Fluke tools

[Fungus]

Not exactly test gear, but...

Was looking at the Fluke web site and saw this:

https://www.fluke.com/en-us/product/electrical-testing/insulated-tools/insulated-pliers-set

I wonder what they're made of to cost that much money? 

(And how often should you need your pliers to protect your from "arcing"?)

[Fraser]

I suspect that such tools are expensive due to the guarantee of quality and protection offered. It is safety equipment that must meet its claimed specification or a person could suffer significant harm or even death. You are paying for that assurance process. If I were working in a role that required such tool specifications, I would make darn sure my employer bought quality, approved, tools from a reputable source and not just some unknown OEM who only knows which approval symbols etc to print on the handles and packaging. There will be tools that meet the required specifications but, without the Quality Assurance oversight, are not guaranteed to meet the standard in all produced product. It is similar to electronics and hardware used for medical applications, especially those that could cause an unhappy event if they fail. That is why batteries tested and approved orr critical systems in the medical world cost more than a battery that may be equally well built, but that has not gone through the manufacturing quality assurance required fro a medical grade battery.

Then there is the brand name markup ! 

I needed a safety helmet for working in proximity to potential arc events that are not full-on high energy arc flash incidents (thank goodness). I bought a safety helmet that cost £70 and incorporates a ballistic rated visor. I could have gone for a £9 standard safety helmet plus some £5 safety glasses, but I did not fancy taking the risk on what I get paid ! I also bought a £170 Hi-Viz coat that is fire resistant rather than the cheap £30 non fire rated types available from trade shops. Personal safety equipment can cost more for quality products, but it is worth it if the risk of injury exists.

Fraser

[luma]

I'm no stranger to hand tools with silly price tags but Fluke has got to be taking the piss with this set.  To compare, here's a comparable set from Knipex for $109 and a Whia set for $78.  Both vendors are German manufactures of some very high-end hand tools and their price tags reflect the quality.  I'm to understand that Fluke has their tools made by Felo, so maybe save a couple dollars and get a set of insulated screwdrivers thrown into the deal.

[nightfire]

It makes sense in some special kind of situations when it comes to big companies.

At my current employer I also have witnessed some situations like this, where we are suppliers and have done this also to sell third-party stuff (sometimes rebranded, and sometimes only repackaged/bundled) with our own stuff. We basically sell our own software (programmed in-house) and then have some safety testers (device testing) that we resell from a big brand, but with modified firmware. And then we have some small stuff like test leads, adapters like C13/C14->C19/C20 or to the butterfly/mickeymouse connector for notebook psu- this stuff is bought from a reputable company, and we offer it to the buyer with a "moderate" increase in price (usually 100%) to cover our handling costs.

Some companies are quite happy that they can also source those small parts with/through us, because it is in the long run easier and cheaper for them:
- in big companies you have every supplier registered with central purchasing (and they do not like to go through the whole process for a single small order)
- they only have to do one order instead of two, saving the amount of ordering, check incoming goods, checking the invoice and paying it (in big companies easily one or more hour in total throughout several departments)
- a single source to complain to when something does not work
- a single source to obtain paperwork like CE documents from, because we as the supplier are responsible to make sure we can provide them on demand
- when it comes to specialized stuff like adapters (for appliance testing purposes (in germany DGUV V3 or VDE 0701-0702), looking for the original supplier of some small stuff where a company only will need two or three pieces of maybe 20 € each it does not matter if this stuff costs 20 or 35 €€€, when the amount of work to look for the original manufacturer AND then getting procurement to list a new supplier etc. will take several hours of labor

I agree with the quality of Knipex and Wiha, they make very good tools- with pliers i like the Knipex a bit better in direct comparison. (Have them both at home and at work)

[bdunham7]

I wonder what they're made of to cost that much money? 

(And how often should you need your pliers to protect your from "arcing"?)

