Matco Taiwan sockets...won't buy them!!!

[chevy_tech]

So I priced out some impact sockets thru the Matco guy recently. Only wanted four sockets to add on to a set of Matco Impact sockets I already have. He gave me a much lower price than I was expecting, so I bought them. He pulled the sockets out of the drawer in individual packages which were marked "Made in Taiwan". I pointed out the "Made in Taiwan" and said "I don't want them"!! Turns out that it were the Matco ADV sockets which is like a budget line. He was able to order me the real Matco sockets which he claims are "Made in U.S.A." He told me he actually sells way more of the Taiwan sockets than the domestic made ones, which really suprises me. Don't get me wrong, I own plenty of foreign made stuff, but if I'm buying wrenches, ratchets, or sockets off a Matco, Snap On, or Mac truck...they better be made in America!!! Just wondering if anyone agrees with me?

 

[bodyguy16]

Yup, absolutely when paying premium price i want a premium product, i had some sockets priced recently from mac and the usa ones where on a couple bucks more than the taiwan ones go figure....

 

[bobbycos]

My Mac and Snap-on guy tell me upfront what is USA made and what is offshore

at least I know in advance

be on the lookout for Bangladesh made tools, the India manufacturers are starting to go there

 

[rmodel65]

i thought most everything matco sells is Asian made?

 

[Herod]

Funny you should say that.....just two days ago a guy was selling a metric set of the deep "ADV" Matcos, like 30 or so pieces. On craiglist. For $150. I'd never seen these before. I asked him if he'd take $100, he agreed. Then I thought something was up....being so cheap and all. So I google and find out....yup.....taiwan. I asked him if they had a USA stamp anywhere on them. He said they did not, but assured me that Matco is all USA, "Aas far as he knew".

But my daddy didn't raise no suckers. I said, "No thanks anyway".

Hell no am I gonna buy taiwan matco. No more than I would ever buy china craftman.

 

[jmm]

My Mac and Snap-on guy tell me upfront what is USA made and what is offshore

So does mine. But as far as impact sockets go, there's been a huge shift to GP stuff...around here at least. I held off a while, but when it came time for me to get some new impacts, I tried the GPs. They're great tools and they're appropriately priced (even off the truck).

 

[Fedwrench]

i thought most everything matco sells is Asian made?

More of a myth than reality. However, it's important to remember that the only thing Matco makes are tool boxes. Everything else is made by someone else for them. Now, with many of the age old danaher factories closing up, the myth may become more real though in the near future.

 

[chevy_tech]

I enjoy looking thru my grandpa's Mac toolbox from the 1970's (now my dad's), and looking at all of his heavy american Mac and a Snap On tools. It's Definatly something to be proud of to have a nice set of American made tools in my opinion. I'm going to try and keep my tools as American as I can, and definatly won't pay a high price on a tool truck for foreign tools. Im glad that others feel this way too!

 

[Skin]

ADV sockets are made by Sunex. Good tools. A bit of a premium but you're still looking at 1/3 less than the USA counterparts. What you're paying for in the end is the convenience to be able to swap the sockets out on the track at any time.

This isn't the 1970s, the economy and your purchasing options are far greater than they were back then. Asian and European manufacturers have brought great innovations with them that you would be silly to ignore. Your father or grandfather would not have ignored ratcheting wrenches (invented and the vast majority of which are made in Taiwan) or pipe pliers that grip like a vice and don't smash your fingers (Knipex-Germany).

 

[firebox40dash5]

Yup, absolutely when paying premium price i want a premium product, i had some sockets priced recently from mac and the usa ones where on a couple bucks more than the taiwan ones go figure....

The ADV sockets are pretty damn cheap as truck sockets go... if not overall. I have a smattering of them for SAE, as well as some random 12pts for heads and unit bearings as such. Most of the 12pts were something like $5-7 buying individually. I don't think that's appreciably worse than you'd pay for an open stock impact socket anywhere else.

They're identical to Gearwrench, in typical Matco fashion with a wider size/style range. I have yet to see or hear of an issue with them... although I did spring for USA hard lines for my metric sockets. But, those see probably 10x the use my SAE sets get.

