Info on Benchtop Tools in Taiwan ??

[Ralf11]

correction: Benchtop

I have one of their 3/8" breaker bars - it seems fine.

I found some posts on here that they were sold from K-Mart ??

 

[The Cobbler]

Re: Info on Benchmark Tools in Taiwan ??

Benchmark is a house brand of Home Hardware in Canada .
got a pic?

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Benchtop was KMarts brand not Benchmark. I don’t know a whole lot about Benchmark but may have seen it in the pawn shops never really thought much of it.


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[Ralf11]

Re: Info on Benchmark Tools in Taiwan ??

ok, now I'm embarrassed - it is indeed Benchtop

 

[The Cobbler]

thread title edited

 

[Ralf11]

Thanks!

 

[Kev442]

Yes, Benchtop was a line of tools sold at Kmart for a short period of time between selling cheap "butter metal" throwaway junk and bringing in Cman when cojoined with Sears. Decent stuff along the lines of Master Mechanic.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Yep I have a lot of the Benchtop I have gotten from the pawn shops it’s pretty strong from what I can tell I haven’t broken any of them I actually just used a Benchtop socket to put together a Harbor Freight cart


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[Andy8430]

I purchased a 1/4” benchtop socket set for my dad in the early 90s and it’s still his favorite. The only disappointment is it didn’t come in a case but somehow the plastic packing us still intact enough to hold everything.


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[JR 42]

I've got a set or two of Benchtop 1/4" sockets I picked up used and dirt cheap, but don't use them much because they don't have detent cutouts in the drive end. They look really good for being 80's - 90's Kmart imports- I've got a Bluepoint Taiwan- made 14mm at the end of the set and it fits right in. (If I can find them, I'll take a pic, but no promises).

 

[Ralf11]

Thx guys - it's in my 3rd string toolbox...

I did treat it to some Teflon lube tho.

 

[belvedere]

I have a Benchtop breaker bar from the mid-late 90s that has never let me down. Not that I use it a lot, but it's seen its share of abuse over the years.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

I've got a set or two of Benchtop 1/4" sockets I picked up used and dirt cheap, but don't use them much because they don't have detent cutouts in the drive end. They look really good for being 80's - 90's Kmart imports- I've got a Bluepoint Taiwan- made 14mm at the end of the set and it fits right in. (If I can find them, I'll take a pic, but no promises).

Would love to see a picture of them as their is at least two different styles the old style and the other old style we will say lol one had a dull finish the other had a shiny finish that looked like the Companion sockets or any other cheap sockets of that time


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[JR 42]

If I can find them soon (seriously, they're in one of eleventeen boxes in three or four places) I'll take some pics and post them in this thread. They're full polish and IIRC look as clean inside as my Gearwrench and Toptul sockets. I'd say they don't look cheap- that's why I was impressed.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

If I can find them soon (seriously, they're in one of eleventeen boxes in three or four places) I'll take some pics and post them in this thread. They're full polish and IIRC look as clean inside as my Gearwrench and Toptul sockets. I'd say they don't look cheap- that's why I was impressed.

Cool can’t wait to see them


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[woody 73]

Ask a question get an answer...

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=397680&highlight=benchtop

 

[Andy8430]

Ask a question get an answer...



https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=397680&highlight=benchtop

Thanks for sharing the link and the history. Too bad for bean counters and the business decisions that drive them.


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[JR 42]

Here's a few lousy pics of the 1/4" sockets- nice clean chrome, markings are well- formed- but I forgot how lousy some of the size markings look, like a shaky half- asleep hungover dude did them by hand with a worn out etcher on a Monday morning.

13mm hasn't materialized yet, and the 14mm is a Bluepoint.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Here's a few lousy pics of the 1/4" sockets- nice clean chrome, markings are well- formed- but I forgot how lousy some of the size markings look, like a shaky half- asleep hungover dude did them by hand with a worn out etcher on a Monday morning.



13mm hasn't materialized yet, and the 14mm is a Bluepoint.

Nice I don’t have a complete set of them like that I did pick up a few more today at the pawn shop to almost complete my set for 3/8 and I have a couple 1/4 drive


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[Al Borland]

Ratchets were a craftsman knockoff that actually worked better than the original Craftsman.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

I found this Benchtop Pro at the pawn shop today size 18mm so they must have had a pro line also I have regular Benchtop and now Benchtop Pro


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[Honda guy]

I found this Benchtop Pro at the pawn shop today size 18mm so they must have had a pro line also I have regular Benchtop and now Benchtop Pro


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Is that Benchtop PRO? Or PRC, Peoples Republic of China? I can't quite tell from the picture.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Is that Benchtop PRO? Or PRC, Peoples Republic of China? I can't quite tell from the picture.

Yes the picture isn’t great I double checked it does indeed say Benchtop Pro


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[BigLeagueSmoes]

I recently picked up a set of used metric Benchtop combination wrenches for $12 for the whole set (8mm-19mm, missing the 18mm). So far I am pleased with the quality and finish. I'm just a weekend DIY guy so for the price you can't beat it imo. Mine are pretty scratched up but the chrome is still smooth and the 12 point box ends fit snuggly on bolt heads. I actually just used them to pull apart the drive shaft u-joint knuckles on a 1 ton truck and they performed as needed. As others have stated they are Taiwan made, and were once sold in K-mart as a budget friendly, DIY in mind, line of tools.