Really pissed off at Starrett sucky quality

[Stuey]

I wrote about this at length on ToolGuyd (http://toolguyd.com/starrett-tools-tap-wrench-bad-quality/), but wanted to mention the issue here as well.

I ordered 4 Starrett tap wrenches, and will have to take the 2 larger ones apart for a good cleaning before they're usable. There are clumps of metal chips stuck between the threads and around the internal moving spring mechanism.

Really? I have to clean clumps of greased-up metal shavings from $50 and $40 tap wrenches?

Because this was on my mind late last night, I ended up dreaming that I was cleaning the threads with an old toothbrush.

It will take a lot to convince me to buy any new Starrett tool that costs over $20-25 again.

With precision measuring tools, there are plenty of other great brands to choose from. But in terms of tap wrenches, there are few USA manufacturers left in the game. If these tap wrenches are in fact made in the USA. It doesn't actually say "Made in..." anywhere on the product or packaging.

*sigh*

 

[signcrafter]

Did you contact starrett to see what they had to say? Who knows they might tell you to package them up and send you a prepaid return label and give you new ones. I've never dealt with them but I've heard their customer service is pretty good. I would have sent them an email first just to see what they had to say, maybe it was a bad batch or something, it happens. It's how the company handles it that determines if they are a stand up company or not.

 

[woody 73]

Some people that I deal with in buying tools have told me more then one time that starrett is outsourcing and the quality is just not there; any truth to this from some other GJ members that deal with starrett tools?

 

[Stuey]

Did you contact starrett to see what they had to say? Who knows they might tell you to package them up and send you a prepaid return label and give you new ones. I've never dealt with them but I've heard their customer service is pretty good. I would have sent them an email first just to see what they had to say, maybe it was a bad batch or something, it happens. It's how the company handles it that determines if they are a stand up company or not.

I had problems with an automatic center punch I received last week as well. I thought that it was a random defect, but with these tap wrenches, 3/5 tools with rough thread issues?

I'm not going to bother contacting Starrett. I can return them to Enco for a refund. But I really don't want to have to hunt for something better. The finish is nice, though.

It really just looks like nobody bothered to clean out chips after machining. They were fine and gritty, and clumped together with what I hope is dark lubricating grease and not thick cutting fluid.

A bad batch is understandable, but for 3 different products?

I have dozens and dozens of Starrett tools. I have never purchased a new one. If you plan ahead enough they are always available and generally are well loved and well handled pieces of pride from a previous owner.

It's hard enough for me to shop for and select new tools, I can't handle the search for great condition used or vintage tools.

 

[Chadwilliam1]

I have those tap handles at work they are nice but neither one say coo on them. I considered buying them for the house but I wouldn't pay that much if they are hiding the COO.

 

[rlitman]

I have dozens and dozens of Starrett tools. I have never purchased a new one. If you plan ahead enough they are always available and generally are well loved and well handled pieces of pride from a previous owner.

I am in your boat, and was just using a pair of their calipers dated from the 1890's last night (best dividers I have ever used btw). But the topic was about poor quality of newly made Starrett tools. To date, I have never handled a Starrett tool that was not of the finest quality, and it is quite disheartening to hear that their quality is suffering from what sounds like our Walmart initiated race to the bottom market.

So sad.

 

[tube_guy]

If you contact Starrett, they'll tell you where any of their products are made. In fact, I read or heard somewhere that something like 80 percent of their customer inquiries now are requests for the COO of their tools. I have been more and more surprised lately at how many Starrett products are no longer made in the USA. Many are now made in China. And it seems that they are starting to play the no COO marking game with their tools, even for the stuff that's supposedly made in the USA.

 

[Murphy4570]

All the Starrett stuff I have is old and made in USA. Fantastic quality stuff.

Sad to hear they are dicking around like Craftsman.

 

[scw1991]

Unfortunately, these companies simply re-brand a crappy Chinese made product. I've even seen on packaging where it states, "assembled in USA, parts of foreign content".

I'll pay for good quality, but it's nearly impossible to find it anymore. Everybody seems to offer a lifetime warranty instead. Great marketing tool and consumers take the bait hook, line, and sinker. More cost effective for companies to simply replace the product rather than increase the quality of it.

