GreatNeck Tools

[SocketDeviler]

I've never used GreatNeck tools but I see them all the time for dirt cheap. They are always the cleanest sockets in the used pawn shop bins (clearly never used). They look cheap but possibly serviceable. I'm not looking to buy any but I was curious about your experience and opinions of the brand.

 

[DavidtheDuke]

I've never used GreatNeck tools but I see them all the time for dirt cheap. They are always the cleanest sockets in the used pawn shop bins (clearly never used). They look cheap but possibly serviceable. I'm not looking to buy any but I was curious about your experience and opinions of the brand.

My dad has a nice blow molded standard and metric shallow+deep socket set with two extension and a 1/4" ratchet. It's really convinient and the tools are probably some of the highest quality to come out of Taiwan (at least that set is). Comparing the BP sockets to Great Neck also makes me think they have the same manufacturer.

 

[SocketDeviler]

My dad has a nice blow molded standard and metric shallow+deep socket set with two extension and a 1/4" ratchet. It's really convinient and the tools are probably some of the highest quality to come out of Taiwan (at least that set is). Comparing the BP sockets to Great Neck also makes me think they have the same manufacturer.

Has he used the set much? Tools held up well? Thanks.

 

[wilbilt]

In my experience, they will not hold up to professional or even serious use.

A tool kit for the kids' cars, to keep in a kitchen drawer, or for lending, they are fine. great for assembling toys on Christmas morning when it's too cold to go out to the shop.

 

[SocketDeviler]

In my experience, they will not hold up to professional or even serious use.

A tool kit for the kids' cars, to keep in a kitchen drawer, or for lending, they are fine. great for assembling toys on Christmas morning when it's too cold to go out to the shop.

That was basically my impression after looking over at ratchet/socket set we sold at work.

 

[Brandon_Lutz]

I've never messed with their tools, but I do know they are the ones who make the clear handled Kobalt Screwdrivers at Lowes. I was checking out the package of drivers the other day for the dreaded Made in China label and said something to the effect of Produced by GreatNeck Tool Company for Kobalt/Lowes.

Only other tools I've seen of theirs are the ones you see on the counter at auto parts stores for dirt cheap.

 

[old salvage]

I have a 40's era wood handled screw driver that i use to break frozen screws.
When i bought it it was rusted to heck and had probably turned a gajillion screws.
My other Great neck tool was a 3/8" flex round head ratchet purchased in the late 90's.
It was a good example of what wilbilt said.
I sold it at my last yard sale because it had skipped a few times and was finicky in shifting.

 

[SocketDeviler]

Only other tools I've seen of theirs are the ones you see on the counter at auto parts stores for dirt cheap.

I also see them in the tool section at a discount chain called BIG LOTS.

 

[SocketDeviler]

I have a 40's era wood handled screw driver that i use to break frozen screws.
When i bought it it was rusted to heck and had probably turned a gajillion screws.

I didn't know they went back that far. I now see they were established in 1919. I was also under the impression from the logo design that Great Neck was one word. I was wrong.

http://greatnecktools.com/linki.php?link=about_company

 

[SocketDeviler]

Great Neck Tool brands. No mention of Kobalt though.

http://greatnecktools.com/linki.php?link=our_brands

They also offer a Lifetime Guarantee. That comes as a surprise.

http://greatnecktools.com/linki.php?link=lifetime_tool_promise

 

[wilbilt]

I actually have a fair number of Great Neck tools. Mostly homeowner-type things.

And the quality of all of them seems to be "homeowner grade."

 

[DavidtheDuke]

Has he used the set much? Tools held up well? Thanks.

Yes, it's the only set he has, uses it almost everyday, and they look just about as good and work just as good as they did when he first got it. I don't see him putting a cheater bar on the ratchet though. I don't think stress is too much of a factor with 1/4" sockets.

 

[MAD]

I have a Great Neck gearless ratcheting screwdriver like the one in the attached picture. I used it quite a lot for a while and it works quite well, but after a while I realized that I just prefer to hear the ratchet clicking. I never could get myself to to trust that it was not slipping no matter how well the thing worked.

 

[old salvage]

I didn't know they went back that far. I now see they were established in 1919. I was also under the impression from the logo design that Great Neck was one word. I was wrong.

http://greatnecktools.com/linki.php?link=about_company

Huh,
I didn't know some of their tools were still made here.
Nice website.

 

[dumbandhappy]

GreatNeck used to made in USA no longer, They don't even own a factory anymore, 100% imported from China ,they like so many other tool companies are nothing more then marketers and distributors of hand tools. It will never change. The last well known hand American hand mfg has even gone to China, Cooper Tools. There are a few small ones left likw Estwing( although they are importing hammers to compete in lower priced stuff) and Channellock. Stanley is all imported except some of their tape measures are made here.

 

[eschoendorff]

GreatNeck used to made in USA no longer, They don't even own a factory anymore, 100% imported from China ,they like so many other tool companies are nothing more then marketers and distributors of hand tools. It will never change. The last well known hand American hand mfg has even gone to China, Cooper Tools. There are a few small ones left likw Estwing( although they are importing hammers to compete in lower priced stuff) and Channellock. Stanley is all imported except some of their tape measures are made here.

