Lowes tools?

[CraigStu]

The thread about the tool cabinets got me thinking. I guess it's been over a year now but I remember walking into Lowes and seeing a bunch of Craftsman tools suddenly appear. Since then there are more and more of them and it 'seems' that Kobalt tools are slowly declining. I have bought tons of Craftsman stuff since 1972 when I got my Sears credit card. But 10-15 years or so ago Craftsman came out w/ a lot of junk tools so I had to be careful of what I bought and more and more I bought HD or Lowes tools.. Then Sears disappeared. Also I saw last week that NAPA is selling Craftsman. I am curious;
- Do any of you have an idea what Lowes is up to? Will Kobalt be gone in another year?
- What are your experiences w/ the new Craftsman stuff? Since it is obviously different than the old Sears Craftsman, and my old loyalty definitely declined when they started selling junk, I have no idea if the new Craftsman tools are worth buying

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Most of the new Craftsman stuff is ok. I like the Gunmetal ratchets pretty well. I don’t use them all the time at work but sometimes I’ll break it out and use it. The sockets and most of the ratchets are Taiwan made which is nice and they are nice tools. Some of the things I do feel are overpriced though for what you get. Things I’d pass on would be like the radiator hose picks and regular mini picks and stuff like that they seem very weak compared to other brands. And don’t buy the oil filter pliers either they really do **** they don’t stay in one spot while trying to take off the filter especially smaller filters.

As for them doing away with Kobalt I’ve heard that several times but it’s never happened. They certainly have downsized on the Kobalt stuff though. I do like Kobalt they are nice tools especially the sockets. The wrenches are a little weak but they would be ok for a home person.

 

[Jtels85]

In my opinion, Kobalt isn’t going anywhere. They’ve released some new power tools lately and I noticed the mechanics tools and other hand tools are a little more plentiful than in previous years, along with some new packaging designs. My Lowe’s even had a beautiful, brand new blue Kobalt tool chest on the floor last week. It certainly caught my attention amongst the sea of red.

As for current Craftsman, some people say it’s better than the Chinese stuff Sears was peddling at the end. Others would disagree. I think it’s a hodgepodge. Their current sockets are Taiwan made and appear to be very good quality. The gunmetal stuff is also good quality and fetches high marks. People don’t seem to care much for the non-serviceable ratchets however. The classic Craftsman raised panel wrenches are currently made in India and seem far worse than the previous assortment that came from China. The classic clear handle screwdrivers just received high remarks on a YouTube channel testing out screwdriver tips. I have a set of them, currently made in Taiwan and they do seem to perform better than my Sears/Craftsman USA made versions. The current offering of Craftsman pliers are a joke. You know, the red and black handle ones with the goofy grips. Rebranded, cheap Stanley **** that looks to be made of pot metal. I bought a pair and threw them in the trash after a weeks use.

I have a couple of the new Craftsman 2000 Series tool chests and while they’re not SnapOn quality, I see no difference between them and the ones Sears had been selling for the past twenty years. They do the job they were intended to do, hold a decent amount of weight and serve my purposes.

Stanley had the opportunity to do so many great things after they bought the Craftsman brand, but I feel like they only continued the downward spiral.

Definitely selling the new V-Series tools online only and at select Ace Hardware stores seems like an incredibly stupid idea. I have no doubt they could sell some V-Series at retail. Why they decided not to do that, I don’t know. People would buy it in my opinion.

Time will tell what type of quality the new USA mechanics tools coming out of the Craftsman, Ft. Worth Texas plant will do for the brand. But that’s just a sliver of their portfolio that needs a boost.

They need some better pliers, on-par with Channellock even if they’re not made in the USA. I can get better pliers buying Doyle at Harbor Frieght or Masterforce at Menards.

How about some exciting screwdriver sets rather than the same old, boring clear handles and those goofy red/black ones that look like paint can stirrers?

They also need to do something with their packaging. Everything is the bright, childish color of red. It blends together and nothing stands out. It’s sort of obnoxious.

Lastly, Craftsman is a brand that doesn’t seem to listen to their customer base very well. It was like pulling teeth to get them to admit that Covid delayed the new USA lineup. The amount of frustration people displayed on their social media accounts was astounding. When they finally admitted it, in their own words, people shut up. It’s amazing how that works.

As I stated above, the brand has potential but the people driving the car are asleep at the wheel.

