Tool Thread - Post up your new tools!

[rturbo 930]

Stanley is the MEGA corp that has been buying up everything they can. You are likely thinking of Danher which though its Apex tool group owns/makes just the linons share of tools consumer hand and power tools. Apex was sold to bain capita a while back but Danher retained Matco

Yeah that's it. When I was looking at ratchets last year, I saw one by Armstrong that I liked, but then found out that Armstrong was being shut down (I think). Apparently the people behind Apex do this as a method of business. Buy successful companies that make quality tools, then outsource production to save money, quality goes down the toilet, but still sells product based on its prior reputation, owners get rich in the process, and when the company has been run dry, they throw away the carcass and move on to the next. IIRC, Bain Capital is one of the firms behind this, and is also the firm Mitt Romney was with.

I'd really like to return to products being made in the US, and when I go into a store, it'd be nice if the products there weren't all cheap shit. My dad's SK tools were all bought at the hardware store, it's just what they had. Hard to imagine. I could really go on about this, this trend is one that really pisses me off.

[LateFan]

Yeah, you end up having half a drawer of custom tools that do one job on one specific long gone car, but I keep them forever. Somebody will ask me sometime, how in the hell do I do this?!....and I'll just give it to them.

Where can you buy Wrights and Hazets? Are Wrights for industry, or do they make metric small tools?

My wife's brother got me on a Milwaukee kick for woodworking tools years ago because he won't touch anything that isn't Milwaukee red! I hated to point out to him that a couple of tags I read on tools recently said Made in China.

So what's happening with Milwaukee lately? Did they get purchased by someone? Are they still mostly US-made?

[mrsleeve]

Stanley is the MEGA corp that has been buying up everything they can. You are likely thinking of Danher which though its Apex tool group owns/makes just the linons share of tools consumer hand and power tools. Apex was sold to bain capita a while back but Danher retained Matco

Stanley has its better lines, like Proto/Blackhawk (used to be better) MAC, and Facom but have made improvments to their basic line, and IIRC bought the Irwin brand and lines from Danaher/Apex last year along with Cman.

Late: Its good your mind set has changed on tools they are tools for getting something done, in general though I wont "mod" my good tools, like my Wrights, old SK, Old Proto, S.O. or good old Cman Pro stuff but I will if I had too get something done. Good tools are to be respected but they are to be used too. That said I have a ruthless mentality for cheep tools like H/F, older basic Cman, Stanley or other cheap store brands. I have bought up stuff just for making tools for 1 job, or a particular application...... I have a old school Ford hub nut socket, that I bought to grind the "nubs" off and then notch so it would fit the rear hub nuts on my FZj80 Vs buying the specialty socket that no one has around and is kinda costly. That tool no rides in my truck in the tool box if I need it I know where it is. I have heated and bent wrenches to fit on things, I took a cheep long handled 3/8ths drive crescent brand ratchet put the torches to it till it was nice and cherry, and put a 60* ish up sweep on it to clear something on buddies old bronco II back in the old days lol..... I do love a good custom tool / solution to fix stuff.....

[AndrewBird]

Stanley owns Proto, a very nice industrial tool company. Hopefully some of their quality rubs off on Craftsman.

[LateFan]

I thought I read that Stanley was sold as well - That's been the go-to tape measure forever. I have several Fat-Maxes! They laughed at me at Ace when I asked for a replacement blade. You just buy a whole new tape now.

I have a friend who owns a specialty auto shop, and I learned an interesting thing from him. The Snap-On man makes weekly stops at a minimum - he'll drop by any time if you need something. They don't buy a tool like I do and covet it until they give it to their grandchildren, they USE them! They buy three copies of something. Because that one job always breaks it, so you have a spare. Because you grind it down to half its depth so the ratchet and socket will fit in that impossible space. Because you cut a slot in it to get a different tool on it.

It changed how I looked at socket sets and those sorts of tools. I no longer give up and say, Whelp, the socket won't fit in there, I'm done.

[rturbo 930]

Is Stanley still good? I thought Stanley was bought out by some mega-corp that drove them into the ground, like all the other previously good tool companies.

I'd love to see Craftsman return to the quality they were at 15 years ago. There isn't really an alternative for that price point and quality.

[LateFan]

Sadly I'm in a rural area and the closest big box store is a HD 90 minutes away. I have a Sears and a HF, so if I want to be able to take advantage of the lifetime warranty, it's Craftsman or Pittsburgh. From what I've heard, I guess I'll find a good deal on a Craftsman set, and maybe get some specialty tools from HF as needed (gear pullers, tie rod separator, etc). Also heard the HF has pretty good quality impact tools for the amateur. I'm also always checking out the local pawn shop for gently used snapon etc.

I know how that is - you have to plan your trips ahead of time - much harder than running down to a NAPA for a replacement socket or something.

The majority of mine are (older) Craftsman and they are great. HF is OK for hammers, big pliers, screwdrivers - hard to screw up a caveman tool so they're fine.

So, like others have said, Craftsman is fine if not abused, Cobalt is fine, I have some nice heavy breaker bars from NAPA, some Carlyle tools from NAPA, and misc Snap-On. Used Snap-On seems ideal if they're in good shape - they fit in your hand nicely and are so nice to use.

[mrsleeve]

Interesting facts, for those that dont know Stanley/B&D bought up Cman name last year, and have chosen Lowes as their new primary distribution partner. Word is Stanley is building some new facilities or upgrading current one to make and forge the line. I hold some hope that they will be a decent tool again...

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/24/stan...ool-brand.html

[Vincent Brick]

Oh how I miss buying tools and having a place to use them, my boxes have been thousands of miles from me for years now, wrapped in plastic in my Dad's shop. I work out of a little '80s plastic toolbox and a small tool bag, both Craftsman.

[AndrewBird]

I like the adjustable style, but prefer the ones with pliers to open them up. Much quicker to use.

[PKile]

I've used the adjustable type for years, but tried an ARP when I rebuilt my Toyota pickup. No binding or sticking, the piston slides right in.

[flyboyx]

i picked up this style because i thought it would be more universal

[PKile]

I bought an ARP ring compressor while I wait for the machine shop to bore out the block...

[ThatOneEuroE30]

Snap on man. You are so bad for me...

[McGyver]

Broken stud remover:



I don't want to ever have to use it, but now I have it just in case. And if it works, $20 is waaaaaay cheaper than taking something to a machine shop.