If Toptul Made a Return...

[redvalkyrie]

If Toptul made a return to the USA market in a strong manner--with ordering as simple as that of eBay or Amazon, how many here would be interested in purchasing their tools? Also, what tools would you order?

I don't want to jinx myself, but I have been working long and hard on a deal and it's getting close to fruition.

Thanks
JP

 

[Hiball]

I recall Mike Wren saying that it was against his contract with toptul to sell on Ebay... Might want to verify that. If i recall it was brought up because there was a seller who was selling via Ebay.

 

[redvalkyrie]

Didn't say I was going to sell via eBay. I plan to establish a one click web based ordering system...in other words, you'll have access to a wesbite that lists every Toptul tool with it's price--click on it to buy it, and it'll show up at your house. I was simply referring to ease of use.

I plan to resolve the issues I see with current Toptul dealers: poor customer service, poor stock, inability to special order (or insanely long wait times), and poor ordering systems.

 

[Hiball]

Didn't say I was going to sell via eBay. I plan to establish a one click web based ordering system...in other words, you'll have access to a wesbite that lists every Toptul with it's price--click on it to buy it, and it'll show up at your house. I was simply referring to ease of use.

I plan to resolve the issues I see with current Tuptul dealers: poor customer service, poor stock, inability to special order (or insanely long wait times), and poor ordering systems.

I See.... Good Luck with your Venture.

 

[dsaabm]

I definitely would be down for some toptul. I have been wanting to try em out ever since I saw toptul on here, but been unable to order/a hassle to order so I gave up.

Would you stock boxes/service carts? When do you think you'll be set up to take orders?

I would buy a few ratchets, some extensions, probably some other odds and ends

 

[tonydanzah]

long beam wrenches, i bought a longer then normal set from toolchest ca but i would also like their extra long set.

 

[sk farmer]

If Toptul made a return to the USA market in a strong manner--with ordering as simple as that of eBay or Amazon, how many here would be interested in purchasing their tools? Also, what tools would you order?

I don't want to jinx myself, but I have been working long and hard on a deal and it's getting close to fruition.

Thanks
JP

not stirring the pot but other than what mike sold has toptul ever really been here? has anyone seen it in a store or mainstream type of sales. they never have really been available.

 

[Hiball]

There wrenches are first rate, I previously owned a set of the extra long combo's and they were bad ***.

 

[Bull]

Every time I pick up my 1/4 drive, comfort-grip, flex-head, quick-release Toptul ratchet, I think of how nice it is.

I'd be down for some of their stuff, though without seeing the whole lineup, I am not exactly sure which pieces would call to me.

 

[pacsguy]

I'd be interested. I'm curious as to what prices would be on their tool boxes.

 

[unclethumbtack]

I would be interested. I had money set aside for mike wren but he never came through. So I ordered gearwrench stuff from amazon.com. I like the selection amazon.com has and the ease of purchasing.

 

[midnightcruise]

I was interested in Toptul, but the customer service I have been getting from Snapon has kept me loyal to their brand. It appears Snapon has even stepped up their customer service in preparation for S&K (via kline) coming back into the truck market! Last year I was real tempted to purchase Toptul because Snapon service levels were dropping. I think Toptul may have missed the boat. If they had come out strong starting 2008 and kept pushing, they could have taken a bit of market, but now the economy is coming back and Snapon's service is back to par... they might have a tough time. In the last 6 months I shelled out over 6K to re-stock my boxes... all went to Snapon with their 2-3 day service and replacing/fixing several thousand $'s of older tools (some even as old as 1949).

Not to rain on the parade, but S&K is planning on coming back into the market strong with Kline behind them.. you might be surprised to see them showing up on job sites with trucks outfitted to target specialty areas, like electricians, plumbers, and various trades in addition to mechanics.

Market for high quality tools is getting even tougher to sort out.

 

[mrb]

are you going to have inventory in the USA or are you trying to middleman some drop ship arrangement out of taiwan?

 

[84bimmer]

I fiend for toptul. They are by far the best value in tools. I really believe in this company. I'm constantly setting money aside for more chrome. I would love to own one of everything, in each finish. I already own quite a bit, but I'm far from where I want to be. We really need a strong US toptul presence. If I had the funds, I would try this venture myself. But it is just that, a venture, a risky business decision. The other three (that I know of) americans who have tried this didn't do, or aren't doing as well as they had hoped with the brand.

