# Lowe's plumbing tools



## hewhodigsholes (Oct 28, 2020)

Went to Lowe's today cause I heard they were once again a Knipex dealer and thought I might be able to score a set of Cobras. I wasn't able to find any, but thought I'd make the most of a trip and wander through the plumbing section. It seems that they now make copies of various Ridgid tools, like the faucet installer and stop wrench, under their house brand Kobalt. All priced at a few bucks less than their Ridgid counterparts. I saw a few other specialist tools as well, like a seat resurfacer.

Do they think plumbers will shop there for tools? Or do you think Lowe's is simply catering to the handyman and DIY population more?

Would you buy one or encourage an apprentice to buy one? As an apprentice myself, I understand getting what you can afford and upgrading later, but for the price I think I'd stick to a more tried and true brand like Ridgid or Lenox for plumbing specific tools. Most of the apprentices at my company that have gone cheap have regretted it.

Thoughts?


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## RichardBull (Jan 7, 2021)

I shop where I can get the best deal. My wallet doesn’t have a conscious.

I’ll buy a tool to use once so I’m liable to buy anything anywhere.


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## dhal22 (Jul 30, 2010)

Ridgid only for me. Although I do have a few general sewer machines.


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## RichardBull (Jan 7, 2021)

dhal22 said:


> Ridgid only for me. Although I do have a few general sewer machines.


You use a ridgid closet auger ?


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## dhal22 (Jul 30, 2010)

Yes, although I think there's a few generals around the shop.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

hewhodigsholes said:


> ................Would you buy one or encourage an apprentice to buy one? ............



If you need it immediately you buy what you can to get the job done.

If you can't afford good tools than you buy what you can afford until you can afford good tools.

I see no reason to pay a lot for all of the good tools. Ebay is amazing, and the best tools aren't necessarily the most expensive. I like the old Fuller japanese "Super Quality" pipe wrenches, they are dirt cheap on ebay.


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## hewhodigsholes (Oct 28, 2020)

I suppose my bigger issue is more cheap copies of American made, or at least American designed, tools on the market. I agree with the general sentiment of buying what you need to get the job done. Just musing if any of these knockoffs are actually worth the few bucks less than Ridgid.

Also, the Kobalt blue looks hideous compared to Ridgid red. Fight me on this one! 😜


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## RichardBull (Jan 7, 2021)

I’m not impressed with Ridgid. Sure they make good tools and they make some box store junk.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

RichardBull said:


> I’m not impressed with Ridgid. Sure they make good tools and they make some box store junk.


Yeah, ridgid pipe wrenches suck compared to the good old ones. Same with channellocks. They switched to cheaper steel so they have to make the patterns thicker so they don't fit into spots as easily.

I was lucky enough to get a bunch of good, old, channellocks on ebay like a year ago so I will be good for a while. And I have a bunch of nice Fuller pipe wrenches.


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## dhal22 (Jul 30, 2010)

I picked up a Ridgid 24" pipe wrench on a job in 1989 and never did find the owner of it. Working out of town for a few months and got laid off in '91 and had another Ridgid 24"in my truck. Found the wrench in my truck a few months later but the out of state contractor was long gone. Those have been great tools over the years......


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## Sstratton6175 (Jan 10, 2021)

My personal opinion is that everything that the big box home centers do is catering to the diy homeowner type. However they also know that the pros still come in and if they can make a sale to a guy who need something in a pinch that’s just a cherry on top for them. As far as encouraging an apprentice to buy an inferior tool goes. I’d say buy the very best that you can honestly afford. Even if that means making a small sacrifice like not going out with your buddies for a weekend and spending that money you would have blown on beers at the bar on a quality tool. Everyone has to have priorities, if a guy is serious about his career he can’t be working with Fisher-Price tools.


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## SC Plumbing Repair (Dec 7, 2020)

Sstratton6175 said:


> My personal opinion is that everything that the big box home centers do is catering to the diy homeowner type. However they also know that the pros still come in and if they can make a sale to a guy who need something in a pinch that’s just a cherry on top for them. As far as encouraging an apprentice to buy an inferior tool goes. I’d say buy the very best that you can honestly afford. Even if that means making a small sacrifice like not going out with your buddies for a weekend and spending that money you would have blown on beers at the bar on a quality tool. Everyone has to have priorities, if a guy is serious about his career he can’t be working with Fisher-Price tools.


Stratton said what I was thinking, but he probably said it better than I could have...


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## hewhodigsholes (Oct 28, 2020)

Sstratton6175 said:


> My personal opinion is that everything that the big box home centers do is catering to the diy homeowner type. However they also know that the pros still come in and if they can make a sale to a guy who need something in a pinch that’s just a cherry on top for them. As far as encouraging an apprentice to buy an inferior tool goes. I’d say buy the very best that you can honestly afford. Even if that means making a small sacrifice like not going out with your buddies for a weekend and spending that money you would have blown on beers at the bar on a quality tool. Everyone has to have priorities, if a guy is serious about his career he can’t be working with Fisher-Price tools.


