Got my Toptul order in today!

[dirty old man]

After months of waiting, my tools finally got delivered. I haven't gotten a chance to use them yet, but I'll be sure to report my impressions once I do. Everything looks great so far

This time I got a flare nut wrench set and a ratcheting crimper kit. There are a few other small things I didn't take photos of, like a 1/2"-3/4" socket adapter and a FREE screwdriver that Mike gave me. The screwdriver is like 14" long or so(I haven't measured yet).

 

[Merkava_4]

Made where?

 

[dirty old man]

TAIWAN Which I have absolutely no problem with. If you do, then that's your business and keep it to yourself in this thread please.

 

[billymade]

Looks, like Taiwan to me! http://www.toptul.com/

Located in Ta Li Industrial Park on the northwest suburb of Taichung City, Rotar Machinery Industrial Co., Ltd. (ROTAR GROUP) occupies a total area of 8,360 m2, with a floor space of 10,600 m2. Currently possessing three production plants made up of more than ten different specialized departments. ROTAR GROUP is one of the well-known significant organizations successfully transforming from a traditional professional manufacturer to an international corporation among the industry.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taichung

 

[Crawlin]

Who cares....I try to buy USA as well but that stuff looks nice. Plus I still find it funny no one mentions the Snap on 80's being made overseas except for the one thread. (to my knowledge). Both my 3/8 and 1/4 dual 80's do not have USA on them? Whats the difference?

 

[dirty old man]

Lookee, like China to me!

Nice edit and way to be racist. We all look alike? Is that the saying?

 

[davestlouis]

I have no objection to Taiwanese tools, as long as the price is decent. I must confess that I snicker every time I see "dirty old man"'s name in a thread...what on earth would possess someone to choose that particular name?

 

[billymade]

I assumed china, then I looked up the name of the city... came up taiwan..

 

[Stuey]

Nice edit and way to be racist. We all look alike? Is that the saying?

With a comment like that, how do you expect this thread to stay focused??! For the most part, billymade is good at digging up info - I strongly assume that he was just trying to be helpful and offer more info abotu Toptul production.

BS aside, nice gear! A ratcheting crimper set? I have never heard of such a thing. Then again, I'm somewhat sheltered.

Don't let the haters distract you from your new toys, err tools.

I'd love to see the crimpers in action!

 

[dirty old man]

Who cares....I try to buy USA as well but that stuff looks nice. Plus I still find it funny no one mentions the Snap on 80's being made overseas except for the one thread. (to my knowledge). Both my 3/8 and 1/4 dual 80's do not have USA on them? Whats the difference?

Thank you.

 

[garfunkle24]

Who cares....I try to buy USA as well but that stuff looks nice. Plus I still find it funny no one mentions the Snap on 80's being made overseas except for the one thread. (to my knowledge). Both my 3/8 and 1/4 dual 80's do not have USA on them? Whats the difference?

This has been discussed many times. They are made in the USA whether stamped or not. You should read more before posting. No wonder you have ~200 posts in a month if they're all coming directly from your ****.

 

[GDA]

Those flarenut wrenches look really nice. If not for the name engraved, I would have guessed them to be Hazet or Stahlwille.

Congrats on your new tools!

 

[dirty old man]

With a comment like that, how do you expect this thread to stay focused??! For the most part, billymade is good at digging up info - I strongly assume that he was just trying to be helpful and offer more info abotu Toptul production.

You didn't see the original post. He did not come across as attempting to be helpful at all. "lookee like China to me"...please. A blatant racial slur which seems to be very acceptable on this board. Oh well.

BS aside, nice gear! A ratcheting crimper set? I have never heard of such a thing. Then again, I'm somewhat sheltered.

Don't let the haters distract you from your new toys, err tools.

I'd love to see the crimpers in action!

Thanks, I'll try to get some photos of the barrel crimper results.

 

[Crawlin]

This has been discussed many times. They are made in the USA whether stamped or not. You should read more before posting. No wonder you have ~200 posts in a month if they're all coming directly from your ****.

Maybe but if its not stamped USA. I dont know where it came from None of my other USA tools of other brands lack USA on them I knew I would start some **** talking about snap on in a non nut swinging manor

 

[garfunkle24]

You didn't see the original post. He did not come across as attempting to be helpful at all. "lookee like China to me"...please. A blatant racial slur which seems to be very acceptable on this board. Oh well.


Thanks, I'll try to get some photos of the barrel crimper results.

BTW, to get back to the topic, those are some very nice looking tools you have there. Just to clarify my earlier post, I am an equal opportunities tool buyer. I wasn't dissing non-USA tools, ignorance just really pisses me off.

 

[billymade]

Hey, sorry if I offended you... I'm not trying to offend people; I guess I did. I will say that I do get frustrated a bit by the loss of USA made tools.... I guess I need to get used to it, I would prefer to buy something from Taiwan rather then China. That being said; give us info on what the quality is on these tools, thats the primary issue on this board. More and more tools are going to be made overseas and it would be helpful to know what are worth buying/using and those which are not.. Again, I apologize for any remarks that were offensive... (I have removed the offensive remarks.)...

