Elora VS Matador Spanners

[RickyLahey]

Hello,

I would love to know if anyone has experience with the Elora 205 spanners to the Matador 190 series?

They are both made in Germany, both have 15 degree offset and both around the same price point.

Just for comparison they are both around the same length as the Stahlwille 14 series and the Hazet 600n

All the spanner’s I have mentioned are similar price up to 19mm but when you go from there to 32mm that’s when the Matador and Elora stand out in value.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

I've had the Elora 205s for 14 years. Never broken one, they've held up well, i'd happily buy them again.

 

[mr.lemons]

Are you sure Matador spanners are made in Germany? I think they moved some of their manufacturing to Taiwan. Not sure though. It would be worth confirming if it's important to you.

 

[TjoFrasse]

Are you sure Matador spanners are made in Germany? I think they moved some of their manufacturing to Taiwan. Not sure though. It would be worth confirming if it's important to you.

Agreed, Matador and Heyco I would double check before assuming that they're German made.

 

[RickyLahey]

Are you sure Matador spanners are made in Germany? I think they moved some of their manufacturing to Taiwan. Not sure though. It would be worth confirming if it's important to you

This thread from 2014 proves that they are: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/matador-wrenches.255645/ although things can change.

On the toolteam24 website it says made in Germany in the description for the Matador spanners.

I emailed Matador today to ask about this and will relay the information on here.

 

[mr.lemons]

I think the general consensus of that thread is that they used to be made in Germany, but may not be any more. Mostly speculation due to Matador ceasing to stamp 'Germany' on their spanners and sockets. Hopefully Matador will give you a clear answer.

 

[RickyLahey]

I think the general consensus of that thread is that they used to be made in Germany, but may not be any more. Mostly speculation due to Matador ceasing to stamp 'Germany' on their spanners and sockets. Hopefully Matador will give you a clear answer.

I got an email back from Matador...

“Regarding your question: We cannot simply answer it: Yes, we still produce the bigger sizes of the 190 spanner series in our factory in Remscheid (so it is Made in Germany), the smaller sizes (with the same drawings as the bigger sizes) are Made by MATADOR but not in Remscheid. Some sizes (which we also produce for other companies) are sourced semi-finished and will be finished in Remscheid. We hope this satisfies you.”

 

[mr.lemons]

Thanks for posting the reply.

Wonder if they are made in Taiwan or somewhere else in Europe. Shame they are not just straight about it.

I like the username btw.

 

[RickyLahey]

Thanks for posting the reply. Kind of a shame that they appear to be being shady about coo.

I like the username btw.

Thank you for alerting me because I would have been disappointed. I guess we cannot compare the spanner’s now.

My first set of spanner’s were stahlwille 14 series an an apprentice, I never understood how good they were at the time. I am from Australia but am currently on the tools in England and it doesn’t take rocket appliances to figure out that most the stuff they sell here is not of high quality. I didn’t bring my spanner’s with me so I came across this forum recently trying to find out which tools are good and it’s been a valuable resource.

 

[Dave455]

Thank you for alerting me because I would have been disappointed. I guess we cannot compare the spanner’s now.

My first set of spanner’s were stahlwille 14 series an an apprentice, I never understood how good they were at the time. I am from Australia but am currently on the tools in England and it doesn’t take rocket appliances to figure out that most the stuff they sell here is not of high quality. I didn’t bring my spanner’s with me so I came across this forum recently trying to find out which tools are good and it’s been a valuable resource.

Ricky - cheapest way to get decent stuff in the U.K. is to order it online. If you like Stahlwille, just order it from Amazon, TBS Aachen, Handtools From Germany, or whoever you like! You will be pleasantly surprised at the prices. Stahlwille have selected sets on factory promotions every year, and these are generally awesome value!

 

[RickyLahey]

Ricky - cheapest way to get decent stuff in the U.K. is to order it online. If you like Stahlwille, just order it from Amazon, TBS Aachen, Handtools From Germany, or whoever you like! You will be pleasantly surprised at the prices. Stahlwille have selected sets on factory promotions every year, and these are generally awesome value!

Thank mate, prime tools have a stahlwille promo on right now. Also Sotel has good prices.

