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What brand does the Military use?

Nealcrenshaw

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I did a search and couldn't find any info on it,just curious as to what tool brands the military use on the base and in the field? Does anyone have any firsthand or second or third hand knowledge as to what brands they use?
 
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Merkava_4

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The Air Force uses primarily Snap-on; the NAVY uses a mixture of different brands; I have no clue what the Army uses.
 

justinking060310

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Marine Corps uses Snap-on, and lots of it...
EDIT **Thats first hand knowledge, as I am a cryogenics technician in the MC**

Justin
 

fourfeathers

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In the 90's, I worked in a helo squadron tooroom for 8 months, and they used all unbranded stuff. US made, but almost all no name on it, or weird ones like Amalite. CDI torquewrenches, IIRC. Little Giant ladders, no battery tools back then, used herdy gurdy egg beater drills.
 

pirana

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I came across a bit the other day where Armstrong Tools & pelican Cases won a multi million dollar contract to develop a mobile tool system for field use for the Marines & Army.
 

Merkava_4

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I came across a bit the other day where Armstrong Tools & pelican Cases won a multi million dollar contract to develop a mobile tool system for field use for the Marines & Army.


Yeah, there's a thread on that topic floating around here somewhere.
 

Fedwrench

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It depends on where the Army unit buys it. In the old days before impac credit cards, you ordered tools or went to the SSSC (supply store) and bought the famous brands Kal, Giller, Granco, Indestro, KD, Proto, and others. In the 1980s SK showed up often relabeled JS tools along with Proamerica (blackhawk). In the 1990s everything changed. Something called the standardized catalog of industrial tools appeared filled with snap on, mac, and others. This was followed with the appearance of the impac card which meant that you could buy stuff alot easier from local sources and now the internet. What gets purchased depends on who's managing the budget. That might mean Craftsman, SK, Armstrong, or a tool truck brand through their government sales division. Alot of units don't buy Snap on due to their sticky fingers appeal and even at half off, they're still more money than a different brand. Next time you're surfing Ebay auctions and you see Snap on sets in red blow molded boxes that you can't match up exactly in the catalog, or SK sets in Black blow molded cases that you haven't seen on their website, those are probably liberated GSA government tools. I always get a kick out of seeing where the auction is from and figuring out what military base is close by.
 

Jerm

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My buddy's National guard unit uses primarily all snap on. They do have some other brands for misc. tools that they only have like one of.
 

Theo

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Generally speaking the can use whatever they want, as long at the tool is made in a "friendly" country. AFAIK they buy mostly US made tools.

You'll never see a Chinese tool used by the US Military unless they change their purchasing rules.
 

philw

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As Merkava stated the Air Force uses Snap-on, at least aviation maintenance did. They do not have to worry about sticky fingers because there is a tool inventory. If you check a toolbox out you inventory it and when it goes back to the tool crib you/they inventory it again. If there is something missing it's a major problem. The aircraft cannot go anywhere until missing tool is found.

We had some aircraft which had Snap-on roll cabs on board. Same thing applied. If you open the roll cab you inventory and when you close you inventory again.

I remember a crew chief lost a tool and himself and many others spent hours looking for it. They finally found that it had dropped down a heater hose. We had portable heaters with 16"? flexible ducts that you could position. They had the duct positioned up the entry ladder into the cockpit of a 135 and the tool must have slid across the floor and went down the duct.
 

Phatsub

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I work on a Navay Base where primarily SO is used. There are a few more brands which are all USA brands. Nothing foreign made.
 

bowlofturtle

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when i was at UTI, a lot of the teachers and the snap on dealer told me. the armed forced were the #1 buyer of snap-on and the #2 was UTI students and i really do believe it.
 
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billymade

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All former Air Force techs I have talked to (few at work); have said Snap-on! One guy was based in Italy during the eastern european nato bombing; he said the Snapon truck came to the base and they bought whatever tools they needed or did warranty returns; he also talked about the stringent inventory control; no one left their shift until all the tools were accounted for.
 

TxDoc

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http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20950


Armstrong Tools, Pelican And UFPT Win $125 Million Defense Contract
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Pelican Products Inc./Armstrong Tools/UFP Technologies

WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 14, 2008 – Armstrong Tools, a division of Danaher Corporation, Pelican™ Products, Inc. and UFP Technologies, Inc. have won a contract to design and build a mobile tool kit for the United States Army and Marines that meets stringent Berry Amendment “Made in the USA” requirements.

Over the five-year, $125 million dollar contract’s life, the companies will manufacture in excess of 96,000 tool kits designed to exceed the demanding requirements of service personnel across the globe.

From top-to-bottom, the contract requires the kit to be mobile and include uniformly branded tools for accuracy of inventory. The case needs to survive rough handling and transport in extreme environments as well as organize parts uniformly with configurable drawers that keep the tools secure, even after the case has been turned upside down while closed.

