Smokeshow69
Well-known member
Man it’s pretty bad. They just went from a distinctively recognizable color combo to more of the same stuff the tool trucks are pushing. Great job on becoming undifferentiated Carlyle!
Show off your.... Carlyle Tools!!!
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Bigblue&Goldie
Well-known member
The new quarterly tool flier had no deals that I saw. Now it's all black and neon yellow import tools at tool truck prices.
Can someone explain to me how they justify their pricing?
$100 for 4 mini pliers?
My personal favorite, $79 for the 3/8" drive flex head ratchet, but $175 for the regular 3/8" ratchet?
That's gonna be a BIG no from me, dawg. Anyone who pays tool truck prices for this **** needs their head examined.
Too funny about the pliers that look like they came from Walmart. I will say, as I did before, that their ratchets are pretty damn good quality. You just have to wait until they go on sale which is every three or four months. Probably because only an idiot would pay their retail.
I don't mind the green, but whoever is in charge of pricing is ******* high.
From what I've seen in-store and online, they also seem to be made in China now.
I'm not paying higher than Snap On prices for China tools.
I also don't see any "monthly specials" after a quick browse.
From what I've seen in-store and online, they also seem to be made in China now.
I'm not paying higher than Snap On prices for China tools.
I also don't see any "monthly specials" after a quick browse.
Smokeshow69
Well-known member
So now who’s pushing the “kool aid”
? When they are priced higher than snappy, that’s crazy… people talk about the snappy kool aid but that’s nutsI guess that's what I do not get. The line overall was fairly solid and the biggest thing holding it back was the pricing. Otherwise I kind of see the original offering of Carlyle in some ways as being what HF is doing with Icon only NAPA did it way before.
Other than price the only thing I did think needed work was the ratchet line. Not that they were bad, but it just seemed like a somewhat bloated and incoherent collection in some ways yet at the same time it didn't include a 1/4 drive chrome handle flex head. Consolidating and streamlining the ratchets was a good idea. I just wish I knew who thought it was a good idea to make their only 1/2" drive flex head be 12" long in the new line when the old 48 tooth one was a proper 17". If they didn't also offer one that's 25" long I would have figured they were keeping them short to reduce warranty returns, but that long one exists so I don't know.
AKA the VIM approach
Brett in KS
Active member
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- Sep 26, 2009
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- 40
This is horrible. I'm so disappointed. Over the last few years I upgraded to all Carlyle tools. Been really happy with them, it was a pretty full line up. I like all my stuff to match.
It would kill me to break or lose a wrench or socket and and be replaced by this china junk.
Even the catalog ***** balls. You used to be able to click on a specific section (Wrenches, Sockets, etc.) on the left and it would take you right to that section. Now its just "Hand Tools". and 400 clicks later maybe find the wrench section.
The size markings on the sockets and wrenches look like harbor freight pittsburgh junk.
It would kill me to break or lose a wrench or socket and and be replaced by this china junk.
Even the catalog ***** balls. You used to be able to click on a specific section (Wrenches, Sockets, etc.) on the left and it would take you right to that section. Now its just "Hand Tools". and 400 clicks later maybe find the wrench section.
The size markings on the sockets and wrenches look like harbor freight pittsburgh junk.
harris.jasonm
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- Feb 26, 2023
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- 31
I just rebuilt my R3890 ratchet and ordered the new CR3890G just to compare. I have a lot of SO and MAC tools but have a complete sweet of the carlyle sockets that they had 8/10 years ago. Those are some really nice sockets and I got them for an average of $2-$3 per socket which is a great price. The lineup they have no is not impressive and the pricing is insane. I have the low profile jack they have in the flyer this quarter for $515. I think I paid $225 for the blue Carlyle one when it came out. They are out pacing what I can buy SO tools for off the truck. Shame.
Wow. It’s apparent something is wrong with NAPA’s Carlyle pricing, but are they listening? Do they actually understand that their pricing is out-of-line, and not just a bunch internet trolls complaining? I mean, who in the hell is making the decisions here? I would really like to know the answer. There is something very wrong here and it needs to be addressed.
Bigblue&Goldie
Well-known member
My understanding was Carlyle's intention was to be positioned as a tool truck alternative, at a lower price, easily supplied/serviced by NAPA (common supplier to shops and dealerships). The current prices are mind boggling as nobody is paying Snap On prices for Carlyle.
