Why is everyone obsessed with U.S.A. Tools

[Kev442]

I am 52 years old and I'm going to be painfully honest. I was not around quality USA tools as a kid. My Dad had a Williams 3/8 ratchet set, but everything else was bottom of the bin home owners stuff.
I grew up thinking Stanley was about the worst trash out there because they made about 5 levels of screwdrivers and Dad bought the lowest level.
Once on my own I aspired to own a Craftsman USA socket set, but True Value put a Master Mechanic set on sale for $30. So my first tool investment was Taiwan and I still own and use many parts of those ratchets and sockets to this day.
I eventually did get some Cman, but the true, high quality USA brands remained a mystery to me for many years. I have no problem with Taiwan tools and have as many of them as I do USA. I reserve China/HF for the one use oddball stuff, it is inferior IMO, no matter who's name is on it.

 

[gerryw]

I like quality no matter the origin, snap on usa, knipex germany, i dont mind spending the extra money for tool companies who pay their employees fair wages with benefits.i just hate spending good money for tools that are outsourced to china, but still want top dollar.
We have Princess Auto here ( think Harbor Freight) and they are great and you know its all from China, but its cheap and customer service is fantastic.Other than Grey Canada, all my tools are imported!!!

Ironically there are things in my garage i just couldn't afford if they were made in usa (Scissor lift, hydraulic press, drill press etc)

Gerry

 

[Wes J]

Simple. I make a living working on machine tools. American manufacturing supports me has supported me 100% since I graduated from college. Basically, I make a living working on machines that are used to make things in the US.

I try to buy 100% USA tools. It's expensive, but I'm investing in my future. If you work in a Hyundai dealership or something, you might not appreciate what I'm saying. To me it's a no brainer.

 

[zhaddock]

Where a tool is made has little to do with it's quality. People like to use the analogy of "Go buy a cheap Chinese tool from harbor freight and see the difference". The truth of the matter is cheap tools are designed to be cheap and come from places with cheap labor forces. If snap on or any other company for that matter wanted to move manufacturing over seas and spec out the same standards employed currently they could do so and no one would be able to tell the difference. An inexpensive tool isn't going to be awesome quality just because it's made in the USA. It's a simple matter of GIGO.

 

[TK-421]

Because everything's made better in America. Did you even watch the Olympics???
USA, USA, USA, USA!!!

And what about the Olympic Athletes performing for the USA who weren't made in the USA?

 

[Rossco]

I ain't paticular to USA tools. I find any tool that are expensive and made in the modern world tend to be pro grade. For instance I would take a Bahco Adjustable over any brand regardless of COO.

The reason 'Made in the USA only A-Hole' on this site is because the vast majority of members are American. Good for those guys, I respect that.

Simple as that for me.

 

[Fedwrench]

Nostalgia. Once upon a time we made tools, and US made tools were used to build things. We also fed the world & put a man on the moon. Now, we specialize in social media, Big Macs, & Starbucks
If we go back in history to the end of World War II, the US manufacturing base was probably the only one left unravaged by war hence, we made everything.
Flash forward to today, and things have changed greatly. Add in the demand for corporate greed and lower cost tools, means not much is made here these days.
Back to US made tools, although there are **** tools made in the USA, most were built to last & could even be passed down to future generations. I think that's the key to US made tools, durability and longevity.

 

[6MocoA]

Where a tool is made has little to do with it's quality. People like to use the analogy of "Go buy a cheap Chinese tool from harbor freight and see the difference". The truth of the matter is cheap tools are designed to be cheap and come from places with cheap labor forces. If snap on or any other company for that matter wanted to move manufacturing over seas and spec out the same standards employed currently they could do so and no one would be able to tell the difference. An inexpensive tool isn't going to be awesome quality just because it's made in the USA. It's a simple matter of GIGO.

You can explain this till you are blue in the face, but it wont matter here. You would have better luck training you dog to call in and correct for artillery.

The simple matter is that the 'high end' Taiwan/China stuff like Gearwrench and Sunex provide a bang for the buck that is unbeatable. The Snap Ons, Matco, MACs, and whatevers of the world are going to be in for a hurting over the next couple of decades. A guy can use Sunex and Gearwrench to make a living turning wrenches at a fraction of the cost he could using Snap-On and Matco.

That said, I have a collection of tools ranging from Snapon to the cheapest india stuff from HF. Each has its place and each has provided a certain amount of value.

 

[Gmonkee]

So many fuzzy lines. Bad the factory went to Mexico but Mexican made is ok. A domestic brand selling well made Indian tools at affordable prices,

Truck brands being imported tools so are they good or bad?

