100 Year Old Tool Truck Brand Goes Retail?
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 17. 04. 2024
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At my age, most of my tool purchases come from estate sales. I'm building my supply for when my wife has my estate sales some day. Good tools don't die, they just go to another tool fanatic.
A great way to get your hands on AMERICAN made tools without paying an evil multinational corporation through the nose. I like yard sales. I got two 5 gallon buckets of ratchets and wrenches and such for 10 bucks each from some dumb pansy kid dumping dead grandpa's stuff. Passed by later and a dozen different Stanley block planes were out for a buck each. Later that night everything the purple haired "he-she" didn't sell was out on the curb.
Exactly my friend I collect vintage USA tools and I use them and they give me something to talk about with others on my CZcams channel I enjoy tools and preserving there history I'm putting it out there so no one forgets good quality tools like jh Williams indestro billings new Britain Fairmount duro chrome Thorsen etc etc
I am 80 years old and still have my first ratchet and socket set from SK in the green hammered colored box and I use it regularly. Think I bought it at a neighborhood hardware store.
I remember that set
SK used to be in hardware stores
As a kid in the early 80s I used to buy tools to dismantle bikes and lawnmowers and I still have those tools today
I agree, I bought most of my SK at a auto parts store in Chicago.
I have no issue with buying tools made "overseas" as long as they aren't being dumped at artificially low prices. My primary concern is always going to be whether the quality justifies the price. Imo Many tool truck tools are over-priced for what they actually are.
Snap On foreign made prosumer tools at Snap On prices...Did someone say Blue Point?
STOP IT FOOL!
So as far as promoting Chinese made professional tools, we already do that with Icon. I think you were just butt hurt because they took a beloved USA made brand and shipped it overseas. And I am 100% with you on your reaction. There is a very fond place in my heart for all of my SK tools. If Icon was US made, bought up and shipped overseas I'd have the same reaction about them. It's a heart issue not a head issue. As far as Snap-on........ Don't forget all the Chinese made crap they licensed their name to and sold in Costco. As a long time Snap-on fanboy I was really disappointed in that move. And it pissed of the franchisees because people were bringing this stuff on the trucks looking for lifetime warranty. Which pissed off more customers because they had to learn the hard way that what they bought wasn't genuine Snap-on just Snap-on branded. Dumb move all around.
I have an icon snap ring plier set and they're stamped made in USA
Icon is probably mostly Taiwan, along with some China and some USA.
I have some of the newer but still made in USA SK metric wrenches and they are NICE. Saw SK wrench set in Loweâs the other day. Handled them at one of the demo stations in the store. Not the same at all. Very disappointed. I also donât think they are gonna see MUCH success at all with the stacking boxes as so many other makers have already âbeat them to itâ and there are reasons none of THEM. are making metal boxes.
Impact resistance, corrosion resistance, and weight. I donât want to lug a bunch of metal tool boxes in and out of my work vehicle every day. Iâm strong but Iâm a smaller trade-guy and I donât think my back wants to repeatedly tackle pulling a heavy metal box full of heavy steel tools out of my van everyday. Even so if you dent one of these and mess up a drawer slide âthatâs itâ that drawer is never gonna open ârightâ again. The plastic/polymer boxes arenât indestructible can take an impact , absorb shock and return to shape where opening and closing performance isnât as affected. I am ASSUMING the stacking aspect of the boxes is for portability, because if itâs not, it makes way more sense to go the traditional big sheet steel tool box route. Bigger longer drawers room for more tools and larger profile toolsâŠetc. I donât see the boxes being longer term successful in competition with Milwaukee, Dewalt, kleinâŠ.etc, also keep in mind makers like Dewalt and Milwaukee already make power tools in their own platform that seamlessly integrate with their own systems. SK isnât going to be able to touch that.
My first socket set was an SK 3/8" that my grandfather bought me to work on my bike. Along the way someone liked it more than me. Sure miss it and him.
Nope, wont buy em and i dont care if it makes me still look salty about them selling out to china. I'm sick of damn near everything we buy nowadays seems to be made everywhere but here in the U.S.A. Especially china.
Amen brother
Ideal were the traitors, SK was just a logo on a tool. They cut bait and ran away and it's a damn shame.