I've had a few Kobalt hand tools, and anything that wasn't a screwdriver, hammer, or socket wrench had poor tolerances and badly machined teeth/cutting edges. I had a Kobalt pipe wrench that wouldn't stay bit on the pipe. I'd say if you're going to buy a pipe wrench, stick to Ridgid, Wheeler Rex, Reed, or Rothenberger. If you need to go cheap, there's Lenox and Irwin.

Interestingly, a buddy of mine is a journeyman sparky and has nothing but Kobalt 24v power tools and says he won't buy anything else. Says they have plenty of power and he doesn't have to worry about them walking off on jobsites.


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## The cable guy (Oct 31, 2020)

I will add if you eff up a kobalt tool they’ll replace it no questions askes in store. Good luck getting that from ridgid hand tools. Same thing with shovels


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## Sstratton6175 (Jan 10, 2021)

The cable guy said:


> I will add if you eff up a kobalt tool they’ll replace it no questions askes in store. Good luck getting that from ridgid hand tools. Same thing with shovels


The company I work for will replace any personal tool that you break on their job. I mean any tool, from your tape measure up to a rotary hammer.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

Sstratton6175 said:


> The company I work for will replace any personal tool that you break on their job. I mean any tool, from your tape measure up to a rotary hammer.


Ours too.


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## hewhodigsholes (Oct 28, 2020)

Sstratton6175 said:


> The company I work for will replace any personal tool that you break on their job. I mean any tool, from your tape measure up to a rotary hammer.





skoronesa said:


> Ours too


You lucky dogs! I'm on the hook for all my own stuff. But the company I'm with has over 50 in service and new con, so that would probably get expensive after awhile.


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## Sstratton6175 (Jan 10, 2021)

hewhodigsholes said:


> You lucky dogs! I'm on the hook for all my own stuff. But the company I'm with has over 50 in service and new con, so that would probably get expensive after awhile.


They also have 50 technicians making money for the company so the expense would be relatively the same percentage as the company that I work for with only 25 guys in the field. You’ve got to take care of your guys and they will take care of you.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

hewhodigsholes said:


> You lucky dogs! I'm on the hook for all my own stuff. But the company I'm with has over 50 in service and new con, so that would probably get expensive after awhile.


We have almost 30.


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## Sstratton6175 (Jan 10, 2021)

Although to play devils advocate to my own point. I can see how as a company grows it would be more difficult to hold employees accountable and making sure they aren’t taking advantage of the perk. At our company before you can be reimbursed for a new tool you have to return the broken tool to the service manager. You also can’t turn in some pos harbor freight cordless drill and expect to be able to buy a Milwaukee fuel.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

Sstratton6175 said:


> Although to play devils advocate to my own point. I can see how as a company grows it would be more difficult to hold employees accountable and making sure they aren’t taking advantage of the perk. At our company before you can be reimbursed for a new tool you have to return the broken tool to the service manager. You also can’t turn in some pos harbor freight cordless drill and expect to be able to buy a Milwaukee fuel.


Size of the company doesn't matter.

If the guys respect their employer and the employer only hires good people, and the existing employees report bad behavior of the new employees than everything will be fine. That's how our shop works. It makes it tough to find a lot of help, but we know all the ones we let go needed to be let go and the few good ones we do retain are the cream of the crop.

I wouldn't worry about your guys stealing tools/materials. I would worry about your hiring practices that cause you to hire guys that steal.


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## hewhodigsholes (Oct 28, 2020)

I suspect our policy comes from the high turnover and rampant tool loss (theft?) on the new construction side.


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## goeswiththeflow (Feb 24, 2018)

Hiring someone is like getting married. Sometimes you make the right decision, sometimes you don't. Only time will tell, but at the time you are always so sure that it is a right fit.

I have a real hard time reporting anything but the most extreme bad behavior, and then usually only if it involves a serious safety issue. Not so much for the offender, but for myself or others.


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## plumbersteve27 (Sep 5, 2018)

I've always been a sucker for "name brand" tools. But, the last few years I've learned to push past that. Of course there are a few brands that I will not replace for certain things. Like Milwaukee for my power tools, ChannelLock for my... channel locks, etc. But as far as things like basin wrenches, cpvc cutters, and things like that, the "off brands" have been great. If you take care of your tools they'll last, for the most part. 
Heck, we've even started to buy a brand called Steel Dragon instead of Ridgid for our pipe threading tools. We've outfitted 2 of our plumbers with it and they said if the tools weren't yellow, they would honestly think they were using Ridgid tools. That Steel Dragon threading kit we purchased for $350. The same exact Ridgid kit....$700. I'd say that's a no-brainer.


