kythri
Well-known member
"Chunks"
SK QC Issues
- Thread starter azchrisf
- Start date
kythri
Well-known member
Apparently I'm just a low-class bumpkin, because that doesn't look like a "chunk" that looks like the tiniest amount of surface rust that 5 seconds with a brush would clear up.
highland512
Well-known member
No, post a link. I would like to see what was rejected.
I wouldnt blame SK a bit to start being more scrupulous with its warranty, some of the **** I have seen turned in at Sears I found to be crazy to warranty
Wamsutta
Well-known member
Given the current situation of SK quality, I'd say they're targeting Sears, Harbor Freight, Lowes, and Home Depot shoppers.
AceofSpad3s
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2014
- Messages
- 1,808
wned2:
Really guys? This is as stupid as the tool polisher comments from others.
How does Made in the USA, from U.S. steel, at their price points, give you any indication that SK's target market is the same as the others you used as examples?
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No, post a link. I would like to see what was rejected.
I wouldnt blame SK a bit to start being more scrupulous with its warranty, some of the **** I have seen turned in at Sears I found to be crazy to warranty
My package was refused meaning SK wouldn’t even take possession of it. They didn’t see what was inside. I contacted SK customer service and they blamed the post office. I even sent them a picture of the refused package with the post office label indicating refusal by the addresee.
kythri
Well-known member
The post office could have screwed up. Lazy carriers are not an uncommon thing.
Did you send it back?
Did you send it back?
Wow. At 8:30 this morning I PMd you a long and apologetic PM. You must have missed it. Anyway Here's an overview:
-We don't refuse any packages. I don't know how yours came back as refused.
-Just let me know what sockets were flawed, and I'll replace them: no need to send anything back.
Check your inbox!
Gotta say, M6erfan, I appreciate that you are rooting for us, but reading what you're written over that last week, there's a lot more 'tough' than 'love' in your posts. I know that the internet is not a place for kid gloves, but I think you've made your point.
Guys, give SKeric a chance here.
He obviously does give a **** and spends his own time trying to make things right when he can.
I started using tools in the blackest chapter of SK under old management and the wrenches were users if blemished chrome, the boxes were great and you couldn't give away socket sets at rummage sales.
My dad went straight to Sears those years as CM was in a good way then.
No www, no good guarantee beynd the store and management at the factory might have been training young Ed Lampert...
Not so anymore. Stand your ground on reasonable quality expectation but give them a chance to fix what is wrong.
Inform them of issues without reaching for a cannon to deliver it. An inteligent and well worded Email with pictures will (or should) get much better results.
I most certianly am not a fan of what the brand was in the late 70's but if I still lived in s region it was available and needed tools I might consider the brand again under Ideal management.
He obviously does give a **** and spends his own time trying to make things right when he can.
I started using tools in the blackest chapter of SK under old management and the wrenches were users if blemished chrome, the boxes were great and you couldn't give away socket sets at rummage sales.
My dad went straight to Sears those years as CM was in a good way then.
No www, no good guarantee beynd the store and management at the factory might have been training young Ed Lampert...
Not so anymore. Stand your ground on reasonable quality expectation but give them a chance to fix what is wrong.
Inform them of issues without reaching for a cannon to deliver it. An inteligent and well worded Email with pictures will (or should) get much better results.
I most certianly am not a fan of what the brand was in the late 70's but if I still lived in s region it was available and needed tools I might consider the brand again under Ideal management.
And I'll continue to make my point; SK is a company with a great history and I hope they can get over the relatively recent issues that seem to be pervasive. I want to see them succeed so we can benefit from more great tools and keep American jobs.
If issues continue, I most likely will also continue to voice my disappointment.
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Respectfully, what kind of nonsense statement is this?
highland512
Well-known member
One question I have, where all of these tools in question coming from? Amazon, ebay, direct from SK????
I am lucky enough to have a stocking SK dealer .5 miles away, he has nothing but great looking Ideal made stuff and according to him SK is producing better stuff than ever.
a typical response from the current king of nonsense on the this forum. have you seen much pf what he posts. that is pretty mild.
as far as chunks of rust. i didn't see a chunk. i see what looks like flash rust on the surface of the chrome. i bet a magic eraser or brass brush would remove it and the chrome is fine underneath.