Uh, see the post above yours. Some great Neck screwdrivers are still made here (although they might not be made in dedicated Great Neck facilities, but maybe rather rebadged.). In any case, part of your statement is untrue...

Do some searches on your statements... a lot of this has already been covered on this board. Then you won't have to be "dumbandhappy" any more, but maybe just "happy."

 

[MarkH]

I think the point is and this is what is taught in business schools how to be a marketer and distributer of an item. Manufacturing is an engineering thing and you do not want to have to deal with it. Get out of it. What is not taught is you just become one of the pack selling the same thing and lose any unique features you can make. You could keep the unique except the nice factories that make it for you instead of charging you for the mold and set up as was traditionally done, do not do that. They forget to tell you since they own the molds and set ups they can use them to make items for others.

The business schools have few teachers who have enough experience to understand how we have set up most of our own competition and been very short sighted. The temporary up will and has been already been the death of many of the companies the outsourcing was supposed to save. That is the study I am waiting to see, I think the numbers will be surprising. Then as in a very few schools, you will get more of the required joint business and engineering courses on running manufacturing options.

 

[old salvage]

Some great Neck screwdrivers are still made here (although they might not be made in dedicated Great Neck facilities, but maybe rather rebadged.).

It was the screwdrivers that caught my eye.

 

[Coach James]

Their scrwwdrivers look a lot like the Pratt Read drivers I see.

The first socket I bought was a Great Neck spark plug socket I bought almost 20 years ago. At the time, I couldn't afford a nice set so I got the one I needed to replace plugs on my truck. I still have it and still use it. Still, I wouldn't compare it to sn SK, C-man or better brand.

At our Big Lots, in addition to Great Neck, I sometimes see Stanley, Vice Grip, SK(rarely) and a couple other name brands.

From the GN website, it looks like some of their stuff is still USA made.

 

[old salvage]

Their scrwwdrivers look a lot like the Pratt Read drivers I see.

Just checked out their website too. All made in usa.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Great Neck, never worth a glance. Nuff Said!

 

[CatfishXpress]

I own some Great Neck Tools, they were purchased back in my younger days when thats all I could afford. I will say that of the cheap tools purchased in that era of my life the great necks are probably the best made. I don't remember ever breaking any of them.

 

[foul_ball]

I have a great neck stubby screwdriver that says "made in u.s.a."- bought it at auto zone last week and it works great. The sockets, however, I have some 1/2" drive ones that are collecting dust because they would slip on certain lower profile flange-head bolts. The inner chamfer around the hex faces is so steep that the hex of the socket would only engage the top half of the bolt head. A new set of 6-point craftsmans fixed that problem. =)

 

[Jay H 237]

I have a set of Great Neck offset boxend wrenches I bought a few years ago from the local parts store. I don't use them as they fit loosely on the fastners, it seems they are all slightly oversized for the size of fastners they fit, every size in the set. I later bought a set of Craftsman boxend wrenches and they fit suggly without the chance of rounding off the fastners that the GNs have.

 

[Thumper]

Ahhh........Great Neck.......still availible at AutoZoo......err....Zone. Some of the stuff don't look & feel too bad......but you normally get what you pay for.

 

[Tooltime7]

GreatNeck used to made in USA no longer, They don't even own a factory anymore, 100% imported from China ,they like so many other tool companies are nothing more then marketers and distributors of hand tools. It will never change. The last well known hand American hand mfg has even gone to China, Cooper Tools. There are a few small ones left likw Estwing( although they are importing hammers to compete in lower priced stuff) and Channellock. Stanley is all imported except some of their tape measures are made here.

I've lived around the corner from the GN plant for a number of years, they've been here since at least 1974 when I moved in and had always been manufacturing. But this didn't seem right when I read it, so I asked a neighbor of mine who is a supervisor at the plant. He said that while most production had been moved to China in recent years, they still manufacture screw drivers, hex keys and saws (handsaws, specialty, mitre box) in Mineola and have a plant in Tennessee that still manufactures levels! He said he's pretty grateful that they're sticking to at least SOME USA manufacturing and he here's in the coming 20 years or so, more items might be moved back to the USA, putting GN in a good position.

Personally, I think the tools are great for what they are. A tool is bound to break some time, I'd rather it be a 10 dollar tool than a 50 dollar one! I also like their Sheffield utility knives.

 

[Tooltime7]

I've lived around the corner from the GN plant for a number of years, they've been here since at least 1974 when I moved in and had always been manufacturing. But this didn't seem right when I read it, so I asked a neighbor of mine who is a supervisor at the plant. He said that while most production had been moved to China in recent years, they still manufacture screw drivers, hex keys and saws (handsaws, specialty, mitre box) in Mineola and have a plant in Tennessee that still manufactures levels! He said he's pretty grateful that they're sticking to at least SOME USA manufacturing and he here's in the coming 20 years or so, more items might be moved back to the USA, putting GN in a good position.

Personally, I think the tools are great for what they are. A tool is bound to break some time, I'd rather it be a 10 dollar tool than a 50 dollar one! I also like their Sheffield utility knives.

eh-hem....that should be "hears"