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PROTO vs WALMART

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I mislaid my PROTO feeler gauge so I bopped over to the devil's store and picked up a cheap feeler gauge set for $4.98. Well, of course I found my good set hidden under some spare parts (we all have a few of those lying around). Well, it's Sunday morning and I decided to run a little experiment. Got out my Starrett micrometer and started to compare the accuracy of the two, PROTO (American made and very old) and the WalMart special (Chinese and brand spankin new). The PROTO was right on the mark on each and every gauge. The import was irratic and varied an average of 10% on every feeler gauge, some as much as 25%! Amazing. I could have used a pop can tab for the same accuracy. I guess you get what you pay for, usually.

Bill
 
The problem is obvious: you should have used your CHINESE micrometer....
 
Wal-Mart -- you pay for our employee's health care, and we'll give you good prices on cheap, poorly-made products that despite the red-white-and-blue packaging are made in Asia. (And on all the products that other stores carry, we'll actually be the same or a little more expensive.)


Sorry, just going on my Walmart rant. I'll stop.

Interesting information though...I'm sure my Harbor Freight Tools feeler is off by similar margins. At least the employees there seem to like their jobs and are treated well. (Plus they have excellent service -- something I've never received in the few times I've been to different WMs.)
 
[ QUOTE ]

The problem is obvious: you should have used your CHINESE micrometer....

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/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/iagree.gif My thoughts exactly! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
The other tool whose precision I wonder about is the torque wrench.
I bet that to buy a really accurate one is really expensive, and the cheapies are likely well off calibration.
Scary thought!
Simon.
 
You don't want to ask. The only Snap On tool that I own is one of their torque wrenches. The big-box models aren't even close. I figured that a good torque wrench was one of the most important tools to own.

Bill
 
I sell some hand tools, but have had only bad luck with Proto in recent years. Stanley's acquisition has not helped the quality. Fortunately, the tools are guaranteed and their customer service is good to work with.
As far as torque wrenches, I bought a Craftsman years ago and will not shop their tool department anymore because of it. I have read where their torques can be up to 25% off at purchase. Reassuring news on a $3,000. plus motor.
 
As far as I'm concerned Wal Mart and Harbor Freight are about the same in tool quality. Craftsman has taken a dive in recent years. The combination wrenches I bought at Sears 35 years ago were well made and well finished. Now their standard Craftsman combination wrenches look and feel like they were barely de-burred. If you want a well finished Craftsman you have to buy their fully polished version.
 
Anyone use Blackhawk? I've got a good set of tools by them. Lifetime warrenty, not as strong as Snap-On, but still very strong and not NEARLY as expensive. They're getting harder to find now, as Fischer has stopped carrying them... Blast you Fischer!!
 
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