Wamsutta
Well-known member
I think their quality matches their price point just fine. If people want better quality, they should be prepared to pay more. From my personal perspective, I'd like to see SK raise their quality, but I don't expect them to keep their prices the same. It takes money to make quality. I'd like to see SK buy some new machinery and if that requires raising prices, I'm fine with that.
Wamsutta
Well-known member
Here's an example; comparing prices on a 15/16'' 12 point 1/2'' drive deep:
SK is only $13.99 at JB Tool Sales.
https://www.jbtoolsales.com/sk-hand-tools-40830-1-2-drive-12-point-deep-fractional-socket-15-16/
Meanwhile, Proto is $18.17 at Motion Industries.
https://www.motionindustries.com/productDetail.jsp?sku=01157190
That's over $4.00 difference! That adds up quick if you're making over a 1000 sockets that day!
SK is only $13.99 at JB Tool Sales.
https://www.jbtoolsales.com/sk-hand-tools-40830-1-2-drive-12-point-deep-fractional-socket-15-16/
Meanwhile, Proto is $18.17 at Motion Industries.
https://www.motionindustries.com/productDetail.jsp?sku=01157190
That's over $4.00 difference! That adds up quick if you're making over a 1000 sockets that day!
AceofSpad3s
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2014
- Messages
- 1,808
Here's an example; comparing prices on a 15/16'' 12 point 1/2'' drive deep:
SK is only $13.99 at JB Tool Sales.
https://www.jbtoolsales.com/sk-hand-tools-40830-1-2-drive-12-point-deep-fractional-socket-15-16/
Meanwhile, Proto is $18.17 at Motion Industries.
https://www.motionindustries.com/productDetail.jsp?sku=01157190
That's over $4.00 difference! That adds up quick if you're making over a 1000 sockets that day!
https://www.kaufmanco.com/itemdetail/PRO J5330
https://www.fishertools.com/product...-point-deep-length-hand-socket-1/2-drive.html
Less than $14 from fisher or kaufmanco
Wamsutta
Well-known member
I'd get the SK and just pick up a 15/16'' drill bit to finish the broaching that SK missed. How much you suppose a solid carbide 15/16'' drill bit would cost?
One question I have, where all of these tools in question coming from? Amazon, ebay, direct from SK????
I can't say. When we bought SK, we got what was the content of a mothballed plant. Much of the inventory was not good, because of poor machine maintenance, so it was scrapped. There was a ton of inventory out there at former SK dealers, which we see on eBay and Amazon. We understand that when we bought the brand, we also bought the warranties of every tool ever made, so we do get a lot of returns that we didn't make in Sycamore. We have rebuilt/refurbished/replaced machinery of our most commonly-made tools, and have had generally excellent quality and consistency on those. We can't do anything about New Old Stock that's out there being sold. We would hope that our current dealers would return the bad 'OldCo' stuff (as we call it internally) for replacements.
There are a few legacy manufacturing processes that we don't love, and are changing over time.
American Locomotive
Well-known member
Thank you. I thought that whole threaded sounded odd, as I don't know many companies with shipping/receiving departments that refuse packages.
I have however seen the post office blatantly lie before about delivery attempts of packages.
One question I have, where all of these tools in question coming from? Amazon, ebay, direct from SK????
Several members here have reported that warranty replacements direct from SK had similar issues.
uncwstudent
Well-known member
Never had any problems with a single SK product that I've purchased. No issues with chroming or etc. They've all held up extremely well and they are my preferred wrenches and sockets, for that matter.
They aren't Snap-On, nor do they intend to be.
They aren't Snap-On, nor do they intend to be.
Sell this stuff in places nobody knows the name nor in a regular sales region. Central and Soth America is fixed daily with good usable tools most on gj would never seek.
Do not offer any warranty just bundle it up in a container box and take bids among a pile of liquidators.
Nobody here cares my wrenches span 50 years and four continents. I don't care the chrome is shot on all of them either. Fit and rigidity are spot on making them good users.
There are places in the world that would be thrilled to have access to the stuff you guys reject as junk.
buckwheat_la
Well-known member
Sk Eric has been polite and thoughtful enough to respond to these issues. I would respectfully suggest that people think about that before making comments that may make him leave.
I have looked at SK here in Canada and decided to go with a Canadian company (Gray) tools instead because of better support (or more of lack of support for SK here) and because of concerns like those voiced here.