What of having a good stock of affordable decent tools or a small selection of more expensive tools? For whom in what stage of life or work?

There is no one simple answer.

 

[chrisnazzy]

What's not to love about American made tools. What's wrong with having pride in American manufacturing and ponying up a little extra dough to support American workers and their families. I buy Made in the USA as much as possible but to think that you can avoid buying anything made overseas in today's global economy is probably delusional. Two main factors affect my non USA made tool purchases: Quality and value. I have and use Gearwrench wrenches, Sunex impact sockets and Milwaukee Cordless tools. All of these are widely regarded and they are very high quality in my book. However, 95% of Chinese made tools I see are....well....of questionable guality to put it nicely.

Full disclosure though, I know my time here on GJ over the past few years has made me even more of a USA made tool afficionado. All of my 6pt. and 12pt. chrome sockets are USA craftsman I've had since I was 16. You can bet your *** though that if I ever break one I would gladly pay for a USA made replacement off Ebay before I would go to the store for warranty into a China counterpart.

I also recently posted here about how excited I was to get handed down my dads USA S-K 3/4 drive socket set. If it weren't for that I would have probably bought a cheaper set due to how little use it would get as opposed to spending $600-$800 on a new S-K set.

I also own a Snap On toolbox and have several drawers in it that are pretty much all USA made tools. I'm not a Snap On snob but I like the tools and have had a 15 year relationship with them. They also just tend to make me happy and put a smile on my face knowing I own quality tools made right here in the USA. Even though I could have saved money on less expensive tools that may have performed as well, I exercised my right as an American to spend my money on whatever I want. In fairness though the same statement goes for the guy who swears by all tools with the Pittsburgh name on them. Who am I to judge.

 

[M6erfan]

If snap on or any other company for that matter wanted to move manufacturing over seas and spec out the same standards employed currently they could do so and no one would be able to tell the difference. An inexpensive tool isn't going to be awesome quality just because it's made in the USA. It's a simple matter of GIGO.

Makes me wonder if this is why Snap-On recently decided to lose the "Made In USA" moniker on some of their tools...sign of things to come?

 

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I haven't been active on GJ that long but in my short time here this thread seems to reoccur over and over and over again. Nobody's mind ever changes, people offer up half truths and opinions disguised as facts. Pretty useless and yes I am aware of the irony that I am commenting on it.

 

[Wes J]

Where a tool is made has little to do with it's quality.

The simple matter is that the 'high end' Taiwan/China stuff like Gearwrench and Sunex provide a bang for the buck that is unbeatable. The Snap Ons, Matco, MACs, and whatevers of the world are going to be in for a hurting over the next couple of decades. A guy can use Sunex and Gearwrench to make a living turning wrenches at a fraction of the cost he could using Snap-On and Matco.

I can hope that people will pull their heads out of their asses and realize they should invest in their own country.

Keep getting your bang for you buck and sending your money to Asia. It's great for you. How about for your kids?

 

[zendriver]

Most of my Chinese tools perform just as good as any I have from America, or anywhere else, for that matter.

I always look for "made in USA" tools because I know it resells well, or I'll keep them for the nostalgia factor.

"Patriots" complain about snap on opening factories in China, SK going bankrupt , Craftsman closing us factories etc - then gloat about buying snap on for 50% off, getting SK off eBay, swapping garage sale cman wrenches for new, as if that is supporting American industry.

Whatever.

After wwii, beaten Europeans, watched with chagrin, fledgling American industry take off into the stratosphere, apparently with no end in sight.

Well, it's at least diminished, to the point where the shoe is on the other foot, while we watch China kick ***.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ezriderga]

Why is "everyone "... That's a pretty broad brush isn't it?

 

[Rossco]

Why is "everyone "... That's a pretty broad brush isn't it?

You ain't kidding.

I buy ****-on but don't own any MAC or the other USA brands.

Only kinda obsession related to tools is making $$$$ with them.

 

[jumbojak]

Because USA made tools are a status symbol?!

 

[Tenex]

I buy American tools partially because I get satisfaction out of helping our national economy, but also because I take pride in having quality stuff.

I will buy American 95% of the time unless it doesn't make sense. Per example, I was going to buy Proto impacts when Zoro ran a 30% sale. I just couldn't justify spending that kind of money on something that's meant for you to beat the **** out of so I settled on Sunex. Don't get me wrong. I have American hammers, chisels, and punches that take a beating, but that cost is easier to swallow than the cost of buying SAE and metric, 3/8 and 1/2, deep and shallow socket sets.

