Who Made HD Husky

[Downwindtracker 2]

Years back I picked up a made in USA 1/4" socket set from HD, just for curiosity, who made it.

 

[jacked_72]

Used to be New Brittian.

 

[TuxThePenguin]

maybe Danaher?

how long ago? brands like Husky change suppliers over time.

Stanley has made some of their stuff, but I don't think USA stuff would be Stanley

 

[Lesserstore]

In 1986 Stanley bought out National Hand Tool who bought out New Britain and their other brands in the early '80s. Stanley supplied the Husky brand exclusively to HD starting in '92 and later transfered the rights to HD. Early USA Husky was made by Stanley and now they are Chinese/Taiwanese made by Apex tool group. The only things made in USA under the husky brand now are screwdrivers (Pratt-Read), plastic tool boxes, hand/hacksaws (Great Neck), and utility knife blades (Great Neck I think), and there's possibly some others.

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

Thanks, from that time line , Stanley .

 

[Al Borland]

Some of the USA GD Husky was made by whoever made the last of the USA Craftsman for Sears. Some of the early HD Husky appeared to be Stanley selling off old NB Husky stock they acquired when they bought New Britain. Kilness-patent ratchets for example.

 

[Lesserstore]

When did HD stop selling USA sockets/ratchets anyway? Must have been before Sears because my dad has some sets he bought 10-15 years ago that are Chinese/Taiwanese.

 

[JR 42]

When did HD stop selling USA sockets/ratchets anyway? Must have been before Sears because my dad has some sets he bought 10-15 years ago that are Chinese/Taiwanese.

Yeah, it was before Sears. I bought a set of Husky wrenches around 2008 for work beaters and they were made overseas (don't remember if in Taiwan or China though).

Some of the USA GD Husky was made by whoever made the last of the USA Craftsman for Sears. Some of the early HD Husky appeared to be Stanley selling off old NB Husky stock they acquired when they bought New Britain. Kilness-patent ratchets for example.

I'm not sure this is entirely correct. I don't recall when Home Depot started selling Husky tools, and don't know what New Britain Husky looked like when they folded.

But- I've got some older Husky US- made combo wrenches that are clearly Stanley products, and my overseas set is also clearly Stanley (they're pretty much identical aside from a USA stamp, but there are font differences IIRC). Stanley's wrench beams are pretty different from most other companies IMO (they're fat with smooth corners), and Blackhawk, Stanley, Master Mechanic, and probably a couple other Stanley- made combo wrenches were all pretty much the same at one time. I'll try to take some pictures soon.

The last of the Craftsman USA production was Apex around 2012, which I think was around the time Danaher/ Cooper/ whatever sold Apex to Bain Capital.

At some point in the last decade Home Depot switched from overseas Stanley products to overseas Apex products.

I don't know anything about the differences in the sockets.

 

[warweapon762]

When did HD stop selling USA sockets/ratchets anyway? Must have been before Sears because my dad has some sets he bought 10-15 years ago that are Chinese/Taiwanese.

It was sometime around 2003-2004 when they started offloading USA made tools. Most of that inventory was cleared out of the stores by 2006. I raided the clearance section heavily for most of my auto tools around that time period.

Much of the tools from 2006-2010 was made in China and it had abysmal quality control. When Apex moved more of their production to Taiwan it improved drastically. I'm still disappointed they went offshore so quickly.

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[Al Borland]

I have one of the HD Husky Kilness ratchets, it held up great but the sockets sucked. Had it about 20 years, had to buy tools in a case with a spot for each part for easy inventory (prison-type work). Sockets were apparently Danaher/Easco and made chinesium look good.
Combination wrenches with the older style script and matte finish are probably stanley USA.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

I sure wish they were still USA made I have some Husky and Kobalt USA and the Husky are so much better than the modern Husky which last time I used a modern Husky socket I split it in half after 30 seconds of trying to take off an axle nut with a breaker bar the USA stuff is way better and it’s good to know who it was made for.


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[Downwindtracker 2]

I used the set very occasionally on electrical parts, so I can't say if good or bad. My work featured 1/2 drive. I don't think the sockets had any dimple so were replaced with Gearwrench .