Each manufacturer is contributing “best-of-breed” elements to the kit that not only meet but exceed all military specs. Armstrong Tools supplied more than 175 forged alloy steel tool pieces designed to operate in the hottest Middle Eastern deserts to the coldest arctic environments. The set can be used for servicing and repairing all forms of armored and conventional vehicles, both tracked and wheeled.

To protect the contents, Pelican Products has engineered their first-ever, dedicated mobile tool case solution that will secure, organize and make the tools virtually impervious to impact and moisture. Case drawers were also engineered to allow multiple configurations for versatile organization. For interior protection and tool control, UFP Technologies, Inc. contributed a closed cell, multi-color foam tray system to secure and organize multiple items and to prevent foreign object damage (FOD) resulting from misplaced tools.

Additionally, the case and its contents must meet an extensive battery of military quality assurance standards. Requirements include impact tests under temperature extremes, water ingress tests after being fully submerged, and a 5 foot drop test while weighted with 200 pounds.

About Armstrong Tools

Founded in 1890, Armstrong Tools, a division of the Danaher Corporation, is a leading full line manufacturer of premium quality and performance industrial hand tools. For more information, visit www.armstrongtools.com. Armstrong Military Tools can be reached 1-800-234-0838 .

About Pelican Products, Inc.

Pelican™ Products, Inc. is the global leader in the design and manufacture of advanced lighting systems and virtually indestructible cases with distribution centers in Barcelona, Spain, Edmonton, Canada, Tokyo, Japan, Shanghai, China, and Adelaide, Australia. The company was acquired in 2005 by private equity firm Behrman Capital. For more information, visit www.Pelican.com or www.behrmancap.com.

About UFP Technologies, Inc.

UFP Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ - UFPT) is an innovative designer and custom converter of foams, plastics and natural fiber products. The company serves its customers through three major brands: United Foam, Simco Automotive, and Molded Fiber; producing a vast array of custom-engineered packaging solutions and component products in eleven manufacturing facilities across North America. Its customers include leading companies in six core markets: Automotive, Computers & Electronics, Medical & Scientific, Aerospace & Defense, Consumer and Industrial.
__________________
 

hamburglar

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All former Air Force techs I have talked to (few at work); have said Snap-on! One guy was based in Italy during the eastern european nato bombing; he said the Snapon truck came to the base and they bought whatever tools they needed or did warranty returns; he also talked about the stringent inventory control; no one left their shift until all the tools were accounted for.

You know, that whole situation just cries out for RFID. Somebody *has* to be working on a line of tools like that if it doesn't already exist.
 

chammyman

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yes **** means *****.

a quick google as i can't be bothered getting pics of one I have

king_dick_spanner.jpg


Quality wise they are ok, mostly imperial sizes.

Their site http://www.kingdicktools.co.uk/

not seen any new king **** stuff, its always old and normally ex MOD gear.
 

ovilla

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When I was in the USAF I use to work on my truck down at the hobby shop on base. You could rent a toolbox for something like .50/hr and it had a number painted on it. If it was a 30 that meant there were 30 pieces in it. Anyway, you had to have all 30 pieces back in the toolbox or you had to pay a hefty fine for whatever was missing. It was all Snap on stuff too.
 

64merc

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When I was in the USAF I use to work on my truck down at the hobby shop on base. You could rent a toolbox for something like .50/hr and it had a number painted on it. If it was a 30 that meant there were 30 pieces in it. Anyway, you had to have all 30 pieces back in the toolbox or you had to pay a hefty fine for whatever was missing. It was all Snap on stuff too.

Wow, that would be an awesome perk I guess. I knew they had hobby shops but I didn't know some of them would let you rent tools too.
 

Gabriel J

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As an aviation technician in the Coast Guard it was Snap-on.

Before I went to aviation school, I was at a small-boat station. There it was a mix of snap-on and craftsman there.
 
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paramudduck

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ohio
Off Topic: Thanks Fedwrench I was trying to remember who made proamerica tool. Got some in a box I bought the other day.
 

russlaferrera

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Central Virginia
Most of the hand tools were made by Snap-On, under contract. Older US Govt tools had a "V" code in the item number. The tool was spec'd that it was heavy duty and because of the code "V" would not be warranted by Snap-On. IMO this is one reason the govt pays $$$$ for a hammer. Had they contracted a hammer off the shelf rather than spec'd the hammer the cost would be $.
 

PeteW

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Minneapolis, MN
You know, that whole situation just cries out for RFID. Somebody *has* to be working on a line of tools like that if it doesn't already exist.

Funny you should mention that.... I was just talking to a fellow programmer today about some RFID technologies and programming strategies for an Army base.
It shouldn't take too long before it gets handed down to tools.

I am almost at the point I can triangulate the position of an RFID tag with the AMX hardware that is in place throughout a lot of the bases. Big Brother is definitely learning some new tricks. :D
 

Crasen

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When I was an aircraft mechanic in the Air Force we used mostly Armstrong. We did have some Snap On as well.
 

ddawg16

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Army? They only use 2 tools...

BFH and a crow bar.....

As for jar heads....they only need one tool.....but since JeepGod knows where I am.....I'll stop there.....
 
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