Where do you get your american tools?

[Dustin Crawford]

Hey guys, until I started lurking here I never really heard about the 'other' american tools. I heard of the box truck tools which 99.9 % of even gearheads cant afford or justify, craftsman as an inbetween, or chinese.

I never hear about

Armstrong
Proto
Stanley
Blackhawk
S-K

and probably many more.

So where do you find these? They dont have trucks driving around and I dont like the idea of buying a tool I cant feel or 'try out' in the store.

So what other great american brands are out there and where do you find there stuff?

 

[Avgas]

Lots of those for sale here in the classifieds... I'd also say ebay, but as popular as ebay is today, it's hard to find great deals anymore

 

[oak_park]

I find them at flea markets, estate sales. Also, you can find them at industrial supply companies like Grainger.

 

[tyndall]

Most of the companies have a dealer locator on their website.

And don't forget Wright.

 

[JimDon]

Remember that Google is your friend.
Jim

 

[SpiderGearsMan]

blackhawk has not been USA in ages

 

[NinetyTwoFifty]

I usually buy my Proto stuff brand new on ebay. I'm waiting on one of these to come in right now:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200623327428

Another good source is amazon.com.

 

[blazer1]

None of the Stanley tools I have or see are USA made. All in China.

 

[Tiny Jackson]

Dustin,

Where is your location?

 

[bobadame]

Yard sales.

 

[SpiderGearsMan]

since a lot of mac tools are chinese , why isn't proto ?

maybe military specs I hope

 

[crewchief888]

i get most of the (used) tools i buy from yard sales, swap meets, and a few from a local used tool store.
i rarely buy anything new anymore, unless it's a must have for work, and i buy truck brands or CM if it's available.

occasional/ one time home use tool, most of those come from HF.
having a 2nd set of tools in the garage saves me from walking out to my service truck to get something, and then forgetting to put it back.


most of my sk's were passed along from my dad after he passed away.

 

[Roots]

So where do you find these? They dont have trucks driving around and I dont like the idea of buying a tool I cant feel or 'try out' in the store.

Industrial vendors such as E & R Industrial, MSC Direct, Grainger, Newark, Production Tool Supply, McMaster-Carr, Marshall Campbell, Fastenal as well as regional and local industrial/welding/plumbing/electrical/HVAC supply distributors.

If you really need to "feel or try out" a given tool, your best bet will be to try local plumbing and electrical supply houses/vendors.

 

[fatboyf150]

I get my american made tools from harbor fre... wait a minute.

 

[wornoutoldman]

try www.amazon.com too.....

 

[kxxr]

A good place to familiarize yourself with some of the better known brands is the Alloy Artifacts website. Lots of pictures and tons of articles.
http://home.comcast.net/~alloy-artifacts/index.html

 

[supertooljunkie]

Pawn shops!!

 

[Gregg33]

Gray (Cdn made) I get at a local industrial supply, Craftsman at Sears (in Niagara Falls, NY) the odd domestic tool at RONA (has quite a bit of Cdn made stuff), Home Depot, Lowe's, Princess Auto and Cdn Tire. I also buy a fair bit of used, off of Kijiji mostly. Looking for a good SO dealer though, I need about $250 worth of stuff to fill in sets. I work in auto parts so I should ask some of the shops about the local SO dealer.

 

[diesel research]

Gonna have to get over some of the "have to have in hand first" philosophy.

Even the backyardshadytree's favorite place, craftsman, often does not carry it's best toolss in stock. Many are catalog/online order only.

I like these lesser known industrial brands, but admit you have to gamble a little. Then again, I might get some sick thrill from that gamble....

I knew sk wrenches were great, due to years of employer-provided tools. Same employer provided snap on and I would usually reach for the superkromes instead. Just felt better. I knew their ratchets sucked (the ones most gj'ers worship) and when I got the new palm control (the one most hate) I was quite pleasantly surprised.

Armstrong and proto have been pleasant experiences as well. No one carried the (non-USA) channellock adjustable I wanted, BUT an employer had a shop version. I was always reaching for it, so ordered my own.

Basically, your best bet might be to either borrow or do calculated gambling.

 

[Dustin Crawford]

Thanks guys, I am in Wa by seattle. I am not opposed to ordering online but it is nice to have a sears store I can go to. Especially for returns. Do any of the american brands have lifetime warranties like craftsman?

I really like my craftsman set and was hoping to find a replacement brand that I could pretty much stick with but maybe that wont work out.

I gotta think that american tools would sell better in america if they were a lot more available. I cant believe that the answer is basically to order american tools online as just about my only option in america. After all I can think of 3 chinese tool stores close by just off the top of my head. This is very disappointing.

 

[05CarbonDRZ]

www.Snap-On.com

 

[Jim C.]

Channellock still makes a lot of their tools (but not all) in the USA, and those are available almost everywhere on the new and used tool market.

Jim C.

 

[justanengineer]

If you want different brands of still made in US tools, you need to find local hardware stores, lumber yards, non-chain auto parts stores, paint shops etc. The commonly referred to ones on this board for the most part arent US made anymore, and are owned by another brand (like my personal fav, JH Williams, formerly Rochester NY, now SO owned made overseas). If you want the real deal quality tools you need to hit flea markets, antique shops, yard sales, auctions etc.