What if Bosch made hand tools? And I don’t mean the sometimes good, sometimes really crappy tools that Skil has brought to market. Or the “affordable” tools that Vermont American was going to bring to market for holiday promo displays.
I’m talking about solid pro-grade tools with premium features and designs. Tools that pro users and sophisticated hobbyists would be happy to use. What’s a sophisticated hobbyist? That’s a term that some marketing types like to use to describe non-pros with demanding needs and discerning preferences.
Maybe Bosch’s angle would be to tap top-notch independent European tool companies to produce them, such as PB Swiss, NWS, Knipex, Wiha, Wera, Fisco, and some of the other brands mentioned in our recent favorite European tool brands post. Maybe they could partner up with select conglomerates and their brands, such as Snap-on’s Bahco brand.
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I am a big fan of Bosch tools, and would love to see them compete with fast-movers in the hand tool market, most notably Dewalt and Milwaukee. These two power tool and accessory brands are making strong pushes into the market and against each other.
But where would Bosch hand tools be sold? From where I sit, that looks to be the tough part.
Premium tools don’t seem to sell as well in local stores as they do online. If you’re shopping for new pliers, are you going to go for the Klein, Channellock, and other brands of tools you know and have heard about, or the premium European tool that costs twice as much? If you’re shopping online and come across the premium tool, chances are you were looking for it.
Bosch has strong brand recognition in the USA and worldwide, but enough to sell premium hand tools that stand out? Premium tools would probably be their only chance at breaking into the big box retail market.
Then there are the corporate retail partnerships that are standing in the way. I have seen nice Bosch power tool displays at Lowes stores, near the Pro counter, but they’re not very large or prominent as far as promo displays go. In terms of hand tools, Home Depot seems to be very committed in showcasing Milwaukee tools, where even Dewalt tools seem to be less emphasized. Lowes recently bolstered their relationship with Irwin, select partners for specialty tools, and they have their Kobalt brand. Then there’s Sears, with their Craftsman brand.
If a brand cannot get visibility at Home Depot, Lowes, or Sears, then it’s going to be very difficult for them to break into a mature market. Sure, there are other places that sell tools, but these home centers are where a big chunk of the money is at.
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Now that I’ve made it clear that I don’t think Bosch could easily enter the hand tool market, let’s all breath a sign of disappointment.
Almost every time I see Dewalt and Milwaukee enter into new markets, such as automotive tool storage, brushless outdoor power tools, tool bags, and metalworking, I wonder about whether Bosch is interested in entering the fray. I bet they’ve at least thought about it.
So what if Bosch made hand tools? Premium tools would likely fail to gain traction. It is rarely obvious to uninformed shoppers how premium tools compare to mid-priced ones. And mid-range offerings? Forget about it. Top brands are already competing for shelf space. Budget tools are already sold under other Bosch brands, such as Skil, with major pushes for floor space during holiday sales seasons.
Ultimately, I think that the road to profitability would be too long for Bosch to seriously consider bursting into the hand tool market. While I hope I’m wrong, and that we’ll one day see tools with Bosch blue and red and black colors at the local big box store, I won’t count on it.
I know some will see this as a good thing, and that power tool and accessory brands should stick to what they’re good at, but I think that the engineers over at Bosch could very well come out with some outstanding hand tools if they tried.
Nathan
what else does Bosch have under their corporate umbrella? by that token I’ve not seen DeWalt hand tools sold in a store yet. I’ve seen limited Milwaukee stuffs in my Home Depot.
with current product placement I could see them selling at Lowes if anywhere. OR
Automotive stores.
but what design group or other shell company would they have to use for the designs. Not saying anybody can’t design a socket, let alone make one. but Dewalt has Stanley bits to start with, Milwaukee had _________ probably gearwrench’s parent or something.