There's probably some profit in there, but high quality hand tools aren't cheap.  For example, I have these wrenches, among others, and they're worth every penny.

https://shop.snapon.com/product/Standard-Handle%2C-15%C2%B0-Offset%2C-mm/6-pc-Metric-12-Point-Flank-Drive-High-Performance-15%C2%B0-Offset-Box-Wrench-Set-(8%E2%80%9320-mm)/XDHM606

As for the use case for insulated pliers, they're just the ticket for stealing copper from live installations and solar arrays.  Safety first!

[tautech]

Fungus trolling Fluke again. 

Why not instead go after the A brand TE manufacturers and challenge the pricing they have on their low end gear ?

[Fungus]

As for the use case for insulated pliers, they're just the ticket for stealing copper from live installations and solar arrays.  Safety first!

Of course!

They'll probably pay for themselves in a single job. 

[Martin72]

These aren´t insulated pliers...

THESE are insulated pliers:

https://isotools.de/en/coated-working-heads

And how often should you need your pliers to protect your from "arcing"?

You musn´t buy it, when you don´t need it..

[BeBuLamar]

Not exactly test gear, but...

Was looking at the Fluke web site and saw this:

https://www.fluke.com/en-us/product/electrical-testing/insulated-tools/insulated-pliers-set

I wonder what they're made of to cost that much money? 

(And how often should you need your pliers to protect your from "arcing"?)

They are good tools but the price is higher than on those of similar quality. Besides, Fluke doesn't make them. I don't like buying a brand that don't make the products.

[Shock]

They are chrome moly vanadium, so probably not a cheap set. When you look at the street price, about $160 from tequipment after discount it's not bad considering they are probably about $120 worth of tools. As well these are work tools not really home tools, so dropping ~$160 is nothing (in the scheme of things).

Edit:

Was watching a video and they said Felo pliers are made by BBW in Germany.

[AVGresponding]

They look a lot like rebranded Knipex to me, and about the same price. Didn't watch the video, but from the thumbnail, those screwdrivers look like a Wiha handle pattern.

[Bassman59]

I wonder what they're made of to cost that much money? 

(And how often should you need your pliers to protect your from "arcing"?)

There's probably some profit in there, but high quality hand tools aren't cheap.  For example, I have these wrenches, among others, and they're worth every penny.

https://shop.snapon.com/product/Standard-Handle%2C-15%C2%B0-Offset%2C-mm/6-pc-Metric-12-Point-Flank-Drive-High-Performance-15%C2%B0-Offset-Box-Wrench-Set-(8%E2%80%9320-mm)/XDHM606

Long wrench means it is reasonable to expect higher torque, so the wrench shouldn't snap (hahah) under the load. Paying $60 for a wrench that won't break and cause injury? Worth it.

[SmallCog]

I wouldn’t buy them, but it’s not a ridiculously high price.

Phoenix would probably run you similar money

https://au.rs-online.com/web/p/cutters/8034458

[Neomys Sapiens]

Fungus trolling Fluke again. 

Why not instead go after the A brand TE manufacturers and challenge the pricing they have on their low end gear ?

70€ for a 16mm wrench STAMPED FROM SHEETMETAL is hard to beat, isn't it? That is what R&S calls up for a replacement accessory when you have several of their xxxx€ coaxial calibration kits!

[tooki]

Not exactly test gear, but...

Was looking at the Fluke web site and saw this:

https://www.fluke.com/en-us/product/electrical-testing/insulated-tools/insulated-pliers-set

I wonder what they're made of to cost that much money? 

(And how often should you need your pliers to protect your from "arcing"?)

Your ignorance of the cost of quality tools and the use cases for insulated tools doesn’t mean they’re pointless.

What is it the last few days with people just posting threads to rant about something they don’t understand (and don’t want to understand)?!?

[BeBuLamar]

I don't think it's worth it to buy Fluke tools. Fluke doesn't make them some others made them. If you want them I would find that company and buy from them.

[rsjsouza]

I don't think it's worth it to buy Fluke tools. Fluke doesn't make them some others made them. If you want them I would find that company and buy from them.

Probably Matco Tools, which also belongs to Fortive. And Matco owns Knipex as well, so the tools might be better quality than some are giving it credit for...

