Klein Tools has decided to get into the plumbing tools business. CT
No, this isn’t a joke – Klein just launched a wide range of new plumbing-specific hand tools.
There’s not much information available yet, but I’ll give you one guess as to where all these new Klein plumbing tools will be sold.
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From their social media video, I see that there will be new tubing cutters.
And of course pipe wrenches. It looks like there will be a couple of styles and sizes.
I also spied copper tubing cutters.
And a rotary pipe cutter.
Here’s a new Klein tubing bender.
They’re getting into very specific installation tools too, such as with this sink faucet installation wrench.
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I also spied plumbing-style large-opening adjustable pliers.
So… what do you guys think about Klein taking on the plumbing tools industry?
Apparently Klein Tools is also taking on the general construction tool industry as well. Lowe’s has been promoting Klein sawhorses on my social media feed. I didn’t know that Klein makes sawhorses.
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. It seems obvious by now that Klein took ToughBuilt’s seat at the table at Lowe’s. What will Klein’s foray into plumbing tools mean for other brands at the retailer, such as Lenox?
Before anyone asks, if these were made in the USA, they would be advertised as such, and they’re not.
Maybe one of next year’s limited edition holiday season tools will be a blacked-out pipe wrench?
Klein also offers 3 different Bluetooth speakers, 3 Bluetooth hearing protection earbuds, and 3 Bluetooth hearing protection earmuffs. Part of me has been feeling that they’ve become a rebranding company.
But I’d like to give them the benefit of the doubt that they’re designing all of these new plumbing tools in-house, and that they’re not just slapping their name on OEM or ODM products.
All they need now is a line of cordless power tools, and their takeover of Lowe’s will be complete. Oh wait… New Klein “Powered by Dewalt” Cordless Power Tools. In all seriousness, I keep waiting for Klein Tools to announce a partnership with Bosch’s AmpShare 18V cordless power tool platform, or Metabo’s CAS, or renewed involvement with Dewalt.
Back to the main topic – what are your thoughts on Klein now making plumbing tools?
Jared
My question is the same one you posed: Is Klein making these or are they white label items?
I not saying Klein has to make them or they’re junk, but I’m wondering how much effort Klein put in. Capitalizing on a brand name to pump out cheap stuff at premium prices is a time-honored tradition.
David Vande Berg
“White label” does that mean putting your name on another manufacturers product?
I was wondering if Klein makes them or brands someone else?
Scott K
To give them the benefit of the doubt, they have a strong record of specialty (electrician’s) tools, so hopefully this is a genuine expansion based on market research and in-house design. If so, that would be beneficial to consumers in that there’s meaningful competition from a reputable brand.
Companies creating power tools for existing platforms is a great idea. I remember thinking this when looking into pint sprayers (Wagner makes a Dewalt-powered model). I wonder if this is tricker now that most platforms feature higher tech batteries with what seems like more complex electronics.
Nathan
Did Lowe’s put aliens name on a bunch of things? Licensing plan? Did klien buy into tough built?
Where are the plumbing tools made?
On the surface I don’t mind makes a general good idea to expand but lots of questions
JR Ramos
Interesting development, maybe not totally unexpected, though. I say more power to ’em and hopefully it helps Klein to continue to grow and prosper. The proof will be in the pudding, though, as to the quality of the tools and whether it affects some other brands. If the supply houses begin carrying these then I imagine they will see success if they aren’t junk for real tradesmen.
Sadly (very), I think Lenox is just about dead now…relegated to what Irwin and Crescent have become. For many years I could buy something Lenox without any doubt or research and know that I was getting high quality professional use items, but not anymore…in fact I rarely even look to see what they have for sale or if they have something I’m shopping for. It was such a fantastic company for so many years, too. The only reason I’ll pick up something from them is simply convenience at one of the many Lowe’s stores around here, something like a standard hole saw for the most part, and the utility knife blades are ok…but there are many convenient choices all over the place that are the same or better quality. I’ll pass on their recip or jig blades if there’s something else (and there always is).
