Tool Manufacturers

[eschoendorff]

Channellock Ratchets and wrenches sold at Sam's Club are made by Allied from China plus just picked up a set of channellock screwdrivers made by the same company from china they are perrty good quality and are full shank style. Why would a good company do something likew that ? Allie also makes tools for goodyear brand sold at Pep boys
The new Kobalt stainless steel tool boxes are made is china don't Know who isthe manufacturer.

Simple. It mkes them money... most people could give a **** where something is made as long as it is cheap.

That's why this board exists... most of us feel differently.

 

[MAD]

Kartracer55,

Ran across a tool brand GB (Gardner Bender, electrical trade tools) I haven't seen before. I believe their tools are made primarily in the U.S., but have an email to their customer service to verify this.

Their web site is www.gardnerbender.com if you want to investigate further.

All the Gardner Bender hand tools I have looked at were made in Taiwan or China. I bought 4 pairs of their needle nose pliers for my classroom. They are ok..not fantastic but not terrible either.

Coach

I have a few U.S. made GB pliers and wire strippers that I bought in the late 80s/ early 90s. One is a red handled round cable cutter marked "GB CHANNELOCK" so there must have been a connection at one time. In recent years the pliers and wire strippers I have looked at in the stores have gone from Mexico to Taiwan to China. The last time I looked at them, their conduit benders and some of their fish tapes were Still U.S. made. I do not know if this is still the case.

 

[rebrewer]

Hazet, arguably the finest German made hand tools.

 

[billymade]

How does Stahlwille compare to Hazet?

 

[JayL]

I don't know if this has been posted before but I'm including this company here. I have several of their pliers.

http://www.orbis-werk.de/

 

[Moose-LandTran]

How does Stahlwille compare to Hazet?

They're about level. Hazet has a far bigger range of tools.

 

[wrenhandtools]

You "might" want to add Toptul to the list as well. I have had not one complaint from a customer (so far) about quality. Their main website www.toptul.com shows some of their history and strength ratings. Not for anyone who does not want their tools made in Taiwan. (but also might want to know that they make SOME of the wrenches for FACOM)
Sincerely

 

[bh206]

My contribution to the list: KTC -->> Kyoto Tool Company in Japan.
Their Nepro line is equal to SnapOn both in price and quality. Their regular line is top notch.

bh206

 

[lizard]

Anybody ever heard of JS tool company from the 70's out of
Atlanta, Ga. I have a ratchet body with no guts in it want to find out if they still are around. We made these ratchet bodys in a factory where I work.

 

[MyChannellockTools]

Channellock's pliers and specialty are forged in Meadville PA, but they do outsource their screw driver line to china.

 

[rebelram]

I noticed something interesting about Task Force tools at Lowes.

On the back of the packaging for a set of Task Force stubby wrenches, it is marked

Distributed by Danaher Tool Group
Sparks, MD 21152 USA Copyright 2007
Made in China

I knew Danaher made the Kobalt line, but apparently they also have the contract for the Task Force line as well. I realize it's outsourced to China, but I would assume Danaher does maintain some level of control over the operation.

I checked Danaher's website and in the 2007 annual report it does mention Lowes once. Kobalt is not even mentioned on the website either.
http://investor.shareholder.com/danaher/annual-proxy.cfm

The other thing I noticed on Task Force packaging is Lifetime Warranty with receipt.

 

[reversegear]

Danaher fully owns at least two (that I know of) manufacturing facilities in China. The big one is SATA, and there is another one up in Shandong province somewhere. The Sata plant produces over a million pieces of gear wrench per month.

 

[eschoendorff]

I thought that Lea Way had a Danaher-GearWrench connection.... ???????

 

[reversegear]

I thought that Lea Way had a Danaher-GearWrench connection.... ???????