What really grinds my gears is offshore products being marked up to that of American products. Price depending, I'll buy a new American tool rather than make a warranty claim just to support domestic businesses.

 

[lazer50]

I am 50 years old. I have tools that were handed down i have tools i have tools i have bought since i was 16 .i was taught early to use tools as they were intended and they will last me a lifetime. So now i ha e a matco box USA made filled with snap on mac armstrong usa craftsman bonney wizard corn well indestro and several other usa brands.i also have 2 tekton ratchets Taiwan. 4 sets of gearwrench ratchet wrenches taiwan. 2 sets of blue point wrenches taiwan.and 3 craftsman China ratchets i bought and didn't realize they had went to china.all of these years being a heavy truck mechanic an industrial technician a welder fabricator i have had to replace/rebuild or have trouble with inferior tools from asian countries namely china.i have seen it in the tools i have used the parts i have used in the shops and the ones i have bought for cars especially anything with steel. I also have bought Kershaw knives for years usa made excellent quality. Bought a new one the other day saved a little money but noticed it felt weird and the Assisted opening wasn't crisp.looked on the back of the blade in real fine print china.not only do i have 35 years of proof usa tools parts products etc. Are higher quality i support american jobs.so in closing you can get decent tools from taiwan i have plenty of mac and matco taiwan but also usa mac and matco and the quality difference is obvious!

 

[Hillyard]

I'm 33 and purchased a lot of my tools between 16 and 22 and actually surprised how many of my tools are stamped with Made in the USA. More recently, I inherited a ton of tools when my grandpa passed away. He was a pipe fitter and all of his tools are made in the USA. Out of 12 grand children, I was the only one interested in even going to their old house and picking them up. Lucky for me, but kind of sad in a way.

 

[6MocoA]

Keep getting your bang for you buck and sending your money to Asia. It's great for you. How about for your kids?

Guess what? The $100 master impact set of 1/2 in. dr Sunex sockets that costs less than 1/10 of what the Snap On equivalent would be leaves me HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS of dollars to spend on my kids. Me unnecessarily overpaying in some quixotic effort to 'save American jobs' will have have no effect on the basic laws of market economics and will only affect my family's GDP negatively.

 

[Wes J]

I'm 33 and purchased a lot of my tools between 16 and 22 and actually surprised how many of my tools are stamped with Made in the USA.

Same for me. When I started buying tools 15 years ago you could buy USA made tools in tons of places. That was before the internet and ecommerce was anything like is now.

I could buy USA made Allen tools at Farm and Fleet and Menards. I could buy USA Craftsman at Sears and Ace. Napa had a full line of USA tools.

The break up of Danaher really put a dent in our US tool options. We can still get some but there are few local options where you can just walk in.

 

[Wes J]

Guess what? The $100 master impact set of 1/2 in. dr Sunex sockets that costs less than 1/10 of what the Snap On equivalent would be leaves me HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS of dollars to spend on my kids. Me unnecessarily overpaying in some quixotic effort to 'save American jobs' will have have no effect on the basic laws of market economics and will only affect my family's GDP negatively.

It's a bit hyperbolic, but you're whistling past the graveyard.

In your future you will look around and see that there are no USA made tools available. We will lose all that knowledge and infrastructure.

I've worked in manufacturing for 12 years. Every dollar I spend on a US made tool is an investment in my job security.

Americans have to learn to stop being so short sighted and constantly put short term gains over long term investment.

 

[B_Bimmer]

The answer to the question is if you don't know, you don't need to, when you need to, you'll know.

 

[Gmonkee]

Funny, most of my crusty antiques are US made. Hard to find others.

Many of my better resale tools are US made and make me double my pesos. That is nice.

Most of my user tools are Mex branded imports. Those paid for themselves the first week's use. Which works well for me but did any of that of that help a nation?


Sure did. Money needs to flow to feed the economy and my purchases as well as my pay is money in movement.
I have my doubts my part could save a suicidal nation. That depends on industry itself. Having a good labor pool and tax structure to work within to make profits possible.

 

[6MocoA]

It's a bit hyperbolic, but you're whistling past the graveyard.

In your future you will look around and see that there are no USA made tools available. We will lose all that knowledge and infrastructure.

I've worked in manufacturing for 12 years. Every dollar I spend on a US made tool is an investment in my job security.

Americans have to learn to stop being so short sighted and constantly put short term gains over long term investment.

You need to poke your head out from under the ground and understand that our economy has shifted from a production economy to a service and information economy. Over-regulation, costs of human capital, and rising operational expenses are strangling the last visages of manufacturing in this country. Like physics, the laws of the market cannot be denied. Thinking that buying USA made sockets is going to bring back manufacturing jobs is like thinking buying carrots is going to revitalize the stage coach industry.

