Menards discontinues USA made hand tools

[earthmover1980]

Well well well,
Menards jumps on the bandwagon too. I was checking out the new tool display, and it dawned on me that there new tool line is Chinese. Then I found the clearance rack full of phased out us made wrenches. Nothing but disappointed. Looks like the new lineup is gear wrench, but I thought they were Taiwan. Who knows what is going on, just US made tools are lost.

 

[AA/FC]

There have been several threads about this recently. Gearwrench has been sold at Menards for several years (at least). It is sad that they discontinued the USA Masterforce tools but when the manufacturer moves to China, its hard to sell tools that are made here.

 

[Cfendrick]

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=402802

See last post this started happening last week and close out of USA MasterForce for the last month or so.

There are other posts search the forums for Menards

 

[Cfendrick]

And here’s another thread with info:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=338895&highlight=Menards

 

[ChrisLS8]

Where have you been?

 

[dsimatt]

I'd love to rip Menards about ditching US made tools but my Chinese made Milwaukee tools just came in at home depot.

 

[jdlong]

Menards has been selling Gearwrench for years.

 

[plinker]

Something to think about, Who would make new USA made tools at the price point any of the box stores want?

The membership on this site say they would buy the stuff, but even if everyone did, it's still a minority compared to the typical consumer who wants to replace a wheel on a push mower or assemble Ikea stuff.

Anything made by S-K, Snap-on, Proto, Wright and any of their subsidiaries is likely going to be too expensive for the "normal" target customer. The fact of Apex dropping the US lines of hand tools leaves a large gap and that gap is going to be filled by imports that meet the price point.

 

[bob from indiana]

The Master Force screwdrivers are still U.S.A. I picked up two sets this weekend.

 

[finn]

Apex closed the plant that made Masterforce, Allen, Armstrong, and several other , now discontinued lines.

Why is Menards now the villain?

 

[jonshonda]

Why is Menards now the villain?

Because you can reach out and touch them. I really find it funny when people ***** about finding the best possible deal, and will only buy something on MEGA clearance, but then complain that manufacturing is leaving the US.

If you want products to be made in the US, then you have to buy them. Yes...they cost more, cuz they have too. What don't people get about that?

I'm gonna guess menards had a role to play in the closing of Apex. Along with many others, they kept turning the screws and turning the screws on price until they just weren't' making money on anything.

 

[buckwheat_la]

I just want to point out that although it is debatable, a good arguement can be made that those cheaper Taiwan and Chinese tools are of comparable quality (exception being Snap-on) as American/Domestic names. So really what right do we have to complain, we want cheap with high quality and Asia does that way better.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Because you can reach out and touch them. I really find it funny when people ***** about finding the best possible deal, and will only buy something on MEGA clearance, but then complain that manufacturing is leaving the US.

If you want products to be made in the US, then you have to buy them. Yes...they cost more, cuz they have too. What don't people get about that?

Yup, lots of people want deals, buy used, claim they're big USA supporters. It's a business like anything else, company has to justify all of the expenses with US manufacturing. Labor standards, environmental standards, higher fixed costs. USA stuff should cost more, it costs companies more to make. Frankly at "street prices" I don't find Proto, SK, etc. to be outrageously expensive.



Personally, I'm a "good tool" kinda guy. Wherever they're made, if they're the best in their specialty, that's what I'm buying. Makes for plenty of first world tools, and plenty of imports too.

 

[AffableCurmudgeon]

Another thread lamenting COO by people opining using China made phones and computers, connected to the internet by Chinese manufactured communication gear, wearing clothes made in China, driving cars with a ton or Chinese components...


This is getting old.

 

[Fedwrench]

Something to think about, Who would make new USA made tools at the price point any of the box stores want?

You are absolutely correct

Sadly we're still feeling the effects of Armstrong's demise. It's kind of like not missing water until the well runs dry.

The bottom line was that Armstrong factories churned out pretty much most if not all, of the affordable US made mechanics hand tools. KD, Allen, NAPA, Craftsman, Master Mechanic, and others came from those same production lines. There's no one else in the US to fill the void left by Armstrong.

 

[jonshonda]

Another thread lamenting COO by people opining using China made phones and computers, connected to the internet by Chinese manufactured communication gear, wearing clothes made in China, driving cars with a ton or Chinese components...


This is getting old.

Apples and oranges comparisons like yours are getting old. The consumer doesn't have a choice as to what components go into those products. But when given the choice to buy US made or Chinese made products, most could care less about COO and put priority on the $$.

