How Do You Shop for Out-of-Town Tools

[Joe Piro]

How Do You Shop for Out-of-Town Tools: Do you Send Stuff back?

How do you all choose and shop for new hand tools???
Many of the great tools that I have recently learned about are not available locally.
With wrenches and sockets, the Garage Journal forum has introduced me to Wiha, Wera, Heyco, Stahlwille, Gedore, Filo, Hazet, TopTul, Ko-Ken, Nepros (Kyoto Tool Co.), Tone, Asahi Tool, Wright Tool.... and that’s just the “heavy metal” stuff (and doesn’t include the companies I already knew like Proto.) Did I leave out any contenders?
Then there’s Knipex, NWS, PB Swiss, Vessel... all new to me.
And I actually can’t even shop for Proto, Williams, or Armstrong, locally.
Because I have overcome my obsession that all my wrenches and sockets must be made by the same manufacturer, I am interested in sampling different tools in order to choose.
How do you (Garage Journal members) shop for “out-of-town” tools.
For example, I could not decide between the Wright Tool satin finish or fully polished for my new SAE regular length set. So I ordered from Zoro a 715 set (satin) and a 915 set (full polished). I asked first, and Zoro said it was perfectly OK to order both with the intention of sending one back. Even with their consent, I still feel bad about doing that, and I would not want to do that to a small company like Epstein or KC tool (they’re not that small, but still....).

I have started to think of hand tools as art... You wouldn’t hang multiple copies of the same picture in every room of your house, (even if they were a different size).
So how do you guys choose and shop? Is there an annual show anywhere in the country where all the companies display their products?
(and thanks!)

 

[neophyte]

The Armstrong brand was murdered off, so all the “new” Armstrong tools still available are leftover stock.
Proto is usually available thru Grainger, although I don’t know if the individual locations actually keep any Proto stock on the shelves.
Wright might also be available at “real” industrial hardware stores, but you usially pay more at actual brick and mortar stores.

 

[Dave455]

I find choosing is relatively easy.

Once you have a few pieces from a particular manufacturer, you generally know if they are good or not, and if so I’m confidant to order stuff in.

Sure, there are some things that particular manufacturers do well, or in some cases badly, but you can only really discover that through experience. I’ve bought tools from many of the brands you mention, and I’ve never been really let down. There have been a couple of items that, in retrospect, a different maker would have done better, but what I’ve got has been good enough.

I’ve got a few favourite manufacturers that are pretty much my “go to” choices. Stahlwille and Hazet for wrenches and some sockets, KoKen for sockets, Facom for some stuff, and so on. I find it helps to download the catalogues.

The exact choice depends on many factors, including price on the day, and maybe availability. My choices in the U.K. (and indeed what’s good value) are of course different from yours in the U.S. You have to go with what works.

As for where to purchase, probably 80% is online. Maybe more now. Tools that I can get locally tend not to be to my taste, and any that are I can usually get cheaper online. I’ve also got some really good online / phone dealers that I’m happy to support. I used to get Stahlwille from an old style shop, ditto PB Swiss, but only because I was there regularly for work and he gave decent discounts.

The only things I don’t tend to buy online are used tools. I have a, really quite good, selection locally, and prices are very reasonable. It’s a good way to get things like woodworking tools, but perhaps not mechanics tools, though you sometimes get lucky!

 

[richfinn]

Re: How Do You Shop for Out-of-Town Tools: Do you Send Stuff back?

How do you all choose and shop for new hand tools???
Many of the great tools that I have recently learned about are not available locally.
With wrenches and sockets, the Garage Journal forum has introduced me to Wiha, Wera, Heyco, Stahlwille, Gedore, Filo, Hazet, TopTul, Ko-Ken, Nepros (Kyoto Tool Co.), Tone, Asahi Tool, Wright Tool.... and that’s just the “heavy metal” stuff (and doesn’t include the companies I already knew like Proto.) Did I leave out any contenders?
Then there’s Knipex, NWS, PB Swiss, Vessel... all new to me.
And I actually can’t even shop for Proto, Williams, or Armstrong, locally.
Because I have overcome my obsession that all my wrenches and sockets must be made by the same manufacturer, I am interested in sampling different tools in order to choose.
How do you (Garage Journal members) shop for “out-of-town” tools.
For example, I could not decide between the Wright Tool satin finish or fully polished for my new SAE regular length set. So I ordered from Zoro a 715 set (satin) and a 915 set (full polished). I asked first, and Zoro said it was perfectly OK to order both with the intention of sending one back. Even with their consent, I still feel bad about doing that, and I would not want to do that to a small company like Epstein or KC tool (they’re not that small, but still....).

I have started to think of hand tools as art... You wouldn’t hang multiple copies of the same picture in every room of your house, (even if they were a different size).
So how do you guys choose and shop? Is there an annual show anywhere in the country where all the companies display their products?
(and thanks!)

I do my research mostly on GJ, narrow it down to a few mid-priced but high quality options
and then search out reputable Internet vendors with good pricing

After a while you get to know the good companies to deal with and find yourself going back for brands you like

They are almost always working tools in my case, and I have mostly figured out which mechanics on GJ share the same mindset as me

I keep an open mind though and read most threads to see what I can learn (I skip the Harbour Freight threads generally as we don't have it in the UK)

I haven't actually physically looked at a tool for 15 years before purchase, all online transactions and It works out better for me!!!!

