Does Gearwrench have an entry level quality?

[Jack Ryan]

In the US, for imported goods, country of origin is where the last substantial transformation occurred. Take a bunch of chinese parts, ship them to Italy, put them together, and you can slap a made in Italy sticker on it. You can also label things more specifically ("made in China of Italian silk"), if that suits you. For US goods, sold in the US, Made in USA means it's substantially all american made. So a made in USA wrench needs to be made of american made steel. If that's not true, you get to made in USA with global materials (meaning real work is happening, but a substantial enough fraction of the material comes from overseas) and assembled in USA from global materials, meaning the "made in Italy" case. (For some things, you're allowed to say "Made in USA from Italian silk", if that's true, and you think it's a selling point.) For export, US law allows most of those to be labeled "made in USA", depending on the rules of the destination.

Outside of the US, who knows.

Where it was made.

Thanks for that. I looked up your regulations as well and they are, for the most part, the same as ours.

Labelling gets complicated when parts and ingredients come from different places. Cost of production matters so outsourcing will continue until the standard of living is the same across the world (no time soon). On the bright side, design doe not have to be outsourced and the machinery used in manufacturing is usually top notch.

We need better quality control.

Jack

 

[Jack Ryan]

I consider "entry level" to be "apprentice-grade". That is, suitable for professional use, for a worker at the beginning of their career, knowing they'll need better stuff as time goes by. Sears Craftsman filled this niche for decades before dropping below "entry/apprentice" level into "homeowner" tools formerly branded as "Sears", (not "Craftsman") "Companion", and later, below "homeowner" grade as "Evolv".

Below that are the junk disposable one-use **** sold on the bargain table at auto parts stores, Hazzard Fraught, etc.

OK, so professional entry level. That makes more sense then, thanks.

I have "Gearwrench"-made, Craftsman USA-branded ratcheting combo wrenches; they're totally suitable for apprentice use. No complaints, had 'em for...20 years (?) but I don't use 'em much. Not saying I'd buy the current imported version.

Going by Gearwrench's history, their tools were always made in Taiwan. The only thing that is different now is that some tools are coming from China.

The Chinese are perfectly capable of making high quality tools, the outsources just need to tick the right quality box on the order and pay more money. It's just that they don't.

Jack

 

[dscheidt]

OK, so professional entry level. That makes more sense then, thanks.



Going by Gearwrench's history, their tools were always made in Taiwan. The only thing that is different now is that some tools are coming from China.

No, the first gearwrench stuff was ratcheting combination wrenches. they were from K-D tools, gearwrench was the model or product line. They were made in the USA, probably in the Armstrong factory in NC. That was about 2000. They also made the wrenches for Craftsman (I have an SAE set, which are great, except they're a touch short. Great finish, low backdrag. They could do with a few more teeth, but whatever.). They quickly started selling other things branded gearwrench, and some of them were imported. Once the private equity nimwits bought Apex, it went all overseas, but the USA stuff was still sold as other brands (I've got some armstrong ratchet wrenches, which are again, great.) until the end of Armstrong. I'm not sure of the timing of K-D dispappearing as a brand, replaced by Gearwrench.

KD was a branch of mostly mechanics tools, sold by autoparts stores, mostly.

 

[rshimizu12]

the apex tool group is not one of them. They move based on cost, everything else is obviously secondary. It's very clear from pretty casual inspection the difference between US made, early taiwan, late taiwan, china, and vietnam. The late production taiwan stuff if superior in fit and finish, followed by the US stuff, followed by the early Taiwan (which was noticibly inferior to the US stuff when it appeared) , followed by the Chinese and Vietnamese (or is it India?) stuff, which is heavier, thicker, and not as nice looking. That's not saying it's junk, but it's priced like it's premium stuff, and it's not. You can get the same quality stuff for less, and better for the same money.

I agree Gearwrench tools are overpriced for the quality of the tools. I noticed recently that Craftsman raised their prices a lot recently.

