How Long Has This Been Going On?

[freudianfloyd]

I recently bought a set of "premium" Import made ratchet wrenches off of McMaster Carr (they don't tell you the brands when ordering) for work, I expected to open the box and find Gearwrench, but when I opened the box.....

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Maybe this has been going on for a while and I never knew it, but I thought Proto was made in the U.S.A.

 

[freudianfloyd]

Proto has 2 lines of ratcheting wrenches, one Taiwan, one USA. The USA ratcheting are JSCV-

Oh. Well hopefully the Taiwan version is atleast as good as Gearwrench. The fit and finish of these look great, and I was pleasantly surprised they were Proto, I just didn't know Proto made tools overseas.

 

[SantaAna12]

Nice!

Same warranty?

 

[gdocktor3]

I have the Taiwan Proto and many Gearwrench sets. The Protos are better. They're on par with Matco and Kabo ratchet wrenches. I really like the spline box ends plus they have ASD open ends. No Gearwrench have that feature.

 

[CNGsaves]

OP . . . . . tell us HOW MUCH for the Premium from McMaster Carr ???

Funny how 30 or 40 years really changes quality . . .
. . . . when I was kid . . . Made In Taiwan . . or Made in Hong Kong . . meant junk.

Today, that is flipped as those are very good now
. . . while . . . Made In China . . . is the reigning champ for ****.

 

[tarbellb]

I have the Taiwan Proto and many Gearwrench sets. The Protos are better. They're on par with Matco and Kabo ratchet wrenches. I really like the spline box ends plus they have ASD open ends. No Gearwrench have that feature.

These GW are spline box end w/ ASD open....

 

[WittHay]

Gray tools up here also gets all their ratcheting wrenches from Taiwan. They have a stainless steel finish to them and seem a lot stronger than the GearWrench. Not cheap though

 

[gdocktor3]

These GW are spline box end w/ ASD open....

Oh nice. I knew about the spline but not the asd. Do they work well?

 

[freudianfloyd]

op . . . . . Tell us how much for the premium from mcmaster carr ???

Funny how 30 or 40 years really changes quality . . .
. . . . When i was kid . . . Made in taiwan . . Or made in hong kong . . Meant junk.

Today, that is flipped as those are very good now
. . . While . . . Made in china . . . Is the reigning champ for ****.

$198.88

 

[Wamsutta]

Do the Proto wrenches have the little brass screw next to the ratcheting end? I believe Kabo has that design.

 

[Biomed]

I recently bought a set of "premium" Import made ratchet wrenches off of McMaster Carr (they don't tell you the brands when ordering) for work, I expected to open the box and find Gearwrench, but when I opened the box.....

While McMaster has a reputation for selling quality products I don't like suprises. Granted they are very accommodating about returns.

Used to be they would only tell you the COO when asked. Lately when I E-mail customer service they have been willing to provide the COO and manufacturer. Sometimes you can determine the manufacturer from the Web site photo.

Strange business practices at McMaster. Never did business with a company that would not provide a catalog when asked, especially if I am willing to pay for it.

 

[Farmall450]

That's a pleasant surprise.

 

[Fcvapor05]

Looks to me like the set you bought is USA. I don't see an import set anywhere for that exact price.

 

[Fcvapor05]

Strange business practices at McMaster. Never did business with a company that would not provide a catalog when asked, especially if I am willing to pay for it.

Doesn't seem strange to me, at all. You're talking about a catalog that covers something north of a half million unique SKUs.

That catalog is expensive for them to make. They probably have to sell a couple hundred bucks worth of material to a buyer to make back the money they spent to send them a 'free' catalog. Which is why you only get one if you're a high volume buyer, which typically means corporate customers only.