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SK at Lowes, great. More brands expanding their pro tools to the Pro-Sumer arena great. But, if you happen to be at Lowes check out the new star of the tool trade, yep since the Homeless Depot dropped Klein, and Lowes picked them up, the Klein line of tools is slowly becoming an all-star in the field. With a solid (hopefully) line from SK and all the other cool stuff Lowes has grabbed they are becoming a serious tool stop.
I think the "Pro-sumer" line is a great idea. Most of us non-pro's (or former pro's in my case) just do not need to buy $500 wrench sets to tinker around on our trucks or lawn equipment.
Why you sell them?
The Chinese don't make pro-sumer tools. They just pretend to so they can charge more for their junk.
@@jaredappleseed7037 Might have been the shop footing the bill.
When I started as an auto mechanic in 1985, the SK 1/4'' drive set in the green metal box was very popular, but even back then not that easy to get, I ended up with Snap On.
I bought an SK Wayne 3/8 drive set in high school. Did not need 1/2 drive, I just slipped a length of pipe on the ratchet handle and was good to go for almost all the automotive fasteners. Always did the job.
Ive got SK tools that my dad bought 45 years ago from a car parts store. They sold SK tools at that store. They didn't have an SK tool truck as far as I know.
Trak Auto?
When I was a kid a longggggggggggg time ago. SK was sold in Ohio by a Canadian discount retailer named Uncle Bills. As a kid I bought some of the tools. I still have them. They were great tools. As a side note. I met the CEO of SK Tools on a flight back to Michigan back in the 80's. He was an amazing guy to talk to.
Ok Mr. Bear. Let's discuss this SK brand being a truck business and just now wanting to go retail. I'm well into my fifties and back in the eighties I grew up in a small-ish town and we had two auto parts stores that sold SK tools. One was our local NAPA and the other was a small independent family owned business. Great content and keep up the good work.
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Yea! I love SK. They used to be in all the auto parts stores. I still have my tools I bought in the 60's.
If I'm going to be forced into buying Chinese made tools, I see no need to go any further than HF. I don't wrench for a living anymore and Pittsburgh has a lifetime warranty as well. Same thing happened when Craftsman went Chinee.
If I am going to spend a large amount on a tool I want made in USA. If I am going to go China, I'll go Harbor Freight, easier returns.
I'd buy "pro" tools from any place I can get warranty service, If I need basic Chinese hand tools or electronics, I go to Aliexpress. That isn't often, usually when a tool from a set gets "lost" and the original maker/tool is no longer around except in name.
A lot of H-F tools are made in Taiwan
Lots of fantastic information on your channel over the past years. I think many of your subscribers would love to see the vast collection of tools you own along with what your jobs require your purchases of them are? I, for one, would be ecstatic to see as well!
I think if an item is exported out of the U.S.A., it needs to have a mark on it designating the country of origin, just as we require items being imported have their country of origin clearly marked on them.
If an item tool is made in the USA for export out of the USA it does need to say "USA" or "Made in USA". Most countries don't allow tools to be imported that don't have the country of origin on them. The USA is one of the few that allow carton labels instead of piece labels on some imports.
To my mind, if there is no country of origin on any tool, then it is second rate and I won't buy it.
Those boxes are nice for a home gamer or for a work van set up. They lack in organization with the drawers. If youâre using the foam inserts you may have to pull the top 3 sets out to get what you need on the bottom of the deep drawers.
Picked up a set of SK adjustable wrenches from Loweâs a few months ago, best adjustable wrenches Iâve used! They have the finer thread adjustment too!
Gambles Hardware Stores, when they were still around, used to carry SK as their premium tool line. They also had Artisan as their midgrade and Tiger Tools as their economy line.
My Grandpa used to own the local Gambles store in my hometown. He also farmed at the same time. Don't know where he found the time to operate both.
Gambles ultimately got bought out by True Value Hardware, which is still in existence but closed down its stores in my area. So, we don't even have the successor any longer.
My dad had SK wrenches and Blackhawk socket sets. Sold at the local auto parts store. When he bought tools he got the best he could afford. Thats the example I still follow. I like the idea of a "prosumer" grade SK tools at the retail store. Although I am now a faithful Tekton tool customer and see no reason to buy anything else. But I like having options.
