Aussie Brands

[SPtoolLover]

Hello, first time poster here!
I was wondering what the Australians opinions are on the Aussie branded tools (or the tools available in Australia) I'm on the market for some gear and I'm trying to make decisions. Cheers

 

[Matt_M01]

What tools are you looking at getting ? Not many are made here anymore.

 

[JonnyMac]

Depends what you are after...and where you are. ..

 

[tank4114]

also depends how much you wana spend since we get bent over and raped

 

[Coolabah]

from your user name .... you are into SP Tools ???

 

[SPtoolLover]

Yeah! I do like SP. I have a SP box and some tools but I'm looking to expand


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[groupcracer]

Personally as an office worker and part time tinkerer I like Kincrome. If i was a pro i'd use something a little better, but for race car and restoration you cant go past them.

Except for my track kit....where its supercheap all the way!! if it gets pinched it doesn't matter and it only gets used a couple of times a year!

 

[SPtoolLover]

I did buy a kinchome torque wrench and I hated it. It wasn't very precise and the finish just annoyed me. I've used it once or twice and It just sits at the back of my box now. But! I do have some peripheral drive 1/2" sockets and they haven't failed me yet, I've even used them as impacts while I save up for some quality units!


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[Carves]

What sort of toolbox do you want,

... a box that looks like a sales promo full of one brand ... or a selection of stuff chosen for its individual uses ??

Any of the relabelled taiwanese stuff, is generally of good quality ... SP, Repco, Sidchrome, JBC (blackwoods) and a bunch of others.

Then there is all the factory brands from around the world, sold here.

A brand with good spanners in their kits ... doesnt nescessarily mean their pliers and screwdrivers are as good ... so shop according to your needs, imho ..

 

[SPtoolLover]

I already have a box, I bought a small bench top SP 249 pc, it was $850 or so, came with basics... Ratchets in 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" both metric and imperial. Combination spanners, metric and imperial. Then pliers and picks, tweezers, screw drivers, hammer, pry bars and a multimeter. I thought it was a good deal, despite the size. So I'm looking for a bottom roller cab and to fill it with something!


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[Coolabah]

I did buy a kinchome torque wrench and I hated it. It wasn't very precise and the finish just annoyed me. I've used it once or twice and It just sits at the back of my box now. But! I do have some peripheral drive 1/2" sockets and they haven't failed me yet, I've even used them as impacts while I save up for some quality units!


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I hear you on this. I have some tools that are so chintzy, I put them in my "to give away or permanent loan or use as reo for concrete" box. I also have some Kincrome tools which do the job -they are actually darn fine for most stuff where you are doing maintenance etc... not necessarily for pro use, but I also have some really high quality brands too ,mainly for the stuff I use all the time.

I also bought a toolbox full of SP Tools some time back and they seem good and probably better than kincrome . At the end of the day , you DO get what you pay for , but.... buy smart !! Lots of tools available from overseas and ship to Aus cheaper and better than local..

I look for : made in USA/Germany/Europe (not Spain) no 1, then Japan,Taiwan,Spain .... in that order. I avoid where possible China (although Kincrome has stuff made here ? Problem with China is that quality varies HUGE amounts depending on the deal the manufacturer struck) ,India (run a mile) and any other 3rd world country after that at least until I find tools from these places that meet my standards... !!!

 

[SPtoolLover]

I think kinchrome has a few brands with them, I think teng is also kinchrome as is supatool. Kinchrome is that groups highest quality, then it goes downward to teng then obviously supatool. But I'm trying to bypass them all together and get some decent tools that will last me until I get some snap on stuff!


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[Coolabah]

I think kinchrome has a few brands with them, I think teng is also kinchrome as is supatool. Kinchrome is that groups highest quality, then it goes downward to teng then obviously supatool. But I'm trying to bypass them all together and get some decent tools that will last me until I get some snap on stuff!


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mate you might want to look at this thread if not already done so...
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=250537

I have snap-on , would suggest Stahlwille is damn fine alternative which I also have. Not wanting to have a flame war.

