Irwin Vise Grips/CHINA

[tedsters]

i was in Walmart tonight and seen a 4PC set with 5in 7in and 10in Vise-Grips and screw driver for $19.97 thought it was kind of cheap i looked on the back of the pack MADE IN CHINA i thought Irwins were still USA MADE everything is going to china pretty quick it will not matter where you buy the tools from

 

[upgrading]

i thought Irwins were still USA MADE everything is going to china pretty quick it will not matter where you buy the tools from

Irwin is quite happy you thought that and they know millions of others still think it.
Same with Craftsman.

 

[kythri]

Haven't these been Chinese made for a few years now?

 

[Honda guy]

Breaking news: The sky is blue and grass is green!!

Sorry, just busting your chops There have been several posts about this. That's why I buy up all the cheap USA vise grips that I run across at the flea market.

 

[Farmall450]

Haven't these been Chinese made for a few years now?

Yes, US made ones have roll pins, Chinese have rivets.

 

[tedsters]

Breaking news: The sky is blue and grass is green!!

Sorry, just busting your chops There have been several posts about this. That's why I buy up all the cheap USA vise grips that I run across at the flea market.

first post you seen from me on it, all of my vise grips are usa made i did not know they went to china

 

[Fordman7795]

The nebraska plant closed in 2008 and sent all the work to china. As a fan and user of visegrips i have bought zero made in china and have a healthy stock of 150 various usa made grips. Hope thats enough to last my lifetime

 

[Brownsfan]

Anytime I see a NOS set at any store I buy them no matter the style. I have enough to never need to buy a Chinese set. As said before Irwin and craftsman are banking their future on their past. People always remember them as USA made and won't look. Especially when the made in china is tiny. I saw an older gentlemen get very upset when he picked up a socket set and saw "made in china". We talked for a bit and I told him I have been buying USA made stuff as I can afford it so I will never own Chinese craftsman tools. He was still in shock almost and just left. He was going to buy the set for a gift. He asked where he could still get USA made quality tools. I told him about a local industrial supply place and websites where he could get SK. I told him to buy Williams or wright from the supply place. He didn't care that it was going to cost him more. He just wanted to buy his grandson a quality USA made socket set.

 

[tedsters]

I will be sure to check all tools that were usa made from now on the thorsen tools were made in china also i seen

 

[bonneyman]

Good ole USA-made ones can still be had at pawn shops and yard sales. Look for "Petersen Mfg. Co." on the side of the top bar. Guaranteed those are USA ones. Irwin ones can still be USA, but could not be. Depends on when they were made, plus you've gotta look for the roll pin. Just easier to look for Petersen.
And I've found that "The Original" being stamped on the tool doesn't guarantee American manufacture.
Found these two pair for $4 recently.

 

[kts]

He just wanted to buy his grandson a quality USA made socket set.

Now that's an awesome grandfather.

 

[X1 Mike]

That's why I buy up all the cheap USA vise grips that I run across at the flea market.

Problem is the one guy that has USA Vise Grips at my local flea market knows he has a tool everyone wants and prices them accordingly.

 

[mmack66]

I will be sure to check all tools that were usa made from now on the thorsen tools were made in china also i seen

In case you haven't heard, most Craftsman tools are also now made in China.

 

[Hyster Gareth]

I hope the Grandfather was successful in his quest. It's a shame that Irwin have replaced quality with trash from China. Still nice to know they love the US tradesman he says sarcastically.

 

[Tellingthem]

Strangely enough I was looking at some today and noticed that. I actually was a bit shocked. I had some old ones that I lost in the move and was going to replace them. Guess I'll have to look harder for some USA ones or find an alternate.

 

[Farmall450]

Now that's an awesome grandfather.

Yeah it is!

 

[davethorik]

did any of the usa made vise grips have the hex broached in the adjusting knob? I foolishly bought a set of chinese vise grips on sale at sears hardware, and they all have a metric hex broached into the knobs. The few usa made I have don't have this, but they all look old.

The chinese vise grips are wholly disappointing. made of extremely soft pot metal. I have pretty much smeared over all the teeth in a couple of mine, and I am not a tool abuser. Very disappointed.

 

[Exceller8]

I have around 25 US made and 1 Chinese. I can still find NOS US so I don't really need to buy the Chinese ones. I only bought a pair to try for $5 when Ace had them on sale. They're actually pretty good but of course the USA ones are better.

 

[sk farmer]

did any of the usa made vise grips have the hex broached in the adjusting knob? I foolishly bought a set of chinese vise grips on sale at sears hardware, and they all have a metric hex broached into the knobs. The few usa made I have don't have this, but they all look old.

