Why Buy Milwaukee or Dewalt Hand Tools?

[kngelv]

I am tired of seeing a Milwaukee and Dewalt version of pretty much any hand tool taking up shelf space at local stores and wondered what others thought? I can't understand why anyone would buy any of the Chinese made plier type tools from either manufacturer when you can buy Channellock pliers for the same price or less that are Made in the USA. I worry that by branding every type of hand tool they will drive American hand tool companies out of business. Heck the Made in Taiwan Doyle stuff at Harbor Freight is better than this stuff and costs less too. I own both Milwaukee and Dewalt power tools but feel no need for the hand tools that are vastly overpriced for the quality and that offer nothing innovative.

James

 

[ex_nihilo]

Right on!

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[buckwheat_la]

I am tired of seeing a Milwaukee and Dewalt version of pretty much any hand tool taking up shelf space at local stores and wondered what others thought? I can't understand why anyone would buy any of the Chinese made plier type tools from either manufacturer when you can buy Channellock pliers for the same price or less that are Made in the USA. I worry that by branding every type of hand tool they will drive American hand tool companies out of business. Heck the Made in Taiwan Doyle stuff at Harbor Freight is better than this stuff and costs less too. I own both Milwaukee and Dewalt power tools but feel no need for the hand tools that are vastly overpriced for the quality and that offer nothing innovative.

James

Proof that these are inferior tools please.

 

[eschoendorff]

It’s brand recognition. The general public recognizes the bright red and yellow of Milwaukee and DeWalt.

 

[gregpack]

IMO they are innovating somewhat. Milwaukee torque lock pliers have been the best vice grips I've found on the shelves- better than Spanish made proto and knipex.

 

[Tallpilot]

It’s brand recognition. The general public recognizes the bright red and yellow of Milwaukee and DeWalt.

Correct. Mass-market items will never be ‘the best’ partly due to value engineering reducing quality to meet a price point and partly due to the marketing budget outstripping R&D by a huge margin. The next question is if the upmarket offerings are demonstrably higher in quality or trading on the perception that higher price equals higher quality combined with slick marketing.

High end tool purchasers don’t want to hear that they are being manipulated by the same mechanisms used to sell Bentley’s and Louis Vuitton handbags but they often are.

Buying decisions will always have an emotional component but we could strive to be as objective as possible in our reviews here. Our goal should be to judge each offering on its own merits.

IMO they are innovating somewhat. Milwaukee torque lock pliers have been the best vice grips I've found on the shelves- better than Spanish made proto and knipex.

The people who run these companies are primarily interested in making money but that doesn’t mean they won’t occasionally make something useful.

 

[dnschmidt]

Who cares? If Milwaukee and DeWalt make quality hand tools, and for the most part they do, I don't give a damn who's name is on them. Any fool that would rather have an Irwin vise grip over a Milwaukee is an idiot. The sockets and wrenches they are sourcing from Taiwan are high quality. The DeWalt reversible ratchet wrenches kill Gearwrench's offerings any day. Consolidation continues every day. I'm in the woodfinishing industry. At one time I could buy lacquer and conversion varnish from 20 different manufacturers. Now it's down to Akzo Nobel and Sherwin-Williams. It's not a good thing but it is the way it is.

 

[gmcgeo]

its okay harbor freight is better then both LOL

 

[DFB]

its okay harbor freight is better then both LOL

 

[rick carpenter]

As far as pliers go, I plan one day to get a pair of GripLock GL6's. But as far as other hand tools, though I was initially excited to see Channellock's newest drivers I prefer Milwaukee's handles over them and my Williams hard handles which I've relegated to my 'road kit'. The Milwaukee drivers are made in Taiwan if that matters.

 

[DFB]

"Disruptive Innovation" is what Milwaukee called it and yes they hit the ground running in hand tools.

I have to say I don't get hyped up and overly excited about all the hand tools Milwaukee puts on the market and for the most part it is just another option but often is a good one. And I do own a lot of Milwaukee too.

Maybe joe schmo shopping home depot don't need any them but they do offer a serious amount of tool options for tradesmen...electricians and plumbers, metal workers and carpenters. And many supply houses are stocking them now.

If I was looking to replace my Vice Grips, my Channelocks, maybe my Estwing hammer I would look at them all.

My pal at the motorcycle shop bought set of the Milwaukee locking pliers both with rubber grips I like 'em alot. I really like the open frame design on the adjustables too. I did buy one of the hammers the fiberglass handles one, didn't really impress me though right off the bat but that's me it was entirely different than what I had been using.

