Skil used to be owned by Bosch.   At that time, it was a lower quality line, maybe with the exception of the worm-drive Skilsaws.  Now it's owned by Chervon and some reviews I've seen lately it's a good quality line of tools.

 

Porter-Cable used to be in bed with Delta.   They were some of my original tools and very good.  Then Stanley Black and Decker bought them.  They, I guess, didn't want them to compete with the DeWalt line so they seemed to be downgraded.   Now, it seems that they are doing a more quality tool now.

 

Craftsman, as we have discussed, used to be a long-declining quality when Sears economized and looked for lowest bidder.  Then when SB&D bought them, it seems the quality improved and now they're a house brand of Lowe's.  Still undecided in my mind where they fit in the quality line of their products.

 

Darn, it's like a horse race out there.

I think I remember when Skil was owned by Skil and I think they started out many years before I was born. Just a little after the auto's hit the roads. Now they are owned by a Chinese company. I'm glad that when we need to get in the car and go somewhere we still don't have to go to the front of the car and turn a crank to get the motor started. But it would keep the very young off the roads.

7 hours ago, Smallpatch said:

I'm glad that when we need to get in the car and go somewhere we still don't have to go to the front of the car and turn a crank to get the motor started. But it would keep the very young off the roads.

And the old! 😁

Step away from the USA brands and it stays just as confusing. Hitachi bought Metabo (a premium line of tools) and renamed their own products Metabo HPT (I'm told that stands for Hitachi Power Tools). But recently I came across something that said that said the Metabo part had been bought out by KKR, an LBO firm. I've never seen them touch anything they didn't ruin in their quest to "unlock" hidden value. BTW, It seem like PC also quit marketing routers....if true can you believe that the king of routers, the 7518, has been discontinued?

6 hours ago, John Morris said:

And the old! 😁

I had a Dr. appt a few weeks ago.  Since the garage was being used for their COVID vaccine drive through, they told me to drive to the front door and they'd provide valet parking.   All went well until I was ready to leave.  Gave the valet (a young woman) the card, she grabbed the key, and walked back a few minutes later.  

 

"I can't get your car to start.  I tried several times and there is no 'rrr, rrr, rrrr.'"

 

"It's a Prius Hybrid, the engine won't run until it needs to.  Turn it on and the dash will say 'Ready' and you are set to go."

3 hours ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

Step away from the USA brands and it stays just as confusing. Hitachi bought Metabo (a premium line of tools) and renamed their own products Metabo HPT (I'm told that stands for Hitachi Power Tools). But recently I came across something that said that said the Metabo part had been bought out by KKR, an LBO firm. I've never seen them touch anything they didn't ruin in their quest to "unlock" hidden value. BTW, It seem like PC also quit marketing routers....if true can you believe that the king of routers, the 7518, has been discontinued?

I've had a PC 690 for 35 years.  For most of that time, it was my one and only router.  I've heard the new ones are not nearly as good.

 

Power tools are not the only product line that are subject to merger, acquisition, spin off, or sales.  Years ago, I bought some Guardsman glaze.  Then Guardsman was acquired by Lilly, that was acquired by Valspar, that was acquired by Sherwin-Williams (who also owns Minwax), and part of the business sold off to  Amynta Group .  All that in about 25 years.  There are just a few finish manufacturers that own almost all the brands.

 

On 4/20/2021 at 7:43 PM, kmealy said:

they're a house brand of Lowe's

I think Kobalt is the Lowes house brand and the craftsman stuff was shoved up their down  their throat by SDB.   I was so annoyed by this the last time i was at a Lowes i haven't been back.

Just now, p_toad said:

I think Kobalt is the Lowes house brand and the craftsman stuff was shoved up their down  their throat by SDB.   I was so annoyed by this the last time i was at a Lowes i haven't been back.

Was it that, or did Lowe's snap them up to ride on the wave?

 

I've got a couple friends that still insisted "Craftsman is the best."  (This was before SBD took them over.)

11 hours ago, kmealy said:

 

 

I've got a couple friends that still insisted "Craftsman is the best."

 

I'm thinking some slice of America still believes that. (just a guess)

Hart tools, owned by TTI, who make Milwaukee, Ryobi, Ridgid, and other brands.

