I have been watching for new Amazon.com AmazonBasics tool introductions for a while, and it seems that I missed their broad entry into the mechanics hand tools and combination wrench market.
Feast your eyes on these new sets! What do you think?
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There a LOT of new listings too, with many different options when it comes to standard, ratcheting, and SAE + metric wrench sets.
Each of the AmzaonBasics wrench sets that I’ve been looking at come bundled with a handy nylon roll-up case for portability and convenient storage.
I see these wrench sets as budget-focused entry-level offerings, although the marketing is a little unclear.
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Amazon says:
This quality set of wrenches is the perfect addition to any tool box. With exceptional torque, steel construction, and easy-grip handling, the wrench set is a reliable essential for both the professional and DIY handyman. Keep in your garage, tool shed, or work truck for quick accessibility and convenience.
They’re advertised for use on all kinds of work:
From putting together furniture to working on heavy equipment, you’ll appreciate the diverse range and dependability of the AmazonBasics combination wrenches.
While these look perfectly fine for general budget-shopper use, I don’t know how well suited they’d be for professional use.
The warranty isn’t quite inline with the industry:
Backed by an AmazonBasics limited one-year warranty.
A one-year warranty? Crescent, Husky, Craftsman, Kobalt, and other brands offer lifetime warranties against defects – at the least. Even Harbor Freight’s Pittsburgh wrenches ($15 for a 22pc set) come with a lifetime warranty.
Here’s what I’m wondering: who makes these wrenches for AmazonBasics?
Looking on Amazon at some of the unfamiliar straight-to-Amazon brands, I see a resemblance with the “Hurricane” brand of wrenches, but not quite exact.
Here is a set of “Toolman” wrenches with similar but not-exact roll-up case styling.
There are so many of these unfamiliar brands on Amazon, and they all look very similarly generic.
I’ve purchased some AmazonBasics products before, with HDMI cables and a paper shredder coming to mind. I stopped using the HDMI cables after one failed and drove me crazy with a bizarre troubleshooting process.
I’d like to think that the AmazonBasics brand is reasonably trustworthy, but find myself needing to be convinced again, especially in light of recent controversies.
These AmazonBasics combination wrenches could be a decent low-end buy. But, I can’t help but feel skeptical. There are plenty of entry-priced wrench options out there, many from established names.
Crescent. Stanley. Craftsman. Harbor Freight. WorkPro. Sata (Crescent and Gearwrench’s sibling brand). These brands all have very affordable entry-priced wrench sets.
What makes the AmazonBasics wrenches any different from others’ entry priced listings?
I hope you can forgive the slight digression, but here’s a Tekton combination wrench set, featured in a more premium roll-up case.
Nearly 7 years ago, I spoke with a Tekton manager, and we talked about how they were working to change their image. Or rather, they were shifting focus, away from “cheap tools at cheap prices” and towards “tools for demanding users on budgets.”
Speaking now, after years of period review samples and quality check purchases, I can see that Tekton has indeed changed. They also steadily release new USA-made tools, resulting from an increasing number of partnerships.
Why buy Tekton tools now? Great quality for the price and, from what I’ve heard, exceptionally good customer service.
Why buy these AmazonBasics wrenches? Because they’re low-priced (if that’s what you’re looking for) and from Amazon? Those can be compelling reasons, but is it enough?
Both brands, Tekton and AmazonBasics, have similar imagery demonstrating the wrenches’ 15° offset box end, a feature that is shared by most brands’ combination wrenches.
Buy Now: Tekton Set
Buy Now: AmazonBasics Set
Check out how Tekton (top) and AmazonBasics (bottom) use similar imagery to demonstrate how their wrenches’ 15° offset provides hand clearance. In the Tekton image, the model’s hand is positioned above the table surface. In the AmazonBasics image, the hand is shown resting slightly above the table surface except for one knuckle that’s touching.
It’s not clearance if your knuckles contact and potentially scrape a flush worksurface. Somebody at AmazonBasics should have caught this.
