Kobalt tools failure

[pendragon1998]

I wonder if the fasteners came loose from the ratchet head, leading to the failure. All of my ratchet fasteners came to me a little loose from the factory. I think kobalt ratchets probably will benefit from having the innards lubed and the fasteners loctited upon receipt.

 

[RangerDaleXp]

There is a lot of leverage on a 3/8 ratchet that long. Also I agree that anything over 19mm should be done with 1/2 drive. I once blew apart a long handle Craftsman V Series 1/2 drive ratchet once because I was to lazy to get the 3/4 drive out. It really was not that hard to break it.

Go get a new one from them.....

 

[Diffident]

I've sworn off Kobalt tools after buying a set of these nut drivers, and a screwdriver just like them. I twisted the handles off of the screwdriver and 2 of the nut drivers the first week I had them. The shafts only extend into the handle 1/2" at best.

But I guess that really wasn't the problem since the bottom part the handle was still attached. I merely twisted the handle in half.

 

[RangerDaleXp]

I just go back from Lowe's and I can really see how that ratchet would have broke. That thing is really long at 19 inches and the amount of multiplied torque because of the length would break any 3/8 ratchet if pushed. They even have a 1/4 inch version and I am sure it would be extremely easy to destroy it as well.....

 

[OEXL16B]

Also I agree that anything over 19mm should be done with 1/2 drive.

He was tightening the bolt; not breaking it loose. You should be able to tighten with whatever drive size you want. That Kobalt is weakling POS.

 

[RangerDaleXp]

He was tightening the bolt; not breaking it loose. You should be able to tighten with whatever drive size you want. That Kobalt is weakling POS.

I don't think so. It was user error and pushing the tool over its limits...

 

[shoturtle]

Snap on, Williams, Armstrong, proto all fail if you push them pass what they are design for. If I go with the believe that one dud makes a whole line from a brand a pos. I can say snap on, Williams, wright, and proto are all pos.

 

[BajaBound]

I have the similar 3 piece long handle flex head set from Titan. It was 60 bucks and I got turned on to it here when I had brought home the 24" lowes 1/2 flex head. They have been great. I don't care where my tools come from the get dis assembled and lubed and loctited.

Well atleast you have the warranty from lowes.

 

[OEXL16B]

I don't think so. It was user error and pushing the tool over its limits...

The Snap-on ratchet would've breezed through whatever the OP was doing.

 

[RangerDaleXp]

The Snap-on ratchet would've breezed through whatever the OP was doing.

Snap ons fail too along with matco, mac or any other brand regardless of COO . It was either a defect or pushed past its limits.....

 

[SMKS]

He was tightening the bolt; not breaking it loose. You should be able to tighten with whatever drive size you want. That Kobalt is weakling POS.

Oh Merk...

I wouldn't think you'd be able to take your eyes off the hole in the handle long enough to complain about it.

 

[OEXL16B]

Snap ons fail too along with matco, mac or any other brand regardless of COO . It was either a defect or pushed past its limits.....

OK ... say you're gonna go down to the south pole for 6 months to rescue a B-29 bomber that's been frozen is ice since WWII. Your job is to get it in good enough flying condition to fly it out of there. The nearest Lowes is 20,000 miles away. You gonna take the Snap-on ratchet with you, or the Kobalt?

 

[SMKS]

OK ... say you're gonna go down to the south pole for 6 months to rescue a B-29 bomber that's been frozen is ice since WWII. Your job is to get it in good enough flying condition to fly it out of there. The nearest Lowes is 20,000 miles away. You gonna take the Snap-on ratchet with you, or the Kobalt?

But the problem is that none of us are in that situation, so it's not a good analogy.

 

[RangerDaleXp]

OK ... say you're gonna go down to the south pole for 6 months to rescue a B-29 bomber that's been frozen is ice since WWII. Your job is to get it in good enough flying condition to fly it out of there. The nearest Lowes is 20,000 miles away. You gonna take the Snap-on ratchet with you, or the Kobalt?

There is no snap on trucks in the south poll so that does not work either....

 

[bluechevy94]

OK ... say you're gonna go down to the south pole for 6 months to rescue a B-29 bomber that's been frozen is ice since WWII. Your job is to get it in good enough flying condition to fly it out of there. The nearest Lowes is 20,000 miles away. You gonna take the Snap-on ratchet with you, or the Kobalt?