 

[84bimmer]

BTW, I stumbled upon this recently....... http://stayprotools.com/

The headline says toptul distributor. Anyone know anything about this?

 

[amolaver]

i have a huge list of items to order. wren has been incommunicado. steve @ ultimate garage has been responsive, but has very little in stock that i'm interested in (i did buy some from him and the transaction was smooth). thetoolchest.ca has filled an order for me as well (including a set of the extra long combo wrenches people are raving about) and some offset double boxes, screwdrivers, linesman pliers, mini pliers, and HD dikes. i did have a finish problem on two of the xtra long wrenches, but thetoolchest shipped replacements no problem - i think they were banging into each other during shipping and don't believe the problem is endemic.

thetoolchest also has agreed to add my 'want' list to their next stock order with the understanding that the timeline isn't set - whenever they order, they order. might be a month. might be 3. for me, at least right now, thats not a problem although i know for most that wouldn't be acceptable.

i double/triple/quadruple recommend selling through amazon. while i have found better pricing via tooltopia/dskatools/cripes, amazon is consistenly cheap and since i have amazon prime, i get free 2day shipping which in many cases offsets the slightly cheaper prices elsewhere. their customer service is also excellent in my experience, both from a traditional 'customer' and for those who sell through them.

ahm

 

[Krokodil]

Those toptul tools sure look nice!

 

[Nealcrenshaw]

Good idea,run with it,and keep us posted!

 

[Vinko]

I wanted several things from TopTul which I couldn't get from Wren when he was selling it. Or at least I could do a waiting period of several months. Specifically on the mini-pliers and electrical pliers.

My purchases from TopTul wouldn't be thought out ahead, but had I the chance to get them when I needed them, esp. with the ease of ordering that you envision, I definitely would've had a need in the past. At least to try them out.

Can't say I forsee any immediate need right now.

Is Wren completely out of the game? Or is he making a come back?

The more I learn about e-commerce, the more I realize there are decent (if not perfect, it would seem) packages for relatively cheap that would've served him well for selling the stuff online.

 

[mrb]

The more I learn about e-commerce, the more I realize there are decent (if not perfect, it would seem) packages for relatively cheap that would've served him well for selling the stuff online.

yeah, if he had simply used Volusion he would have been able to do quite well for himself. I got soo frustrated just trying to figure out how much something cost on his site I gave it. I dont know who he had doing his sight, but it was a disaster.

 

[Vinko]

yeah, if he had simply used Volusion he would have been able to do quite well for himself. I got soo frustrated just trying to figure out how much something cost on his site I gave it. I dont know who he had doing his sight, but it was a disaster.

I'm sympathetic to it. I got lucky and got a really good group to design my front end and a very specific admin. Fired my IT guy who was a rip-off artist and had done the last site.

But I'm looking at B2B packages and the actual e-commerce stuff, and it looks fairly cheap for what it is. What has complicated things for me is that 3rd party software I use is a little complicated and specific, so I've had to research.

Again, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and that's what I got, but I can see hiring guy for really specific hip design. That's what I wanted and I knew exactly what I wanted, I just didn't know how to do it. But mine has turned out great.

But (and I'm speaking generally here -- don't know a lick about this guys problems if any), I can see where going in knowing nothing (As I did) will get you f*cked with.

 

[illmatyk]

I'll be down to get it! I have their 3/8 drive torque wrench and am pretty satisfied with it. I'd like to get some more stuff next year, including wrenches and ratchets and screwdrivers and a 1/2 drive torque wrench.

 

[simonb]

i like toptul a lot,
but the key is- keeping the price low;

i was mainly buying it because of the price

i do not see myself buying it if they would have cost a little more;

i really like their gearless ratchets

 

[mrholeshot]

I checked into becoming a TopTul dealer. After much thought and especially the long order times (could be up to 6 months) I decided that this wasn't the right avenue for me. I would have needed to stock about 200,000-400,000 dollars worth of inventory just to have me covered for 6 months and a wide range inventory as well as the popular products. Not only don't I have that kind of money but as much as people say they want them I think that the actual people who would buy them would be very limited. In reality I think TopTul has made it's current dealers look bad. While I don't own any TopTul I may buy a very limited amount but would be afraid of warranty issues so my purchaces would be few. When I put myself in the buyers shoes I decided not to do anything with TopTul.