 

[Jack Ryan]

No, the first gearwrench stuff was ratcheting combination wrenches. they were from K-D tools, gearwrench was the model or product line. They were made in the USA, probably in the Armstrong factory in NC. That was about 2000. They also made the wrenches for Craftsman (I have an SAE set, which are great, except they're a touch short. Great finish, low backdrag. They could do with a few more teeth, but whatever.). They quickly started selling other things branded gearwrench, and some of them were imported. Once the private equity nimwits bought Apex, it went all overseas, but the USA stuff was still sold as other brands (I've got some armstrong ratchet wrenches, which are again, great.) until the end of Armstrong. I'm not sure of the timing of K-D dispappearing as a brand, replaced by Gearwrench.

KD was a branch of mostly mechanics tools, sold by autoparts stores, mostly.

I'm not an historian but that conflicts with Gearwrench's and Apex's own histories.

In 1995, a Taiwanese company, Lea Way Hand Tool Corporation, set out to understand user needs for a ratcheting wrench. Users told them that ratchet arcs were too large, laminated wrenches were too weak, and access was still limited due to head size. In order to deliver the ratcheting wrench that users desired, Lea Way developed a forged beam for strength and a finely detailed pawl to reduce the ratchet arc. While forging was well known in the hand tool industry, the intricate pawl was produced with a new technology – metal injection molding. That year, the GEARWRENCH brand ratcheting wrench was born.

So the Gearwrench brand was created in Taiwan by the Lea Way Hand Tool Corporation in 1995.

In 1996, Danaher Tool Group, a precursor of Apex Tool Group, partnered with Lea Way and began selling GEARWRENCH ratcheting combination wrenches in the United States. The rest, as they say, is history.

So it looks like Taiwanese Gearwrench tools went on sale in the US in 1996.

I haven't come across anything in print that conflicts with that but, as I said, I'm not an historian.

Jack

 

[Schurkey]

OK, so professional entry level. That makes more sense then, thanks.

Reading another thread on this site, I'm reminded of a different--maybe more accurate--term for what I was trying to describe.

Pro-sumer. Adequate for professionals (particularly early in their careers when price is a bigger consideration) but widely purchased by homeowners, hobbyists, farm and ranch (who are professionals...but not vehicle repair professionals) and so forth. Some "casual" users, but mainly those who are merely more-committed to tool use, and then some lower-level professional users, and "tech school" students working their way towards being a professional tool user.

Sears Craftsman advertising used to stress how "Craftsman" was Pro-quality. For awhile they even ran comparisons to certain Snap-On tools, much like Hazzard Fraught does with their "compare to" advertising.

Going by Gearwrench's history, their tools were always made in Taiwan.

I'm not an historian but that conflicts with Gearwrench's and Apex's own histories.

In 1995, a Taiwanese company, Lea Way Hand Tool Corporation, set out to understand user needs for a ratcheting wrench. Users told them that ratchet arcs were too large, laminated wrenches were too weak, and access was still limited due to head size. In order to deliver the ratcheting wrench that users desired, Lea Way developed a forged beam for strength and a finely detailed pawl to reduce the ratchet arc. While forging was well known in the hand tool industry, the intricate pawl was produced with a new technology – metal injection molding. That year, the GEARWRENCH brand ratcheting wrench was born.

So the Gearwrench brand was created in Taiwan by the Lea Way Hand Tool Corporation in 1995.

In 1996, Danaher Tool Group, a precursor of Apex Tool Group, partnered with Lea Way and began selling GEARWRENCH ratcheting combination wrenches in the United States. The rest, as they say, is history.

So it looks like Taiwanese Gearwrench tools went on sale in the US in 1996.

I haven't come across anything in print that conflicts with that but, as I said, I'm not an historian.

I notice that they're really shy about using the KD brand name.