 

[finn]

The hand wringing over the trend towards sealed, non serviceable ratchets is a Trojan Horse. Probability less than a couple percent of ratchet users would ever attempt to rebuild a ratchet in their lifetime. It’s not 1952 anymore.

The sealed design, if executed properly, should keep the mechanism clean and offer extended life. Most importantly, modern retail outlets don’t have a workbench in the back room with little elves or high school kids sitting around waiting for Joe mechanic or Bill homeowner to bring in a broken ratchet for repair.

 

[Finance Guy]

Most importantly, modern retail outlets don’t have a workbench in the back room with little elves or high school kids sitting around waiting for Joe mechanic or Bill homeowner to bring in a broken ratchet for repair.

That was my job my first couple years of college!

 

[Jtels85]

The hand wringing over the trend towards sealed, non serviceable ratchets is a Trojan Horse. Probability less than a couple percent of ratchet users would ever attempt to rebuild a ratchet in their lifetime. It’s not 1952 anymore.

The sealed design, if executed properly, should keep the mechanism clean and offer extended life. Most importantly, modern retail outlets don’t have a workbench in the back room with little elves or high school kids sitting around waiting for Joe mechanic or Bill homeowner to bring in a broken ratchet for repair.

Does any brand offer a non-serviceable, sealed head ratchet that doesn’t have an enormous head on it?

I’ve tried to find one and can’t. The Craftsman Gunmetal ratchet is rather bulky and clunky. Now, if I could find a non-serviceable, sealed head ratchet similar to GearWrench or the old Craftsman thin profiles… I would be all for it.

 

[Badgerstate]

The thread about the tool cabinets got me thinking. I guess it's been over a year now but I remember walking into Lowes and seeing a bunch of Craftsman tools suddenly appear. Since then there are more and more of them and it 'seems' that Kobalt tools are slowly declining. I have bought tons of Craftsman stuff since 1972 when I got my Sears credit card. But 10-15 years or so ago Craftsman came out w/ a lot of junk tools so I had to be careful of what I bought and more and more I bought HD or Lowes tools.. Then Sears disappeared. Also I saw last week that NAPA is selling Craftsman. I am curious;
- Do any of you have an idea what Lowes is up to? Will Kobalt be gone in another year?
- What are your experiences w/ the new Craftsman stuff? Since it is obviously different than the old Sears Craftsman, and my old loyalty definitely declined when they started selling junk, I have no idea if the new Craftsman tools are worth buying

There has been talk of Lowes phasing out Kobalt but its their house brand and they are just an Apex rebrand, so I dont see it happening.
The newer Craftsman stuff is just fine. People need to get over the fact that its made in China and need to take off the rose colored glasses regarding the old made in the USA Craftsman stuff. It wasnt as great as some of us remember and the new stuff is just fine. In many ways, Craftsman today is better than its ever been, especially the V Series stuff and the newer power tools.

 

[finn]

That was my job my first couple years of college!

Are you Joe, or Bill?

 

[Dakotadadv8]

They are fine I have the impact sockets and torque wrench for DIY projects, not sure if they are good enough for pros or shade tree. You can always used them as backups while upgrading to better quality tools, whether CM professional lines in the future or other professional brands mentioned on GJ.

 

[dnschmidt]

Does anybody care? Out here in Arizona Lowes ***** hind *** behind Home Depot by such a huge margin it's hilarious. The Home Depot parking lot is always full, the Lowes you park right up front and walk right in.

 

[dstblj52]

The hand wringing over the trend towards sealed, non serviceable ratchets is a Trojan Horse. Probability less than a couple percent of ratchet users would ever attempt to rebuild a ratchet in their lifetime. It’s not 1952 anymore.

The sealed design, if executed properly, should keep the mechanism clean and offer extended life. Most importantly, modern retail outlets don’t have a workbench in the back room with little elves or high school kids sitting around waiting for Joe mechanic or Bill homeowner to bring in a broken ratchet for repair.

Thank you seriously, I have one ratchet I would maybe rebuild and its the one I got from my dad, for literally everything else it would be into the bucket for warranty when I need it or feel like it

 

[CGarage]

Does any brand offer a non-serviceable, sealed head ratchet that doesn’t have an enormous head on it?

Yes, Facom. I have one of their sealed for life ratchets.....very thin and small.

