USA Hand Tool Brand
- Thread starter AkFan88
- Start date
shawndp
Well-known member
I think that's on a lot of peoples' wish list! I would take everything except ratchets (love the Taiwan stuff) and ratchet wrenches. Most of all, I would love screwdrivers - something like Snap On's Hard Handles but at a Carlyle price point.
bwringer
Well-known member
Yep. Basic hand tools that work well but slot in below the "jewelry" brands. The niche Craftsman abandoned in their rush to China is wide open.
Locking pliers. Chinese Vice-Grips suuuuuuuuuuuuuuck so hard it's not even a joke.
Adjustable wrenches. Crescent also sent production to the commies, and the wrenches are a complete joke. Spanish-made Bahcos sold under the Channel-Lock name are pretty darn good, and at least made in the first world.
Home shop lathes, drill presses, etc.?
Locking pliers. Chinese Vice-Grips suuuuuuuuuuuuuuck so hard it's not even a joke.
Adjustable wrenches. Crescent also sent production to the commies, and the wrenches are a complete joke. Spanish-made Bahcos sold under the Channel-Lock name are pretty darn good, and at least made in the first world.
Home shop lathes, drill presses, etc.?
Ole Slewfoot
Well-known member
Ones without a bunch of crappy plastic stuck on the handle.
Rarified27
Well-known member
Preach.
Unless I'm using them for anything but a straight pull, all of the PRC made ones twist and pop off.
I deal with a lot of odd angles, so this is common. I just can't afford to buy an entire line of high end grips at once.
Some of them have a questionable locking feature as well. Had plenty of them pop open at the least opportune moments.
lincwelder225
Well-known member
This
There is a HUGE hole in the U.S. made affordable tool market. No one has stepped in to fill the void that craftsman opened when they and apex moved tool production to China. Vise grip and crescent wrench would be nice too.
Wamsutta
Well-known member
A new tool company that would recreate the Cooper Tools owned Crescent locking pliers. They are 5 million times better than ViseGrips.
4x4gearhead
Well-known member
Decently designed satin finished down and dirty hardline usa tools. I agree that Craftsman even 10 years ago was an awesome deal, ratchets were mediocre and sockets were hit or miss but we all know that the good old no frills raised panel wrenches were tougher than you would ever expect for the money. If we could get that kind of a bang for the buck US brand again that would be awesome. I dont want to beat the Craftsman went to China horse any longer, all Im saying is that there is definitely a void there. I wonder if I will have to accept the fact that Taiwan made tools are the new economy US made tools. I have plenty of tools from Taiwan that have been a very good value and stood up to the occasional "get **** done" type of abuse, but of course as an American I am still butthurt that I cant go get a good tool made on our soil for reasonable money anymore. There are companies that come close pricewise such as Wright, but still not as affordable as Craftsman used to be. Just my .02
What's frustrating is the lack of well made, affordable USA tools isn't the cost of labor or materials on our soil. It is greed, pure and simple, in the corporate board room.
Irwin buying Vise-Grip, then proceeding to ruin such a simple, well built, American tool is a great example. We Americans weren't complaining about the price of Vise-Grip's, nor were most of us buying the inferior cheap foreign knock-offs (if you did once, you learned your lesson). But then, with no regard to the customer, they were gone. The current Chinese made version of this great American tool is inferior by a long shot. And they certainly didn't lower their prices.
I don't claim to be intelligent or educated enough to have a solution, but it just seems so sad and stupid. We will likely never see an American company sourcing and relabeling or making tools like Sears was able to do back in the day.
Irwin buying Vise-Grip, then proceeding to ruin such a simple, well built, American tool is a great example. We Americans weren't complaining about the price of Vise-Grip's, nor were most of us buying the inferior cheap foreign knock-offs (if you did once, you learned your lesson). But then, with no regard to the customer, they were gone. The current Chinese made version of this great American tool is inferior by a long shot. And they certainly didn't lower their prices.
I don't claim to be intelligent or educated enough to have a solution, but it just seems so sad and stupid. We will likely never see an American company sourcing and relabeling or making tools like Sears was able to do back in the day.
PhysicsDude
Well-known member
I agree with everyone else...
Something like half the price of Klein hand tools at a slightly lower quality would be nice.
I feel like you're stuck between spending $25+ per plier on a quality tool, or $3 per plier (set of 8 for $20) on china ****. There's not much in between.
Something like half the price of Klein hand tools at a slightly lower quality would be nice.
I feel like you're stuck between spending $25+ per plier on a quality tool, or $3 per plier (set of 8 for $20) on china ****. There's not much in between.
BDT/NWMN
Well-known member
a Line of good quality heavy, medium, and light duty clamps for welding AND a well rounded clamp line for woodworking.
I agree also. I don’t need a tool truck, nor do I need those prices. I’ve rebuilt many engines, transmissions, worked on cars, trucks, tractors, and other equipment with Craftsman tools. I bought specialty tools from tool truck because I couldn’t get them anywhere else. Over the years, Craftsman started selling specialty tools. As a result, Craftsman was the niche, it was the option.
We need them to work, reliably. But fancy is not necessary.
straightcut
Well-known member
Look to S-K Tools!
Last night, I purchased a pair of S-K 6" pliers on-line for $11; 8" were $14.Wilde and Western Forge should be right up your alley.
Ji m
Well-known member
Absolutely the truest thing I've ever read on GG.
Not everything from 25 years ago. The Craftsman stationary power tools turned to **** way before that.
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