Sae Tools, Socket Set, Wrenches, Etc...Should I Keep Them?

[emanphoto]

I'm moving permanently from the US to BKK in a couple weeks and I'm wondering if my SAE size tools will be worth having shipped along with everything else I own. If EVERYTHING is metric then I guess I can sell them. If I can sell them before I leave so much the better. Also if anyone has advice on what tools they miss etc, or any other advice re:tools, I'd be interested. I'll be selling my electrical tools before I leave of course.

Thanks!

[JAG]

Given that most Thai tools (in my experience) seem to be made of cheese, then I would suggest you bring them with you, metric or not!

I'd also hang on to the electrical tools! Most of the ones i have sourced locally are crap.

Edited May 12, 2012 by JAG

[emanphoto]

Hi JAG,

Cheese, hehe that's funny!

Given the electricity difference, my US tools being 120V and Thai electrical outlets being 220V, would it really be worthwhile to be running power tools through a 30lb. converter?

We did have a Thai guy here in Chicago do some work on our place here and he complained about the tool quality in Thailand, so I have been forewarned before we even thought of moving there. I do have a metric wrench set I bought to use on a car I had so those will surely come and bringing the others won't add much volume to our shipment.

[JRinger]

Hi JAG,

Cheese, hehe that's funny!

Given the electricity difference, my US tools being 120V and Thai electrical outlets being 220V, would it really be worthwhile to be running power tools through a 30lb. converter?

We did have a Thai guy here in Chicago do some work on our place here and he complained about the tool quality in Thailand, so I have been forewarned before we even thought of moving there. I do have a metric wrench set I bought to use on a car I had so those will surely come and bringing the others won't add much volume to our shipment.

I shipped my tools here a long time ago, both hand tools & electric. I've used a very small converter that cost 500 Baht and weighs about 5kg and it works fine for drills, belt sander, etc. Sad to say I've never used the SAE tools.

I also shipped my rockwell table saw and even got the motor working with a kick start !! The electric tools available here are ok, Makita, etc., just make sure they're not fakes from China. I bough a small Makita planer in Laos that's a piece of <deleted>.....if you're shipping over a container, I'd reward you handsomely for bringing over a used table saw. I know it's a lot to ask but if at all open to it, please pm me..... also, if you're into woodworking, you might want to consider counter sinking drill bits, #6 & #8 and matching plug cutters. Never could find any here.

Edited May 12, 2012 by JRinger

[emanphoto]

Whoops! Just posted this same reply to another thread I was reading!

I did do a little search and found http://www.cromwell....html#ht. Their hand tool catalog is here and is a 6MB pdf download. I don't know where they are but it's good to know one doesn't necessarily have to buy adult sized children's tools! Others may know where this address is... Cromwell Thailand. 2070 Moo 1, Old Railway Road, Samrong Nua, A. Mueng, Samutprakarn

Going by what's on their site, home pro seems a little sparse compared to most monster hardware stores here in the US.

JRinger, i'd love to oblige but we're barely going to fit our stuff in the containers we're shipping. Dang it's expensive to get two lift vans to BKK. The fact that the company packs everything for us is a relief though!

Edited May 13, 2012 by emanphoto

[RabC]

If you buy tools here at the local market/supermarket and pay peanuts you will get rubbish however, there are numerous suppliers of quality imported tools both hand and electrical.

[lopburi3]

As said quality tools are available but not at the local supermarket and makes much more sense to use 220v rather than burn up your 120v items (the plugs/sockets are the same here so will not take long). You might find a use for SAE for some imported white goods but most will be metric sold here. As you do not mention what status you will have for import suspect you will be hit for customs duty of some type so less is good. I moved here with normal suitcase as nothing was not available here that I required. And that was 20 years ago and much more is available here now. Although US is always going to be cheaper for most things due to market size/free trade when you increase by customs/shipping the advantage is less or gone and servicing is problematic.

[h90]

Given that most Thai tools (in my experience) seem to be made of cheese, then I would suggest you bring them with you, metric or not!

I'd also hang on to the electrical tools! Most of the ones i have sourced locally are crap.

Thai tools, are like American tools are like European tools, because these are international companies, they don't make a Thailand special edition.

You buy cheap....you get low quality. You buy expensive brand names, than they are exactly the same as in Germany.

[arthurwait]

Whoops! Just posted this same reply to another thread I was reading!

I did do a little search and found http://www.cromwell....html#ht. Their hand tool catalog is here and is a 6MB pdf download. I don't know where they are but it's good to know one doesn't necessarily have to buy adult sized children's tools! Others may know where this address is... Cromwell Thailand. 2070 Moo 1, Old Railway Road, Samrong Nua, A. Mueng, Samutprakarn

Going by what's on their site, home pro seems a little sparse compared to most monster hardware stores here in the US.

JRinger, i'd love to oblige but we're barely going to fit our stuff in the containers we're shipping. Dang it's expensive to get two lift vans to BKK. The fact that the company packs everything for us is a relief though!

