Why no love for Wera?

[danmcph]

I know people like their screwdrivers. I am speaking specifically about Wera's Sockets and wrenches.

When the discussion turns to sockets and wrenches why are Wera's offerings rarely mentioned? Is there a reason people don't like them or think of them? I see a lot of other german companies often recommended but rarely or ever Wera when it comes to sockets and wrenches.

I own the following
Hazet socket sets
Stahlwille socket sets and wrenches
Gedore Wrenches
Snap On Sockets
Wright wrenches
Lots of Gearwrench
Facom Wrenches
USA Craftsman sockets and wrenches
Proto Wrenches
SK sockets and wrenches

In addition I own both styles of Joker Wera's Wrenches and both 3/8" and 1/4" sockets from Wera. The ratchets are not as fine toothed as some of my other ratchets (Gearwrench 120XP) but they are nice.

So, I am wondering why people don't bring Wera up much for sockets and wrenches.

 

[gigamel]

They are not made in germany

 

[danmcph]

I know they are made in the Czech Republic with headquarters in Germany. I should have clarified that a lot of foreign tools are spoken about. Italian, German, French etc. Heck, Chinese and tools from Taiwan as well.

 

[T45]

The sockets are generic taiwan production. Sockets today either need to represent good value or outstanding performance. If you're stuck in the middle ground, there is nothing particularly compelling. Wera are expensive to import to the USA and not worthing getting overly excited about. (If you want high-quality Taiwan with a satin chrome you have toptul, usag, and Facom with full polish. Also napa/carlyle with easy warranty and b&m store options)

 

[Gmonkee]

I would own Joker wrenches if they were marketed in Mexico..

Love to try at least and maybe love using them later.

I, like the OP prefer Euro tools but get S. American versions and old car kit strays of the originals mostly. But damn good tools they are.

Widen that marketing to the S. American markets and sales will come.

Not all of us Ebuy stuff because there is no hands on experience. A very important part of judging any consumer good to me.

 

[PureLeaf]

Some of Wera's offerings in this area strike me as being novelty items. Their ratchets are unusual (like the rotating head, or the one with the built in hammer). Some people love them, some can't stand them. The Joker wrenches are another one. A lot of features that some people like, most people seem to not. I have 1 10mm Joker, and am not a fan.

 

[Fedwrench]

What other wrenches does Wera make besides the joker series?

In addition to Wera screwdrivers, I have their bit ratchet sets and their all metal ratchets in 1/4 & 3/8 drives. I'm ok with their tools being made in the Czech Republic. Germany would be preferred but, at least it's not the PRC.
One issue I have with Wera is that often there is a fine line between an over engineered tool and a gimmick tool. Take the zyclop ratchet for example, it has so many features built into it, that you might forget it's a ratchet
The Wera tools I have are well made and do all that I ask of them. I kind of view Wera as a narrow focus brand. They have unique tools but, not a wide range of products.

 

[dnschmidt]

I agree with my fellow Phoenician FEDWRENCH. That's pretty much how I see it too.

 

[apdxyk]

I buy their separate sockets for the outstanding knurling that no other mfg can touch. For the cases, where I use my hand to tighten up something, e.g. 19mm 1/2" socket I use on my certain radiators' petcocks.

 

[rhandwor]

I have a few odd size 1/4 inch bits.

 

[Rt jam]

I have a Zyklop mini ratchet and love it. It is the 1st ratchet I own that does not change direction when you tickle the direction lever. It's a definite confirmation if a change is direction is desired. The wheel also help when the fastener is offering zero resistance for the ratchet to stay and not rotate backwards.

There hex keys are quality items too.

 

[Scotty_B]

I've got 1/4" drive Wera Zyklop socket sets (got'em on sale), and two individual Zyklop 19mm (in 3/8 and 1/2 in.) sockets that I've used on lug nuts and suspension parts. Comparing them to other sockets in my wildly random collection (couple of Snap-Ons, Mac, Matco, Proto, Blackhawk, Wright, Armstrong, SK, KD, GearWrench, Craftsman, and some King Tonys I get at Agri-Supply), the Weras are my favorite sockets.

Some folks think Wera stuff is gimmicky, but the knurling at the bottom and the color coding on the sockets are functional. These sockets are well engineered and the manufacturing is top-notch, regardless of the COO. The 1/4" sets were made in the Czech Republic and the 19mm sockets were made in Taiwan. Everything about them is top notch and consistent on every socket, from the precise machining to the satin chrome, both inside and out. Hardly generic! The machining is pretty rough and the chrome finish is inconsistent on the inside of some of the American-made sockets I have. Some of them are showing signs of rust, too. (The old US-made Blackhawks I have are the worst for this.) But the Weras I have are all consistent.

I've used the Weras pretty hard, especially the 19mm ones, and they've more than held up. I'm thinking about getting a set of 3/8 metric ones, since those are the ones I use the most. You can get a set on Amazon for about $30. It's not a complete set, but it has all the sizes that I typically use. If you extrapolate the missing sizes, that's competitive with the American-made industrial brands and not the "boutique" prices of other German companies like Stahlwille or Hazet. You can get individual sizes with Wera if you need them, and they're not outrageously expensive.

I think folks need to stop getting so hung up on where a product is manufactured. It's really about quality control and manufacturing tolerances, not where the factory is located. My King Tony sockets were manufactured in Taiwan, but I've found them as strong and durable and well-made as any others that I've owned. If you want to buy American because you think it's more patriotic, that's fine. But I don't think it's about quality, anymore.

Of course, the downsides are that Wera doesn't manufacture deep-well sockets. And making a warranty claim could be problematic. And those, of course, are serious considerations, especially if you're a pro or a frequent wrencher. But if you're like me, Wera kind of hits a sweet spot for value. I'll still probably troll for deals, but I really like using these Wera sockets.

 

[earlthegoat2]

They don't have enough sockets, as in range of sizes in their sets for me to justify buying them. The wrenches too. If they had a range that went from 6mm-32mm then I would be more interested. They seem more geared to homeowners in this respect.

In other words, they seem to have an incomplete range of sizes on this very important part of a hardline tool set

I own nearly every driver they produce though. Very nice product line there. Im a fan of the Kraftform handle.

 

[Dave455]

Wera screwdrivers are made in the Czech Republic - I have no problem with that, and experience indicates they are good tough blades. Wish they made something other than the soft finish handles though.

Country of origin is everything though. It's the single biggest indicator af the quality of a product. Yes, in theory, you can ship your tooling to another country, raw materials too, and control everything, but in practice it doesn't work that way!

Taiwanese tools are made in Taiwanese owned factories out of Taiwanese materials and to Taiwanese standards, despite what many claim. Now, that's not a total condemnation, Taiwanese manufacturing has come a long way in the last 20 years, and when they make something they are good at, the quality is very good indeed. But with tools you never seem to get the best. I suspect that part of the problem is western managers wanting things stupidly cheap.

However, returning to Wera, sockets and accessories are made in Taiwan, and are no better than any other Taiwanese tool, and perhaps a little worse on account of the finish. That still makes for a workable tool, and if you're happy with that and like the styling, fine! But, there are many other tool brands in the same category. In this case you have mid to poor quality tools, being sold at mid to high prices - and that's not going to work for me!

I can buy similar quality tools (not that I want to) for a lot less money. Alternatively, I can buy Gedore for the same money, or Stahlwille for little more. No contest!

 

[48548]

I like their stuff.... I probably spent 1500-2K on wera stuff from chads over the years... I think the quality is top notch and I actually think the Czech stuff has been as good as any american stuff I have bought if not better. One adapter had an issue, chads made it right....

 

[d.mcfarland]

I think that availability was always the limiting factor.

 

[48548]

We need a new thread for people to show off Wera stuff....

 

[cashishift]

We need a new thread for people to show off Wera stuff....

Ditto... I don't have any pictures of mine though.

I'd like to buy more Wera stuff, cost is often a limiting factor. As I already have serviceable ratchets, and GearWrench ratcheter wrenches. So really hard to justify.

But I keep buying screwdrivers like whoa

 

[M6erfan]

I like their sockets, if only for the great knurling. I've never owned one but their Zyclop ratchet looks plastiky and a bit gimmicky.

In general I view their sockets/ratchets as overpriced in a world with many many other options...

 

[T45]

I can buy similar quality tools (not that I want to) for a lot less money. Alternatively, I can buy Gedore for the same money, or Stahlwille for little more. No contest!

 

[ex-x-fire]

Before GJ, I never heard of them.