sorry if it is a REPOST... but anyway I thought it was interesting. I was at walmart tonight picking up a few things and I saw some blue handles as I passed the tool section. I thought surely those aren't channellock pliers... they damn sure were!
channellock at walmart
- Thread starter davidj
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G1GRANDEUR
Well-known member
- Joined
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It's Chinnellock.
Price is almost same as homedepot or lowes.
Price is almost same as homedepot or lowes.
NinetyTwoFifty
Banned
Yeah, same here. The prices looked pretty good to me.
while i find it fun to bash companies who outsource to third world countries i find no humor in you insinuating chanellocks are made any place other than the usa. in fact, i will commend wal-mart for putting some good quality us made items on the shelf at a good price. save the bashing for something actually made in china.
As much as I have a love/hate relationship with Wal-Mart, I've got to say I am pretty happy they decided to carry some decent American Made tools. I will still most likely pay a buck or two more to buy them at the local independent hardware store, but it is nice to know that if it is 10:00 at night, and I need to buy a Channellock, Wal-Mart is ten minutes away.
justanengineer
Well-known member
Not to start a ******* contest or insult you in any way but... Do you happen to know (as in personally seen) where the iron ore is mined, the casting/forging process completed, machining and assembly takes place? Something that I tell many about modern tools is that 99.9% of them are outsourced regardless of what the COO says on the label, or popular belief about a specific brand is. The fact of the matter is that there are more loopholes in COO laws than there are in election laws. For me, if all of the above mentioned manufacturing processes werent completed in the US, then its foreign made, and most tools today are. Its the reason I own very few tools younger than myself.
Surely where the raw materials were mined is irrelevant as it's the refining , processing and manufacturing that gives the tool it's quality.
Sancho
Well-known member
Thats great to hear! Good to see channellock dispersing across a huge variety of retailers.
As for the above regarding COO, I guess even if they're produced in meadville its possible the power feeding the plant is somehow tainted by foreign sourcing...maybe the transformers or fuel oil are imported
As for the above regarding COO, I guess even if they're produced in meadville its possible the power feeding the plant is somehow tainted by foreign sourcing...maybe the transformers or fuel oil are imported
Plants pretty close to me, I've seen all but the iron ore. Who cares? It's iron. Same everywhere. Now the steel they make out of it, can be different. But Channellocks are as MADE IN USA as anything I've seen, anywhere.
Gentlement, I found this thread and I wanted to take a moment to clear things up. BTW, I am the VP of Sales and Markeing at Channellock, INC...
Yes, Channellock was recently added to the Walmart Tool Section as of a couple weeks ago. Channellock had been a vendor of Walmart for many years until mind 2008. Walmart's recent decision to support more American Products and Brands in the hardware department was partly due to consumers requesting it. So THANKS to many of you.
Also, I want to assure you that the product in Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, Sears, Menards, etc. is made exactly where the label says they are. Our namesake pliers are forged from North American Steel. We pay extra to ensure the scrap used is from NA American Steel and not from some Korean Car... the pliers are then machined, heat treated, polished and packaged here in Meadville, PA... South of Erie, PA. you can see our workers and facility at www.channellock.com.
Channellock does source some product from Europe and China, but we do not hide the Country of origin in any way from the consumer.
I hope this clears the air. Sincerely,
Ryan DeArment
VP Sales & Marketing
Channellock, Inc.
Yes, Channellock was recently added to the Walmart Tool Section as of a couple weeks ago. Channellock had been a vendor of Walmart for many years until mind 2008. Walmart's recent decision to support more American Products and Brands in the hardware department was partly due to consumers requesting it. So THANKS to many of you.
Also, I want to assure you that the product in Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, Sears, Menards, etc. is made exactly where the label says they are. Our namesake pliers are forged from North American Steel. We pay extra to ensure the scrap used is from NA American Steel and not from some Korean Car... the pliers are then machined, heat treated, polished and packaged here in Meadville, PA... South of Erie, PA. you can see our workers and facility at www.channellock.com.
Channellock does source some product from Europe and China, but we do not hide the Country of origin in any way from the consumer.
I hope this clears the air. Sincerely,
Ryan DeArment
VP Sales & Marketing
Channellock, Inc.
odd how this place can turn a simple comment on how a good old us made product can now be found in a place not known for quality us made products into some sort of ******* match. channelock imports some screwdrivers and some adjustable wrenches made in spain. any other type of plier, cutter or crimper thay sell is us made. my opinion, you "are" starting a ******* match and you "are" insulting me and others with your comments if for no other reason than starting it off the way you did.
KTMGuy
Active member
Also, I want to assure you that the product in Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, Sears, Menards, etc. is made exactly where the label says they are. Our namesake pliers are forged from North American Steel. We pay extra to ensure the scrap used is from NA American Steel and not from some Korean Car... the pliers are then machined, heat treated, polished and packaged here in Meadville, PA... South of Erie, PA. you can see our workers and facility at www.channellock.com.
QUOTE]
Good to hear this...even better to hear how much thought goes into the buying of the scrap steel.
I'll add that Channellock is pretty honest when something is imported. One look at the package, and you'll see the COO pretty prominently displayed. I'm not very interested in their imported tool lines, but I think their honesty is pretty commendable (I'm looking at you, Stanley).
Anyway, you'd have to drag me into a Walmart kicking and screaming (man, I hate that place), but it's good to see something American being sold at Walmart. Let's hope it's a trend.
It's nice to know that their are tool manufacturers out their who might be reading what we have to say. (It's a shame they have to read some of the rubbish written above) Thank you for correcting the ignorance.
Alchymist
Well-known member
Was recently looking at the Craftsman selection of wrenches & other assorted tools - those MADE IN USA had it prominently displayed in big letters on the front of the packaging. If it wasn't on the front, turning the packge over revealed "Made in China".
ZRX61
Well-known member
Most (all?) of the ammo sold there is US made...
W650Mike
Well-known member
Ryan (Nutbuster),
Thank you for the time you took to read and post here. Lots of COO discussion in the threads here on GJ. I hope you can stick around.
I own a bunch of Channellock - old and new - nothing but good experiences. (Even the import screwdrivers!)
Thank you for the time you took to read and post here. Lots of COO discussion in the threads here on GJ. I hope you can stick around.
I own a bunch of Channellock - old and new - nothing but good experiences. (Even the import screwdrivers!)
justanengineer
Well-known member
I apologize if my earlier comment was taken wrong, that is why I started it with a disclaimer. It was an honest question and I wasnt trying to be insulting or unnecessarily derogatory. In this day and age, I prefer to be an informed and suspicous customer rather than trust others with my wallet. I found while working in the defense industry that many companies skate a pretty fine line with how they label products, including many tool companies, and I stand behind my earlier comment 100%.
As far as all iron ore being similar is concerned, that is one of the largest fallacies that "business" people bank on to reduce production costs. What goes into the pot makes a huge difference in the final quality of the product, and in many countries, even this one, the quality of ore used and the content that is recycled are both pretty pathetic IMHO. Ive personally tested material that "should be the same," because they went through the same processes and machinery, in which the strength characteristics varied to a ridiculous extent.
That being said, Im really glad to hear that Walmart finally has a quality product on their shelves and that there still exists an honest tool company. I actually could use a smaller set of C-Locks so now its off to Wallyworld to check them out.
As far as all iron ore being similar is concerned, that is one of the largest fallacies that "business" people bank on to reduce production costs. What goes into the pot makes a huge difference in the final quality of the product, and in many countries, even this one, the quality of ore used and the content that is recycled are both pretty pathetic IMHO. Ive personally tested material that "should be the same," because they went through the same processes and machinery, in which the strength characteristics varied to a ridiculous extent.
That being said, Im really glad to hear that Walmart finally has a quality product on their shelves and that there still exists an honest tool company. I actually could use a smaller set of C-Locks so now its off to Wallyworld to check them out.
loubapache
Well-known member
I also have many Channellock pliers and today I bought these made in China Screwdrivers (26 pieces). Hope they deserve the Channellock name and are backed up by the Channellock warranty.
I guess that's cool, but it doesn't negate my statement.
That's great you guys care enough about your product to join in on a conversation about it here. I'm always impressed when a company does that.
For me, Wal-mart as a source for tools has always been underrated. Even the outsourced Stanley stuff was good quality - I would argue better than basic Craftsman. For usually a better price.
To now see more American quality tools at Wal-mart is excellent news. It's nice to have another option than Craftsman if you have to buy a new tool and want it American. Any new Craftsman products are overseas now anyways..
Hello Ryan D. (Nutbuster);
Thank you for the information, and thank you for your quality tools, still U.S. made. I do need to tell you that while I like the tools, there is something about the blue color that drives me stir crazy. Not only do I have a chrome addiction, thanks to your company, I have a "Blue" addiction too. I have been trying for years to buy up all the "Blue" that I see. That includes that great pair of locking pliers, No. 910-C Grip Locks. (Are you old enough to remember those?) Whenever I see Blue, I have to have them. Anyway, thanks again for a great set of tools. By the way, in 43 years of buying and using Channellocks, I have yet to break one or need any warranty service!
Sincerely,
Jim
Thank you for the information, and thank you for your quality tools, still U.S. made. I do need to tell you that while I like the tools, there is something about the blue color that drives me stir crazy. Not only do I have a chrome addiction, thanks to your company, I have a "Blue" addiction too. I have been trying for years to buy up all the "Blue" that I see. That includes that great pair of locking pliers, No. 910-C Grip Locks. (Are you old enough to remember those?) Whenever I see Blue, I have to have them. Anyway, thanks again for a great set of tools. By the way, in 43 years of buying and using Channellocks, I have yet to break one or need any warranty service!
Sincerely,
Jim
ripsnortMN
Well-known member
MN4x4
Well-known member
Ryan:
I have a fair number of Irwin pliers, mostly because a buddy used to rep them. I have never owned a Channellock product...until earlier this year.
I only own two Channellock pliers, but I have to admit that they have become my favorites, and the ones I grab FIRST every time now.
I do not have the cash to simply ditch my older pliers and replace them all with Channellocks, but rest assured that after my experiences with them - and your comments here - I *WILL* be buying more when I find good deals that I can afford.
Thanks for making a great, MADE IN USA product!
Toolhorder
Well-known member
Wow,
This thread surprised me in a good way. First that Channellock is still making tools in the USA (Thank you!!!!) and that they actually posted a comment in the forum (Thank you!!!)
While I'm more of a Snap-on, Knipex user I have several older than me pairs of pliers out in the garage in my home tool box which I still use.
I'll definitely be buying products from Channellock now that I see the company is in line with my views on USA tools.
This thread surprised me in a good way. First that Channellock is still making tools in the USA (Thank you!!!!) and that they actually posted a comment in the forum (Thank you!!!)
While I'm more of a Snap-on, Knipex user I have several older than me pairs of pliers out in the garage in my home tool box which I still use.
I'll definitely be buying products from Channellock now that I see the company is in line with my views on USA tools.
I'd be curious how you came to that conclusion.
I have spent around $1500-$1700 (total hard to tally as I've lost some receipts) on Craftsman branded tools since Jan 1st of this year, all have been US made. Sockets, wrenches, ratchets, levels, pliers, drill bits, chisels, punches, hammers, screwdriver bits, etc. All bought new from the store or online and shipped to me.
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sberry
Banned
I like Channelloks, have maybe a dozen pairs and that many more similar. My only gripe was I thought I was doing myself a favor buying some new ones on sale from catalog and opt for a new design, regret that and would gladly trade anyone for the old standard. It kind of looked interesting and they may have a special industry application but they are not for general work where that type of tool shines. It was marketing related to make some new models but I wouldn't lose a lot of sleep if they flogged the engineer that designed them.
I just went to Sears, so I'll explain a little where he's coming from. I can list about 10 items off my head, right now, that are now made overseas. Crows foot wrenches, fp sets, tappet sets, screwdriver bits (the little inserts, you know what i mean. The store i was in had a few US left, but 90% were foreign), flare-nut sets, and a lot more. Those are just the ones I was looking at. The new "adj. angle end" wrenches aren't made here. The universal sets arent either. Hacksaws used to be made here, I'm pretty sure. I looked at a ton of stuff and only bought US made items, or else i would have spent double or triple what I did end up spending. Pretty much anything new they're bringing to the table is foreign-made. I think the newest US made thing I've seen is the nice ratchets, but thats about all.
There are still a lot of US made items... but a lot of what I would have bought is now made in China, and I refuse to buy that. I'll order the items from Proto or SO instead.
Oh absolutely, I agree. Many things, even in the past few months of me buying, have been switched to Chinese origin. However there are still complete shelves of US made product there, and new product at that, not just old backshelf stuff.
I just meant that usually a "new" product (such as the universal sets, dog bones, open end ratchet wrenches, etc..) tend to be outsourced. That's just the general trend Sears/Craftsman is going. 5 years from now I would be shocked if the bulk of sockets/wrenches are still made in US.
As a side note, I just picked up a $1 Channellock 3/8 ratchet from a garage sale. Looks like new. Not a high tooth count, but feels very strong/heavy duty. Has USA marked on it, and looks great. I imaigne I'll be reaching for it a lot in the future. My Stanley ratchet from Wal-mart has outlasted about 5 or 6 Craftsman raised panels..
As a side note, I just picked up a $1 Channellock 3/8 ratchet from a garage sale. Looks like new. Not a high tooth count, but feels very strong/heavy duty. Has USA marked on it, and looks great. I imaigne I'll be reaching for it a lot in the future. My Stanley ratchet from Wal-mart has outlasted about 5 or 6 Craftsman raised panels..
Something that always comes to my mind, when people say how they break the Craftsman standard ratchets (or any of their Craftsman tools) left and right, is they know there is a free replacement coming and tend to abuse the **** out of them. Furthermore, if you honestly have broken 5 or 6 ratchets you are using them wrong. I can understand one or two that were bad out of the box, however if you aren't fibbing or exaggerating I really have to question what you are doing with them! I have two friends who are/were professional mechanics at dealerships who used Craftsman standard ratchets and never have broken one or worn one out. Their experiences were the majority of the reason I went with Sears for my tools vs. the higher priced companies.
I did break a new 3/8" Craftsman ratchet, I was using a 4' pipe with it. I mean really, it is hardly unexpected that I broke it when I was putting what amounted to in the neighborhood of 500 ft-lbs of torque on the thing.
diesel research
Well-known member
Lemme clue you in on something. That is because they (professionals) will reach for an air ratchet or impact every chance they can get. I have certain hand tools that will last a lifetime.....because they will hardly ever be used.
Then again, even the hardest, toughest alloy, forged in the fires of hell, wouldn't change the fact they still **** for other reasons such as ergonomics or course action of the typical raised panel variety.
For reference, I used a 3/8s when I was 16 with a 6ft pipe to take seized cylinder head bolts off an old truck motor. Broke the heads off the bolts. Don't see anybody staunchly standing up for that kmart benchtop set. They get bashed just as much if not more.
You just spent almost $2,000 on a particular brand, I understand the need to justify and defend that decision.
Had I bought a large tool truck companies brand I'd be into it for what, 5-10x that? I don't need to "justify" to anyone, I am happy with my decision to go that route and the value the tools have provided for me, just hate to see someone on here like me, letting folks they've never met talk them into buying a $30 socket or $50 wrench. Or misinformation being placed on the brand as yes, I do have a vested interest in their survival. More people buying US made products from Sears means Sears will continue to support the line (just like Channellock).
Or is this really about justifying spending all that money on the Snap-On brand? Reading the threads on here, it really does seem like a lot of the Snap-On pushers you see, it's all about peer pressure. Peer pressure at a shop (has been discussed here before), and on this web site. Akin to what women get when they are with their friends to buy expensive purses and shoes. Or a guy buying a Porsche, or BMW, to show off their money.
Really my comment was addressed above - Sears continues to sell new product that is made here and folks shouldn't say they don't. Is it of great quality? Well, they certainly are able to remove bolts and screws. Do you get a woody while using it? Not me, but I didn't have to spend an hours wage on one freaking ratchet or wrench either.
Or is this really about justifying spending all that money on the Snap-On brand? Reading the threads on here, it really does seem like a lot of the Snap-On pushers you see, it's all about peer pressure. Peer pressure at a shop (has been discussed here before), and on this web site. Akin to what women get when they are with their friends to buy expensive purses and shoes. Or a guy buying a Porsche, or BMW, to show off their money.
Really my comment was addressed above - Sears continues to sell new product that is made here and folks shouldn't say they don't. Is it of great quality? Well, they certainly are able to remove bolts and screws. Do you get a woody while using it? Not me, but I didn't have to spend an hours wage on one freaking ratchet or wrench either.
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diesel research
Well-known member
This discussion wasn't much about tool trucks or ratchets or wrenches. (until you steered it in that direction)
By far, it was mostly about pliers from channellock.
To quote from the same post you did:
It seems like no matter the brand, middle of the road USA, tool truck, or offshore import, there always has to be craftsman people stirring the pot or derailing the thread.
Simple fact of the matter is, there is not just 2 brands. It's not just cman or SO.
Nice to see channellock has been able to branch out on distribution, hopefully walmart does not force them to cheapen the product or otherwise cave to certain demands.
By far, it was mostly about pliers from channellock.
To quote from the same post you did:
It seems like no matter the brand, middle of the road USA, tool truck, or offshore import, there always has to be craftsman people stirring the pot or derailing the thread.
Simple fact of the matter is, there is not just 2 brands. It's not just cman or SO.
Nice to see channellock has been able to branch out on distribution, hopefully walmart does not force them to cheapen the product or otherwise cave to certain demands.