Lea Way (Taiwan) is producing the reversible model (they had quality problems when they tried to make the reversing model in China). Single direction, flex, etc. ratchet wrenches are made in China.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

Probably around 95, I was looking at a Taskforce set, for general around the house and possible trunk use. At the time, they said lifetime warranty with (thermal/fading) receipt, and made by Great neck tools.
Then I went to Sears for some and started filling in with Kobalt by JH Williams on closeout, and Gearwrench (on sale).

I think it is another house brand, that they have whoever is the cheapest bidder make, for the low cost market.

 

[BigK600]

This may have been posted already but one thing in your list that is missing is Delta/Porter Cable, who is owned by Black and Decker.

 

[Alfajuj]

It seems like these companies are constantly changing hands lately and I'm having trouble keeping track of who makes what where. I'm starting this thread as a list of all of the tool manufacturers in alphabetical order along with what company owns them and where they make the majority of their tools.

I am including the makers of common hand tools, power tools, tool boxes, and air compressors.

*Please feel free to post any pertinant info and I will continuously edit this thread to keep it up to date.


Hezel - Mechanics tools - Germany

Actually there is no brand "Hezel", I think you mean "Hazet".

BTW Another few brands worth mentioning are Elora from Germany, Ko-ken from Japan, Hilti from Liechtenstein.

 

[JOE HRASKA]

Think I Read That Skil Is Now Owned By Robert Bosch

Joe

 

[Hawk321]

Don't found MATADOR, an old german brand....
KS-TOOLs German importeur lot of Gearwrenches
CWALTER, old german brand too
NWS, one of the best pliers

 

[pbtoolman]

Ever heard of PB Swiss Tools?

 

[Paladin]

Ever heard of PB Swiss Tools?

PB is highly regarded around here.

 

[FNFS2000]

I prefer WERA, and they have a wider product line, and easier to aquire.

 

[eschoendorff]

The Wera grips make my wife giggle... and that just freaks me out. No Wera for me.

 

[juoetken]

Does anyone know if Toptul are good tools? If so how do you buy them?

 

[The Muffin Man]

Does anyone know if Toptul are good tools? If so how do you buy them?

If you search "Toptul" you'll find many reviews of some Toptul products. Another thread you should also read is this one.

The website you can order from is www.wrenhandtools.com

 

[redsky49]

I've got a couple more to throw into the mix:

Powr-Kraft, USA, sockets and wrenches sold by Montgomery Wards. I thought these were by Williams?

Billings Vitalloy, USA, sockets. Really like these but have no idea about their lineage

Gedore, "Drop Forged", India, combination wrenches. Not just German manufacture.

Wilde Wrench, slip joint pliers believed to be USA

McHaig Hatch, USA, adjustable wrench. Says Buffalo, NY, looks like Crescent

Chicago Pneumatic, Japan, combination wrench. Looks very Craftsman like. Good quality.

 

[quattrojon]

Please add Armstrong - Danaher and also J.H Williams, which i think is a Snap On company.

 

[JayL]

Here are some products I found in our local market. I thought I might add the manufacturers here for reference.

http://www.endo-kogyo.co.jp/english/top-e.html

http://www.telwin.com/webtelwin/prodotti.nsf

http://www.uryu.co.jp/english/index.html

 

[Vulturej]

Snap On Tools are made in USA, Canada (Tool Boxes), Sweden, Argentina, & China. Blue Point Tools are made in Taiwan, & China.

 

[bmwpower]

Snap On Tools are made in USA, Canada (Tool Boxes), Sweden, Argentina, & China. Blue Point Tools are made in Taiwan, & China.

What?? I thought they were all made in the USA, unless they said Blue Point.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

Snap On Tools are made in USA, Canada (Tool Boxes), Sweden, Argentina, & China. Blue Point Tools are made in Taiwan, & China.

You forgot Spain. (some adjustable wrenches I saw recently, that the damaged frieght store was too proud of)

What?? I thought they were all made in the USA, unless they said Blue Point.

There was a recent thread on a Chinese Snap-On, non advertising (not a flashlight) tool.

