Why hate Mac but not Matco

[bobcatdan]

With so little love for mac now a days, why doesn't Matco seem to get picked on more? Now it's been about two years since I've been on a matco truck, but it seemed there was as much asian junk as mac. Matco pilars are all import. I almost bought half moon matco branded wrenches unit I saw china. Power tools same stuff mac has. Now I admitt mac's dealer support has sucked for 10 years and order something sometimes take for ever to get. Matco always seemed better at that. The 10 or 12 things mac still make themself are nice tools but, there is no way I going to pay mac tool price for the same tool ATD sells. I hate getting USA made tools warrantied for an imort replacement and Matco did that a lot more then mac ever did. Or am I just so far removed from matco to not know they are scraping the imports and returning to a USA made tools.

[noid]

Because mac actually had a large loyal customer base, and they let them down. Matco from the get go was never the level of quality mac was in its hay day, so people have nothing to be disappointed by.

[JeremyManning]

go mac go buy vintage and don't return

[tonydanzah]

i matco half moons i just bought saw usa

[Bran Diezel]

Originally Posted by tonydanzah

i matco half moons i just bought saw usa

the last time they were on sale BOGO they were china. i have them

[Roots]

If you Google a bit, you'll find that in the nineties to around ten years or so ago there was some corporate change of hands and Mac basically attacked their very own dealer network. Additionally, they attempted some major tom foolery with slipping asian imports in while stating that they were American. There were a LOT of lawsuits, which didn't turn out very well for Mac. There are business article quotes from the CEO of the time publicly admitting what a horrendous mistake it was to attack their partner/dealers and long-term customers as well. I'm not sure if Mac has ever recovered. Certainly, many people are still hesitant about the brand.

While Matco has also shifted a lot of production to Taiwan or teamed up with other manufacturers such as Witte, they never tried to be deceptive about it or attack their dealers and customers.

[fordbroncodave]

because mac clearly relabels foreign tools and claims them as their own

[nismomans13]

all my matco tools say u.s.a on them

[mrshaun]

Mac allied Tool Company = Matco
they used to be ONE.

[bobcatdan]

I'm just dissapointed when ever a quality tool company goes overseas, mac, matco, craftsman, visegrip, rigid. where does the list end?

[mrshaun]

unions and other BS then they pay even more in taxes etc to ship the stuff back then eat more stock because of poor QC.

[Roots]

Originally Posted by mrshaun

unions and other BS then they pay even more in taxes etc to ship the stuff back then eat more stock because of poor QC.

Why the desire to bring political rhetoric into a tool discussion?

[nato]

Here's my take....
MAC[Simizer] screwdrives *bleh* Old red comfort grips were nice...when they weren't SLIPPING during use!!!!!!
MAC 30 tooth ratchets *Bleh* I would honestly need a rebuild about twice a month with standard use.
MAC rebadged Facom 72 Round heads, *Eh.....*
MAC Knuckle Saver combo's *Ugh...only brand of open-ended specially designed no-slips that seem to be wearing faster than any of my FD= and Opti-Torques*
MAC sockets.....*Eh, they're okay..pretty decent*
MAC NEWER Taiwan 'Cornwell' knock of torx/ allen drivers/bits....*PFFFFT, are you crazy?! I've never broken so many "S2 steel bits" in my life*

Most all newer crap from MAC is overseas stuff. Apples to apples, I come across more American made Matco tools then MAC. As of today, 2011, non-biased retort, all of my Matco wrenches, sockets, extensions and ratchets are superb in quality. My Mac sockets look beat for not being that old, my K/S wrench open-end gripping flats are now, well, flat..... Nothing has let me down yet. Not a single piece of shipped chrome or single cracked socket. Ratchets are excellent and hold up in strength to almost the next drive size. I know they're Danaher, but they're good, maker aside.
I could see, way before my time--I'm only 25 going on 26---how and why MAC was a good tool brand. I've got still, some of my grandfather's old Mac stcok from being a body man. I would actually deal respect to that era (around the 1930's) Looking through the 400+ page catalogs from Cornwell & Mac, I THINK that I see the most oversease goods.

I don't think I've picked up ANYTHING Mac within the past year.

[fordbroncodave]

i use to think of mac as one of the 4 brands i strictly would buy, now i can't seem to get rid of it. sort of lingering here and i would rather have snap on. plus i don't see my mac dealer once in 3 months

[wchamberlain]

It's a matter of personal preference, SO sources foreign tools, I recently picked up their 4 pc soft grip adj wrench set, made in Spain stamped right on them. I think SO is the last of the major tools companies to make most of there products in USA, as I stated it's per preference. I buy all 3 and haven't had a problem at all with any of my tools. In the past I have broken craftsman pro screwdrivers with the SO set I have no problems what so ever. So pick your poison, eventually they will be made in foreign countries due to cheaper labor costs and available materials. Hope this helps your dilemma.

[wornoutoldman]

Originally Posted by nismomans13

all my matco tools say u.s.a on them

If you have the XL X-Beam ratching wrenches they are made by gearwrench not US.

[Toolhorder]

Most of Matco's hardline is USA made. They have stuff I like better than Snap on like the universal sockets so I buy from them.

[Fedwrench]

Dude, you need to search the archives. There is very little love for Matco on this board. I like Matco. I think their pinless impact swivel sockets are the best on the market. I like their proswing ratcheting wrenches with the fixed boxed end on one side and a fine tooth ratcheting boxed end on the other. I like the high vis marked chrome sockets. Their 60 and 88 tooth ratchets are great too. Most of my Matco tools are stamped USA. However, some of their tools are imported. Some of their ratcheting wrenches, ratchets, screwdrivers, and other tools are imported. There are shared platforms across the different branches of the Danaher tree. Use what you like and can afford. All that maters is that the tool doesn't let you down, that you like using it, and you're happy with it. After all, you bought the tools. No body really cares which brand of tools you use as long as you use them well and if they do, they should procreate themselves.

[Chadro]

Originally Posted by noid

Because mac actually had a large loyal customer base, and they let them down. Matco from the get go was never the level of quality mac was in its hay day, so people have nothing to be disappointed by.

I think this post sums it up nicely. From what I hear the oldtimers say, MAC used to make awesome tools and controlled as much of the tool market as Snap-On. They do sell a lot of imports these days and the dealers are as rare as unicorns in some areas. I still have a soft spot for some MAC tools so I throw a little money their way every now and again, just bought a MR5 ratchet as a matter of fact.

Matco is fine by me even though most of the Matco tools I own weren't made by them. I do love my Matco branded Witte screwdrivers and I really like my Matco prybars as well. I'm thinking of picking up a new set of wrenches and a 1/2 flex head ratchet, I think I'll go Matco this time as Snap_on dominates my ratchets/wrench collection.

[wafrederick]

Mac and Matco were together starting in 1946 and split in 1979.The older Mac catalogs were split in half for the tool lines.What I have been told,Stanley has been trying to dump Mac tools and never wanted Mac in the first place.Came pretty close a couple years ago,Danaher tools came pretty close to buying Mac from Stanley and the deal fell out.Anyone thinking Snap On is the biggest tool company is wrong.Danaher tools is the biggest tool company out there.Owns Matco,Allen,Gearwrench,GP,Armstrong,KD including making medical equipment used in Hospitals.