A perfect example is a story after 9/11 where Wal-marts highest selling item was a USA flag made in China. Both US made and China made flags were hung within feet of each other, and the great patriots of America chose the cheaper China US flag w/ zero f#cks given.

I don't know how it's even legal to make a US flag in a different country.

 

[tdkkart]

I contend that after many years of making ****, they've learned a lot from Americans about how to turn their good tools into cheap ****. Now, China seems have reverse engineered this concept into make pretty damn decent tools for reasonable money. Witness the dramatic upward change in the quality of Harbor Freight tools in recent years as a fine example.
No, it's not Snap-off, but there's a lot of their reasonably priced tools that are indeed pretty damn decent.

 

[jonshonda]

I contend that after many years of making ****, they've learned a lot from Americans about how to turn their good tools into cheap ****. Now, China seems have reverse engineered this concept into make pretty damn decent tools for reasonable money. Witness the dramatic upward change in the quality of Harbor Freight tools in recent years as a fine example.
No, it's not Snap-off, but there's a lot of their reasonably priced tools that are indeed pretty damn decent.

It's a little thing they like to call Intellectual Property, hence the current tariffs with China. The majority of the Chinese over 50 that are coming into the city to work have ZERO experience in manufacturing anything other then what the built with sticks in their dirt floor farm house. They grew up in a tiny farming community in the middle of no where. You think they have just grown by leaps and bounds w/o any outside influence?

 

[zendriver]

Hmm.

Sell imported tools at a 25% higher price, facing scorn from those who don't even buy their tools, or sell even higher priced American tools, that no one is willing (or able) to pay the higher price for anyway.

Sounds like Menards is facing a business conundrum that most other businesses will face as well.

Yippee we showed em'


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tdkkart]

The majority of the Chinese over 50 that are coming into the city to work have ZERO experience in manufacturing anything.

These are what we call "management" here, most with Master's Degrees and no experience in making anything.

 

[tdkkart]

It's a little thing they like to call Intellectual Property, hence the current tariffs with China.

I don't know why everyone is upset, we're the f&*king idiots that took all of our information over there and handed it to them.

"Here's the parts, here's the prints, and here's how we build them, and here's who we sell them to." "Now, can you make them cheaply?"

Who the hell ever thought they wouldn't copy it all and sell it back to us??
Ask Honda what they did to them in the power equipment market.

We have NOBODY to blame but ourselves.

 

[GrayFlattop]

I firmly believe that it is less a matter of country of origin and more a matter of the quality level that is chosen by the importer.

China is capable of manufacturing any level of quality that you want to pay for. Most stores just want to sell cheap product at maximum profit, so that's what fills the stores.

I absolutely prefer to have tools made in the US or Europe because of the quality that you expect is usually met. Japan used to get a bad rap as did Taiwan - and Japanese tools - when you can find them are very well made. Taiwan used to be the bottom before the rise of China as an industrial producer.

 

[cashishift]

I don't know why everyone is upset, we're the f&*king idiots that took all of our information over there and handed it to them.

"Here's the parts, here's the prints, and here's how we build them, and here's who we sell them to." "Now, can you make them cheaply?"

Who the hell ever thought they wouldn't copy it all and sell it back to us??
Ask Honda what they did to them in the power equipment market.

We have NOBODY to blame but ourselves.

Details on Honda?

 

[zendriver]

I don't know why everyone is upset, we're the f&*king idiots that took all of our information over there and handed it to them.

"Here's the parts, here's the prints, and here's how we build them, and here's who we sell them to." "Now, can you make them cheaply?"

Who the hell ever thought they wouldn't copy it all and sell it back to us??
Ask Honda what they did to them in the power equipment market.

We have NOBODY to blame but ourselves.

American Companies never stole/copied intellectual property, from each other, the Germans, the Japanese, the Swiss, or anybody (everybody) else, for that matter?

The Japanese, never copied and/or improved any of our designs? No other countries did the same?

The fact people pretend the Chinese doing it is some kind of breaking news, is the most mind boggling.

It's always been this way.

They can take a drill apart and reverse engineer it - just like everybody else!

 

[tdkkart]

Details on Honda?

Go to your local big box store and look at just about any generator power washer etc, or go look at Harbor Freight's "Predator" engines, notice any resemblance to Honda? Bet you do, in fact except for the red paint these engines are direct copies of Hondas right down to individual parts.

There are also many many 50 to 100+cc small motorcycles and ATVs on the market with direct copies of Honda's motorcycles on them.

Search Ebay for Lifan Engine: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...esc=0&_osacat=0&_odkw=125cc+motorcycle+engine
These and several other brand names are direct copies of Honda engines.

Honda slipped up somewhere in the patent/copyright process and China grabbed it by the horns and ran with it.

