In addition to their new line of affordably priced power tools, Bostitch is coming out with a new assortment of mechanics tools – including ratchets, sockets, wrenches, and drive accessories – and automotive air tools as well.
At the surface, the new Bostitch mechanics tools look a lot like the Sears-exclusive Dewalt mechanics tool sets and wrench sets that came out a few months ago. Both lines could be derived from existing Stanley or Stanley FatMax products, but it’s hard to tell and nobody at Stanley Black & Decker is talking.
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The new mechanics and automotive tools will be launching at Walmart, and will presumably be available at online distributors afterwards.
I know what you’re thinking, and I’m thinking it too. Professionals don’t do their heavy tool shopping at Walmart. They might pick up a few items here and there, but Walmart stores typically have a single tool aisle with paltry product selection focused around low pricing.
Walmart is also typically considered Black & Decker territory. This suggests that the Bostitch tools will be marketed towards DIYers and consumers, rather than professional users. Plus, in a lot of areas around the country, Walmart’s anti-union policies will keep a lot of unionized tradesmen from even considering these new tools.
With this being back to school season, there are a lot of department store commercials on TV about how kids make or break their reputations with how they dress the first day of school. Similarly, show up to a new union job with some of these Walmart-sourced Bostitch tools, and you’re not going to make a lot of friends. (That’s if your union allows for your own choice of tools in the first place.)
This of course only holds true if the tools are exclusive to Walmart for more than a couple of weeks
That all said, some of the new mechanics tools don’t look half bad. You can see the full selection over at Bostitch’s website.
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My limited experience with Bostitch hand tools has not been positive, but I’m trying to be optimistic and open minded.
New Mechanics and Air Tools Product Listing
- Standard pear head ratchets – 1/4″, 3/8″, 3/8″ flex head, 1/2″
- Wrench sets – combination, ratcheting combination, ratcheting flex combination
- Socket sets – spline (1/4″, 3/8″), pass-thru (3/8″), large pass-thru (3/8″, 1/2″)
- Drive accessories – universal joint and size adapter sets, locking extension bars, ratcheting breaker bar (1/2″)
- Screwdriver bit driver sets
- Mechanics tool sets – 105pc, 174pc, 246pc, 318pc, 398pc
- 1/2″ air impact wrench
- 3/8″ air ratchet
- HVLP spray gun
- Air chisel hammer
- 11pc SAE and 11pc metric impact socket sets (1/2″?)
fred
While this will likely provide greater brand awareness for Bostitch I can see no way that this will result in anything but a decline in the quality. If these tools sell well, Walmart will likely drive SDB for ever reduced prices – not higher quality.
John
Walmart exclusivity for hand and power tools isn’t exactly confidence-instilling for their pneumatic tools that have been decent historically. Would definitely think twice about buying anything they make. I’ll just have to try and judge each tool on its own merits when buying.
Jason
Looks like the Stanley hand tools at Walmart will be getting a different name with some minor variations. I’m guessing they will be very similar in offerings and quality.
John Sullivan
Can you elaborate on the poor past experience with Bostitch, in a future post if not here? I’m just curious, and realize that you might not be able to post out of the context of a review or whatever.
My experience with Bostitch has been with four or five of their pneumatic tools, a number of years back. They were all decent– none stood out as “best in class” tools but they didn’t seem like 100psi accidents waiting to happen (like my Craftsman stapler or HFT brad nailers proved to be).
Stuart
My experience with a purchased Bostitch knife has been reasonably okay, their anti-vibe hammer assaulted my ears with its tuning fork singing (described more in my Stanley FatMax AntiVibe V2 preview), their ratcheting adjustable wrench seemed like a bad design so I left it on the shelf.
In terms of nailers, the first I had the chance to review sprung an internal leak during the first testing session.
Their cold chisels, pin punches, and awls pushed Dasco products from Lowes shelves. They looked okay, but are imported tools at USA-made tool prices. This might have colored my feelings towards the tools.
As mentioned, my experience with Bostitch hand tools is limited. My general feeling is that the tools were either gimmicky (like the clunky and potential fastener-damaging adjustable wrench) or rebranded Stanley tools with little unique distinction or obvious “contractor-grade” qualities.