 

[Jononon]

This thread is increasingly confused. Because the first post hasn't been updated, all it serves to do is perpetuate myths. Wera, Wiha, and Snap-on all have their home countries as place of manufacturer in the original post. Not one of them manufactures exclusively in that country.

You forgot Spain. (some adjustable wrenches I saw recently, that the damaged frieght store was too proud of)

In addition to full blown imports, like the adjustable wrenches, there's also been weirdness, such as multiple sources for soft grip handles. I assume this wasn't a success, since they've begun marking soft grip ratchets as 'Made in USA' again (watching people tie themselves in knots - e.g. "Snap-on doesn't mark them because US made tools aren't acceptable to the international market" - over the lack of the country of origin indication was most amusing )

 

[HandyManny]

Sadly many of Snap-On and Mac tools are no longer made in the USA. Interestingly enough certain tools from these two aren't even or have never been made by them. Talking about things like many of the pliers, adjustable wrenches, etc.

Snap-On adjsutable wrenches are made of the same Spanish maker who makes the current Channellock adjustable....IREGA I believe? Used to be Diamond Caulk as well as their water-pump pliers.

And I swear that the current Mac water-pump (tonge & groove) pliers are made for them by Channellock, just relabled Channellock tonge & groove with red handles, but at three times the price.

Also seems to me like the current S-K adjustable wrenches are the same ones that Western Forge makes for many others brands, including Craftsman and RIDGID, but again at two to three times the price.

Have noticed a lot of the newer Proto-Blackhawk wrenches and ratchets made in Taiwan. Not talking about the regular Proto stuff, still made at Stanley's National Hand Tool facilities in Texas.

It's disturbing to see just how many hand tools are now today being made overseas compared to even 5 or 10 years ago. Sad.

 

[Lump]

I'm a new guy, so I hope I do this right.
Is it your intention to list older, possibly-defunct companies also? If so, I would suggest Bonney, KR Wilson, Knock-Out Tools (KO Lee), Klemme, Stevens-Wiley-Wooster, Pexto, Kent-Moore, Hazett....geez, there are simply too many, aren't there. Thanks for this hard work. ---------Lump

 

[vstoyko]

Craftsman Canada Pro Wrenches -"Thank you for taking the time to contact Sears.

In regards to your recent inquiry, our system indicates the manufacturer/supplier of item numbers D09 M41810 and D09 M40810 is DANAHER TOOL LTD TAIWAN BRANCH."

 

[Autoguy]

great effort

 

[CarWashGuy]

Porter Cable, Grizzly, Campbell Hausfeld

 

[cortez]

I've got a couple more to throw into the mix:

Powr-Kraft, USA, sockets and wrenches sold by Montgomery Wards. I thought these were by Williams?

Billings Vitalloy, USA, sockets. Really like these but have no idea about their lineage

Gedore, "Drop Forged", India, combination wrenches. Not just German manufacture.

Wilde Wrench, slip joint pliers believed to be USA

McHaig Hatch, USA, adjustable wrench. Says Buffalo, NY, looks like Crescent

Chicago Pneumatic, Japan, combination wrench. Looks very Craftsman like. Good quality.

It seems like we need a bonafide tool historian to get these lineages correct. On top of this is the law (or Laws) that allow a manufacturer to stamp "Made In the USA" if only a certain percentage of the product were in fact made or assembled in the US.

I do not know what percentages qualify for the "Made in the USA" label.

 

[307WYLD]

I'm not a computer geek, but it would be really cool to see a spreadsheet done in PDF form that shows all of these brands, in family heirarchies (Danaher, etc) with country/countries of origin.

Sure would allow the people who are "pro-American" to build their toolboxes with ONLY American made stuff.

Just for $hit$ & Giggles, there should be a column with a quality rating...****, Iffy, Good, Better, Best...

 

[DSKA Tools]

Genius Tools - made in Taiwan and high quality