Tools in Ukraine & Eastern Europe

[victor252]

I saw this video about a small-time mechanic who is now repairing and modifying SUVs for the Ukrainian Army. The video is interesting even if you're not a tool nut. I noticed the mechanics were pretty happy to receive some TopTul tools sets and some other brands I didn't recognize. How common are the big US brands in Eastern Europe? I expect German brands are more popular along with the less expensive brands from China and Taiwan.

P.S.
These same guys are trying to raise money for more equipment.

Fixes cars for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Needs equipment — Keep Going

Henadii Khramov set up a station of technical service to fix cars for the Ukrainian military. We are collecting 1 150 USD for a new hydro-pneumatic press.

www.keepgoing.com.ua

 

[mike93lx]

Always neat to see what people use elsewhere.

I'd remove the fund raising link. Ryan's been pretty clear about posts on the war and this will definitely go down that path

 

[Ryan]

Always neat to see what people use elsewhere.

I'd remove the fund raising link. Ryan's been pretty clear about posts on the war and this will definitely go down that path

I'm fine with supporting Ukraine's war efforts. However, as soon as this thread turns political I will delete it...

 

[F-22]

US brands are for the most part very unknown in Europe. There's no gearwrench, tekton, husky, not even channelock or craftsman. Even snap on is totally unknown by most people and generally limited to aviation and people who collect old us cars/bikes (and even that is mostly just western europe, and I think stahlwille also makes lots of aviation tools...). Europe always had lots of top end toolmakers, and that made transporting US ones over uncommon. I don't know too much about tools in eastern Europe, but down here (Slovenia), the top manufacturer was Unior (still doing well for the most part, though a lot of current tools are Taiwan imports) and Tang was also decent (often a bit on the too-bulky side though, more suited for heavy machinery).

I bet there was at least one quality tool manufacturer in every European country in the ~50's to 80's. And for eastern Europe, I'd expect the Czech had a bunch of good tools too (Czech industry was always very strong). Surely there were some great tools in eastern Germany too.

Otherwise, in my area Gedore were always very praised, and all socket wrenches are called gedore due to it, to the point that most people wouldn't understand the dictionary word for them.


Loads of tools in Ukraine must also be from the USSR. I'm sure they definitely had some of the best tool manufacturers ever, after all, despite the hate some of their projects were crazy advanced (space exploration), they've definitely had a big need for it. But most of us couldn't even decypher the bramd name on them

 

[victor252]

Thanks for clarifying, Ryan.

Loads of tools in Ukraine must also be from the USSR. I'm sure they definitely had some of the best tool manufacturers ever, after all, despite the hate some of their projects were crazy advanced (space exploration), they've definitely had a big need for it. But most of us couldn't even decypher the bramd name on them

Yeah, in the video the guy mentioned that the thing he liked about the new tool sets is that they were all complete. I bet a lot of people, especially hobbyists or semi-pro mechanics are making-do with hand-me-down stuff from the Soviet days the way many American have hand-me-down Craftsman sets with missing sockets.

I also noticed that the complexity of donation requests on the military side and the civilian side are increasing. The military side had donations for rifles and ammo, then old Soviet vehicles, then Bayraktar drones. The civilians went from fuel and generators to pneumatic presses (like the guy above). I expect in year we will see fundraisers for excavators, loaders, etc.

Update: the service station has received $500 more than what their goal was. That was quick.

 

[Chrome Vanadium Cody]

I was in Poland a bit ago and did some sniffing around to see if they had any domestically made tool companies. There was one called Kuznia Sulkowice (don’t ask me to pronounce it though!) that seems to make nice stuff: https://kuznia-sulkowice.pl/
Unfortunately didn’t find it in any stores I passed by and didn’t want to spend too much time looking when I could be out tasting pierogis.

 

[victor252]

I was in Poland a bit ago and did some sniffing around to see if they had any domestically made tool companies. There was one called Kuznia Sulkowice (don’t ask me to pronounce it though!) that seems to make nice stuff: https://kuznia-sulkowice.pl/
Unfortunately didn’t find it in any stores I passed by and didn’t want to spend too much time looking when I could be out tasting pierogis.