I have a few Tektons and like them so far. I'd caution to look for manufacturing and stick with the Taiwan or US made tools. Giving as little money to China as possible is better for all of us in the long run.
I bought 4 different sk sets @ Lowe's months ago and I did know they were available. While I don't wrench in a car shop, I have tractors, work trucks and many barn projects. These have been great for me. No problems at all, but also my ICON's, Gearwrench, Carlyle's and Montgomery Wards sets all do the job I put them up to. So, I will buy more of the sk if they come back, I am pretty impressed with what I have, but was disappointed when the promotion was over, jb
I still use my grandfather's 2 sets of SK Wayne sockets and wrenches. They are well-loved but still very serviceable. The weight difference between those tools and any of the newer tools I have is striking. The socket wrenches have never been rebuilt to my knowledge, and still work beautifully. I will pass them to my son some day.
We sold S-K tools at Quality Farm and Fleet in the late 80s and early 90s.
Not hand tools but Iâve had a good comparison of US made Shop Vac and the equivalent Chinese made Shop Vac and it is considerable lower quality. I bought the metal tank model and the first thing I noticed was the US made tank had rolled reinforcement ribs while the China model did not and was more flimsy.
My SK set is SAE/Metric in that same green box but with 2 latches. I've had it since the 90s.
Looks like a great box, if I had a complaint it would be that the drawers don't fully extend.
The x frame wrenches are very nice, I don't know how they compare to USA made ones, but they are nicer than anything I see in any big box store.
My grandfather and father owned auto parts store and growing up we carried SK and KD/Easco tools as far back as I remember. At least 40 years ago.
Our Lowes has several SK tools packages/kits and have for I'd guess a year or so. Not many, and you aren't going to build out a full set, but some stuff. I'd be glad to see them run a full like of tools.
All of my early tools were SK bought at the local auto parts store. And still in use nearly 50 years later. I have broken a few sockets and what not over the years. Since I have no real outlet near me to replace them I simply found similar sockets to replace them with. However the longevity has been remarkable. I suspect that the new tools will not be so long lived.
The 3/8 1/4 inch shallow and deep set in the green metal box started me off and 50 years later Iâm still using it
I bought the SK 1/2" set like you showed from a hardware store when I was in high school in the early 1960's
They had a couple sets in the Lowes holiday sections this past year. When I first saw it I was a bit taken back and had to snap a picture. A set of adjustable wrenches, a set of combo wrenches and a smaller socket & ratchet set. Unfortunately they didn't appear to sell very well and were marked down significantly after the new year. I'd like to see them make a real push but they are gonna have to really do something really special and have great marketing.
Pony/Jorgensen and Arrow are still making some good stuff so Great Star isn't terrible.
I am really interested in one of those rolling tool cabinets though.
I still have a half inch socket set with ratchet and breaker bar that i picked up in the 70s, and it still looks like new.
My first socket set was SK tools that came in the green metal box. I believe my dad bought them at Western Auto.
These SK X frame wrenches were at Loweâs during the holidays along with some pliers and 3/8 and 1/4 drive socket sets, I bought no the x frame sets at the full price and when I heard about the clearance they were all gone around me.
I'd say SK had a "Pro-sumer" line for a very long time if you factor in all the tools they made for the Craftsman and Craftsman Professional lines. The modular tool boxes look cool, hopefully the quality it there. And Snap-On could probably pull off a box store line via Blue-Point.
Had SK socket sets and wrenches i bought back in the 80's. Great tools at a great price back then. The prosumer idea is great if the tools are decent tools with a warranty. Will have to go to Lowe's and take a look.
I'm just wondering if we get Duratech/Workpro in green at Lowes.
Thank you for information about a favorite brand turning into chineseum. That explains a lot about shop vac.
Another "me too" line of Chinese tools. Sorry SK but you are too late to the party, other brands have already taken over this market.
Westerners can't get enough Chinese tools. There are still companies that haven't started yet that will be successful
@@veganpotterthevegan I don't know that is true in all cases. Anyone who knows the difference between a quality tool and a junk tool will not go for a lower quality tool regardless of where it's made. If you are buying an Asian tool Taiwan makes some great tools these days.