I can't speak for Gearwrench being Made In USA. My Craftsman ratcheting wrenches--made by Danaher or Apex (Danaher, I think, based on age) are USA. MAYBE the parent company had two lines of similar tools in the Snap-On/Blue Point mold--in this case imported wrenches for KD + Gearwrench, USA-sourced product for Armstrong + Craftsman? I don't know...my guess is that they were all USA-made until being offshored, then they were all imported.

My 11/16 ran away at the Treasure Yard. Might have even been my fault, although Father-In-Law and his nephew were there with me.

 

[Jack Ryan]

Reading another thread on this site, I'm reminded of a different--maybe more accurate--term for what I was trying to describe.

Pro-sumer. Adequate for professionals (particularly early in their careers when price is a bigger consideration) but widely purchased by homeowners, hobbyists, farm and ranch (who are professionals...but not vehicle repair professionals) and so forth. Some "casual" users, but mainly those who are merely more-committed to tool use, and then some lower-level professional users, and "tech school" students working their way towards being a professional tool user.

I agree, that's a better term but I get the gist now and understand what is meant by "entry level".

I don't know...my guess is that they were all USA-made until being offshored, then they were all imported.

With respect to Gearwrench, I don't think there is any need to guess. Both Gearwrench and Apex state that Gearwrench was a Taiwanese brand that the precursor of Apex sold in the US. It seems pretty clear that Gearwrench was always Taiwanese. Some, perhaps all. of the other Apex brands were originally manufactured in the US and were subsequently moved offshore.

Jack

 

[BarryWells]

It's called SATA

 

[Jack Ryan]

It's called SATA

What do you mean? SATA is another Apex brand that is separate from Gearwrench.

Jack

 

[Al Borland]

To answer the original question, Yes. They're called "Husky" and sold at Home Despot.

 

[Jack Ryan]

To answer the original question, Yes. They're called "Husky" and sold at Home Despot.

As far as I can see, Husky Corporation is owned by Home Depot and is unrelated to Gearwrench or Apex tools.

Why do you think there is a relationship?

Jack

 

[Fedwrench]

GEARWRENCH Mechanics Special Edition Hand Tool Racing Set 1/4" & 3/8" Drive SAE/MM 115pc

GEARWRENCH Mechanics Special Edition Hand Tool Racing Set 1/4" & 3/8" Drive SAE/MM 115pc - 88001 from GEARWRENCH

www.acmetools.com

In response to the original question, yes, it's called crescent tools

If you look closely at the "special Edition" tool set above, you'll see that Gearwrench rebadged Crescent tools as Gearwrench for what might be a limited edition set, or a glimpse into the future. gone is the knurling on the base of the metric sockets which has long been a Gearwrench hallmark. Then there's the ratchets themselves, that are shaped like no other Gearwrench ratchet. Time will tell.

Husky mechanics tools are made by Apex tool group sourced from their SATA factory hence, the Gearwrench link just like most current Duralast tools Husky is only a brand name.

 

[Jack Ryan]

In response to the original question, yes, it's called crescent tools

If you look closely at the "special Edition" tool set above, you'll see that Gearwrench rebadged Crescent tools as Gearwrench for what might be a limited edition set, or a glimpse into the future. gone is the knurling on the base of the metric sockets which has long been a Gearwrench hallmark. Then there's the ratchets themselves, that are shaped like no other Gearwrench ratchet. Time will tell.

Yes, based on the image of the Crescent spanner I posted earlier, that is clearly a lesser quality. Apex is, in my opinion, make a big mistake though by selling the Black Edition tools with a Gearwrench brand - it dilutes the brand reduces confidence in the brand.

Husky mechanics tools are made by Apex tool group sourced from their SATA factory hence, the Gearwrench link just like most current Duralast tools Husky is only a brand name.

I don't know Husky tools at all but I looked them up and they claim American manufacture. Gearwrench tools, up until recently, have been made in Taiwan so something isn't right.

There are a lot of brand names now, and relatively few manufacturers.

