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PB Swiss: Best time & place to buy?

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pizza

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i'd like to pick up some pb swiss tools, but i'm in no rush to do so.
does anyone have thoughts on best time/place to get them? i don't mind waiting a long time for a good sale. i just have no sense of if and when good sales happen and what they look like since i haven't been looking out for them until recently.

i see there's a sale going on right now https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=454819

25% off on tool lady

is that pretty good, or should i wait for something else? thanks
 
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measuredtwice

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I've bought a few times when Toollady.com had 30% off. Looks like they are doing 25% now.

FYI, the ownership changed. On 12/2019, I was told that "my husband and I bought Tool Lady 6 months ago" so it's been about a year now. The new owners are continuing to provide great service. They made a mistake on one of my orders and kindly shipped me a prepaid mailer for the return. Trustworthy folks.

shop.pbtools.us sometimes runs sales as well.
 
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M6erfan

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measuredtwice said:
I've bought a few times when Toollady.com had 30% off. Looks like they are doing 25% now.

FYI, the ownership changed. On 12/2019, I was told that "my husband and I bought Tool Lady 6 months ago" so it's been about a year now. The new owners are continuing to provide great service. They made a mistake on one of my orders and kindly shipped me a prepaid mailer for the return. Trustworthy folks.

shop.pbtools.us sometimes runs sales as well.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I didn't know they changed owners.

PBSwiss US does have sales from time to time but their shipping charges are pretty high. Kills it for me everytime.
 
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Tinner

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M6erfan said:
PBSwiss US does have sales from time to time but their shipping charges are pretty high. Kills it for me everytime.
Click to expand...

Plus, if part of your order is out of stock, they will ship the in stock items and charge you shipping again when the other items arrive. They don't notify you or give you the option to ship everything at once.

The first and last time I ordered from them I paid $7 to ship 2 bits that were out of stock.
 
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pizza

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i ordered just over $100 worth of stuff from toollady.
the highlight of my order is the 8240 RB

z38paeQ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/z38paeQ.jpg

seems like a nice intro to their drivers. i also got a couple of their carbide-tipped center punches, the stubby coin driver, and the bottle opener just for kicks

also, through reading of older threads, i found this site:

https://www.werk10.com/

supposedly they ship to the US. the prices are noticeably lower, but you must pay for shipping.

i did some testing, and it seems that the prices including shipping to the US are similar to toollady when there's 25% off and free shipping. so i guess this means if you need something from pbswiss but can't wait for a domestic sale, it might be worth investigating options like werk10.

an example order of two sets of 8240 RB:

werk10: 2 * 42.10eur + 21.95eur shipping = 106.15eur = 116.35usd
toollady: 2 * 73.20usd * 0.75 = 109.80usd

in this case, toollady was a bit cheaper with the sale and free shipping.
but the base price of the tools.. 46.15usd (42.10eur) vs 73.20usd
 
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1

134k

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I've ordered from werk10 a few times, and it was trouble free. However, the prices were much lower this time last year because the dollar was stronger than the euro. The prices aren't good at this time by far. I received my orders on average 2 weeks after I placed them. Do note that he requires signature required for his deliveries too.

Tool lady is a much better deal right now because of the exchange rate even without the sale. That and the shipping is far quicker. The only downside is that tool lady doesn't carry many of the PB line.

I've never ordered from Count on tools. The shipping seems way too high and the reviews are bad.

I've ordered a few times from eBay when certain items dropped in price drastically for a short amount of time. I've gotten the same RB screwdriver set for $35 shipped from Israel. You just have to be patient and check eBay every now and then.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using The Garage Journal mobile app
 
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iwantone

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I missed out on the sales at the end of 2019, so I've been eagerly waiting for this memorial day sale to come up for ToolLady. I believe their end of year discounts are a little bit better (30%), but couldn't wait.

I don't NEED more screwdrivers, but I just had to do it... Got this stuff along with some 215 blades, stubby metric hex, and some random acetate screwdrivers.bfb5a877cc23a26297b4774e98823baf.jpg

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
 

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username2

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Tinner said:
That's about as good as it gets. Tool Lady is great to deal with, I've ordered from her many times.
Click to expand...