Well wonder what you would do if that snap on ratchet broke as well.That's why anybody with any common sense would take a spare ratchet or two along for a job like that.

 

[OEXL16B]

Well wonder what you would do if that snap on ratchet broke as well.That's why anybody with any common sense would take a spare ratchet or two along for a job like that.

What if you couldn't take any spare ratchets? What if you were only aloud to take one ratchet; you gonna take a brand new Snap-on, or a brand new Kobalt?

 

[OEXL16B]

There is no snap on trucks in the south poll so that does not work either....

Exactly. Which ratchet you gonna trust with your life, the Snap-on, or the Kobalt?

 

[SMKS]

Imagine you had to go back in time, and you could only have one ratchet to use to club dinosaurs. Which would you take? Obviously Snap-on.

So of course, as you can see Snap-on is clearly the best.

 

[bluechevy94]

What if you couldn't take any spare ratchets? What if you were only aloud to take one ratchet; you gonna take a brand new Snap-on, or a brand new Kobalt?

I Wouldnt take either one............I would let you go seeing as you wanna go so bad to freeze you bum off and take that snap on ratchet just so you can break it.In those extreme conditions any tool will fail even the almighty SNAP ON

 

[OEXL16B]

I can't understand why you guys are being so sympathetic for this Taiwan Kobalt ratchet.

 

[RangerDaleXp]

Lets see, I have had a few Snap on failures with my F730s but my two kobalts are still working so far. I just really don't know....

 

[SMKS]

I can't understand why you guys are being so sympathetic for this Taiwan Kobalt ratchet.

I think we're just pointing out that your antarctic analogy was a pretty lame Snap-on promotion.

I don't own any of the Kobalt ratchets, and I don't plan on buying any, but your argument bashing it was a strange, silly one.

 

[RangerDaleXp]

I can't understand why you guys are being so sympathetic for this Taiwan Kobalt ratchet.

I am not brand sympathetic or stuck on one brand like some are. I look at every tool and if I like it I will buy it. It has been that way for 35 years....

 

[OEXL16B]

I think we're just pointing out that your antarctic analogy was a pretty lame Snap-on promotion.

I don't own any of the Kobalt ratchets, and I don't plan on buying any, but your argument was a strange, silly one.

I think I made a good point. If I was in a life or death situation and I had to depend on a tool for my life, I know which tool I'd choose...

*Cue in the American national anthem music right now*

 

[LSU]

Ive had bad experiences with Kobalts Chinese Blue handle pliers.

Handles coming off. Rivets either breaking out or unscrewing(Yes unscrewing). Locking pliers wont hold anything.

Red Ford - I've had zero problems with my blue handle pliers, etc. I use the lineman pliers daily with no trouble.

I wonder if these tools are made at different ChiComm factories?

 

[NC-Fordguy]

OK ... say you're gonna go down to the south pole for 6 months to rescue a B-29 bomber that's been frozen is ice since WWII. Your job is to get it in good enough flying condition to fly it out of there. The nearest Lowes is 20,000 miles away. You gonna take the Snap-on ratchet with you, or the Kobalt?

This is one of the more moronic statements I've read in a while.

Having done cold weather training in arctic conditions while in the army, equipment left out in temperatures as you are suggesting will freeze up and become inoperative. For instance a bayonet will freeze in its scabbard. Oil and grease(lube) congeal into a sludge forcing machinery to be kept indoors or at the very least block heaters in the case of engines. Not to mention what it would do to your bare hands if it was left outside for a good length of time.

I think a ratchet would have to be forged by Jesus Christ himself with a little divine intervention thrown in for good measure for it to function correctly in such enviroments.

 

[OEXL16B]

This is one of the more moronic statements I've read in a while.

It's a true story: PBS Nova

 

[shoturtle]

+1, did northern warfare training as well. Leave a ratchet out in sub zero it will be totally useless when it is time to use it, it will be frozen and brittle that it may just crack with the first cranck. If my life depended on a ratchet in subzero temps, I would alway be kept inside my jacket, so my body heat will kept it form freezing up.

Snap on promo is a bit out there with no reality.