Samut prakan to the southeast of Bangkok. Where the place is is another matter.

Don't buy from homepro although you may have some chance of getting your money back they are overpriced. The the only things you want to buy there are western things you can't find anywhere else or some decoration things of western tastes. Most power tools at homepro are available at places like Global house, but 500 - 1000 baht cheaper. The exact same tool. Global house also have a much larger selection.

Just as an example the exact same sink tap (it's the same with tools), same brand was 1500 odd in Homepro, 1100 odd in Global house.

Don't buy power tools or hand tools from local hardware shops as they are aimed at small Thai budgets and the quality reflects this. Same as supermarkets and Makro etc, etc. Cheap Chinese stuff.

Find a decent tool shop that has modern standards,but don't be fooled by some rich kids well decorated shop. If you are anywhere near Samut Prakan come further south to Chonburi/Bang Saen and there is a good tool shop on Sukumvit Road about one hundred metres south of Tesco lotus. The old guy in there speaks English. They also repair tools there. They discount the price which are usually the best price you will find anyway. The shop is the big tall reddish-pink building( only one floor of it is tools though ) They have tools of all qualities and are sensible enough to know what you want. No pushing expensive stuff or telling you cheap shit is good.

Not far from that is a nut and bolt shop on the other side of the road just past big C or is it Big C extra. Again if you're anywhere near the area and discover find most fixings in this country are very poor quality.

Also Hardware house on the motorway on the southwards side somewhere near level with Sri Racha is another good big shop, very much above the usual Thai standard. With stuff you can't find in most places.

Oh if buying power tools I haven't had a Maktec fail on me yet and I'm told they have the exact same enternals of their more expensive sister brand. Also I'm told that most the more expensive European, Japanese brands sold here are either (not very surprisingly) made here or mostly in China (again not very surrisingly) to a lower standard than those sold in the west. If true again it's not very surprising.

[lopburi3]

Global House is central to northern Thailand only - nothing close to Bangkok (which seems to be destination of OP).

[Quickmill]

I brought in BKK most of my necessary tools during my last trip to Italy.

I found a shop in sukhumvit 71 ( in front of the Esso pump station) which sales usag, beta and other good quality stuff such as electric drill, electric saw ect ect , yes the price it's higher than Chinatown but worth it.

Home pro and similar has a good selection for hobbies but for works are not lasting, my personal opinion.

[arthurwait]

Global House is central to northern Thailand only - nothing close to Bangkok (which seems to be destination of OP).

They are in Chonburi and a Bangkok friend knows of them I guess they are in Bangkok too.

Edit: nothing on their store list in Bangkok, but in Chonburi and Rayong. How strange.

Edited May 13, 2012 by arthurwait

[emanphoto]

It sounds like bringing my SAE tools will be "worth" it and esp. since the socket standard fittings are the same and I could just buy the metric sockets. Thanks for that tip! It sounds like my SAE wrenches will have limited use but the space they will take up in the container will be very small. My power tools consist of a circular saw, orbital sander, finishing sander, a jigsaw, and a drill. Since JRinger says a small converter will work, and I don't have that many, I'll see how much space is left in the container and make the call then as they could all fit in one box and that will either fit or not.

I'm not worried on duties as my wife is Thai and her name is on the shipment. We're not shipping any booze though as it's been posted on this site many times (a good warning for us) how we'd get raped on fees for any wine or whatever that is brought in. We've been advised by our shipper that we'll be paying around $400 in dock fees, (or whatever they call it), no matter what when we finally pick it up.

Since we'll be living in a condo in BKK, I don't foresee needing my tools that much, let alone being allowed to use them in a condo, but I've always had them available to use. Since I've done a ton of work on our bldg. here in Chicago, I get the feeling my in-laws may be asking for help around their places. I'm a photographer and old school B&W printer by trade/passion/art so working with tools isn't what I like to do in my spare time but more so use them out of necessity. So when something breaks I definitely want the tools to fix it at the ready.

My wife's family is in the cement biz and once the shipment arrives, my professional gear and probably most of my tools will be stored in an empty office there till I can set up someplace workable. It's outside BKK but I couldn't tell you where as it's been 7 years since my last trip there and I never really learned the streets or highways during my visits.

Thanks for all the tips on watching out for cheap tools and I'll be checking for brands I know as well as the build quality.

[floridaguy]

Sell your tools, get some Craftsmen or Snap-On tools all in metric and bring those. It is impossible to find good quality tools. I left all mine back in Florida, and miss them. The ones here are crap, not just in quality but also selection. When you do find some decent quality tools, they are about 4 times the price of what you could bring. As long as space and weight aren't a problem for you, bring the hand tools. As for the power tools, if I were you and I used my tools alot, I would bring them. It might be a bit of hassle, but worth the quality.

[astral]

Agreed. locally sourced tools tend to come from China and be of poor quality.

