An interesting Snap-on brand - BAHCO

[Ian95rrc]

Has anyone had experience with their tools? They are sold under Bahco and Williams. I bought my mom Snap-on hand pruners which are actually BAHCO. They retail for the same price but BAHCO can be found on sale at places like Amazon.com. The same goes for their sockets and wrenches. Perhaps Bahco has replaced Kobalt in Snap-on's cheap tool market? They picked up Bahco in 1999.

http://www.bahco.com/us/home.html#

 

[JackW]

Bahco are excellent tools - made in Sweden and their pliers and cutting tools are first rate.

Snap-On is still making and selling tools under the Kobalt name - it was a line of "consumer" oriented tools designed to compete against the "Husky" line marketed by Proto in outlets like Home Depot. You'll typically find the Kobalt tools at Lowe's. They are one step down from the Williams industrial line but are still very good hand tools. I have a full set of Kobalt sockets in my carry around tool bag (just hate to lose a Snap-On socket on the trail).

Bahco used to be part of sandvik until Snap-On bought them a few years ago. Lots of big fish buying up little fish in the tool business over the last twenty years. I'm a tool engineer at Lockheed that has been dealing with which hand tools we buy for twenty years. The mojor players in the hand tool industries are Snap-On, Danaher, Proto and Stahlwille. Most of the other barnd names in the tool industry are owned by one of these companies.

 

[Ian95rrc]

Actually Snap-on dumped Kobalt a few years ago, Danaher now makes them. I bought some Kobalt tools at Lowes when they had all the Snap-on produced tools on clearance. They are ok, but the new stuff is pretty crappy.

 

[Jaime]

And Danaher now makes Craftsman, and their quality has gone down IMO compared to Craftsman tools of the 60's and 70's

 

[DiscoII]

Bahco is the only shifter (adjustable wrench) worth using. When I was at sea it was the only one anyone used, I wish I had kept mine as I have never found them since. I have tried other brands but they either slip, open up or close and need adjusted each time you use one. The Bacho would stay at the same size opening for a long time.