Chalk lines, measuring tapes of all sizes and configurations. The magnetic speed square, well I don't need one but I'm sure somebody does. Framing squares, levels, there is a whole lot of options besides a few screwdrivers or wrenches. Go to Milwaukee web page for hand tools and there's like 400 separate product listings on hand tools and that doesn't include any storage, electrical instruments, work gear, lights or powertools

https://milwaukeetool.com/Products/Hand-Tools

Honestly I don't often look at Dewalt stuff though I often see a lot of it cheap in places like TSC, and online thru Home depot and Amazon. My local lumberyard is stocking huge wallboard of their mechanics tools both chrome and impact grade. Nice display I have to say.

 

[WittHay]

Because buying DeWalt, Craftsman and Irwin tools helps support a North American manufacturer SBD that provides top quality tools like Proto and Mac

I cant stand a lot of the gimmicky Milwaukee hand tools from that Asian company TTI. Must have 20 pairs of Irwin vise-grips and and finally bought a Milwaukee vise-grip, mainly sits under the seat of the truck

 

[plinker]

What I found funny is I was at Home depot a couple years ago and the Dewalt crimpers were a couple dollars more then the Channellock equivalent. I thought made in Asia tools meant prices would be lower [sarcasm].

I dont think that the Milwaukee locking pliers are "better" then the pre-china Vise grips, but they dont seem to be bad at all. I ended up with a set from Christmas. Made In Taiwan, I had thought they were made in china for some reason.

My only gripe is the fine teeth at the tips isnt really there,just has a crosshatch pattern that isnt very deep.

 

[zendriver]

Because people might want hand tools that have a brand name on them that they like.

They very likely will get the job done and if people wanted American made tools, they have to live under a rock to not know they exist.

Will they put the American manufacturers out of business? Probably.

Milwaukee and D Walt are in business to make money, which might have something to do with,capitalizing on their brand names

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[Stuart in MN]

Why buy Snap-On branded socks? It's the same thing, really - brand recognition and brand loyalty. It's a smart move on the part of Milwaukee and DeWalt.

 

[mike93lx]

Country of origin does not matter to most people.

Price does.

 

[Davefr]

Don't forget that major retailers prefer dealing with as few suppliers as possible.

It would be more efficient for HD to deal with Milwaukee to line up as many SKU's as possible. (power tools, hand tools, accessories, etc, etc)

I would also bet the Milwaukee is giving HD some significant merchandising $'s. (way more then Channellock or any other secondary suppliers).

 

[Tallpilot]

Don't forget that major retailers prefer dealing with as few suppliers as possible.

It would be more efficient for HD to deal with Milwaukee to line up as many SKU's as possible. (power tools, hand tools, accessories, etc, etc)

I would also bet the Milwaukee is giving HD some significant merchandising $'s. (way more then Channellock or any other secondary suppliers).

I’m not in the retail trade but my understanding is Milwaukee owns the inventory in the big box stores so the retailer has no inventory carrying costs. I suspect they have the same arrangement with DeWalt.

 

[Professional Tool User]

Some of their Made in Taiwan hand tools actually look quite promising like the wrenches and sockets. Innovation wise, Milwaukee hand tools have features like sockets that are not round on the outside and I beam prybars. As for the pliers, that's another story in terms of pricing.

 

[Farmall450]

I’m not in the retail trade but my understanding is Milwaukee owns the inventory in the big box stores so the retailer has no inventory carrying costs. I suspect they have the same arrangement with DeWalt.

Probably not the case. Generally you only see that for trials of new, oddity or no-name products that probably wouldn't be picked up anywhere else without incentives.

 

[dacan23]

Its true, all the Milwaukee power tools at HD are Milwaukee's property, they actually pay HD for the space and HD just gets a commission on the sales.

Probably not the case. Generally you only see that for trials of new, oddity or no-name products that probably wouldn't be picked up anywhere else without incentives.

 

[dogdog]

its okay harbor freight is better then both LOL

^^^
LOL It's because HF beats them all....

Country of origin does not matter to most people.

Price does.

^^^
If only my pay goes up with the inflation, and I don't get nickle and dime to death by tax this tax that and misc tax, now congestion pricing just because some one can't manage their $$$ properly... I don't see certain payroll gets decrease due to poor performances, but just more tax or toll ... not that mentioning these thing is meant for a political thing... it's just one of those reason, why price matters...... have you seen your phone bill, misc tax? gas bill, electric bill, water bill...property tax?