A good metric set will stand you on good stead, unless you have an old car to maintain?

Not very likely in LOS.

[emanphoto]

That helps a lot floridaguy. I will bring what I have in metric and since my SAE set won't bring much $, and just get a metric set.

One technical question: A screwdriver is a screwdriver right? I mean, those aren't metric too are they? Are Allen wrenches are metric too?

Although these are more tools than I need in the link, I think SnapOn may be out of my range! I'm sure they're great and all but...hoowee! I don't plan on working on cars or building a house but basic tools are pretty much a necessity in my book.

[Shrubbery]

Hex keys (Allen Keys) come in Imperial & Metric.

Stahlwille tools are as good as if not better than Snap On (IMO), and also cheaper.

[wayned]

I would scrap the SAE tools and buy a good set of metric ones. I've yet to find any good ones here. Also bring a a set of "easy outs" to remove broken blots or screws. They're probably available her but I haven't come across them in 14 years. I wouldn't bring the electrical tools, unless you have a "specialized" one that you use. They are available here but are expensive.

[David006]

Sell your tools, get some Craftsmen or Snap-On tools all in metric and bring those. It is impossible to find good quality tools. I left all mine back in Florida, and miss them. The ones here are crap, not just in quality but also selection. When you do find some decent quality tools, they are about 4 times the price of what you could bring. As long as space and weight aren't a problem for you, bring the hand tools. As for the power tools, if I were you and I used my tools alot, I would bring them. It might be a bit of hassle, but worth the quality.

AAAH Sears! ...acres of tools and DIY stuff.....drool...........a wonderland.....what a way to spend a few hours on a wet Sunday buying lots of neat stuff you may never use while the spouse is buying boring shit like food or.......still got my 30 year old Craftsman socket set....only thing that's broke is one of the plastic case catches.....probably a market for a container load among aficionados...lol ......do so miss my reciprocating saw!

just a thought on bringing 110v to 240v environment...when we moved from Canada to Oz I brought all my power tools and bought a used transformer at 1000w....burned out using the skill saw ( 800w) after a while so bought another 2000 watt.... Eventually replaced all for 240v tools as the power /torque was not there.

A friend from the same company took his white goods and home appliances and wired up his kitchen with alternate outlets from a 2000 watt transformer....I believe he went back to the US so never heard how the appliances stood up

Edited May 13, 2012 by David006

[NanLaew]

Quality imported power tools are available here. I was a Black & Decker (UK) man but found the same brand as supplied for SE Asia (and Australia) was rubbish. I discovered that (genuine) Makita was a good purchase over here. Lately, I have added some DeWalt gear without complaint. Maybe try some if the specialist shops on Harwin Drive in Houston before you close the doors on your container.They used to specialise in 240V appliances for people moving overseas but some have expanded their inventories beyond white goods. The alternative would wait until you have some friends over here from the UK, Europe or Australia who may bring back the gizmo's you need the most.

But one thing you can buy LOADS of and save TONS and avoid FRUSTRATION are drill bits; especially specialised ones for stainless-steel or ceramics. Most local stuff is total crap and when you do come across a genuine imported set, you need to trade a kidney or the oldest unmarried daughter to get them!

Edited May 14, 2012 by NanLaew

[thaihome]

...One technical question: A screwdriver is a screwdriver right? I mean, those aren't metric too are they? ...

Your US screwdrivers will be worthless in Thailand. You must use left handed screwdrivers.

Seriously, quality tools are readily available in Thailand but as they are a bit more expensive than in the US because of the import duties. If you are getting a Thai citizen duty free container then load up with all you can before you come.

Electric tools are problematic and the voltage is not the only issue as power here is 50 hertz not the 60 hertz the motors are designed for. The voltage adapter will work but the motor will overheat fairly quickly when a load is applied.

I would sell the power tools and buy what you need here.

TH

Edited May 14, 2012 by thaihome

[citizen33]

I'm not quite sure how well the US 120v power tools will perform via a transformer from the 220v mains supply in Thailand. However, it is an interesting point that most professional site tools in the UK are 110v, and run through transformers from the 240v mains. This voltage is considered safer for outside work, and I've never heard anybody complaining that there is less torque. The transformers, cables etc for 110v are normally coloured yellow, while those for 240v are blue. I've seen the blue heavy-duty plugs and sockets for this system in Global House, but I don't know about the yellow transformers. They go for about GBP15 in car boot sales in the UK (guess a lot disappear from building sites). The heavy-duty yellow cables are also in plentiful supply secondhand and in fact i have several in my house in Thailand which I have converted to use on 220v as very long extension cables for the garden and around about.

P.S. Guess the 60 hz vs 50 hz difference mentioned above may be an issue, but not sure. Thailand and UK = 50 hz: USA = 60 hz. I understand that some power tools sold in the US are rated at 50-60 hz and will be okay and some are rated at 60 hz only and may run less well with a Thai step-down transformer.

Edited May 14, 2012 by citizen33