I’m all for competition but I think Bosch and their name would be better served going into electrical tools and diagnostic tools – at least in the automotive world they are known there. (as far as I know they are the same parent company – Bosch electronics make the computers and most other bits for most german cars and some Ford’s and Chryslers)
Damian
Not sure your location, but my local HD has Dewalt utility knives, screwdrivers, and I forget what all… As to Milwaukee, they have almost an entire section. Pliers, screwdrivers, ratcheting screwdrivers, knives, etc.
As to marketing, I do not believe it is necessarily trying to join a list of other hand tools in a particular section (you said go to automotive. I believe these hand tools are more for the brand loyal customers. For example, in my field off work, I know people who claim they’ll never own any power tool except… Bosch, Dewalt, or Milwaukee… (Usually one of those 3).. now if it’s a dewalt or Milwaukee person. Id have to believe they’ll pay for the Milwaukee pliers, over channellock, craftsman, etc. Same with Dewalt, I believe a Dewalt fan may pick out the Dewalt knife or screwdrivers, over any other brand… Just my thoughts.
Stuart
https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/tool-brands-corporate-affiliations/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
It would be far easier for a brand like Bosch to work with established brands to design Bosch-specific hand tools, rather than to launch a manufacturing base all on their own.
Damian
That would be great for Bosch imo. People that are brand loyal will buy these instead of other higher priced hand tools. I work in new homes almost everyday and have seen an increasing amount of Milwaukee and Dewalt utility knives within the last year.
As of today, I have not seen many of the pliers or screwdrivers though. Also, almost every screwdriver I have seen though is with the electricians.
Now, why stop at hand tools? Dewalt had the 36″ tool storage unit (top and bottom)last year during the holidays. And I just saw last night, Home Depot had a 46″ tool cabinet (top and bottom together, didn’t see anywhere to buy seperate unless that will come later). IMO a tool storage unit could be huge income for these companies. Anybody own either so far?
I can say, I’ve already posted my dewalt cabinet I received 4 months ago, basically not even used, on Craigslist in hopes of buying the Milwaukee. Lol.
Stuart
Stanley Black & Decker owns a plastic tool storage development and manufacturing facility in Israel, as well as Vidmar and Lista industrial storage and work equipment brands, and they also market industrial and professional storage products under Proto and Mac brands. So yes, SBD is already entrenched in the tool storage business. =)
Robert
These days there is so much rebranding and private labeling, it can be next to impossible to determine a tool’s company of origin. Regardless of the name on the tool, it can be pressing to confirm who actually made them.
It’s amazing how some people will swear by a tool with a given brand name on it, and “wouldn’t be caught dead” with the same tool rebranded under another name.
I’ve given up on determining where many tools originate. I’m not even sure that it matters that much anyway. I’m not necessarily suggesting that anything from Bosch, DeWalt, Milwaukee, etc, is rebranded. I’m just saying that you often don’t know who’s tool you’re actually buying regardless of the name. I take them all on their own merit. If it looks like a slip joint plier, appears to be decent quality for the money, and does what I need it to do, that’s how I make my choices. It ain’t exactly scientific, but that’s where I am these days.
rx9
Exactly. The same brand loyalty insanity that applies to cars applies to tools as well. Seriously, much like the production of a car range, a selection of tools is subject to differing production sites, methods, materials and designs. Within each manufacturer, there are a multitude of both good and bad products. That said, you have to examine each tool to know what you are really getting.
Drew
While this might be a nice idea, I’d rather see Bosch actually bring more of their power tools to the US. I’m starting to lose count on just how many 12v max tools are unavailable in the US. I recently noticed that Bosch has a ‘homeowner’ line of 12v max tools in Europe with what appear to be a few neat items.
Michael
I agree. We seem to get the hand me downs. If we’re lucky.
skfarmer
as most know dewalt tools have been available in store at sears for some time. with limited success it seems. a few sets and no open stock
what caught my eye yesterday was acme electric had a large display of sets in different sizes and style. more than usual. on top of that they had a full supply of open stock wrenches, sockets, drivers and accessories. i had never seen that before.
sadly most of it looked okay but there was nothing there that screamed “i really need that or it is much better than anything else” and i am a dewalt fan.
the same could be said about the milwaukee line. it looks good but nothing out of the ordinary. i think most people see at as nothing more than trying to capitalize on the brand recognition whether it is dewalt or milwaukee.
the wright branded items a couple aisles over looked more appealing.
unless bosch tied themselves to a well known brand there is already plenty of generic looking tools out there to go around.