Thanks
Jack

 

[AA/FC]

Modern Gearwrench stuff does not impress me at all. I still think of Gearwrench as entry level tools.

However, I will say that I did by some GearWrench reversible ratchet wrench sets from Sears probably 15-20 years ago. These were Tiawan made ratchet wrenches that were very nice. I still use them today. I don't know the full history of the GearWrench company but when I bought my wrenches, GearWrench had an office here in the United States and I had to warranty two wrenches that had manufacturering flaws right after I purchased them. It was a simple 5 minute phone call to an 800 phone number with a real person at the Gear Wrench office here in the US. The person who answered the phone, was the same person who processes my warranty claim. No automated phone systems, no overseas call centers, no multiple phone transfers.... just one person on the other end of the phone line. They simply sent me the two replacement wrenches with no questions asked. They told me to just throw away the broken wrenches. I suspect at that time GearWrench was a stand alone company.... before they got sucked up by the Danaher/Bain Capital/Apex merger and/or buyout. I could be wrong but I seem to remember GearWrench being it's own company back when I bout my original ratchet wrenches.

I have no desire to buy any GW stuff today. It's mediocre stuff at inflated prices. If I'm going to pay inflated prices, then I'm going to buy better tools. In fact, I usually go out of my way to buy higher end tools. I don't mind paying more for quality stuff.

 

[AA/FC]

Yes, based on the image of the Crescent spanner I posted earlier, that is clearly a lesser quality. Apex is, in my opinion, make a big mistake though by selling the Black Edition tools with a Gearwrench brand - it dilutes the brand reduces confidence in the brand.

I don't know Husky tools at all but I looked them up and they claim American manufacture. Gearwrench tools, up until recently, have been made in Taiwan so something isn't right.

There are a lot of brand names now, and relatively few manufacturers.

Thanks
Jack

They were originally made in Taiwan.... but over the years, the GW brand has been made in just about every part of the world other than the USA. You can look around and find a lot of GW tools from the last 10-15 years that came from China. GW has NOT been 100% produced in Taiwan for a long time.

 

[Farmall450]

BOGO at time when most of the tools good production effort taiwan is what gave gearwrench good reputation and the consumer incredibly good value for pretty nice design/manufacture effort tools .
Like volvoryan mentions, two consumers buying same tool years apart will have a vastly different experience .

I remember this was a hot topic in ~2014-16 when the flex head ratcheting wrenches went from Taiwan to China. For the $40/set or whatever they were back then, you still couldn't beat them.

 

[Fly YX]

Those are the new, southern wrenches. They’re coming out with a new line for Northern wrenches so they can be used on frozen fasteners.

 

[AA/FC]

Those are the new, southern wrenches. They’re coming out with a new line for Northern wrenches so they can be used on frozen fasteners.

Frozen? The temperature of a fastener isn't usually the problem..... it's the rusted fasteners that cause all the trouble up here in the north. lolol

 

[5ubtle]

My 11/16 ran away at the Treasure Yard. Might have even been my fault, although Father-In-Law and his nephew were there with me.

I fixed it for you. Please don't get me for copyright infringement.

 

[Farmall450]

Frozen? The temperature of a fastener isn't usually the problem..... it's the rusted fasteners that cause all the trouble up here in the north. lolol

He was making a joke lol

 

[Wrench97]

I always looked at anything Gearwrench as entry level................................

 

[Jack Ryan]

They were originally made in Taiwan.... but over the years, the GW brand has been made in just about every part of the world other than the USA. You can look around and find a lot of GW tools from the last 10-15 years that came from China. GW has NOT been 100% produced in Taiwan for a long time.

I must be lucky.

I have bought Gearwrench locally (Australia), from the UK, from Japan and from the US. With the exception of the set in question, all were made in Taiwan.

On the set in question, It, and a non-flex version, are now selling in Germany.