As far as SK is concerned I have a few thoughts.
SK is American made, which is great if you wish to support a American company. But to say things like rust and finish don't matter seems hypocritical when people will bastardize Chinese/Taiwanese made tools for being cheap imports. If the imports have a nicer finish, with better machining, and are made with a stronger alloy, what exactly makes SK better (and worth more money)?
I have looked at SK here in Canada and decided to go with a Canadian company (Gray) tools instead because of better support (or more of lack of support for SK here) and because of concerns like those voiced here.
As far as SK is concerned I have a few thoughts.
SK is American made, which is great if you wish to support a American company. But to say things like rust and finish don't matter seems hypocritical when people will bastardize Chinese/Taiwanese made tools for being cheap imports. If the imports have a nicer finish, with better machining, and are made with a stronger alloy, what exactly makes SK better (and worth more money)?
Big difference between exterior rust or chrome issues vs hanger marks or the finish of the bottom of the broach of a socket.
buckwheat_la
Well-known member
Not sure what your point is? But to clarify my point, can someone list off any specific quality that makes SK superior than brands like Tekton and Gearwrench
Indeed, glad to see him here. I mentioned in the first thread that they'd take care of the OP and it appears they've handled things in both threads
You've been downplaying the issues everywhere (Didn't you even create your own thread?) but off center broaching, no detents, and hanger marks (That other manufacturers don't seem to have) all seem to be real, verifiable and troublesome issues.
I chose SK expecting equal or better “cosmetics” as Taiwanese brands but at the same time to support my fellow American worker. However, I’m not that much of a patriot to look the other way on obvious flaws in workmanship. Why should I accept flaws from an American company when I wouldn’t accept those same flaws from any other COO? It is a global market now and competition is fierce.
I think Taiwan produces cosmetically superior sockets to everyone. Whats your point?
On my end im supporting US manufacturing and the tools work fine. If I didn't care about those aspects I wouldn't be buying US anything.
You must not have many tools. Hanger marks are on every brand of wrench I have from Hazet, MAC, Proto, Snap-On, Armstrong, Cornwell, GW. They all have hanger marks.
Everyone has issues with off center broaching too. They're off by a hundredth or two all over the place on many of my Craftsman (Armstrong) sockets. Want to buy this $50 Snap-On wrench?
Not sure where "no detents" come from. That seems to be a 1/4 drive Wright and Taiwan thing.
These aren't verifiable or troublesome. You literally sound like a loon spouting that gibberish like ANY OF IT effects the turning of a bolt. You either have severe OCD or you spend way more time staring at tools than using them.
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I have tons of tools, at home and at work from Stanley to snap on. I was an emergency vehicle technician for ~4 years, and took a few months off to do plumbing. Using tools in both professions at least 8 hours a day but ya, totally polishing my tools.
Here's a post on the other thread, found in about 4 seconds. I'll also go check my wrenches for hanger mark's when I get home for ya.
Power Reed
New member
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2018
- Messages
- 4
Man this thread is pushing me away from a potential SK purchase. I saw some reviews on Amazon and they had some pics of the issues as well. May go Proto now. Currently using mixture of Kobalt/KD/Allen and wanted to upgrade to some nice USA made tools.
Don't let it push you away. Most of those who actually bother to post are those who have had a single bad experience, they certainly are not the majority. Perhaps buying old stuff through ebay and other resellers that are all about selling cheap older seconds rather than taking the time to get the better stuff to the buyer.
My service truck is stocked with SK stuff. All ratchets, 1/4" all the way through 3/4" sockets, breaker bars, pry bars, punches, chisels, screwdrivers, complete long pattern wrench sets, impact sets, X-frame ratcheting wrenches, line wrenches, specialty sockets, and the list goes on and on in both metric and fractional. I've warrantied a couple of things with zero issues and have had great customer service from them.
Absolutely no complaints on the tool quality whatsoever, and I use them daily working on anything from small power equipment, passenger vehicles, implements, all the way up to large tractors. Nothing that is "easy" to work on for the most part. I'm not a tool polisher and my tools get used and used hard, but they do not get abused. I wipe the worst of the grease and dirt off and they go back where they belong. Non chrome tools get a quick wipe down with hydraulic fluid every once in a while to keep them from rusting.
