New olsa USA ratchets!!

[The collector]

"Not bad at all" isn't exactly high praise for $100 plus ratchet

Looking at that ugly *** pot metal looking direction switch, that ratchet had to be made by SK, or at least the same peeps that made the LP90 series ratchets for SK.

More questions than answers. Enjoy your new ratchet

My phone doesn't do it much justice it's **** but in person the switch doesn't look that bad it looks like a koken socket that matte finish or whatever you call it it looks pretty flashey with all the fingerprints off it...

 

[uncwstudent]

Ratchet action is nice tight and crisp not sloppy anvil is tight, selector switch is nice and positive and the flex head is tight but not so tight you can't move it I'm a big guy and I ripped on her head didn't get floppy at all

That sounds great! I might have to check these out. Also really dig Olsa's customer service. Might be a better route than SK directly if they are the same thing. Thanks!

 

[Andres26tnt]

I got my 3/8 today!! It's not bad at all ...

that's straight up a Rebranded SK ratchet. The head, switch, and internals is exactly the same as the LP90. makes sense as SK has always been a tool manufacturer for other brands.

 

[Dakotadadv8]

Never heard of Olsa is this another Taiwan/Chinese brand? Nice to read about other brands on GJ. Looks nice and sounds like the OP has used it to repair vehicles?

 

[uncwstudent]

Olsa is based on Canada but they generally import tools (sort of like Tekton and Capri). I recently ordered a set of ratcheting wrenches from them and I was really surprised at the quality of them. Best bang for the buck on ratcheting wrenches that Ive seen. Far superior to modern Gearwrench wrenches for less money.

I still preferred my Protos more though, so I sent them back.

The most outstanding part of Olsa's company is their customer service. They guarantee to respond within 30 minutes. And they typically do it. Very impressive.

Big ding on them is that they often release tools and then a few months later, they are no longer importing them. That makes warranty a problem.

 

[Ton ton]

The collector, thank you for the review. Can you buy Olsa tools @ a brick and mortar store?

 

[8Thousand]

We usually don't give out our manufacturer info, but you can be sure that we selected an American manufacturer that also produces ratchets for some BIG names you've definitely heard of!

This got me thinking, who's left putting out 100% American-made ratchets (or at least, the ones we normally think of, know there are specialty companies out there making stuff like 1-1/2" drive ratchets and non-sparking ones for example). That in turn made me a little sad, 'cause I couldn't think of many still around. Here's what I could think of off the top of my head, am I missing anyone?

• Snap-On (Snap-On and Williams USA)
• SBD (Proto, Mac, and supposedly Craftsman again eventually maybe? Haven't really kept up on what's going on with Craftsman currently though to be honest.)
• Wright
• SK (Which, as others have already said, makes a ratchet that just so happens to be suspiciously similar to this one...)
• Cornwell
• The OEM of Matco's "Eighty8" series (found a GJ thread saying it was AJ Manufacturing)

 

[Olsa Tools]

Olsa is based on Canada but they generally import tools (sort of like Tekton and Capri). I recently ordered a set of ratcheting wrenches from them and I was really surprised at the quality of them. Best bang for the buck on ratcheting wrenches that Ive seen. Far superior to modern Gearwrench wrenches for less money.

I still preferred my Protos more though, so I sent them back.

The most outstanding part of Olsa's company is their customer service. They guarantee to respond within 30 minutes. And they typically do it. Very impressive.

Big ding on them is that they often release tools and then a few months later, they are no longer importing them. That makes warranty a problem.

We're big on customer service. If you don't get to chat with a real human within 30 business minutes, then you get a 100% refund on your entire order.

The collector, thank you for the review. Can you buy Olsa tools @ a brick and mortar store?

You cannot. As of today, the only authorized place to get our tools is either on our website (up to 10% cashback on all purchases) or on Amazon.

 

[Ton ton]

Thank you, olsa tools.

 

[dnschmidt]

I have no opinion of Olsa as a company but with respect to ratchets I've never been a fan of S-K anyway so an S-K ratchet under any other name isn't going to impress me too much.

 

[8Thousand]

Resurrecting this thread 'cause that "Best ratchets?" thread on the front page got me thinking about these "Olsa" ratchets again...

