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?

"George" wrote in message
...
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?

Ridgid is a name that's been around UK for a long time in pipe fitting
tools. Their quality is very good in that area. Their web
site(http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/Frequently-Asked-Questions/) says they are
owned by a US company who I have never come across. You may know them
better.

John

On Wed, 29 Oct 2003 13:27:16 -0000, the renowned "John Manders"
wrote:


"George" wrote in message
.. .
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?

Ridgid is a name that's been around UK for a long time in pipe fitting
tools. Their quality is very good in that area. Their web
site(http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/Frequently-Asked-Questions/) says they are
owned by a US company who I have never come across. You may know them
better.

Yes, the engineering mascot at the University of Waterloo is a 3'
Rigid Tool (a pipe wrench, AFAIUI).

Emerson Electric, eh? I suspect all the home quality tools are from
China and are just leveraging their brand recognition. I'll look next
time I'm in Home Despot. Last time I checked ALL the small drill
presses were from China, including the Ryobi and Delta ones.

Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com

IIRC, Rigid made the Craftsman line of power tools for Sears until Sears
refused to renew the contract. I believe that Sears was their sole customer
and Sears was trying to fit a barrel under them.

They went to HD and but their own label on the tools.

If you liked the Craftsman tools of 10 to five years ago, you will like the
Rigid.

--
Regards,
Dewey Clark http://www.historictimekeepers.com
Ebay Sales:
http://cgi6.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAP...ems&userid=dsc
Restorations, Parts for Hamilton M21s, Products for Craftsmen
Makers of Historic Timekeepers Ultrasonic Clock Cleaning Solution

"George" wrote in message
...
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?

Made in Cheapistan. Ridgid has sold their name for 12 pieces of silver .. - GWE

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?

dddd wrote:
IIRC, Rigid made the Craftsman line of power tools for Sears until Sears
refused to renew the contract. I believe that Sears was their sole customer
and Sears was trying to fit a barrel under them.

Not all the power tools were made by Ridgid.

Many were made by Singer and then by Ryobi in the same plant in
Pickens, SC. Craftsman was one of their largest lines.

Some of my friends worked there and the plant is still in operation.

On Wed, 29 Oct 2003 11:45:53 GMT, 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?

Or maybe Brack and Decker? The peopre that speciarize in "brand name"
knockoffs rike the brands that don't have too many unpronounceabre
retters in the brand names. :)



-----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =-----

I'm surprised no one else here know's the real story.

The cordless and some of the corded Ridgid portable tools are made by Ryobi.
The most expensive corded tools are actually German Metabos. High quality, high
price jobs. I believe that the spade handle drill is a DeWalt product.

Emerson Electric made Sears stationary tools until a few years ago. Emerson,
Ridgid (the pipefitting tool company), and Home Depot all got in bed together
to use Ridgid-branded, Emerson-made tools as HD's store brand. Bascially
they're Sears or generic Asian designs. Not bad quality, but nothing to get
excited about.

From what I've heard now, Emerson and HD have had a falling out. I think the
stationary tools are going to be phased out.

GTO(John)

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?

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? 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?

Just wondering....I've split more than a few US made thin wall sockets
in my day by pushing them too hard, and I'd expect that cheap sockets
might be more prone to that kind of failure. They may also have less
accurately formed interiors, so I excluded sockets from my question
above.

Even so, I couldn't resist buying a few of the little HF combination
english/metric socket sets when they went on sale for $1.98 each. I've
got one in my office desk and one in the glove box of each of our cars,
and I was glad I did that the very few times they've been handy for me
or a passer by.

Comments?

Jeff

--
Jeff Wisnia (W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"If you can keep smiling when things go wrong, you've thought of someone
to place the blame on."

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

I used to buy nothing but Armstrong and S-K. Then I saw the
professional series wrenches from Harbor Freight. Hey, man, I got
other things to do with my money. Those wrenches (made in Taiwan,
not China) are *nice*. The finish is perfect, better than my
Armstrong ones. I have to say, though, I go to my local store where
I can look at them before I buy.

For sockets, dunno. Haven't bought any in a long time. - GWE

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? 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?

Just wondering....I've split more than a few US made thin wall sockets
in my day by pushing them too hard, and I'd expect that cheap sockets
might be more prone to that kind of failure. They may also have less
accurately formed interiors, so I excluded sockets from my question
above.