 

[wrenchr]

They look real nice but waiting for a few months is not good, IMO.

 

[Merkava_4]

The first thing I notice whenever I see a picture of a Chinese industrial worker in the factory is no eye protection and no hearing protection.

 

[Adam McLaughlin]

I wonder what Chinese and Taiwanese people think about American Made tools... Does anyone have any idea about their sentiments? I wonder if they even care. I personally would be curious to poll some asian mechanics though.

Adam

 

[dirty old man]

Hey, sorry if I offended you... I'm not trying to offend people; I guess I did. I will say that I do get frustrated a bit by the loss of USA made tools.... I guess I need to get used to it, I would prefer to buy something from Taiwan rather then China. That being said; give us info on what the quality is on these tools, thats the primary issue on this board. More and more tools are going to be made overseas and it would be helpful to know what are worth buying/using and those which are not.. Again, I apologize for any remarks that were offensive... (I have removed the offensive remarks.)...

Apology accepted.

I have some other Toptul stuff and I'm pretty impressed, which is why I bought more from them. Their combo wrenches replaced my Craftsman ones and they are honestly the first I reach for every time. They feel good in my hand (preference) and seem to fit more snugly on fasteners.

Lifetime warranty too...even though it can potentially be a pain the *** to get an exchange, as there is only one US distributor right now.

 

[Bolster]

My comment was going to be, "great photos," but it's hard to compete with accusing someone of racism, so what's a Sei Gweilo to do?

 

[Merkava_4]

I get my hair cut at a Vietnamese shop if that makes me anymore popular with the OP.

 

[Nealcrenshaw]

Hey Dirty old man!! Did you order them from Mike wren?
If so,how fast was shipping and overall order fufillment?
Would you order from him again?

 

[dirty old man]

My comment was going to be, "great photos," but it's hard to compete with accusing someone of racism, so what's a Sei Gweilo to do?

Well, I'm assuming we're both American born, so foreign devil isn't exactly accurate. Anyway, as far as I'm concerned, that whole drama is over, so I'll just accept your compliment if you don't mind.

Hey Dirty old man!! Did you order them from Mike wren?
If so,how fast was shipping and overall order fufillment?
Would you order from him again?

Yep, I ordered from Mike. I don't live very far from him, so shipping was very fast (2 days). I'm very satisfied with Mike's service. He included a couple of extra goodies in the box and was very helpful both on the phone and in emails. I will definitely order from him again.

I get my hair cut at a Vietnamese shop if that makes me anymore popular with the OP.

I don't care where you get your hair cut.

 

[cruiser808]

They look real nice but waiting for a few months is not good, IMO.

I agree, if I need a tool for a project, I want it yesterday. I'll gladly pay a premium for truck tools as long as I can get them when I need them. As nice and affordable as Toptul may be, until the company can provide reliable and fast delivery service to the U.S.A., they won't be seeing any of my green. Value also equals service.

 

[dirty old man]

They look real nice but waiting for a few months is not good, IMO.

As I understand it, the distributor was making his first real order to fill his inventory. Hopefully he'll say something and shed some light on the whole availability issue.

Afaik, he's pretty well stocked now?

 

[Vinko]

Maybe but if its not stamped USA. I dont know where it came from None of my other USA tools of other brands lack USA on them I knew I would start some **** talking about snap on in a non nut swinging manor

Bought some Vise-Grips that don't say USA on them but have "Made in the USA" on the packaging. They were older and bought off the S-O truck today.

Also bought 3 other Vise-Grips made by Peterson w/o USA on them.

Dunno....

 

[ImportTuner]

I bought some Toptul wrenches back when Brian was rep'ing Toptul; quality is as good as GearWrench and great prices ..

 

[wrenhandtools]

Dirty Old Man (DOM)
Thank you so much for the kind words. I am very glad you are happy. And I am happy that I am finally filling out my inventory. Don't forget, ( and to anyone else who might read this) the COMPLETE price list is in excel format and down-loadable. The prices are ultra competitive. I should know, I'm the one who set them.

Since it is Halloween, just show the prices to your nearest (TOO) high priced tool vendor and shortly thereafter you should see them do their best impression of a ghost.
(They will turn white in other words.) And yes, the quality is the same as Snap...Hazet, FAcom, MAC, MATCO and any others you care to dig up.

I look forward to making some more happy customers.

Thanks again.

 

[wrenhandtools]

Regarding availability = inventory.

I am the only US Importer/ Distributor.
I also have worked off Wall Street for 20 years managing money.
The reason I bring this up is that I know how to get a high dollar business loan and have two of everything in stock.
But I didn't want to do that. I would have taken the fun out it for me. Plus it would have increased the risk exponentially to me as well. Not to mention that the American tool buyer can be...how shall we say it......picky...fickle....and has A LOT of pre-determined ideas as to what a quality tool/ manufacturer is ....and is not.
Some of these preconceived notions are unfounded as well. But I digress.