Assuming these are rebranded SK LP90's (and if they aren't, I would be extremely curious to know who designed them and who is actually making them), I imagine this must be a good sign for SK's new US factory? Because I'm guessing SK wouldn't be accepting contract work (and given these Olsa ratchets appear to all be in stock, actually delivering tools) if things where going poorly with that, right?

Either way these are the exact same as the SK LP 90's. Which worries me because those received abysmal reviews.

Yeah, this was the other big thing I was wondering about. If this is indeed just an LP90, have the kinks I kept hearing these ratchets had been worked out yet?

 

[dstblj52]

Resurrecting this thread 'cause that "Best ratchets?" thread on the front page got me thinking about these "Olsa" ratchets again...

Assuming these are rebranded SK LP90's (and if they aren't, I would be extremely curious to know who designed them and who is actually making them), I imagine this must be a good sign for SK's new US factory? Because I'm guessing SK wouldn't be accepting contract work (and given these Olsa ratchets appear to all be in stock, actually delivering tools) if things where going poorly with that, right?



Yeah, this was the other big thing I was wondering about. If this is indeed just an LP90, have the kinks I kept hearing these ratchets had been worked out yet?

Possibly its also possible that sk had a bunch of heads and gears and their just making new bodies and assembling them given the time frame we are talking about.

 

[KnurledNut]

@Olsa Tools

Hey Olsa, im curious why USA is not marked on the new ratchets? Any explanation? Thanks.

 

[Olsa Tools]

@Olsa Tools

Hey Olsa, im curious why USA is not marked on the new ratchets? Any explanation? Thanks.

Good question. We had it marked on the boxes as well as our product pages, but were not added to the stamping as we felt the design would be too "polluted". We've received some feedback on the first couple of hundred orders about this, so it prompted a discussion within our team. After discussing this yesterday, our team has decided to put it on the stamping for our the next batch's order!

Let me know if you have any other questions. :^)

- Fernand, VP of Operations

 

[Ton ton]

Thank you,olsa tools for the quick reply.

 

[KnurledNut]

Good question. We had it marked on the boxes as well as our product pages, but were not added to the stamping as we felt the design would be too "polluted". We've received some feedback on the first couple of hundred orders about this, so it prompted a discussion within our team. After discussing this yesterday, our team has decided to put it on the stamping for our the next batch's order!

Let me know if you have any other questions. :^)

- Fernand, VP of Operations

Fernand,
Thanks for the quick reply!
I think that decision will help with sales.
Best wishes on the new ratchets,
Knut.

 

[sk farmer]

Good question. We had it marked on the boxes as well as our product pages, but were not added to the stamping as we felt the design would be too "polluted". We've received some feedback on the first couple of hundred orders about this, so it prompted a discussion within our team. After discussing this yesterday, our team has decided to put it on the stamping for our the next batch's order!

Let me know if you have any other questions. :^)

- Fernand, VP of Operations

marking tools as "made in usa" made your design too polluted? i am not really sure that is a good answer.

 

[1982fxr]

marking tools as "made in usa" made your design too polluted? i am not really sure that is a good answer.

Glad I'm not the only one who thought that.

 

[toddmorr]

It's exactly how a designer thinks.. They think about aesthetic and function not coo and politics

 

[Clutchsmoke]

So is this an SK made ratchet?

 

[Bockscar]

So is this an SK made ratchet?

I'd bet my house on it!

 

[lardy1]

Where was the marketing department when the decision was made to not include it in the stamping? Wow.

 

[Madjik Man]

I apologize about your experience with the stubby 120 tooth flex wrenches and the push reversible ratchet wrenches!

We actually had to recall all of the 120 tooth flex wrenches due to a manufacturer's defect. We reached out to everyone that bought them and offered to refund them for their orders; if you were missed, please feel free to DM me here and we will pattern it out for you.

Good news is that the new batch has been fixed and is currently on the way to USA. They will be up for sale again within the next upcoming months!

Are the 120 tooth flex heads not manufactured in the US?

 

[Olsa Tools]

Are the 120 tooth flex heads not manufactured in the US?

They The 120-tooth flex head ratcheting wrenches are manufactured in Taiwan.