I wonder about Ridge, if Klein’s standard or Swiss style pipe wrenches will dig into their business….probably will be a difficult prospect for tradesmen to abandon Ridge pipe wrenches but I do see enough import and/or less expensive ones in use that Ridge may only be affected if the quality and availability of Klein’s offerings is closely competitive. If that happens then hopefully Ridge doesn’t lose presence in these supply houses…quite often multi-line discounts, line/sku requirements, or full-line-selection convenience drive decisions of purchasing and product managers, especially if there are meaningful freight discounts in the deal. If Klein can offer all that, Ridge may take a good hit (if customers accept the change).
There are a lot of Klein items that I wouldn’t buy…some that I’m sorry I did. Generally good or great stuff, though, so it’ll be interesting to see how all these new items do for people.
fred
My commercial plumbing experience is now over 10 years in the past – so maybe there is a new trend in the Us for adopting European – style plumbing wrenches. we always called the “Swedish pattern) – but Swiss or Swedish – our crews did not like them. We tried 90-degree pattern ones from Sandvik – then later “S”-Pattern ones from Knipex and they all got relegated to the depot – not the trucks. What I remember hearing was that they had “too much spring to them.” Still good that a respected US-Brand like Klein sees fit to try to re-introduce them here.
JB
I’m a production plumber for a company that does about 400 houses a year. I find it unlikely that I’d abandon Ridgid’s pro tools if they keep making them how they do. They’re just too well made. I especially couldn’t see myself replacing my pipe wrenches with another brand, even as more and more of that kind of work moves to press fittings. I will say however, about a year ago I realized Klein makes the best wide-jaw crescent wrench if you’re looking for durability and zero-play/slop in the jaw. I did buy myself one and it’s my go to…so I guess we’ll see how much effort Klein puts into the plumbing line. The capability is there if they can compete on durability and price. One of the things I like about Klein is that they are constantly innovating. Some of their innovations have been kinda useless, but some have really set the brand apart. For example, IMO they make the best hardhat, and it’s completely because of the combination of features you can’t find all on one hardhat by anyone else. Other examples are the hybrid multi tool pliers, or their 11-in-1s. Both are examples of tools that others have been attempted before but something about the way Klein thoughtfully put them together just worked and now everyone is basing their slightly-tweaked designs off of the format set by the Kleins. On the other hand, I see they compete with Packouts and I recognize they have put more effort into that than just about every other company that makes modular storage, but I rarely ever see the Modboxes on the job site. The few (3?) times I have seen them they belonged to electricians, so I think that being seen as more than an electrical tool manufacturer to the other trades is going to be a significant hurdle for Klein to overcome.
Harrison
To be fair, this is really no different than Emerson licensing the RIGID brand to Home Depot for all kinds of products and their store brand TTI power tools.
As for the uniqueness of these items, I think we all know these are white label products. There is no way that sawhorse isn’t coming out of the same factory that makes the ToughBuilt & all the others.
Honestly, even going to a Plumbing supply store that stocks the ‘real’ red RIGID product line, 90% of the hand tools are made overseas and look very run of the mill.
Who knows if Lowes will pull this off- and I kind of hate to see Klein going down this path- but their brand is so much stronger than ToughBuilt, so I don’t blame either party.
For me,
ToughBuilt = interesting but gimmicky products that came out of nowhere, all the rage with tool influencers.
Klein = Professional brand for line workers and electricians, heavy duty, quintessential American tool company.
Joe H
I definitely like the feet on the ToughBuilt sawhorse more than the Klein because feet like the ToughBuilt don’t just stab and sink into dirt as easily.
CA
Not sure what to think but Klein is to electricians what Ridgid is to plumbers. I’m not going to buy a Klein plumbing tool to test the waters when I know what I’ve already got.
