waterboy12
Well-known member
Found an old 1/2 inch Gedore wrench that's stamped India. WTF?
Gedore made in India?
- Thread starter waterboy12
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Krokodil
Well-known member
Gedore used to make tools there for a short while a long time ago. Not the best quality.
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nicholasbailey1993
Well-known member
The only Gedore wrenchs that i've ever saw were made in India. I agree with the crappy quality.
kippieland
Well-known member
I have one from a pawn shop that lives in my portable box. I have actually seen them around a lot in those places. I didn't realize it was that old. May not look great but it actually looks pretty good for a cheap wrench. Held up better then any HF wrench I have seen
tradesmanschoice
Well-known member
I've had a few of those and the quality was so terrible I thought they were obvious fakes - I even contacted Gedore about them to see if they wanted to look them over, but got no response. If they had a joint venture going then that may explain why - to embarrassed to talk about it! 
jeffmoss26
Well-known member
I have a whole set of them (my dad's) hanging in my shop!
billymade
Well-known member
From the Gedore website; here are two dates that indicate when the India/Gedore relationship was active:
http://www.gedore-group.com/en/group/chronicle.html
1961 Majority Joint Venture with an Indian partner and establishment of GEDORE India
1986 Exit of the Indian Joint Venture, assignment of the trademark rights and name rights to GEDORE
http://www.gedore-group.com/en/group/chronicle.html
1961 Majority Joint Venture with an Indian partner and establishment of GEDORE India
1986 Exit of the Indian Joint Venture, assignment of the trademark rights and name rights to GEDORE
Me too.
In the pre-internet, pre-Harbor Freight days, it looked like Gedore were the lowest quality tools available. A few years ago I picked up a big socket and it was made in Brazil. Quality was ok, roughly on par with taiwan.
This is the first place I found that thinks they are any good.
Juddy
Active member
At what level of quality are Gedore now? I assume they are of high quality but haven't really used too many of their tools, only flogging scanners and Allen sockets which where pretty good.
Orson_Yancey
Member
I have full set of SAE Gedore, India that I purchased Summer 1980, my first set of combination wrenches. I think I paid $10 from a auto parts store. Poor quality, but they do the job. Still have and use them today. Have not broke or bent any.
Charles (in GA)
Well-known member
I find lots and lots of the Indian made Gedore at the flea market. They must have sold a bunch of them here in the South.
Charles
Charles
They are amoung the top two or three brands I see in the junk boxes at the flea markets here in the mid atlantic. They are horribly made and look ugly. I have some german ones and I do not think they are all that great either. I do not like the way they feel in my hand. I do not like how they look. I do not even like the name or their logo. Gedore is my least favorite wrench. But for the average guy that uses a wrench once every couple of months I am sure they will do what they need.
Krokodil
Well-known member
The German (and to an extent the RSA) are on par with Hazet and Stahlwille. Some of the best tools around.
All the India Gedore stuff must be bought up and destroyed. Looks like they gave the company a bad rep in the US.
All the India Gedore stuff must be bought up and destroyed. Looks like they gave the company a bad rep in the US.
Need4racin
Banned
I have a small toolbox full. They do the job, nothing special. I defintely wouldn't put them in the scrap pile.
!correct!
Maybe Gedore should do that, buy up the **** and scrap where they can or do something cool like trade in five of the **** ones and get a credit towards a new wrench. I do not have much Stahlwille but the older Hazet stuff I have far exceeds the quality of the Gedore stuff I have (Indian, Brazilian or German, and I have scrapped whatever Indian made stuff that I end up with when I buy a box or lot of tools)
4x4gearhead
Well-known member
The india ones seem to be the common gedore find around here, I have yet to find europe made gedores in the consignment shops.
zjrog
Well-known member
I don't remember getting these, but it was in the early 80s and either in Florida or New Mexico. Would have been before I needed anything metric which happened in the summer of 82 when I bought a 1979 Kawasaki KZ400.
Gedore, Made in India. Chrome isn't bad but the wrenches certainly weren't "finished" before the chrome dip...
Shoot that makes them over 30 years old and antiques! EBAY!!!!
Gedore, Made in India. Chrome isn't bad but the wrenches certainly weren't "finished" before the chrome dip...
Shoot that makes them over 30 years old and antiques! EBAY!!!!
vintagefan
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2012
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Just type "VINTAGE" and "RARE" and "SPECIAL SNAP-ON LIMITED EDITION" all over your auction, then they'll sell for $10,000
How wide is the open end of your favourite brand ?
Digging up an old thread here...
Stopped at a garage sale full of garbage tools today. It was mostly ancient Kmart branded stuff, but there was a big box of Gedore India SAE wrenches there. Must have been three of each size. Didn't even think about making an offer for it after handling a few of them. They are truly bottom-of-the-barrel.
