Harbor Freight: Doyle Pliers = MAC Tools?

[measuredtwice]

I think Wilde slip joint is also rebranded by Proto as well as Tekton. Just something to keep in mind when shopping. I noticed the HJE has USA made slip joint pliers starting at $4. The flush joint 8" from Wilde is $11.70 --> https://www.harryepstein.com/index.php/8-flush-fastener-pliers.html

 

[DSLTRK]

Here we go, again....

Justin Dow is now just another HF shill.

I was never impressed with the rebranded Taiwan Doyle pliers. The cutting knives overlapped on most of them and they are expensive for what they are. Pivot pin size is also smaller.

I'll stick with Knipex, Klein and Channellock.

 

[LNKMK8]

We shouldn't be surprised when an item coming out of China looks "just like" a USA original. They have been ripping off our designs and intellectual property for years. Most companies that want to do business in China have to agree to share information with them. Look at the clones of General Motors cars that are built there, after GM got into that market.

Wilde makes great tools and rebrands them for many different manufacturers, as do many other companies (Western Forge, Pratt & Reed, and others). Knipex sell under Blue-Point, MAC, MATCO, Lawson, and I'm sure others, but they don't bother to remove their name, just add another to the handles

 

[eyeball]

Not much, apparently. Hf currently employes 20,000 good, american workers. Tekton the brand you recommended above.. many less. Add to that, tekton sells as many foreign made tools as the hated hf, and tbh, the usa made stuff they offer is pretty low end (you don't honestly think every usa made tool is good, do you?) You can't love the country if you don't realize we are a net importer economy. The modern us worker is, by and large, lazy, overemployed, and doesnt perform up to par.. that has been what has led to our current situation, NOT consumer greed. I love america, im former service, current civilian employee, pretty right wing kinda guy, but sadly the mouth breather ""murica"" rhetoric is not only foolish, but incorrect. Ill keep supporting good tools, not misplaced patriotism. Youll do the same, unless you think 20k good americans dont need to eat so you can subsidize a smaller, inferior "murican" tool company.. that happens to sell a TON of imported **** too. If you want to buy good american tools, and bring america back to its hayday.. teach your children to actually work, and not expect money for nothing, and a 60k a year salary to show up to the job for 40 hrs a week while doing 15 hours worth of work.

So in this thread about Harbor Freight pliers, Chad has shared his opinions:

(1) We should only buy from the larger corporations because they employ more people

(2) “You can't love the country if you don't realize we are a net importer economy.”

(3) I should buy my tools at harbor freight “unless you think 20k good americans dont need to eat”

(4) He even provides us with a bit of parenting advice “teach your children to actually work, and not expect money for nothing, and a 60k a year salary to show up to the job for 40 hrs a week while doing 15 hours worth of work”

It is hard to believe he was able to pack so much valuable information into one post about pliers. I guess he is the exception to the “The modern us worker is, by and large, lazy, overemployed, and doesnt perform up to par..” stereotype he mentioned.

 

[kythri]

So in this about Harbor Freight pliers, Chad has shared his opinions:

Now do one about the tired, unoriginal jingoistic horseshit being spewed by others.

 

[bushman66]

The last time I tried to buy Channellock pliers I went to Lowes for a pair of needle nose. Every pair on the shelf was defective, and not just cosmetic issues. Things like cutters meeting too early and preventing the jaws from closing, one jaw ground down to nothing at the tip, bad joints, etc. Their T&G and slip joint pliers seem fine, but I've given up on them for anything that requires hand finishing.

^^^^This^^^^

I bought a pair of Channellock needle nose pliers and was using them (NOT abusing them) and noticed the tip had bent out about 30 degrees. Beat the tip back into place, but the pliers (Made in US) are complete garbage. Was going to try Tekton, have always had a good experience with their tools...

PS And yes...Taiwan is NOT China. I have zero problems sending money to a free, democratic country that does not engage in the intellectual piracy that mainland communist China does. All of my made in Taiwan Tekton tools blow my vintage (60s-80's) made in US Craftsman away for fit and finish.