 

[Dave455]

Thank mate, prime tools have a stahlwille promo on right now. Also Sotel has good prices.

Sounds great. They’re easy to deal with.

There’s no shortage of decent stuff available in the U.K, but what people from other countries sometimes fail to realise is how the retail environment here has totally changed in the last 20 years.

The old tool shops have all but gone. You simply can’t run a business and pay high rents / rates, making 15% margins on hand tools. The only “bricks and mortar” shops selling tools are generally selling cheap **** that they probably make 100% margins on, which means they only sell to the undiscerning.

 

[RickyLahey]

Sounds great. They’re easy to deal with.

There’s no shortage of decent stuff available in the U.K, but what people from other countries sometimes fail to realise is how the retail environment here has totally changed in the last 20 years.

The old tool shops have all but gone. You simply can’t run a business and pay high rents / rates, making 15% margins on hand tools. The only “bricks and mortar” shops selling tools are generally selling cheap **** that they probably make 100% margins on, which means they only sell to the undiscerning.

Yeah same in Australia, cheap China Taiwan stuff in the hardware stores and car parts stores and then you have snap on truck but we had a different tool van which sold German and Koken. Here only the snap on truck and a guy selling US pro come by.

In Australia the wages are higher and the cost of living lower so I have to be diligent here and can’t just stroll onto the snap on truck lol

It’s great here because there is much more variety to buy from online, Australia is very isolated from the world.

 

[dutchgray]

The only tool shops left that are just tool shops tend to sell cheap to mid level stuff, are quite small and only exist because they offer good service to their customers, who are mostly in the trades and use the tool shop over the internet because they have broken something and need a replacement now to get whatever job done. They tend to have more power tools and consumables than decent hand tools

 

[Dave455]

Yes, any business that has a good supply of trade customers is usually o.k. Where I am in the South of England I have locally three different places that I can get really good quality drills, taps / dies and milling cutters. Same again for woodworking tools, but they all have a constant supply of trade customers.

For mechanics and garage tools most of the trade get served by tool trucks - Snap On, MAC and a couple of independents, so there isn’t really the space for anybody else! Yes, one of the independents keeps German / KoKen, but you still pay something for truck service so you’re better off buying online,

 

[RickyLahey]

I ended up buying another set of Stahlwille 14 series. I do like the Elora but they were a lot more expensive than Stahlwille.

Stahlwille no longer stamp numbers on the open end and have them on both sides of the beam now. I phoned Stahlwille to confirm that this is legitimate. My father sent me photos of my 16 year old ones from back home to compare.

Thank you everyone for your input in this thread. I

 

[Dave455]

I ended up buying another set of Stahlwille 14 series. I do like the Elora but they were a lot more expensive than Stahlwille.

Stahlwille no longer stamp numbers on the open end and have them on both sides of the beam now. I phoned Stahlwille to confirm that this is legitimate. My father sent me photos of my 16 year old ones from back home to compare.

Thank you everyone for your input in this thread. I

No, they haven’t stamped numbers on the open ends for some time now, but they look genuine to me.

So long as you have bought from somewhere reputable, such a Prime Tools, they won’t be fake.

I must admit I’m tending to buy Hazet now, I think the open ends are a bit stronger. Having said that, I hardly ever use an open end now anyway, and Hazet don’t offer quite the mega deals that Stahlwille often do, as I’m sure you found out!

 

[Mr_B]

for set prices and design of the 14 series it a real good buy .
hopefully they made as well as was, my set must be 30 years old .
Preferred sizes stamped right on the open end face .
Facom and MAC have some nice wrench options, toptul do have some good set options .
Used is good option too, fair bit of tooltruck on facebook and eBay etc in UK so worth keeping eye on it .

 

[Hermann-the-german]

Did you also check Elofort. To my best knowledge they are also Made in Germany but cheaper due to a more simple surface finish.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

 

[admamd]

I've had the Elora 205s for 14 years. Never broken one, they've held up well, i'd happily buy them again.

Being using my 10mm 205 from 1999 till today still...I’ve got only 10mm me a poor technician...Old thread my 1st post

 

[silkman]

Old thread my 1st post

Has happened to the best of us.