 

[tdkkart]

American Companies never stole/copied intellectual property, from each other, the Germans, the Japanese, the Swiss, or anybody (everybody) else, for that matter?

The Japanese, never copied and/or improved any of our designs? No other countries did the same?

The fact people pretend the Chinese doing it is some kind of breaking news, is the most mind boggling.

It's always been this way.

They can take a drill apart and reverse engineer it - just like everybody else!

People pretend to hear alot of things in the news these days..........

 

[Burn1]

Another poster hit the nail on the head. The average consumer buys a tool as just that. Fix what is broken today solution and wants the cheapest tool solution to get the job done.
For others on this forum and myself, nice quality tools made in America is a pride issue. The more the average consumer buys the cheaper tools, the more many of us can get great deals on the older vintage made in USA stuff.
If someone selling off pop’s old rusty tools associates x value on a new box goods store shiny china one, this will help old rusty stuff equate to an even lower preceived value by many sellers who could care less where something is manufactured.

 

[finn]

These are what we call "management" here, most with Master's Degrees and no experience in making anything.

This “management” you speak of so derisively makes pretty good money, so I surmise they aren’t as stupid as you seem to think.

 

[plinker]

American Companies never stole/copied intellectual property, from each other, the Germans, the Japanese, the Swiss, or anybody (everybody) else, for that matter?

The Japanese, never copied and/or improved any of our designs? No other countries did the same?

The fact people pretend the Chinese doing it is some kind of breaking news, is the most mind boggling.

It's always been this way.

They can take a drill apart and reverse engineer it - just like everybody else!

It's always happened I'm sure, But I think china took it to the next level so to speak. The sheer quantity of everything imported from china from textiles to electronics is what I'm referring to.

 

[AffableCurmudgeon]

Apples and oranges comparisons like yours are getting old. The consumer doesn't have a choice as to what components go into those products. But when given the choice to buy US made or Chinese made products, most could care less about COO and put priority on the $$.

A perfect example is a story after 9/11 where Wal-marts highest selling item was a USA flag made in China. Both US made and China made flags were hung within feet of each other, and the great patriots of America chose the cheaper China US flag w/ zero f#cks given.

I don't know how it's even legal to make a US flag in a different country.

It is not apples and oranges. You are being selective on where you will tolerate China as the COO. In my world, utility and value matters, not COO.

We are Americans, the most powerful capitalistic nation. We believe in free trade and Laissez-faire economics. We should never be in the business of passing laws that make it illegal as to where a product, even if it is our flag, is made.

World changes every minute and manufacturing practices change with it. Manufacturing is not an art, it is a commodity. Skilled labor has been and will continue to be replaced by cheaper people and even cheaper machines. Those who don’t update their own skills and continue to lament the loss of jobs that require skills that have long been commdotized, will continue to find themselves in rust belts and desolate towns complaining about lack of jobs.

There are more ways to make money and grow the economy than forging steel parts and tools. There is a whole new world out there that needs a whole new set of skills and is willing to pay handsomely for those new skills. One day, those new skills will be commodotized as well and we will need to find even newer skills.

You and I don’t on this view of this ever changing world. There is no point in continuing this argument with you. Take care.

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

Hmm.

Sell imported tools at a 25% higher price, facing scorn from those who don't even buy their tools, or sell even higher priced American tools, that no one is willing (or able) to pay the higher price for anyway.

Sounds like Menards is facing a business conundrum that most other businesses will face as well.

Yippee we showed em'


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Menards has made a business decision to stay in the market. As others have pointed out most people are not making a living with the tools they buy. The result is they buy what is economical which is sucking the life out of North American jobs.
Menards has started taking the route of death by a 1000 cuts. Look at the death of Sam’s Club, Sears, in Canada Eaton’s, Kmart, Woolworths, Kresges etc. I realize that some of these companies are also in the US. This was after the local hardware stores being over run by the big hardware chains. Your appliance stores will slowly disappear as Lowe’s, HD etc take over the appliance niche. We will have our Princess Autos and HF, which Menards is up against.
We can ***** all we want as we keep buying much of our products from Amazon and other online stores. We haven’t even seen the extent of the full online thrust. Our kids are finding more avenues than ever to purchase online. Once the brunt of the purchasing power of mine/your generation totally disapates you will see more delivery companies circling your block. Amazon just lately purchased something like 20,000 delivery trucks for the near future deliveries. This was already discussed on GJ.
Sorry for ranting but we are the instruments of our own demise, but boy can we ***** with our blind folds on.

