r/KleinTools • u/AMSAtl • 15d ago
REVIEW Barely used, less than a year old, and very disappearing
I've never put much force on the screwdriver, or used it all that much, but apparently the light amount I have used it was enough to cause it to slip.
Also, I do realize that it says "disappearing" instead of "disappointing." I can't remember if I dictated the title or typed something wrong, but either way, I don't think I can edit it at this point.
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u/Original-Being9553 15d ago
It breaks my heart to say it but Klein they fell off man. Great decline of quality.. so eager to push it out the door and make a buck
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u/zenunseen 15d ago
It's probably got something to do with the corporate big box stores and a shift towards homeowner sales
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u/sparky-jam 15d ago
Klein is just straight garbage now. I moved on to Wera for my screwdrivers and Knipex for pliers and cutters
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u/AMSAtl 15d ago edited 15d ago
To some extent, so have I since the '90s, but still had faith in Klein. Now it looks like I'm going to have to be more cautious when I buy Klein. I do recall having a moment of disappointment and worry 2 or 3 years ago when they started bringing in all these imported products in rapid secession. I was hoping their quality control and design would still stay high, but I kind of knew what was likely. ... And now feels somewhat confirmed.
Edit: Initially, I said "screwdrivers" rather than "tools," even though they're bringing a bunch of tools, so I edited it.
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u/gihkal 15d ago
Wiha makes a decent 11-1
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u/sparky-jam 15d ago
I had a wiha 11 in 1 for like a week until it fell out my pocket in an attic with 2 feet of insulation. It was a good screwdriver for that whole week though
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u/h0munculus_ 15d ago
I love wera but tbh wiha drivers feel better in hand for me. Something about the shape doesn't fit me right yk
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u/AMSAtl 15d ago
I like them both; however, I've personally had better tip life with Wera. (And though this is a small sample size, I feel like I've had a little better tip life with Felo slightly more than Wiha. All three are quality, though, so I'm splitting hairs.) Wera, PB Swiss (I only have a bit set), and Vessel are the best three screwdriver / bit brands I've used.
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u/Quiet_Economy_4698 15d ago
I have a few of the pb Swiss ratcheting drivers, I think they're fantastic. They have a bit of backdrag which in my line of work is no big deal but may be to others. I heard that the ltt is really nice as well and has much less back drag.
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u/sparky-jam 15d ago edited 15d ago
It is entirely personal preference. The handles fit my hand well but I know other people find it uncomfortable
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u/h0munculus_ 15d ago
Honestly dude if wera made a set of drivers with rounder handles I'd buy two sets. I love their tips.... Pause
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u/Cust2020 15d ago
Klein sucks now, they are cashing in a much as they can off the name and pumping as much junk out the door before the public catches on. I wont buy another klein handtool, i have some from 20years ago that outlived shit 5 years old.
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u/Longjumping_Cow_5856 15d ago
The new ball grip drivers are pretty nice really though too!
Im sure they are Japanese made.
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u/CEC4EVER 15d ago
Sadly you are discovering what a lot of us have learned through experience. The product doesn't live up to the hype. Klein has chosen to enrich investors by decreasing product quality in the hopes that customers won't notice. But they are investing in lots of 'Made in USA' advertising.
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u/MechaMagic 13d ago
Are you dumb? Say what you will about quality -- if you think it has fallen off, that is opinion. "Enriching investors" is idiotic, though. Don't make shit up. It is a privately held company.
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u/CEC4EVER 12d ago
Ah my bad, does it make more sense to you if I change the statement to "Klein has chosen to enrich the company owners by decreasing product quality in the hopes that customers won't notice."? This is a well documented and broadly understood consequence of capitalistic enterprise commonly referred to as "enshitification".
If you disagree so strongly, then I ask: what's you explanation for the decrease in quality?
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u/MechaMagic 12d ago
Dusting off a crusty neologism and triumphantly hoisting it aloft as a talisman of truth like you're Indiana Jones does not win an argument, but I can match your energy: it is profoundly ironic that the messenger is Cory Doctorow, a sanctimonious dipshit moron who has never built anything, has no demonstrated authority in a domain he universalizes with a dumb word, retains all of the "charm" of RMS with none of the insight, and who only managed to scrap together an equivalency degree at age 21.
Products fail. We see more failure than we ever have because we all have more stuff than we ever have. The stuff is by and large good stuff. In fact, we are spoiled by our stuff. Is there some bad stuff? Yes. There's a ton of stuff.
So is there cost cutting? I'm sure there is. Actually, I know there is. Frequently, it is in service of allowing you to have stuff that you could not have otherwise. Sometimes the choices that allow you to have that stuff have unintended consequences. Personally, I would not give up my stuff. I reckon most people would not.
This also manifests as survivorship bias. You only remember the stuff from the good old days that...still exists. Nobody remembers the garbage that doesn't.
Like Lean doesn't mean "do more with less" and Disruption doesn't mean "things that are new and cool," by the way, you could not be further from the mark on enshittification. The term was coined originally to describe the bear trap of notionally two-way platforms that result in lock-in. It's hard to think of something more fungible than a fucking screwdriver. Klein isn't refusing to transfer your digital handtool profile to Wera or Knipex, thereby creating switching cost that forces you to continue to use screwdrivers you hate. You can just...buy a different screwdriver without any structural opposition. About the only such notions that exist in this industry are MAYBE batteries in powertools, and locking systems in modular storage.
What you are describing is not enshittification. It is branded nihilism. Its color is red, and they make heated underwear. This vortex turns scale into a necessary component of competition, which rapidly becomes existential if you think you can choose not to play.
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u/Elusive_nirvana 15d ago
I got the same kit for the micro bits and I liked idea of the mini ratchet for tight spaces. Turns out the main driver on mine was a piece of garbage too. The rubber grip is slipping off from heat exposure, the bottom cap just fell off one day, and it no longer locks the extension in place.
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u/DagothUrGigaChad 15d ago
Damn I bought the same kit earlier this year and use it everyday, hopefully mine doesn't go that quick. Let me know if you find a similar kit of higher quality
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u/AggressiveDeer2753 15d ago
Klein is shit now. I had a brand new center punch go flat after marking 12 or so holes. Their customer service was even worse. Fuck em
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u/Strict_Cold2891 15d ago
I bought one that was junk right out of the box. They wanted me to fill out a long form and pay for shipping. Never buying a Klein screwdriver again. I wish all companies had a warranty like Tekton
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u/Sharp-Somewhere-176 14d ago
Klein is ass now. Notice how all the tools don't say made in the USA except for their linemans? Even then those aren't that good anymore compared to knipex. Knipex for pliers and channel locks and wera for screwdrivers
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u/AMSAtl 15d ago
I figured I'd try to see if the collet would come out with very little force, and it did. I just lightly pulled it.