Stanley bloody screwdrivers!

[dfoyl]

Hate post for Stanley brand screwdrivers...

I bought my first set maybe 20 years ago for about $30, and over the years they got chewed up, lost, dropped down wall gaps, bent (NEVER broken!). Australian made.

I bought a new set maybe a year ago. Only $25 now, I thought pretty good. I've now broken every single flathead in the set with the tips snapping off - even the very largest one. I'm back to what's left from my original set.

If they don't want them used as a chisel they shouldn't make the ends flat!

[tambox]

The old set were brilliant, I bought a few of them when McEwans (yep I'm that old) shut down. Still have a couple of virgin sets left.
The new ones have a different range of screwdrivers, compared to the old ones.

Its wonderfull the way the world advances.

Back in the old days, when I was a young lad.........

[steptoe]

My set is thirty years old, and about $27 then ! Turner is another Australian brand , but not seen them for yonks!
The new Stanley do not feel the same, sound the same or look the same. My old set are not chromed, and are showing signs of ageing, wear and tear and not lost more than one!

Crescent actually make some screwdrivers in Australia. A safe bet after Oz made is US made...MADE not owned by US and made in China. Taiwan makes some tough tools also.
Maybe you need some new cold chisels

[El_Freddo]

Its wonderfull the way the world advances.

If I didn't know sarcasm, I'd be wondering what you're talking about!

We seem to be getting smarter (or at least know more things in general as a population), expecting better quality products that you only need to purchase once a lifetime but are importing shit quality products from overseas while our manufacturing employees are being kicked to the curb in their 1000s every couple of months... And we complain about it!

*end rant*

Bennie

[steptoe]

I have a screwdriver I made in 4th form, a flat bladed baby that is as tough as. I turned up a knurled handle to fit my hand. I wanted to make up a set of them but teacher felt it was not challenging enough to keep doing same, and gave me his project to make up a demo of an electric bell from the basics. I bet it went into the bin when the school closed or perished when the fire tornado ripped through.....

I used tool steel I think, then heated the tip up to straw brown ? and dipped it in some hardening powder ? So, no shortcuts. I wonder what shortcuts take place now in manufacturing


I wonder, Bob James, if I'd asked you to prove repetition was not written into the 10 points of the Gospel of James, whether you'd have let me? I'd still have a bloody good set. Surely a Philips #2 would have been challenging

[Bantum]

... And we complain about it! ...

Yep - So what can you do about it now - buy Aussie & screw the rest ? ...

On topic - I've got my original screwdiver set + still in good condition, along with a genuine Aussie Sidcrome set. Sad that the new one's are made in China ...

[Silverbullet]

Someone was telling me the same thing about Stanley in particular, but it was about a wheel barrow or a pick or something. Said it was absolute garbage. So China buys our minerals and sells us back poor quality rubbish.

In China, the customer is the quality control.

[littlewhiteute]

Mechanic for 33 years, owned many Stanley sets, mainly because they grow legs, but I haven't broken one yet.

Screwdrivers are for screws.

I still have a centre punch I made at high school, teacher hit it with a 2lb sledge hammer as a test, just as good if not better as some name brands.

[pitrack_1]

I also own a Stanley 20-piece set bought a couple of years ago at Bunglings. They're made in Taiwan (ROC), which is usually a step above Mainland China (PRC). Haven't really tested in anger. I find the handles a bit sharp-edged.

Masters are selling Made-in-Oz Crescent screwdrivers. You can buy them individually too, in differing lengths and head sizes with the clear-coloured handles the old-style way. I almost fell over when I saw them, then bought a couple to keep on the desk. Haven't tested in anger.

Good stuff does come out of China, but you have to pick it carefully.

Swiss made tools are excellent. The "PB Swiss Tools" ones I use at work are great and their allen keys (some colour coded sets to aid identification- "the yellow allen key please!") are recommended by an (now ex-) Swiss colleague as the best.

I also have (at work) a set of German made Felo precision screwdrivers, in anger one day I bent one trying to break it... I got it to a U shape and I decided I should quit before I really injured myself (it sprung back and is still in use)!

For those around Canberra:
- Masters for the Crescent screwdrivers,
- M&G Industrial for the PB Swiss Tools
- Fisher Discounts (if they have ANY stock) I think for Felo (otherwise maybe M&G)

And, of course, the internet works for anyone (even perhaps Jonno )

[steptoe]

Made in China says the latexy label I am currently trying to peel off the back of my neck - it has friggin' bonded to my skin from the Ocean & Earth t shirt ! Thought it was bird poo at first

[steptoe]

I wonder if the Stanley 14 set of screwdrivers on Masters web site at $49.88 is any better than the same looking set at Bunnings - as low as $23 in recent year ?