 

[Madjik Man]

They The 120-tooth flex head ratcheting wrenches are manufactured in Taiwan.

Thank you for the quick response.

 

[designer485]

If the product is made in the USA, if ever in doubt...put the USA on the product. Especially on tools.

Olsa, I am happy to see that you have listened to your customer base and are willing to make the change to the tooling. Good on you.

 

[Olsa Tools]

Thank you for the quick response.

No worries! Let me know if you're curious about anything else.

If the product is made in the USA, if ever in doubt...put the USA on the product. Especially on tools.

Olsa, I am happy to see that you have listened to your customer base and are willing to make the change to the tooling. Good on you.

Thanks! We think that listening to our customers, and especially our target market, is the way to go. We take any and all feedback very seriously.

 

[sk farmer]

No worries! Let me know if you're curious about anything else.


Thanks! We think that listening to our customers, and especially our target market, is the way to go. We take any and all feedback very seriously.

i am sure i will feel the wrath of the other members here but i am not really buying the oops we forget to stamp it made in the usa story. i can give you a pass on not totally answering the guy who asked about it being an sk design or made by them, but why just ignore his question while answering other questions. all while stating that you take all questions and feedback seriously.

your company shows 13 people in the management staff. maybe half of them actually work with development and production of tools. again, it should not have been missed.

it is great when company reps come here but i have seen it time and time again. they ask for comments, inputs and questions and then ignore the tough ones and answer the easy ones. sooner or later it will come back to bite you. i only really know of one big player who seems to pull it off well. they give out just enough info to keep people happy and then throw the members a promo special or preorder on occasion. this is a tough bunch here and the members need a little to chew on. give it to them and they will be happy. hold out and they may just choose to chew on you.

in all fairness, i don't own an olsa tool but i do find them interesting and are on my watch list. i hope to put my hands on some in the near future.

 

[Olsa Tools]

your company shows 13 people in the management staff. maybe half of them actually work with development and production of tools. again, it should not have been missed.

I definitely hear you on this. Adding "Made in USA" stamping in our initial batch was a tough challenge for us because there were a lot of considerations to make for the design/placement of it. Ie - how would we add it to all of the US-made ratchets (4 variations — 24" x 1/2", 12" x 3/8", 6" x 1/4", and 5" x 3/8") such that the placement, orientation, and design would remain consistent across all of them? It is design considerations like these that, although may seem trivial at first glance, really turn out to be hurdles that could potentially delay launches of products by many weeks. We're a small, lean team and we're not yet quite at the level where we can have a complete team of people working on the development of a single product line... but we'll get there eventually!

All that said, in the end, we decided that having "Made in USA" on the packaging + all our marketing materials would suffice. But after getting feedback on the lack of "Made in USA" stamping on the ratchets themselves, we've already made the decision to make it happen on our next batch!

I hope this clears things up on that end.

 

[Ton ton]

Your answer clears it up for me, olsa tools.

 

[uncwstudent]

Ive ordered from Olsa Tools before. I was actually pretty impressed with their ratcheting wrenches, particularly for the money.

I ended up sending them back because I decided to keep my Protos. If Olsa had reversible ratcheting wrenches, id probably buy them and replace my Taiwan Protos.

What I found was that the customer service was awesome. Got a response in less than 30 mins each time and they were really helpful with my purchase and return.

I guess what im saying is that Olsa Tools is really trying to do well. How many tool companies really make an effort today? Most companies usually cheapen their product, make returns and warranties difficult, and try to avoid interacting with customers (unless you go with Snap On/Tekton and etc.). Moreover, few try to listen to customer's needs and wants.

Companies like Tekton, Astro, and Olsa are making a strong effort. Maybe cut them some slack? There are tons of options for tools today but few options with companies trying to do things right.

My two cents.

 

[Andres26tnt]

Yall still questioning where it's made? It's clearly an SK ratchet. The question should be where and who is making them for great star to sell to other vendors.

It was clear(to me) that great star was gonna pimp out the SK designs to other companies. You might just see other sk products with different brands(xbeam wrenches)

 

[toddmorr]

Yes, geez, olsa comes on here trying to be helpful, upbeat, and sk farmer whacks him, at least it came across that way. What olsa described seems totally plausible to me

My view,, any info from the OEM is better than the wall of silence from 90% of them.

