Most people are just upset because of what MAC use to be. During their prime in the late 80s and well into the 90s they were very comparable to Snap-On in what they actually manufactured in their line-up. Now its more or a less a shadow of its former self and most of the new tools introduced in recent years have been from other brands (Facom, Proto, Professional Tool in Taiwan etc...). Not a bad brand by any stretch and someone would have some great tools if they filled their box with them but its still a bit sad if you look back at what MAC was compared to what they are now.
You know..I think what you just said right there is probably the single best post about MAC I've ever read here on GJ. Lord knows that here on GJ any post about anything MAC turns into a "My Driver *****" and "Last time I saw the MAC truck Sasquatch was in the drivers seat flippin me the bird as he drove by the shop" type thread...I surely do wish it were 1992 again, I was thinner, better lookin, had less worries in the world and the MAC truck had classic MAC Tools on it...fast forward 21 years and here we are. I never BS'ed myself about what the tools actually are or were...what they were are excellent brands and tools with the MAC name on em....I know damn well the new cordless impact is DeWalt, so what? Getting a FACOM or Proto rebranded item dont hurt my feelings either. Hey, at least we're getting FACOM stuff and not cheap **** stuff....In my mind, The entire "Stanley Family" is a complete line of well respected brands...If you slapped the "MAC" name on a Bostitch Nail Gun, people on here would cry ****** murder. In its Orange OEM Colors and Branding, its a great gun.
Lets also remember that in 1992 the internet was still in Al Gore's head, MAC could have sold you a rebranded Harbor Freight ratchet and nobody would have known...also buying the Proto or Facom OEM version was probably impossible for 99% of the population. Here in 2013 we can import Nepros ourselves if we want. I know some people get bent because "You can get the same thing for less online" but its NOT the same thing, one of them comes to you on a truck, personal handshake service, free loaner if you need to warranty it, and you can pay 5.00 a week on it. The other comes from a warehouse hundreds of miles away....
Where's the outrage of virtually every other MFG/Retailer large or small rebranding something? Heck where's the outrage over Proto rebranding the new MAC line of Impacts?