Stopped at a garage sale full of garbage tools today. It was mostly ancient Kmart branded stuff, but there was a big box of Gedore India SAE wrenches there. Must have been three of each size. Didn't even think about making an offer for it after handling a few of them. They are truly bottom-of-the-barrel.
G_P
Well-known member
I see the India Geodre wrenches at garage sales quite often lately. Never a full set and the finish is beyond terrible. Most have flash and burrs on them that would slice the hell out of your hand. Several I have seen were stamped so poorly you could barely read anything on them at all.
Those show up in numbers in Mexico too. I've found the same wrenches marked 'Jhaliani' (the parent company) also.
They do have a rough finish, but it has to be said unlike many cheap wrenches these do hold up to use. I've been using them as fillers for desired brands in my SAE DOE wrench set for years and they have done the job flawlessly. None have broken yet.
Of the ones I've used the sizing is pretty good too, I cannot say that for the PowerBuilt (AZ housebrand) wrenches I have.
I do have the luxury of having multiple sets of more desirable brands now and most of these were passed on to family members who still use them. So they still serve someone faithfully.
They do have a rough finish, but it has to be said unlike many cheap wrenches these do hold up to use. I've been using them as fillers for desired brands in my SAE DOE wrench set for years and they have done the job flawlessly. None have broken yet.
Of the ones I've used the sizing is pretty good too, I cannot say that for the PowerBuilt (AZ housebrand) wrenches I have.
I do have the luxury of having multiple sets of more desirable brands now and most of these were passed on to family members who still use them. So they still serve someone faithfully.
4xdog
Well-known member
My dad had a set of Gedore India metric and some inch wrenches that I brought home when I cleaned out their old house. I remember using those reluctantly in the mid 80s when I'd go home for visits.
Yes, they're ugly. But as so many others have said, they really do hold up and they're still doing their job. So full marks for function, zero marks for finish. I can't throw them away 'cause they work, but they're in my spares collection and would be gladly donated to someone who would use them.
One wonders what might happen if Gedore were to offer some sort of modest discount on new German-made stuff for the return of old India-made stuff. I'd take advantage of that, and it could start a long process of changing the brand's perception in the US. That assumes, of course, that US growth is an objective for them...
Yes, they're ugly. But as so many others have said, they really do hold up and they're still doing their job. So full marks for function, zero marks for finish. I can't throw them away 'cause they work, but they're in my spares collection and would be gladly donated to someone who would use them.
One wonders what might happen if Gedore were to offer some sort of modest discount on new German-made stuff for the return of old India-made stuff. I'd take advantage of that, and it could start a long process of changing the brand's perception in the US. That assumes, of course, that US growth is an objective for them...
Charles (in GA)
Well-known member
The suggestions about trading in or buying up the old India stuff would only serve to drive up the price of them at the flea market.
"here buddy, get a pile of these and turn them in for a set of new German made ones"
Kinda like how used, broken Snap-On or Craftsman commands prices for something that is useless, simply for the trade in value.
Charles
"here buddy, get a pile of these and turn them in for a set of new German made ones"
Kinda like how used, broken Snap-On or Craftsman commands prices for something that is useless, simply for the trade in value.
Charles
I have a Gedore SAE combo wrench set from 3/8-3/4 that is made in India, I got it from my Grandpa, so they arrived up here in Alberta at one point.
Princess Auto used to sell the Brasil made Gedore sockets and wrenches, but not ratchets, it was around the time they sold IREGA (spain) adj wrenches, Super Ego (spain) pipe tools and Deca (italy) welders. So early 2000s?????
I have several 1/2 dr metrics and a couple combo wrenches in SAE, they have a flat satin finish. My dad has several 3/4 dr SAE 12pt sockets. I'd buy the Brasil (and Spain) made products again if Princess Auto sold them again.
Princess Auto used to sell the Brasil made Gedore sockets and wrenches, but not ratchets, it was around the time they sold IREGA (spain) adj wrenches, Super Ego (spain) pipe tools and Deca (italy) welders. So early 2000s?????
I have several 1/2 dr metrics and a couple combo wrenches in SAE, they have a flat satin finish. My dad has several 3/4 dr SAE 12pt sockets. I'd buy the Brasil (and Spain) made products again if Princess Auto sold them again.
I know all you tool polishers on here forget this, but sometimes a wrench is a wrench and just needs to get the job done, lossen and tighten bolts, get lost in the snow bank that you worked in and then re-discovered after the snow melts in the summer covered in mud and muck.
nicksnothereman
Well-known member
Points to the german wrench test. Yeah that. Seem to be okay not just for the price. I don't remember the torque values before failure (it was over 100 for both the open end and the ring) but it was far more than you'd actually use a wrench for unless you're a *****.
On German mechanic forums they tend to believe it.
seber
Well-known member
I wound up with a brand new set of Gedore indian wrenches in the roll up pouch last year. I sold it for $10 and felt bad for asking so much. I did check the fit on some bolt heads and knew I didn't want to frustrate myself with them.