 

[CraigStu]

Does anybody care? Out here in Arizona Lowes ***** hind *** behind Home Depot by such a huge margin it's hilarious. The Home Depot parking lot is always full, the Lowes you park right up front and walk right in.

That's funny. Must be a regional thing. We used to live in Md and just happened that there were 3 HD stores all about 20 minutes away and one Lowes about the same distance. I shopped 90% at HD. We moved 2 yrs ago and now Lowes and HD are similar distance. The Lowes is a nicer store and slightly easier to get to so I am 90% Lowes now. And the parking lots are the opposite of yours- Lowes packed all the time, HD is less so.

 

[dstblj52]

That's funny. Must be a regional thing. We used to live in Md and just happened that there were 3 HD stores all about 20 minutes away and one Lowes about the same distance. I shopped 90% at HD. We moved 2 yrs ago and now Lowes and HD are similar distance. The Lowes is a nicer store and slightly easier to get to so I am 90% Lowes now. And the parking lots are the opposite of yours- Lowes packed all the time, HD is less so.

store quality is mostly a function of how good the store and district managers are in any given area

 

[Jtels85]

Another difference I’ve noticed while shopping for tools at Home Depot vs. Lowe’s…

Home Depot, you’re pretty much left alone. It’s rare an employee asks if you need help finding anything and when you tell them “No thank you, just looking”, they move on.

Lowe’s, you’re a thief and you’re watched like a hawk while asked several times if you need help findind anything. Don’t touch anything, inspect it or read the label either… it makes you look incredibly suspicious.

 

[qqzj]

Better than Napa. All tools are behind the counter. No need to show any trust. I think it is reasonable because people do steal a lot of tools.

 

[CGarage]

I much prefer Lowe’s to HD in the US.
I miss Builder Square.
Lighting in my local HDs is very poor and the concrete floors are really utilitarian and don’t make seeing stuff any easier. Lowe’s is much more like a Walmart and feels much cleaner. They also carried Bosch and other brands I preferred.

 

[Old Donn]

I ask every time I'm in the Lowe's tool department if Kobalt's going away and I'm assured they're not. Interesting, because as others have mentioned, Cman is front & center while Kobalt is tucked away in the middle aisles. Hope not, I stocked up on USA made Kobalt when it was cleared out to make way for the off-shore stuff.

 

[Snapped-off]

Lowes couldn't compete with Menards in my hometown. They boarded up the store 5-6 years ago.

I'm selling off my kobalt power tools. With craftsman and flex coming to the stores, I don't want to further invest in a questionable line.

 

[CHI_Tool&Die]

Personally, it seems like Lowes and HD are trying to discover what set of tool brands will yield the most profits and consumer traffic. I wouldn't read too much into it. I've seen HD offer Urrea tools, some Wright stuff, their standard Husky, MIT and Tekton at the same time, Capri, and a whole host of other hand tool manufacturers. Lowes kinda does the same thing. They had some Tekton floating around, the Craftsman stuff, Kobalt, and a bunch of brands I never heard of. Honestly, if Lowes did push Kobalt to their cheap line and used the Craftsman brand as their mid-level stuff, I think that would make some sense.

As far as Craftsman, the SBD re-brands are quality stuff. My gunmetal wrenches, sockets, and ratchets are really nice. The wrenches are basically Proto wrenches but made in Taiwan and more squared off on the beam so they cut into my hands a bit (to be fair, my Protos are rounded but the beam is so thin that they also cut into my hands when applying a lot of force). They offer the same ASD and a longer overall length. The sockets are nicely roll stamped and have minimal slop because the broach for the ratchet square drive does not have any radii like so many other Taiwanese sockets do. The ratchets are also pretty decent. I prefer them to some of my US and German ratchets even though they are not serviceable and they have some play on the gearing/drive square. I started testing the V Series regular combination wrenches at work and I think they are pretty decent. They are shorter in length but the beam fits my gorilla hands well which kinda surprised me. I think it might be the I-beam design kinda like Stahlwille and Milwaukee use. I haven't spread any of the open ends yet. Overall, I think that when on sale, they are a good purchase if you can live with the Taiwan COO and the skipping of certain sizes. My Craftsman 2000 stack has survived three years in a machine shop being opened and closed hundreds of times a week. Is it a perfect box? No, but it isn't nearly as bad as so many on these boards would have you believe. The steel is not as thick as a US General but it's still capable of holding a decent load without flexing. My box has stayed stationary so I cannot comment on the wheels or how it takes being moved about all day. I strongly believe that a lot of the ill-will towards Craftsman on this board and on other sites stems from nostalgia and/or ease of past warranty or purchasing experiences. I don't think any of the older Craftsman stuff at the shop warrants the high praise that so many here give them. But I'm in my mid-30s and lived through the really, really bad Craftsman Sears stuff so Craftsman never really held that same sweet spot for me.

