Kobalt Tools

[Phantom552]

I learned some interesting stuff about Kobalt branded hand tools today and figured I'd share in case anyone else is interested in this sort of thing.

Early Kobalt Hand Tools (1998-2002) were manufactured by the J.H. Williams Tool Company (Snap-On). These were primarily USA-Made.

Mid-Gen Kobalt Hand Tools (2003-2010) were manufactured by the Dahaner Corporation (Matco). These were also primarily USA-Made.

Current (2011-Present) Kobalt Hand Tools are being manufactured by JS Products of Las Vegas, who also manages the Dickies brand. These are primarily of Taiwanese manufacture.


That being said, if anyone has pictures of tools from these eras or knows the differences to look for, I'd be interested in hearing about it. A cursory google search revealed no information on the subject.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

USA Dahaner produced tools can be found on closeout on the Cripe website or eBay store... Kobalt, along with KD, Armstrong and USA Allen have been (are)sold there... I pieced together four sets of "matching" USA produced wrenches by brand hopping these four brands... Nice wrenches; only thing different is the name stamped on them...

Thought I would give a "heads up" if someone is looking for some good wrenches at a reasonable price..

 

[LordPsychon]

I have a set of the 2009 wrenches that are USA made and a set of the 2013 wrenches which are Taiwan made. Both work well but I have to say that the US made wrenches are holding up better despite their older age.

 

[1950mercury]

Most of the present stuff is China and going more to China so your info is not correct

 

[lightning02]

all the tools i have bought from kobalt has been Taiwan made. ratchets and sockets. last time i bought something was new years day.

 

[Wizzard]

Kobalt tools quality has gone downhill since their inception, and continues rolling downhill.

 

[AmishFury]

last time i looked all the wrenches, ratchets, sockets were taiwan... pliers were as far as i could tell mostly if not all china... screwdrivers were a mix of china and usa with global components

didn't look much beyond that... i imagine it's a similar mix

 

[ihateminimumwage]

I've ended up with a good amount of the Danaher era Kobalt over the years thanks to Cripe Dist. Good USA made tools that are (for the most part) direct crossover to Armstrong (or Allen/Craftsman/KD of that era).

Put together a full set of Metric wrenches through Cripe, and use them daily. No complaints.

And with the 6mm Armstrong

One thing to avoid is the Danaher era Ratchets. Same sloppy 36T head used by Craftsman, but with an Armstrong shaped handle. The ultimate Danaher mutant...

I also have some of the Taiwan Kobalt, which has all been great quality (especially at sale price). I stopped buying when I saw that more and more was being traded out for Chinese tools.

 

[thieltech]

I've ended up with a good amount of the Danaher era Kobalt over the years thanks to Cripe Dist. Good USA made tools that are (for the most part) direct crossover to Armstrong (or Allen/Craftsman/KD of that era).

Put together a full set of Metric wrenches through Cripe, and use them daily. No complaints.

And with the 6mm Armstrong

One thing to avoid is the Danaher era Ratchets. Same sloppy 36T head used by Craftsman, but with an Armstrong shaped handle. The ultimate Danaher mutant...

I also have some of the Taiwan Kobalt, which has all been great quality (especially at sale price). I stopped buying when I saw that more and more was being traded out for Chinese tools.

wow didnt realize allens were made by this same company . My Allen hand wrenches look just like your kobalt from that era . there very nice wrenches i might add

 

[AmishFury]

and the masterforce wrenches at menards are the same as the danaher kobalt/armstrong/etc

 

[Parrothead]

The Kobalt switch from Taiwan to China is happening. All the combination wrench sets here are made in China, as are most singles save for a few stragglers. Pliers have been China for eons. Ratchets are still Taiwan, and haven't checked sockets.

 

[rowerwet]

I stopped buying kobalt when Lowes wouldn't warranty a ratchet because the handle shape changed.

 

[bobbycos]

I bought a 3/8" drive socket set online between 00-02

Gotta check it out to see if it is a Williams produced set

 

[CZ_Greatwrench]

I never did buy many Williams made Kobalt. They were good tools but always seemed expensive compared to the other options at the time, because you could still buy US made Husky and Craftsman and the auto parts stores carried US made KD, Blackhawk and SK all of which were cheaper except maybe SK. In the 90's, to my group of teenage gearhead friends Kobalt was known as the poor man's Snap On.

 

[Coach James]

The open end on the JH Williams Kobalt wrenches were not rounded. They had sharp corners. I have a full set of the metric wrenches and like them.

Not my pic.

http://i985.photobucket.com/albums/ae336/btgriffin/Tools/DSC01317.jpg


Coach

 

[Joe B.]

Current (2011-Present) Kobalt Hand Tools are being manufactured by JS Products of Las Vegas, who also manages the Dickies brand. These are primarily of Taiwanese manufacture.

To be clear, JS Products is an importer not a manufacturer. Also, their relationship with Dickeis appears to be that they licensing the Dickies name to make tool bags. The Dickies brand has been part of Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing Company for almost 100 years.

 

[Fedwrench]

I wouldn't compare the Kobalt tools made by Danaher to MATCO quality. They were made in Armstrong and Easco factories along side Craftsman, Allen, KD, NAPA, and others. It fact, when the KD hand tool line was killed off to pave the way for Gearwrench's expansion into a full line of mechanics hand tools, is when the other brands switched to being Asian made and dried up.

 

[hangfirew8]

I never liked the square edged wrenches and ratchets so I stayed away from Kobalt. Now I wish I had gotten their US socket sets. Currently they are closing out their Taiwan made sockets in favor of Chinese replacements.

 

[Karl_B]

If you want to ID the Williams-made stuff, it will generally have the Williams/Snap-On date codes. My impact sockets and wrenches all have them. I don't think I have any chrome Williams-made Kobalt sockets to check.

 

[KnurledNut]

I have a Lowes catalog from the Williams era, listing all the Kobalt tools. They also had tool boxes made by Snap-on labeled Kobalt.