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/diy/ - Do It Yourself

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1621657 No.1621657 [Reply] [Original]

I'm looking to buy some basic hand tools, should I go Husky or Kobalt? From what I've seen so far, they seem to be roughly the same

>> No.1621658

Please fuck off with dumb threads.

>> No.1621659

>>1621658

It's a perfectly acceptable question you sperg

>> No.1621667

>>1621657
Would you rather go to lowes or home depot?

>> No.1621668

>>1621657
From what I've seen Kobalt has tools sourced just about everywhere, but they're quicker to emulate innovative tools. Off the top of my head, no one offers a mini-bolt cutter except Knipex and Kobalt. They also have a copy of the Milwaukee snapback knives everyone loves but for half the price.

Husky products are well made, and are largely from Taiwan and China. I don't think they have as much variety as Kobalt, but they get the job well done.

Kobalt sockets used to be made by the company which made Snap-On. Those are money. I believe they source them from the same company which sells them to Harbor Freight.

AFAIK, the only US manufacturer of hand tools is Ideal, Channellock, and the truck brands (Snap-On, Matco, Mac)

>> No.1621683

harbor freight

>> No.1621686

>>1621657
Buy whichever makes your preferred version of a given tool. I like husky's screwdrivers better, but I like kobalt's drill bits better. There's no rule you have to stick to one or the other.

>> No.1621709

>>1621657
Its a crapshoot, both sell mediocre tools

>> No.1621710

>>1621668
>Kobalt sockets used to be made by the company which made Snap-On.

Kobalt used to be a mail order only company, with sockets and wrenches made by JH Williams.
Then Lowes started carrying them.
Not sure what happened or why, but Lowes eventually took control of the name and outsourced. They havent been JH Williams tools since like 2001

>> No.1621728

>>1621657
My guess is that if your choices are Husky or Kobalt that either one will fulfill your weekend warrior needs of sitting in a tool box. If I had to pick one I'd take Husky although depending on what you're after if you can catch the made in America Mastercraft from Menards I have been impressed by them although I believe they redesigned for the worse in the last year. Gear Wrench is also solid for the money

>> No.1621737

>>1621657
Kobalt is better, hands down. I've shopped Lowes and Home Depot and the basic rule of thumb is that everything at Lowes is slightly better quality that everything at Home Depot, but Lowes doesn't sell everything Home Depot does. When in doubt, read the product reviews.

>> No.1621740

>>1621657
Kobalt has a lot of meme stuff, but not many big sets. Also, imo, the tool selection is worse than Husky.

And for what it's worth, the ratchets selector levers point left to turn clockwise, which bugs the everloving shit out of me.

>> No.1621773

>>1621657
Lowe’s is dropping most of their Kobalt stuff and replacing it with Craftsman. You should be asking “Husky or Craftsman”?

>>1621740
This. There are (or were) more Kobalt tools I think, but if you go to Home Depot and they don’t offer a Husky ______, you can buy a Milwaukee or Channellock or Klein _______.