Recently made SK tools - Quality?

[wavinwayne]

I'm asking these questions based on comments I saw in the Tool Time thread, where a couple of BITOGers said they've had poor experiences with SK hand tools, and the replacement parts sent by SK did not correct their issues. Are there known manufacturing/QC issues with SK? If so, are the issues recent? Are the issues likely to be addressed? Has the SK brand simply gone to crap?

 

[cptbarkey]

The brand was sold to a China government controlled entity unfortunately. Would rather go with gearwrench myself.

 

[Astro14]

I was one of those posters…I’ve got a set of SK wrenches from the early 1980s. It was my backroads/motorcycle go to set. Love them. Still have them.

But I signed up for SK direct sales a few years ago, and while some of the tools have been OK, the 3/8” ratchet has been a huge disappointment. I’ll Upload a picture of all my recent SK stuff when I’m next at the shop.

 

[wavinwayne]

The brand was sold to a China government controlled entity unfortunately. Would rather go with gearwrench myself.

That stinks. Is the SK stuff still made in the USA? Did the new owners fire all the workers and bring in their own? Or is there even a way to know?

 

[D60]

Yeah, even since the LP90 debacle they were sold once again...to Great Star (Chinese) in summer of '21.

Allegedly somehow combining with ShopVac, maybe in PA?

I dunno, I've stopped caring. Way too many other places to spend my $$ for tools that don't waste my time. To actively seek out SK-anything today seems like chasing the hot girl who just kicks you in the nuts and calls the cops to claim she was assaulted.....?????

 

[wavinwayne]

My only reason for any interest in SK tools is that there is supposedly a shop a half-hour from where I live that sells them. But if they're nothing more than another Chinese owned company now, I'm not interested. I'd still buy an SK hand tool if it seemed like good quality and the price was right, but if I'm having to pay a premium for a Chinese product, it better be Apple.

 

[cptbarkey]

That stinks. Is the SK stuff still made in the USA? Did the new owners fire all the workers and bring in their own? Or is there even a way to know?

I'm not sure, but this is on 10% discount. Tekton has a similar set for the same price.

 

[Trav]

I bought an LP90 1/2 flex hear ratchet about the same time Astro bought his, the joint and mechanism is not very good. I don't use the tool, it is a box queen.

 

[wavinwayne]

I'm not sure, but its on 10% discount. Tekton has a similar set for the same price.

View attachment 178325

I saw those recently when I needed a new set of metric sockets, but was hesitant because I didn't think SK sold on Amazon; I didn't know about the Chinese acquisition of SK at that time. I went with a set from Gearwrench, which had good reviews and was clearly stated, Country of Origin: Taiwan. I've had good results over the years from products made in Taiwan.

 

[Astro14]

So, here are the tools I bought direct from SK after joining in 2021. All bought direct. All made in the USA.

Top to bottom:

1/2” LP-90 flex head - works OK
1/2” LP-90 - works OK
3/8” LP-90 flex head. The problem child*.
3/8” LP-90 - works OK
Metric flare nut crowfoot wrench set. Seems OK. Used the 18mm. Worked OK.
Two SAE half moon wrenches - haven’t used yet, quality seems decent.
On the right, a set of metric, stubby, offset box wrenches. They work OK.

I was excited to join their “club” and buy American made goods. But the quality has been a disappointment. My 45 year old Craftsman ratchets perform just as well as the new SK (except for the problem child, it’s junk compared with a 30 year old Craftsman flex head) So, would I buy another SK ratchet?

No. The Tekton is just as good, and more consistent in quality. The Ko-ken is far superior. The Nepros is better still.

For the crowfoot and box wrenches - they’re OK. Stahlwille and Hazet are better tools.

The real reason I won’t buy any more SK? Despite the tools you see in the photo (as well as a couple more that are at the house) my account page states “you don’t have any orders”. They have lost every order, so warranty becomes more cumbersome, and I have to go back and find the original order.

What is the point of signing up for their club, ordering directly from them, if you can’t get a quality tool, and they don’t even remember you should you need warranty work?

*Floppy head, ratchet gets stuck and won’t ratchet. SK sent me new guts. Three or four months after I notified them of the problem. Didn’t make much difference. Ratchet still sticks. Head still flops despite cranking down the heck out of the bolt in the flex joint.

 

[wavinwayne]

Astro14, thanks for sealing the deal for me. I won't waste my time or money chasing anything SK going forward. Sorry the tools haven't been the deal you thought you were signing up for. If it's any consolation, they sure LOOK nice!

 

[D60]

I always found their wrench lengths annoying, too. SK fans get angry but I don't understand it -- their standard length was always more like a long stubby, long wrenches were more like a standard length, etc

And their "SuperKrome" seemed more like a cadmium plating from the '50s.

I fully understand nostalgia and lamenting the loss of domestic production, but...... c'mon man!

 

[jkasch]

I’ve abused my set I bought since I was 16 years old in 1968. A broken 14mm is the only failure. Probably using a long pipe extension. Can’t remember.

 

[Astro14]

I’ve abused my set I bought since I was 16 years old in 1968. A broken 14mm is the only failure. Probably using a long pipe extension. Can’t remember.

I love my c. 1980 set of SK wrenches.

But the new ones are nothing like those…

 

[jkasch]

I love my c. 1980 set of SK wrenches.

But the new ones are nothing like those…

Agree. Not being a professional, I’ve been pretty happy with my Tekton purchases of late.

 

[HangFire]

I've given up on buying new SK... if a great deal comes along on some New Old Stock US-made stuff, maybe. Besides the China connection, warranty of broken tools is just too difficult.

I have SuperKrome tools from different eras of SK ownership... some are poorly polished and uneven, some like fine jewelry. None have rusted, except the unplated inner part of sockets, which is a known issue.

 

[JHZR2]

I have a number of SK sets. My 1/4” drive set which to me is the gold standard for boxed 1/4” sets, and my 3/8 set is also great.

I have a few other socket sets which are all excellent. And they do have nice chrome.

The ratchets are the real old school kind. Nothing to write home about but they work and are robust. I use snap on ratchets for the most part so I never bought the SK ones.

I will not feed the Chinese war machine one tidbit more than I can avoid. Tools are an area I can manage that generally.

 

[KenshinHimura]

That stinks. Is the SK stuff still made in the USA? Did the new owners fire all the workers and bring in their own? Or is there even a way to know?

Its a mix of usa, china and taiwan. Wright will be your best bet for USA made

 

[CarDoc66]

I've been disappointed with chrome SK sockets in the past. The chrome peels off and they crack easily like Craftsman sockets. This was back in the early 90's.

 

[Trav]

I believe the first SK I bought were SK Wayne that had to be around 1972 when I was in school because the SK Wayne name was gone by 1968 so they were NOS still in stock at Napa. The last SK wrenches I bought and still have was in 2005 and branded Craftsman Pro, the wrenches have a small letter K stamped in the denoting made by SK and are long pattern. All had great chrome and good steel, really well built USA made tools. I bought the LP90 based on previous experience with this once great brand, it is sad they went down the second rate road.