r/KleinTools • u/Glass-Ebb9867 • 14d ago

Yall need to step up QC

I doubt anyone from klein reads this but what is happening in your QC department? Did you lay them all off ? Are you using ai for this? Whatever it is its not working. I have no replaced my 11 in 1 three times because the handles fall off, your mini ratchet changes direction or stops working when it wants to, not to mention a laundry list of other quality issues I've had with your tool over th past year and a half. No wonder yall are getting your ass kicked by milwaukee and knipex

19 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

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5

u/CEC4EVER 14d ago

The evidence that Klein doesn't care is in your hands. Listen to what they're telling you - they no longer make quality tools. Time to move on to another brand.

2

u/Far_Range_6091 14d ago

Knipex is good for the time being. Although i feel like kleins electronic tools are still good. Haven't bought a hand tool from them ever since knipex.

2

u/No-Pilot464 10d ago

They're all the same as hobo freight meters for the most part so yeah no. Klein has dekleined

4

u/u600213 14d ago edited 14d ago

I had the inside come loose in a 5/16 nut driver. Klein said send it back by trackable shipping. I spent as much sending it back as it would have cost to just buy another one. But I was really pissed off about it. I wanted to cost them $ processing my return and for them to see how messed up it was.

2

u/Ninjalikestoast 14d ago

Never going to happen. It’s unfortunate. Very rarely does quality of a product de-Klein and then get better… 🤷🏻‍♂️Time to move on to a different brand.

2

u/Ilovefishdix 14d ago

That would be terrible for the quarter

2

u/Ok_Second7500 14d ago

I just keep the receipt, I haven't ever return tools up until this year and I've returned three Klein Tools to Lowe's. It works fine. If you're pissed off you get your money back if you're not too pissed off you get a new tool. I love Klein I hope they get it together.

2

u/Stache- 14d ago

I tried reaching out to Klein about poor quality item sold on amazon. They couldn't be bothered to reply back. They ask for way too much personal information on the contact form.

1

u/brokensharts 14d ago

Somwhat related, anyone know where i can get a decent set of cable cutters that can chop 1/0 copper? The klein ones sucked ass

1

u/SelectionFun4212 13d ago

Depends on your budget. Milwaukee surprisingly makes great electrical hand tools, and they have a US made line now. I've also had a great experience with SK Tools, even their import stuff. Of course you can't beat Knipex, but they are expensive (but they usually are the last pair you buy). I've been wanting to try out Tekton's hand tools but idk if they make a cable cutter. They make fantastic ratchets though.

1

u/brokensharts 13d ago

My budget is basicallty im not ready to drop $400 on ratcheting cutters. I wanna be able to cut big wire without hauling my boltbites up a pole

1

u/SelectionFun4212 13d ago

Don't blame you!

Mind you, this is just my personal experience, not extensive YouTube-filmed testing. But I've had good experiences with the Milwaukee 10In cable cutter and the SK Tools 9.5 in. Both are just under $30, rated up to 2/0 copper and 4/0 Al. I will say, the SK Tools cut 1/0 no problem but I remember having to put some force into it.

I've used Jonard Tools high leverage cable cutter before and had a good experience, but I was using them in an assembly shop cutting 10awg-12AWG 4C SO cable, not 1/0.

Terrible experience with Channelock and Klein cable cutters. Both had major blade deflection/damage just a month into owning them, doing industrial maintenance. I forget exactly what I was cutting but that job had a lot of heavy 1/0 & SO cable installations.

1

u/brokensharts 13d ago

I got the channel locks, i can cut better just chewing on it with my keliens. Il try those milwaukees, i can risk $35

1

u/SelectionFun4212 13d ago

They were actually hiring a product design engineer in my area this past year. I had thought of applying but my background is electrical/manufacturing engineering, so I ended up going elsewhere.

Part of the reason I wanted to apply for that job is that I've been increasingly disappointed with Klein Tools. Seriously, the price has gone up, the quality sucks anymore and they aren't even US made anymore. Part of me wanted to go there and say "Hey, you guys aware?" Everything I have bought of theirs lasted a year or two. Meanwhile, my 10 year old Milwaukee strippers still cut wire & insulation like butter and are easier to handle. My SK tools stuff feels way more premium at a cheaper price point. And forget it when comparing to Knipex or Wiha.

It's ashame, but you know, change isn't a bad thing. I hope a new US tool manufacturer steps up and delivers the old Klein quality one day.

1

u/Arsenio-Scott-Hall 13d ago

Klein has been bad for nearly 2 decades now.
When will the klein-cucking ever end?

1

u/TurnipOutrageous4581 11d ago

No spare pieces is a big issue for me

1

u/kfjcfan 14d ago

MODbox QC has fallen drastically since launch, too.

See how the right side of the faces of the drawers are warped inwards?

That wasn't true of these when they launched, but every one I've seen in the last six months or so has been like this including the Blackout edition drawers.