 

[1982fxr]

So in this thread about Harbor Freight pliers, Chad has shared his opinions:

(1) We should only buy from the larger corporations because they employ more people

(2) “You can't love the country if you don't realize we are a net importer economy.”

(3) I should buy my tools at harbor freight “unless you think 20k good americans dont need to eat”

(4) He even provides us with a bit of parenting advice “teach your children to actually work, and not expect money for nothing, and a 60k a year salary to show up to the job for 40 hrs a week while doing 15 hours worth of work”

It is hard to believe he was able to pack so much valuable information into one post about pliers. I guess he is the exception to the “The modern us worker is, by and large, lazy, overemployed, and doesnt perform up to par..” stereotype he mentioned.

Also we should not support competition.

And the average US worker is a *************, yet somehow all 20,000 hf employees are salt of the earth.

Especially the part time minimum wagers that need public assistance to get by because their great employer doesn't pay enough to live on.

I could go on, but why sacrifice any more brain cells to that post?

 

[WittHay]

Mac and Proto do not have a US plier factory that I know of. They rebrand or import pliers from USA, Germany, Italy, Taiwan and China. Justin Dow should have researched a little more and a few less beers before making that HF adverting video

i totally disagree that importing is just as important as manufacturing. There is always somebody that can import cheaper and better to the US.

The ships and containers are foreign owned. Saudi Arabia/Dubai and our government is investing hundreds of millions dollars into the Prince Rupert, BC container port. 2 days closer to China than US ports. The containers get put on a Canadian owned railway and get shipped to the US midwest. Faster and cheaper than using West Coast US ports.

Amazon just opened a 10 acre warehouse that runs 24 hours a day employing 800 people. It is locating close to one one the most modern container ports in the world. Main purpose is to ship Asian Amazon goods to the US. New huge container forkilfts from Sweden and Finland come in to BC on a regular basis

Americans buying Asian goods is super good for my local economy. As long as somebody in the US or Germany still makes good pliers. We need good tools up here to fix all the expensive equipment that is required to ship cheap stuff to the US

 

[nieuport17]

I just finished the youtube video that op posted.

Come on people the pliers are not even close to be the same, it obvious that the youtuber is drunk.
The red handle is not the same shade either.

So, to op’s question: not the same.

 

[pstemari]

You claim to be American and you've just endorsed a line of Communist Chinese propaganda.

FWIW, the Nationalist ROC government in Taiwan *also* says it's a province of China. The dispute is over whether the government in Beijing or the one in Taipei is the legitimate government of all China.

I don't recall if the other parties in Taiwan are still toeing the One China line or if they are officially for Taiwanese independence. The PRC government does major saber rattling whenever the issue comes up, and at one time the Nationalists considered any mention of Taiwanese independence to be treasonous.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[nieuport17]

FWIW, the Nationalist ROC government in Taiwan *also* says it's a province of China. The dispute is over whether the government in Beijing or the one in Taipei is the legitimate government of all China.

I don't recall if the other parties in Taiwan are still toeing the One China line or if they are officially for Taiwanese independence. The PRC government does major saber rattling whenever the issue comes up, and at one time the Nationalists considered any mention of Taiwanese independence to be treasonous.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

When Chiang was in charge, he wanted to take China back with US help. But, of course, after the Korean war, US was tired of war in Asia (until next time). Chiang would be upset if independence was a topic. Well, now that he is dead, independence is a talk again.
China has missiles point at Taiwan at all time. No, it’s not a province-not from my point of view. To the China, Taiwan is a rebel province that needs to be taken by force if necessary.

How did we get from pliers to geo politics?

 

[measuredtwice]

I logged into HJE and the price of the $4 Wilde USA slip joint pliers dropped to $3 --haha! I missed the big sale that is stickied at the top of forum and haven't previously ordered from them. I guess maybe they still have special pricing for those that registered as GJ members. I might pick up the flush slip joints from Wilde USA... and for $3 I may as well add those slip joints to the order as well...still shopping

 

[arms1970]

Justin Dow is a ****.

He is now the harbor freight *****.