[Venom]

A Chinese manufacturer will make whatever quality product is demanded/accepted of them by the client. So when Stanley get the Chinese factory to make a product and then sell it in Aus and you're not happy, it's because that is what they (Stanley) consider acceptable to sell to you. So blame China all you want, but the buck still stops with the company whose name is on the product.

Plus what i don't see anyone talking about is a proper price comparison. Factor in 30 years of inflation, and that 30 year old set was probably in todays terms $50? So the new set is probably the much cheaper option.

I have about 6 broken stanley screwdrivers which i have ground the tip of to result in a set of punches in a variety of sizes. One is perfect for the driveshaft pin and the handle is great shock protection for when bashing it with the hammer

[tambox]

Price comparison, is the key to it all.
Then look at what you get for your money.

If you owned a screwdriver business, you would now make them with a shorter life span, so they need to be replaced, hence the company sells more.
Thats callled a business plan.
Seems hauntingly familiar with many other products today:rolleyes:

I bought a tool set a few years ago, I looked at many options. Ended up getting Minimax, the tools came from different two manufacturers, one in Germany and one in Japan.
Their screwdrivers are chrome-molyb-vanadium, they were/are stronger than the Stanley ones.

Reliable brands are hard to find as they have gone into high turnover, rather than high quality.

[dfoyl]

>>Turner is another Australian brand , but not seen them for yonks!

Turner was bought out by Stanley WAY back. My grandfather worked there (Lilydale) as a fitter & turner, probably early 60s.

I'd love to buy Australian made drivers, but I also need them to have hard plastic bodies like the Stanley's. I bought a set of TTE drivers and they have hard ends with a hex insert (and a hex shaft for that matter), but they're not really suitable for bashing around.

BTW, screwdrivers aren't really meant for screws - their primary purpose is to act as a divining rod for the most expensive item nearby when thrown in anger. Flatheads are chisels, Philips heads are for rounding out rusty screw heads (although these days it's much quicker using hex driver inserts ).

My personal favorite tool brand is Minimax - the spanners are the best I've ever used, offset is just right and I don't think I've ever rounded a bolt with their 12-point design.

I also have an Aussie-made Sidchrome (socket) set - I think I got in just before they switched to Chinese made. The only thing that broke was the plastic tray insert so I made one out of EPE (white carveable foam).

[Silverbullet]

I got quite a large set of Sidchrome spanners and sockets in imperial and metric, 1/2 and 1/4 inch etc for Xmas last year. Quite good quality, the only gripe I have is the socket handles are made of a weird textured plastic (I'm guessing for grip?) which attract old CV grease and dirt and never come clean again. Also the ratchet heads steps are too big; in tight spaces you can't turn the nut/bolt.

[steptoe]

Fair enough on price comparo of thirty years ago

petrol was about 45c a litre 3.5 times now ?
Winfields 2.54 a packet no idea ? 6.5 times if 17.50 a pack
potato scallop 8c 11 or 12 times now!

pay three times the special price of a 14 set of Stanleys and you'd go close to nice tough buggers made not in China

[tambox]

This add shows the original good set, you can see by the bids, their true value, or desperate bidders???

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/STANLEY-VINT ... 4d08c45971

[Brumby Kid]

A Chinese manufacturer will make whatever quality product is demanded/accepted of them by the client.

RM Williams stuff is now made in China.
You still need a gold plated credit card but the quality is impeccable.
I love all my RMW stuff, can't fault it.

Cheers Cam

Ps, all my screw drivers, sockets and spammers are Stanley. I treat them pretty harsh, especially when rebuilding my Engine. Nothing's broken yet.

Touch wood

[steptoe]

Gees, yeah, the same set as mine with the solid straight through and the big square shafted bugger, Can almost see the difference in the handle plastic in the pics !
Other items include a pair of pliers in their package. If you look hard can still find combo pliers made in Australia around the $50 mark. Oh, 7.2kg of LEGO too !

[Silverbullet]

This add shows the original good set, you can see by the bids, their true value, or desperate bidders???

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/STANLEY-VINT ... 4d08c45971

Gee, that picture made me realize what you're all talking about! We've got pretty much every one of those screwdrivers in the shed, albeit not a set bought as one. I'll think of them differently now, they have a new found respect