Kobalt by Williams....The Snap on connection

[Blacknwhitepit]

For those who are new to the board, I occasionally post about the quality of the old Kobalt (Williams made) sockets. Their luster and quality as well as blank size are the same as Snap on. For those who do not know, Snap on owns Williams. Additionally, their year stamped codes are the same. Kobalt by Williams stopped being sold around 2002/2003 and Kobalt has since been made by Danaher.

I highly recommend buying these whenever you can get a deal on them.

They are getting harder to find, but can still be found on EBAY.

I recently bought from this seller and put an offer in for $15.00 and it was accepted... He has 4 more I believe. Grand total $23.10 for a set of 10 brand new 1/2 drive sockets shipped to my door.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Koba...Z270568936178QQptZMotorsQ5fAutomotiveQ5fTools

I am not in any way associated with the seller, but rather preach the Gospel of the good deal... These are quality sockets and I highly recommend them.

The wrenches are awesome as well, but are getting harder to find.

Here is how to tell the difference between Williams Kobalt (Top) and Danaher Kobalt (Bottom)- Williams will have the line around it. Danaher are smooth.




-BWP

 

[dieseldodge01]

I have a set of Kobalt 3/8 6pt impact deep wells made by Williams. These sockets look exactly like Snap On sockets down to the stampings on them. I am very pleased with them, especially for $15

 

[mixxmstrmike]

Amen!

These are some great sockets and the older Williams-made combination wrenches are an excellent set to grab... if you can find them.

If anyone has the combo wrenches for sale.... Definitely send me a PM!

-Mike

 

[heelsroll]

Same here, chrome and impacts, very happy. Impacts still available at Cripe Distributing:

http://www.cripedistributing.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=kobalt

No affiliation just a satisfied repeat customer.

Have one of the Kobalt 7/8" wrenches they used in that commercial where they drover the NASCAR racer suspended from the wrenches. You'll love them or hate them but they're nicely made.

 

[LincolnCont.]

Do those williams kobalt 12 points have the Flank Drive?

 

[DavidB]

Do those williams kobalt 12 points have the Flank Drive?

They appear based on looking at the pics on Ebay. They show a diagram with "K-Force" which is probably the Kobalt name for Flank Drive.

 

[Kev442]

As a huge Williams fan, I am trying to duplicate the $15 feat. I also am the proud owner of both items linked at Cripe.

Thanks guys!

 

[bmxr4life87]

So that type of packaging is the williams? My local tool wholesaler has some of those and porter cable 3/4 drive sockets I may pick em up

 

[Blacknwhitepit]

So that type of packaging is the williams? My local tool wholesaler has some of those and porter cable 3/4 drive sockets I may pick em up

Make sure you see this somewhere on the box...



-BWP

 

[mikevango]

Anybody got a pic of the kobalt/Williams combo wrenches. Didn't they have the V throat like cornwells.

 

[Blacknwhitepit]

Anybody got a pic of the kobalt/Williams combo wrenches. Didn't they have the V throat like cornwells.

Here is an example:

 

[atari]

I have a large clamshell case of Kobalts that is 1/4 through 1/2 all the way to a 1" socket I think. They are stamped USA but i figured they were danaher mfged. I have had the case for at least 8 years and wonder if they are williams, is there any way to be sure?

 

[Blacknwhitepit]

I have yet to find any Kobalt flare nut wrenches in the secondary market...

I WONDER WHY????

 

[DavidB]

Per the combo wrenches: I hope they rounded the edges of the beam better on those than they do on the current day ones. I think you could cut yourself on the current ones.

 

[caper]

As a huge Williams fan, I am trying to duplicate the $15 feat. I also am the proud owner of both items linked at Cripe.

Thanks guys!

I got a couple of sets from Cripe as well,thanks heelsroll!

 

[iandh]

I have yet to find any Kobalt flare nut wrenches in the secondary market...

I WONDER WHY????

Yep, there's the proof... snap-on and Kobalt tools never shared tooling.

 

[atari]

I had to think about it and Im older than I remember but Im not sure how long I have had them. Im thinking now 8 or so years, its been at least 6 but I cant quite place it. I should call my mom and ask her, she would remember what birthday they were for. I still have the original screwdriver bits. Damn, I meant to look and see how big it got too. Oh well my shoes are off now. I pretty sure its at least 1"

 

[caper]

That's a Danaher set,ratchets are the easy way to tell.