The chinese vise grips are wholly disappointing. made of extremely soft pot metal. I have pretty much smeared over all the teeth in a couple of mine, and I am not a tool abuser. Very disappointed.

some of the us made vise grips had the hex broached in the adjusting screw. if it has the roll pin rather than a riveted release lever it is made in us with foreign and domestic parts. most likely the spring and screw imported.

a simple rule.........

roll pin = us made or mostly us made

riveted = import

 

[jakemac]

I just avoid the whole issue by only buying used Vise Grips with the Peterson-Dewitt banner (pre-Irwin). No confusion, no problems.

 

[pendragon1998]

The chinese vise grips are wholly disappointing. made of extremely soft pot metal. I have pretty much smeared over all the teeth in a couple of mine, and I am not a tool abuser. Very disappointed.

Unfortunately, I've had that happen with some USA made Wilde vise grips (rebranded Irwins prior to the off shore move). I wasn't abusing mine either.
I'm also trying to stay away from the Chinese made VGs.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=206846

 

[ADSR]

The nebraska plant closed in 2008 and sent all the work to china. As a fan and user of visegrips i have bought zero made in china and have a healthy stock of 150 various usa made grips. Hope thats enough to last my lifetime

Can we see this monster collection?

 

[nicksnothereman]

i was in Walmart tonight and seen a 4PC set with 5in 7in and 10in Vise-Grips and screw driver for $19.97 thought it was kind of cheap i looked on the back of the pack MADE IN CHINA i thought Irwins were still USA MADE everything is going to china pretty quick it will not matter where you buy the tools from

MADE in CHINA...to our specifications. Whatever the heck that means. Actually, I know what it means it just isn't worth a f. just like the "designed in the usa" **** companies push. If you're making chinese tools you gotta charge chinese prices otherwise they should just f. off and leave it as "made in china".

Not that I don't buy imported stuff (I DO!) but if you're going to offshore then you gotta lower the price significantly; I ain't buying some jackanape a gold plated shark tank for his new yacht.

 

[kenburkholz]

Awhile back I took my oldest son to the funeral at Sears. One thing he mentioned, is if you are having tools made in china, why are you still selling them at USA prices? Ken

 

[tedsters]

In case you haven't heard, most Craftsman tools are also now made in China.

yes i know about the Craftsman Tools the last ones i got are usa made, everyone is trying to save a dollar and people wonder why you can't get a job that easy here in MI. all the jobs are going to china.

 

[nyrapscalion]

I run into this problem myself. USA sockets used to be found in a big box and sell for $1 or $2 each. Big ones, sometimes as much as $5. I would drop some cash here.
Now with the invasion of garbage from china and taiwan, the USA stuff either has vanished or has been priced much higher.
I can't stand garbage tools. Like tires and brakes, it's better in the long run to buy the good quality stuff.

 

[Chuck122]

Apart from being a bit on the soft side, i have foud nothing wrong with the chinese vise-grips. I use them for welding and they are miles ahead of other brands locally available. No kidding

 

[neophyte]

I run into this problem myself. USA sockets used to be found in a big box and sell for $1 or $2 each. Big ones, sometimes as much as $5. I would drop some cash here.
Now with the invasion of garbage from china and taiwan, the USA stuff either has vanished or has been priced much higher.
I can't stand garbage tools. Like tires and brakes, it's better in the long run to buy the good quality stuff.

I'm not completely certain, but there seems to have been a sharp increase in the cost of certain steel alloys sometime between 2005 and 2008, with most alloys spiking around 2007. The prices went up somewhere between 50 and 100 percent, some going up to 300 percent of their previous cost. I wouldn't be surprised if the rise in alloy steel prices, however small to the total cost of the tools, squeezed enough profit margin out to cause the shifts in production.

 

[jakemac]

I'm not completely certain, but there seems to have been a sharp increase in the cost of certain steel alloys sometime between 2005 and 2008, with most alloys spiking around 2007. The prices went up somewhere between 50 and 100 percent, some going up to 300 percent of their previous cost. I wouldn't be surprised if the rise in alloy steel prices, however small to the total cost of the tools, squeezed enough profit margin out to cause the shifts in production.

The spike in steel prices was driven by a construction push in China. Metal prices across the board doubled (in some cases tripled). Lumber prices rose at the same time, but not as sharply. The global economic crash put a stop to that for a short time, but now that things are beginning to stabilize, China may start to build again, pushing prices up again. This is assuming that China can avoid another economic crash due to their manipulating of the Yen. The tool and fastener companies took a hit to their profit margin during that time by attempting to hold prices back. If they had been lining their pockets, you would have seen prices rise even higher than they did.

I was working at a building supply at the time, we came very close to rationing on nails and screws, because our supplier had trouble sourcing steel at prices that wouldn't put them out of business. IIRC, they had to import recycled steel from Europe in order to meet demand. Even then, supply was short for a time.

 

[t100]

Apart from being a bit on the soft side, i have foud nothing wrong with the chinese vise-grips. I use them for welding and they are miles ahead of other brands locally available. No kidding

I have to disagree on that. I personally have 40+ Peterson vise grips, those real ones. the Chinese wannabe's are not even close.

I use company tools at work, I ordered Stronghand ones from LWS and they are so much better than the Irwin's. I like the I-beam clamp arms and the snap release.

 

[MackMan]

Anytime I see a NOS set at any store I buy them no matter the style. I have enough to never need to buy a Chinese set. As said before Irwin and craftsman are banking their future on their past. People always remember them as USA made and won't look. Especially when the made in china is tiny. I saw an older gentlemen get very upset when he picked up a socket set and saw "made in china". We talked for a bit and I told him I have been buying USA made stuff as I can afford it so I will never own Chinese craftsman tools. He was still in shock almost and just left. He was going to buy the set for a gift. He asked where he could still get USA made quality tools. I told him about a local industrial supply place and websites where he could get SK. I told him to buy Williams or wright from the supply place. He didn't care that it was going to cost him more. He just wanted to buy his grandson a quality USA made socket set.

Great to hear a story like that. If enough people follow his example (I'm sure they won't) maybe Craftsman would bring back USA made. I don't fault Sears for making a business decision to move production, but it has cost me quite a bit as I moved to buying Snap-On instead.

Not to start another Craftsman rant, but the other night I was at Sears and found some USA made 6 point combination wrenches, and USA made or not I would not have bought them. The box end didn't appear to have been machined (broached) at all.. the inside of the box was the same rough cast finish as the rest of the wrench. Is that "normal" for Craftsman? I can't imagine they can get a casting at a tolerance that it would be much good as a wrench? Or maybe it was just really really rough machining.

 

[Hyster Gareth]

Ken you have smart son there.

Awhile back I took my oldest son to the funeral at Sears. One thing he mentioned, is if you are having tools made in china, why are you still selling them at USA prices? Ken

 

[Fordman7795]

The spike in steel prices was driven by a construction push in China. Metal prices across the board doubled (in some cases tripled). Lumber prices rose at the same time, but not as sharply. The global economic crash put a stop to that for a short time, but now that things are beginning to stabilize, China may start to build again, pushing prices up again. This is assuming that China can avoid another economic crash due to their manipulating of the Yen. The tool and fastener companies took a hit to their profit margin during that time by attempting to hold prices back. If they had been lining their pockets, you would have seen prices rise even higher than they did.

I was working at a building supply at the time, we came very close to rationing on nails and screws, because our supplier had trouble sourcing steel at prices that wouldn't put them out of business. IIRC, they had to import recycled steel from Europe in order to meet demand. Even then, supply was short for a time.

In the first quarter of 2008 scrap steel price was the highest i have ever seen it, at $260 a ton. The scrapyard usually had huge piles (probably waiting for it to rise) but then it was near empty. They were running 24/7 at one point. Then it crashed to $25 a ton late 2009/early 10

 

[MattPersman]

I actually think the China tools are cheaper price wise those giant craftsman sets are like the same price they were 15 years ago nothing ekes I buy like gas and groceries are even close on price.

 

[rusty_ratchet]

I think the only vise grips in current production that are not made in China (Irwin, Craftsman, etc) or Spain (Snap-On) are by Knipex. I've been fortunate to get older USA copies of the Irwin grips though

 

[MJB24]

I think the only vise grips in current production that are not made in China (Irwin, Craftsman, etc) or Spain (Snap-On) are by Knipex. I've been fortunate to get older USA copies of the Irwin grips though

I think you are right. Although I think the Proto ones are Taiwan along with a few others.

 

[southern_tango]

Hi,first post here,if you want to see the difference you need to compare long nose pliers ,I had an old Petersen for years one day needed it but couldn't find it so up to bunnings (home depot sort of shop) and bought a new one.
Quality wise lower,feels softer and the nose is a lot bigger...pics. to compare...

 

[jakemac]

It looks like the "lobster claw syndrome" is creeping into the chinese Irwins.

 

[Brownsfan]

It just pisses me off that they pass these off as quality. If I ever need to buy locking pliers of any kind I will by the Spanish made Grip On. I will not buy any of these china vice grips no matter how cheap they are. They shouldn't even call them vice grips. I'm glad all of mine were bought in the late 90's and are Peterson made. All were bought in 96-97 and have held up and have NEVER broke any.

 

[southern_tango]

It just pisses me off that they pass these off as quality. If I ever need to buy locking pliers of any kind I will by the Spanish made Grip On. I will not buy any of these china vice grips no matter how cheap they are. They shouldn't even call them vice grips. I'm glad all of mine were bought in the late 90's and are Peterson made. All were bought in 96-97 and have held up and have NEVER broke any.

Sorry,now that you talk about spanish locking pliers a while ago I was given an old Daniel forge different looking locking pliers,it only says SUPER GRIP and spain ,it's tough and I like the adjusting grab . Do you have any idea who made something like it?