 

[DodgeMech]

adv's are great...and so are gp's...been abusing several of each and ain't got no complaints...some of them are wearing out, but they're impacts, and daily use for 2 years will do that to any of them...taiwan or otherwise

 

[devoncoolman]

The adv sockets at retail price are not a deal. Sunnex and gp can be had for much less and same quality. But when the adv stuff goes on sale usually they are a great deal with a hreat convienent warrenty. I prefer matco's usa line better looking and better quality but imho still not worth the price. Snap-on is better imho. But my matco impacts have held up well use them everyday hard and never broke one.

 

[chevy_tech]

ADV sockets are made by Sunex. Good tools. A bit of a premium but you're still looking at 1/3 less than the USA counterparts. What you're paying for in the end is the convenience to be able to swap the sockets out on the track at any time.

This isn't the 1970s, the economy and your purchasing options are far greater than they were back then. Asian and European manufactures have brought great innovations with them that you would be silly to ignore.

You're right, this is not the seventies and many things have changed. However, sockets, wrenches, ratchets, and most all others hand tools haven't changed in design, just quality. Manufacturing products in China or India is innovative for higher profits...that's it.

 

[devoncoolman]

And not everytool made in usa is quality either. That debate goes both ways. I ho for the right tool for the job and the best tool i can afford. So most of the time its snapon or equivilent but some tools cant be justified.

 

[Jweebothee]

I will stick to buying American when I can because I think it's important for our country and economy. I wish more people felt this way. Your opinion on chineese quality is very debatable and is in no way a fact.

I believe he said Quantity not quality when he referred to Chinese product

 

[DodgeMech]

I believe he said Quantity not quality when he referred to Chinese product

yes i did...taiwan on the other hand, is getting better quality yearly

either way, my box is mostly full of newerish snappy us stuff, and a few US things that were forged before i was born that i found at swap meets and pawn shops, with some taiwan here and there...and a touch of chinese

 

[MLB0611]

ADV sockets are made by Sunex. Good tools. A bit of a premium but you're still looking at 1/3 less than the USA counterparts. What you're paying for in the end is the convenience to be able to swap the sockets out on the track at any time.

This isn't the 1970s, the economy and your purchasing options are far greater than they were back then. Asian and European manufacturers have brought great innovations with them that you would be silly to ignore. Your father or grandfather would not have ignored ratcheting wrenches (invented and the vast majority of which are made in Taiwan) or pipe pliers that grip like a vice and don't smash your fingers (Knipex-Germany).

ADV line is made by gearwrench not sunex. good tools though

 

[sk farmer]

i may be wrong but i don't get the big deal here. your dealer did not misrepresent anything. he gladly returned them when you found out they were not what you wanted and ordered you the ones you did want. i call that good service.

not really any different than the snap-on guy selling blue point tools, many that are also imported.

seems like you are making a big deal about something that isn't.

 

[nicksnothereman]

So I priced out some impact sockets thru the Matco guy recently. Only wanted four sockets to add on to a set of Matco Impact sockets I already have. He gave me a much lower price than I was expecting, so I bought them. He pulled the sockets out of the drawer in individual packages which were marked "Made in Taiwan". I pointed out the "Made in Taiwan" and said "I don't want them"!! Turns out that it were the Matco ADV sockets which is like a budget line. He was able to order me the real Matco sockets which he claims are "Made in U.S.A." He told me he actually sells way more of the Taiwan sockets than the domestic made ones, which really suprises me. Don't get me wrong, I own plenty of foreign made stuff, but if I'm buying wrenches, ratchets, or sockets off a Matco, Snap On, or Mac truck...they better be made in America!!! Just wondering if anyone agrees with me?

Taiwan impact is good (though most are cr-v). Not that you pay a premium price for it but it kind of shows that you don't necessarily need to get truck tools to get good quality...you just need to find the right manufacturer when it comes to taiwan stuff (they're all pretty good honestly with the modern stuff; don't really run into "****" from taiwan nowadays).

I just hope that the pro brands adjust the price properly but again taiwan stuff isn't exactly cheap to begin with; some stuff is offered at reasonable prices in harbor freight but typically you forgo some fit & finish for that price.