 

[CGarage]

The “old” USA Craftsman stuff was good quality and the high praise came from the easy exchange at Sears when something broke. It was a huge benefit for home hobbyists. I had no issue with it and still have some of the 80s Craftsman items. But I prefer the European and Japanese brands to anything from the US. And the tool innovations are all coming out of Taiwan- not the US or Europe. Taiwan is at the forefront of clever tool products production.

 

[Shipfittin]

In the Lowe’s that is closest to my home the Kobalt sockets/ wrenches sections has been pretty much clearanced out and emptied. There were only a few items that did not have yellow tags and they were namely some of the medium sized socket sets.

The idea of being the lower tier to Craftsman is kind of interesting. They used to have Task Force / Blue Hawk and then they went away. I know they are still around in other products like saws and levels but not sockets and wrenches. Maybe that is something they might be looking at doing.

 

[yatg]

Lowes has a history of downsizing the Kobalt line. I have Kobalt drywall and concrete tools and those were discontinued several years ago and replaced with other brands. No reason to think it won't happen to the rest of Kobalt at some point.

 

[Handyandy23]

Just to add to the regional Lowe's vs HD comparisons, locally to me (Ontario, Canada) HD is Lowe's daddy. The Lowe's store in town is nicer and newer, and it's a couple stoplights closer to me than HD. But I still drive past it 90% of the time to go to a packed HD because I just find it way easier to find things, they have better stock, Milwaukee / DeWalt / Ryobi cordless under one roof, and their checkout process is much better.

This is coming from someone probably a few years too young to really have that "Craftsman nostalgia" (plus we lived an hour away from the closest Sears), but aside from buying for the name, I don't really understand the draw of their current tool lineup. Anything I've looked at in stores is much more expensive than it should be, like double the price of comparable options from Tekton, or house brands at Canadian Tire local to me (mostly rebranded GearWrench designs). Other than convenience of "it's right here in front of me" and customers with the Craftsman nostalgia, I don't really get why anyone would pay a premium price for imported ho-hum designs.

It would make way more sense to me if Lowe's kept Kobalt as their entry level hand tool brand, and then carried Craftsman V-series in the store as a premium line. Then at least you have some choice in quality and price point, and it kind of props up the Craftsman name and legacy. The way it is right now the Craftsman compared to Kobalt just looks like similar quality at a much higher price.

 

[Ton ton]

Lowe's hand tools are junk. Especially Kobalt brand. Lowe's won't stand behind the Kobalt warranty for me locally. I have tried multiple times. Losing Kobalt is no great loss. Home Depot doesn't have many stores locally for me. Just my 2 cents.

 

[woody 73]

In my eyes only; just my opinion of course but when I first started going to lowes the stores were very clean and bright, the tool selection was very good as they had their ratchet sets made by williams, and you could even pick up knipex tools in the electrical section.

Now don't get me wrong but with the drop of a hat lowes was always switching suppliers and I never knew what to expect every time I would walk into their stores.

This brings me to today and the stores are getting a little faded, the help is a little harder to find, the tool selection is rather blah and instead of a drop of the hat they are moving at warp speed to change items before you can even blink.

On the other hand, Home Depot which I very rarely went into started putting up killer displays of tools on sale (like lowes used to do). and now the tool selection is much better then lowes. Although being color blind I still hate their store colors whatever you call them?

Anyhow just my two cents.

 

[jives]

Much prefer HD vs. Lowes in town. One is customer service, two is tool selection quality, three is lumber selection. As for Kobalt, never again. Couple of years ago I decided to treat myself to a new pliers set -- side cutters, slip joint, linesman, needle nose. My 25 year old Craftsman pros had worn jaw teeth, was missing the slip-joint pliers, and the dykes had a chipped jaw. Bought a set of Kobalts. . . did not notice the China markings. All of them now have loose jaws and uneven jaw fit. All are beginning to rust. I've gone back to the Craftsman.