I know that growing this business slowly and surely will take time, and be an irritant to some....and also give many reasons not to do business with me.......in the beginning.

But I guarantee I won't be small forever. And every six months the current inventory should grow by about 30-40%. The price, quality and my service will speak for itself over time.

My inventory right now is VERY strong in both finishes of most rail sets of sockets...deep and shallow.....I have 95% of all the pliers.......90% of all the ratchets......and much much more.

In the coming weeks I shall start running some sales to move things a bit quicker and to counteract a slowing economy.

Simply put, comparing quality and price,......well you can make your own judgements.

Thanks again for the business from those of you who have order from me in this small begining.

Sincerely

 

[bchee]

I like the finish on those wrenches. A combination of shiny chrome and satin. There's a seller on ebay who has been selling toptul stuff for at least a year (maybe 6 months) IIRC.
http://myworld.ebay.com/matsuda499a/

 

[billymade]

Maybe to get more exposure and sales; you should offer a "introductory set" of Toptul stuff to get it in the hands of members of this board! A couple of examples of prices of a basic set of tools etc. might be good too, since you seem to be pushing the price/quality issue so hard compared to the pro USA tools you are directly competing with... I think a basic set of ratchet/socket set in 1/4" or 3/8" would be a good "intro set" and get the ball rolling.. What do you think?

 

[wrenhandtools]

Sounds good to me Billymade. In less that a week I will high-light:
Screwdriver sets
pliers
socket rail sets
ratchets
ratchet and socket set
extra long wrench sets
midget wrench sets

Except for the last two items, the others are pretty darn basic.

One example is a 3/8 drive, flexible head, 72 gear ratchet. It is about 13 inches long or so. I have had NONE come back in almost a year of use a several service shops in my area. I am not looking right now, but I venture a guess that the Snap, Mat, MAC equivalent easily goes for a hundred bucks. Mine?? I think $24.75 off the top of my head. I might be a few cents off. Just a wee bit of a difference
Then look at the Toptul website to see their TUV Certification in Germany, the ISO ratings, and the DIN settings for the wrenches. They are as good as anything else available in any country. But again, I just like the business. I am not out to save the world or bash american made anything. If someone wants only American made, more power to them. No skin off my nose. They make great tools, we all know that.

Just 2 quick observations:
1. There is A LOT of posts on any subject dealing with non-US made tools that MIGHT be of good quality. Why? Because of the outlandish price of the known quality providers.
2. When you look at the business models of the elite tool companies here in the US.....they are almost identical to the cosmetics industry.
(can you say HIGH margins?)

 

[Diesel-Mech]

Mike I am interested in trying something from Toptul although I'm still undecided on what. Now I know what I am about to say has been covered many times but I really am waiting for a more friendly website with a shopping cart type of feature. I don't like having to shuffle from your website to Toptul's or have to look at excel files. With that said it does appear that you have top quality service and are willing to back what you sell.

 

[wrenhandtools]

Diesel,

Thanks for the input....and you are right of course. A shopping cart would make it easier, but the REAL reason for not having one is that if you put in an order, and it says "not in stock"......well......that's kinda the end of you looking and maybe shopping. And for a long time that's what the shopping cart would have said!!! lol

So I purposely don't have one as I build inventory so I..... ON PURPOSE......get to talk to the customer.....which is you. That way I know what you want. What you might want in the future etc. And I can tell you straight up if I don't have something how long it will take to bring it in as well as maybe something that s close that you might be happy with. SO until I have 90% of everything, ready to go, I will not have a shopping cart. AT this point it might make way more people mad than happy.
Also, my site has the vast majority of everything Toptul has, but they release new items about twice a year as well.
So, take a look to see what you MIGHT want and then email me or call with the part #.
Or not.
Thanks for the input again and maybe I'll here from you.

 

[billymade]

Can you give us examples of prices on a couple of basic things? e.g. 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" drive socket/ratchet set, set of screwdrivers, set of wrenches, set of impact socket in 1/2" etc?

 

[Nealcrenshaw]

Hey Mike, How long do you plan on distributing toptul?

 

[Stuey]

Mike,

I have many criticisms about your site, if you want me to offer them via PM or email, please let me know.

Anyways, I also agree about how the lack of a shopping cart sways me away from throwing some business your way. Often, when dealing with vendors I am unfamiliar with, I like to see real-time pricing and shipping information. I also like knowing that my credit card is processed automatically. If you have a 1-2 week lead time on not-in-stock products, it's okay to mention it. Heck, you could even describe exactly what is always in stock, and then suggest everything else is subject to delays.


Anyways, have you considered distributing Wera and/or Wiha as well? That would be nice. =)

 

[CatfishXpress]

Mike,

Do you have a paypal account?

If people could pay by paypal it might help ease the nerves of some of the nervous people.

 

[Quiksilver]

Dirty Old Man_ If you don't mind me asking, how much did you pay for the ratcheting crimper set. They look to be of good quality, and I would like to know for work. I don't really care where they are made.