 

[KMScott]

I gave up on the Starrett dial calipers long time ago, I had two fail on me. I kept them clean but still kept skipping now I use the Tesa brand made by Brown and Sharpe or Tesa!! but made in Switzerland. I do like the old Starrett Mics but I graduated to Etalon again a Swiss made product. You can not beat all the Starrett gauges like fish tails, thread gauges and radius gauges but I to was not happy with the spring loaded center punch that I bought 4 years ago, keeps coming loose. I should not have to add lock tite to a new tool.

 

[signcrafter]

I had problems with an automatic center punch I received last week as well. I thought that it was a random defect, but with these tap wrenches, 3/5 tools with rough thread issues?

I'm not going to bother contacting Starrett. I can return them to Enco for a refund. But I really don't want to have to hunt for something better. The finish is nice, though.

It really just looks like nobody bothered to clean out chips after machining. They were fine and gritty, and clumped together with what I hope is dark lubricating grease and not thick cutting fluid.

A bad batch is understandable, but for 3 different products?


It's hard enough for me to shop for and select new tools, I can't handle the search for great condition used or vintage tools.

That's understandable. If it were me I would still write starrett an email explaining you weren't real happy with the quality and having to take the time to clean them in order to use them after paying that kind of money. Who knows maybe they will send you something for free for your troubles. Or they might just ignore you. In my opinion it's worth it for a 2 minute email. If I'm upset with a product I buy I will email the company and if they are a stand up company they will try to make it right. Plus it lets them know that you are unhappy with the quality of their product, probably won't make them bring production back to the US but who knows. More and more companies are and if enough people let them know they aren't happy they might take that into consideration. I good reputation only last so long with crappy products.

 

[CWP1616L]

I have the General Tools model 164 and 166. The quality in my opinion is excellent. They were made in USA at the time I got them. They're made out of solid stainless steel. When I first got them, I did take the collar off of each one to grease the threads which makes them smoother to turn. I used clear silicone grease on the threads. I prefer the T-handle type over the straight handle type. The T-handle type allows me to tap the threads with one hand. I find that I can keep the tap straighter by using one hand as opposed to the straight handle type which requires both hands.

LINK

 

[woody 73]

Stuey I think you got your answer they are made overseas and the quality is slipping, again my source has said many times the quality is not what it used too be which is very sad

 

[TheGrooveking]

Heartbreaking, simply heartbreaking to think Starrett and China in the same conversation, this is as if hell's toilets were backing up into our tool boxes.

TheGrooveking

 

[RatchetMan]

I have bought several new Starrett squares in the last 6 months or so and they are of excellent quality. They function well and the fit and finish are just as good as the older stuff I have soon. My experience......

 

[Ign]

I echo the concerns about quality here. When I was in school ~5 years ago the one pair of 6" Starrett calipers owned by the instructor also felt like they were lubricated with sand, as mentioned in post #13 here.

IMO the old timers still love Starrett from "back in the day," but I'm part of the new generation which sees it as over-rated and overpriced. The Japanese are kicking their a** and have been for decades since Mitutoyo came around, ESPECIALLY with digital calipers, but not JUST digital calipers either. Take a tour of any machine shop and tell me how many gray Mitutoyo IP66/IP67 calipers you see vs Starrett digital calipers.

I do, however, still love my yellow plastic Starrett measuring tapes. Easiest tape for my eyes to read.

 

[DRhodes]

Another sad day in the tool world.

 

[Ign]

I wrote about this at length on ToolGuyd (http://toolguyd.com/starrett-tools-tap-wrench-bad-quality/), but wanted to mention the issue here as well.

Oh and you say:
"The knurled sections are rough and flake off little bits of metal, but that’s a minor concern compared to small metal shaving gunk pockets trapped between threads and an internal plunger system."

I disagree. The knurls should not be like that. I had to knurl damn near everything I touched in school and it's not THAT hard to get a good knurl. For a production tool presumably made in a high quality machining center with coolant AND made by Starrett (for god's sake), the knurl should be beautiful.

Knurling is a bit of an art but it's also soooo much of the overall beauty of the work, which is EXACTLY the type of thing Starrett is supposed to care about. It'd be like GM releasing an awesome new truck but giving it a flaking paint job.

 

[Skin]

Most of the well known machinist tool companies are **** or rebranding these days, cant really pick on starrett. I think the problem with the latter is their catalog is too large for the small operation they have.

Their made in USA claims have also left something to be desired. A lot of times their products just say "Starrett, Athol Ma" and don't specifically state a country of manufacture.