Williams China Tools

[cruiser808]

Can we trust them? Snap-on owns JH Williams, a long time trusted name here in the USA for quality and durability. I swear by my vintage JH Williams tools. Tough as they come and saved my **** last weekend with a seriously stubborn AC coupling. So, what is the quality of the "new Williams" stuff not made in the USA?

 

[chadster1]

Can we trust them? Snap-on owns JH Williams, a long time trusted name here in the USA for quality and durability. I swear by my vintage JH Williams tools. Tough as they come and saved my **** last weekend with a seriously stubborn AC coupling. So, what is the quality of the "new Williams" stuff not made in the USA?

They are the same as the current Blue-point hand tools. They seem to be holding up under professional use.

 

[cruiser808]

They are the same as the current Blue-point hand tools. They seem to be holding up under professional use.

Thanks chad - this just the kind of real experience and input that I'm looking for. Obviously, the guys here will never accept ****, but if China can build a nuke and space program, they should be able to give us some decent tools.

 

[Paullew]

The imported Williams is exact to Blue point..........I can show a picture of the two side by side if anyone wants.

 

[cruiser808]

Then, I must assume that china Blue Points are sufficient for pros that for what ever reason, can't afford or don't want the high price of truck tools. I don't know what to say if this is true. As a USA only proponent, this is hard to swallow

 

[tonydanzah]

Does blue point not have a warranty? is that the deal? But williams does?

 

[chadster1]

Does blue point not have a warranty? is that the deal? But williams does?

Blue-point has a lifetime warranty same as Snap-on.

 

[ourkid2000]

Not all the Williams stuff is imported now though.....

I recently bought the Snap On style hard handle screwdriver set from Williams and they have made in USA on them. They are dead ringers for the Snap On's.

I also bought a couple 1/4" deep well sockets (a 5/32" and a 3/16" which are made in the exact same style as the style as the Snap Ons) that also say made in the USA.

 

[TBD]

The only "modern" Williams tool I have is a 24" adjustable wrench. Won't do that again, the one I have from harbor fright is just as good and far more affordable.

 

[speed bump]

I have a few newer Williams tools and most really aren't the level or tools that Proto, Armstrong, and Wright are at when it comes to industrial tools.

 

[jteck75]

I have a set of imported Williams stubby ratchet wrenches,and they have been SOLID. And not all of Williams product line is imported,their website clearly marks what is imported and what isn't. Back last year,I bought a flex-head 1/4" dr ratchet from an e-bay retailer,it is US made and had worked great. I have since replaced them with an Armstrong sets,but I used Blue Point ratcheting wrenches for several years,after getting tired of GearWrench brand failing me in the middle of a job. The Blue Points still work good,I gave them to my son after I got the Armstrong sets.

 

[sk farmer]

cruiser, from what i know about you. i don't see you being happy with an imported williams tool. i know that the blue point, williams import and the case-ih and new holland tools are all about the same if not the same. i have handled the last two and some of the blue point.it all seems pretty good. but, i think you would be happier with some new or vintage us made iron. an import ratchet i would recomend for you right now would be a gearwrench pearhead with a matco 88 kit. i recently did one and am really satisfied with fit, finish and how it works. i would recomend it.

 

[toolnut]

Why would someone pay a higher price than Harbor Freight prices for a China made product? They have their lifetime warranty also. Are there different levels of quality from China that I don't know about?

 

[chadster1]

Are there different levels of quality from China that I don't know about?

Yes there is. There is more than one manufacturing facility in China.

 

[Merkava_4]

Not all of those Williams tools are made in China -- there's still quite a few made in the U.S.A. You just gotta know which is which.

 

[toolnut]

Yes there is. There is more than one manufacturing facility in China.

That doesn't mean that the quality is different just because there is more than one manufacturer over there. The designs of the tools are different but how would you determine the grade of steel they are using? or how the chrome plating thickness is? I haven't seen any evidence that there is a standard in any tools manufactured over there other than someone telling me if it breaks bring it in for a replacement. The only difference I see is the price between the products produced by these "different" manufacturers.