@macxpert3588 China makes good and bad tools. Obviously people don't want bad tools. But most want the best tools for their chosen/forced budget and that normally means Chinese tools.
â@@veganpottertheveganChina absolutely makes quality tools now.
There are some MAC tools made in China, and I'm sure some S/O too.
Just trying to ride on the brandâs reputation and suck as much value out of it as they can. They know people will buy it just because it says SK, and not realize they are cheap Chinese tools.
My first set of wobble sockets in 1/4" drive as well as hex and torx sockets that I had bought from a century old Ace Hardware that unfortunately no longer exists back in the mid-1990s
I'm heading over to Lowes later this morning on an errand & will look around for those wrench sets....they appear to be a pretty good value based on how their sets (& individual wrenches) are currently priced on AMZ. But they need to be looked at up close (or at the very least hi res images) to verify they are the same wrenches.
Iâd be interested based on my experiences with them over the years. I frequently use a 40+ year old ratchet handle which still works well.
About 55 years ago my uncle gave me a crescent wrench as a kid. I didn't think much of it but recently I looked at it and saw it was a SK!
Probably 15 years ago i warrantied a SK Wayne Ratchet that had been used so much (hand use, no pipe marks) This this family had worn 80% of the knurling on the handle smooth.
They had pro-sumer tools over 35 years ago. They were in some stores in Florida. I've got some in my toolbox to this day . but they were struggling back then. you could find they're pro stuff brand new at flee markets.
Not interested in Chinese pro-sumer grade SâąK tools. Thereâs too many other brands out there. The market is over saturated already. Heck, Loweâs tool brand offerings is over saturated. Iâd be interested in the USA stuff, but I doubt that would be sold at Loweâs.
When my dad passed away i inherited all his tools and a good portion of them were SK and in my almost 45 years of working i used lots of pro series tools and Snap on was the talk back in the day and i never found them any better than SK quality wise,, they more variety, no quality, i have my share of Gear Wrench tools and there's nothing wrong with them and over 20 yrs of working in heavy steel none have failed on me yet, the Prosumer line of tools will probably sell good, got the name and thats good enough for the average joe đ
†lowes is comin out swinging for mechanics carrying craftsman, sk, and now capri aswell, solid tool truck alternatives
Milwaukee, DeWalt and many others have started this modular tool elegance too, but Festertool was the leader. Credits for making the module out of metal. though, it is a far easier to recycle material.
I got the stuff they had at Loweâs over Christmas. The ratchet wrenches are really good as far as back drag, the adjustables are decent, the socket set was Chinese Craftsman quality. Well worth $29, not more that $60
I have some SK tools I got in the late 70s. They are great tools and I've never had one break.
My dad had a 1/2 set of S/K socket set
At the end of the day every piece was cleaned and put back in the box, I moved out and when I returned some 11 years latter all there ws, was the box,my brother had no good explaination for the loss of the tools
Your history videos are my favorites!!
Sure miss the Tool Bear âŠ..that was brilliant, so creativeâŠ..
He already explained the bear isnât coming back. He had to get a new laptop and the company that sells/licenses? The bear software was changing the way they charge and long video short new laptop+no new software = no more bear
@@srogers88 does not negate the fact that we miss the bear...
I wasn't a fan of the bear. I mean ... It's cool he was doing something different and all but it made it hard for me to take the videos serious.
I used SK Tools during my traveling tech years. They were great tools!
When I was a kid I went with the bigger is better idea so all of my tools were 1/2" drive. In the military I graduated to 3/8s SK socket set in the old green box. They were great sockets and solved some of the problems that I had with the 1/2" drive sockets. Now having said that those were the days where you could actually see the engine and transmission and the access was great to just about everything. I would still have them and be using them except that on a trip someone broke into my car and stole all of the tools that were in it.
Sense then I have learned that I would rather have a handful of Harbor Fright or Husky or stuff picked up at auctions etc. than 1 Snap on. If I can get Snap on at a garage sale for the same price as all of the other junk then I will get it but will not pay inflated prices for it. I can count on 1 or 2 hands all of the sockets and ratchets I have broken, generally by miss using them, in the last 50 years or so. Even Craftsman is not the same as it was but the price is getting up there. If I buy a socket for a dollar and it lasts 10 years before I loose it or it gets stolen what have I lost nothing. If I have boxes of them I just find another one of them.
