I can’t put my finger on it exactly but something about how they molded the plastic bothered me when I held it. It had a weird feel. That aside, the drills seemed to be built well. It’s really hard to judge how well the tool performs in a store setting.

One thing I noticed is that they now seem to be using the same ratcheting chuck that Dewalt uses. I’ve said it before, but I really like my Dewalt’s ratcheting chuck. So this is a good thing.

Point is - do your homework and go with the best quality you can afford all the while keeping in mind what type of service the tool will be put to. Always go with a tried and true name for a product that has been around for a while.

I can see where the dispute arises here - Rockwell is an old name and this company is preying on the customer who makes the false assumption that Rockwell is back. This is an appeal to the ignorance of the customer ergo the need to do your research and remember those two famous words: CAVEAT EMPTOR - Buyer Beware.

You want to talk no frills? Check out my Milwaukee hole-shooter. It’s based on an old Sioux design from back in the day when people gave a damn about quality engineering.

You want great stuff at excellent prices? Look for well-maintained pre-’80s stuff on eBay.

Both of the above categories apply to me. I am grateful for all of the recommendations from you pros, though.

PutnamEco, you just an ignorant filth… don’t be a dick. You know nothing about tools.

Love Made in America, too bad it doesn’t exist anymore…I guess you prefer to send your money to that ivory tower in Towson, MD where the Corporate Fat cats at B&D/Dewalt/Delta/Porter Cable fly around in their corporate jets and pretend to be tool guys….given what’s happening to us little guys by the Wall Street suits these days, no so sure I’d throw my money in their greedy little pockets.

They revived the Rockwell name and why not?
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Why are they riding on the backs of giants, instead of making a name for themselves?
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It seems like smart business to use a name everyone already knows instead of a brand new one nobody knows.

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It may make them a few quick bucks based on people mistaking them for what was once a quality tool manufacturers wares, but pulling a quick switch is really no way to win MY approval.

What we need is a quality American tool company making top quality tools in the good old USA. Not more value engineered, Chiwaneese tools that rely on a false quality perception based on a bought out manufacturers name.

I love how you guys bash the tools before you’ve even used them. I checked out amazon and most all of the tools have 4+ star ratings. I even saw an ad for the Jawhorse which looked pretty cool.

As for the lifetime warrantee — from who? Who are you going to have to deal with in order to get it honored? Are they still going to be around in 5, 10, 15 years or will they have sold the name off to the next guy without selling the obligations as well? If I want a lifetime warrantee then I’d go with Rigid… and even then the warranty is void (limited to 2 years IIRC) if you’re a pro. At least with Rigid I have significantly higher faith that they’re not going to just up and disappear, or sell off their name brand to someone else (they could; but they didn’t *just* acquire it for the name brand, so that’s a lot more doubtful).

Forget this junk — if you want well made, well performing, and cheap then go with Ryobi. If you need the improvements (and there certainly are some) from Milwaukee, Bosch, Rigid, DeWalt, etc. then go with them. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you’re getting a top-grade tool from a fly-by-night company that just buys defunt logos and brands.

I’m not sure that anyone was actually commenting on the specific tool. Rather we were saying that when a Chinese company resorts to using a brand name like Rockwell (nothing to do with Rockwell International) to peddle their wares - alarm bells sound and one has to suspect that that quality may not be as good as you might hope. If they wanted to stand behind their product - why not establish their own brand identity. No one complains about the Hitachi or Makita brand names - both Japanese companies that produce some of their product outside of Japan.

Regarding a Dewalt Tool made in China or a Porter Cable tool made in Mexico or a Delta tool made in Taiwan - we have mixed emotions - but hope that their parent company (Black & Decker) located in Towson Maryland - will stand behind the quality of their product. Time will tell.

Why buy crap when good deals on good tools are there for the buying?

Color it orange and call a central electric pile of crap.

JT

Poaching once respected name brands is the next step. Pep Boys sells a line of cordless tools with some name, I forget which. The Winchester names appears on lower-end pocket knives.

If they really wanted to cash in, they would crack a history book or visit some historical societies… Indestro of Defiance, Ohio hasn’t been defamed yet…

Maybe the Chinese are hoping that K-Mart’s parent company will sell off “Craftsman” for some cash flow…..

If you’re a professional or even a serious do-it-yourselfer, you definitely get what you pay for, and if its a tool you’re using it all the time its almost always worth the money for a tried and tested brand. Probably why, for the most part, all you see on jobsites is red, yellow, or teal.

Maybe it’s me but I don’t think it’s a real strong strategy to take a decent brand and slap it on a commodity power tool from China. Where’s the differentiation and innovation that made this a decent brand to start with.

Besides, I can get a Bosch 18V NiCad at about the same price. Why take a risk with Rockwell when I can get a proven winner?

Is Snap-on next, in the race for the bottom.
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