On 29 Oct 2003 18:42:22 -0800, (Bob Powell) wrote:

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

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?

snip
Comments?

Jeff

The high-polish finish is easier on the fingers, but even one wrench
set from HF has that.

There are a few times I rounded off or damaged a nut, that wouldn't
have happened if I'd reached for the better wrench.

As for sockets, many of the cheap ones, including one Craftsman set
bought 10 years ago, lack the internal grooves that grab the ball
detent.

Craftsman, or Sears? Sears had the problem.

Cheap sockets also frequently have a larger o.d. that prevents them
from fitting where a snap-on would.
And the 12 point Craftsman sockets are about the thinnest wall sockets
commercially available. I still have almost my entire set of Craftsman
1/2" drive sockets purchaced when I started my apprenticeship as an
auto mechanic in 1968.
I've broken one or two wrenches - and lost a few more.
They did duty on farm equipment, trucks, cars, industrial equipment -
you name it - from '68 to '87 on a daily basis, and personal use since
then.

My favorite wrenches are a bunch of Armstrong "long pattern" double
end box wrenches bought from McMaster.
Gedore wrenches , although not high gloss chrome, were also very high
quality, solid, industrial quality wrenches.

Yes I notice the difference, and I like using good tools for the ones
I use everday. Klein, Armstrong, Greenlee, Estwing, Milwaukee ...

The HF specials do just fine for the less seldom used tools, like
combo wrenches over 1".

Bob
I also had to provide ALL my hand tools, including impact, air drill,
ZipGun, power ratchet etc when working as a "wrench"