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

I used the set very occasionally on electrical parts, so I can't say if good or bad. My work featured 1/2 drive. I don't think the sockets had any dimple so were replaced with Gearwrench .

Yeah that is definitely a problem without the dimple I think mine have the dimple but I am not sure


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[Iowafox]

I used the set very occasionally on electrical parts, so I can't say if good or bad. My work featured 1/2 drive. I don't think the sockets had any dimple so were replaced with Gearwrench .

It's to my understanding that the modern Husky sockets and the Gearwrench are made by the same company Apex tools. But it surprises me so much that the socket quality between the 2 are worlds apart. I mean I just picked up a 21 mm 3/8 drive Gearwrench shallow socket and comparing it to my 21 mm Husky it is like the Husky was done on a Friday at 2:55 pm and the Gearwrench was made on a Wednesday at noon. I mean everything is better overall and I enjoy my Husky sockets as a car kit because they simply work and if they break oops onto the next.
There functional but they aren't herniate pass down sockets by any means.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

It's to my understanding that the modern Husky sockets and the Gearwrench are made by the same company Apex tools. But it surprises me so much that the socket quality between the 2 are worlds apart. I mean I just picked up a 21 mm 3/8 drive Gearwrench shallow socket and comparing it to my 21 mm Husky it is like the Husky was done on a Friday at 2:55 pm and the Gearwrench was made on a Wednesday at noon. I mean everything is better overall and I enjoy my Husky sockets as a car kit because they simply work and if they break oops onto the next.

There functional but they aren't herniate pass down sockets by any means.

Unfortunately the Gearwrench are Chinese made now the one I got warrantied the other day that I cracked on a engine mount bolt it was a Taiwan one. I took it to Advance Auto and on the package it said Made in China and I was like dang you can’t tell me they are Chinese made and the guy pulled out another and it said it too so he went to the back and showed me the whole box all Chinese made I was like I had no idea they had moved production to China and he showed me the wrenches too made in China also it was unbelievable.


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[Iowafox]

Unfortunately the Gearwrench are Chinese made now the one I got warrantied the other day that I cracked on a engine mount bolt it was a Taiwan one. I took it to Advance Auto and on the package it said Made in China and I was like dang you can’t tell me they are Chinese made and the guy pulled out another and it said it too so he went to the back and showed me the whole box all Chinese made I was like I had no idea they had moved production to China and he showed me the wrenches too made in China also it was unbelievable.


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Weird because I just picked my 21 mm up about 2 weeks ago and it was Taiwan made. I have gotten to the point where I will not purchase any socket, ratchet or tool I will use and hold onto that is made in china unless there is no other option. I think that is why Proto is really catching my eye for there Sockets lately. As sockets are the only area I really need to upgrade to USA made. Besides my old stuff that we have talked about before. But I will upgrade all in due time.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Weird because I just picked my 21 mm up about 2 weeks ago and it was Taiwan made. I have gotten to the point where I will not purchase any socket, ratchet or tool I will use and hold onto that is made in china unless there is no other option. I think that is why Proto is really catching my eye for there Sockets lately. As sockets are the only area I really need to upgrade to USA made. Besides my old stuff that we have talked about before. But I will upgrade all in due time.

Yeah the only Taiwan made ones they had left were the 20mm and the 9mm and I think the 11mm the rest were China I am going to email them and tell them I am extremely disappointed unless since they are made in the same factory there is a possibility that maybe they could have put the wrong label on it for the back because they look identical labels on the back vs the Husky ones. Our new mechanic at work also got a set of their combination wrenches and they are China made too the ratcheting ones have been for a long time but the combination and sockets were Taiwan made.


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[Skin]

When did HD stop selling USA sockets/ratchets anyway? Must have been before Sears because my dad has some sets he bought 10-15 years ago that are Chinese/Taiwanese.