 

[iandh]

Yep, Danaher... it's basically a craftsman set with a different name stamped on it from what I've seen. Not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[atari]

yea, I kinda figured. That set has saved my **** many times. I keep it in the trunk of my car and I take it to the junk yard too. My only issues are they are all 12 point and no 1/2 drive extension but I guess you cant have it all. I dont feel that bad for using the 1/2 drive as a hammer along side the road. If it was a williams I would have been pissed.

 

[Indy_500]

The sockets you get in HF socket sets look the same as SK sockets

 

[gtiboy66]

I have a lot of the Williams Kobalt Tools. I bought up lots from Lowes when they discontinued the line. I have a really nice extra long rachet, 1/2 drive torque wrench full metric sockets. And some others. They are real nice tools. I bought them all for pennies on the dollar. I will try and get some pics tonight.

 

[gtiboy66]

here are some pics of mine

1/2 drive torque wrench.

Sockets Metric Deep and Shallow

1/2 drive rachet and 3/8 drive long handled rachet

 

[iandh]

This thread just makes me sad. Lowes had such a good thing going... but



GREED GREED GREED GREED GREED



Both on the part of Lowes, and on the part of their customers.

 

[billymade]

I wonder what the real reason was? I'm figuring they had a contract for a specific period of time; if the Craftsman line of tools is any indication, I'm sure Danaher was able to fulfill the contract at a lower price point, thus a higher profit margin. I wonder if it really was a lower bid or some other reason? Its a shame; the Williams based Kobalt tools are so much better, then the current Danaher OEM stuff...

 

[iandh]

I wonder what the real reason was? I'm figuring they had a contract for a specific period of time; if the Craftsman line of tools is any indication, I'm sure Danaher was able to fulfill the contract at a lower price point, thus high profit margin. I wonder if it really was a lower bid or some other reason? Its a shame; the Williams based Kobalt tools are so much better, then the current Danaher OEM stuff...

It isn't so much that I'm mad about them finding a more cost effective manufacturer, at least they're still mostly USA unlike (ugh) Husky/stanley, which is just a travesty IMO.

What does make me mad is how back when Lowes and Home Depot actually took their hand tools seriously, they made a big deal of pitching the lifetime warranty, how their tools were superior, etc.

Then they "suckered" for lack of a better term, a bunch of folks into buying all of these excellent tools, only to switch them out for a bunch of utter garbage. It just pisses me off. It's a bait and switch. Maybe Craftsman isn't the greatest, but in general at least you know that they're pretty much the same stuff give or take, or at least the changes aren't this drastic in a short period.

It's just hard for me to swallow that not even a decade ago both Lowes and Home Depot carried very respectable high quality USA made tools, and now Home Depot's tool offerings are literally a joke, while Lowes is hanging on by a thread.



I know Danaher isn't any angel, but I personally believe Stanley bears a huge amount of responsibility for the *****-ification of the tool market. Those bastards would sell their own mothers for a new pair of cufflinks.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

When I bought all my Kobalt (Williams) made wrenches on closeout, I was told they were changing vendors, due to Williams not being able to keep up with Lowe's quantity requirements (Lowe's was going through an expansion).

 

[walrus]

EBay has a few sellers of Kobalt Williams made stuff, I almost bought some but went with Wright instead as they had more sizes available

 

[FordToughF250]

Well I just bought 2 sets of impact shallows, one for 25(11 piece) and one for 16(12 piece) on the almighty ebay

I dont need em in the least bit but might as well buy em before thier gone

 

[bchee]

you wish you were me right now

 

[Vinko]

I have yet to find any Kobalt flare nut wrenches in the secondary market...

I WONDER WHY????

I've been looking for the Kobalt/Snap-On flares as well.

Thanks to the link for the auction. I bid on a set myself. Hope I get them

Gonna check out Cripe now...

 

[Vinko]

I wonder what the real reason was? I'm figuring they had a contract for a specific period of time; if the Craftsman line of tools is any indication, I'm sure Danaher was able to fulfill the contract at a lower price point, thus a higher profit margin. I wonder if it really was a lower bid or some other reason? Its a shame; the Williams based Kobalt tools are so much better, then the current Danaher OEM stuff...