 

[CJM8515]

Id say less than 5% of consumers care where an item is made.

 

[terpfords]

The part that bothers me is that Milwaukee made ‘the Best’ power tools and made them in America. They definitely made a profit for the hard work they put in them. They then used the money and invested it overseas. Seems misplaced to me.

 

[Jtels85]

Rural King stores carry a large selection of DeWalt Mechanics tools. While I don’t personally own any, I was able to inspect and handle a lot of them and I must say... the quality is top notch for what you’re getting.

I have a pair of Milwaukee wire strippers from Home Depot that I really like. The price was pretty close to the USA made Klein equivalent at the other end of the store, but I went with Milwaukee because I was already in the tool aisle and wasn’t walking to the back corner of the building where the doorbell goes off whenever people are near the Klein tools. I don’t need that kind of anxiety.

They’re loss, not mine.

 

[Handyandy23]

I've had the same attitude about their handtools, but I find I'm slowly collecting more and more of them, and they are actually pretty good quality.

Part of it being they are what HD has when I show up and need something, but it's also that they offer the best value compared to the other options there.

Example, the other day I needed a chisel, I wasn't sure what I had at home would be the right size, and HD was closer than home. Walked in and saw a couple brands, one of them being DeWalt. Kind of rolled my eyes at the DW ones, started reading reviews on my phone, and ended up walking out with the DeWalt set because they had great reviews and a fair price.

Same way I ended up with a DeWalt tape measure. Needed one while I was in HD, didn't want to pay primo prices, but also didn't want to waste money on a throw away. The DeWalt felt like good quality in my hand, was a good price, and matched all my DeWalt saws (brand recognition / loyalty).

I'm quite OK with them making hand tools if they are making good ones. It irks me when a company labels their name on a POS tool just to make money, but clearly DeWalt and Milwaukee are making an effort to put out decent tools. I wouldn't likely buy them over an established mid tier brand on a planned purchase, but as an "I need it now" option I certainly like them better than the Husky / Kobalt alternatives.

 

[joey1320]

For some reason I'm not bothered by either brand branching out into hand tools and such. On the other hand it really grinds my gears when I see all the Craftsman branded **** at Lowes.

 

[Davefr]

The part that bothers me is that Milwaukee made ‘the Best’ power tools and made them in America. They definitely made a profit for the hard work they put in them. They then used the money and invested it overseas. Seems misplaced to me.

I don't think Milwaukee invested overseas. I believe overseas conglomerate TTI bought out Milwaukee.

In this case I don't think it was a bad thing because Milwaukee is still considered top shelf and they've continued to innovate with the financial backing of TTI.

 

[rattler459]

Its true, all the Milwaukee power tools at HD are Milwaukee's property, they actually pay HD for the space and HD just gets a commission on the sales.

that's not true at all. all tools at home depot are our inventory. only garden items like plants and firewood are VMI

 

[ChrisLS8]

I've had the same attitude about their handtools, but I find I'm slowly collecting more and more of them, and they are actually pretty good quality.

Part of it being they are what HD has when I show up and need something, but it's also that they offer the best value compared to the other options there.

Example, the other day I needed a chisel, I wasn't sure what I had at home would be the right size, and HD was closer than home. Walked in and saw a couple brands, one of them being DeWalt. Kind of rolled my eyes at the DW ones, started reading reviews on my phone, and ended up walking out with the DeWalt set because they had great reviews and a fair price.

Same way I ended up with a DeWalt tape measure. Needed one while I was in HD, didn't want to pay primo prices, but also didn't want to waste money on a throw away. The DeWalt felt like good quality in my hand, was a good price, and matched all my DeWalt saws (brand recognition / loyalty).

I'm quite OK with them making hand tools if they are making good ones. It irks me when a company labels their name on a POS tool just to make money, but clearly DeWalt and Milwaukee are making an effort to put out decent tools. I wouldn't likely buy them over an established mid tier brand on a planned purchase, but as an "I need it now" option I certainly like them better than the Husky / Kobalt alternatives.

The DeWalt jab saw is made in France and the chisels are great as well made in Sheffield along with some razors

 

[JBH]

The DeWalt jab saw is made in France and the chisels are great as well made in Sheffield along with some razors

Some of the ratchets look like new-gen Facom/USAG, too.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

Milwaukee and DeWalt got the idea from watching people buy John Deere lunch boxes and dinner plates, and Volvo, Chevrolet, and Ford baseball caps. An O'Reilly Beer and a Mopar cheese burger could be real door busters at the race track concession stand.