I bought a bunch of evercraft single sockets to fill the empty spots on my socket trays at $2-$3, they must be closing them out. But I agree with the Carlyle pricing being too high, harbor freight and tekton are half the price right now for essentially the same stuff. Just make sure you don’t have ocd and need everthing from the same brand 
, that’s expensive!
, that’s expensive!montanafordman
Well-known member
I won't be buying any of those ugly green tools at inflated prices that's for sure. The green reminds me of the garbage "craftsman Evolv" line aimed at budget conscious homeowner grade tools some 15 years ago. The blue and yellow gave napa brand awareness and looked good. The green is outdated and cheap looking, and guessing by country of manufacture of many of these tools they're cheaper quality too.
Drunkonunleaded
Well-known member
Go back a few pages. Someone had their hands on a few of the newer sockets. They look abysmal.
I also unfortunately ended up with some of the MIC "old" Carlyle wrenches and documented the difference here. I'm guessing that they're using cheaper metal considering how much thicket they made the heads.
harris.jasonm
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I ordered the new CR3890G ratchet on 4/2 via Napa online. Shipped to my house with free shipping. Sale price after tax came in just under $80. Figured I would compare it to my R3890 and provide some feedback. When ordered it shows that is should be delivered on 4/4. I sent Napa an email on 4/7 requesting the order status as it had not shipped. I get an automated response stating I would be contacted within 2 business days. On the 10th I respond because I have not received any further info. Order still has not shipped. No response as of this morning so I call the 877 # and go through all the prompts, got some call center in India where someone supposedly named Mark attempted to help me but says his permissions do not allow him to see why my order has not shipped. I check back online and I show I can order and ship to store today for a pickup on the 15th. I do not need the ratchet so I do not really want to buy it again but for the time being. Sounds like Napa is a **** how on this new tool line.
On the call line they still say to be patient with shipping due to Covid so that should tell you something. If the current tariff policy holds imported tools will be twice as much as Snap On. But then again, SO imports a lot of blanks now that are just "finished" in the US so tools all together might be a **** show. My SO guy seemed a little concerned earlier this week. Napa has been going down hill for a while.
I did have to wait over 4 months for a side panel for my SO box a couple of years ago. And have found that SO takes several months to get some random items now.
5 years ago Napa really put a focus on the Carlyle brand. They had an active FB page and posted several videos a week for new products. I contacted them and they mailed me a couple of nice hats, about 100 stickers and a metal sign for free. They were really doing a good job with the marketing and customer interaction and then overnight that all just stopped.
On the call line they still say to be patient with shipping due to Covid so that should tell you something. If the current tariff policy holds imported tools will be twice as much as Snap On. But then again, SO imports a lot of blanks now that are just "finished" in the US so tools all together might be a **** show. My SO guy seemed a little concerned earlier this week. Napa has been going down hill for a while.
I did have to wait over 4 months for a side panel for my SO box a couple of years ago. And have found that SO takes several months to get some random items now.
5 years ago Napa really put a focus on the Carlyle brand. They had an active FB page and posted several videos a week for new products. I contacted them and they mailed me a couple of nice hats, about 100 stickers and a metal sign for free. They were really doing a good job with the marketing and customer interaction and then overnight that all just stopped.
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harris.jasonm
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And today Napa cancelled my order all together. Keep in mind the list price for this is $186.00 and it is on sale for $73.49. Yet, when I look online it will still allow me to order it ship to store and says it would arrive by tomorrow. I am about done with Napa and the Carlyle tool line. Not like they sold out of these. They either never had them or they do not want to honor the pricing they listed so they pulled them all until after the sale ends. I suspect the latter.
I would order again and have it shipped to store. They really are good ratchets for the money if you buy them on sale. I have two or three of them. I agree their website and logistics are rather crappy.
fourjeepin
Well-known member
I would try again. Availability of that ratchet is still pretty low.
harris.jasonm
Active member
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This is my ratchet drawer so like I said. I really do not need this ratchet! LOL… just wanted to compare the new line is all.
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Drunkonunleaded
Well-known member
It’s been awhile. Grabbed a few things that were on clearance awhile back. Filled some other gaps with blue before I got stuck with green.