Even so, I couldn't resist buying a few of the little HF combination
english/metric socket sets when they went on sale for $1.98 each. I've
got one in my office desk and one in the glove box of each of our cars,
and I was glad I did that the very few times they've been handy for me
or a passer by.

Comments?

Jeff

--
Jeff Wisnia (W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"If you can keep smiling when things go wrong, you've thought of someone
to place the blame on."

Rigid Tools supposedly began in the USA in about 1916. As I understand
Rigid's marketing strategy, they have two levels of tools - one, the
expensive professional stuff - is still made largely here in the US.
The lesser tools, intended for outlets like Woodworker's Warehouse and
Home Depot is primaraly made in China. The $99.00 retail drill press,
for example, is not made in the US. Like any other firm Rigid Tools has
found it necessary to make their stuff offshore to survive in the
marketplace. Quality is average for both the US made and Chinese made
tools. There are better values out there. One man's opinion.

Regards,

Marv


John Manders wrote:
"George" wrote in message
...

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?


Ridgid is a name that's been around UK for a long time in pipe fitting
tools. Their quality is very good in that area. Their web
site(http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/Frequently-Asked-Questions/) says they are
owned by a US company who I have never come across. You may know them
better.

John

Jeff Wisnia wrote:

snipped
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

Guy in my neighbors shop had a chinese wrench snap in half, jagged end
put a deep bloody scratch across his belly after slicing through his
shirt. He had a tractor part in a vice and was pulling on the wrench
with hand/arm strength only, no pieces of pipe or other sillyness. I
looked at the broken ends, really grainy stuff in the center. Lovely
finish on the exterior, looked like a good wrench, but something was
very wrong with either the basic material used or the heat cycle during
forging, maybe both.

I've had no name impact sockets round out in the 1/2 inch drive square a
few times, using an older medium sized Craftman impact wrench on 90 PSI.

Bent a few cheapie wrenches with arm strenth only, sprung a couple of no
name open end wrenches, broke a jaw off of a somewhereistan open end
wrench once, had screwdriver shanks twist or break, seen no name chinese
drill bits split along the web or dull during the first cut (with lube,
correct speed) on mild steel. Had a few Chinese and Indian end mills
try to convert themselved to ball end mills by shedding the cutting tips
in 1018 now and then.

Other than these sorts of things I've no real problems to report :-)

With all that said, I've been pleasantly surprised by some of the import
stuff as well. Some of the U.S. made stuff isn't so hot these days
either though...

Cheers,
Stan

I think Ridgid is part of Emerson Electric. Their Shop Vacs are pretty
darn good for the money. They used to make some of the older Craftsman
stationary power tools that were pretty good, Crapsman HP ratings aside.

Just bought their (Taiwanese) larger table saw, it's quite a nice piece
of equipment. Very smooth, well finished inside and out, no detectable
play in the arbor, solid stops.

No idea about their current mass market hand tools, haven't seen them
yet. Ridgid has been a respected maker of tools for the plumbing
business for many years, but I don't know any plumbers to ask if this is
still true. They did print some very hot calendars in years gone by,
made the SnapOn and Stihl ones look like Penny's sale fliers :-)

Cheers,
Stan

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?

I was a Auto Technician for 5 years and nothing beats a american made
tool. Snap-on, Mac, or Matco all have there ups and downs but you
far better than any china made hand tool. Also, I have seen so many
people go out and buy A huge impact wrench. The only one I will ever
buy is the I R 231. But for the shop I have to buy the cheap ones,
Because employees are always take them home. I rather spend 20
dollars and set of wrench and lose them all in a few months than
spending $150 dollars for the snap-ons and losing the all in a week.

Glenn
Houston, Tx


On Wed, 29 Oct 2003 20:14:54 GMT, Stan Stocker
wrote:



Jeff Wisnia wrote:

snipped
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

Guy in my neighbors shop had a chinese wrench snap in half, jagged end
put a deep bloody scratch across his belly after slicing through his
shirt. He had a tractor part in a vice and was pulling on the wrench
with hand/arm strength only, no pieces of pipe or other sillyness. I
looked at the broken ends, really grainy stuff in the center. Lovely
finish on the exterior, looked like a good wrench, but something was
very wrong with either the basic material used or the heat cycle during
forging, maybe both.

I've had no name impact sockets round out in the 1/2 inch drive square a
few times, using an older medium sized Craftman impact wrench on 90 PSI.