 

[Exceller8]

If I'm paying truck prices then I want American made tools. There is no reason to buy truck import tools when there are plenty of options out there for waaaaay less $$$. Take the HF impact sockets for example. I'm not saying they're the same but they work great and most are made in Taiwan.

 

[monomach]

So I priced out some impact sockets thru the Matco guy recently. Only wanted four sockets to add on to a set of Matco Impact sockets I already have. He gave me a much lower price than I was expecting, so I bought them. He pulled the sockets out of the drawer in individual packages which were marked "Made in Taiwan". I pointed out the "Made in Taiwan" and said "I don't want them"!! Turns out that it were the Matco ADV sockets which is like a budget line. He was able to order me the real Matco sockets which he claims are "Made in U.S.A." He told me he actually sells way more of the Taiwan sockets than the domestic made ones, which really suprises me. Don't get me wrong, I own plenty of foreign made stuff, but if I'm buying wrenches, ratchets, or sockets off a Matco, Snap On, or Mac truck...they better be made in America!!! Just wondering if anyone agrees with me?

Meh, depends on the price.

I have US SK impacts that I paid an arm and a leg for and newer Taiwan HF impacts that were like $20 per set. Can't see any difference in actual usability, really. They're both excellent.

I generally avoid the Matco truck, so I haven't seen them. I'm guessing he charges more than $20 per set, though, so I'd pass on them.

 

[amlv20]

Nope I won't buy jack **** off the matco and Mac tucks,all over priced rebranded tools not worth tool truck pricing and that goes for blue point too.worth more to buy proto,sk,wright,and Williams to me.

 

[MattPersman]

Sounds like the Mac truck almost the entire flier and truck is import. He tried to sell me the precision torque 1/2 drive impact deep set, and I said dude TOO expensive, he said look up a price of snap on sockets, I said yeah MADE in the USA of course they are probably gonna be more $$$, he then said but they are lifetime warranty and that's when I said I can get HF that are lifetime warranty he didn't like that comeback and I said dude if that is your only selling point it's not gonna work.

 

[jrobb316]

Sounds like the Mac truck almost the entire flier and truck is import. He tried to sell me the precision torque 1/2 drive impact deep set, and I said dude TOO expensive, he said look up a price of snap on sockets, I said yeah MADE in the USA of course they are probably gonna be more $$$, he then said but they are lifetime warranty and that's when I said I can get HF that are lifetime warranty he didn't like that comeback and I said dude if that is your only selling point it's not gonna work.

Total truth. I stopped buying off the Matco truck because I couldn't find much of anything that wasn't imported. Now the only option I have is a snap on truck and online, so I don't have these issues anymore There isn't even a local sears here.

 

[wild cowboy]

People who avoid Taiwan are missing out of a slew of new ratchets and other tools that have been introduced in the last year, at a level of quality that can compete with ANY brand of tools at any price! - and this is coming from someone who has enough USA-made tools to buy a decent house!

and what is the big surprise about Matco? - they (Danaher), have been making most all of Craftsman's tools for several decades! - yet people still pay the truck price for their Craftsman

 

[Spudland_Dave]

If I'm paying truck prices then I want American made tools. There is no reason to buy truck import tools when there are plenty of options out there for waaaaay less $$$. Take the HF impact sockets for example. I'm not saying they're the same but they work great and most are made in Taiwan.

First off, hard to compare ANY impact sockets to the HF in terms of pricing Everybody says they are good, I cant knock em. 'Specially not for the price

But secondly...the "if I'm paying tool truck prices" argument is the issue...you guys are making it sound like the Import & USA tools are the same prices, they arent. My MAC Guy sells a ton of the Expert stuff, which is the Stanley version of Blue Point/Williams. Huge price difference between the Expert Impact sockets and the MAC Brand sockets. His pricing on the Expert stuff is very much in line with other similar type brands available online and other stores. BluePoint chrome sockets are import and very nice quality, pricing on the couple odd ones I bought was the same as most any other brands...dont know why we dont see any love for em here?

I got a set of the MAC Edge impact sockets...MAC Branded and Imported, but lemme tell you, I LOVE Those sockets on rusty/stuck fasteners...you COO purists ARE missing out on some good tools.