JR Ramos
Stuart…I’ve noticed over the last month or so that a lot of my comments get queued into “awaiting moderation” and I don’t know why. My comment on this Klein post seems to have disappeared entirely. Double-checking those posts when it occurs I don’t see where I’m breaking any of your rules that I’m aware of. But subsequent post this evening seem to have transmitted just fine/normal.
MM
I have also noticed an increase in comments ending up in the moderation queue and I am sure I wasn’t using any profanity, discussing politics or sensitive subjects, etc. Likewise, when I looked back at the posts in question I was puzzled as to what triggered the system to flag the posts for review. Maybe the filter is particularly sensitive to terminology around sales?
Stuart
YouTube links result in moderation because some people linked to questionable videos, and sometimes they auto-embed, so I like to have a speed bump there.
I’ve been seeing a lot of spam to certain retailers, and so they’ve become a flag. Because of the giveaway and then the holiday weekend, I was really backed up in clearing the moderation queue.
You had a post sent to moderation on 10/30 and… I have no clue as to why it was sent there by the filter. You had a post on 10/29 also in moderation. Before that, August. And June, but that’s because you had more than 3 links and a YouTube link.
There’s no match for the flag list.
The spam filter has a mind of its own sometimes. At least it’s sending them to moderation and not the 404 page where the only recourse is leaving a placeholder and emailing me the comment to edit via the backend.
Stuart
I saw your comment in moderation just now (cleared it, it’s shown above), and thought that was weird.
Frankly, I don’t know why it’s sending you to moderation. There’s nothing matching auto-moderate keywords, your name’s not changing, and neither is your email.
I’ll be experimenting with new spam filters after the new year, maybe they’ll help.
There’s *nothing* that I can see in your comment that would have resulted in it heading to moderation first.
JR Ramos
Ok…all good, just thought I’d ask. I very rarely share links. Couple times I wondered if the word “China” or something triggered it. Tonight it seemed weird that my post appeared to just disappear entirely because I’ve noticed that if it’s awaiting moderation and I refresh that page to read new comments, it’ll still be there with the flag. Computers are weird….
Ken
I got a few of them last week, they work well. It’s not knipex but they work well.
They seem to be made by Klein and not a white labeled product.
Alex
Klein quality has really gone downhill in the last couple of years so I’m not surprised. Bought some electrical tools last year and most of them didn’t last very long… They seem to be going the same way Kreg went…
Bruce
Nope, I don’t need to buy Klein rebranded tools for plumbing. These aren’t better in any way from any other tool. This is how you cheapen a brand, not how you make it better.
Alexk
I might check out the sawhorses. The Bora XT I just got ( two for $90) is not rock solid. It shifts side to side.
Maybe I’m spoiled by having a pair of Stablemate sawhorses that I got for free. They’re heavy and I wanted a lighter pair to make a portable table for my track saw.
Champs
“Shots fired” is all I think.
It really wouldn’t hurt for SBD to better stratify Klein as a trade-specific brand instead of the confusing array of XR, Atomic, FlexVolt, Power Detect… need I go on… for everything from homeowner to industrial.
I’m just thinking about the DeWalt shops that would finally have a clear replacement path for their burly 25 year old 18V tools if they ever need more than new brushes. Probably quite a few of those out there!
Alex
SBD doesn’t own Kkein
Ken
Is it just me, or does the Klein sawhorse look like it is manufactured by ToughBuilt?
eddiesky
Stuart: image # 4 description should be “copper tubing..” not tubbing.
From one CMS support to another…
Stuart
Oops. Thanks, *fixed!*
John
I don’t see much in the way of innovation or meaningful differentiation with these products. It looks like a pure private label program to me. Klein has very strong brand equity with electricians, but will this carry over to other trades? The cynic in me says no and that this is nothing more than an effort to expand Klein’s shelf space at Lowes. This can be a slippery slope as big box stores are continuously looking for way to increase sales and profits. The fight for shelf space can lead to all sorts of irrational thinking and potential missteps that could mortally wound a brand. It’s easy to lose sight of your core business principles when you are focusing so many resources on rebranding another manufacturer’s products.
