Kobalt tools at Lowes... Are they phasing them out in favor of craftsman???

[spacescape]

I was looking to purchase some kobalt tools and noticed that their selection seems smaller than before. I was told by a few people that Lowes is going to start phasing out Kobalt in place of Craftsman. I don't / didn't believe this until I was looking at this weeks ad and noticed "no" Kobalt in this weeks ad but Craftsman was in there.

I have Craftsman for the most part but like the feel of Kobalt Ratchets which "appear" identical to SnapOn (My research tells me that whomever is manufacturing SnapOn also manufactures Kobalt hand tools). Just seems Lowes has lots invested in the Kobalt name and seems like odd that they would just drop a successful name.

[Mike Johnson]

That's interesting. Thank you for the heads up. When Lowes stopped carrying Porter Cable tools I got some obscene deals, though it took frequent visits.

[SteveG]

Around here, it's Lowes being phased out.

[spacescape]

Steve G. wrote:
Around here, it's Lowes being phased out.

Yeah. That’s scary as well.

[Ombligo]

That would be a shame as Kobalt was decent quality at an affordable price for the home user. I equate Craftsman with cheap junk since Sears essentially destroyed the brand in recent years. I'll buy Rigid at Home Depot instead.

[deckeda]

Offering a name brand is the "way of all fish" for any national retailer. You spend years developing an exclusive house brand, only to realize later it's impossible to sell it elsewhere (which is the natural marketing flow for a brand).

Of course Sears "got away with it" because a million years ago they had no real competition and Craftsman was all over with that lifetime warranty (hand tools ,., which I've used a few times with no questions asked, even at Ace.) I buy Craftsman at my local Ace Hardware now. I think our TSC also has a few Craftsman hand tools.

Ombligo wrote:
...I'll buy Rigid at Home Depot instead.

Does Rigid still do the lifetime warranty on batteries when bought this way?

[mrbigstuff]

A lotfof the Chinese tools are light years better than they were just a dozen years ago. So, perhaps it doesn't matter which brand so much as the specific set of tools now.

[cbelt3]

mrbigstuff wrote:
A lotfof the Chinese tools are light years better than they were just a dozen years ago. So, perhaps it doesn't matter which brand so much as the specific set of tools now.

This is actually quite true. And I will have to try the Craftsman warranty at Lowes on a busted socket wrench. My local Ace turned me away, which really ticked me off.

[JoeH]

spacescape wrote:
I have Craftsman for the most part but like the feel of Kobalt Ratchets which "appear" identical to SnapOn (My research tells me that whomever is manufacturing SnapOn also manufactures Kobalt hand tools). Just seems Lowes has lots invested in the Kobalt name and seems like odd that they would just drop a successful name.

Your research is partly right, but not for over 15 years. In the early years, 1998-2003, Cobalt hand tools were made by J H Williams which is a division of Snap-on Tools. Williams was renamed to Snap-on Industrial in 2011.

From 2003 to 2011 most hand tools were manufactured by Danaher. Danaher owns Matco Tools and at the time also owned Armstrong Tools. Don't know whether one or both were involved in making Kobalt tools.

Since 2011 tools were made for them by JS Products, with Great Neck continuing to make their screwdrivers.

[spacescape]

JoeH wrote:
[quote=spacescape]
I have Craftsman for the most part but like the feel of Kobalt Ratchets which "appear" identical to SnapOn (My research tells me that whomever is manufacturing SnapOn also manufactures Kobalt hand tools). Just seems Lowes has lots invested in the Kobalt name and seems like odd that they would just drop a successful name.

Your research is partly right, but not for over 15 years. In the early years, 1998-2003, Cobalt hand tools were made by J H Williams which is a division of Snap-on Tools. Williams was renamed to Snap-on Industrial in 2011.

From 2003 to 2011 most hand tools were manufactured by Danaher. Danaher owns Matco Tools and at the time also owned Armstrong Tools. Don't know whether one or both were involved in making Kobalt tools.

Since 2011 tools were made for them by JS Products, with Great Neck continuing to make their screwdrivers.
Thanks for the info... I know the Kobalt looks almost identical to the Snap-On Ratchet... That being said, I want to get a set of Kobalt Ratchets... Do you recommend anything else? They just feel so nice!!!