Why buy AmazonBasics tools? Because they’re cheap? Because you trust Amazon and should automatically trust AmazonBasics?
AmazonBasics came out with a broad selection of combination wrenches, ratcheting wrenches, and some specialty wrenches.
So what?
For now, it looks like AmazonBasics wrench sets just another entry-level option for users shopping solely on price? That’s okay, I guess. There was a time when I did the same for certain hand tools.
Grizzly announced a new line of “incredible professional” power tools last year.
CAT, which is tied to many licensed tools and tool-related products, apparently has a new line of cordless and brushless power tools coming out.
I often ask so what? about new tools and especially whenever there are unconventional entries into crowded tool markets.
What’s the point of these AmazonBasics wrench sets and their other new (newish) core hand tool offerings? Are the low prices the only selling point?
Amazon and AmazonBasics have the potential to really disrupt the tool industry. I’m serious – with the right leadership and strategies, they can grab market share and severely reshape the competitive landscape.
Unfortunately, at this time, there doesn’t seem to be any such strategy.
There’s something to be said about the “Amazon” brand familiarity, but is that it?
It’s as if Amazon looked at wrench sets that had high sales and low return rates and then contracted with the manufacturers to sell the same under AmazonBasics branding.
At this time, there’s not even any kind of unified color scheme that I can tell, or any cohesive branding effort. No design distinction.
Here’s a Crescent 10pc combination wrench set for for $18-19 on Amazon. And here’s the metric set for around the same price.
These Crescent full-polish wrenches are priced lower than Amazon’s sets. Why spend more for AmazonBasics?
Amazon is the world’s largest retailer, and there is so much potential here.
I suppose that I might find AmazonBasics’ more specialty and niche wrenches more interesting, but not really any more appealing.
Shop for AmazonBasic Wrenches
See More AmazonBasics Tools
AmazonBasics offers a range of different combination wrench set options. So what? Why should budget shoppers care? I haven’t found a good answer to this question yet.
Everything Amazon does has impact. But for consumers, what’s the impact of these entry-priced wrench sets?
Promit
On the bright side, this is one AmazonBasics product line that almost certainly won’t set anything on fire.
Kizzle
Lay one across some battery terminals. 😀
taras
lol, I just about destroyed my laptop with a mouthfull of coffee when I read this. nothing is truly ever, fully, idiot proof.
Steve
Amazon will put at the top of search results for wrenchs and wrench sets at a low price and sell a whole lot to people that are just coming to get a basic set of wrenchs and not looking any deeper into it than that.
Harry
I don’t think anyone will expect too much from these “basic tools”. There’s nothing wrong with having no frills get the job tools like the KD of the old pre Apex tool group days. What I don’t understand it that the market is satiated with with low to mid grade product so, why add these to the menu? Advancing the Amazon Basic Brand name? Don’t know…… I mean Amazon is packed with wierd brand named tools from wrenches to other tools.
On a side note, I wouldn’t lump current Tekton offerings in with the Amazon Basic lot. current Tekton tools are good, real good in fact. Especially when you factor in cost. Hell, Tekton even has several tools that are made in the USA in their current line up.
Steve
I would assume Amazon has contacted for them in very large quantities and makes more on this margin wise than other branded sets. They’ll make it a top listing and sell a boatload of them, literally. They’re going for the person that just wants some wrenches click-buy-done and doesn’t care about anything else.
Stuart
I think Tekton is at a higher level with many if not most of their tools. I brought it up because they went from being just another “cheap tools” brand to being a reliable and well-regraded brand of mid-range tools.
AmazonBasics seems to be the Tekton of several years ago.
Plus, seeing Amazon’s “inspired” marketing image, even if Tekton wasn’t the first to demonstrate the purpose of the box end offset in this manner, suggests to me that this is more of a “let’s sell whatever budget shoppers are buying” move rather than the strategic market strategy that it could be. Otherwise, someone designing the tools and leading the marketing would have required a clearer photo that actually shows knuckle clearance.
That image, to me, shows the difference between a serious effort and what seems to be “me too” relabeling.
