I have received word that a selection of SK Tools are coming to select Lowe’s stores around the country.
My local Lowe’s stores do not have any displays up (yet?), and I plan to check back throughout the holiday season.
SK Tools is known for producing high quality mechanics hand tools, and the brand went through another change of ownership in 2021.
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Home Depot, Lowe’s top competitor, has Husky, Gearwrench, and Milwaukee mechanics tools in their main aisle and promotional gift centers. Lowe’s mechanics tool selection is currently comprised of Kobalt and Craftsman offerings.
I think that SK would be a fitting addition to Lowe’s mechanics hand tool lineup, although it remains to be seen whether this will happen.
New SK Tools are also available at Amazon right now.
Things have been quiet at SK, ever since Great Star acquired the brand from Ideal Industries in 2021, but they have been busy behind the curtain.
Let’s skip ahead to the question I know many readers are going to ask – where are the tools being made?
SK sent over a sampling of their new hand tools, and I can confirm that they were made overseas. I spoke to an SK manager, and was told that the brand has continued USA production of certain products, such as select ratchets.
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Or rather, SK moved cross-country and restarted USA production of select tools.
SK said they’ll be sending me a list of tools that they’re still producing in the USA. I don’t want to guess, and will report back once I learn more.
I was also given the impression that SK could be open to expanding production. While my question wasn’t met with a firm answer, I’m at least happy that it was not an immediate and definitive “no.”
Given how other players in the industry over-promised and under-delivered, I’d say SK is taking a smart approach.
SK has some innovative tool designs. This will be my first experience with their unique X-Frame ratcheting wrenches – they sent over a couple of test samples – and I’m excited to put them to the test.
I wrote the following two years ago, and my thoughts on the matter haven’t changed:
I could be wrong, but there are significant long-term gains that could arise from a partnership between Lowe’s and SK Tools. Such a partnership could be vastly rewarding to both companies, as well as to enthusiasts and more demanding users whose purchasing decisions depend more on quality than on lower price points.
There is some risk involved, but there are gains outside of direct sales alone. If new USA-made SK ratchets or wrenches landed at Lowe’s, would you not visit a store to check them out firsthand? While you’re there, what else might you look at or buy?
GreatStar and SK want to sell more tools, and Lowe’s is in perpetual one-on-one competition with Home Depot.
They need to work out a deal, if they haven’t already. This is the kind of arrangement that could pay out huge dividends down the road.
I think it’ll be very interesting to see what happens next.
See Also: Theory: Lowe’s will Partner with SK Tools
I have been bugging SK for an update (sorry, thank you!), and appreciate what they shared with me so far. What questions do you want me to ask next?
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TomD
I feel the mechanics tools available today are of significant higher quality AND quantity – even the harbor freight cheapo sockets are much nicer than they were 20 years ago.
Good to see more options, especially as hand tools are much easier “mentally” to mix than battery tooling.
Saulac
Agree. Golden time for tools. I contribute this to how well the trade guys are doing. Most own their own tools and they can afford nice stuff.
IronWood
I can’t imagine these are anything like the high quality SK tools we’re used to. Probably just on par with Husky or Kobalt. Happy to be proven wrong, but high end mechanic tools and big box stores don’t seem to go together.
Grokew
That is like saying “I don’t like rice” without even having tried once. Give them a try, or at least wait for some unbiased reviews before judging them. 😂
fred
Hangzhou Great Star already had a relationship with Lowes – producing some tools for sale under the Kobalt or Task Force names. But they have done the same with HD – making some Husky items. Anyway – I guess we will get to see how the new generation of (made in Asia) SK Tools perform. The other USA brands that Great Star bought out (probably at liquidation prices) – like Arrow, Goldblatt, Jorgensen/Pony and ShopVac still seem to produce some decent product – albeit now made in China than the USA.