 

[SPtoolLover]

Thanks for that! Great insight


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[metalhead140]

Hobby or pro use? Mostly mechanical or what are you using it for? I have quite a bit of Stanley and kinchrome for fairly serious hobby use (and a lot of cheaper stuff too!). But kinchrome seems to have gone up quite a bit in price in the last couple of years, to where I no longer think a lot of their stuff is a good deal. More critical stuff (line spanners, some torx driver sockets) I have some Repco brand, which seems nice quality and has excellent replacement warranty (I broke one of the torx belting it with a hammer, and they replaced it without question). Repco actually have a very good selection of quality tools available, but they're often out the back, not on display. I'll repeat the suggestion of buying from overseas for some tools, if you have the time to wait.

 

[SPtoolLover]

I'd say soon to be pro, mechanical use
I worked at a motorcycle dealership for some time and the impression I got from the techs there is that kinchrome and sidchrome have drastically decreased in quality over the last 10 years or so


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[Coolabah]

I'd say soon to be pro, mechanical use
I worked at a motorcycle dealership for some time and the impression I got from the techs there is that kinchrome and sidchrome have drastically decreased in quality over the last 10 years or so


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Yep. No Brainer there

 

[SPtoolLover]

So do you think SP is a good base brand, and the more used should be u.s import?


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[1/2 Cup]

I have a bit of SP tools, mainly there air stuff which I might add has been fantastic.
SP have been putting their stuff out there lately and from where I sit looks not to bad.

Regards

 

[SPtoolLover]

I have always liked there air gear, does it hold up well?


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[1/2 Cup]

P.S. G'day and welcome. it is always great to see another Aussie on board.

 

[SPtoolLover]

Thanks for the welcome! This is the only forum I found where I could go on about tools [emoji373][emoji375]


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[JonnyMac]

Just my opinion as an engineer and tool buyer for my work place mechanics but I would not consider kincrome to be anything worth buying. The local Sunday market to me has a ton of stalls selling kincrome stuff dirt cheap and its all poorly made.
sidchrome used to be aussie made and high quality in the 80's but went offshore and quality dropped. Its improved since then became its part of the stanley group. So the pliers are now mostly facom as well as some of the ratchets. But for the money I'd rather get the facom version.
In terms of available high quality hand tools in stores the brands that are in australia are..
stahlwille
facom
knipex
pb swiss
bahco
Nws pliers

There's plenty of snap on vans around, and online, but given the premium they charge over US prices i always source them from ebay or straight from the US.
If you are near geelong there is one of the best tools shops I've ever seen, and I've seen plenty in many different countries. .

I actually quite like sp, I've got some long pattern spanners. Good value and well made.
T&E is another good taiwanese brand
My tool guy rates teng highly but I just can't get past the fact that they used to be pretty crappy. He was invited to the factory and said it was incredible, high quality machining and materials.

 

[stuffup]

I have ROE in Sidchrome (Stanley manufacture) REPCO (which I believe are made for them by Stanley in Taiwan from what I was told they also took over Britt Tools ....

I use my SP ROEs out of preference If I was buying them with what I know now I would spend the extra and buy the Quad Drive ROE. I have a friend (professional mechanic who uses them at work (4WD))

Sockets are SP and Gear wrench - like both but often find it easier to find sets of single hex in Gear Wrench. Favourite ratchet it my 3/8 Gear Wrench Flexi Head. In combination with KC Tools Flex Head Socket Wrench sockets (they were on clearance) I find that I can get just about anywhere. Check out the GW Flexi heads drivers

OK I have a lot more tools but I need a lot and good quality cause I am a **** amateur mechanic

 

[sam.coll]

I agree wouldnt even bother looking at Kinchrome, the only thing I have of theirs is a 3 dr cabinet and thats only because its the only one that was fit for the purpose/size/weight/drawers that I wanted but its poorly made and flimsy. If your looking at torque wrenches you really cant go past Warren and Brown they are top notch and I beleive made right here in Victoria. I find its a lot cheaper buying tools like Stahlwille and Knipex directly from Germany or the UK, and usually I get my Snap on gear from ebay in the states. I find this site quite good and its free shipping www.kltoolsaustralia.com.au, and check out olsenstore on Ebay for Knipex stuff. Masters was also carying quite a bit of the Stahlwille wrenches for a while and the prices were pretty good.

