Klein tools

[Brian Roth]

MAN...I want to give them benefit of the doubt...Cut and pasted:

Q: What does ‘Made in the USA’ mean?​

A: When our products say ‘Made in the USA,’ they are, in fact, made in the USA. It is illegal to mislabel a product's “Country of Origin”. According to the FTC, “for a product to be called Made in USA, or claimed to be of domestic origin without qualifications or limits on the claim, the product must be ‘all or virtually all’ made in the U.S. The term ’United States’, as referred to in the Enforcement Policy Statement, includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the US territories and possessions.” You can learn more here.

Q: How many of your tools are made in the USA?​

A: The vast majority of the products we sell are made in the USA. The exact percentage changes frequently as we insource some products to our USA plants and add new products to our lineup. Klein has introduced many new US-manufactured products in recent years (hole-making, screwdrivers, fish tapes, utility wrenches, buckets, bags, etc.). We have invested in four new US manufacturing facilities in the past decade, and have invested heavily in new equipment and tooling in our plants to expand our capacity and quality.

Q: Why are some of your tools made overseas?​

A: Like most global companies, we do source some products abroad, but Klein Tools makes 14 times more products here in the United States than we do in any other country. For any of our outsourced products, we invest our time and money into the design and quality of those products so that when you buy a Klein tool you’ll know what all the professionals know… when you pick up a Klein, it'll never let you down.

We live in an international business environment and Klein is expanding throughout the world selling products that are made in the USA. While we would like to manufacture every product we sell in the USA, it is just not possible. However, Klein Tools manufactures more SKUs of tools used in electrical applications here in the United States than any of our competitors.

With few, if any, exceptions, the products we source are new additions to our lineup or tools which we may not have the capabilities to manufacture ourselves immediately. Our job is to supply American tradespeople with the best tools available anywhere in the world, and we manufacture these tools ourselves, in the USA, when at all possible.

Q: Is Klein Tools shipping jobs overseas?​

A: Klein Tools has never closed a manufacturing facility in the United States and sent jobs overseas, and we have no intention of doing so in the future.

You can read more about Klein Tools and its commitment to US Manufacturing online at ProTools Review or clicking the icon below.


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I'm just SO tired of chinese crap. Had a TV set start smoking recently ( I now unplug anything in my hacienda at night). Borrow a screwdriver from a friend for a "quick" project...it breaks. Another project for a friend...replacing a wall switch. Wired it in correctly, and it immediately caught on fire,


Made in China = junk.

Bri

 

[gyraf]

I feel your pain.

From reading your FTC link I can see that quite a few well-known companies are on very-thin ice when claiming US made

Around here (Denmark) rules are slightly more laxed, rules allow 15% foreign-parts cost relative to final price. Which is unfortunately interpreted by some as if re-badging a particularly cheap piece of s*** qualifies it for instant re-patronizing

/Jakob E.

 

[cyrano]

I have a number of KEF speakers. They're all made in Denmark.

Yet some have a label "Made in the UK" and some even have a label "Made in Belgium". Under these labels, the imprinted "Made in Denmark" is still present and very visible when you remove the cheap labels.

I don't care where stuff comes from. And I don't expect cheap stuff to outperform expensive stuff, but it happens. I do get mad when expensive stuff is worthless and that happens too.

I just bought some bits. Small security bits, Apple's Pentalobe etc. No kit had everything I wanted, so I had to buy several. Most of these aren't even real metal. They're sintered and these usually fail on the first use, at least in my hands. I haven't found decent ones yet. The usual tool companies make those, but if I have to order them from several places, transport is so expensive that I might as well throw away the stuff I'm trying to fix and buy new stuff.

 

[Brian Roth]

I just bought some bits. Small security bits, Apple's Pentalobe etc. No kit had everything I wanted, so I had to buy several. Most of these aren't even real metal. They're sintered and these usually fail on the first use, at least in my hands. I haven't found decent ones yet. The usual tool companies make those, but if I have to order them from several places, transport is so expensive that I might as well throw away the stuff I'm trying to fix and buy new stuff.

As I mentioned, I have more than a few Klein tools in my kit. One I find very useful came with multiple "security bits". I don't know if it includes Apple bits because I never have to crack open any Apple products.

I will say that kit is very high quality. It wasn't 99 cents crap from Hazard Fraught:

https://imgur.com/gallery/A8AJw
I LOVE that parody ad!

Bri

 

[Ike Zimbel]

Ha! That's the good old Mad Magazine parody style for sure...I LOL'd while reading it. But seriously folks, after years of seeing Harbor Freight mentioned, particularly on the Ampex list, I finally had a chance to check one out a few years ago...and I was scared! Every single item on sale looked like a safety hazard...just the worst, crappiest tools I had ever seen all in one place.

 

[Brian Roth]

I found the kit I have:

https://www.kleintools.com/catalog/screwdriver-bits-and-parts/tamperproof-bit-set-32-piece
Once a year usage, but invaluable. USA metal, I assume the little plastic holder is imported. NOTE: I put the entire set in a heavy ziplock bag so individual bits don't fall loose and disappear in my toolbox.

Bri

 

[Matador]

Made in China = junk

I would caveat that with "Made in China but basically free = junk", but that's the same with anything made anywhere.