 

[sk farmer]

Yes, geez, olsa comes on here trying to be helpful, upbeat, and sk farmer whacks him, at least it came across that way. What olsa described seems totally plausible to me

My view,, any info from the OEM is better than the wall of silence from 90% of them.

whacks him? hardly. i received a nice pm from them. he even gave my comment a "like". i made valid points, was upfront with what i know and gave them good information to move forward. i fully understand that they will never give up all the secrets but if you say you are going to respond to everyone than respond. especially if they respectfully ask a question or make a comment.

if olsa wants to be here and be respected they will earn it or they won't. i encourage them to be here and gave him a couple examples of how to do it. if they do it, it's a win for them and a win for us. if not, it is just business as usual around here.

i was also correct it only took 4 replies for someone to say i was too hard on them. if that was too hard on him his skin isn't thick enough to be here.

 

[Cruzan80]

Taking a question seriously, and releasing manufacturers for their company freely is not the same.

Astro also doesnt mention who they private label for. It is a business decision.

They made a design decision about stamping USA. Not "forgot", most people outside of GJ dont really care. Most dont know who made X for what company, or care too much if it says it on a tool, or just the packaging.

 

[Madjik Man]

Tekton largely has my business as a DIYer because of their cost:quality ratio and their incredible customer service and website.

Astro Pneumatic got my business a couple of months ago when I stocked up on their 3/8s nano impacts and universals because of their attentiveness and response on this forum. I’ve also heard nothing but good things about their customer service.

Now Olsa Tools has a great shot at my business because of their accessibility on this forum and apparently great customer service. Look forward to purchasing some tools from them in the future.

 

[Andres26tnt]

People need to understand that companies have agreements with their partners on what to or not talk about.

The usa staping was deff a business decision, a bad one for sure. But like they mentioned no big deal. Just wait for the next batch and you can get one with usa on it.

Remember the green switches on this same ratchets(sk)? It's the same deal, it cost money and time to do extra stuff like that.

 

[Bockscar]

Yall still questioning where it's made? It's clearly an SK ratchet. The question should be where and who is making them for great star to sell to other vendors.

It was clear(to me) that great star was gonna pimp out the SK designs to other companies. You might just see other sk products with different brands(xbeam wrenches)

And to be Honest that is nothing new with SK....they have been "pimping" as you would say their tools to other companies for decades nothing new at all for them to do that

 

[KnurledNut]

Geezzz guys...I was the one that resurrected this thread and asked Olsa the question.

@Olsa Tools

Hey Olsa, im curious why USA is not marked on the new ratchets? Any explanation? Thanks.

They replied to MY QUESTION TO THEM with a prompt positive answer and I was satisfied.
Some of you guys are like fans at game that never shut up.
Next time I'll private message.

And they werent ignoring Clutchsmokes question. They already addressed that in post #69. Lets B.A.D.H.

I could be totally wrong, but why would SK start manufacturing/supplying these ratchets for another vendor when they dont have them to sell for themselves?
I still think Ideal or someone else is manufacturing these.
SK changed ownership just about a year ago to date.
As of now, we have no clue what ratchets they will offer, if/when they ever come back to life.

Either way, kudos to Olsa for taking a domestic approach with these.

 

[dstblj52]

Geezzz guys...I was the one that resurrected this thread and asked Olsa the question.



They replied to MY QUESTION TO THEM with a prompt positive answer and I was satisfied.
Some of you guys are like fans at game that never shut up.
Next time I'll private message.

And they werent ignoring Clutchsmokes question. They already addressed that in post #69. Lets B.A.D.H.

I could be totally wrong, but why would SK start manufacturing/supplying these ratchets for another vendor when they dont have them to sell for themselves?
I still think Ideal or someone else is manufacturing these.
SK changed ownership just about a year ago to date.
As of now, we have no clue what ratchets they will offer, if/when they ever come back to life.

Either way, kudos to Olsa for taking a domestic approach with these.

It could be greatstar dumped a lot of inventory including the mechanisms and then olsa is having a new body and assembly done elsewhere