Experiences with Northern Tool & Tooltopia?

[Vinko]

Any recent experiences with Northern Tool and Tool Topia? good or bad?

I need another pair of jackstands and they've both got the Hein Werner 6 ton pairs at a decent price.

Just checking before I make the purchase

 

[Sterff]

As most people will tell you tooltopia is a great place to deal with. I have spent over a thousand with them and had no issues.

 

[MoToys]

Check out the matco js6ql or ql6js.
Don't remember the part number exactly but they are quick load jack stands that have the extra pin and pop up on their own.
I know it's not what you asked but it's worth a look.

 

[4x4gearhead]

Havent used tooltopia but I have used northern and they were great, good prices and when you order something ground it comes in like 3 days.

 

[Fedwrench]

Tooltopia is one of my favorite places to shop. Decent prices and FREE shipping on orders over $99. Wide selection too.

 

[amolaver]

i shudder to think what i've spent at tooltopia. the closest thing to a bad experience was when i bought the gearwrench 1/4 impact master set from then, then cripes had some at 1/2 the price. i tried to get them to refund the difference, but in the end ordered one from cripe and returned it to tooltopia. they did the credit at that point w/o a problem. i wasn't happy about it, but it wasn't completely unreasonable.

tooltopia is almost always the cheapest vendor, although i've had slightly better pricing at times for sunex/genius from dskatools. tooltopia is free shipping over $100, but i've never seen any coupon or discount codes for them - the prices are just overall cheaper (which i MUCH prefer).

northern is a mixed bag for me. i'm guessing like many here, its fun just flipping through the catalog, but many items i've found from tooltopia or amazon more cheaply (or even my local TSC). still, when i've ordered from them, they've been good to deal with.

ahm

 

[bobcatdan]

I have noticed with Northern, that they can beat local sources for the exact same idem by as much as a $100. The shipping cost almost always equalled the savings and never makes it worth buying from them. I am really thinking of buying a Yost vise from norther, with shipping, still $50 cheaper the Yost themselves. I have never been on tooltopia, but will have to check it out.

 

[54FordPanel]

I've had good luck with Northern, and haven't yet ordered from Tooltopia.

 

[Z06 427]

I always had great service from Tooltopia. I also use Crawfordtools.com, great prices on Knipex.

 

[diesel research]

Used northern to ship to me overseas. Not the best packing job in the world. Damaged goods resultant. Really just damaged the blow molded case so it wasn't worth making a stink about.

Now adays I shop at one of the 3 retail stores in town. Nothing spectacular or note worthy with that experience. Get my stuff and go on about business. They are real lacking in retail compared to catalog, and even catalog has dropped a lot of the better name brands. If you want something in catalog you can have it shipped to the store for free, but it will take 10 days. Quicker to pay shipping and have it sent to your door.

Tooltopia blew my mind. Was messing around on computer at work, made an order, UPS man was there at work with a package the NEXT morning. Didn't pay any shipping since it was over $100. Not sure how it traveled across country like that. they are only 2 hours away, but it shipped from an east coast warehouse. Most companies would have barely processed the order next morning.

 

[dmw56]

I've bought a lot of stuff from Northern and have no complaints.

 

[Muffduster]

Don't forget www.etooldirect.com as they have outstanding prices and free shipping over $99. Same day shipping for most items too.

 

[kf4zht]

I have a northern local to me and go there way too often. never had an issue

 

[gussteve]

i like northern have had no problems with em

 

[scott37300]

I've ordered a LOT from tooltopia, they are almost always WAY cheaper than anywhere else and have a HUGE selection of tools. And that free shipping over 99 gets me everytime! If I need some tools and the order comes to 30-40 bucks I always have to find others to get that free shipping! I've had great service and fast shipping from them.

The only issues I've ever had with tooltopia were a shipping issue and their website not up to date issue. The shipping was I ordered a 5 gallon drain pan and a lisle no spill funnel and a couple little things. They threw everything in the drain pan and wrapped plastic all over it and stuck an ups label on it. It arrived in good condition so I can't be mad but it left a lot open to shipping damage or things falling out. But from my experience I would think they would take care of it if something would have happened. The second was a mityvac brake bleeder I ordered. The picture on the website showed some extra adaptors that weren't included. I emailed them and they said the kit was updated by mityvac but tooltopia never updated their website. So I didn't really get shorted but when you order from a website you rely on the description and pictures to see what's in the package since you can't look at it yourself.

I still order from them and the issues I had weren't really a big deal. I'm going to be placing an order with them this week. Need an adaptor to fill a transmission on a lincoln aviator for 12 bucks, everywhere else it's 20-30 bucks. Now I will probably add some more to the order to get the free shipping! I'm a sucker for spending 87 more dollars in order to save the 6-7 dollar shipping fee for smaller orders!

 

[torqueman2002]

I've used both Northern and Tooltopia with excellent results.

I recently bought Milwaukee M18 18V Cordless with 2 Impact Wrenches and Work Light Combo Item Id: 2696-23 from Tooltopia because it was the best price I found.