Bent a few cheapie wrenches with arm strenth only, sprung a couple of no
name open end wrenches, broke a jaw off of a somewhereistan open end
wrench once, had screwdriver shanks twist or break, seen no name chinese
drill bits split along the web or dull during the first cut (with lube,
correct speed) on mild steel. Had a few Chinese and Indian end mills
try to convert themselved to ball end mills by shedding the cutting tips
in 1018 now and then.

Other than these sorts of things I've no real problems to report :-)

With all that said, I've been pleasantly surprised by some of the import
stuff as well. Some of the U.S. made stuff isn't so hot these days
either though...

Cheers,
Stan

On Wed, 29 Oct 2003 20:38:37 GMT, Stan Stocker
wrote:

I think Ridgid is part of Emerson Electric. Their Shop Vacs are pretty
darn good for the money. They used to make some of the older Craftsman
stationary power tools that were pretty good, Crapsman HP ratings aside.

Just bought their (Taiwanese) larger table saw, it's quite a nice piece
of equipment. Very smooth, well finished inside and out, no detectable
play in the arbor, solid stops.

No idea about their current mass market hand tools, haven't seen them
yet. Ridgid has been a respected maker of tools for the plumbing
business for many years, but I don't know any plumbers to ask if this is
still true. They did print some very hot calendars in years gone by,
made the SnapOn and Stihl ones look like Penny's sale fliers :-)

Cheers,
Stan

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?
Ridge Tool has always made pretty good plumbing tools. Their
electrical trade specific stuff is pretty good too, historically.
Ridge catered to the HVAC business, and plumbing.
They are now part of the Emerson empire. I hope the Emerson quality
does not permeat the Ridge Tools core product line, because Emerson
Electric has been a purveyor of poor quality junk electrical items
for between 10 and 20 years. Prior to that, for 10 or 20, they sold
reasonable, if not exemplary stuff.

"m5bmw" wrote in message
news
I was a Auto Technician for 5 years and nothing beats a american made
tool. Snap-on, Mac, or Matco all have there ups and downs but you
far better than any china made hand tool. Also, I have seen so many
people go out and buy A huge impact wrench. The only one I will ever
buy is the I R 231. But for the shop I have to buy the cheap ones,
Because employees are always take them home. I rather spend 20
dollars and set of wrench and lose them all in a few months than
spending $150 dollars for the snap-ons and losing the all in a week.

Glenn
Houston, Tx


When I was wrenching for a living, I had to supply all my own tools,
including air impact wrenches.
Lane

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.

Cheap sockets also frequently have a larger o.d. that prevents them
from fitting where a snap-on would.

My favorite wrenches are a bunch of Armstrong "long pattern" double
end box wrenches bought from McMaster.

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

"George" wrote in message
...
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?

This subject has been beat to death in rec.woodworking. Ridgid plumbing
tools are in a league of their own, good stuff.

Now the Ridgid power tools you see at Home Depot WERE made by Emerson
Electric. That association is over. Ridgid power tools are now being made by
the same company that owns/manufactures Ryobi. (One World Technologies)
There is a couple corded tools that are made by Metalbo, but the bulk is
from China.
Greg

On Wed, 29 Oct 2003 21:55:50 GMT, m5bmw wrote:

I was a Auto Technician for 5 years and nothing beats a american made
tool.

Facom (French) are the best I've yet found. Lovely quality on their
wrenches, really slick ratchets with strong fine-tooth mechanisms, and
some very clever variations on the Vise-Grip theme.

I once managed to smash myself in the face (broke a tooth) by snapping
a Britool wrench in half, with hand force alone. Metallurgist friend
took a look and suspected bad heat treatment - and this was 20 years
ago, before Britool became obvious rubbish. Mind you, their chrome
was always prone to flaking off.


--
Die Gotterspammerung - Junkmail of the Gods

"Jeff Wisnia" wrote in message
...

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?


Comments?



I was involed in a rebuild on a Catipillar crawler a few years back. We
replaces the pads in the tracks so we had to remove quite a few 1/2" bolts,
two per pad. We went through aproxamatly 20 3/4" impact sockets of various
brands untill we got a hold of a Snap-On impact socket. That one Snap-On
socket did one track all on its own!

Another time I was trying to remove a brake caliper on an import car. The
only way to get to the bolt was a box end wrench. I broke two Craftsman
wrenches trying to get the first bolt free, never budged it! Borrowed a
Snap-On wrench and was able to get all four bolts loose by jumping on the
end of the wrench!
Made me a believer!
GReg

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?


Comments?

I've both busted, and seen a lot of cheap tools broken. They're
hazardous and can make a mess out of what your working on too.