Good find. The wrenches look familiar to me but I can't remember what brand they resemble. Maybe a German or Taiwan brand? Could these be re-brands?

Schlüssel, Schraubendreher – Kuźnia

kuznia-sulkowice.pl

 

[Chrome Vanadium Cody]

Good thought, at first I was thinking Stahlwille but I think it is closer to Heyco. Here’s a heyco combo wrench:


And here’s one from the kuznia website:


Could obviously be a stylistic copy too though. And the language barrier makes it tough to find out more

 

[Snapped-off]

I've got some random Taiwanese made tools at our house in Romania, bought from their version of Amazon.

I might just take a tool or 2 over there in the luggage every time we go.

The only thing I have made in Romania is my Makita leaf blower.

 

[RTM]

Slightly off the normal GJ track, but there is a wooden tool maker in the Czech Republic, Pinie.cz. They make copies of fine wooden planes, in 3 tiers, cheapie stuff sold at Jumbo, the Swiss equivalent of a big box store, better stuff with a bit of finish, and a more upscale line seen on their home page. I had one from the lower two, and the cheapie was kinda gross to handle, but a quick scrub with maroon scotchbrite brought it back to tolerable. The other was fine right off the shelf.

 

[F-22]

By the way, Poland is kind of known for ****** tools. Not sure if they made them themselves or imported them, but sometime in the 80's or 90's there was a flood of Polish tools that were just horrible. Pretty sure they were stamped "poland" though, but no other brand name. Ratchets that broke immediately etc...

 

[victor252]

I see the three tiers from Pinie here:

Wooden Planes | Pinie

www.pinie.cz

Honestly, the difference between the cheap and mid tier is hard to tell from pics.

I wonder if Poland was using worn out Soviet era equipment when they were making bad tools. When managers were judged based on quantity and not quality, and 1/3 of all Soviet economic activity was black market (lots of theft), there was little incentive to produce quality stuff. If the stuff was too nice, it would be stolen more frequently. Kind of like how we have out black industrial finish to make tools seem less high-end ("if it shines, it's mine" syndrome matters here).

 

[CGarage]

I'm fine with supporting Ukraine's war efforts. However, as soon as this thread turns political I will delete it...

Respectfully, as I saw my post was deleted, it is important to know where the aid money is going in Ukraine. There are organizations that have been designated by both the US and U.K. governments as being barred from receiving donations and contributions. I respectfully point this out as the majority of the site members are from the US and U.K., and it would be prudent to be cautious.

 

[CGarage]

I see the three tiers from Pinie here:

Wooden Planes | Pinie

www.pinie.cz

Honestly, the difference between the cheap and mid tier is hard to tell from pics.

I wonder if Poland was using worn out Soviet era equipment when they were making bad tools. When managers were judged based on quantity and not quality, and 1/3 of all Soviet economic activity was black market (lots of theft), there was little incentive to produce quality stuff. If the stuff was too nice, it would be stolen more frequently. Kind of like how we have out black industrial finish to make tools seem less high-end ("if it shines, it's mine" syndrome matters here).

Arguably, Poland has some of the best advanced manufacturing out of any of the post Soviet republics. Everyone seeks out “German tools”, but there existed plenty of metallurgy issues with East German production as they were cut off from access to the steel production areas that were in Western Germany. I see mostly German tools being used in “Eastern Europe”. But Germany is one of the largest exporters in the world, so that makes sense.

 

[CGarage]

US brands are for the most part very unknown in Europe. There's no gearwrench, tekton, husky, not even channelock or craftsman. Even snap on is totally unknown by most people and generally limited to aviation and people who collect old us cars/bikes

I respectfully disagree with you.
I do not consider Gearwrench, Tekton, and Husky to be true US brands, they are more US marketing companies for overseas tool production. Europe has their own version of this via companies like Proxxon, Halfords, Sealey, Laser, etc

Snap-On actually has a large following in Europe. They have sold in U.K. for years. AMG Mercedes in Germany uses Snap-On tools in various assembly areas. It isn’t just Aerospace. They have had European sales offices for many years and do a lot in industry and automotive sectors.

 

[dukefx]

Toptul is def. dominating in the Ukraine. Every time I want to buy some Toptul stuff I usually end up with no results other than about 30 sites ending in .ua, and they are dirt cheap over there. Unfortunately they don't ship abroad. I must have gone through most of those sites with google translate.

By the way, Poland is kind of known for ****** tools...

Metalworking in general. I'm unfamiliar with Polish tools, but most car or motorcycle parts are so soft I'd rather take the Chinese made. One of my neighbors is a mechanic and I like to go over and talk about tools and stuff.

 

[F-22]

Snap-On actually has a large following in Europe. They have sold in U.K. for years. AMG Mercedes in Germany uses Snap-On tools in various assembly areas. It isn’t just Aerospace. They have had European sales offices for many years and do a lot in industry and automotive sectors.

About half a year ago I tried to buy a Snap On 3/8" ratchet set here in European Union. I was prepared to ship from wherever. Yes the UK site exists and they seem to have those tools there, but UK is no longer in EU so I'd pay a bunch of tax and more expensive postage.

Anyway, I searched a lot, went through snap ons "european" website which looks as if it was abandoned 10 years ago, lots of links don't work, and most dealers here just sell "Sun" brand mexhanics equipment (wheel balancers and that sort of stuff...). I found some snap on tool dealers in the Netherlands which seemed to even have a functional site but they didn't reply to my emails at all. There were some Snap On tools sold on ebay (especially the german kleinanzeigen ebay site which is a little bit different and meant to be more local and free...) but not the set I was looking for (I remember there were a bunch of 100 year anniversary ratchets). After a few days of searching online I gave up and bought a Wera set. I also bought a used 1/2" dual 80 ratchet on US ebay and had it shipped over (I think I got an amazing deal, 30€ for the ratchet and around 40€ for postage, then some 5€ of tax for an old ratchet...), I was really intrigued about the quality cause these tools are so rare here. It's a really nice ratchet and I'd probably buy sockets too if I could get them, but afaik it's really hard to find it in EU. Probably even harder in eastern European non-EU countries...
Kind of wish I ordered them from the UK a couple years ago before Brexit.

 

[Ton ton]

I remember seeing Makita power tools in Ukraine years ago. I'm a big fan of Makita. I was in Ukraine in person. I do have extended family in Ukraine but tools aren't really a big priority with them like they are with me. If that makes any sense, LOL.

 

[RTM]

I see the three tiers from Pinie here:

Wooden Planes | Pinie

www.pinie.cz

Honestly, the difference between the cheap and mid tier is hard to tell from pics.

The shape of the tools in the lower two tiers is identical, its the finish that is difference. Between rough, not sanded wood and smoothed to a reasonable level. Not a high polish like the 3rd level.

The higher level adds true features, like the blade adjuster and wedge tensioning screw on the (rightmost items), almost like Ulmia tools.

 

[Professional Tool User]

About half a year ago I tried to buy a Snap On 3/8" ratchet set here in European Union. I was prepared to ship from wherever.

Anyway, I searched a lot, went through snap ons "european" website which looks as if it was abandoned 10 years ago, lots of links don't work, and most dealers here just sell "Sun" brand mexhanics equipment (wheel balancers and that sort of stuff...). I found some snap on tool dealers in the Netherlands which seemed to even have a functional site but they didn't reply to my emails at all.

After a few days of searching online I gave up and bought a Wera set. I also bought a used 1/2" dual 80 ratchet on US ebay and had it shipped over (I think I got an amazing deal, 30€ for the ratchet and around 40€ for postage, then some 5€ of tax for an old ratchet...), I was really intrigued about the quality cause these tools are so rare here. It's a really nice ratchet and I'd probably buy sockets too if I could get them, but afaik it's really hard to find it in EU.

Looks like Snap on got the better of you. Snap on tools are nice, but I wouldn't buy Snap on if quality was the primary reason. You can get similar or even better quality tools in some cases for the same price or less. The customer service, convenience of having the tool truck roll by and ease of warranty rank higher on my list of reasons for buying Snap on than quality. Snap on tools without the service is kind of pointless in my opinion. On this side of the Atlantic, I am faced with the same dilemma when buying certain Wera tools. I cannot justify paying prices comparable to Snap on for Wera ratchets, bit sets and the joker wrenches from my Wera dealer because of other brand name options, many of which are far more cost effective. And that's at discounted prices.