"Professional grade tools" That stands for more cost for the same thing. I could pay $200 for some sockets or I could go to Harbor Fright and get 2 sets of the same thing for $40-50 and have backup in case one did have a problem. If you have to take them back you still have to go somewhere so what is the difference. You do have to be careful what you buy at HF. For example their tap and die sets are worse than junk they can actually cause more problems than they create.
There are some specially tools that the "professional" tool makers make that are not available elsewhere. Other than that I feel sorry for the kids who start in the industry and are suckered in to making large purchases with money that they do not have and may not ever actually recover the value from.
I saw SK tools in Loweâs during Christmas and thought that was a first never seen them in stores before
I got those sk wrenches in metric from Loweâs and I love them
I sold SK tools back when I worked in an auto parts store back in the late 70's early 80's
A couple points. First, I didn't even realize SK was even in business anymore. Second, I have quite a few old SK tools that I bought in retail outlets 40 years ago.
Not their first time in retail. I got some SKTools in the green metal cases in an Ace Hardware back in the mid-90's.
It's not the first time you see a large manufacturer buy out a good brand and pump their crap under a well known name. I just hope that they retain some of SK's intellectual property and produce better quality products. Otherwise, it's just another Husky/cheap house brand.
I like the idea of being able to go to a big box store and get SK tools.
My first significant tool purchase was a set of SK metric sockets to use on my Fiat 124 Spider, around 1972. Nice tools, but were stolen from that car, so long gone.
Mac/Stanley all over again. Substantial quality drop when you warranty something. I eventually purged both home and shop boxes. Cornwell,Matco,Snapon S K remain along with 50's era Craftsman.
SK tools were in stores for years!! Before they went bankrupt in 2010 I bought thousands of dollars of SK tools at a local hardware store in Kannapolis, NC.
even Walmart sells some USA-made tools. every mfg has some great designs, some have great stuff at reasonable prices.
i like the x-beams, I'll have to check my local store...
Not in my local store yet. Most likely in the bigger stores first. They are saying 3-5 day delivery
S-K used to be fairly priced, were certainly professional grade, and made in the USA. To sell offshore tools at high prices is bound to fail, especially as Milwaukee is ramping up their affordable mechanics tool lines. S-K has always sold in the retail space, mainly in smaller hardware and automotive stores.
I hope it can work out for S-K somehow.
Sorry but no. I'll still buy Vintage SK but not modern versions made in China. They can put SK or Duratech on the tool, doesn't matter.
I am real particular about my tools, I made my living with them.
We had mostly PROTO tools in the USAF, those were issued to us. My personal tools are mostly Snap-On, MAC, and some old Craftsman that I bought as a kid in high school and some of my dadâs.
Anything that goes China is down the tubes
I've always tried to purchase the best tools I could afford. To this day I refuse to buy any Chinese junk. My first socket sets were S&K 1/2" drive and the 3/8" drive sets that I purchased just out of high school in 1971. The 1/2" drive ratchet was replaced twice over the years & one of my 3/8" ratchets was replaced once. I also have 5 sets of Craftsman ASE & metric 1/4", 3/8" & 1/2" socket sets that I've bought over the years & a Wright 3/4" set that I sold many years ago. I have (3) 14 piece ASE combination sets and a 19 piece metric set. The first one I bought while still in high school. It's a Thorsen set & it's still all original wrenches except the 1/2" which I broke probably 25-30 years ago after Thorsen was no longer available. It was replaced with the Cheaper TAT wrench, but I did later find a used Thorsen to replace it. The second set I purchased was the high polished long wrench set of John Deere tools purchased in 1979. It was my favorite set, but all but 4 were stolen out of my pickup a couple years later. I have a fairly large selection of ratcheting box ends & specialty tools, mostly craftsman & a few Gear Wrench, but of all my sets, the two S&K socket sets are my favorites. I also have a vast assortment of electrical & lineman tools, most of which are Klein, Diamond, & Crescent. One day in the not too distant future all of my tools will get handed down to my son-in-laws & grandkids, but for now, most of my tool buying days are over. Of course, I've been saying that for the past 10 years...
