I like the Klein tools because I am use to them. Stanley use to make the same screwdriver choices and sets as Klein but at 1/3 the price. I cannot believe anybody has the same tools for many years. My screwdrivers become chisels after 6 month because they get worn out and my lineman pliers become a hammer. Some people take care of their tools but I am not one of them. Some guys buy the high end stuff but they get lost or stolen, rust or burn as well as the mid range ones. My helper brings the worn out Klein tools to HOME DEPOT once a year to exchange them for new ones. They are guaranteed for life. I will never buy the cheap Commercial Electric brand.

 

i stopped buying more expensive than necessary to get quality tools
i have worn out klein: lineman, flathead, in one or two years; the phillips didnt hold up for 8 months
i now have many brands of hand tools
southwire phillips, flathead kobalt 3/8, klein 5/16, no name 1/4, wira square tips, no name lineman, ideal strippers, no name knife

With a replacement guarantee, why are you now buying Knock-offs? You can cut 16-penny nails with the D2000 Pliars.

 

i stopped buying more expensive than necessary to get quality tools
i have worn out klein: lineman, flathead, in one or two years; the phillips didnt hold up for 8 months
i now have many brands of hand tools
southwire phillips, flathead kobalt 3/8, klein 5/16, no name 1/4, wira square tips, no name lineman, ideal strippers, no name knife

 

Somebody took my Estwing hammer and forgot to give it back so I went to HD to buy a new one. HD doesn’t sell Estwing! I guess that’s no surprise since HD would sell Milwaukee plywood if it was made.

I ended up buying a Klown hammer and it has no magic. Life sucks.

 

I lost my helper's Estwing 16 ounce hammer last week. I know where I left it but to go back for a $22.00 hammer is questionable. He bought a new one at the hardware store because as you said, HD does not carry them anymore. I love the Estwing hammers, they sing as you bang on 10 penny nails.

 

Somebody took my Estwing hammer and forgot to give it back so I went to HD to buy a new one. HD doesn’t sell Estwing! I guess that’s no surprise since HD would sell Milwaukee plywood if it was made.

I ended up buying a Klown hammer and it has no magic. Life sucks.

Go to perky’s Lowe’s and grab your new magic wand there.

 

I have a lot of Estwing hammers and Axes. Would not go into the desert with out my axes,. Getting good at throwing it.
I have Klein tools for my pouch. Unless I am going south of the border for a job. Then I go spend $200 dollars on HF tools and leave them behind. You would not believe the good will that brings.

Most of my hand tools get worn out or replaced because some idiot borrowed my lineman's and cut a nail. Then they find out what I costs to replace a quality tool. I let them have the damaged one. I have one Beater McMackgruter screw driver. Big square shanked Klein straight blade. More of a pry bar than anything else.
I bought these crimpers when I was at a antique store in Jerome AZ. They still work good for the task.

I have had Klein insulated hand tool set, then they were recalled. Did get my money back from that after cornering the local Klein rep. Not an inexpensive set to purchase. I do not trust my life to just insulated tools, or insulated tools and gloves. There is very little these days that can to be shut down for service.
I do have a set of Wiha screw drivers that I keep with me for those odd times it is just one screw I need to work on.
Hand tools are a lot like hand guns and women, I grade them by touch and feel, do they feel right when you hold them?

 

I, and most of my guys have Klein for a majority of stuff. Not necessarily Fan Boys, but we get good deals and never had an issue with replacement. I have a few Ideal tools in my pouch also; I prefer the https://www.grainger.ca/en/product/...+PLA&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhu3R-d7UgAMVtO7jBx0tzAF5EAQYAyABEgKRX_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

and have had them for years. Changed a few blades grips over the years, but I like them the best. I know some of my guys have some Wiha specialty pliers that they like. I tend to take pretty good care of my tools, so I am not one for using my linesmen for a hammer... I use a hammer for a hammer LOL.

Cheers
John

 

I love this marketing idea, lol

 

Got the shirt too!

Cheers
John

 

not sure if you saw it, but there's another one for tomorrow. I posted it in the Tools section: (1) Klein T-Shirt | Electrician Talk

 

I like most of the Klein products I have. Their made in USA hand tools are mostly first rate. Linemans, strippers, dikes, screwdrivers - great. (Some don't like Klein screwdrivers, they had a period a few years ago where they sucked, but they fixed it IMO.)

Their meters and testers are generally crap. See Klein and Horrible Freight - Same | Electrician Talk They've had a lot of recalls, so much so I wouldn't trust them to be safe to work with. If you would tolerate the quality, you can buy the same products not rebranded Klein for less.

Their gadgety newer screwdrivers, nutdrivers, etc. including their very popular 11-in-1 are mostly made in Taiwan and are medium to crap quality. Some are good ideas and tolerable, some are just dumb. I prefer the Megapros, Wera, and Lenox swiss army screwdrivers.

