet-Handles-Rapid.shtml#02

HF version
http://www.harborfreight.com/media/...b33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_14786.jpg

 

[kythri]

I did hear back.

They can do green (green body, black handle), but minimum order is slightly over 2K units in any drive size. Numbers aren't horrible, but to do 2k sets (1/4", 3/8" and 1/2"), the product cost comes out to be about half of what HF charges for their stuff, and that doesn't cover import fees, freight, etc.

Sadly, not something I'm not willing to try to get off the ground at this point in time.

Edit: That is, unless, I go the Kickstarter route.

 

[btbsandman]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008CM2Z7Y/?tag=atomicindus08-20

they have a pink one

Does it come with tata sockets?

 

[cosmik binturong]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008CM2Z7Y/?tag=atomicindus08-20

they have a pink one

anybody seen a pink 1/4" one in the wild?

(this is a really serious question )

 

[Project_shadow]

Www.Vipertoolstorage.com is the home of the pink tools

 

[monomach]

anybody seen a pink 1/4" one in the wild?

(this is a really serious question )

Sears has the 3/8" for sure. I never looked at the end cap of pink tools close enough to see if there are more sizes there.

 

[cosmik binturong]

Sears has the 3/8" for sure. I never looked at the end cap of pink tools close enough to see if there are more sizes there.

no Sears here...

no luck on the snakytoolboxes site too...

 

[Project_shadow]

Go to their catalogue on the site and download it
There's a bunch of pink tools and boxes in it

 

[Blöckw@rt]

Here are 2 of mine.

You get what you pay for it !

 

[nicksnothereman]

Does it come with tata sockets?

Performance tool has this one (red and black though) in a set with black nickel sockets (from taiwan) actually a decent setup (I own it and use it). Sometimes you go for the ten dollar tacos sometimes you go for the 50 cent ones.