I do wish you luck in your venture and if you do become a dealer I would certainly place an order.

 

[JayL]

All the Toptul product lines are a 1 hour drive from me (I tried some of their sockets sets too). However I still choose to buy Gearwrench products from the USA (as these are not available here).

Toptul is a good product but personally I prefer Gearwrench design and quality (among the Asian manufactured stuff ). Price wise it's almost the same ( landed to me ) for both Toptul and Gearwrench tools.

Too bad Gearwrench don't manufacture any tool boxes whereas Toptul does.

 

[mrholeshot]

Too bad Gearwrench don't manufacture any tool boxes whereas Toptul does.

They are now building toolboxes (or buying them and rebadging)

 

[JayL]

They are now building toolboxes (or buying them and rebadging)

I haven't seen them yet. I'll go check their website.

Thanks

 

[3 at 8]

I have orders needed to be filled. Please keep us posted to what your intensions are.

 

[pep]

If Toptul made a return to the USA market in a strong manner--with ordering as simple as that of eBay or Amazon, how many here would be interested in purchasing their tools? Also, what tools would you order?

I don't want to jinx myself, but I have been working long and hard on a deal and it's getting close to fruition.

Thanks
JP

If it were actually through Amazon and had free shipping, I'd think about it. My bet is that a lot of people are more comfortable using Amazon as kind of go-between for buying stuff as opposed to handing out CC information to yet one more website.

I suppose that price matters a fair amount too. I never noticed that Toptul was enough cheaper than the killer deals you run into online for Euro-tools or on eBay for Snap-on to be worth the purchase.

 

[redvalkyrie]

If some of you want particular products and know the part numbers--shoot me a PM with what you want. I cannot at this time promise anything will happen but, I'm moving forward...cautiously.

What I have proposed to Toptul is quite different than what they are normally used to doing and I'm not sure they understand what they need to do to make a comeback--or even a real start--in the US.

You'll never see the HF type prices you were seeing on Ebay again. The prices will be right where they need to be--I feel pricing the tools anything higher than a comparable Craftsman tool would not work. So, expect Toptul prices to mirror those of the plain Jane Craftsman line--or less.

 

[scott37300]

I have always been interested in getting some toptul chrome ever since joining this site. A few months back there was a pretty heated thread about wrentools and problems. He said he was still around but there were a lot of complaints about not being able to get ahold of him, which to me meant any kind of waranty would be hard to do.

I think like mrholeshot stated a LARGE investment in order to stock a good quantity and assortment of tools is needed to break into the US market. You would need to have a quick turn around time for new tool purchases and warranty items. If you can have some insurance that tools aen't going to be on a boat for 6 months I think it would work, but that would take a sizable investment just to get started. If you are going to be priced at craftsman prices you will need to have the same or better features they offer, quality, item availability, ease of warranty, and same warranty.

I wish you luck and if I feel like the customer service and tool availability is going to be there I would really like to place an order. But from what I have read so far of the toptul in the US I do not feel comfortable ordering due to lack of customer service and tool availability. What ever happens please keep everyone posted and share as many details as you can about how you are going to operate, stocking tools, distribution, warranty, etc.

 

[amolaver]

looking at my list of 'wanted' toptul...one thing stands out - the ratchets. specifically:

CJKN1643 - 1/2" Super Long flex head ratchet
CJHM1645 - 1/2" ratchet flex head w/QR
CJNM1616 – ½” stubby swivel ratchet

CJKN0818 - 1/4" super long ratchet w/QR
CJHM0814 - 1/4" ratchet flex head w/QR

CJKN1224 - 3/8" super long ratchet w/QR
CJHM1228 - 3/8" flex head ratchet w/QR
CJNM1216 – 3/8” stubby swivel ratchet

i think people interested in the tools pretty consistently also want the xtra long combo wrenches - tough to find anything even remotely similar quality wise in a 10-19mm set for less than $100. the adjustable wrench also rates highly (AMAB3830).

i'm also very interested in the 6pt flare nut wrenches (AEEA0810 and the like) and the double socket wrench set GPAQ0701.

ahm

 

[dwm]

I'd order more Toptool if it was available. Wren seems to have disappeared and his website is essentially useless since you can't order or even get pricing. I've been a long-time Steve D. (ultimategarage.com) customer and have never had a complaint about his customer service; he's good. But Toptul's arrangement means customers can't get everything they want from their catalog, they can only get what the dealer put in their large order, and only until stock runs out or another large order is placed.

