The Ultimate Tool Set? Grainger Seems to Think So?

[speed bump]

I didn't want to do useful things today so I looked at this tool set a little more. When I pull up motion industries (where I typically get best pricing for work) the set that starts this is $41786. The set without the shadow foam and box is $19633.41. The set with 56 inch bottom box is $25076.76. So moral of the story is when some dipshit starts showing up talking kamikaze, lots of S's, and the yoda way it's going to cost you money. Also the set without foam is generally available in less than 2 weeks.

 

[Garcky]

I did actually read the entire thread. Garcky would never say something like Harbor Freight is better than Proto.

Being good enough is a different stance entirely.

Exactly.

 

[Wrench97]

There's a history of Plomb and Proto here in the vintage tools forum. Proto was bought up by Stanley a long time ago. Their tools are not the same as they were when Proto was a stand-alone company. Of course, nobody's tools are the same as they were any more. Some are better; some are not.

There is a perspective missing here, I have some Proto stuff that came from my grandfather, probably made in the late 40's.
To me as I compared it to new Snap On/Mac/Matco stuff from the mid 70's to today I don't view it as equal, now if I was comparing it to Snap On sockets from the same time period it just might be a different story
The only newer Proto tool I have is 1" x 3/4" socket adapter I grabbed from Grainger one day several years ago to finish a job when my Snappy adapter broke......................of course the Proto broke also .

 

[1982fxr]

I did actually read the entire thread. Garcky would never say something like Harbor Freight is better than Proto.

Being good enough is a different stance entirely.

He said they're equal. This is from post #3. And he doubled down on it afterwards.

"I'm sure you could duplicate the Proto set with Icon-grade tools from HF for well under $10,000. Quality would be just as good."

 

[zendriver]

I just hope next time I reach for a hammer, punch and safety glasses, I get lucky and pull out harbor freight instead of the crappy Proto stuff.

Said no informed person ever.

Why would anyone have both?

I never stated HF stuff was better than Proto, because I know almost nothing about Proto tools, other than their hand tools remove and replace fasteners.

 

[dchawk81]

He said they're equal. This is from post #3. And he doubled down on it afterwards.

"I'm sure you could duplicate the Proto set with Icon-grade tools from HF for well under $10,000. Quality would be just as good."

Well equal isn't better either. He also specified Icon, which is a cut above the Pittsburg stuff.

 

[Morningwood]

Grainger sells to industrial companies. That price is probably cut in half for a large account. I have a grainger account but dont order much from them so I pay full price. I use them if I need something special because they have almost anything you could need. Things like orings where I can measure them myself and order online and pick up in store.

When I worked for a large company with plants all over I ordered stuff from grainger all the time for projects. I would get the part numbers and call grainger to submit it under the company's account and they would send me an updated pricing sheet. I then had to send that into accounting to get it approved and then I could place the order. Prices were significantly lower then the advertised prices.

Grainger will sell to about anyone but if you dont buy enough to make it worth their while then you pay the high prices.

I think you’ll find that all purchases from grainger are actually at the full price listed on the website and depending on what your company purchases in a year grainger will give back a rebate based on the total amount, Fastenal and brafasco use the same method. I’m not saying the cost won’t be significantly less by the end of the year but the real time purchase price is probably exactly that. From the retailers perspective it helps command loyalty to the customers trying to maximize thier rebate, makes it easy for them to determine the discounts of buyers depending on the account size etc… as a purchaser it looks really good in the erp if all purchases can be cost to a specific cost centre and then at the end of they year a rebate comes in as a profit centre.

 

[signcrafter]

I think you’ll find that all purchases from grainger are actually at the full price listed on the website and depending on what your company purchases in a year grainger will give back a rebate based on the total amount, Fastenal and brafasco use the same method. I’m not saying the cost won’t be significantly less by the end of the year but the real time purchase price is probably exactly that. From the retailers perspective it helps command loyalty to the customers trying to maximize thier rebate, makes it easy for them to determine the discounts of buyers depending on the account size etc… as a purchaser it looks really good in the erp if all purchases can be cost to a specific cost centre and then at the end of they year a rebate comes in as a profit centre.

You think, or you know? Because I explained my first hand knowledge of the exact procedure of how it works in my post you quoted. I would call and get the discounted prices and then send the sheet to accounting to approve the purchase. So yes, it was discount prices at the time of purchase. Never anything about an end of year rebate.

 

[Wrench97]

I think you’ll find that all purchases from grainger are actually at the full price listed on the website and depending on what your company purchases in a year grainger will give back a rebate based on the total amount, Fastenal and brafasco use the same method. I’m not saying the cost won’t be significantly less by the end of the year but the real time purchase price is probably exactly that. From the retailers perspective it helps command loyalty to the customers trying to maximize thier rebate, makes it easy for them to determine the discounts of buyers depending on the account size etc… as a purchaser it looks really good in the erp if all purchases can be cost to a specific cost centre and then at the end of they year a rebate comes in as a profit centre.

No I see the discounted price when I order from Grainger.
Some items are discounted more then others.