They sucked me in with that $25 10mm set. I needed a magnetic rail for it, so I sprung for their twist lock one.
I needed a set of e-torx sockets for a job. Noticed the regular torx impact sockets were on sale so I snagged those. No complaints there.
The stubby impact sockets are nice. Obviously they don’t have the external hex to fit into a wrench but they make nicely with the stubby Kobalt impact.
Also, I picked up both sets of the slimline and the angle wrenches. Both are a huge when working on Powersports stuff.
In case any of you were wondering, that 1/4 spinner handle doubles as an extension.
I’m still pretty annoyed about the green thing, but now I have pretty much all that I want/need.
They sucked me in with that $25 10mm set. I needed a magnetic rail for it, so I sprung for their twist lock one.
I needed a set of e-torx sockets for a job. Noticed the regular torx impact sockets were on sale so I snagged those. No complaints there.
The stubby impact sockets are nice. Obviously they don’t have the external hex to fit into a wrench but they make nicely with the stubby Kobalt impact.
Also, I picked up both sets of the slimline and the angle wrenches. Both are a huge when working on Powersports stuff.
In case any of you were wondering, that 1/4 spinner handle doubles as an extension.
I’m still pretty annoyed about the green thing, but now I have pretty much all that I want/need.
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Bigblue&Goldie
Well-known member
I was at my local NAPA today and they had a whole new display of Carlyle with their new branding. They had big rollout bins of individual sockets below the pegboards of hanging tools. Honestly, the ratchets and ratcheting wrenches looked really "cheap", definitely looked more generic than Icon.
What was really interesting is they had a nicely done display of Performance Tool products next to the Carlyle stuff. I've never seen that much Performance Tool in one place before. You could tell the display was designed by somebody at corporate, just like the Carlyle display. It appears Performance Tool is taking Evercraft's place. The remaining Evercraft was on a clearance shelf. They also had a much larger display of Milwaukee products in lieu of thr Craftsman they had before.
What was really interesting is they had a nicely done display of Performance Tool products next to the Carlyle stuff. I've never seen that much Performance Tool in one place before. You could tell the display was designed by somebody at corporate, just like the Carlyle display. It appears Performance Tool is taking Evercraft's place. The remaining Evercraft was on a clearance shelf. They also had a much larger display of Milwaukee products in lieu of thr Craftsman they had before.
fourjeepin
Well-known member
Craftsman and Evercraft have been on their way out for some time now. I think the Performance line is an improvement over Evercraft
Drunkonunleaded
Well-known member
IIRC, both started getting phased out over a year ago.
fourjeepin
Well-known member
A couple of weeks ago I decided to upgrade the ratchets (USA craftsman) in my daily driver and made it to NAPA today. I had planned to get the individual R14TD, R38TD and R12TD but the store had a set of them. I have an account with them so my price may be less than yours, but i paid the equivalent of only the 3/8 individual. Which was less than half what I had expected to pay.
Sharing in case there are others of you interested in this. There are not many more of these sets available (but at least 2 earlier today). Oh, and these are the older ratchets, not the new ones with the cat head. The newer ones are higher tooth count and slightly higher price. I do not know if there is a COO difference.
Sharing in case there are others of you interested in this. There are not many more of these sets available (but at least 2 earlier today). Oh, and these are the older ratchets, not the new ones with the cat head. The newer ones are higher tooth count and slightly higher price. I do not know if there is a COO difference.
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fourjeepin
Well-known member
Reposting as it looks like there was an issue with the other image which has the part number
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Drunkonunleaded
Well-known member
Needed a 1/2 breaker bar. Wanted the soft grip.
There was a guy on eBay with one but his price ($100) was ridiculous, IMO. Found this one also on eBay out of the UK for like $65 shipped.
Also have a 3/8” on the way.
There was a guy on eBay with one but his price ($100) was ridiculous, IMO. Found this one also on eBay out of the UK for like $65 shipped.
Also have a 3/8” on the way.
fourjeepin
Well-known member
The blue soft grips are disappearing fast! I want a 1/2“ ratchet but they are still well over $100.Needed a 1/2 breaker bar. Wanted the soft grip.
There was a guy on eBay with one but his price ($100) was ridiculous, IMO. Found this one also on eBay out of the UK for like $65 shipped.
Also have a 3/8” on the way.