~25% off the screwdriver set: https://www.matcotools.com/catalog/product/SSPRI7/7-PIECE-INSULATED-SCREWDRIVER-SET/

[nightfire]

Looking closer at the picture on the fluke website, the pliers have the sign "Made in germany" on them, as well as the VDE sign.

Would support the theory that they are rebadged Knipex...

And well, in this case going genuine Knipex is probably worth the money- we are talking here about the 200mm version (so long version, not the more common 160mm/180mm) stuff- this stuff sells in germany as street price for around 40-50 €€€ each...

[tooki]

How do those things indicate Knipex over Felo, which has already been identified as the manufacturer?

[tooki]

I don't think it's worth it to buy Fluke tools. Fluke doesn't make them some others made them. If you want them I would find that company and buy from them.

Probably Matco Tools, which also belongs to Fortive. And Matco owns Knipex as well, so the tools might be better quality than some are giving it credit for...

Source? I can’t find any evidence whatsoever that Matco is anything more than a Knipex distributor.

Also, Matco isn’t Fortive any more: they spun off their tool companies as “Vontier” in 2020.

[nightfire]

Just had a close look at the Felo catalogue, and the screwdrivers sold by Fluke are astonishingly similar ;-)
Also some of the distinct features of the pliers are there, like non-polished metal in contrast to Knipex- but not all- the form of grip coatings looks different on the genuine Felo tools, also the straight "telephone" pliers I could not find in the catalogue with the distinct notches...

[Black Phoenix]

Screwdrivers are manufactured by Felo Germany and rebranded as Fluke. The pliers are made by Orbis Germany.

[nightfire]

Thinking about it, surely quality has a price. But: Who of the customers for those tools pays the full list price, and how much %%% do they get? Or is this a way some salespeople can sweeten a deal like: "Sorry, I can not give you a rebate, but I can put some good quality tools on top"- which ultimately is cheaper for the seller...


But anyway- here in germany I am happy to have some selection of good quality tools from reputable manufacturers- I personally like Wiha and the Softfinish line of screwdrivers, which are really nice to use especially when your wrists are sensitive. My own set is 15 years old and still goes strong.
(Same goes for my Knipex pliers, which are better than the Wiha ones)
To be honest, if I would be in a country where it is hard to get the same quality from the usual suppliers, it might be a good move to ask for that fluke branded stuff, that maybe your supplier might get via his Fluke reseller channels- and then you have proven quality including the papertrail big companies love that much.

[coppercone2]

haha imagine you got some job you don't like and you have to do dangerous crap, nothing is more of a relief then getting some over priced safety tools rather then potentially getting hurt for some dodgy corp that does not care about you...

When you see fluke you think 'well at least there is one thing here that does not want me to get messed up' (that evil boss is not gonna make you feel better). A name like fluke gives hope, you feel like your part of some kind of loose union thing. If you got a fluke in your hand you can imagine someone else got through this already 

[coppercone2]

Fungus trolling Fluke again. 

Why not instead go after the A brand TE manufacturers and challenge the pricing they have on their low end gear ?

70€ for a 16mm wrench STAMPED FROM SHEETMETAL is hard to beat, isn't it? That is what R&S calls up for a replacement accessory when you have several of their xxxx€ coaxial calibration kits!

who the fuck cares what its made from, it matter if the dielectric is good. If I had to do something dangerous id take a zinc tool with a good insulator vs a forged superalloy tool with chinese mystery insulation. What I want is a guarantee there is someone  continuously obsessing about the quality of the dielectric, the forming process, etc.

Well I guess if its zinc, maybe something bad could happen if it falls apart and falls into some high energy path, but the point is, the insulation is important here.

I hope what I am paying for is very very vigilant factory staff that follow the process and made sure everything conforms to the safety spec with a HV tool. Like shit, if my job is 'rotate the small metal hexagon by x degrees' , I wanna be absolutely sure its not gonna be my last. Small hexagons are just not worth it.

I notice this with cheap shoes, they look great, feel the same, but then the sole always splits  on em