On Wed, 29 Oct 2003 12:55:03 -0500, Jeff Wisnia
wrote:

George wrote:

Home Depot has rolled out a ton of Ridgid brand hand tools. What's
the word on the quality? Also, who is OEMing all this stuff. Is it
Black and Decker?

Yesterday I was browsing through a local railroad salvage/overstock
store and noticed some pretty hefty 7/8" and 1" imported combo box/end
wrenches priced to sell at 89 cents each. They had the typical
chromed(?) finish seen on those kind of tools.

I no longer make my living using hand tools, and I've been tempted to
ask the group this one for quite a while, so here goes...

Patriotic issues and potential long term effects on parts of our economy
aside, is there anything usefully inferior about low cost imported box
and end wrenches and various styles of pliers other than the quality of
their finish and overall appearance?

With pliers, the Trashcanistan ones tend to be made of some very soft
metal- the teeth dull , the grips bend, and the pivot gets sloppy.
With end wrenches, the open end jaws spread until they no longer grab
the wrench flats. The closed ends round out or crack.
Cheap plating flakes off and can change the jaw dimensions to where
they slip.

Or, is much of the derision heaped upon them only the result
of "toolbox status" and xenophobic feelings?

Sometimes. But not without reason.

Is strength an issue? Has anyone ever bent or busted a full sized
imported wrench and believed that a comparably sized US made product
wouldn't have similarly failed under the same circumstances?

Yes. Yes. And Yes.

Comments?

IMHO, by their nature, hand tools can't be made cheaply and be
expected to last very long. Or be comfortable to use. I have some
Snap-On and Mac tools that are about 20 years old and still work like
new. I've had some cheap tools fail within minutes of purchase.
I like to compare a Snap-On combo wrench with a cheaper one- domestic
or imported. The Snap-On will be lighter, thinner, and all the edges
will be radiused. The finish is smooth and flawless. By contrast, a
cheap wrench will be chunky, heavy, with a course finish. It's like
the difference between a ballet dancer and Lena the Hyena.
Snap-On and Mac tools are expensive, no doubt, but their hand wrenches
at least are worth it.

-Carl