I was wondering which stores you like to use for buying tools. Obviously Sears for Craftsman but who else do you buy from?

Andrew

 

sears and canadian tire here in canada also apm, carquest and napa, princess auto for cheap tools

 

For my good tools I either buy off the Mac truck or from sears. My cheap tools I get at Harbor Freight tool store. I've bought some air tools from Tractor supply.
Edit- Mac tool truck not Mack Truck

 

Most I have bought from Sears, but now when I buy tools that are more less just for grins I have bought from HF. There are a few times they have come through for me when the regular wrenches wouldn't work. Their impact sockets have been OK, but they are fairly bulky so they don't fit in tight places. The only air tools I have had trouble with was a 3/8 butterfly tool that the snap ring holding the air fitting connection came off. Wouldn't really recommend them for much other than the tools you keep around to destroy or modify or for the cheap enough you can't afford not to buy just so you can have that odd wrench around.

 

I still have the majority of my old snap-off, mac and matco tools, as well as lots of Husky tools. Of course, HD decided that Husky needed to go, so now I am getting quite the collection of Kobalt tools. They look like they are off the same forges, slightly better quality, and more consistant sizes.
BTW, Husky is made by Stanley, I think Kobalt is too.

 

I thought that Kobalt tools were made by Snap on. Haven't looked at the Stanley tools much. What little I did I thought they were good for homeowner use, but not not all the impressed. Hadn't looked at HD for Husky tools for quite a while and didn't know that they weren't selling them anymore. I take it they are selling Stanley tools now?

 

Bwahahahaha.....

 

The Sears associates know me by name, but I prefer E-bay for my name brand tools and test equipment. I also frequent the local jewelery and loan stores.

Kobalt was made by a division of Snap-On, but now is under the Danaher umbrella with Matco, Craftsman, KD, Armstrong, Allen, and others.

Our Home Depots in Council Bluffs, Iowa still carry Husky tools, but I did notice when we were in Orlando before Christmas that the HD there had hardly any Husky tools? Maybe it is a store manager preference?

 

Kobalt tools were made by J.H. Williams, a division of Snap~on. (JH Williams is an industrial tools supplier), about three years ago, when Lowes finally took completely over the Kobalt line and name, and dropped the Kobalt tools website/ordering site, they put them on closeout. They told me that J.H. Williams, couldn't produce them fast enough for them. They did switch to Dahaner tools group (Allen, Armstrong, KD, Craftsman, etc), and they did drop some of the items they carried (flarenut line wrenchs, comparable to Snap~on for a lot less).
Husky has been a HD exclusive for a long time. Stanley tools group lost a lawsuit with the FTC because several of their brands (most including Husky) advertised made in the USA when they were made overseas. It appears that they have dropped some of their line (flarenut crowsfeet) and they tried that swap to the "black chrome" tools, and now they are going back more to the chrome line. (they disappeared from my local store untill the store was rearranged). As of 1-1-2006, the transaction between Stanley tools group and the parent company of Facom should be complete.(supposed to happen today) S&K bought Facom back out of them, and stayed made in USA, while Facom is comparable in size to Stanley tools group, and is European based (French), it doubles Stanleys size, and who knows where they are going to produce those tools. I believe S&K kept some design rights, and they still sell or are connected to in the retail distribution chain.

 

Mostly www.northerntools.com. Plus, we have a couple of local stores so I can always drop by to get something broken replaced or to try something out.

 

I have had alot of Proto for 25 + years.
When I first got some they were made / owned by Ingersol Rand.
Stanley bought them, I wonder how the quality will be.

 

I saw in the Sears catalog that you could buy SK Facom tools. SK used to be darn good wrenches. I still have my set from 1967 plus a spare set that I bought then and gave to my Dad. So now is Facom still French based or owned by SK?

 

Facom are still French, always have been. Facom own SK, Britool, Sykes Pickavant, Virax, Dela, Usag and Beissbarth. In my opinion they are extremely good quality tools.

Andrew

 

Their are several great places to purchase hand tools from, and everyone has their own favorites...

For a great selection of tools to shop supplies, you might want to check out MSC... They have a catalog that full of stuff.... from machine shop to hand tools.

If you have a business account, you can find some deals at ww grainger... There are many suppliers/vendors depending exactly what you are needing from small tools... look to some electronic warehouses for needle nose to test meters.

If you are looking for something specific, email me... That is what I do all day... Purchasing for a major casino

Jim

 

Most of my stuff is from Sears, but recently I've been buying more from thetoolwarehouse.net.