I'm not suggesting a reason for the discontinuation: but my SO driver said that at the time, Lowes had a lot of posters and they had the Snap-On logo on them and used Snap-On in advertising much more (or in a way) that they should not have. I don't know about the veracity of this claim but that's what I've heard.

It's just hard for me to swallow that not even a decade ago both Lowes and Home Depot carried very respectable high quality USA made tools, and now Home Depot's tool offerings are literally a joke, while Lowes is hanging on by a thread.

I wonder if part of it is the American consumer is generally cheap as a see-through suit? That, and most corporations raison d'etre is to make a profit, not to offer quality and value.

 

[Vinko]

Guy declined my $15 offer on two different auctions! Must have a lot of guys on here reading this thread bidding $15.

 

[MrMark]

Same here. He took 17 though, which is a great price for a quality 1/2" set, even if they are 12 point. Who knows, the 12 point may be handy someday.

The combination of Lowes and Stanley tools is just sickening. Stanley went out and directly copied the Estwing line and the Dasco Pro line and makes them under their Bostich trademark. These top of the line US tools have now been replaced by made in Taiwan copies that trade off the good will created by those US brands. Lowes is gradually replacing their made in USA tools for imports and charging the consumer the same price. The whole benefit of the lower priced imports only benefits Lowes and Stanley, certainly not the consumer. So Americans get put out of jobs and Lowes and Stanley enjoy better profits off the backs of cheap labor. Not exactly a recipe for success for this country, but we have no one to blame but ourselves. Some day soon all Americans will do is sell each other houses.

 

[iandh]

I'm not suggesting a reason for the discontinuation: but my SO driver said that at the time, Lowes had a lot of posters and they had the Snap-On logo on them and used Snap-On in advertising much more (or in a way) that they should not have. I don't know about the veracity of this claim but that's what I've heard.



I wonder if part of it is the American consumer is generally cheap as a see-through suit? That, and most corporations raison d'etre is to make a profit, not to offer quality and value.

That's why I mentioned above that it's greed on the part of Lowes, and greed on the part of the American consumer.

Lowes wants more money for less sales, and the American consumer wants more garbage for less money. They don't even care if it's the most gigantic piece of **** ever made, as long as they get a lot of it.

The combination of Lowes and Stanley tools is just sickening. Stanley went out and directly copied the Estwing line and the Dasco Pro line and makes them under their Bostich trademark. These top of the line US tools have now been replaced by made in Taiwan copies that trade off the good will created by those US brands. Lowes is gradually replacing their made in USA tools for imports and charging the consumer the same price. The whole benefit of the lower priced imports only benefits Lowes and Stanley, certainly not the consumer. So Americans get put out of jobs and Lowes and Stanley enjoy better profits off the backs of cheap labor. Not exactly a recipe for success for this country, but we have no one to blame but ourselves. Some day soon all Americans will do is sell each other houses.

I absolutely agree. The Bostich stuff is as about as blatant of a ripoff as you can have, without having the same color and logo on the tools. It's really irritating. Whenever I hear the name Stanley now I cringe.

The worst part is that they're selling the stuff for the same exact price. If you're going to ***** our country out, at least pass some small pittance of savings on to the peasants.

I'm not even that die hard of a USA tool guy. I actually like having tools from all around the world. USA, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, even China and Taiwan if they're quality. What I can't stand though, is when a company's default policy is "Liquidate and send to China".

 

[FordToughF250]

AHHHH..What the hell, I just bought 2 of the same sets on ebay

 

[gtiboy66]

I too bought a bunch of sets on ebay recently. I really would like a set of combination wrenches in standard and metric. I only have a few metric ones.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

I know what I have, but I am wondering any of you that have the old Kobalt (Williams) combo wrenches, do any of you have an 18mm one?

 

[lauver]

blackandwhitepit,

Thanks for posting this thread. I've always wondered who made the Kobalt tools I have...now I know. And, it never occured to me until you posted this thread.

 

[Vinko]

Same here. He took 17 though, which is a great price for a quality 1/2" set, even if they are 12 point. Who knows, the 12 point may be handy someday.

Got that and the metric set (3/8) impacts for $17 each. Shipping was reasonable too. He didn't "double the charge".