Gearwrenches (was:Alden Wrenches)

[Richard Beels]

Until 1994 or so, Stanley made Craftsman hand tools. Craftsman is now made 
by Danaher Tools. Basically, they bid a cheaper price.  Danaher also 
manufactures MatCo and Gearwrench and KD and.

Stanley makes MAC Tools, Proto, Jensen and Husky (and prior to five or so 
years ago, Craftsman) - all from the same forgings in the same plants.

Snap-On makes Snap-On and also Kobalt for Lowes.

Stanley and Danaher ($28 billion each in sales a few years back) are the 
biggest followed by Snap-On.  Each of these manufacture and sell tools 
under a variety of brands and the quality between these three manufacturers 
is roughly the same at the same price point.

Then there are a hand full of other minor players (Vermont American, etc) 
and an endless list of Taiwanese import tool companies (some of which 
Stanley own as well as Danaher to serve the lower end consumer import 
brands at WalMart, etc).


And to replace Gearwrenches you need to send them in.  Or, you get lucky at 
Sears and get a guy who doesn't know what he's doing (rare, but it happened 
once).  I have double box end flip-style.  One nice thing about the 
reversible ones is they come with a little lip on the inside edge so the 
nut head won't slip all the way through...


At 2/16/2005 at 03:08 PM, Shakespearean monkeys danced on Keith Lawyer's 
keyboard and said:
>Yep, but that's only an 8pc set.  Sears sells a lot of their stuff, and
>some of the Craftsman ones (the reversibles) are I believe re-badged
>Danaher/KD/Gearwrench, but they never sell sets that are comprehensive
>as GearWrench direct.
>
>(note the Matco Gearwrenches are just Gearwrench with Matco etched on
>them).


Cheers!