Napa selling Proto?

[DTB]

Was searching Napa's online site for some drift punches and noticed some Proto items on there. Never noticed Proto on there before. Think they are going to start offering that as an industrial alternative to the now defunct Armstrong?

 

[Richard Cranium]

Maybe online only, I have never seen any in napa

 

[mrjaw14]

That'd be so sweet if they started selling proto in store

 

[MaineGuide]

Doubt you'll ever see it stocked in stores as it would compete with their Carlyle line, but it would be nice to be able to warranty at another place.

 

[ssdave]

I heard a rumor that the local Napa was going to start carrying Proto. Would be nice if they did, but I rarely need any, have about all I can use now.

 

[Wamsutta]

If it's going to be kept behind the counter away from thieves, I don't see any reason not to stock Proto.

 

[wasabiboys]

thats some breaking news right there

 

[Loscaldazar]

Well, as you said, they used to sell Armstrong (online only), so maybe they are replacing that with Proto.

Good choice in my book

 

[nbpt100]

I have only seen their cheapo Evercraft and some Carlyle products in the stores. Proto Would be a nice addition but a lot of inventory $ to carry if they don't move the product well. I would guess it would mostly be a warehouse item. My local Napa gets two deliveries a day from their warehouse and that means you can usually get parts in a day or less.

 

[jayrush13]

You would think if they carried a better name brand they could compete with some of the truck brands. since one of the big arguments people have about truck brands being so good is that they come to you and you don't have to go to a store. Well I know at our mechanic shop at the municipality I work Napa is there 4-8 times a day. If you broke a tool or needed something special for a job I bet they could get it to you faster then the snappy truck. Heck if Napa just carried a truck brand it could be the best of both worlds. But its doesn't matter to me I don't turn those kind of wrenches for a living.

 

[padroo]

I think Proto is owned by Stanley.

 

[pstemari]

I think Proto is owned by Stanley.

As is Mac.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[gdocktor3]

I think Proto is owned by Stanley.

As is Mac.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

As well as Blackhawk, Expert and they make Husky for Home Depot.

 

[retDAC]

As well as Blackhawk, Expert and they make Husky for Home Depot.

Stanley used to make Husky for HD. Several years ago, HD started sourcing from Apex Tool Group, at least for rachets, sockets, and combo wrenches. Screwdrivers probably are made by Western Forge.

 

[Fedwrench]

I think if NAPA offers PROTO it would be a special order only item just like Armstrong was and not stocked in the store. I don't think it will on any large scale and I don't ever envision Proto tools hanging on racks in a retail NAPA store. Proto retail prices can sometimes make Snap on look like a bargain. I think NAPA is doing well with their Carlyle brand at least in the corporate stores. I know the brand will never be fully accepted here because it's mostly made in Taiwan but, it offers working techs a decent tool without breaking the bank.

 

[VocaTexas]

I have only seen their cheapo Evercraft and some Carlyle products in the stores.

There's not a thing wrong with their Evercraft line. I've got some I use daily as 'emergency' kits on equipment. Matter of fact, I've got a flex-head 3/8 drive Evercraft ratchet and it's absolutely identical to my flex-head Snap-On except for the plastic grip on the Evercraft's handle. I mean every last marking on the tool is the same except for the name. I took the plastic off the handle and you can't tell the two apart. I was told by a NAPA tool rep that yes, they come off the same line in the same tool plant.

Trying to repair farm equipment I sometimes am forced to use tools probably beyond what they were intended for. I've NEVER broken any Evercraft product.

 

[Loscaldazar]

There's not a thing wrong with their Evercraft line. I've got some I use daily as 'emergency' kits on equipment. Matter of fact, I've got a flex-head 3/8 drive Evercraft ratchet and it's absolutely identical to my flex-head Snap-On except for the plastic grip on the Evercraft's handle. I mean every last marking on the tool is the same except for the name. I took the plastic off the handle and you can't tell the two apart. I was told by a NAPA tool rep that yes, they come off the same line in the same tool plant.

Trying to repair farm equipment I sometimes am forced to use tools probably beyond what they were intended for. I've NEVER broken any Evercraft product.

They do not come off the same line.

One is made in Taiwan, the other in the USA.

I'm almost dead sure Napa has never contracted with Snap On/Williams to make any tools ever.

 

[drink]

Was searching Napa's online site for some drift punches and noticed some Proto items on there. Never noticed Proto on there before. Think they are going to start offering that as an industrial alternative to the now defunct Armstrong?

I've noticed several tool dealers switching to Proto also. Some of the tool dealers were big on selling Danaher/APEX tool brands. Another member here was saying he doesn't expect APEX to be around much longer. At times I try to compare APEX to GM. GM used to have a brand of vehicles called Saturn and they dropped the line. Customers that bought some Saturn vehicles had transmission problems after the line was dropped from production. The transmissions were not repairable and had to be replaced instead. I heard a lot of customers filed a big lawsuit to get their vehicles covered under warranty. The customers and dealers have probably switched to a different mfg and brand altogether. Maybe a lot of tool dealers are switching to Proto because they do not appear to be here today and gone tomorrow. Tool dealers would likely want a company that will be there and back their products.

 

[davethorik]

There's not a thing wrong with their Evercraft line. I've got some I use daily as 'emergency' kits on equipment. Matter of fact, I've got a flex-head 3/8 drive Evercraft ratchet and it's absolutely identical to my flex-head Snap-On except for the plastic grip on the Evercraft's handle. I mean every last marking on the tool is the same except for the name. I took the plastic off the handle and you can't tell the two apart. I was told by a NAPA tool rep that yes, they come off the same line in the same tool plant.

Trying to repair farm equipment I sometimes am forced to use tools probably beyond what they were intended for. I've NEVER broken any Evercraft product.

Sounds like you were fed a line of bs by your tool rep. Post up a pic of these twin ratchets

 

[ssdave]

Sounds like you were fed a line of bs by your tool rep. Post up a pic of these twin ratchets

Definitely a line of BS. Lots of off patent tools are copied (at least in external looks) by cheap asian manufacturers. Look at the proliferation of SO hard handle screwdriver copies sold everywhere cheap tools are sold.

But, they are not made on the same line and to the same standards as the originals. They're just copies, made to whatever specification the knock off manufacturer feels will be enough to sell them.

 

[nbpt100]

There's not a thing wrong with their Evercraft line. I've got some I use daily as 'emergency' kits on equipment. Matter of fact, I've got a flex-head 3/8 drive Evercraft ratchet and it's absolutely identical to my flex-head Snap-On except for the plastic grip on the Evercraft's handle. I mean every last marking on the tool is the same except for the name. I took the plastic off the handle and you can't tell the two apart. I was told by a NAPA tool rep that yes, they come off the same line in the same tool plant.

Trying to repair farm equipment I sometimes am forced to use tools probably beyond what they were intended for. I've NEVER broken any Evercraft product.

I dont know if this is true, but on another recent Thread on GJ about Pittsburgh tools (The Harbor Freight brand) a poster said the Evercraft tools are made by the same manufacturer who makes the Pittsburgh tools.

I don't know how this poster knows that. They did not say. It would not surprise me if true.

I bought an Evercraft SAE flair nut wrench set at Napa about 16 years ago. I ended up throwing them out because I was rounding nuts with them. They had a nice polished finish but I thought they were made with poor dimensional specs.

Having said that I know Pittsburgh tools have improved over the past 16 years or so and I imagine the Evercraft brand has as well.