 

[Professional Tool User]

Where I usually draw the line in terms of whether to bother with certain brands is whether or not there are local dealers who are successful with carrying the brand. This is coming from a big city perspective. Locally, Proto, Knipex, and Wera to name a few brands are very well supported by local dealers. Pricing is sometimes better than buying online. The ability to feel the tool in my hands and spend the big bucks knowing that I've got local after sales support is very important. If Zoro is telling you that they are okay with returning the set that you don't want, that means they want you to spend the big bucks with peace of mind. As for some of the unsupported exotic stuff, I wouldn't bother with those brands unless they have some sort of specialty item that no one else makes. Trade shows are a great place to get some hands on time with tools. My local auto parts store chain hosts an annual one which includes a tool section. I don't know what you have nearby.

 

[tdkkart]

I end up buying a fair amount of stuff lately from recommendations by YouTube creators. You can pretty readily if they are a solid reference and know what they are talking about, so if they recommend something that interests me I give it a shot.

 

[four.cycle]

"...Zoro said it was perfectly OK to order both with the intention of sending one back. Even with their consent, I still feel bad about doing that..."

One of the effects of the Covid virus was a paradigm shift in the way retail business is conducted in this country.
Retailers are doing far more business online than some of them can keep up with. (My local supermarket has half a dozen people scrambling around the store every day, all day, picking orders which have been submitted online.)

Women can order multiple pairs of shoes online, or a number of different skirts or jackets, and return those they do not want to keep. Some sellers pay for the return shipping and pick up the returned items at their homes. (My girlfriend does 99% of her shopping online.)

So why not tools? It's a new part of the business model for successful online retailers, and it isn't going away. You may as well take advantage of it if it better suits your needs.

 

[richfinn]

One of the effects of the Covid virus was a paradigm shift in the way retail business is conducted in this country.
Retailers are doing far more business online than some of them can keep up with. (My local supermarket has half a dozen people scrambling around the store every day, all day, picking orders which have been submitted online.)

Women can order multiple pairs of shoes online, or a number of different skirts or jackets, and return those they do not want to keep. Some sellers pay for the return shipping and pick up the returned items at their homes. (My girlfriend does 99% of her shopping online.)

So why not tools? It's a new part of the business model for successful online retailers, and it isn't going away. You may as well take advantage of it if it better suits your needs.

We do all our shopping this way (we live in England), from groceries to tools to clothing, I stay away from supermarkets wherever possible. We don't even need a personal car anymore really as we live next to a railway station and can get anywhere fairly easy

We both work from home (I'm a mobile technician, so I start and finish at home and work from a van)

One benefit is you don't end up buying "spur of the moment" items, you can concentrate on what you actually require

 

[Sumboodie]

That's one thing I hate about mail order vs buying in person.

There's been many things I've ordered over the years that didn't turn out to be anything like what I thought it was in the info and photo.

 

[richfinn]

That's one thing I hate about mail order vs buying in person.

There's been many things I've ordered over the years that didn't turn out to be anything like what I thought it was in the info and photo.

Got to do the research and not get tempted on price alone!!!!

 

[Bubba Fett]

I tend to research a lot, and read/watch review posts/videos. If something is available locally, I will go check it out.

Lately, I have been trying to hit up hardware stores in small towns. If we take a road trip, I make sure to find and visit local hardware stores. I like to buy NOS stuff. I bought a Nicholson rasp that had been on the shelf so long the plastic packaging had turned yellow, and the glue was barely holding the package together. It was from the Cooper Tools days, so I snapped it up. I also bought an old USA-made Vermont American magnetic bit driver. It just seems wrong for old USA-made tools like that to sit on a shelf for a decade or two, so I thought they needed a good home.

Most of those small town hardware stores are either Ace or True Value, but I have found a few independent stores. In either case, they tend to have local items, such as arts, crafts, and foods like peanuts, jams, etc, which my wife likes to check out. This provide a convenient excuse for me.

I also like to check out flea markets and antique stores. A lot of times, the sellers are not familiar with brands like Proto, J.H. Williams, etc. so that's often cheaper than the Craftsman items. You can certainly tell when they are familiar with those brands, though. $$$

 

[joshmodelskidoo]

I tend to buy from local brick and mortar stores unless they don’t have what im looking for or there’s a huge difference in price

 

[Renegade1LI]

Need followed by research then the fun part of locating it and trying to get it for a reasonable price.

 

[justanengineer]

Re: How Do You Shop for Out-of-Town Tools: Do you Send Stuff back?

I live in Detroit, so there really isn’t anything I can’t find on a shelf if I go looking. We have new tool stores, used tool stores, tool rental shops, industrial tool stores, tons of toolmakers, and every variety of tool repair shop imaginable. We also have machinery stores...


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[quickfarms]

Re: How Do You Shop for Out-of-Town Tools: Do you Send Stuff back?

Has anyone had any good luck with the following companies

JB Tools
International Tool

I placed orders with both of them and the first one shipped a package and it was returned to them and now they are radio silent. The second said it is being shipped from the manufacturer and nothing after that.

I have had good results from Zoro and Home Depot