To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

Best Taiwan tools companies

S

superautobacs

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 31, 2008
Messages
3,997
Location
Vancouver, BC
dnschmidt said:
Carlyle is made by KABO and KABO is a top tier Taiwanese company. They are also the patent holder for the spline drive. They just sued and won again Steelman Pro for using spline drive in their wrenches. KABO invests heavily into R&D and have many innovative tools.
Click to expand...


Kabo does not make everything for the Carlyle brand.




Fedwrench said:
I can never figure out who makes what for who in Taiwan. :dunno:

Sure sunex and grey pneumatic are recognizable brands/companies.

However, Take KABO for example. they make tools for MATCO and Cornwell plus a host of others. They made the old SK G Pro ratcheting wrenches. I would KABO makes some great tools but, they aren't marketed as KABO.:beer:
Click to expand...

The Taiwanese tool industry is A LOT bigger than most think. Their network of small/large independent tool makers is diverse. It's just not a few key manufacturers;there's dozens of them, many specializing in a type of product.


New Tools, Lee Way (Gearwrench), Infar, Kabo, Rotar, Ru-shine (made some Mac and Tekton socketry), Forgemaster, John Metal, William, Re-dai, Rarestar, Smoos, Honiton, Sunex, King Tony, Lancer, etc, etc. There's SOOOOOO many. I gave up keeping track of them.
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
S

superautobacs

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 31, 2008
Messages
3,997
Location
Vancouver, BC
Ruger_556 said:
Who else is Carlyle out of curiosity? I like their tools...
Click to expand...

Some time ago, I mentioned Infar being the OEM for their combo wrenches.

Lancer seems to be the OEM for some/all screwdrivers.

I don't know what other Taiwanese manufacturers NAPA buyers have under contract.






The thing about the low/mid budget minded stores like Advance, NAPA and the like is that they are seeking for OEM's that provide high volume at low cost to them. When a contract comes to an end with company "X", buyers (Advance/Napa/HF, etc) will potentially seek other manufacturers. That means replacement parts don't become available as shelves/inventory are replaced by different manufacturer under the new contract with company "Z". So, it may be hard to get a exact replacement down the road.
 
D

Dmar836

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 7, 2008
Messages
53
Location
Kansas City
I think that since SO, Matco, Craftsman, etc have all sought savings overseas, they have made it fair for us to compare and introduce Taiwanese tools into this comparison. They chose the playing field but bit off more than they intended, IMO. Many buyers are savvy and don't just look for the cheapest tool but the best balance. Many Americans are coming around too and giving up the whole fake brotherhood thing. U.S. cars, Harley's, and tools are just a compilation of parts that are, at best, finally marketed here. It's common knowledge it's just that some want something to stand for. I would love to see the US rise in mfg again but we couldn't afford it. As mentioned, look at your clothing labels, kitchen utensils, and about anything else you daily use. "Wake up" is sage advice.
I think we have to look at each tool individually and decide what works best for us.
I like the Carlyle brand. Compared to a buddy's older SO stuff, that I have always drooled over, Carlyle feels far superior. Sure it may be replaced by another brand but if it's good it will last. That replacement will hopefully be even better quality but if not you got in when things were good. Some Taiwanese tools(like Kobalt flex sockets) are still clunkier or thicker than some of the tool truck stuff but some isn't. You just have to research each piece. Don't pass by Kobalt or other "lesser" brands like I did. Try them. Sure some stuff you pick up will be "no way" but some will surprise you and it's okay to be exposed to new things.
Once you get past the porous Chinese steel junk(a serious consideration), it might just become a matter of choice(to many just a matter of pride). I refuse to blindly support an American brand that is doing nothing more than fronting foreign stuff. Hey that's what HF got rich doing. If SO tries it, expect such comparisons. Then, if it's that close to so many, something might be up.
Dave
 
Last edited:
M

maico

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 21, 2014
Messages
711
Location
England
superautobacs said:
Kabo does not make everything for the Carlyle brand.

The Taiwanese tool industry is A LOT bigger than most think. Their network of small/large independent tool makers is diverse. It's just not a few key manufacturers;there's dozens of them, many specializing in a type of product.

New Tools, Lee Way (Gearwrench), Infar, Kabo, Rotar, Ru-shine (made some Mac and Tekton socketry), Forgemaster, John Metal, William, Re-dai, Rarestar, Smoos, Honiton, Sunex, King Tony, Lancer, etc, etc. There's SOOOOOO many. I gave up keeping track of them.
Click to expand...

Do you know who made these Facom ratchet wrenches ? Unlike my other Facom stuff they are not stamped 'France', so I assume a Taiwanese company.
I'm thinking of buying some Stahlwille ratchet wrenches which I think are German made.

 
M

maico

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 21, 2014
Messages
711
Location
England
wild cowboy said:
but you are assuming that Germany makes a more precision or more durable ratcheting mechanism than Taiwan, I am not so sure about that!
Click to expand...

With the Facom ratchet spanners I can't see how you get into the mechanism to have a fiddle ?
With the Gedores there are 2 screws and spares listed. Copy and paste here for a 14mb pdf download which shows how Gedore spanners are made:

gedore.de/en/products/article_details.html?oe_opt[list_set]=210575,201229,201240,203511
 
Last edited:
R

retDAC

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 28, 2011
Messages
1,250
Location
near Huntsville, Ala.
maico said:
With the Facom ratchet spanners I can't see how you get into the mechanism to have a fiddle ?
With the Gedores there are 2 screws and spares listed. Copy and paste here for a 14mb pdf download which shows how Gedore spanners are made:

gedore.de/en/products/article_details.html?oe_opt[list_set]=210575,201229,201240,203511
Click to expand...
While I truly expect German made ratcheting wrenches to be better than the best Taiwan made wrenches, I would not bet on it as far as strength, smoothness, and especially long term use are concerned. Beam length/comfort and servicing are different matters.

We used to have a member who called himself "reversegear" who then worked for one the top Taiwan makers. While he was afraid (of lawsuits) to name brands, a careful reading of his posts gave me the impression his company tested every brand of ratcheting wrench then available. At great expense.

They found that every wrench they tested would exceed the ANSI max torque req't by ~120-150%, but when they test by say, 25% of ANSI max and run the tool for 50,000 cycles, the results were quite surprising.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=129814&postcount=20

Again, am not saying the German made wrenches are not stronger; just that I would not literally bet $$$ on honest test results using the best Taiwan examples.
 
T

Tronyadorable

Banned
Joined
Sep 25, 2014
Messages
1,170
The bottom line was what did brand X spec out for the Taiwanese(or anyone else) to contract and were the tolerances increased to make it cheaper by the thousand...........or hundred thousand ?
If I spec a hatchet head to be made of D2 at a hardness of 54 to 56 Rockwell exactly AxAxA and.*** thick with an 800 grit lengthwise polish I don't give a damn who makes it as long as it fits the spec.
If I changed it to within 50-58 Rc and *** thick,+/- .040 the price/piece would drop DRASTICALLY.( think Buck knives here)
It's just business.Thank the board of directors at your favorite company.
 
Last edited:
W

wait4me

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 4, 2011
Messages
147
Location
Pensacola, FL
The flex facom looks identical to the old SK G-Pro and blackhawk flex heads that were made by hi-five/NewTools. I've wanted some of that style locking flex head for a while.

http://www.newtools.com/pd_04.htm

maico said:
Do you know who made these Facom ratchet wrenches ? Unlike my other Facom stuff they are not stamped 'France', so I assume a Taiwanese company.
I'm thinking of buying some Stahlwille ratchet wrenches which I think are German made.

Click to expand...
 
7

79silverado

Active member
Joined
Sep 21, 2013
Messages
31
Location
Emporia,KS
I would like to throw K-T industries into the mix s
All imported but some taiwan some china. The taiwan is really good for the price, the china however is full of flaws and is genuine junk. It's a small brand and i've only seen it at a farm store where i live.

sent from my HTC ONE using tapatalk
 
O

Olafur

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 2, 2011
Messages
2,578
Location
Iceland
I like old threads!

Let's throw Whirlpower in the mix:
http://www.whirlpower.com.tw/products/products.php

I have "Padre" (German brand) screwdriver set made by them.
Bought it several years ago and was a bit pissed when I discovered the drivers were made in Taiwan, since the price was totally German! :lol:

Not pissed any more - very good drivers.
Would trade all my Wera stuff for new Whirlpower without hesitation.
 
V

valentine

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 27, 2008
Messages
239
Toptul is great and I'm pretty sure they produce many of Facom's wares.

-Valentine
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
B

Brownsfan

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 16, 2012
Messages
5,975
Location
Cleveland Ohio
Who ever Professional Tool Products is. They are listed as a manufacturer for a lot of Cornwell tools. Like the Screwdrivers , ratcheting wrenches, air tools , and the 100t roto ratchets. Most of the tools not made by Cornwell themselves. Who ever it is they are good quality.
 