Jason T.
I bought one of the tubing cutters the other day because I needed one and at Lowes it was between that and a Kobalt branded one. The Klein was actually the cheaper priced one. It’s ok, it did what I needed, but the quality didn’t seem exceptional. I can’t remember if the packaging said Made in USA or not. I kinda think it did, but I could be wrong.
People have complained for years that Klein screwdrivers aren’t as good as they used to be. I don’t know, I haven’t bought in any 10 years and the ones I have are still going strong. All my Klein pliers are at least that old as well and work just as well as the day I bought them. However I find that I am using Knipex pliers more and more often just because I like them a little bit better. When it comes down to it, I’ll gladly use Klein or Knipex pliers for serious work.
Will I buy more Klein plumbing tools? possibly. But for plumbing I have a hodgepodge of brands and they all seem to work fine for me. I’m not a plumber and I’m only doing home repairs usually for plumbing. How do I feel about Klein branching out? I’m fine with it as long as they don’t lose sight of their core quality tools that got them there.
fred
We certainly had a mix of brands (Knipex, Imperial, Reed, Ridgid, Wheeler-Rex Yellow-Jacket) for tubing cutters. I think that the guys liked the Imperial (Imperial-Eastman) ones the best.
Nathan
So looking at a few upc’s it appears they are USA made items. Now they do get to dance the line of final assembly is USA and packaged origin but it’s what I was hoping for.
That said I’m certainly willing to consider them. And as far as falling quality I have a few klien screwdrivers from 2005 time and 2022 time. All of them seem to be quite well made.
Stuart
If a tool isn’t visibly marked as made in USA, and isn’t advertised as being made in the USA, I need more proof than a UPC code.
Many Klein tools are made in the USA, and many are not. For example: https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/klein-tools-long-reach-pliers/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Johnez
This isn’t Klein’s first foray into plumbing tools, they have a set of water pump pliers “Classic Klaw.” I searched high and low to find out where their current crop of offerings are made, no press releases, no news articles, nothing on their website, and even their brochure does not list COO. I guess the only way to find out is to get to Lowe’s. Even if they’re MIUSA the fact that it’s not stamped on a tool or touted is a red flag to me. I have a 7″ Klein Classic Klaw pliers MIUSA however many listings today have them Made in Germany. Being that their classic klaws are NWS rebrands (German) and my set appears to be a NWS rebrand as well makes me wonder A) how seriously they are bending “MIUSA” and B) how deeply they are going into rebrand territory.
Eddie the Hook
I went to Lowes last night. I definitely 🤎 Klein’s original/ traditional tools & some of their newer innovative tools…I’m not a fan of their Pipe Wrenches. Their design seems to clunky to me & the metal didn’t have the same feel or strength to it like a Ridgid pipe wrench (the best in my opinion).
Eddie the Hook
…..Klein’s Pliers Wrench on the other hand (so to speak 🙂) did seem decent. There was only one left of each of the 2 sizes. The large ones were $30 & the smaller size were $25. They’re made in China. While I was tempted to buy one ( most likely the larger 10″ one) & I still might….i would first like to compare it to Harbour Freight’s version of it since both are manufactured in the same Country. I sure wish that Channellock would come out with a Pliers Wrench.
Jason
Channelock did something similar a few years ago. I doubt this will last.
Stuart
Channellock still does that, but to a small scale complementary to their core product line.
JoshtheFurnaceGuy
As to the in house design question, I had noticed that Klein’s folding utility knives look suspiciously similar to Milwaukee Fastbacks.
Kris P
I was at Lowes on Saturday and all the orange Klein tools in the plumbing aisle marked made in China. The aluminum pipe wrench is Korea and multi bit screwdrivers Taiwan.