Same here. I have sk stuff from every phase of production. I dont have any issues out of the ordinary.
The amount of pre ideal productuon out there is mind boggling. My local store has sets of metric socket sets with palm control ratchets on the shelf. That stuff is probably 15 years old.
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I love my SK ratchets. I too have them from 1/4 up to 3/4. My 3770 and 3870 have the DT80 upgrade and I use them the most. I am in the look out for a 40170 and will probably throw a DT100 in it. My favorite era is the S-K Wayne. I like the slim selector and it has aggressive knurling. The new ratchets have a smoother knurling.
ssdave
Banned
I've had SK stuff for over 35 years; very little complaints other than a few years that the sockets cracked easily. The quality varied over the years; and I see it now as the highest in the history of the tools I have owned. I don't have a lot of it now, but the metric SuperKrome set I have is excellent.
It's really unfortunate that there's older, poorer quality stock out there that keeps resurfacing; also the guys that look online for the lowest cost bargain are typically the ones that will bash the quality on an online forum. Similar to the fellow that bought used snap-on a year or so ago, and then complained heavily about it not being in perfect, new condition, and SO wouldn't replace it because it had come from ebay. When he had no clue what it's history was other than the seller that sold it to him described it as new.
However, if a person is OCD to the point that plating hang marks and a rust spot or flaking paint on the inside of the socket bother them, they should definitely look for a company that focuses on those points, and examine them in person when purchasing, rather than over the internet. A lot higher chance of getting them the way they want them, then.
I'm quite glad to see that SK has a rep that hangs out here, and attempts to satisfy QC concerns, even when the complainer posts a rant instead of a polite warranty or return request. That says something to me about their intent.
If I hadn't decided years ago to focus on Proto stuff, I'd be buying SK to use today.
It's really unfortunate that there's older, poorer quality stock out there that keeps resurfacing; also the guys that look online for the lowest cost bargain are typically the ones that will bash the quality on an online forum. Similar to the fellow that bought used snap-on a year or so ago, and then complained heavily about it not being in perfect, new condition, and SO wouldn't replace it because it had come from ebay. When he had no clue what it's history was other than the seller that sold it to him described it as new.
However, if a person is OCD to the point that plating hang marks and a rust spot or flaking paint on the inside of the socket bother them, they should definitely look for a company that focuses on those points, and examine them in person when purchasing, rather than over the internet. A lot higher chance of getting them the way they want them, then.
I'm quite glad to see that SK has a rep that hangs out here, and attempts to satisfy QC concerns, even when the complainer posts a rant instead of a polite warranty or return request. That says something to me about their intent.
If I hadn't decided years ago to focus on Proto stuff, I'd be buying SK to use today.
anndel
Well-known member
I'd still buy SK as the ones I have sits nicely next to my Snap-ons.
One question I have, where all of these tools in question coming from? Amazon, ebay, direct from SK????
of the SK tools i purchased new the few i've had any sort of issue with were direct from SK...
bought the 49pc 3/8" set plus some extras to expand the set, the sockets in the set were all good, the 21mm shallow is a great example of how a socket should look, the 24mm shallow, 15/16 and 1" shallow and deep all had the less than ideal (no pun intended) finishing of the socket broach leaving that weird rolled edge look in the middle
for example the 21 and 24mm side by side
not something that actually bothers me enough to consider playing the warranty lottery hoping replacements look more like the 21mm
mudflap
Well-known member
I have always liked SK.. bought my first ones on a student discount when i was in school 26yrs ago. But have always been disappointed by how hard they are to warranty. The distributors will do or say anything including pulling the fire alarm to keep from having to warranty an SK tool... Has always been that way, so i think it must come from the top..they must have a hard time getting SK to take them back, or credit for them...i don't know...? If you call SK they will send you a kit no problem..but anything beyond that..it's a big hassle.. I don't know if you can see in the pics..but both my 1/2in rats are cracked on both sides of the selector..a kit would do me no good.. And the 3/8 rat is fairly new..i ordered it online, and as you can see it's way off center..nothing that stops it from working..just disappointing.. To be fair..the 1/2in rats have given me many years of serviced..being used in a professional environment on a daily basis...so i don't think SK owes me anything on those. I hate to say it..but wont buy any more tools from them mostly due to lack of support. and if you buy them online...it's a crapshoot as far as quality goes..