There will still be specialized trades jobs - aviation guys, heavy equipment guys, electricians, etc. but the uneducated factory worker is going to be as obsolete as a dinosaur.

 

[Gautama]

I'm seeing a lot of judgmental people looking down on others for not buying tools from the USA, but so much of the reasoning is based on false assumptions or a lack of understanding about how economics works. It gives me an impression that at least some people are doing it because it's an easy way to feel superior.

Do what makes you happy, but if you're going to judge others for it maybe spend some time educating yourself first. It's not as simple as it's being made out to be.

 

[Wes J]

You need to poke your head out from under the ground and understand that our economy has shifted from a production economy to a service and information economy. Over-regulation, costs of human capital, and rising operational expenses are strangling the last visages of manufacturing in this country. Like physics, the laws of the market cannot be denied. Thinking that buying USA made sockets is going to bring back manufacturing jobs is like thinking buying carrots is going to revitalize the stage coach industry.

There will still be specialized trades jobs - aviation guys, heavy equipment guys, electricians, etc. but the uneducated factory worker is going to be as obsolete as a dinosaur.

Please. We make more things in the USA today than ever before.

Good luck in your service economy. Sounds like a description of hell to me.

 

[6MocoA]

but so much of the reasoning is based on false assumptions or a lack of understanding about how economics works. .

Hit the nail on the head. A basic grasp of economics is not too terribly complicated to understand, but many people have never had a course in economics.

 

[6MocoA]

Please. We make more things in the USA today than ever before.

Apparently not tools

 

[Empty Pockets]

not sure "obsessed" is really the correct word, but for what it's worth:

When I was in high school, I bought my first socket set, which I'm still using - 40+ years later.
Show me a Chinese socket set that's going to hold up that long. Never broken a socket or wrench. I did finally wear out a model 2875 Indestro RHFT ratchet (after over 30 years of use.)

Chinese pliers pinch fingers. Chinese wrenches skin knuckles. I should know: I've sold enough of them, and been forced to use them when I had no options.

Chinese power strips and CFL bulbs set houses on fire. Chinese automotive fuses labeled "10 amps" don't blow until they're hit with 50+ amps.

Sorry, but I simply don't trust the bastards.
Sure, I'm forced to use their computers and telephones, because there are few options there.
I have options when it comes to hand tools, so I use what I know I can trust.

+1, I bought 2 sets of Wright combo wrenches and a 1/2" drive socket set all made in the USA. These were purchased in the early-middle 1970s. They have been used hard (not abused), and not a failure of any of those tools.

I realize that Wright and S K are more expensive, but I don't want to have a tool fail in the middle of a job

 

[wubesters.engines]

I'm 20 years old, so I pretty much missed the age where any good tool was made in the U.S.A., never owned any USA made craftsman or anything. A lot of people rant here when a tool isn't made in America. I buy a lot of snap on, Matco and Cornwell. I think Matco and snap on are on the same level quality wise. I definitely notice snap on has much more USA made products than Matco. To me they both work the same and Matco is cheaper, so I've been buying more Matco lately. I definitely like seeing USA on my tools but it doesn't really matter.

So what I'm asking is, do people believe that USA tools perform better than tools made in other countries? Or are people upset that tool trucks want the same money when it's made in another country?

Not trying to start a ******* contest, asking for people's personal opinions. No one is right or wrong.

Answering in the order of questions
-I believe that certain MFG regaurdless of orgin who wish to maintain a reputation with there core clients do perform better. A lot better IMO
-You go to the tool truck for items that a savy shopper could not find elsewhere for less money with same warranty. Or maybe you like the tool guy and will gladly pay him the extra markup inorder to see your fellow businessman succeed. Or maybe ease of warranty example: store comes to you and you are on a first name basis with its owner monday through friday 9-5 just a phone call away to solve your problems.
- As far as tools are concerned its like ice cream. great ice cream comes in a bunch of flavors and tastes great. Bad ice cream still comes in all the flavors.

Wubester

 

[four.cycle]

^ Indestro wasn't a low-end line, even when I bought it at WD net + 10% in 1971.
It's not the price. At the time I owned a small import 3/8" drive socket set (most likely Taiwan or Japan made - we weren't importing anything from China then) and fit/finish/quality was evident - cheap and inferior.