 

[11b30b4]

I probably should have read this thread before posting my Craftsman thread. Anyway, I am not a huge fan of Kobalt tools, but I have been a long-time user of Craftsman. I recently purchased the Craftsman VERSASTACK 216-Piece set from Lowes and it was total garbage. I returned it and got an 81-piece gun metal set which is better but still no where near as nice as my 2012 easy read set, I got from Sears.

Craftsman needs a swift kick in the pants. A complete replacement of the management, marketing, and design with people who are smart and respect the linage of the Company. With the current line up of tools, Harbor Freight (cringe) is almost a better option.

Just look at the 2012 Craftsman catalog, Pages 58-104 are all socket and wrench sets in various sizes, piece count, styles, etc… There are over 100 sets available, and the quality was very good compared to the meager current offerings.

Further, go to Craftsman.com and see what available compared to what’s available from Lowes and Ace. Lowes has a 41-piece screwdriver set that is not offered anywhere else and its not on the Craftsman web site. It is so exhausting with what this company has become.

 

[finn]

I probably should have read this thread before posting my Craftsman thread. Anyway, I am not a huge fan of Kobalt tools, but I have been a long-time user of Craftsman. I recently purchased the Craftsman VERSASTACK 216-Piece set from Lowes and it was total garbage. I returned it and got an 81-piece gun metal set which is better but still no where near as nice as my 2012 easy read set, I got from Sears.

Craftsman needs a swift kick in the pants. A complete replacement of the management, marketing, and design with people who are smart and respect the linage of the Company. With the current line up of tools, Harbor Freight (cringe) is almost a better option.

Just look at the 2012 Craftsman catalog, Pages 58-104 are all socket and wrench sets in various sizes, piece count, styles, etc… There are over 100 sets available, and the quality was very good compared to the meager current offerings.

Further, go to Craftsman.com and see what available compared to what’s available from Lowes and Ace. Lowes has a 41-piece screwdriver set that is not offered anywhere else and its not on the Craftsman web site. It is so exhausting with what this company has become.

You forgot the part that the company that sold Craftsman tools in 2012, ten years ago, had an unsustainable business model and is essentially out of business now.

If you want to compare today’s Craftsman to something ten years ago, pick a comparator that was successful then, and is still thriving today.

 

[11b30b4]

Finn you make a fair point. I honestly only recall Husky, Kobalt, and Benchtop from the same period. I am sure there were more (several from Apex) but (for the home owner) the big box store brands were the main competition with Craftsman and all of them have gone through the same quality drop as Craftsman.

I believe my main point was how badly the brand has deteriorated since then. I just wish there was a way to save the brand and bring back that level of quality.

 

[Handyandy23]

Finn you make a fair point. I honestly only recall Husky, Kobalt, and Benchtop from the same period. I am sure there were more (several from Apex) but (for the home owner) the big box store brands were the main competition with Craftsman and all of them have gone through the same quality drop as Craftsman.

I believe my main point was how badly the brand has deteriorated since then. I just wish there was a way to save the brand and bring back that level of quality.

Honestly I feel like this already exists, but Lowe's isn't smart enough to stock it in their stores, and most people don't want to pay the price for it: Craftsman V-Series. You can buy it online through Lowe's or apparently at some select Ace Hardware stores. I think it's still all off-shore sourced stuff, but it's supposed to have the "higher level of quality".

The problem is people want to be able to buy something with the Craftsman name on it for dirt cheap while also having great quality, and the math doesn't add up. If someone is stuck on the Craftsman name and wants quality then they will have to pony up for the V-series stuff.

 

[Handyandy23]

The inherent problem though with Craftsman V-series is I don't see how it's competitive with some of the other similar quality offerings, aside from someone who is drawn to the Craftsman name specifically. Take these ratchet sets for example:

Craftsman V Series 4 pc Ratchet Set - $199.98

Tekton 4 pc Ratchet Set - $95

These sets are virtually identical. I won't comment on the quality of the V Series because I don't have any, but I have those Tekton's, and they are great. Very small heads, nice crisp mechanisms, and quality feel. Both you have to order online. Tekton has a very good warranty system that's been well documented here on GJ.