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

plumbersteve27 said:


> I've always been a sucker for "name brand" tools. But, the last few years I've learned to push past that. Of course there are a few brands that I will not replace for certain things. Like Milwaukee for my power tools, ChannelLock for my... channel locks, etc. But as far as things like basin wrenches, cpvc cutters, and things like that, the "off brands" have been great. If you take care of your tools they'll last, for the most part.
> Heck, we've even started to buy a brand called Steel Dragon instead of Ridgid for our pipe threading tools. We've outfitted 2 of our plumbers with it and they said if the tools weren't yellow, they would honestly think they were using Ridgid tools. That Steel Dragon threading kit we purchased for $350. The same exact Ridgid kit....$700. I'd say that's a no-brainer.


Until you get 100 miles away from civilistation and the thread breaks


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

sparky said:


> Until you get 100 miles away from civilistation and the thread breaks


I have a whole second tool bag of handtools. There is nothing worse than leaving your tool bag at a job and then showing up to the next one, going in the back of the van, and having a heart attack because your tools are a 30min drive away.

That happened to me once, on a friday, at 5pm, OT call, at what is literally our wealthiest customer's estate. Luckily I had a few duplicates in the van. I made a second tool bag up that night vowing to never have that happen again.


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## The cable guy (Oct 31, 2020)

I really like my sdt k50. Hell i like the sdt cables better than the ridgid cables


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

skoronesa said:


> I have a whole second tool bag of handtools. There is nothing worse than leaving your tool bag at a job and then showing up to the next one, going in the back of the van, and having a heart attack because your tools are a 30min drive away.
> 
> That happened to me once, on a friday, at 5pm, OT call, at what is literally our wealthiest customer's estate. Luckily I had a few duplicates in the van. I made a second tool bag up that night vowing to never have that happen again.



I hate it when I forget my indoor shoes at someone's house. I can't walk barefoot! That and my kneeboard so I carry 2 of them. Think of it I'll carry a second pair of shoes.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

Tango said:


> I hate it when I forget my indoor shoes at someone's house. I can't walk barefoot! That and my kneeboard so I carry 2 of them. Think of it I'll carry a second pair of shoes.


I carry an extra set of regular boots and of course my dog phuckers for deep water/muddy trenches.

You don't just use booties? I can't stand having to take my boots on and off, of course sneakers are different.


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

skoronesa said:


> I carry an extra set of regular boots and of course my dog phuckers for deep water/muddy trenches.
> 
> You don't just use booties? I can't stand having to take my boots on and off, of course sneakers are different.


Booties, I'd have to slip them on and off anyways, plus I hate them, plus they aren't large enough for size 13 shoes, plus 100% I'm going to slide down some polished stairs, break a leg and be out for a year.

On a regular day I put on and off my winter boots to sneakers I don't know 20-30 times?? I love it in the summer when people say keep your shoes on! That's literally the best part of my day! In the summer I wear leather shoes.


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## RichardBull (Jan 7, 2021)

I bought two blue max fitting cleaning brushes that chuck up in your drill to clean pipe and to clean the fitting. 

One for .5 and one for .75. 

Picked them up at Lowe’s this morning. 

Neither lasted 5 minutes. Total POS. Don’t buy. $13 each.


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## Sstratton6175 (Jan 10, 2021)

RichardBull said:


> I bought two blue max fitting cleaning brushes that chuck up in your drill to clean pipe and to clean the fitting.
> 
> One for .5 and one for .75.
> 
> ...


I simply cut the handle off regular fitting brushes and put them in my drill.


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## RichardBull (Jan 7, 2021)

Sstratton6175 said:


> I simply cut the handle off regular fitting brushes and put them in my drill.


 And you like to clean the outside of pipe with that ?


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## Sstratton6175 (Jan 10, 2021)

RichardBull said:


> And you like to clean the outside of pipe with that ?


No just the fittings. I like the blue monster mesh for the pipe


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## RichardBull (Jan 7, 2021)

Sstratton6175 said:


> No just the fittings. I like the blue monster mesh for the pipe


 I do too unless it’s old tubing down in a narrow hole.

I was looking for something to Chuck up in a drill. I found it too, but it was crap.


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## dhal22 (Jul 30, 2010)

Sstratton6175 said:


> I simply cut the handle off regular fitting brushes and put them in my drill.


I had one of the first battery drills on a construction site (hospital) way back in the mid 80's and started doing this. I had fittings polished for my plumber lined up as far as the eye could see. They say a good plumber can work a helper to death. I was so far ahead of my plumber I was working him to death. Pipe stacked and organized, fittings polished and laid out in intended install area. Make up/short pieces cut in 1" increments, sized and sanded. Hangers cut and stacked, etc. Those were fun days.


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

Tango said:


> I hate it when I forget my indoor shoes at someone's house. I can't walk barefoot! That and my kneeboard so I carry 2 of them. Think of it I'll carry a second pair of shoes.


I wear steel toed flip flops lololol


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

Something like this?


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

Tango said:


> Something like this?
> 
> View attachment 127537


YES,perfect,they do exist lolololololol I love it


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