JR Ramos
I’ll have to go look at ShopVac offerings now. That closure was such a fast shock and quite the debacle. I was somewhat relieved that Great Star picked them up and wanted to employ/reemploy as many of the company workers as they could. Hadn’t seen any more news about them since the few months following the scoop on the news. I wish they’d done more/were able to do more with the Jorgenson/Pony than they have but the bar and quick grip clamps (and spring) seem to be about as good as they ever were with just very minor changes.
JR Ramos
Disappointing foray there. Last spring they announced they were moving all manufacturing operations to China and the original factory location will be relegated to admin and basically just a warehousing operation. Let 80 people go (and I guess they only hired back about 200 of the original employees which were more than twice that amount, but probably several reasons for that). Some of the original employees were granted class action status for a WARN lawsuit and it seems GreatStar is wrangling to claim that they are not the responsible successor to those legal claims. Current product selection seems way overpriced and lower quality just going by their website.
Nathan
Select ratchets ? Wonder which. I looked up sk website last week oddly enough and was wondering what changed.
The lp90 ratchet is still the smoothest I’ve ever used. Mac or stahlewhile or snap on included.
All my flare nut wrenches are sk from 2 decades ago. I hope the grip quality is still there today.
ITCD
All pear heads still being made in the US per a big wig that Koon Trucking interviewed.
Mopar4wd
Watched that too says they are making the chrome sockets in the US too.
There were rumours floating around that there will be kind of a split in the tools with the USA made ones going towards higher end then the imported tools, and this seems to back that up.
Joe E.
Even if the new SK tools are made will be made in China and sold at Lowe’s, I’m sure they will be better quality and sets will be more complete than what Craftsman currently offers.
Literally, a dog turd would make a better tool than the Craftsman garbage at Lowe’s.
Nathan
Incidentally I used to see sk tools at some stores on occasion. Some tool only stores like we had a place around here called tool depot. Had everything or most of trade related
But I swear I used to see some at tru value or ace.
Nathan
Oh and what I find at least home owner wise. The biggest difference between cheap mid and high quality mechanic tools is the grip quality.
Sockets that hold a nut square so it can be threaded into a chassis cavity you can’t get your hand in. Etc
Mid quality will do the job. I should say mid price. As gear wrench or tekton sockets hold as well as my stahlewhile or Mac stuff from 3 decades ago
Alexk
A few years ago, at a yard sale, I picked up a small metal box. It had an sk ratchet and around 12 sockets. As I’m spinning the ratchet head and enjoying the incredible feel and sound of it, my girlfriend says “you already have those”. I look at her and don’t bother saying anything. You get it or you don’t.
One can’t compare my Husky set (which I’m happy with), to the bliss I feel each time I pick up the sk.
Don’t know that I’d feel that with the new ones. But I’m sure they’re fine.
OldDominionDIYer
I just purchased the 3 piece adjustable wrenches pictured in this article and am not at all impressed with the quality. In fact the quality is below average in my opinion. Also there’s no country of origin I’m not sure where my tools are manufactured. It came with a letter which said they are making their tools in various countries. My brother owns SK tools from 20 years ago and they’re really good quality, big difference!
IronWood
Thanks for the real world report. Pretty much exactly what I expected unfortunately.
Jared
I expect this news will meet some strong reactions. Producing tools offshore under a brand that once made them in the USA exclusively – not everyone will be excited. On the other hand, I don’t see how SK could survive with the old model.
Interesting to see how well you predicted things Stuart. I wonder if any of the USA production will be sold in Lowes stores, or if this was primarily a means of bringing Great Star products to Lowes under a familiar brand name.
I remember being a bit more hopeful when I first heard of the acquisition – primarily because SK doesn’t SEEM like a well-enough known brand to just be a marketing ploy. Maybe it’s not – why else are they keeping some USA production if not to keep the top-tier status going a least for some products.
Personally, I’ll wait and see what the tools look like. I don’t expect them to be Craftsman-priced equivalents of the often (extremely) premium-priced SK tools of years past, but maybe they will still be good value.
Stuart
I haven’t spoke to SK very much yet, but I did have a long chat with Great Star’s Shop-Vac manager.