 

I thought every electrician was taught to use a beater screwdriver as a chisel and linesman pliers as a hammer. It’s because you don’t want to carry a tool chest on your hip.

Quality hand tools can take a beating, no problem.

 

As a tool house, we love when electricians abuse their tools!

 

I buy Klein linesman and side cutters. I like the feel.
About 4-5 years back one of the guts I was working with had his truck stolen. Insurance paid out for his tools. The brand new #8 robertson stripped out on the first screw he tried, and his pipe reamer snapped in half hen it fell out of his pocket and hit the floor from 3 feet up.
Maybe quality has improved since covid.
I'll stick with my $6 fullers for screwdrivers.

 

Darn their testers are considered junk? Will check out the link thanks.
Should i return a ET310 circuit breaker tracer before i open the box? Ordered one yesterday from amazon. Ive got a wand and alligator clip tracer but i thought it would be nice to have something with the male plug and the light bulb adapter will come in handy too. That wand i have kind of works better to find wires behind drywall. Not sure ive ever tried it at a circuit breaker come to think of it. It might be too sensitive. Most the time i use it to find speaker wire that is preinstalled and hiding in a ceiling.

 

For what you paid for the ET310, you may as well keep it. It’s a different tool. Their multimeters and clamp meters aren’t great.

 

I have a small fraction of the hours of use but always use my linemans pliers for a hammer. Trick is to switch around which way it faces. With the cutting mouth facing the impact it will loosen the hinge. Most people always hit with the mouth facing away so the pliers start to tighten up.

 

junk

 

Been using them for years. I've only warrantied a 3/16 screwdriver

 

I like the linesman's but Southwire knockoff isn't too bad. Yes I use them as a hammer from time to time. That hasn't hurt them. I lose them mostly. The rest, I'm not as fussy about, I lose them too. I love the Estwing stuff but I still find the magic with a cheapy hammer for much less cost and don't feel nearly as bad about losing them.

 

I like Klein Tools and will continue to buy them wherever I can. If you haven’t already seen, Lowes will be the exclusive big box store for Klein. Home Depot is currently marking down many of their Klein tools and some good deals can be had. Look for the yellow stickers. Don’t know what is talking their place at HD. Don’t know what will happen to Ideal at Lowes.

 

I assume HD will be going Milwaukee for hand tools. Milwaukee screwdrivers are good and cheap but I don’t have time for their other hand tools. I think HD is getting rid of Bosch as well, not that they carried much Bosch anyway. Daredevil bits have been replaced with Diablo (same manufacturer, different name, different colour).

Milwaukee makes (re-labels?) benders, fish tapes and meters so HD could replace most of their Klein with Milwaukee. It doesn’t mean I will be giving Milwaukee any extra love, it means I will shop somewhere else. I like to spread my business around even if I’m just one guy.

 

I go to great lengths not to buy Klein tools. They don't like the little guy. I won't say I don't own Klein products - just that I will buy a competitors product before one of theirs.

 

What makes you think they dont like the little guy? Dude on here admitted to sending his helper to return tools to home depot because they are worn out. Driving up the cost for all us regular honest people. My tools have lasted 20 years without being "worn out". Hate those dishonest return abusers.

 

Read my post. My tools get re-purposed as chisels and hammers. The helper returns his tools. Klein has a policy of guaranteed for life, just like the old Craftsmen wrenches and SK . Why have a return policy that should not be used? I would be too embarrassed to return a screwdriver besides they do make good chisels.

 

I think the only klien tool I use a lot is the mini 4 in 1 screwdriver. It's tiawan but comes in handy for terminal strips. Most of my pliers are channelock.

 

What makes you think they dont like the little guy?

This.

 

Read the link a bunch of times but not getting whatever you were trying to tell me.

 

Just an early morning comment: Klein has been my go to as far as pliers go. Over four decades now. I was always very partial to their tapered diagonals, D220-9 I think. Got one new pair before I retired. Finally grabbed them for some stuff around the house. Yikes. The machining on the cutting edges was total crap. Not the nice clean snip of earlier units. More like squash and twist. Disappointed to say the least. Quality control dropped the ball on this pair. You gotta wonder if this was an isolated occurrence or a sign of things to come.

 

In Canada the guys are starting to catch on but many still get Klein

 

Read the link a bunch of times but not getting whatever you were trying to tell me.

Klein awarded a bid to a non union contractor to work on their new site and then ripped the contract away from them when the IBEW whined. This is not a union hating post. I just think if the bid was awarded then it should have been honored. I have several Klein products in my truck - their work gloves, canvas bags, an old pair of wire strippers somewhere under my seat as spares. But beyond that I will choose a competitors product before Klein because they took work away from a smaller contractor. Just my opinion, and choice.

 

I'm mostly annoyed by how hard they beat the American drum, and then slap their name on all kinds of imported stuff. Most tool companies are even worse but I digress.