There is stuff I have imported from China which was immaculate: however it wasn't significantly cheaper that that which could be sourced elsewhere. For example I got a set of metric open-end box wrenches from an OEM named "GreatStar Industrial" but sold under the common name "SK Professional", which are some of the best wrenches I have ever owned, made from a high-carbon billet tool steel. Even from China cost more than most in-store big brands, however still a signification discount from USA brands like Snap On or Matco, but much higher quality (IMHO).

 

[Brian Roth]

I grew up with Craftsman, Klein, Xcellite, and similar USA made tools so I'm "stuck in my ways"...lol.

Bri

 

[scott2000]

from an OEM named "GreatStar Industrial" but sold under the common name "SK Professional",

Neat...
SK are pretty great tools...

 

[cyrano]

I found the kit I have:

https://www.kleintools.com/catalog/screwdriver-bits-and-parts/tamperproof-bit-set-32-piece
Once a year usage, but invaluable. USA metal, I assume the little plastic holder is imported. NOTE: I put the entire set in a heavy ziplock bag so individual bits don't fall loose and disappear in my toolbox.

Bri

I try to buy local, since three hardware stores closed recently. So I try to support the last one remaining.

They had a set, German steel, WIHA, 97€...

 

[Matador]

I grew up with Craftsman, Klein, Xcellite, and similar USA made tools so I'm "stuck in my ways"...lol.

Understandable. Having owed several "Made in the USA" domestic vehicles in the 80's from Ford and Chevy, I got pretty "unstuck" from always looking for "Made in the USA".

 

[kidb]

Unfortunately actual good quality USA made tools are pricey, see Swanstrom!

 

[Gold]

A little OT but I like enameled cast iron cookware. The good stuff is the French, Staub. The USA brand, The Lodge has cheaper, I think Chinese made enameled cast iron. The quality is perfectly fine. I often use the Lodge over the Staub.

The Lodge recently came out with Made in USA enameled cast iron. The pitch is only Made in USA. No mention of any advantage other than made in USA. Priced like Staub. Uh, you’ll have to do better than that.

 

[Matador]

The Lodge has cheaper, I think Chinese made enameled cast iron.

Interestingly enough, Harbor Freight sells also the exact same pans in a set of 3 skillets (which includes a 6", a 7.5", and a 10") for $15 on clearance. They were unseasoned, so after smoothing with a wire brush and seasoning, they have performed flawlessly. I use them on the stove, in the oven, and even outside on the wood grill.

 

[Dylan W]

I have a number of KEF speakers. They're all made in Denmark.

Yet some have a label "Made in the UK" and some even have a label "Made in Belgium". Under these labels, the imprinted "Made in Denmark" is still present and very visible when you remove the cheap labels.

I don't care where stuff comes from. And I don't expect cheap stuff to outperform expensive stuff, but it happens. I do get mad when expensive stuff is worthless and that happens too.

I just bought some bits. Small security bits, Apple's Pentalobe etc. No kit had everything I wanted, so I had to buy several. Most of these aren't even real metal. They're sintered and these usually fail on the first use, at least in my hands. I haven't found decent ones yet. The usual tool companies make those, but if I have to order them from several places, transport is so expensive that I might as well throw away the stuff I'm trying to fix and buy new stuff.

I have this set - it’s held up pretty well for 8 years or so.

https://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-2830-Everybit-Precision-Electronic/dp/B009MKGRQA/

 

[cyrano]

I've bought a Wiha security bits set. 97€. Ouch.

No pentalobes though. But it'll last a lifetime...

 

[Gold]

The Wiha Series 6 blade and handle set is my desert island driver set. I have full blades for flat head, philips, hex and nut driver. I have bit sets for everything else like the different varieties of Torx. Torx aren’t common in the US.

I like PB Swiss for every day use. But if I travel or had to sell something the Wiha comes with me and I’d sell the PB Swiss.

 

[cyrano]

Torx aren't exactly common over here in Europe either. It's hard to find bit sets with only Torx, unless you order them from Wiha or Witte or...

Anyhow, I've really given up on cheap ones. I needed bigger Torx for the car and was lucky to find a decent set in ALDI. I've had the small ones for years, since I used to repair Macs and these are full of small Torx screws.

The car industry seems to have adopted Torx.

 

[volker]

Torx aren't exactly common over here in Europe either. It's hard to find bit sets with only Torx, unless you order them from Wiha or Witte or...

Anyhow, I've really given up on cheap ones. I needed bigger Torx for the car and was lucky to find a decent set in ALDI. I've had the small ones for years, since I used to repair Macs and these are full of small Torx screws.

The car industry seems to have adopted Torx.

I don't use anything but Torx if I have the choice. A carpenter friend of mine convinced me years ago whose company has been using nothing else for a long time. They grip so much better than the alternatives, by hand as well as with a drill. I bought the Wiha Softfinish screwdrivers, price is fine and it's not like you need a dozen different sizes. My cheap bits I already had have held up well over the years, unlike with other types of screw they always fit perfectly snug, so there is much less unwanted friction that wears them out. Aldi wouldn't be my first stop to buy decent tools though .

 

[Gold]

There are at least three types of Torx. Regular, Security and Security +. There might be one more kind.