And if anyone is not yet convinced that they are **** - is the ratchet not centred or is the head asymmetrical? A bit of both perhaps. Here is one compared to a Taiwanese version. (Yes, the Taiwanese one is a spline, the Chinese is 12 point (double hex).



Jack

 

[Jack Ryan]

By the way, some have commented on OEMs for various brands. Most suppliers don't want to talk about OEMs - how do you find out? Sometimes comparison is a good guide but most of what I have seen looks like speculation and guesswork.

Is there a definitive source? I expect not.

Jack

 

[AA/FC]

And if anyone is not yet convinced that they are ****

Oh, GW is nothing special, that's for sure!..... You don't need to convince me. I'm not sure how they slowly fooled the general population over the last 15 - 20 years into thinking that somehow GW is a premium brand. It's all marketing ****, I suppose. Anyone who's been around long enough knows better. And it's not like the quality has gotten BETTER of the years. If anything, it's only gotten worse. In my opinion, anyway...

Your example in the picture above is absolute visual proof of the low quality. However, I will say.... misfits like that can accidentally slip out of the factory from any manufacturer.

 

[AA/FC]

He was making a joke lol

So was I.... lol

 

[Jack Ryan]

Oh, GW is nothing special, that's for sure!..... You don't need to convince me. I'm not sure how they slowly fooled the general population over the last 15 - 20 years into thinking that somehow GW is a premium brand. It's all marketing ****, I suppose. Anyone who's been around long enough knows better. And it's not like the quality has gotten BETTER of the years. If anything, it's only gotten worse. In my opinion, anyway...

Your example in the picture above is absolute visual proof of the low quality.

Just to clarify, the only Gearwrench tools I have that are rubbish are the Black Edition and they are the only ones not made in Taiwan.

However, I will say.... misfits like that can accidentally slip out of the factory from any manufacturer.

Yes, that can happen to the best. But not that many faults in one set.

I did check other sets in the shop and they had similar faults. In this case I'd say it was a feature, not an accident.

Jack

 

[AA/FC]

Just to clarify, the only Gearwrench tools I have that are rubbish are the Black Edition and they are the only ones not made in Taiwan.


Yes, that can happen to the best. But not that many faults in one set.

I did check other sets in the shop and they had similar faults. In this case I'd say it was a feature, not an accident.

Jack

Hey, if you like GW tool, then buy GW tools. More power to you....

I don't care for them. Everything I've tried from GW (except the very first sets of wrences that I bought from them 15-20 years ago) has been mediocre. I don't mind spending more on high quality tools...

 

[Jack Ryan]

Hey, if you like GW tool, then buy GW tools. More power to you....

So far I am happy but the (Taiwanese) tools have to live up to the trust. We'll see.

Jack

 

[Al Borland]

As far as I can see, Husky Corporation is owned by Home Depot and is unrelated to Gearwrench or Apex tools.

Why do you think there is a relationship?

Jack

At least in USA, Husky is made for Home Depot by Apex, who also makes Gearwrench. Hence, the relationship.
At one time, Husky was an American tool maker, then swallowed up by New Britain, which was then gobbled up by Stanley. Stanley produced "Husky" for Home Depot for a few years, and sold the name to Home Depot. Home Depot then got APEX to make Husky.
Things may be different in Australia.

 

[Jack Ryan]

At least in USA, Husky is made for Home Depot by Apex, who also makes Gearwrench. Hence, the relationship.

It gets messed up when companies start using brand names indiscriminately but I would have thought:

Apex is not a manufacturer, it is an umbrella company that owns several manufacturers.
Apex does not make Gearwrench, it owns that manufacturer.
Apex might have had any of its manufacturers make tools under the Husky brand for Home Depot.
If the Husky tools were made in the US, they were probably not made by Gearwrench.

This sort of information is out there somewhere but it is not generally available.

In the process of maximising profit, Apex might eventually move all manufacturing to (say) China and then arbitrarily apply the brands (such as Gearwrench). Then all bets are off.

But there is a relationship, thanks.

Jack