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Greenlee Screwdrivers

Merkava_4

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http://www.mygreenlee.com/GreenleeD...y_id=8&product_category=118&adodb_next_page=1

I was looking at a #2 Phillips at Lowes the other night and it seemed pretty good. The tips 'looked' accurately machined and the rubber gripped handle was surprisingly sticky. The COO was Taiwan which has me somewhat puzzled. Why would Greenlee feel the need to have their screwdrivers made in Taiwan? I mean, aren't they supposed to be an electrician's tool? Last time I checked, electricians made some of the best wages in the construction industry. :confused:
 
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Hiball

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Looks like Pratt Read to me, But i guess if its Coo is Taiwan that is not the case.
 

Tavy

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And most electricians lug around a belt full of Klein tools..I've rarely seen much else in an electrician's belt, but my Greenlee's have held up to quite a bit of hammering over the years, American or not. They still drive coverplate screws without slippin'.

Off the top of my head, except stuff owned by Cooper (and their COO is..what now?), I don't know of many brands manufacturing good elec. tools in the USA, unless you're talking high-voltage gear -- in which case Klein still has a monopoly on most of the regular hand tools.
 

comedyman809

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if you look at this line of greenlee drivers, nut drivers, etc... and look at kleins, they are a spitting image of kleins. the lowes by me has all this greenlee stuff and no klein stuff,

i remember going to a hd or lowes and looking at the electrical tools, and seeing the kleins of the same exact tools.

it looks as if lowes made a deal with greenlee and cut off klein, to be strictly greenlee but selling the same stuff to keep the same or neew customers.
 

walrus

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http://www.mygreenlee.com/GreenleeD...y_id=8&product_category=118&adodb_next_page=1

I was looking at a #2 Phillips at Lowes the other night and it seemed pretty good. The tips 'looked' accurately machined and the rubber gripped handle was surprisingly sticky. The COO was Taiwan which has me somewhat puzzled. Why would Greenlee feel the need to have their screwdrivers made in Taiwan? I mean, aren't they supposed to be an electrician's tool? Last time I checked, electricians made some of the best wages in the construction industry. :confused:

I've seen those and while I don't have those particular drivers I do have Greenlee Insulated drivers and they're OK for electricians but if you're doing anything rugged at all with them they would **** and wouldn't last a week before the tips were screwed.;)
 
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Merkava_4

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Seems like they gotta pretty good selection of sizes and lengths -- I'm just perplexed as to why they're made in Taiwan. :dunno:
 

speed bump

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I worked with a guy who had a number 2 philips from them. It was a reasonable looking screwdriver but it didn't hold up like the Kleins.

As far as why its made in Taiwan, probably because they could make them cheaper there. Ace Hardware also sells that style (with yellow handles) and they don't hold up either.

On the best wages in the industry I believe that honor goes to Boilermakers who if I remember correctly are something like $5 an hour higher than electricians or fitters.
 
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speed bump

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Off the top of my head

Pratt-read
Western-Forge
Stanley
Snap-on
Maybe S-K
Hopefully someone else can think of a couple more.
 

chevelle67

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Pratt Reed has really impressed me as of late. Around here Steamfitters have everybody beat with a Journymen hourly of $37.50-$42.00. Foreman and Superintendent being more.
 

48548

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What about the proto screwdrivers, I would assume, hahaha, they are made here like most proto stuff.
 

jcfields

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if you look at this line of greenlee drivers, nut drivers, etc... and look at kleins, they are a spitting image of kleins. the lowes by me has all this greenlee stuff and no klein stuff,
It's baffling to me that anybody would buy this stuff over Klein: it's practically the same stuff, but the majority of it is made in Taiwan, Japan, or wherever, and it's no cheaper because of it. Why would anyone spend $40 on a pair of pliers made in China?

(Admittedly, though, they have a pretty good design for screw-holding screwdrivers.)
 
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walrus

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why would you be? it's nothing new......everyone else is doing it.

maybe we should start a thread about who is still making screwdrivers here in the US. i'm guessing there is maybe a 1/2 dozen left.

Name the US made ones, Pratt reed, Snappie, SK?, Stanley make any thing here anymore????
 

jefferson

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Seems like they gotta pretty good selection of sizes and lengths -- I'm just perplexed as to why they're made in Taiwan. :dunno:

Umm...are you serious?
Does cheaper labor=higher profits?

The same reason 99% of the old USA made companies no longer have 100% of their inventory USA made.
 

Mickey O

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Seems like they gotta pretty good selection of sizes and lengths -- I'm just perplexed as to why they're made in Taiwan. :dunno:

Money (and BS regulations and taxes)! When I see the sale prices on a lot of this import **** I can only imagine how cheap they must be to produce. The trick is to use your good name on inferior imports and capitalize for as long as you can.
 

Rudyjr

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Money (and BS regulations and taxes)! When I see the sale prices on a lot of this import **** I can only imagine how cheap they must be to produce. The trick is to use your good name on inferior imports and capitalize for as long as you can.

From what I have seen from Greenlee in the last ten years that is exactly the business model they are following.
 

usmc_noma

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stanley is a mix of usa made and imported.

pratt read
western forge
snap on

these three are the only ones i can think of usa made.
 
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Merkava_4

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Umm...are you serious?
Does cheaper labor=higher profits?

The same reason 99% of the old USA made companies no longer have 100% of their inventory USA made.


I was thinking since their target customer are electricians - and since electricians here in CA earn an average wage $50/Hr. - perhaps getting the prices cheap via Taiwanese production is unnecessary.
 
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