I'll have to check her site out. It's been really hard for me to buy PB Swiss ever since the big Amazon sale from about 10 years ago. Example prices:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001D2Q8XM/?tag=atomicindus08-20 $27
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001D2Q8GY/?tag=atomicindus08-20 $12
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001IAMI92/?tag=atomicindus08-20 $19
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001IAL0EQ/?tag=atomicindus08-20 $23

Should have bought more.

My biggest failure in not indulging my magpie shiny stuff brain was in not buying a bunch of Nepros tools back when their US site was selling everything for a small fraction of normal pricing. Oh well, they're too pretty to use anyway.
 
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username2

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pizza said:
i'd like to pick up some pb swiss tools, but i'm in no rush to do so.
does anyone have thoughts on best time/place to get them?
Click to expand...

You could always check on Amazon Germany (amazon.de) for any particular thing.
 
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JBH

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username2 said:
You could always check on Amazon Germany (amazon.de) for any particular thing.
Click to expand...


They rarely ship PB Swiss to the US. At least, nothing I’ve tried to buy (even ships from and sold by A’zon) will process.
 
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That Impression

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I have placed two semi-large orders with Count On Tools in the past, and I have been pleased with their service. Usually around the holidays they have a sale code.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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paulsomlo

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iwantone said:
I missed out on the sales at the end of 2019, so I've been eagerly waiting for this memorial day sale to come up for ToolLady. I believe their end of year discounts are a little bit better (30%), but couldn't wait.

I don't NEED more screwdrivers, but I just had to do it... Got this stuff along with some 215 blades, stubby metric hex, and some random acetate screwdrivers.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

How do like that screwdriver holder?
 
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iwantone

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paulsomlo said:
How do like that screwdriver holder?
Click to expand...
I do like the holder. It holds the screwdrivers securely, you can adjust the width by sliding each clamp on the rail to compensate for different sized handles.

Quality is meh, but what do you expect from something that is $26 for a 6pack?

Avenging Bankroll said:
How much did you pay for the Hex Key set or the screwdriver set?
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25% off the listed price on ToolLady
Screwdrivers: $62 = $47 after discount. i wanted to make my own combination/set since i don't want ALL of the individual pieces the sets provided.
SAE hex: $88 = $66 after discount
 
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paulsomlo

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iwantone said:
I do like the holder. It holds the screwdrivers securely, you can adjust the width by sliding each clamp on the rail to compensate for different sized handles.

Quality is meh, but what do you expect from something that is $26 for a 6pack?
Click to expand...

The screwdriver holder isn't PB Swiss then, is it?
 
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pizza

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i recently learned of a new place in the US to buy pbswiss:

Tool Shop - Page 1 - DRPD

Shop premium tools from brands like PB Swiss, KNIPEX and USAG.
drpd.cc drpd.cc

seems cheaper than pbtools and toollady at normal, non-sale pricing.
also seems overall similar to werk10's pricing.

i just made an order of pbswiss stuff on DRPD for $124.20. it would have been $116.21 on werk10. but i wanted to give DRPD a try, and maybe i'll get it faster than i would have from germany.

🇺🇸

ps: they have some nepros stuff also
 
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bherren

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pizza said:
i just made an order of pbswiss stuff on DRPD for $124.20
Click to expand...
Looking forward to hearing about the experience. Please post a follow up. I like some of those prices and will purchase if your experience is good. Thanks for finding and posting this site!
 
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pizza

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haven't received it yet, but he sure shipped it out quickly. 18 items in the order, all pbswiss.

12:45 am: order placed
11:12 am: label created
1:31 pm: UPS received the package from them
 
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Outahere

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M6erfan said:
......PBSwiss US does have sales from time to time but their shipping charges are pretty high. Kills it for me everytime.
Click to expand...
Same here. I recently ordered 8 Torx bits, 95mm long (T8-T27) for around $50. They can't weigh more than 1 pound. Cheapest shipping option was $20 to ship via USPS from GA to ID. A USPS 12.5" x 9.5" flat rate Priority Mail thick-paper envelope costs $7.95.

I cancelled my order. A $150 order will get you free shipping.
 
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ive

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Wish somebody would get a franchise in Canada.

Tool lady used to do cyber Monday as well. If that was t already mentioned.
 
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pizza

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bherren said:
Looking forward to hearing about the experience. Please post a follow up. I like some of those prices and will purchase if your experience is good. Thanks for finding and posting this site!
Click to expand...

my order from DRPD arrived today. it would've gotten here a couple of days faster if not for some weather-related delay on UPS' end.

Show us your pb swiss tools!

They don’t work that well I’m afraid! At least not as well as the others. I have very few of the Swissgrips, and they are really not good in dirty environments. Grease and grime gets ground in, they’re hard to clean, and then they pick up grit. They last o.k. if you keep em clean, but they...
www.garagejournal.com www.garagejournal.com

everything was packed well, and they threw in a bit of swag as well. i can recommend this vendor.

btw, DRPD is having a labor day sale. 15% off until tues 9/7 11:59pm PT. code: LABOR21
 
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Steve_P

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That PB Swiss display pic is impressive. You'd never see that in the US, for any quality brand, because 99.9% here will not pay for quality and they'd only get stolen.
I don't have a lot of PB as IMO it's extremely overrated, overpriced, and not very available; but I've bought a few things from toollady when they have the 25% off sale.
 
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walrus

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Steve_P said:
That PB Swiss display pic is impressive. You'd never see that in the US, for any quality brand, because 99.9% here will not pay for quality and they'd only get stolen.
I don't have a lot of PB as IMO it's extremely overrated, overpriced, and not very available; but I've bought a few things from toollady when they have the 25% off sale.
Click to expand...
I bought a bunch of their bits, they aren't that good . I do like the PB screwdrivers I've bought.
 
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Steve_P

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I bought a bunch of PB stuff years ago when it was still sold on Amazon and sent it all back. The screwdriver handles were sized for a little girl's hand and smelled like puke. Yes, I realized they fixed the puke smell since then, but c'mon, that's what I expect from HF. I also bought some PB dead-blow mallets and some replacement faces and there was no apparent way to hold the faces in as the "shanks" that engage in the head were just a constant diameter. Dunno if they are supposed to be pressed and also glued in or what. Wiha faces have a step that gets pressed in, so at least something "engages".
I have some PB metric pin punches (all I could find at the time) and their carbide tipped center and nail punches and I think that's it. If you want EU made, most of what PB makes you can get from Wiha, Wera, etc, and it's readily available and lower priced in the US.
From what little comparison testing there has been on PB it is middle of the pack for the better brands, and significantly more $.
 
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Dave455

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I’ll just chuck my few cents worth in here.

Been using PB Swiss / PB Baumann tools for probably 30 years plus. Awesome tools for the most part.

Screwdrivers they excel at. Indeed, it was the longevity of my ball tip hex drivers, used when I got them, heavily used by myself, and still exhibiting no wear, that got me to seek more.

They offer three types of handle, so if you don’t like the CAB (Cellulose Acetate Butyrate) there is a choice. There is also a choice of sizes.

For hex bits they totally dominate. I have used pretty much all of them over the years, mostly in industrial environments doing repetitive assembly work, and the PB are by far the longest lasting.

Same applies to hex keys. Longest lasting. Note, that is not the same as “strongest”. Max Baumann who runs PB Swiss asked his customers what they wanted, and it wasn’t a hex key that took the greatest load without breaking, but rather one that took the greatest load without deforming. That’s what you get.

As for price, it depends where you are. I can buy a PB Swiss bit driver, or the bits to fit it, for considerably less than the equivalent Snap On. And it’s a better tool. If you can’t (and they are silly expensive in the U.S), and you don’t think they are worth it, maybe they are not for you.
 
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ive

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Steve_P said:
That PB Swiss display pic is impressive. You'd never see that in the US, for any quality brand, because 99.9% here will not pay for quality and they'd only get stolen.
I don't have a lot of PB as IMO it's extremely overrated, overpriced, and not very available; but I've bought a few things from toollady when they have the 25% off sale.
Click to expand...
Same thing in Canada Steve.
 
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CGarage

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I love my PB Swiss tools. Nothing they produce is junk or poorly made. In Switzerland, a country that prides itself on thrift, you are not allowed to manufacture junk. The CAB handles do not smell at all bad to me. I would much rather have anything PB Swiss over Snap-On, regardless of price. And PB Swiss costs less and is a superior product.
 
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