Kobalt is a line of hand and mechanical tools, power tools and tool storage products owned by the American home improvement chain Lowe's. It is the main brand of both Lowe's in North America and its joint venture with the now defunct Masters Home Improvement in Australia. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Join us as we dive deeper into Kobalt Tools.
You might be surprised to learn that the reason you often see Kobalt Tools in large hardware stores is that Lowe's owns them, and that's probably where you've seen them. It's the main brand you'll find at Lowe's and it was also part of the Masters Home Improvement chain in Australia, which was also owned by Lowe's but no longer operating. Lowe's and its manufacturing partner J, H, Williams began manufacturing Kobalt tools in 1998 to compete with the Craftsman and Husky tools manufactured by Sears and The Home Depot. In 2003, Danaher Corporation took over the manufacture of Kobalt tools and J, H and Williams became Snap-On Tools.
Kobalt produces a wide range of tools for every need. Let's take a look at some of the tools they offer in each category.
Kobalt hand tools
are of high quality and durable. Their plugs, wrenches, pliers and other tools are as good as the most popular brands and often cost less.These tools will make a great addition to any workshop. The power tools are of decent quality, in the same line as Black+ Decker, Milwaukee, Ryobi and many other brands. Although they are expanding the line, it is not as complete as DeWalt or Makita. They also seem to be more interested in expanding to pneumatic tools and outdoor equipment than in improving the line of power tools.
We were impressed by the performance of their outdoor tools and we liked that they were battery powered and good for the environment. If you have a smaller patio, we highly recommend it. Unfortunately, many of these tools are still expensive and could lose load before ending up with a larger patio. Kobalt tools are a good choice, especially their American-made hand tools.
They're easy to find and there's a large enough selection that you can find what you need at a reasonable price. Their power tools don't compare to those from DeWalt or Makita, but they're perfect for most DIY home improvement tasks. Update your privacy preferences: A COFFEE LIFESTYLE EDITOR. Kobalt hand tools are harder to pinpoint.
It seems that the Kobalt mechanic's tools were once manufactured by Snap-On, although we couldn't verify that this is still the case. Most of Kobalt's hand tools are currently manufactured by Apex, an American company,. In terms of selection, Kobalt has more hand tools than everything else combined, or quite similar. This line of hand and mechanical tools, as well as power tools, did not emerge until 1998, making it a real baby in this world.
The general consensus about Kobalt tools is that they work well enough for basic construction and repair work, that they usually have good battery life and decent internal components, and that they tend to be quite versatile, as well as comfortable to hold and easy to use. What's really interesting to note is that, although Kobalt is Lowe's own brand and was designed to compete with Craftsman, right now, Craftsman tools can also be found at Lowe's. For this reason, Kobalt tools are generally marketed to homeowners, small contractors, basic repairers, hobbyists and do-it-yourselfers, and for general household tasks. In addition to manufacturing Kobalt tools for Lowe's, Chervon also makes power tools for competing stores, including Menards and CRAFTSMAN tools for Sears.
Lowe's Kobalt brand has proven to be popular with customers due to its wide range of available tools, as well as its low prices compared to other brands. Some of the most common warranties you can expect from Kobalt include satisfaction guarantees, three- and five-year limited warranties, and some tools come with hassle-free lifetime warranties. It's also worth noting that the quality of Kobalt's products seems to have increased considerably since they started selling their tools at Lowe's. If you're looking for hand tools, both brands have a good selection, although Craftsman definitely has a lot more power tools.
As a side note, Kobalt's hand and mechanical tools are considered to be the best in the group, probably because there are no moving components that can break. However, many of Kobalt's hand tools are still manufactured in the United States by several companies for Lowe's. Chervon, one of the world's largest power tool companies, manufactures Kobalt tools for Lowe's. As one of Lowe's own brands, Kobalt tools tend to be cheaper than other brands, offering good value for money.
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