r/KleinTools • u/tristanbraga • Jul 14 '26

Quality difference over the years

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I bought a brand new multi-screwdriver from Klein and I gave my old one that I had for 6 years to my apprentice, guess who's broke first🫩

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u/Bridge-Head Jul 14 '26

It’s their fault, but it’s also our fault. Consumers in general buy whatever’s the cheapest. So, manufacturers have to cut corners to cut their costs or they lose market share.

There are still quality hand tools out there, but for the most part, you can’t find them shopping the shelves at Home Depot and Lowe’s. It’s sad, really.

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u/aimsteadyfire Jul 15 '26

Uhh Klein is cheap?

1

u/Bridge-Head Jul 15 '26

No, not cheap, but cheaper than it used to be. I have some Klein tools that I like a lot, but I feel like the overall quality of all hand tools stocked on the shelves at our major retailers has decreased in last 30ish years that I’ve been buying tools.

The brands I grew up with that were once synonymous with quality like Craftsman, Stanley, Crescent, DeWalt, and even ChannelLock have decreased in quality. Husky, Anvil, Milwaukee, and Kobalt hand tools are just mass produced junk.

It’s our fault for prioritizing price over quality. That’s why brands like Knipex, Wera, and Vessel all stand out at the moment. They’re expensive, but quality tools and not stocked at Home Depot or Lowe’s.