C

CobraChevelle

Banned
Joined
Nov 10, 2014
Messages
935
Location
Wisconsin
Brownsfan said:
Who ever Professional Tool Products is. They are listed as a manufacturer for a lot of Cornwell tools. Like the Screwdrivers , ratcheting wrenches, air tools , and the 100t roto ratchets. Most of the tools not made by Cornwell themselves. Who ever it is they are good quality.
Click to expand...

look up sunex and professional tool products address... I bet they are in the same building :thumbup:
 
K

Kensgarage

Banned
Joined
Sep 30, 2015
Messages
442
This'll help
5b7e8672d9e87071fac60eb64e25dc9f.jpg
 
A

anndel

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 28, 2015
Messages
3,270
Location
Hawaii, USA
I'd buy Made in USA 1st, then if not available Canada, Japan, Taiwan, Europe (EU) over China any day.
 
C

CobraChevelle

Banned
Joined
Nov 10, 2014
Messages
935
Location
Wisconsin
Jarhead0408 said:
2.2 miles and 6 minutes away from each other. :beer:
Click to expand...

Makes you wonder.

When I was looking for a 1/2 dr air impact I notice matco and sunex had one with very close specs. Both had 1300lbs break away torque. same RPMs, But working torque was a little different.
 
Last edited:
A

anndel

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 28, 2015
Messages
3,270
Location
Hawaii, USA
I have several pullers from Professional Tool I had to get at O'Reilly's. They worked fine and did the job without breaking or failing.
 
B

Brownsfan

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 16, 2012
Messages
5,975
Location
Cleveland Ohio
There is really no info on Professional Tool Products. Literally the first thing to pop up is Cornwell's site for the tools made by PTP. Does anyone know if they are in fact sunex or a different company. They make a lot of Cornwell tools. Probably more than Cornwell themselves.
 
Last edited:
B

bassbone52

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 7, 2011
Messages
516
Location
Central Indiana
Skin said:
If Taiwan was my only option i'd be shopping toptul. Their offerings seem to be very good and pricing is so cheap you could buy one of any given tool plus two backups for the same you'd spend on imported truck brand lines. Honestly all i've seen of thir product just reeks of the highest quality.
Click to expand...

Definitely this^^^^
 
S

shoggoth80

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 28, 2013
Messages
858
Location
Seattle
I'm giving Toptul a try. Just put in the order today. Pretty stoked, as the price was good for what I was buying.

I've also got some of the Mac sockets that were produced there (Precision Torque), and they are really nice. I've got Gearwrench mid lengths, and they work and feel fine. Kobalt deep well 12pt. I don't like them because of 12pt, but I needed a set, and they were convenient and nice enough for the money. I've had zero issues with any of the above. I've also got some GW and HF Taiwan made ratchets, and they have been holding up pretty well to the hell I've been putting them through at work. Powerbuilt sockets... can be had at O'reilly... super clean machining, nice chrome. Do what I expect them to. Carlyle/Napa... Picked one up for a xmas present. If it wasn't meant to be a gift, I'd be out using it...seems really nice.

Given that all of the big name guys have stuff made there says something. Good tools can come out of Taiwan. Snap on has Blue Point, Cornwell Blue Power, Mac, Expert, Matco Silver Eagle (I'm guessing Taiwan on that one)...
Not saying it is all good, saying that there is good.
 
B

bmrtoyo

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 31, 2015
Messages
46
Location
pacific northwest
ishiboo said:
As a whole, I think just as China is considered "the cheap junk" country, Taiwan could be considered the "inexpensive decent stuff" country :). The Taiwan COO tools on average have great finishes, high quality and very decent QC. The Kobalt/Pro-Grade I have has also performed flawlessly so far.

I never used any of it, but I actually thought the Craftsman China sockets/ratchets/etc. looked better than the Craftsman USA stuff sitting on the shelf.
Click to expand...

im more amrican and eu built tool guy , but i just bought some gearwrench 3/8 & 1/4 drive sockets and they are holding up well so far
 
S

sselander

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 20, 2008
Messages
2,041
Location
CT
google the address for Professional Tool Products, the Sunex name will be associated with it. :)
 
A

anndel

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 28, 2015
Messages
3,270
Location
Hawaii, USA
Grey Pneumatic, Astro Pneumatic, Tekton, Sunex, some OTC however some of these brands are made in china as well so be careful.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
Top Bottom