When did Husky stop USA production?

[garilla]

I got a handful of USA Husky sockets from a yard sale and they look amazing, the internet just vaguely says that Husky is now an import. Anyone know about when the USA production stopped?

 

[darkzero]

I don't know the answer but FWIW my very first socket set that I ever purchased myself when I was a teenager was in the mid to late 90s. Husky made in the USA. The ratchets in the set were round head, also USA.

I still have it all minus the blow molded case. I don't use any of it anymore, I just keep it for "sentimental value" I guess.

Some years later, I wanna say maybe 3 or so, I broke a 14mm socket & got it replaced under warranty. The replacement socket was a different style (different manufacturer I assume). I don't remember if that newer socket was still USA. Hopefully I still have that one, I'll check & report back.

 

[Lesserstore]

Husky stopped having US made sockets and ratchets around 1998. This is when Stanley was sued by the FTC for marking tools USA or Made in USA that would have foreign steel that was heat treated, polished and chromed here.
Now Husky still had other tools made in the US. Acetate screwdrivers were made by Western Forge and later Pratt-Read/Ideal until 2021. And you can still find a few odds and ends US made or assembled under Husky, or Anvil, HD's lower brand. Usually it's hand saws/blades made by Great Neck.

 

[finn]

As far as I can tell, Husky has been a marketing brand since at least when Stanley acquired the brand and starting selling tools under the Brand to Home Depot in the mid nineties. Home Depot later bought the brand but has never actually owned a tool manufacturing operation. It’s strictly a marketing brand and has been since Stanley divested of the name.

The name itself goes back to 1928, but was sold multiple times over the years through acquisitions and mergers.

 

[four.cycle]

Husky 40001 13 pc 1/4" drive SAE socket wrench set

unless I am mistaken, this was one of the last iterations of a U.S. made "Husky" product.
unfortunately no date marked anywhere on the product.
the only real clue is the address they're using. if you can pin down when they were using that address, you'll be closer to an answer.

 

[KnurledNut]

The last of the Husky USA stuff was pretty good stuff.
I particularly liked the double line =Hᴜsᴋʏ= generation.
The line wrenches and combo wrenches were standouts.
Home Depot would even warranty damaged Craftsman and Snap-on for Husky tools.
The original USA Kobalt tools from Lowes were to compete with HD’s USA Husky line.

This newspaper ad is from 1996:

 

[garilla]

Wow the knowledge collectively here is just great!

 

[tez929rr]

We built our shop building in 2004. After running and forth to the other garage for tools I decided to get a separate set for the shop building. I had seen big Husky sets on sale and when I went to the closest Home Depot they were all gone. The tool section guy told me that HD was discontinuing the US made Husky sets and were selling them at half price. I found a nice set (like 400 piece) at an another HD some distance away. I wish I had known what was going on as I’d have bought more of those sets at the time.

 

[neophyte]

Husky stopped having US made sockets and ratchets around 1998. This is when Stanley was sued by the FTC for marking tools USA or Made in USA that would have foreign steel that was heat treated, polished and chromed here.
Now Husky still had other tools made in the US. Acetate screwdrivers were made by Western Forge and later Pratt-Read/Ideal until 2021. And you can still find a few odds and ends US made or assembled under Husky, or Anvil, HD's lower brand. Usually it's hand saws/blades made by Great Neck.

Stanley didn’t just get sued, they were fined millions of dollars.

 

[darkzero]

The last of the Husky USA stuff was pretty good stuff.
I particularly liked the double line =Hᴜsᴋʏ= generation.
The line wrenches and combo wrenches were standouts.
Home Depot would even warranty damaged Craftsman and Snap-on for Husky tools.
The original USA Kobalt tools from Lowes were to compete with HD’s USA Husky line.

This newspaper ad is from 1996:

That looks like the exact set I bought as well as the price, doesn't seem like 93 pieces though, not what I have anyway. Of course the "hinges" & latches didn't last so I eventuay threw away the case.

I was mistaken, my ratchets don't say USA on them but whatever. Just noticed that the sockets do have double lines you mentioned. I should still have the extensions and 1/4 driver handle somewhere too.

 

[Wamsutta]

Sometime back in the mid to late 1990s when Stanley quit making them.

 

[KnurledNut]

Here’s the line wrenches I mentioned earlier. They have off corner engagement similar to Snap on’s Flank Drive. The machining and finish of these is professional quality. The combination wrenches were on a similar level.

 

[Fedwrench]

Hey, wasn't the last made in the USA Husky mechanics tools version sold by Home Depot simply rebadged Blackhawk of that period?

I remember those plexiglass coffins the Home Depot had where you could trade in broken Snap-on, Mac, Craftsman, etc. for a new Husky version tool. I also remember you could a buy 3/8 drive ratchet, with a metric socket set 10-19mm with a 1/4 flat tip & a #2 phillips screwdriver for $9.98 all USA made.

 

[KnurledNut]

Hey, wasn't the last made in the USA Husky mechanics tools version sold by Home Depot simply rebadged Blackhawk of that period?