Northern has been a little less price competitive the last 2 or 3 times I've price shopped, however. YMMV

 

[thrifty bill]

I have a Northern Tool and Harbor Freight in my town (actually, the next town over, but close). Anyway, I find Northern Tool prices to be consistently higher than HF, with similar "quality". They also don't have the free goods and kick *** coupons that HF runs.

 

[DrkMtnDew]

i've had good luck with northern. prices are decent and their shipping has been very fast. no complaints.

 

[rt dak]

Placed my first order with ToolTopia late Wednesday night and it arrived on Friday. Will not be my last order.

 

[joshthedieseltech]

tooltopia is great for pricing and shipping no complaints, but on after the sale service I think its horrible what they do and others do also.

I got a topside creeper and one wheel came apart after the third use, so I emailed them and was told to call the manufacturer for service.

Never had issues with Northern.

How they can get away with this IDK.


If I bought a snickers bar and it was expired and flaking apart (been there) do i get told to call Snicker direct?

If i buy a fridge from sears and it stops working a week do I get told to call Kenmore?

If I buy a new mustang and the wiper motor fails do I call the car manufacturer direct?

customer service has gone to $hit here, but thats another discussion.

 

[May Pop]

Ordered from both. Northern many times. I always recieved exactly what they said they were sending. Usaully 3 days as others have said. very very happy.
Now go order some tools.
Ron

 

[Muffduster]

....................

 

[CLee0507]

Ordered from Tooltopia about a week ago, sae and metric impact socket sets and a couple ratchets. Items shipped the next day from two places, California and Texas. I live in Oregon the Cali package was here in 3 days from the time I ordered and the other one came in the following week. Great service and quick shipping, I would definitely order there again for future tools.

 

[Mr.Nutcase]

I have ordered from tooltopia twice..... not bad....

 

[dsaabm]

Never ordered from Northern, but I've spent lots at Tooltopia, never an issue and very fast shipping.

 

[dseybert]

+1 for ToolTopia

 

[makgreens]

I absolutely love tooltopia.com. there's a northern down the road and its decent.but ive made 4 orders so far and will place many many more

 

[anythingfastxxx]

Ordered about 600 worth from tooltopia. Not a lot from northern but no complaints for either.


Toolwarehouse on the other hand.....

 

[anythingfastxxx]

....................

I love your avatar. That is all.....

 

[Vinko]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Northern Tool stocks (some?) of their goods, right? I wonder if Tool Topia does?

It's interesting to me how many internet retailers have stuff drop ship these days.

As for the critique of service by i-net stores: i.e., having to contact mfr. for service, I sort of understand the idea of it. While I think a dealer should service a customer rather than throwing it on the mfr., at some point, something's gotta give if the margins are as low as they've become on a lot of quality stuff. There's not much profit in it.

 

[chewy7]

no problems with northern tool.

 

[chewy7]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Northern Tool stocks (some?) of their goods, right? I wonder if Tool Topia does?

It's interesting to me how many internet retailers have stuff drop ship these days.

As for the critique of service by i-net stores: i.e., having to contact mfr. for service, I sort of understand the idea of it. While I think a dealer should service a customer rather than throwing it on the mfr., at some point, something's gotta give if the margins are as low as they've become on a lot of quality stuff. There's not much profit in it.

northern tool probably stocks all of their stuff. they are an actual store. dont know about tool topia though, im sure they are just web based unlike northern tools.

 

[TheGrooveking]

Check out the matco js6ql or ql6js.
Don't remember the part number exactly but they are quick load jack stands that have the extra pin and pop up on their own.
I know it's not what you asked but it's worth a look.

The pins are to keep the mast from extending, not for holding loads, besides there is only one hole drilled in the mast for the pin and that is in bottom position.

TheGrooveking

 

[tw33k2514]

Tooltopia is the best tool website I have ever ordered from. I've probably spent close to $700 on there. And they have not made a single mistake.

 

[diesel research]

northern tool probably stocks all of their stuff. they are an actual store. dont know about tool topia though, im sure they are just web based unlike northern tools.

I told my friend about tooltopia and mentioned it was in his home town. He denied this up and down claiming there is no such place in shreveport. Then he did a little looking around and said "damn, I know that place, it's shreveport air tool"

Shreveport airtool is a retail store, tooltopia is a internet subsidiary. That said, the average retail store doesn't have all that much in automotive specialty tools anyways. I would venture to guess there might be zero stores in this metro area of 6 million that carry ac specialty equipment or sunex socket sets for example. Excluding a few tool trucks.

 

[toolman1967]

I have never used Tooltopia, but Northern has been great. No issues with them.

 

[shampoop]

I've used tooltopia a lot and i've only had great experiences so far. Love the free shipping on $100+ orders policy.

 

[Vinko]

Got the jack stands from Tool Topia. Fast shipping indeed. I'd have rather they'd boxed them up a bit better. Not that the stands aren't going going to get scratched with some use, but it's always nice to get something all bright and shiny.

I would've double boxed them and reinforced the corners.

It looks like they shipped direct from Tool Topia rather than drop-shipped from a distributor.