 

[zendriver]

Menards has made a business decision to stay in the market. As others have pointed out most people are not making a living with the tools they buy. The result is they buy what is economical which is sucking the life out of North American jobs.

Menards has started taking the route of death by a 1000 cuts. Look at the death of Sam’s Club, Sears, in Canada Eaton’s, Kmart, Woolworths, Kresges etc. I realize that some of these companies are also in the US. This was after the local hardware stores being over run by the big hardware chains. Your appliance stores will slowly disappear as Lowe’s, HD etc take over the appliance niche. We will have our Princess Autos and HF, which Menards is up against.

We can ***** all we want as we keep buying much of our products from Amazon and other online stores. We haven’t even seen the extent of the full online thrust. Our kids are finding more avenues than ever to purchase online. Once the brunt of the purchasing power of mine/your generation totally disapates you will see more delivery companies circling your block. Amazon just lately purchased something like 20,000 delivery trucks for the near future deliveries. This was already discussed on GJ.

Sorry for ranting but we are the instruments of our own demise, but boy can we ***** with our blind folds on.

Unemployment is rock bottom, and corporations are making huge profits so there's nothing keeping them from paying their employees more.

Can you explain how Menards selling imported tools is killing American jobs?


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[reader2580]

I still buy USA as often as I can. My first search for anything is for American made. Do I always buy American made, no. If I need something right away I usually have to settle for Chinese. Some items are nearly impossible to buy made in USA.

I need two replacement sockets due to loss and they will probably be SK. I bought a caulk gun recently and paid quite a bit to get a Cox made in Michigan. I am looking to buy a recliner and it will be made in the USA or Canada.

 

[reader2580]

Death of Sam’s Club? They closed a few underperforming stores, but the remaining stores are still quite busy. They aren’t empty like Sears stores.

 

[Brownsfan]

So who is the OEM for the new tools at Menards. I initially thought Apex. The wrenches don't look like Apex. More like the Dewalt wrenches with the Anti slip. I could be wrong. Maybe they use multiple OEMs.

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

Zendriver I kind of look at it like this if you are not building the product in North America the jobs at the manufacturing don't exist. Unemployment maybe at a low but many jobs are minimum wage and tough to make a living at. Even here on GJ there are some posters looking for work. The corporations aren't paying more but the shareholders are getting their share if the company is doing well. There is a larger margin between upper and lower class and it is growing all the time. The low wage earner doesn't look for something NA made but just trying to exist and buy the off shore product. JMHO

 

[AA/FC]

<snip>....there new tool line is Chinese....<snip>

I was in my local Menards last night and went over to the tool aisle to see the new Masterforce line-up. I grabbed a 1/2 drive locking extension and looked at the back of the plastic tag, it said made in Taiwan.

I also happened to notice all the old stock USA Masterforce tools were hanging on a "clearance" end-cap several aisles away from the tool aisle. But what I found interesting is some of the old 35 piece USA made tool sets from Black Friday about 4 or 5 years ago (with several years of dust on the packaging) were still being sold on the "normal" tool aisle, not on clearance. See pics below...

 

[zendriver]

Zendriver I kind of look at it like this if you are not building the product in North America the jobs at the manufacturing don't exist. Unemployment maybe at a low but many jobs are minimum wage and tough to make a living at. Even here on GJ there are some posters looking for work. The corporations aren't paying more but the shareholders are getting their share if the company is doing well. There is a larger margin between upper and lower class and it is growing all the time. The low wage earner doesn't look for something NA made but just trying to exist and buy the off shore product. JMHO

I understand, but I Look at it like this.

Lower cost imported goods, allow Americans to have products, but also to have money, to pay their increasing electric bills, or contribute to a 401K - likely their only source for real retirement money. More money for whatever.

If the new "reshoring", sees Americans with more pocket money in the end, that is great, but frankly I don't see it adding up.

No one has shown how it will work to the contrary.

 

[Wamsutta]

Another thread lamenting COO by people opining using China made phones and computers, connected to the internet by Chinese manufactured communication gear, wearing clothes made in China, driving cars with a ton or Chinese components...


This is getting old.

Gotta draw the line somewhere. I prefer USA made tools and I don't expect them to be the same price as Chinese made tools.

 

[dogdog]

...............


This is getting old.

LOL... yea this is getting old... not that there are any Menards in my area...

Here is the saying... I don't think you guys have heard it yet...

A tool in the hand of a fool is still a fool with a tool... Information in the hand of a a tool is like monkey fling poo....

If Menard has such great sales and profit off the tool, they would have not switch the line... it is just business ... but you guys have No balls to complain about Menard's business practice, just it is easier to jump on to the COO band wagon...