Avi
Also they don’t need to worry that you can get a crescent set for cheaper, because to the non tool nerd, Amazon is a known entity and crescent could be some third party pot metal from who knows where.
I made that same mistake when I got my first circular saw saw, I knew a little and specifically asked for skil, and I paid more and got the home center garbage that is skil ( not the revived skilsaw) I think I turned down Hitachi if I remember correctly, to this day I still cringe at the memory
rob
Conveniently pretty much anything branded Crescent these days IS third party pot metal from who knows where. 😭
Tom
I’ve bought Amazon Basics stuff in categories that I didn’t know much about that was populated by brands I wasn’t familiar with. HDMI cables come to mind. I felt a safety in buying the Amazon branded product and they were fine.
Maybe that what this is all about. If people don’t know much about tools and just want something good enough, they might find these. HIstorically, I think that buyer would have just gone to Sears and bought Craftsman.
Bob
I for one am buying the Amazon set….. I will just throw out the crappy wrenches and use that nice tool roll for my good wrenches. Seriously though I gave up on finding a decent tool roll for cheap. Ended up making mine out of canvas drop cloth’s. I have a lifetime supply plus a few extra for some friends.
I’m finding Amazon is more and more saturated with junk ,straight to consumer, products of dubious quality. And that is across all types of product categories not just tools. I end up spending way too much time trying (not always sucessfull) to find decent stuff for a good price. In my last “adventure” I was trying to find 10gage wire ring terminals. Tyco, T&B, 3m no where to be found. Plenty of “no name” brands with crappy reviews tho. I know I should pick them up at the supply house but it was a long weekend, figured two day shipping and Im in business. Not so much. The other problem is if you do get lucky and find a great no name product, once that container of product being sold from the third party amazon seller runs out you will never find it again. The trials and tribulations of modern e-commerce.
fred
For the folks who buy based on price alone or only for once-in-a-while use – they may look no further than Amazon or Harbor Freight. They are not likely to be tempted to buy a really good set of wrenches from folks like Stahlwille:
https://www.kctoolco.com/stahlwille-14-15n-combination-spanner-set-long/
They might think that you would have to be an idiot to spend $382 for 14 pieces for Stahlwille – when they could buy a 24 piece set from Amazon for $58 – and for their application they might be right.
MrS85
Amazon could be dipping its feet into competition with Harbor Freight. Harbor Freight makes some decent hand tools for super cheap. And much like Amazon’s cords that catch on fire, Harbor Freight also makes car jacks that will collapse and kill you.
fred
Like HF – Amazon may choose to contract with some factory in China for the lowest price they can get. A floor jack that sells for $30 at HF ($24 with a 20% off coupon) probably can’t cost them much more than $10 FOB Los Angeles- so can you really expect much in the way of QA/QC
John
Quality considerations aside, I think Amazon is sensing an opportunity to sell lots of wrenches (and potentially other junk drawer tools) to their millions of customers. A few well -laced online ads and search prioritizations could lead to a large number of customer orders. The Christmas, Father’s Day and back-to-school time frames would be good marketing opportunities. Every household needs basic tools, so the market opportunity for cheap wrenches is large. I could see my in-laws buying a set for all their sons and sons-in-law at Christmas. It’s the thought that counts… I chuckled at the knuckle dragging “provides clearance” picture. Let’s hope Amazon figures it out soon enough.
Jim Felt
“This “quality“ set of wrenches is theperfect addition” to any tool box. With “exceptional torque“, “steel construction”, and “easy-grip handling“, the wrench set is a reliable essential for both the professional and DIY handyman. Keep in your garage, tool shed, or work truck for quick accessibility and convenience.“
Call out “quotes” added for humor.
To me as a business observer of Amazon Basics strategy and their reliance on in-house make work this copy says it all. Zero real on the ground knowledge of the particular co-developed product line or its actual best practices let alone trade verbiage.
Run don’t walk except for the “one year” Warranty? One year?! And how would you exchange anything for a matching piece? You’d need to repackage and return the entire set? What?