I can’t say too much yet, but they’re working on new products, and I was – for the first time ever – excited about a Shop-Vac development.
Great Star’s Jorgensen brand is also coming out with new products that I’m excited about.
The proof will be in the pudding, but I’ve seen and heard enough to be optimistic.
Jared
That does make me hopeful – plus I’m always excited for new tools! Hopefully re-launched SK can add something new to the mix.
teicher
I hope new Shop- Vac models target lower noise levels, instead of always pushing for more power with screaming loud motors. Some of the vacs can be unbearable to use
Dave
Too much competition in the marketplace with hand tools in my opinion! I have never owned SK tools but remember them for sale at certain hardware stores, especially sole proprietor stores. The price was too high for a DIYer and Craftsman was still a USA made tool company. Now I am older with a vast tool collection and I don’t see anything SK can offer that I would jump on their ship. Again so much competition, corporate buyouts and closures have happened in the industry for the last 30 years, I think the result is much better tools at affordable prices for majority of us!
fred
When I bought my first (of just a few) SK wrenches – in the early 1960’s – the company was part of Symington-Wayne and the brand was labelled SK_Wayne. It remained that way – after Dresser Industries bought them out – but reverted to just SK after Facom bought them in 1985. They became independent again in 2005 – via internal buyout – but were acquired by Ideal in 2010 after filing for bankruptcy. Ideal sold them to Great Star in 2021.
JR Ramos
Stuart, could you inquire about whether the sockets are possibly the same models as Workpro and their other many labels, or if they are something new/better (for them)? I don’t suppose they’d be willing to divulge that but maybe some good clues or something. If these are just another rebadge of husky/kobalt/workpro/gearwrench/etc/etc then it may be a flop unless Lowe’s actually makes an effort to put them in all stores. If they keep it only at “select” stores it won’t help the brand at all…probably similar to what is/is not going on with their Sata online offerings.
Pete M
I saw today at my Lowe’s store the x wrenches. They had the SAE and the metric sets for $79 per set.
Nice feeling and smooth action but the handle could had been more rounded to be comfortably. They should be okay for the DIY mechanic but someone who uses wrenches for making a living should save their hands and look for another set.
CA
I hope it enables them to compete and put out a high quality overseas product. I like that I can go to Lowe’s and peruse some SK product on the shelves and decide for myself before buying vs going off pictures on the internet. They could be the best selling socket sets at the big box stores if they do it right. Lifetime warranty, etc.
Harry
If you ever talk to an SK rep, please ask him if AJ Manufacturing is making all of the made in the USA SK tools. He probably won’t say but, I believe the SK PA facility is a distribution center for their Duratec tools rebadged as SK. They don’t actually make anything there.
Stuart
I will ask, but one thing I know is that SK moved production from Ideal to Great Star-acquired and owned Shop-Vac facilities.
Mopar4wd
There was an article in a PA paper I found a few months ago that said they were using some of the PA facility to actually manufacture SK tools.
Joeburger
It will be interesting to see how SK will compete in such a big market.
A lot of tools have gotten significantly better so now it’s mostly just a show of who’s got the money to fork out for more expensive but not better tools.
You know keeping up with the Joneses syndrome. Snap-on, Mac but yet you’re barely a mechanic.
Chip
The plethora of hand tool brands is unbelievable, it’s also how many change owners as well.
Your needs change as you age,younger folks get a deal,but you get pickier as you get older.
I prefer buying older used hand tools,vs new shiny from brands that I don’t think will last.
Reno
now that Lowes as three brands of hand tool I would like to know which one they consider is their highest quality brand.
Greg
another one bites the dust
The List of USA made mechanics tools
Snap on -Still makes a lot of USA hand tools
Mac tools – USA and more and more Taiwan made
Proto – Still makes a lot of USA hand tools
Wright- Still seems very USA made
Martin – cool USA but not a full line of tools
Maybe List
Cornwell – who the hell knows or cares
Matco- do they really make anything???!
Williams – confusing mix of USA and Taiwan made
SK 🤔 Lets just use the name and see what happens 💩