 

[Al Borland]

Must...not...troll...

 

[RTM]

If trolling is too hard, you can just go pick them up.

Thousands of dead fish wash up in Oakland lake to create a putrid mess

Experts, concerned about the algae bloom that is turning the water to brown muck, say the die-off is ‘like losing giant redwoods’

www.theguardian.com

 

[F-22]

Looks like Snap on got the better of you. Snap on tools are nice, but I wouldn't buy Snap on if quality was the primary reason. You can get similar or even better quality tools in some cases for the same price or less. The customer service, convenience of having the tool truck roll by and ease of warranty rank higher on my list of reasons for buying Snap on than quality. Snap on tools without the service is kind of pointless in my opinion. On this side of the Atlantic, I am faced with the same dilemma when buying certain Wera tools. I cannot justify paying prices comparable to Snap on for Wera ratchets, bit sets and the joker wrenches from my Wera dealer because of other brand name options, many of which are far more cost effective. And that's at discounted prices.

I'm not a professional mechanic, I'm just an odd person that admires nice tools. I have all kinds of tools, to be honest too many quality ratchets I almost never use at all. At the time I just got a nice hazet toolcart and wanted a new socket set to go on it. From my point of view there's not point in buying another "same" set I already have, and wanted to see how Snap On compares. Hey, as they mention in another thread, some people waste thousands on graphics cards that get thrown away in 5-7 years. Some people buy designed clothes. I might as well get a nice ratchet for 70€ if I enjoy collecting such stuff.... I don't think Snap on has got "the better of me", I didn't know they existed ~5 years ago and there no advertisement of them here.

But it's a joy to use. Very tight and precise mechanism, and very hefty. The finish is really sweet too (and I got the black industrial version, even though I wanted a chrome one they're just so pricey). I'd get a hazet for similar mony, even though the snap on is used I do not regret to have something quite unique here.

 

[victor252]

Bumping this thread with a new video:
In Ukraine, people are working hard to get apartment roofs and walls repaired before winter hits. Apartment buildings that took minor damage get priority for reconstructions funds. The apartments with the most damage might not get any funds. It's basically a triage situation; can't save 'em all, so save the most viable ones. The good news is, labor is cheap over there (average construction worker makes about $400 per month). The bad news is, everyone is broke.

There are links to donate, but these guys are not running fully vetted charities. They're just some regular people.

 

[slowtwitch73]

I have never found 'made in Poland' to be a negative.

 

[Ton ton]

I hope the Ukrainians get their houses fixed before the bitter cold.

 

[Ton ton]

Some of those apartments don't look too fixable to be brutally honest.

 

[victor252]

I hope the Ukrainians get their houses fixed before the bitter cold.

Me too. It's probably doable for most of the damaged buildings but as you point out...

Some of those apartments don't look too fixable to be brutally honest.

and this is one reason why I put the disclaimer that these are not professional charities. I hope they can make the places livable, at least through the winter. But I would not be surprised if this time next year, a building inspector checks the damages to some buildings and condemns them. I mean, a temporary solution is better than doing nothing, but as you say, the damage is serious.

I'm not an architect, engineer or builder of any kind. Does someone more knowledgeable have an opinion on the how repairable some of those buildings look?

 

[slowtwitch73]

Fingers crossed for an 'easy' winter.

 

[victor252]

Bumping this thread. Here's an effort to get welding generators for reconstruction and repair in Ukraine.
https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/zg225n/_/izelvhq
Didn't know Hyundai made welders.

Here's a way to donate some very basic, welded together wood stoves. I wonder if those welds will hold with the expansion and contraction of metal. I thought that's why cast iron was preferred. Not judging, just wondering.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/zo8d6i

Safe Passage 4 Ukraine

Helping the most vulnerable flee the war in Ukraine

sp4ukraine.org

Paypal works fine for donating but I can't vouch for the other methods.

Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays.

 

[slowtwitch73]

Lots of stoves are welded together...