So aside from name value and nostalgia, I'm just not sure what you gain by paying double for the Craftsman. However it seems like SB&D has decided that's the price people will have to pay to get a decent quality tool with that name on it.

 

[bobemmerich]

I noticed it in the past year or so. Less and less Kobalt and more C-man. The HD's around me seem to be stocking more GearWrench and less and less Husky. Is the C-Man V Series supposed to be USA made? I can't seem to find this info. I know the "Industrial" line is supposed to be.
Actually, given the choice, I prefer the actual Stanley tools over the "new" C-man stuff. They just seem like better quality (and the price point is much less and if you search the web, you can find their USA made stuff, but it's slightly more $).
Then again, most of my stuff is older USA Thorsen, Stanley, K-D or Allen, and I'm not turning wrenches for a living anymore.

 

[Dakotadadv8]

Bobemmerich, according to Lowes customer service the V series are made in FORT MILL, SOUTH CAROLINA WITH GLOBAL MATERIALS. Not sure how reliable this is, you could confirm the COO once you order it online.

 

[finn]

Tekton has a tiny distribution base, compared to Craftsman. You can get it online, but I know of no national chain distribution retailers.

I guess you can get both online, and I think I saw a limited selection in a farm store, but since Meijer dropped them, I haven’t been able to literally put my hands on them. Even my Meijer had a pitifully small selection, but I realize they tools aren’t exactly Meijer’s prime business.

 

[Handyandy23]

Tekton has a tiny distribution base, compared to Craftsman. You can get it online, but I know of no national chain distribution retailers.

I guess you can get both online, and I think I saw a limited selection in a farm store, but since Meijer dropped them, I haven’t been able to literally put my hands on them. Even my Meijer had a pitifully small selection, but I realize they tools aren’t exactly Meijer’s prime business.

That's really the only thing saving Craftsman right now, that Joe Homeowner walks into Lowe's and it's a recognizable name that's right in his face.

It's a shame that Tekton isn't in Meijer anymore because that was very convenient, and probably helped a lot of people get into the brand by being able to handle the tools in person. But I wouldn't say it's difficult in any way to buy them - they ship quickly from their own website apparently, and in Canada I can buy them Amazon Prime with next day delivery.

When compared to likely similar quality Craftsman V Series stuff that you also need to order online, but at twice the price, I'll take Tekton. But then your standard Lowe's Craftsman is more targeted at people that probably aren't the type to be reading an online tool forum, just someone that needs a tool for a purpose and sees a name they know.

 

[M635_Guy]

I don't trust or hold any value for the Craftsman brand any more.

That's not to say I won't buy anything at all with the Craftsman name, but it doesn't mean anything at all to me. (e.g. I bought a Cman pressure washer from Lowe's a couple years ago - that was purely on specs and price)

I've replaced a lot of tools over the last several years, and none of them have been "house brands" of home improvement store (Cman/Kobal/etc.), with the exception of my RIGID shop vac. I'm not going to put myself in a position to argue with some store employee about a warranty.

I trust that Wiha/Knipex/SO/Carlyle/Tekton/etc. and yes, Harbor Freight, will still be around over the next 30 or so years before I'm too old to care any more.

 

[Ton ton]

Tekton has a tiny distribution base, compared to Craftsman. You can get it online, but I know of no national chain distribution retailers.

I guess you can get both online, and I think I saw a limited selection in a farm store, but since Meijer dropped them, I haven’t been able to literally put my hands on them. Even my Meijer had a pitifully small selection, but I realize they tools aren’t exactly Meijer’s prime business.

Too bad, you don't live in northern Kentucky or southern Ohio. You can buy Tekton off a tool truck if you live there.

 

[finn]

Too bad, you don't live in northern Kentucky or southern Ohio. You can buy Tekton off a tool truck if you live there.

I haven’t been on a tool truck in thirty years. I suspect most people have never been on a tool truck, and never will be.

Tool trucks serve a tiny, but tightly focused group of customers.

 

[jives]

I bought a 2g CM air compressor a few years ago, I think when HD was divesting its CM stuff. It was cheap, and was really only to fill the 80psi tires of my truck as the air pumps in all the local gas stations were limited to 60 psi. It is my first and only compression, but I can say it is gutless. Could be my over-expectations, but the hose fittings leak, the pressure regulation dial sloppy, and the re-fill time is really slow. Shoulda bought HF?