Damian
I mostly agree that a lot of these companies are just trying to capture markets to brand loyal people… although one thing I really like about the Milwaukee pliers, is the built in reamer. Also, their newest ones, just came out a few months ago, actually have 2 reamers. The one in the jaw of the pliers, and also at the end of the handle. For someone who is a DIY’er, handyman, plumber, etc., the built in reamer is really handy when working in tight situations or awkward spots, or anything like that. That is what led me to actually buy a few 10″ and a few 12″ Milwaukee pliers.
Although I will admit, other than the pliers, there is nothing else that really says (to me anyways) “give this a shot, its worth the extra in the price tag” besides of course, the Milwaukee label on the tool.
Jerry
As crowded as the tool market is getting, I have to wonder how successful they would be. There are so many brands, and so much crossover, it would be hard to break into the market. I think one difficulty they face, is that most cordless power tool users really aren’t that heavy of hand tool users, much beyond screwdrivers, pliers, hammers and the like. Most mechanics use air tools, or the cordless tools from Mac, Ingersoll Rand, Snap-On, etc. with big displays of DW and Milwaukee already in stores, along will well known brands like Craftsman, Husky, GearWrench, etc, I see an uphill battle.
Anton
I highly doubt that they really want to. They have many other markets that they can expand into with less competition. Auto parts and industrial components are major sources of revenues for them as well. Not to mention kitchen appliances. Even though Tassimo coffe machines didn’t win the single serving cup standard battle, but I’m sure it was much more profitable for them then hand tool would be with less of a battle. With robotics and automation becoming more common and priced closet to mass market needs, their r&d would be be a better investment into roomba type stuff. There’s a chef robot coming out from England in a couple of years for $15k . I know they’re coming out with a sawstop type table saw soon, but adding that technology to miter saws and whatever other tools commonly have accidents will make them much more attractive to business.
BikerDad
Oddly enough, I think Bosch’s best route into the hand tool world would be with rebranded premium Euro stuff sold through auto parts stores. Bosch is big in automotive, leverage that.
Mike
Have Dewalt and Milwaukee really been successful enough for Bosch to risk giving it a try? I’ve seen very few Dewalt hand tools out in use. Milwaukee tools were real popular right after they became available. I still see the screwdrivers quite a bit, but everything else seems to have disappeared from the guys’ toolbelts after a while. As have the Milwaukee tool belts and rigs themselves.
SteveR
No doubt they’ve thought about/explored the concept of bringing out a hand-tool line. As many have pointed out, the market is already crowded with tools, from premium to tools so poorly designed or executed that it’s an embarrassment to own them. There has been so much re-branding in recent years that it’s hard to tell the players without a scorecard.
They’ve probably considered, “Yeah, we could do that, but how many years would it take to make an inroad into the market, and at what cost?” They had to have asked themselves, “What could we bring to the table that isn’t already out there?” If they’re pleased with their overall market share and are making reasonable profits, why take the chance of diluting their brand image by marketing a line of hand tools that may not succeed?
Actually, I just remembered that Bosch owns Dremel, an old-line, very successful tool (albeit powered) in the hobby and DIY markets.
I suspect they’d be more inclined to do that again (i.e., acquire an established company) rather than inaugurate a line of hand tools (something they’re not known for) in an already-crowded market.
Lynyrd
Before Bosch gets into Hand Tools, they need to ramp up their Cordless collection. I am a Bosch Fanboy, but it is frustrating that Bosch does not offer the selection that DeWalt or Milwaukee offer.
Ct451
I wonder if someone at Bosch reads this. There are blue and green lines:
https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Advanced-Quality-Experienced-Materials-Ergonomic/dp/B0C3CRCMKJ