 

[shoturtle]

It's a true story: PBS Nova

Pretty sure they had the prevision to keep their tools from freezing up. It is not like they left their tools out in the sub zero temps.

 

[Toolhorder]

All tools made by all companies fail. Some more than others. Let's move on now.

 

[RCStocker]

Actually, in chats with Kobalt product managers last Fall I was told that they switched from their current supplier (Danaher) to one overseas b/c they just wasn't getting the quality they wanted. I don't know whether this is true or not, but I have seen complaints about the last generation of USA-made Kobalt tools.

I'd say head in to Lowes and swap it for a free replacement. If the second one fails as easily, it's a general quality issue. If it doesn't, the issue is likely a random flaw. These things do happen.

I don't think Danaher makes Kobalt. From my reserch they were made by Williams tool company which is owned by Snap-on. Danaher owns Fluke, kd, k Matco, allen, Gearwrench and a host of other comapnies. Look up what the company owns. They make medical equipment that is one of the worlds best.
Williams and other Snap-on companies are having things made in China, Brizil, Italy, France and other places. SK was going under and got bought out again. They were owned by Danaher after Framcom sold them.

 

[OEXL16B]

I don't think Danaher makes Kobalt.

They did for a short time in between Williams made Kobalt and Shin Fu made Kobalt.

 

[SMKS]

It was more than a short time. It was several years, at least, wasn't it?

When did they get rid of the Williams made tools? Early 2000s? I've only had a few and I think they had 2001 date codes, but I could be misremembering.

 

[Hetman]

Imagine you had to go back in time, and you could only have one ratchet to use to club dinosaurs. Which would you take? Obviously Snap-on.

So of course, as you can see Snap-on is clearly the best.

Wera Koloss , obviously best ratchet for this job.

 

[Toolhorder]

I broke the ratchet in my Avatar. It was made by Danahar so as you can see all tools made by them are completely **** and you shouldn't buy them. The new communist ratchets at Sears are much better.

 

[Notwerk]

Yeah, must have been early 2000s when Williams split with Lowes. After that, Danaher took over. Kobalt tools were mostly Craftsman raised-panel clones (basically the same as KD and Allen USA tools of the same vintage). Ratchets felt extraordinarily cheap, so much so that I even passed on them when Lowes cleared out the USA stuff for pennies on the dollar.

When was that? About last year? Since then, Lowes went abroad. In my experience, the Taiwan made stuff is way, way better than the USA stuff Danaher was producing. But then, Danaher was setting a really low bar. It appears that the new Taiwan stuff has no relation to Danaher.

A lot of their pliers and screwdrivers and so on are made in China, though, and it shows.

It's been so long since Williams was involved with Kobalt, I can't even remember what a Williams/Kobalt tool looks like. Though, I do love Williams USA stuff. IMO, still the best tools out there dollar-for-dollar, and truth be told, not much more expensive than the retail price of Taiwan Kobalt tools.

 

[Hiball]

The Snap-on ratchet would've breezed through whatever the OP was doing.

Hook Line and Sinker...

 

[Jason280]

I can't understand why you guys are being so sympathetic for this Taiwan Kobalt ratchet

I don't view it is sympathy, I view it more as the fact that any brand can fail. Sure, the Kobalt failed, but I'm sure one could find failures with all brands, including Snap On, MAC, Proto, etc.

Personally, I'm more interested in how the company warranties the failure, as any tool is prone to breakage and defects in the manufacturing process happen with everyone. Of course, I know that Lowe's/Kobalt will exchange this tool no questions asked, so its not really an issue. Now, if we start seeing an influx of broken Kobalt ratchets, then I would agree the company deserves no sympathy. However, this isn't the case, so its really difficult to indict an entire ratchet line because of this failure.

 

[shoturtle]

Yup, any brand can fail. We break the industrial grade stuff. The crews are tough on the tools. There is no holy grail of ratchets.

Overall with all the reviews of the taiwan kolbat. They are a reliable ratchet as a whole. There will be a dud every now and then just like proto, mac, snap on, armstrong and all the other brands. I can attest to proto, williams, and armstrong have a dud every now and then. But I just get my industrial supplier to replace them.

 

[lbgradwell]

SK was going under and got bought out again. They were owned by Danaher after Framcom sold them.

No, SK was not owned by Danaher. They were once owned by FACOM.