I'm busy today but if I had to guess, I'd spend another $500 on Toptul. I have a handful of Toptul pieces now and I like them for the price.

 

[scott37300]

Personally, I wouldn't be too worried about the warranty.

I am worried about the warranty when I buy a tool. If I buy a set of wrenches and one breaks and I have to wait 6 months for a replacement I would not be happy. He says his prices will be comparable to craftsman, so the warranty should be also. Should be able to get a replacement within a week.

 

[tonydanzah]

for what they cost im not at all worried about the warranty. I will say the measurements of the standard length toptul wrenches are shorter that cmans. The long beam are long and the extra long beams are very long.

 

[Daddy_Rabbit]

Honestly, outside of this forum, I would be willing to bet not too many folks have ever even heard of Toptul here in the U.S. much less consider purchasing ... better plan on doing a LOT of marketing.

 

[84bimmer]

Honestly, outside of this forum, I would be willing to bet not too many folks have ever even heard of Toptul here in the U.S. much less consider purchasing ... better plan on doing a LOT of marketing.

This is very true. I don't know anyone that knows anything about Toptul. Marketing will be key. I'm an auto tech student. And I am always showing off my Toptul stuff. But nobody really seems to care about it. Granted most students don't know anything about quality tools. And some are already brain washed into only buying snap on, and forming a debt five times their worth. Some just can't get a salesmans nutsack out of their mouth. Heres one of my favorite quotes: "My snap on guy always gives me a really good deal." Sure he does buddy. My uncle sold Mac Tools, and I couldn't even get him to give me a deal. Rarely I got 10%. These kids are so damn stupid, we have snap on and mac fliers sitting right in front of us that explain how students get 50% discount on just about anything. These dealers cannot purchase these tools for what we can. And these retards still buy from their dealers. Some may call this loyalty. But in this world, that's a big crock of ****. I've got a family to feed.

 

[jdcompman]

The only thing I didn't like about my toptul ratchets was that their reverse mechanism was backasswards of every other ratchet i've used. Reverse lever to the right is loosen normally and to the left if tighten. It's opposite on the Toptul ratchets. First time I used it, I stripped a damn bolt!

OTOH, I LOVE the pliers I have from them!!

 

[billymade]

I have a 3/8" swivel head ratchet; after daily use for a number of months... the head went floppy... the ratchet mechanism and lever held up fine however! Ratchets are a case where you will need a replacement eventually; so, customer service and your dealer having a ratchet to replace yours with... is a issue! I did like the ratchet while it lasted! The improvements that I saw a need for after using it daily was: replace swivel pin with a bolt that you could tighten, stamped metal selector replaced with beefed up metal piece, as mentioned above revert to standard selecting style and also consider the removal of quick release button (this is up for debate, everyone has their preferences), rebuild kits and replaceable handles. Allot of these issues are related to cost and the non-professional nature of the marketplace these are in; it probably would not be worth it for them to supply rebuild kit or handles... cheap enough they would just swap them out. As they are; the pin and spreading of the ears seems to be the main issue I experienced; it is still a good ratchet... just floppy as hell! Because of this; I don't use it anymore!

 

[matthew]

It would be easier for an existing distributor to add Toptul to it's line than for someone to start out from scratch with no existing customers. If I was starting from scratch and sinking my capital into inventory, I think I'd want to try working with some other Toptul dealers to share some inventory and drop ship. Without the inventory, it's tough to compete with other tool companies, even if sharing inventory does seem like helping competitors... and I can't see how drop shipping from overseas would be economical or quick enough.

A couple of other thoughts on inventory:
- anybody starting out needs to be careful in what they choose to sell. Items like ratcheting wrenches don't have a lot of appeal, because Gearwrench branded ones are widely available for reasonable cost. Locking pliers are probably the same story, because as much as everyone dislikes Chinese Vise Grips, the fact reasonably priced alternatives are readily available would likely mean Toptul locking pliers won't be fast moving inventory.
- Toptul offers both satin and mirror chrome finishes. Duplicating your entire inventory is next to impossible. Just offering satin makes the most sense.
- focus on slightly more specialized items, but not so specialized that inventory won't move.

I've wanted to try out Toptul, but none of the items I was looking for were in stock. It's really too bad.