Ken
Per Fred: ” this will result in anything but a decline in the quality” is so true. I have been using Bostitch Nail guns for a few years and have been satisfied with the performance and quality. Recently, I purchased their Pin Nailer (HP118K) and it will only feed 1″ pins. Using 1/2″ and 3/4″ pins after one shot, I have to open up the feed and push the nail strip down and forward.
In addition, my PC portable compressor walked so I went to Lowes and purchased a new Bostitch 6 Gal. compressor. I brought it home, plugged it in and worked with it for that day. Next morning, it would not run. Went back to Lowes to exchange it and they guy in front of me was returning the same compressor with the same issue. Needless to say, I got my money back.
My conclusion: Stanley/BD has taken a high quality tool company and pooped all over it by adopting the classic corporate mentality of branding and volume is more important then quality, reliability and durability (which isn’t branding depending on the quality/durability of a product?) . I will no longer purchase anything Bostitch and certainly will not go into a Wal-Mart for any tools.
Eric
Another attempt to cash in on a brand name’s equity. How long did it take for the Dewalt hand tools to go on clearance at Sears?
Stuart
They’re not clearanced, they’re discounted. Last month they were 40%-off (before additional coupons). The same set mentioned in that post is currently available for 33%-off.
Hang Fire
Wal-mart’s ability to leverage their manufacturers and drive down prices (and product quality and brand equity) is well known. They do have one advantage over home centers as far as tool sales go: many are open 24 hours.
Chris
I think They will sell reasonably well, Home owners that shop at walmart and not looking to buy junk would buy this if priced well… And with many walmart’s open 24h and later then many hardware stores, contractors may like this as well…Need a tool late, in a pinch… With the smaller hardware stores carrying very little and high prices and not every town, city with a home depot or lowes they might do well….
I find their air tools like nailers, staplers and most other air tools to be top quality and work very well… Everyone got their lemons
Chris
And as far as the tools go, you can’t expect super high quality tools from them, The market only has room for so many… This is like craftsman grade, mastercraft grade from Canadian Tire here in Canada… that sort of thing. Nobody shopping at wally world is looking for proto grade tools. If they are decent and work well and turn a bolt, nut etc…they will sell
Ken
True. Every manufacture has a lemon run (and also lemon designs). I think this is the case of trickle-up low to high quality brands/designs rather then trickle-down of quality and design to a sister brand to meet specific price points banking on the brand name selling more units. Does the Bostitch Brand now equal Ryobi, Skil, B&D Firestorm, etc… ?
Seth
I thought walmart already stocked campbell-hausfeld air tools, and I was pretty certain C-H was a stanley/black&decker brand. Has S-B&D finally figured out that they ran the campbell-hausfeld name into the ground and need a new and fresh victim?
Stuart
Campbell Hausfeld is their own brand; they’re certainly not owned by SBD.
fred
I believe that Campbell Hausfeld is the OEM for many of the Husky brand air tools sold at Home Depot
Husky Sucks
Florida Pneumatic makes Husky
Chris
Yup, Campbell Hausfeld ran themselves into the ground years ago…I’d much rather own a bostitch impact gun then something from them
Hang Fire
I bought a Campbell Hausfeld cut-off air tool almost 20 years ago, it hard warnings all over it about not using wheels that couldn’t stand 20,000 RPM. It ran at about 60 RPM on my 50 gallon tank at 100PSI. I returned it and finished the job another way but that round trip and bad tool cost me an evening’s worth of work. Haven’t bought CH since.
Chris
My father owns a CH brad nailer and it works well but brad nailer’s shouldn’t be very hard to design these days… it’s not something I’d use as an everyday contractor but for some hobby diy guy it works good, It was a christmas gift haha
As far as impact’s and all auto related tools and most compressor’s I would not buy them…
Right to Work
Who cares if they are union? Get over yourself. People don’t walk in and question whether the tools are union. It’s 2013 not 1953.
Stuart
Unionized workers care.
Jason
Unions are the reason that their is little manufacturing left in the us unions are the reason a decent new car costs 30k. Unions where needed when they came about due to unfair treatment of workers, how ever these days unions are responsible for the unfair treatment of employers. And i don’t speak of the skilled trades. It’s the unskilled factory worker’s who seem to ruin it . And yes if you can learn the job in a week or less, you are unskilled.
Kevin
GATT, NAFTA and the coming TPP has more to do with the demise of American worker ,than greedy Unions, who are only a small part of a much larger problem. The U.S. can not function on just high skilled and service workers, we will all pay for this one way or another.