I believe best practice is to normalize after, but when the poop hits the fan, anything will do.

 

[victor252]

Lots of stoves are welded together...

I believe best practice is to normalize after, but when the poop hits the fan, anything will do.

True! A lot of life is improvising.

 

[Ton ton]

You may have more freedom with wood stove manufacturing in Ukraine because you don't have the EPA looking over your shoulder to make sure you dance to their music.

 

[victor252]

Looks like a lot of people are welding together stoves for Ukraine.
Some college students:

LiU’s welded stoves bring warmth to Ukraine

War, freezing temperatures and a shattered power grid – Christmas in Ukraine will be an ordeal for many people. Stoves welded together by LiU students in the M workshop will provide light in the darkness and bring vital warmth.

liu.se

Some industrial workers repurposing old car wheels:

Lithuanians turn used car parts into stoves to help warm Ukrainians

It comes amid frequent energy blackouts in Ukraine as Russian forces target the country's energy infrastructure ahead of winter.

www.euronews.com

Some Ukrainians:

As Russia Targets Ukraine's Power Grids, Volunteers Build Stoves

With rolling power cuts now a daily occurrence in Ukraine, volunteer groups are handing out wood-burning stoves to villagers affected by strikes on civilian infrastructure.

www.rferl.org

A video:

So I guess cast iron is not so superior to steel when it comes to making wood stoves. Maybe it's just cheaper to use cast iron?

 

[F-22]

Cast iron is more resistant to the acids and moisture. It does not really form deep rust. If you burn lots of wood that's not yet dry, a cast iron stove will still last indefinitely while most steel ones will slowly rot apart in a few years. Cast iron can crack if you throw wood in though. If you burn perfect dry hardwood, maybe a steel one is better, otherwise I'd much rather have a thick cast iron one. But as we all know, you can weld up a steel one anywhere out of scraps, while cast iron stove production only gets cheaper when you do it on a massive scale in a well optimized factory, and the ones on the video seem like they'll still last a long time regardless.


Something like this one looks really nice for a workshop:

No glass to break, simple and efficient... Would probably prefer a bit larger doors (maybe if the sides opened up), but still...
Sold in the US, but not commonly available here in Europe as far as I know.

 

[Firebrick43]

Cast iron is more resistant to the acids and moisture. It does not really form deep rust. If you burn lots of wood that's not yet dry, a cast iron stove will still last indefinitely while most steel ones will slowly rot apart in a few years. Cast iron can crack if you throw wood in though. If you burn perfect dry hardwood, maybe a steel one is better, otherwise I'd much rather have a thick cast iron one. But as we all know, you can weld up a steel one anywhere out of scraps, while cast iron stove production only gets cheaper when you do it on a massive scale in a well optimized factory, and the ones on the video seem like they'll still last a long time regardless.


Something like this one looks really nice for a workshop:

No glass to break, simple and efficient... Would probably prefer a bit larger doors (maybe if the sides opened up), but still...
Sold in the US, but not commonly available here in Europe as far as I know.

No, they have something of similar style but much better made than the crappy vogelzang.



A jotul 602

 

[honcho]

When you're freezing, any stove is better than none! As for cast iron being superior to steel, i believe if thickness is the same, there are minimal differences in longevity between cast iron and steel used as a stoves.

 

[F-22]

No, they have something of similar style but much better made than the crappy vogelzang.



A jotul 602

That's beautiful, but also seems to cost ~3 times more new. Man, now I have something to search for...

 

[Firebrick43]

That's beautiful, but also seems to cost ~3 times more new. Man, now I have something to search for...

Imho jotuls are the best cast iron stoves made.

In the states, of course it it cost more. Shipping across the pond, tariffs and duties surely does make it make it so. I doubt if you shipped a vogelzang over there the price difference will be a lot less.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

Some of those apartments don't look too fixable to be brutally honest.

Doesn't really matter if arrivals keep you in the basement. Ukraine is lucky to have inherited a great deal of USSR paranoid bomb shelter infrastructure. In my corner of Cali, we have good seismic codes and fairly robust buildings, almost none of which would be of any use after an artillery strike.