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Technology
ByGarrett Ettinger/
In the world of power tools, there are so many options available on the market it can make one's head spin. From affordable brands to the most elite, top-tier offerings, choosing the right company can be tricky. Kobalt tools are a reliable and trusted power tool brand from Lowe's and what most would consider a mid to high-range cordless power tool option with some affordable offerings.
However, price isn't everything, and this is especially true when it comes to big-ticket purchases like power tools. With a wide roster of different tools, the question of whether Kobalt is a good power tool brand requires a close examination of the competition. When most people consider the quality of a power tool, they often ask pertinent questions, like where it was manufactured and how the performance compares to similar products in its price range.
While Kobalt tools are not the highest-end power tools that you can purchase, it is a reliable mid-range option that's bolstered by its status as an official option at Lowe's, which offers fairly flexible return policies if the product is damaged or malfunctions in any way.
Who owns Kobalt tools?
The answer to who owns and makes Kobalt tools is surprisingly more complex than one would think. Founded in 1998 via a partnership between Lowe's and J.H. Williams Tool Group, the company started so that the home improvement company could compete with Sears and The Home Depot in the tool market. J.H. Williams is better known for creating reliable hand tools since the 1880s.
In 1882, James Williams and Mathew Diamond founded Williams & Diamond in Flushing Queens. The company would later go on to change its name to J.H. Williams and would mass-produce some of the country's first drop-forged hand tools. This would eventually lead to the partnership with Lowe's over 100 years later, which would go on to produce Kobalt tools.
However, having ownership over the brand and making the tools are two different things. From the start, Lowes worked with overseas organizations to help manufacture parts for its tools, including countries like China and Taiwan. While some of the tools may be assembled in the United States, it's currently unclear which tools are. Instead, a variety of different manufacturers help bring Kobalt tools to market.
Who makes Kobalt tools, and where are they made?
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From 2003 to 2011, Kobalt Tools were manufactured mainly by the Danaher Corporation, the same company that manufactures tools for Craftsman, Lufkin, and Belzer. However, in 2011, Lowe's changed this and started working with a variety of manufacturers, leading different companies to play a part in Kobalt tool manufacturing.
At one point, the Las Vegas, Nevada-based JS Products, a company that produces hand tools for STEELMAN and other products for DeWalt, produced hand tools for Kobalt, but today, many of their hand tools, like screwdrivers, are produced by Great Neck. Kobalt power tools are mainly manufactured outside of the United States by Chervon, the same company that also produces products for popular tool brands like EGO, Flex, and Skil. The company also used to manufacture tools for Craftsman, but that brand was purchased by Stanley Black & Decker in 2017. Notably, Black & Decker is a company that puts a greater emphasis on having tools manufactured in the United States.
Chervon is a global company with factories located mainly in China and Germany and makes a wide range of different power tools, from cordless drivers, drills, and saws, to landscaping equipment like chainsaws and hedge trimmers. Flex, a German-based tool company founded in 1922, joined Chervon in 2013 to bolster its manufacturing capabilities.
Are Kobalt tools good?
Kobalt tools are a mid to high-range option that has innovated mainly on its 24V Max model for cordless handheld power tools. Affordable and generally reliable, they are a slight step above other store brands like The Home Depot's Ryobi tools or Walmart's HART line. At fairly similar price points, Kobalt tools offer a more powerful 24V battery on their cordless drill/driver, compared to Ryobi's 18V and HART's 20V.
The battery on the Kobalt enables it to exert more as well, as the cordless drill achieves 2000 in-lb of torque and 3800 IPM, which exceeds competitors. Notably, Ryobi and HART tools have 515 and 550 in-lbs. of torque, respectively. Other tools in the Kobalt line, however, have received lower reviews, even in their 24V Max line. Specifically, their cordless polisher and sander received middling reviews, with some complaining about power, in addition to some of their larger saw models also receiving average reviews online.
Kobalt tools price comparison
While larger table power tools will run a similar cost to Ryobi and HART, the 24V Max line of cordless handheld tools will be a bit more expensive and more similar in cost to higher-end brands like Milwaukee and DeWalt. For instance, the Kobalt XTR 24V Max 1/2-in. cordless drill costs $169 at Lowe's, with the Milwaukee M18 Fuel 18V 1/2-in. cordless drill selling for $189 at The Home Depot and DeWalt 20V Max XR 1/2-in driver costing $274 at Lowe's.
Compared to more affordable drills, like Ryobi ONE 18V, which can be purchased for only $77.32 on Amazon, users will pay extra for the premium battery. Of the complaints about Kobalt tools, users have said that the battery makes them bulky or awkward to use. As mentioned previously, some of their larger pieces of equipment have also received some average reviews from users.
Ultimately, Kobalt tools are a slight step above the mid-range tools found online. While they are a bit better than other home improvement store brands for their cordless handheld line, they have received mixed results for larger power tools. Kobalt tools are fairly comparable to other big box brands, and their new battery technology is a cut above the rest regarding hand-held power tools.
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