Ride the fame of the name.

 

[Tallpilot]

I don't think Milwaukee invested overseas. I believe overseas conglomerate TTI bought out Milwaukee.

In this case I don't think it was a bad thing because Milwaukee is still considered top shelf and they've continued to innovate with the financial backing of TTI.

I think that is a more accurate characterization.

https://www.ttigroup.com/our-company/history/

Horst Julius Pudwill? Doesn’t sound particularly Chinese to me. People on this board want to denigrate the company as if Xi Jinping owns it personally. One of my coworkers just went to work for Milwaukee’s flight department. They are treating him quite well. He isn’t Chinese; he’s a tax paying US citizen. They just moved the headquarters to Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Pretty sure that isn’t in China.

Buy what you like and feel free to complain about outsourcing producing cheap, disposable garbage. Every tear down I’ve seen of Milwaukee’s tools show a great deal of attention to detail and quality components. They are reasonably priced and supported by the company with an excellent warranty.

Buy DeWalt or Felo if you wish. Hate Milwaukee because you don’t like red or any other personal preference but accept that they employ about as many people in the US as DeWalt does and buying a drill isn’t a donation to the Chinese Communist Party.

 

[Farmall450]

Its true, all the Milwaukee power tools at HD are Milwaukee's property, they actually pay HD for the space and HD just gets a commission on the sales.

I highly doubt that. Link?

Hell, I even tried to google it and prove myself wrong.

 

[Fedwrench]

I bought more tools made in Taiwan, Japan, or Germany over the last few years than anything made in the USA.

No one is forcing you to buy those Milwaukee or Dewalt tools

If you don't want to buy them, don't. Someone else will

 

[WittHay]

For me TTI and Makita are exactly the same, both large Asian power tool manufacturers. Makita does not makes hand tools but TTI/Milwaukee does. There is nothing in Milwaukee's heritage about making hand tools. The only reason they do this is marketing, a American name on any product sells, just ask HF. Also Milwaukee employs hundreds of people to come up with new products some good and some so/so.

DeWalt is different, their parent company SBD has always made hand tools with brands like Proto, Mac, Facom, Stanley and now Irwin, Lennox and Craftsman

TTI hand tools are from China and Taiwan while SBD hand tools are from USA, Mexico, Denmark, France, England, Italy, Thailand as well as China and Taiwan

And yes, any People's Republic of China product you buy is a donation to the Communist party of China. You cant avoid that fact. China is not a democracy

 

[Handyandy23]

And yes, any People's Republic of China product you buy is a donation to the Communist party of China. You cant avoid that fact. China is not a democracy

I'm not an expert on the subject, but I question how much people who say things like this actually understand what communism in China actually means.

It's clearly not as straight forward as many would view the word "communism" because if there wasn't capitalism and free trade/money flow, then you wouldn't be able to buy tools from China.

If it's a matter of "quality of life" and living conditions, I'd say there are far worse situations worldwide that people 'support' through their buying habits.

 

[Fedwrench]

I should add that it's also about choice and availability. We used to have more choices in domestically produced tools. Unfortunately, many of those choices went away when Armstrong went away. It's amazing all of the different brands those factories cranked out.
SK takes forever and a day to release new products so, since I have most of the items I want from them, I don't really get anything from them.
I can honestly say the new craftsman at lowes isn't that exciting at least to me.
Milwaukee really doesn't have that much to offer aside from some square based socket sets, a couple of wrench sets, picks, pry bars, & pliers. They don't offer open stock wrenches or sockets.
Dewalt on the other hand seems to offer more in the way of mechanics hand tools and the items I have are well made. The second generation 72 tooth ratchet handles are quite comfortable and the ratcheting action is crisp. I also like their wrenches. As always, buy what you like, can afford, and meets your needs.

 

[BK13]

Same way I ended up with a DeWalt tape measure. Needed one while I was in HD, didn't want to pay primo prices, but also didn't want to waste money on a throw away. The DeWalt felt like good quality in my hand, was a good price, and matched all my DeWalt saws (brand recognition / loyalty).

Yeah, I hate it when my belt doesn't match my boots. LOL

 

[Jazzman442]

Id say less than 5% of consumers care where an item is made.

Yu are correct.

I love these forums. car ones too. They all want to buy their tools, their cabinets their accessory's made in America. Then they buy POS over seas cars...

I dont get it. Hardly every one gives a care...