Has nothing to do with price, flag-waving, patriotism, isolationism, xenophobia, global economics, or any of that nonsense.
We carried Globemaster, Zomax, Wilmar, and a plethora of other offshore-sourced tools, which were what we normally kept in the "loaner" boxes under our parts counters, because they invariably grew feet.
I used that stuff on the counter, and I've had to use Chinese-made tools owned by friends and relatives working on their stuff.

I really really really like my hands. I like them even more when the skin is intact. I don't like ripping my fingers open, scraping the skin off the backs of my knuckles, or getting blood blisters.

Therefore (again) I don't use tools that have "CHINA" stamped on them except as a last resort, and even then I'm leery of them. They can't be trusted.
Simple.

YOUR hands: you do what you want - I don't care. Won't affect my universe one iota.

 

[rustbucket5]

the thing i hate is that, if a tool company wants to make a quality tool they will make a quality tool. you think they get these obviously not quality tools and go "yup thats perfect"? no they tell the manufacturers to make the best quality product at the price per unit they want to pay. if you dont like subpar tools china isnt the issue, the company is. so many people on here use the fact that a subpar tool (or product) come from china to fuel their xenophobic ideals. manufacturing will be fully automated soon, jobs would be lost whether or not the factories moved to china

 

[Know Wosad]

It's very simple, (pun intended) Go to Harbor Freight, pick up a pair of Tongue & Groove Pliers and compare them to the original US-made Channellocks and you shall see.

Then go get a Knipex set and see just how close Channellock has crawled with "overseas quality".
Then go to the bay and get a set of Fuller Japanese made pliers and see how they're REALLY supposed to be done

 

[gdocktor3]

And what about the Olympic Athletes performing for the USA who weren't made in the USA?

It's the same thing as Bluepoint or Bahco. Made else where, but in the end it all goes to Snap On, or USA in this analogy.

 

[PJNJ]

Why are people obsessed with starting these useless threads?

 

[MDK22]

Here are the reasons:

1. USA made tools in general are better quality mainly because of the stricter enforcement of ANSI, OSHA, SAE, etc. Because they are in the us it is much easier to sue for poorly made tools.

2. USA made tools tend to have less defects because as a whole the people working in the factories to make them are better educated, healthier (Have good vision), on average actually care about their job, better working conditions, etc.

3. Supporting local economy if you live in the USA that money stays in the USA and stimulates our economy both by the business itself and the employees that get paid by it.

4. USA tools used to only be made from USA steel because it was cheaper and easier to get steel from here. During that time people actually took pride in their jobs and did them to the best of their ability so you had really good quality steel with the appropriate trace minerals in it.

5. Things that were built 40+ years ago were built for life. They were built so you only needed to buy one and people understood that for quality you paid extra money. So you had more checks and balances. IE each product was individually inspected or was inspected in smaller batches. Any defects resulted in recycling the steel as opposed to selling it at a cheaper price to certain stores. The steel that was brought in was inspected for mineral composition. The tool coming out was inspected for hardness not just fit and finish.

5. Most people in the field that you are talking about are older techs or learned from older techs. They have seen how over time the cheaper stuff does not last as long and normally the cheaper stuff is from other countries.

6. National Pride. They would rather have something that is USA made because they live in the US. It is a kind of fanboyism just like people will swear only by Snap-On.


As for me I personally like buying USA when I can but, if there is a better product made elsewhere I am buying it from elsewhere. I do not mind paying an extra 20-30 dollars to get a US made tool as long as it works at the same level as what I am looking for. Which normally is buying it for life.

 

[justanengineer]

You need to poke your head out from under the ground and understand that our economy has shifted from a production economy to a service and information economy. Over-regulation, costs of human capital, and rising operational expenses are strangling the last visages of manufacturing in this country. Like physics, the laws of the market cannot be denied. Thinking that buying USA made sockets is going to bring back manufacturing jobs is like thinking buying carrots is going to revitalize the stage coach industry.

There will still be specialized trades jobs - aviation guys, heavy equipment guys, electricians, etc. but the uneducated factory worker is going to be as obsolete as a dinosaur.

Hit the nail on the head. A basic grasp of economics is not too terribly complicated to understand, but many people have never had a course in economics.

Per economics 101 service industries add negligible value to a large economy. Manufacturing and commodity production OTOH constitute most of the value of our economy and are our real bread-winners, so suggesting we can survive without them is almost as comical as the phrase "uneducated factory worker."

 

[justanengineer]

Personally, I buy American tools for the reasons given above. First and foremost I have had many good experiences not only with the quality of the tools but also the quality of support given by American manufacturers. Secondly, I try to support American workers and our economy as many foreigners support their own local workforce and economies, mainly bc I am part of that same workforce and am not ignorant of what keeps our country rolling.