This is not the first time for SK to be sold in stores. Years ago before True Value and Service Star got their own in house brand they sold SK tools. I have a lot of the display boards from the local hardware store from when they switched vendors.
My first socket sets were SK, metric, for my '56 VW. I got them from western auto. I think I paid less than $20.00 for them in the metal case.
Wow, SK has always served me well. I like them. Hope the quality doesn't slip.
Pro-sumer product line is fine. I might buy a few. Really miss the bear!
Im in my early 40's. I don't think ive ever seen a new sk tool. I have ended up with the occasional ratchet or socket just from buying random "lots" of tools over the years. Ive never broke any but really dont reach for them since i never knew how or where to warranty them.
My fatherâs small town hardware store sold SK fifty years ago.
Remember, the days past when you broke a socket, you could run to seers and there two isles of craftsman mechanic tools that you could buy individually. Iâm waiting for one of the big box stores to be serious enough to offer that in one of their lines of tools because when I break a socket, I need one right now and I need to be able to jump in the car go to the store and replace it immediately and get back to it. thereâs a good chance that whatever it is Iâm working on. I will be driving it to work the following day
If SK puts actual pro grade tools in Lowe's I will always give them a look and compare them to the other offers. If they're pro
I stocked and sold SK tools in our hardware store 40+ years ago
I'm an S*K fan boy! Looking forward to adding to the collection.
bought those X Frame wrenches at Lowes before Christmas .....listed at $80 but paid $40 on sale/clearance
I never realize they were tool truck brand growing up in south Texas. They were pretty common at independent automotive stores. I thought they were in my opinion. OK. I actually thought they seem to be a little bit clunky than my craftsman and definitely clunk than the snap on that I envy for when I was in high school.
I saw and bought the 7 piece x frame metric set which includes the 15mm wrench size made in China. Now, I have one x frame USA made wrench of the same size and compared the two wrenches. The China made one had a bit more back drag and was thicker and slightly heavier than the US made unit, but once I used the Chinese made wrench, the back drag lessened and is now comparable to the USA made unit. The fit and finish seems to be about the same to my eyes, so thus far, even at the $80 for the Chinese made X body units seems like a bargain compared to $55+ for one 15mm USA made X unit.
I understand they are selling sockets made in China and I'd love to see how they compare to my 50 year old USA made units. On Amazon they're selling socket sets on a rail, given what the prices are (there's a 13 piece 3/8 drive metric set from 8 to 20mm with the current discount at $30) these units must be Chinese manufactured.
We are all lucky to be in a time when there are so many good options that provide value per dollar. The days of having to make 52 payments on the tool truck for a socket or wrench set are over. But some of the brand loyalists haven't realized it yet. Even though those brands stopped being loyal to them decades ago.
Used to get SK at Central Hardware back in the day.
S-K as a brand, is now devalued. Not because they're "pro-sumer" or made in China now, but like so so so many great names from my past, they've been overrun, bypassed, outcompeted and forgotten (largely). While not quite a zombie brand (Porter Cable) the name connotes something the tool may, or may not, live up too. They look good but do they deliver? And just what, how thin in performance, are they in "pro" vs "pro-sumer" ? This is the job for a tool bear!!
Snap-on or Blue-Point ?
In Oklahoma city we had a brick and morter tool store that used to sell sk tools when they were american made. We never had a sk tool truck in our area.
I'm intrigued at least. Lowes was practically dead for me when they went all in on Craftsman. But now picking up Klein Tools and SK? I don't think Big Orange should be worried yet, but this could get interesting.
One of the best 1/4 " ratchets I ever had now that its owned by the Chinese I doubt the quality is still there .
About 2 set in Black Friday deals for 25 E. tool set
I still have that tool kit. Its over 45 years oid
D
If iâm looking for âprosumerâ grade stuff i am headed directly to harbor freight. Iâll get buckwild in the garage and break some stuff and then waltz in to HF and come back out with a smile on my face, new tool in hand. Lord knows the hoops youâll have to jump through for a warranty item if you break something or spread the jaws of a wrench. If youâre worried about pro tools, iâd look at gearwrench real close. Deals to be had, great quality tools and decent warranty.
Hey Jeff, are going to purchase any Vim tools. I haven't heard you mention them since your last deep dive