There is no substitute for good tools.

Erik

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"

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

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?

Just wondering....I've split more than a few US made thin wall sockets
in my day by pushing them too hard, and I'd expect that cheap sockets
might be more prone to that kind of failure. They may also have less
accurately formed interiors, so I excluded sockets from my question
above.

Normally I would agree with those who say that "good branded names" are best
but for one example. I used to run the maintenance section in a large
sawmill. The local cheap tool shop sold sets of metric combination spanners
(8 - 19mm in all the usual sizes) for £2.99. Yes that's about $4.00. We all
laughed until one of the fitters bought a set. They worked, and worked well.
We bought goodness knows how many sets after that and, in about 5 years, I
never heard of a breakage.
I have a few sets. Well at that price, you do, don't you? These things just
work and work. I do accept that they are the exception though having had
many a cheap tool break on me in the past.
What you do get with the branded names is the knowledge that they WILL work
rather than the lottery with cheap tools. Over here in UK, one of the trade
mags used to test different makers hand tools to destruction occasionally.
Can't remember all of the details as it's some years ago now. However, the
top names included Beta, Facom, Snap On and (I think) USAG. Snap On were
never at the top of the list and the consensus was that they were overpriced
when the same strength was available from others for less money.

John

I'd heard that Emerson was leaving earlier this summer. There was a
big thread about it at rec.arts.woodworking. However, a name never
came up as to who the new maker would be. I was about to buy the
Ridgid planer at HD and decided to hold off as a result.

HD has quite the Ryobi line so it's interesting that they'd have Ryobi
and Ridgid ---- probably all marketing and one has a better margin.
Time will tell I guess.

On Wed, 29 Oct 2003 20:46:24 -0600, "Greg O"
wrote:


"George" wrote in message
.. .
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?

This subject has been beat to death in rec.woodworking. Ridgid plumbing
tools are in a league of their own, good stuff.

Now the Ridgid power tools you see at Home Depot WERE made by Emerson
Electric. That association is over. Ridgid power tools are now being made by
the same company that owns/manufactures Ryobi. (One World Technologies)
There is a couple corded tools that are made by Metalbo, but the bulk is
from China.
Greg

In article , Carl Byrns wrote:
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?
.....
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.

the real problem with most import "channel locks" is the groves &
ridges that give the adjustable feature, they are very small and only
on one side of the slip hole. this causes the jaws to loose "lock".

the steel is probably fine, just a design issue that probably holds
over from years back when Channel Lock held patents. --Loren


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.

It has been my expeince that everything Emerson touches turns to crap. Buy
it, milk the reputation of the brand while degrading the quality, sell it
when the consumer catches on that the brand is crap.
Kent
"Spehro Pefhany" wrote in message
Emerson Electric, eh? I suspect all the home quality tools are from
China and are just leveraging their brand recognition. I'll look next
time I'm in Home Despot. Last time I checked ALL the small drill
presses were from China, including the Ryobi and Delta ones.

Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
Info for manufacturers:
http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers:
http://www.speff.com

On Fri, 31 Oct 2003 04:29:47 GMT, the renowned "Kent Frazier"
wrote:

It has been my expeince that everything Emerson touches turns to crap. Buy
it, milk the reputation of the brand while degrading the quality, sell it
when the consumer catches on that the brand is crap.
Kent

Singer did that. A little known Canadian-based public company,
reportedly funded from mainland China investors, bought it (relatively
cheaply, considering their globally known brand name and distribution)
and used it as a conduit for all sorts of "stuff". They reorganized
recently and it's now (as of 1999) incorporated in the Netherlands
Antilles.

From their web page:

"Capitalizing on its now famous name, its hire-purchase plan, and its
vast network of retail outlets and other distribution points around
the world, Singer introduced electronics, appliances, furniture, and
other consumer durables, into its product line. Today, Singer is a
household name for a wide range of consumer products for the home. "

And from their annual report:

Research and Development
Research and development expenses are incurred largely at Singer’s
manufacturing facilities in Brazil and China. The amount spent on
research and development in the three-month and six-month periods
ended June 30, 2003 and 2002 was not material.

Kind of warms the cockles of your heart, don't it?

Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com

A long standing name in pipe and pipe working tools to me anyway -
My bet is over 50 years.
Most copied pipe wrench in the world is my bet.

Martin
--
Martin Eastburn, Barbara Eastburn
@ home at Lion's Lair with our computer
NRA LOH, NRA Life
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder