Are junk tools less junky than a generation ago?

[Kev442]

Never forget that this is where Tekton started out. What's funny is that some joker is selling this on my CL asking $35!

 

[McGR]

I used to see those MIT tools in the bargain bin at the local hardware store - total useless junk. Makes me a bit skittish about Tekton.

 

[RedneckWelder]

I used to see those MIT tools in the bargain bin at the local hardware store - total useless junk. Makes me a bit skittish about Tekton.

Tekton is leaps and bounds better now, even on their cheapest tools.

 

[Kev442]

I don't own much Tekton, but nothings broke yet and no complaints.

 

[wafrederick]

The first Japanese tools from the 1970s were junk and everything changed with that.Now have Koken,Nepros,Vessel,SP Air,Fuller and other good Japanese tool brands out there.I have my grandfather's Japanese socket set in good shape still,keeping it for memory purposes.

 

[m6z]

In general tool quality has gone up across the board.

You can still find some super cheap junk, though it's typically made in India now.

 

[f121]

Never forget that this is where Tekton started out. What's funny is that some joker is selling this on my CL asking $35!

that’s the sort of thing my dad used to use, total junk. I remember the screwdriver handle shattering one day when turning it, no abuse

 

[dwasifar]

that’s the sort of thing my dad used to use, total junk. I remember the screwdriver handle shattering one day when turning it, no abuse

Yep. My dad also bought cheap tools. Very frustrating to use.

As for the screwdriver handle, there was one like that in the Kmart socket set I mentioned in the first post, and that was the first thing to break. Just cracked in two and fell apart in my hand.

 

[joeswamp]

The stuff from HF now is infinitely better than the stuff they were selling back in the 80s. Back then it was a real crapshoot. I remember buying a hacksaw which completely broke apart (both blade and frame) when I attempted to cut a piece of electrical conduit. It was basically a movie prop -- looked like a hacksaw, but could not be used as one.

You don't see this kind of stuff at HF anymore, but this was before China knew how to make anything. Some of the tools from India were even crazier, looked like they were made by cavemen.

 

[Zewnten]

When I was just starting to get interested in fixing things my dad gave me a rusty coffee can full of those cheap and terrible tools, (still can't figure out why, maybe he wanted me to dislike wrenching), anyways my neighbor saw me using them to build his carport hopped into his car and drove 30 minutes to town and back and handed me a usa craftsman set of 1/4 and 3/8 sockets and matching wrench sets. Probably also junk but so much better than what I had and it was organized (he even bought me wrench rolls or they were included). Now all I use except for specialty stuff is taiwan made it's been fine. Weird how much changed in 10 years of tool shopping for me anyway.

 

[Ton ton]

Is Tekton a bit like the Icon brand @ harbor freight?

 

[RedneckWelder]

Is Tekton a bit like the Icon brand @ harbor freight?

kinda. They were 100% cheap but OK tools, some HF grade some a little better a few years ago but over the past couple years they’ve focused on improving the products they offer. Better wrenches (Taiwan combo wrenches, US made angle wrenches with the same 30/60 degree angles that Snap On has), US made crowsfeet, Canadian built toolboxes, etc. they still sell their older cheaper offerings but the newer stuff is quite good and well priced.

in addition they were probably the first to offer a very easy warranty- a link on the website to upload a pic of your broken tool and they’d mail you a new one.

 

[Ton ton]

Thanks for the explanation. Tekton is a little hard to figure out. Some people on Garage journal think they are the cats meow, next person says meh.

 

[anavrinIV]

Thanks for the explanation. Tekton is a little hard to figure out. Some people on Garage journal think they are the cats meow, next person says meh.

I own a fair amount of Tekton stuff now (ratchets, sockets, wrenches) and while it does not have the features of tool truck brands or the feel of something like a dual 80 it's also 1/4 the price or less for high quality tools. I have complete sockets sets in 3/8 and 1/4, full set of metric and SAE combo wrenches, and 8 ratchets from them and not a single one has an issue. For the price of a set of dual 80 standard ratchets I got 7 ratchets and 2 sets of wrenches. For my DIY use they have been superb.

A lot of it comes down to expectations and experience. If you are coming from a pro environment using truck quality tools (or import equivalents) the Tekton stuff is nothing to write home about. But my experience was Danaher-era Kobalt USA tools and their Taiwan wrenches, and these are substantially nicer. I pulled off plenty of work with my Kobalt tools and have very few complaints but these new ones are just nicer. For the money they are fantastic. If money is no issue you are probably looking elsewhere

 

[jeepnut24]

Yes, better than days past, say 30-40+ years ago. Not sure if they have improved all that much in the last 20ish years though. HF upped the bottom end for sure. No more pot-metal, poor fit/finish, miss stamps, etc... They seem to have a better finish and metallurgy too. But I would say not much has improved in 15-20 years though. I don't miss the **** new tools from the Flea Market when I was a kid.

 

[Scott91370]

I would also agree with a lot of people that cheap now is way better than cheap of 30 years ago - or maybe even better than 3/4 of the market at that time.
I have a lot of my dads tools from the 60's, wrenches and sockets but the ratchets are getting worn out and with what dealers like Snap On what for parts to repair I'd just as soon buy a replacement decent tool with a lifetime warranty - I don't use them professionally so if it breaks while I'm using it I'm not losing money on a job.

As far as HF. I have some of their sockets and have used them on several occasions to remove stuck on nuts/bolts with impact before I had impact sockets and they've held up just fine, never broke one. I did buy the different color sets but would advise against it since the colors wear off and make it hard to read.

 

[Sneezer]

I would agree. That cheap stuff in the metal tin from back in the 70/80s was pretty piss poor. I can recall breaking all manner of things from those sets. The Craftsman set my folks got me from Sears when I went to college in the late 80s was infinitely better, from a poor college kid just starting out doing his own brake jobs in the parking lot.

The HFT stuff now is so much better than what was considered the cheap stuff back in the day. Even some of the cheap stuff that Wal Mart peddles is better, and will do in a pinch if needed.

 

[ike]

the junk brands got better and the non-junk brands got worse

 

[west_perf]

Never forget that this is where Tekton started out. What's funny is that some joker is selling this on my CL asking $35!

I had one of these, a green box of "Buffalo" tools received for my 11th? birthday. Total junk. Sheared a number of the sockets removing basic auto parts.

I see a number of Chinese junk tools sold at garage sales, swap meets for premium prices.

 

[DonglordActual]

Yeah, I haven't seen nearly as many pot metal sockets/extensions exploding like a blooming flower from being ratcheted on.

 

[rogersmithiii]

Our family's first socket set was a Bernzomatic, and it lasted 40 years of hard use with nary a chip. Unfortunately, it disappeared when my step dad sold the house after my mom died, and moved in with two of the bimbo, high school drop out skanks that latched onto him at my mom's nursing home.

The Craftsman set that I bought back in 83 has held up nicely.