 

[quneur]

Then, I must assume that china Blue Points are sufficient for pros that for what ever reason, can't afford or don't want the high price of truck tools. I don't know what to say if this is true. As a USA only proponent, this is hard to swallow

I'd say go buy a plate lunch (hambuger steak!) at Rainbow's drive inn and wash that down with Primo beer. Oh wait...

 

[autoace]

One of my young techs bought a bunch of Blue Point hand tools, they are not junk, but are poor in comparison to GearWrench, GearWrench has excellent fit and finish. The Blue Point stuff was many tiers below the GW. The wrenches were satin, and some of the beams were not quite straight, the regular sockets seemed very good, but the bit sockets were mediocre.

MHO is Blue Point is not junk, but Genius and GearWrench are much better tools for the money.

 

[autoace]

Then, I must assume that china Blue Points are sufficient for pros that for what ever reason, can't afford or don't want the high price of truck tools. I don't know what to say if this is true. As a USA only proponent, this is hard to swallow

I can verify the GearWrench and Genius tools, hold up to professional use, no problem, I have observed that the Blue Point tools do also, I just don't think they are the best Asian tools out there.

 

[cruiser808]

I'd say go buy a plate lunch (hambuger steak!) at Rainbow's drive inn and wash that down with Primo beer. Oh wait...

 

[autoace]

Why would someone pay a higher price than Harbor Freight prices for a China made product? They have their lifetime warranty also. Are there different levels of quality from China that I don't know about?

Has anyone seen the Genius tools video? Human hands are hardly a part of the tool production process in these modern Taiwan and China plants.

The heating, forging, heat treatment process, polishing, and plating are all automated assembly line and robots, "cookie cutter" tool production. They are producing better QC with less human labor, these modern manufacturing techniques will totally eclipse "hand built" tools like Cornwell produces, because the humans making the hand made tools, get lazy and have poor QC, meanwhile these state of the art plants are knocking out strength, quality, and value.

I think alot of folks picture China dungeons, where sweat shops produce cheap tools from scrap.........well that might have been true in cases. But any Danaher, Snap-on, or etc,etc.........China/Taiwan factory in Asia is probably top notch production.

To think an American company cannot produce a great tool in another country is false, we don't like it, but soon and even now in some cases, the Taiwan and China tools from Danaher, Genius, and even some Blue Point are totally trumping Cornwell, Cman, etc......

I'm at the point where I prefer GearWrench over Cornwell for alot of things, Cornwell is giving me poor, poor QC, and GW is giving me, great tools, with what I expect from the USA quality.

I was ******** USA for a long time. Anyone else getting tired of getting ripped off yet???????????? I know I am. I have used all tools, the USA is real losing it's edge on quality.

 

[compman25]

What about the Williams Argentina made tools?

 

[t100]

anybody can comment on these? just got a set 3/8-3/4" without knowing they are imported, oh, well.

 

[RbrtAWhyt]

The font on the 3/8 sure looks to me a lot like Snap-On's...

A precursor to future snap-on branded tools, perhaps?

 

[t100]

it's laser engraved, not stamped.

I have to give it an A+ on the quality of its chrome.

 

[chadster1]

anybody can comment on these? just got a set 3/8-3/4" without knowing they are imported, oh, well.

That look identical to the current Blue-Point ratcheting wrenches.

 

[t100]

you are right, Chad. they seem to be the exact same copy of BP shorties.

well, that makes me feel a little better since I paid 1/3 of the cost of listed price of the BP set.

 

[junk4dummies]

Why would someone pay a higher price than Harbor Freight prices for a China made product? They have their lifetime warranty also. Are there different levels of quality from China that I don't know about?

Some of the Chinese tools are fantastic. Some are ****. Just depends on the company and brand. Some of them are better than the Amreican made tools.