 

https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/hart-tools-diy-products-walmart/?trkid=soc-fhm-facebook&fbclid=IwAR3cbN5fsNuQFrnuH3tR-0RZfsrLv_AnA6uyl6oIMMeELEgS7BJ88iSt8S4

 

 

Speaking of Milwaukee, I got on to a carpentry FB forum.  Every once in a while someone post a photo of their van.  It's a sea of red Milwaukee packout boxes and tools.  Later, I found out its more of a Milwaukee fan club.   We were having some extensive plumbing problems at church.  I looked in at the plumber's progress yesterday and wow, a whole pile of packout boxes and red tools.   It seems Packout is the carpentry equivalent of Festool Systainer.  Drinking the red Kool-aid insea of the green.  I'm thinking ALL THOSE TOOLS ARE LESS THAN 5 YEARS OLD??

And I'm starting to see some "King Canada" tools.   My local dealer has a few in stock.  No idea of the quality of them

And...   Makita enters the Festool Systainer,  Milwaukee Packout, DeWalt ToughSystem, fray.  Pick your Kool-Aid color - green, red, yellow, or aqua.

 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-15-5-in-Medium-Interlocking-Tool-Box-197211-7/206263135?mtc=PSOC-FB-6248591160950&cm_mmc=PSOC-FB-6248591160950-6248591392950-6248591395950&fbclid=IwAR3pET-c5tr-wR63B0Awq8fOwwoXgNvNQxN_95SKaXtYPaFfgqJr9ncFqDg

I think Bosch is in that battle as well.

On 5/3/2021 at 1:00 PM, kmealy said:

Speaking of Milwaukee, I got on to a carpentry FB forum.  Every once in a while someone post a photo of their van.  It's a sea of red Milwaukee packout boxes and tools.  Later, I found out its more of a Milwaukee fan club.   We were having some extensive plumbing problems at church.  I looked in at the plumber's progress yesterday and wow, a whole pile of packout boxes and red tools.   It seems Packout is the carpentry equivalent of Festool Systainer.  Drinking the red Kool-aid insea of the green.  I'm thinking ALL THOSE TOOLS ARE LESS THAN 5 YEARS OLD??

like this: 

https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/who-makes-my-tools/?_cmp=HandymanPro&_ebid=HandymanPro8232022&_mid=524767&ehid=EBC4D8BEC6F08D97A318788DB78D9A1244AF138A&_PermHash=9053a2376d41cd30183e07b1196eed8a49fa2f9004cc48ff6462b837c1b495c2

https://www.protoolreviews.com/power-tool-manufacturers-who-owns-them/

 

On 5/7/2021 at 5:28 PM, kmealy said:

And...   Makita enters the Festool Systainer,  Milwaukee Packout, DeWalt ToughSystem, fray.  Pick your Kool-Aid color - green, red, yellow, or aqua.

 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-15-5-in-Medium-Interlocking-Tool-Box-197211-7/206263135?mtc=PSOC-FB-6248591160950&cm_mmc=PSOC-FB-6248591160950-6248591392950-6248591395950&fbclid=IwAR3pET-c5tr-wR63B0Awq8fOwwoXgNvNQxN_95SKaXtYPaFfgqJr9ncFqDg

And, of course, Harbor Freight enters the fray https://www.harborfreight.com/search?q=bauer modular tool storage system

 

 

Golly, Gee Whiz! So many choices. I've been unhappy with most of my DeWalt purchases with the exception of the planer. IMHO their cordless drills and bits are crap. Most of my routers are PCs and around 15-.20 years old. For heavy duty work, the Freud 3hp is still my go to. It's  a monster. But, the 20 y.o. PC VS 7518 motor only, in the router table, ain't no slouch, either. 

The Skilsaw worm drive, bought used for $35, over 25 years ago, is still going strong. 

I'm still using a 25 (or so) y.o. PC corded drill and, have no complaints at all. After ditching that DeWalt cordless drill, it was replaced by a Rigid, a nice tool, and, I still use the  first cordless drill I ever bought, a black and white Makita. 

The only air tools in the shop are a Rigid Framing nailer that replaced a worn out Bostich and, a Senco pin nailer. When we were doing a lot of floor/wall molding, we bought a cordless Metabo pin nailer because the 80 gal. air compressor was/is too heavy to move and too far from the house. It's an excellent tool.

All in all, with the one De Walt exception, I'm pretty happy with our small tool purchases. It's a good thing, too. Phyl's eagle eye catches most new purchases.