A couple above are claiming 2005ish but i'm pretty sure it was long before for ratchets, sockets, wrenches etc... Essentially right around the time Stanley transferred the name to Home Depot in the mid 90s. After that it all went to Taiwan.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

A couple above are claiming 2005ish but i'm pretty sure it was long before for ratchets, sockets, wrenches etc... Essentially right around the time Stanley transferred the name to Home Depot in the mid 90s. After that it all went to Taiwan.

And now all China unfortunately


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[ZRX61]

I have some HD Husky pro series combo wrenches that are identical to Craftsman apart from the name on them. These are from over a decade ago, maybe two.

 

[Al Borland]

I sure wish they were still USA made I have some Husky and Kobalt USA and the Husky are so much better than the modern Husky which last time I used a modern Husky socket I split it in half after 30 seconds of trying to take off an axle nut with a breaker bar the USA stuff is way better and it’s good to know who it was made for.


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Had the opposite opinion, as all the commonly used USA HD Husky sockets "belled" pretty quickly. Lack of "dimple" may be an industrial version with a pinning hole on one side only, have a bunch of sockets like that (Still better than the double-damned Apex/Craftsman double-dimple)

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Had the opposite opinion, as all the commonly used USA HD Husky sockets "belled" pretty quickly. Lack of "dimple" may be an industrial version with a pinning hole on one side only, have a bunch of sockets like that (Still better than the double-damned Apex/Craftsman double-dimple)

Haha, I did like the Craftsman of the time too but as you stated the double dimple and detent that was crappy I prefer single as well.


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[Downwindtracker 2]

When I bought the HD Husky it was SAE. A little later I picked up a metric set on sale, Sierra brand ??, for work . It had dimples. My reaction was so manufacturers can make 1/4" sockets with dimples. I had a drawer full of ones without.

 

[Lesserstore]

I know that I am a bit late, but I found out when Stanley transfered the rights to the Husky brand to HD. It looks like 2007.

https://ir.stanleyblackanddecker.co...pot-stanley-works-announce-strategic-alliance

 

[vssjim]

Also I remember well that in the late nineties Stanley got caught selling Taiwan tools labeled made in US and you can bet it was Blackhawk, Husky, Master Mechanic tools that were part of the National Hand Tool group of Stanley made private labeled tools, The tools all looked the same and after the FTC got involved they all were labeled Taiwan after that.

 

[bob15]

Also I remember well that in the late nineties Stanley got caught selling Taiwan tools labeled made in US and you can bet it was Blackhawk, Husky, Master Mechanic tools that were part of the National Hand Tool group of Stanley made private labeled tools, The tools all looked the same and after the FTC got involved they all were labeled Taiwan after that.

Also included besides Stanely was Proto & Mac.

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/1999/01/major-us-manufacturers-agree-settle-charges-making-misleading

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2006/06/ftc-alleges-stanley-made-false-made-usa-claims-about-its-tools

 

[vssjim]

Also included besides Stanely was Proto & Mac.

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/1999/01/major-us-manufacturers-agree-settle-charges-making-misleading

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2006/06/ftc-alleges-stanley-made-false-made-usa-claims-about-its-tools

Stanley owns MAC and Proto and it has been listed as Blackhawk by Proto for a long time in the Stanley years.

 

[Lesserstore]

Yikes. I knew Stanley did this with ratchets, marking the packaging Made in USA, but leaving the ratchet unmarked. I never knew that they mislabeled the tools themselves. Maybe that's why they now mark most things with Made in USA with Global Materials.

 

[bob15]

Stanley owns MAC and Proto and it has been listed as Blackhawk by Proto for a long time in the Stanley years.

I know Stanley owns Proto (since the mid- 80's), but the FTC fine was also about Proto stamped tools, along with Blackhawk, Challenger and other Stanley owned company-names.

The "Blackhawk by Proto" has been being used by Proto for maybe 15 years at best; before that, Blackhawk was still just "Blackhawk," with their tools being sold at independent auto parts stores. I have a couple socket sets that were sold under just the Blackhawk name around 2000. The problem with those 3/8 drive sockets is the stamping is somewhat light and the sizes can be difficult to see under limited light.

Here is a list of the Stanley tool names that were named in the FTC Docket: https://www.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cases/1999/06/stanleyworkscmp.htm