Between them constantly adding new SKUs, the extremely high number of SKUs, and the fact that you need to call them or look on the website for up-to-the-minute pricing anyways, I'm not sure why anyone would even want a paper catalog from McMaster. Their website is easily the best catalog you could ever have. I buy exclusively from McMaster because their website is so good- I don't even bother cross shopping Grainger or MSC- the time it takes me to find what I want on Grainger or MSC's site eats up any money I might save by buying from them.

I actually have a physical McMaster catalog, but I never use it. Looking stuff up on their website takes 1/10th the time.

 

[tarbellb]

Oh nice. I knew about the spline but not the asd. Do they work well?

They are excellent so far. I dont wrench daily, but when I do...

 

[freudianfloyd]

Looks to me like the set you bought is USA. I don't see an import set anywhere for that exact price.

Every wrench is labelled Taiwan. It wasn't listed on their website, if you select the premium set it will tell you it is discontinued and the set I got was their recommended alternative.

 

[Strouty]

I have the Proto USA made versions, it is really upsetting that they make the imported version in much larger sizes than the USA versions. I have no experience with them, but I did not hear the greatest things about them, that is why I went with the USA versions. I would prefer the Proto over the Gearwrench, but then again, I don't own many of the new gearwrench wrenches either.

The USA proto wrenches are the I-Beam style with the offset open ends, that is the quick and easy way to tell the difference.

 

[4Kings]

Proto has 2 lines of ratcheting wrenches, one Taiwan, one USA. The USA ratcheting are JSCV-

Not true. I have a set of Proto black chrome ratcheting wrenches that are Taiwan made that have part#'s that start with JSCV. They are awesome BTW.

http://www.protoindustrial.com/en/industrial-tools/Proto/Wrenches/Ratcheting-Wrench-Sets/JSCV-20S_Proto%C2%AE-20-Piece-Black-Chrome-Reversible-Combination-Ratcheting-Wrench-Set---Spline-/

 

[metaldad]

mc master does give coo when asked.
the 'premium' line used to be armstrong. proto replaced armstrong.
i recently completed an armstrong wrench set, with the help of the phone sales rep.
i bought an armstrong ratcheting box wrench set from them, a few years back.

 

[Wamsutta]

This is what I mean here. The little brass screw on the side. Do the Proto wrenches have that?

 

[gdocktor3]

This is what I mean here. The little brass screw on the side. Do the Proto wrenches have that?

No. I believe that is a Kabo design.

 

[Wamsutta]

No. I believe that is a Kabo design.

That's what I was getting at; I was wondering if Kabo made the Proto wrenches.

 

[pi_guy]

Strange business practices at McMaster. Never did business with a company that would not provide a catalog when asked, especially if I am willing to pay for it.

It took years for them to give me a catalog. I bitched to several people. When they finally came about to giving me a catalog I started to buy from them.
Rarely is it not delivered the next day so that helps. Often with Grainger I can pick up but it is still next day 90% of time.

 

[Finky198]

Same hear I have called and complained about getting a catalog... They always say will only offer them to large biz's who do a $1000+ business a month... I go elsewhere...

 

[pendragon1998]

Made In China . . . is the reigning champ for ****.

I rather think the champion for **** tools is India.

 

[ultgar]

Proto has 2 lines of ratcheting wrenches, one Taiwan, one USA. The USA ratcheting are JSCV-

there are 4 JSCV series wrenches.........only the ones ending in "A" are made in the US. The Proto price sheet has country of origin next to every item.

SD

 

[dede2897234]

mc master does give coo when asked.
the 'premium' line used to be armstrong. proto replaced armstrong.
i recently completed an armstrong wrench set, with the help of the phone sales rep.
i bought an armstrong ratcheting box wrench set from them, a few years back.

I have had the same experience as "metaldad". I have made quite a few purchases with Mc-Master Carr (all with their telephone customer representatives). Each time I asked for the manufacturer and COO of the item(s) that made up the order, the representative was always happy to provide me with the information. I always picked up my order at will call since their warehouse was close to my home in Aurora. Good prices and same day pickup are the reasons why I shop with them versus MSC.


Dave