 

[Coolabah]

I agree wouldnt even bother looking at Kinchrome, the only thing I have of theirs is a 3 dr cabinet and thats only because its the only one that was fit for the purpose/size/weight/drawers that I wanted but its poorly made and flimsy. If your looking at torque wrenches you really cant go past Warren and Brown they are top notch and I beleive made right here in Victoria. I find its a lot cheaper buying tools like Stahlwille and Knipex directly from Germany or the UK, and usually I get my Snap on gear from ebay in the states. I find this site quite good and its free shipping www.kltoolsaustralia.com.au, and check out olsenstore on Ebay for Knipex stuff. Masters was also carying quite a bit of the Stahlwille wrenches for a while and the prices were pretty good.

I never , ever thought I would find myself defending Kincrome...they are definitely lower endish (but NOT lower end IMHO ) but for light use it is convenient to have a huge range of tools/sizes for a bargain price ( at least when I bought them ) . I have 70's Sidchrome , Snap-on , Stahlwille , Hazet , Facom tools too. I have yet to break or even round off a kincrome tool. But- here is the difference - I am not using them for heavy duty stuff... if there is a heavily rusted bolt etc, I am not even bothering to reach for kincromee. Just my 2 cents... they do have a place in my toolbox YMMV

 

[SPtoolLover]

Just a quick question, what even is the difference between, say for argument sake, kincrhome and snap on, or Mac?


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[Coolabah]

Just a quick question, what even is the difference between, say for argument sake, kincrhome and snap on, or Mac?


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quality + price ( and warranty very important in the USA ) . You get what you pay for . You can just look at them and get what I'm sayin' , use them and you will understand !

 

[SPtoolLover]

But kinchrome have a lifetime warranty? Does snap on?


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[JonnyMac]

Ive not warrantied any kincrome stuff but most tools of that price have limited conditions on the warranty. For example it might be that if the socket rounds off an objection could be made about misuse. For a snap on socket its generally a no questions asked exchange.
Many brands offer lifetime warranty now so its not really a big deal, it really comes down to how that warranty is applied.
in terms of quality there are factors like machining tolerances, durability, finish etc which all contribution to the higher price and quality of snap on compared to cheaper brands.
Its not just confined to snap on, there are many other high end brands which can compete with snap on.
it really comes down to whether its a tool being used in a professional environment, the high end brands have a lesser likelihood of failing and as such holding up a job.

 

[SPtoolLover]

Well that sounds obvious haha.
The only problem I'm facing is availability. The low end brands seem to be everywhere and the higher you have to search for. Any suggestions?


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[JonnyMac]

What kind of tools are you after?

 

[SPtoolLover]

As in brand or the tools themselves?


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[JonnyMac]

Tools

 

[SPtoolLover]

Well as I said earlier, I have the basics, but I'm looking for a torque wrench, some Allen T-bars. Good screwdrivers, some air tools. And a few other things that, I guess, I want haha.


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[JonnyMac]

For me I would spend a while getting to know some good ebay sellers. Theres plenty on there.
Also take a look on amazon US. The shipping varies massively but its a good source of many brands.
Wera screwdrivers are excellent value on ebay.
Australian made warren and brown torque wrenches.
Allen wrenches are everywhere, rainbow pb swiss from overseas are my first choice then maybe facom in a t handle.
Air tools arent warrantied for life but you cant go too far wrong with ingersoll rand but there are many good brands around. Total tools, united tools, sydney tools all carry air tools.

 

[SPtoolLover]

I'll have a look. Thank you for the help! A total tools just opened near me so I'll defiantly be going to brows


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[sam.coll]

Yep like I said you cant beat Warren and Brown torque wrenches, for air tools shinano have a really good reputation and readily available. Ebay UK have some great sellers who combine shipping and the postage costs are usually pretty reasonable unlike the states with there rip off global shipping program.

 

[SPtoolLover]

Like $50 dollars for some socket rails? I know what you mean


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[JonnyMac]

Yep. The US Global shipping ebay con means I almost never buy via ebay US anymore. Amazon has really taken the lead for me. Their shipping is very reasonable most times and if its not great ive had a lot of success by going directly to the store site. JB tools from michigan (I think) is a good example, they sell the magnetic mechanic tool saver rails for only a few dollars shipping whereas ebay wanted almost $50 from almost every seller..

And yes, shinano are very good but they are very expensive as a rule...