What is alltrade tools?

[qqzj]

I searched it and see a lot of powerbuilt tools show up. Quite confusing. Are they the same thing? Thanks

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[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Haven’t been able to find much about them either. I think it’s just a tool with a brand stamped on it pretty much.


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[AA/FC]

I remember Alltrade tools from the 80's. They were basically the lowest grade of tools from Taiwan/China from those days. I have some old Alltrade tools laying around here somewhere from when I was a young kid. If it's the same Alltrade that I'm thinking of, they are nothing special.

 

[cowboy73]

According to their website, Alltrade owns the Powerbilt brand. They make stuff for private label brands for stores. Kinda like Kobalt is made by Danaher for Lowes.

 

[drtyler]

They are also the source for the IR hand tool line.

 

[Kev442]

They started out in the butter tool kits and have been slowly going upstream over the decades. Very much like Tekton was able to overcome their MTI (MIT?) roots.

 

[Fedwrench]

Alltrade makes all kinds of stuff for several brands. Some of it like the IR hand tools and the Powerbuilt Pro stuff is actually pretty good.

They also make of of that Snap on **** you see sold everywhere but, off a Snap on truck. Things light flashlights, cordless lights, shopvacs, power washers, pocket knives, etc.

https://www.alltradetools.com/

 

[Jland]

AllTrade was big in the late 70's early 80's... cheap Taiwan tools. some were eh..most were **** BUT they had a life time guarantee which they still honor today! I have one of their coolest tools, a multi jaw vise-grip type pliers.. it came with interchangeable long and short needlenose jaws, straight and curved jaws and and the duck bill sheet metal jaws. I'll snap a post and add later..

 

[B_Bimmer]

One of my first tool sets was alltrade. I did WAY more with it than should ever be done. It'd be hard to stomach that ratchet for longer than it took to move it to the scrap pile at this stage of my life.

 

[texasprd]

I think they produce loaner tools for at least one of the auto parts chains

 

[Ricky Joe]

If I remember correctly, I think some Alltrade was made in the US. I have never bought any purposely, but do have an extendable magnet that I think is domestic.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

I just looked at a couple of mine a few say Taiwan and a few say nothing but the brand and size. Cheap knuckle busting tools for the most part I’d say. I haven’t ever actually seen them in a store.


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[four.cycle]

(carried over from the other thread)

Alltrade / Alltrade / all imported from Asia (primarily Taiwan) through U.S. distributors / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/what-is-alltrade-tools.478171/ /

I don't have any information on this company, other than:
When I was working as an independent sales agent, "Alltrade" was one of the product lines we represented. My recollection of it is pretty vague - I think we sold most of it to a local mass-merchandiser auto parts retailer, and "Smoky" (who owned a local chain of stores called "Tool Town")
When I left that job I ended up with all of my "salesman samples", which I gave to a buddy of mine.

He was here a couple weeks ago working on a couple trucks and I asked him about a couple things I'd given him lately - a "bit driver" thing and a couple other widgets.
Then just out of the blue I asked him "You still have those impact tools I gave you when I was workin' for Joe?"
"Yeah, and I'm still using them."

That was 1989.
As I recall, it was a little thing called a "butterfly" impact driver, a couple impact guns, and some other pneumatic devices.

Can't speak to any of the other stuff.

YMMV

 

[AA/FC]

The Alltrade stuff that I've seen over the decades has been garbage.