I believe there to be some connection.
I knew a guy that worked for SBD and he had some Proto, Blackhawk, Stanley Professional and Husky that he said all came out of the same facility.

 

[four.cycle]

Using the "search" function, I come up with no fewer than eighteen pages of search results when I type in "Husky" and search "title only".

@OldTuleGuy has attempted to direct the "Vintage" Husky discussion HERE, leaving all that other Husky out there scattered about in a bazillion different threads.

I believe we've determined that these "Husky" branded ratchets which are not marked with COO were outsourced offshore, presumably from Taiwan, correct?




Husky 20202 /14" drive RHFT Quick-Release ratchet w/thumbwheel

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

That’s a cool newspaper ad especially the fact they say they will replace your Snap-on or Craftsman tools. I knew about the Craftsman but I had no idea they would replace Snap-on but that’s pretty cool.

 

[four.cycle]

Just noticed that the sockets do have double lines you mentioned.

I particularly liked the double line =Hᴜsᴋʏ= generation.

( * @darkzero's comment is post #10, @KnurledNut's comment is post #6 - I've got them mixed up here. * )

Same two lines (on each side of the size stamp) that we also find on:
Late production Thorsen and Giller
Granco
some ProAmerica
some KAL
Klein
JS Technology

I'm leaning more and more toward all of that having been stamped out by National Tool in Dallas (Stanley bought National Tool in 1986.)

 

[lardy1]

The Husky name seems to have been bought and sold many times and appears in many forms. I have an old Husky by New Britain roundhead ratchet that is a very smooth ratchet. Far smoother than any SK roundhead of that era. I also have a nice set of vintage Husky DBEs that I put together over time. Again...... New Britain.

I was under the impression that the later USA Husky was sourced from Armstrong but that is just something I was told. No real evidence to back it up.

 

[four.cycle]

^ The brand was sold to Stanley Black & Decker in 1986, after which they were selling to Home Depot- see my U.S. made (presumably by Stanley) set in post #5, and @KnurledNut's 1996 Home Depot ads in post #6 above.
I think it's reasonable to assume they were using National Tool in Dallas for production of that U.S. made product.
Notwithstanding a complete lack of definitive, empirical evidence, from all of the anecdotal comments here (and in other threads and on other forums) it would appear that the Husky was coming out of National Tool (as well as a few other brands.) (see @KnurledNut's comment in post #14.) I kind of hesitate to dump PROTO in that group because I've never seen any PROTO branded product with those two little hash marks on each side of the size stamp - a feature common to several other brands (listed in post #17.)

Husky stopped having US made sockets and ratchets around 1998. This is when Stanley was sued by the FTC

From that it sounds like the U.S. made, SBD produced "Husky" was a rather short-lived venture. The company changed hands several times:

Husky / Husky Wrench Co., Milwaukee, WI (1924-1929) / Kenosha, WI (1929-193?) (Olsen Mfg.) / New Britain, CT (193?-197?) (New Britain Machine) / Litton Industries (197?-1986) / acquired by Stanley 1986 / http://alloy-artifacts.org/husky-wrench.html / http://alloy-artifacts.org/husky-wrench.html#history / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/husky-tools.479219/ /

The timeline of Stanley's acquisition of the "Husky" brand coincides with their acquisition of National Tool:

National / National Hand Tool, 12827 Valley Branch Lane, Dallas, TX / est. 1978 / acquired by Stanley 1986 / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/what-can-you-tell-me-about-national-hand-tool.325051/ /

 

[GMSF]

My =Husky= combo’s are my go to SAE set at work. Really nice, long wrenches

 

[genog]

The last of the Husky USA stuff was pretty good stuff.
I particularly liked the double line =Hᴜsᴋʏ= generation.
The line wrenches and combo wrenches were standouts....

Here's a pic of Husky's Double Line, as they are called, combo wrenches from that time period

I got a complete set of SAE's 1/4" through 1-1/4" from my friend Yuzo yesterday
And I will agree, they look like an outstanding set of combos
USA stamped on the reverse side

Brand New, Yuzo didn't use them...

 

[KnurledNut]

Here's a pic of Husky's Double Line, as they are called, combo wrenches from that time period

I got a complete set of SAE's 1/4" through 1-1/4" from my friend Yuzo yesterday
And I will agree, they look like an outstanding set of combos
USA stamped on the reverse side

Brand New, Yuzo didn't use them...

Beautiful wrench set! Thanks for sharing pics!

 

[dnschmidt]

I think the true answer was when Danaher sold off their hand tool business. Early 90's seems about right.

 

[neophyte]

I think the true answer was when Danaher sold off their hand tool business. Early 90's seems about right.

Danaher sold their hand tool business in 2013 to Bain Capitol in 2012 or 2013, although there were reorganizations of the brands before that, combining the original Danaher Tool owned brands with the Cooper Hand Tool business that started to be combined into the “Apex Tool Group” after the two tool groups started merging in 2010.