I’m okay with private labels but I think I’d still prefer their Seattle neighbor Costco for “warranty” and having an actual established test lab division. At least for the foreseeable future.
Am I missing something? (As a near daily Amazon buyer)?
Matt
Amazon follows what the high sellers on its site are and then undercuts those high sellers with the absolute cheapest junk versions they can get away with. The Tekton and AmazonBasics marketing imagery is only similar in that Amazon basically ripped off Tekton’s imagery for their own. I don’t know if Bezos planned to turn evil from the get-go when he launched the book store all those years ago, or if the company just drifted that way with the money. It seems all Amazon serves up these days their own junk or all the white label junk that “brands” you’ve never heard of are all sourcing from the same factory and slapping their own label on.
JoeM
Ugh… Why couldn’t they focus on maybe, just the tool roll? No wrenches, just… accessories for storage of tools. Maybe focus more on providing things people need or want, and leaving LESS to the Marketplace garbage? There should be Amazon, and Amazon Prime, then they should ditch the Marketplace so there’s consistency.
I don’t mind if they go out of their way to do “Amazon Basics” products… but stay out of the actual INDUSTRIES they’re for. Amazon Basics shouldn’t be a full brand, it should be full of those little things you need in the moment, to get started, then tossed away or recycled when you can afford to upgrade.
A Tool ROLL… A USB ADAPTER… Tape… Shipping Supplies compatible with UPS, Local Post, and the other Couriers… LABELS… Not all these wasted new items that are sub-par with industry standards, while their Marketplace has offerings from people who Retail the ACTUAL INDUSTRY STANDARDS… They just Rip you off on them, which is insane. Less Marketplace, more ACTUAL AMAZON going A to Z, like their freakin’ Logo SAYS they do.
Sheesh. I like the design of the tool rolls, but… seriously… The wrenches? Underwhelming compared to TEKTON? I consider Tekton to be THE BASIC company for Tools. Any cheaper, you’re asking for injuries. At least Tekton DOES make some decent standard stuff. I have a third hand I use for my jewellery making… IT’S a Tekton product. Hasn’t failed me. Stands up great. Some Needle Files… Same thing. Not the most ergonomic handles, but, they’re needle files, and you genuinely don’t need much. Tekton.
It’s so frustrating to see Amazon come into the world so strong, and then start pulling out and leaving all the interactions and consequences to totally unqualified individuals with no culpability to uphold any quality standards in the Marketplace.
Nick
Quite possibly Indian made, Amazon’s third party sellers won’t be thrilled by these.
Steve
I thought the same thing. They struck me as similar looking to the HF Pittsburgh wrenches that are made in India. We’d have to wait to find out from someone who knows or bought them.
Koko The Talking Ape
Besides showing an actual knuckle scrape, Amazon uses an older, less pink hand model.
Charles
This looks like the typical cheap crap that is sold in Walmart/Target/K-Mart etc.
When I needed to swap a battery when mine died in a McDonald’s, I walked over to Walmart and bought the cheapest set that included the two sizes I needed. I think it was somewhere in the vicinity of $10 – marked down because the plastic case was cracked and held together with tape.
It worked to swap the battery (I knew it was dying and had just bought one at COSTCO, but didn’t want to wait for the install – I had it in the back and figured I’d be fine getting home. Wait, let me pull in here and get a cup of coffee. Crap – did I just turn the engine off?) but the two used wrenches looked worse than the old Crescent set I’ve had for 40 years.
These will most likely be a “one time use” and when the cheap wrench rounds off the bolt and slips, then your knuckles are toast anyway.
Buy once, cry once.
Corey Moore
I assumed Amazon basics was just data-driven products for Amazon to safely add to their revenue sources with minimal risk. They obviously monitor everything going on in their market place, it would be silly not to at least research cost of production on low budget items they are selling in high volume. Their business is perfect for researching what the safest random products are to bring to market.
Remo
What a joke you can tell they just buy for price only they copy any thing that sell from there other companies have work hard to develop products ONE YEAR Warranty what a joke