Almost bought a 3/8 Carlyle ratchet, until I saw a Koken z series for $46 on Amazon. The Koken is next level.
Looking for a single 24mm Carlyle wrench now.
Drunkonunleaded
Well-known member
I really like the soft grips. The Dual 80 is a better ratchet, but I like the Carlyle soft grip over Instinct.
SnapOn hard handle is my all-time favorite though.
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Drunkonunleaded
Well-known member
Double post time.
I ordered these security torx drivers from my local store and promptly forgot about them until I had a job today that required the T15. They sent me a new driver by mistake.
The good news is it looks and feels identical to the old ones. The label font is similar to the most recent run of blue Carlyle drivers. You can see that I have all three “types” here.
FWIW, my NAPA contact said that reviews have been mixed. Many think the blue and yellow to be classic NAPA, but apparently some of the younger guys do really like the new colors. Personally, I would’ve went with flo yellow vs flo green but obviously that’s not my call.
I ordered these security torx drivers from my local store and promptly forgot about them until I had a job today that required the T15. They sent me a new driver by mistake.
The good news is it looks and feels identical to the old ones. The label font is similar to the most recent run of blue Carlyle drivers. You can see that I have all three “types” here.
FWIW, my NAPA contact said that reviews have been mixed. Many think the blue and yellow to be classic NAPA, but apparently some of the younger guys do really like the new colors. Personally, I would’ve went with flo yellow vs flo green but obviously that’s not my call.
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fourjeepin
Well-known member
If you like flex, the 1/2” flex with comfort grip is priced pretty reasonably, though it is the new color scheme. I was thinking about getting one because I really like my 3/8 locking flex so i checked it out. It felt nice and COO wasn’t China, it’s Taiwan.
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Drunkonunleaded
Well-known member
Bad news. I ordered TWO of those T8 drivers as well as some stubby wrenches in hopes that they’d dig up an original Taiwanese one for me. These were all using the “old” Carlyle part numbers.
In typical NAPA fashion, they must’ve superseded the old part numbers with new, because what I received was all new Carlyle stuff.
Even worse, they appear to have changed wrench suppliers again. For a recap, Taiwan old Carlyle were very nice units. They switched to a Chinese supplier in recent years, which resulted in longer and thicker wrenches.
New Carlyle is longer yet again. I didn’t think to put calipers on them and for that I apologize. These are going back and being replaced by Icon.
I will have up for sale a complete set of “old” Carlyle shorty wrenches in SAE and Metric. Metric are brand new and Taiwan. SAE is new besides the 1” wrench, which I found used. In this set, the 3/4”, 7/8”, and 15/16” are China. If any of you are interested, drop me a PM.
In typical NAPA fashion, they must’ve superseded the old part numbers with new, because what I received was all new Carlyle stuff.
Even worse, they appear to have changed wrench suppliers again. For a recap, Taiwan old Carlyle were very nice units. They switched to a Chinese supplier in recent years, which resulted in longer and thicker wrenches.
New Carlyle is longer yet again. I didn’t think to put calipers on them and for that I apologize. These are going back and being replaced by Icon.
I will have up for sale a complete set of “old” Carlyle shorty wrenches in SAE and Metric. Metric are brand new and Taiwan. SAE is new besides the 1” wrench, which I found used. In this set, the 3/4”, 7/8”, and 15/16” are China. If any of you are interested, drop me a PM.
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Tynee
Well-known member
I've been noticing lately how similar Capri's ratchets are to the old Carlyle's I have and really like. Soft handle is the same shape, head is similar, 90-tooth, extra-long locking flex available. Probably where I'd be shopping if I needed more of what Carlyle used to offer.
You would have to show me a side by side comparison, because I don't see any resemblance between the two.
Tynee
Well-known member
Yeah, I'm not saying they're identical, I guess I'm more pointing to the fact they are functionally similar, as in they offer the same features as the Carlyle's I own. I don't own the Capri to take side-by-sides, I'm just pointing to what appears to be a Tiawan option to the new Chinese-sourced Carlyle.
Drunkonunleaded
Well-known member
Wow. That's the most tools I've seen at Napa in many years, at least around here.
Store next to where I work started setting up their new Carlyle display. I don't really see the point with how absurdly overpriced they are. There's a sunbleached box of thin wrenches for more than $200, if that's any indication.