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WOW! Whats gone wrong in America?

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MaintenanceGuy

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I've been out of work for over a year. I started a new job a few weeks back, and noticed some of my tools were missing. I went out shopping for tools. First stop was Home Depot, found nothing but Chinese tools(at US prices). Next stop was Lowes, more of the same. Then Sears, more Chinese tools than Chinese people in all of California! And the prices are higher now than ever!

What did I do? I went to HFT's and got Chinese tools at a Chinese price.
They were actually made in Taiwan(little better).

I did buy a couple of those Craftsman Premium 84t ratchets, but HFT for a set of deep 6pt sockets.:)
 
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jim1987

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I only find USA tools every where I shop. Even at harbor freight. Did you ask them to see the "back" section?
 
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BirdMobile

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Buying used seems to be the best way to get quality tools any more.
Of course, you save lots of money that way too, so it's a win-win! :)
 
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Shadowdog500

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jim1987 said:
I only find USA tools every where I shop. Even at harbor freight. Did you ask them to see the "back" section?
Click to expand...

???? Where this? I've been in the back of several Harbor Freights. Only think back there are cases from china, the break room with lockers, and the bathrooms.

I bought a Crafstman tool cart a few years ago and when I got it home and assembled it, it was a piece of junk and the casters didn't even roll right. When I saw the little "made in china" sticker on the bottom that was enough for me to take it back to sears. On the way home from sears I picked up the HF 4drawer service cart and love it. It works better than the craftman one, and I didn't have to pay "made in the USA" prices for a "made in China" product.

Chris
 
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mopar01

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He has three post count. Some pepple dont know sears went completely overseas. As bobcatdan said sk proto wright offer much better tools.
 
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MRunabout

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San Diego
The guy just got a job after not working a year. I think he's trying to save a few bucks by buying budget USA coo tools like Craftsman. If not, at least he's on the right forums to learn about the big name brands and their industrial sub brands.
 
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monomach

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Shadowdog500 said:
???? Where this? I've been in the back of several Harbor Freights. Only think back there are cases from china, the break room with lockers, and the bathrooms.

I bought a Crafstman tool cart a few years ago and when I got it home and assembled it, it was a piece of junk and the casters didn't even roll right. When I saw the little "made in china" sticker on the bottom that was enough for me to take it back to sears. On the way home from sears I picked up the HF 4drawer service cart and love it. It works better than the craftman one, and I didn't have to pay "made in the USA" prices for a "made in China" product.

Chris
Click to expand...

No, he means the BACK back section. Behind the extra Chinese stock, there's a room of US-made wrenches, ratchets, and sockets; it's all open stock stuff. Last time I got back there, I bought a whole cart full of US-made Proto. We got a new manager, though. Now there's a password to get back there and he won't tell anyone what it is.
 
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shockwave

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Unfortunately most stores stock Asian made sockets unless you find hardware store with a lot of old stock craftsman ace hardware comes to mind also try fastenal they also sell Armstrong
 
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Shadowdog500

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monomach said:
No, he means the BACK back section. Behind the extra Chinese stock, there's a room of US-made wrenches, ratchets, and sockets; it's all open stock stuff. Last time I got back there, I bought a whole cart full of US-made Proto. We got a new manager, though. Now there's a password to get back there and he won't tell anyone what it is.
Click to expand...


Oh, that's the snap on section for the inside track members!

Chris
 
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Zeroek

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Menards has a USA line of tools still don't they? Mastercraft if I'm right.
 
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natas2000

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More Chinese tools than Chinese in California was the give away,boy that was a laugh.
 
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monomach

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Zeroek said:
Menards has a USA line of tools still don't they? Mastercraft if I'm right.
Click to expand...

Masterforce. Screwdrivers, ratchets, wrenches, and sockets are US, the rest is other places.

They're all (except the drivers) the same as the last batch of US Craftsman, so nothing special. The sockets and wrenches grip fasteners on the corners rather than the flats. The ratchets in particular are terrible, having the same internals as raised panels.

It's all obsolete technology as far as tools go, but it should at least last a long time.
 
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nieuport17

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Jun 20, 2014
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stop feeding the troll.
sleeping beauty here just woke up from coma and realized we have imports ?

:lol_hitti
 
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redwrench60

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East Tennessee
I can find plenty of USA made tools at Home Depot. Channellock, Klein, Empire, Vaughan, Estwing, Ideal, Johnson, ridgid just to name a few........I just let the China dolls swing on their pegs.
 
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SMKS

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USA, planet Earth
monomach said:
The sockets and wrenches grip fasteners on the corners rather than the flats.
Click to expand...

Not exactly accurate.

Old Craftsman sockets and wrenches from years ago didn't have off-corner engagement, but they've had it since at least the late 1990s.

The now-discontinued Craftsman USA sockets and wrenches from recent years (as well as the Allen, K-D, Masterforce, etc. versions) have off-corner engagement. Most reputable brands do.

Now, if you want to argue whether it works as well as something like SO's Flank Drive, we'll that's another thing. My personal experience is that the Apex off-corner engagement design works fine.
 
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