Tool Review Time

revhead347 said:

More brands I have never heard of. Keep us posted.

Kurt

Click to expand...

I've already reviewed some Sunex and Lang tools in this thread.



This thread got me to thinking last night, "just what brands of tools do I have in my toolbox at work?" So on my lunch break last night, I started looking through the box...

Gearwrench, Iwiss, Toolworks, Project Pro, Lisle, Actron, Great Neck, Snap-On, Mountain, Tack Life, Mac, Thorson, Crescent, Dremel, Matco, JobSmart, Noco, Williams, Bluepoint, Bostitch, OTC, DeWalt, Silver Eagle, Assenmacher Specialty Tools, Irwin, ADV, Pennzoil, Milwaukee, Expert, Vermont American, Hazet, Tekton, Performance Tool, Cal-Hawk, Sunex, Ampro, Mighty Vac, OEM, Ares, Duralast, LTI, Ryobi, Pittsburgh, Hyper Tough, AutoBodyNow, Klutch, Extech, Power Probe, Knipex, Husky, Dasco, BeTool, Kobalt, Tool-Aid, Foxwell, Titan, S&K, Stanley, Craftsman, Powerbuilt, Warrior, Gator Grip, EZ Red, Lang, Autocraft, Neiko, Saber, Streamlight, NAPA, AC Pro, Aircat, Milton, 3M, Steelman, Black Jack, Camel, Best Q, Olsa, Westling Machine, Hansen, Astro Pnuematic, U-Tool, and All-Star Performance.

Yeah, that's a lot, it surprised even me, and I'm the one that bought them! (WARNING: Weird 74stang2togo rant follows, skip ahead to the Amazon link for the tool review in this post... or read on, but don't say I didn't warn you!)

Every one of these brands has at least one tool useful enough and well-enough made that I use it in a professional setting, earning my living with it. Even the Chinese knock-off brands (Be Tool, Best Q, Iwiss, Tack Life, and U-Tool, for example) have made a tool that was worth having, and in the case of both Iwiss and Tack Life, have made an incredibly good tool regardless of where it came from or how ridiculous the name brand is (I've reviewed a tool from each in this thread).

Don't get me wrong, I prefer American tools, and if there were actual counts of how many of each tool brand I own, Snap-On, Matco, and Sunex would be in the top-3 spots (Snap-On makes most of their stuff here still, Matco is based here, and Sunex makes incredibly high-quality tools in Taiwan), but there are times I know I'm going to need a tool maybe once a year (if that often), and in those cases, I'll buy a cheap one, like the "U-Tool" 10-point brake sockets I have for Audi and Porsche (though, the other of the three sizes I have in Hazet, Porsche's actual tool supplier, because nobody else made the socket).

Other times, a cheap tool is all that's needed. I don't need to lay down big money on the tool truck for a pocket-sized razor-blade scraper when there's one for $0.99 at Northern Tool or Autozone. Other times, a cheap tool is so surprisingly good (the Hyper Tough drill bits I reviewed, for example), that replacing it with a more expensive option would be foolhardy.

There are fantastic tools being made all over the world these days. I'm quite fond of Knipex out of Germany, Neiko from Japan, Sunex, Gearwrench, and Aircat from Taiwan, in particular.

Then there's Tekton. They started out making cheap crap elsewhere under another name, and have really turned a corner, engineering their tools here, and while producing the majority of their stuff overseas, also making a surprising amount of their products here as well.

Amazon product ASIN B014US26RCView: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014US26RC?pf_rd_p=183f5289-9dc0-416f-942e-e8f213ef368b&pf_rd_r=JAAS8N7853R6CP78AZDC


Ten years ago, I had a NAPA Auto Parts sales rep named Ed that came by and visited the dealership I worked at every week. One day he showed up with a gorgeous set of yellow and black screwdrivers from a company I'd never heard of, called "Tekton". It was a complete set, including the little precision screwdrivers, and a magnetizer and demagnetizer, and they looked great. For all of $20, I was willing to give them a try, they looked worlds better than the Pittsburgh screwdrivers I was slowly losing and breaking from Harbor Freight.

I had no idea they'd still be in my box ten years later. I recently bought a six-piece Snap-On set for the shop because I'd always wanted them, and some pliers were bundled with them in a sale, but only part of the Tekton set got sent home that day, as the sizes not covered by the Snap-On set stayed at work. Part of how I justified the new Snap-On screwdrivers for work was that I'd finally have a good set at home too

Tekton's screwdrivers just... work. They're well-made in every way, they handle quite a bit of abuse, they look nice, I mean, honestly, if the Snap-On set was yellow and black instead of green and black, the Tektons still at the shop would look right at home with them. Then there's Tekton's warranty... you email them a picture of your broken tool with your shipping info, and they mail your replacement to you. THAT'S IT. I've never had to test it, but a co-worker who also likes Tekton broke one of their thin-wall lug nut sockets (I've broken every brand I've tried except Gearwrench so far, so that's not really a knock against them), and sure enough, he sent the picture from his phone and had the new socket three days later. I'm a little disappointed that they don't make the yellow and black set I bought ten years ago anymore, but blown away by how well engineered what has replaced them is (I linked it above, a co-worker has them, and loves them). They just... keep improving their products, among your budget tool brands, that's nice to see.

Lately, they've been the talk of multiple tool review channels on Youtube, Red Beard even did a video of their history, philosophy, and with a look at their tools: View: https://youtu.be/BBjhKvjfAx0


I still love my Tekton screwdriver set, I used the stubby Phillips and flat-blade both last night at the shop, and will more than likely be using some of the rest of the set at the house this weekend. I'm glad Ed dropped by with them all those years ago.