Price definitely wasn't the issue. If it was, there wouldn't be any tool truck brands. These were clearly superior products (I have several of them, and they are the best locking pliers I've ever owned), and worth the price for people who need premium tools. Malco simply didn't market them. Nobody knew about them. I didn't even hear about them, until they were discontinued. They really screwed up. It wouldn't have cost much of anything to create a viral "buzz" about them on social media. All they needed to do was send a few pairs to the Project Farm guy, and they would have sold plenty!
I made an effort to buy these pliers, bringing them to Brazil wasn't cheap, but it was worth it! A masterpiece, a legacy of American industry. It would only have been better if Malco had launched the 12LC, 10LW, 7LW and 20R models. Then we'd have an Oscar for them.
People want USA made... "Want" is the key word here. However, people don't want to pay what a USA tool actually costs. It's a failing venture for any company to make something like this in America anymore. It cost too much for labor, tooling and too retool if something newer or better comes out. Snap-On can do it only because they have a unique locked-in customer base that will pay 10x the manufacturing cost. A typical retail customer is only going to pay 2-4x.
Sounds like a problem that can be solved, if there were the will to solve it. German tools are expensive too but the Germans are buying them just fine. FACOM tools are terribly expensive but Europeans, who do NOT have any more money than we do, prefer the brands made in their backyard and follow up by buying these brands. People in USA have been dumbed down to believe everything must be cheap. This is the problem. I can remember when Made In USA meant the best in the world. Our leadership has ruined that for us over the years.
@@doofwop Another key difference is also that everyone around this planet A: want and B: lust over German made products, including tools. This helps the Germans out with keeping production within the Fatherland (Germans i.e. Swiss, Austrians and Germany proper) but they too are hurting today, all European tool makers are hurting, as are the US ones. Not their fault, it is the fault of government really, they make it near impossible to run a profitable business no matter what line of profession you are in. I mean it has to stop before all competence (hundreds of years worth of it over here) and tradition is lost and outsourced to Asia. Added. Selden, a Swedish manufacturer of sailing boat equipment, standing rigging, masts etc used to be THE best manufacturer on this planet, oh well, turns out they no longer use Swedish steel but Chinese sources steel! Yeah, quality is no longer what it used to be. You can still find quality tools, but you often times have to be a detective to figure out where it is made and what steel was used.
@@StrangeQuark Tariffs just hurt the consumer. It boils down to a first world country problem. Americans can't afford other Americans to work for them anymore. We all want everything and we feel that we should all be equally paid. The only way to create a society where you can have a fellow American work for you and have all the luxuries is to create larger class/wage gaps. You could ban everything made in foreign countries right now and pretty much everything you buy would tenfold in price. Just peruse the Snap-on catalog /Pricebook and see what you're in store for for a USA made society. I have bought countless USA made items that I could have bought for pennies on the dollar and in the end it helps nothing.
I remember when they announced them, I really wanted them to succeed. However, I already owned a half dozen locking pliers from the original Petersen plant, and didn’t need any more. Probably true of a lot of other people. Most people with enough interest in the history or quality already had what whey need, and the typical buyer will just buy the cheapest at a big box store. Unfortunate story.
Malco manufactured the best locking pliers ever made. And they did it in America. My hat is off to them for trying. The sad truth is, even with a deal with a big box store, the end was inevitable. 99% of the population is only concerned with one thing--price. A $50 pair of locking pliers hanging on a peg next to a $9 pair doesn't stand a chance in a box store. The deal with Snap On made sense--they have the customer base for such a product. I own about two dozen Eagle Grips, and they're almost too nice to use.
Yeah the polished finish is so nice on them. I find myself not wanting to use the one I have for the same reason. Tempted to throw it down the driveway a few times to scratch it up, so I don't worry about it...
This has nothing to do with cost. It has all to do with the fact that they did 0 marketing and that no one knew about them making it until they closed. You can't blame the price when no one knows the product exists. They didn't appear in any magazine, paper, internet article, or youtube video until after they closed, the only place they appeared or were known about were on a few obscure forums and local news for DeWitt, Nebraska. Many comments, on the articles/videos that appeared after they closed had the impression that you couldn't get them anymore because they had closed.
I followed the story of these pliers from almost the start of the announcement of Malco making these "Vise-Grips" pliers. Even won a free promotional t-shirt! The only real advertisement I know about is Malco asking RUclipsrs to do a promotional video for them. The product was free if you an agreement with Malco was signed. ( I passed because of all the limitations Malco wanted when making the video.) I did however buy a Snap branded Malco set. They are great pliers and I do wish they would've been successful. thanks for the video.
For a time, there was a Craftsman version that was actually made by Petersen DeWitt. I have a couple pairs of them and they are exact copies of the Vise Grip. Sears also sourced locking pliers from Parker Manufacturing of Worcester Massachusetts and from the Adjustable Clamp Company in Chicago, Illinois. As others stated, that eagle sound is extremely annoying.
@@justinorwen1739 Yes. I have a pair of Craftsman locking pliers with the package and the patent comes back to DeWitt. However, depending on the year and style of the pliers, others had an "I" circle maker's mark and those were made by Parker of Worcester, MA. Also the "laminated" style locking pliers were made by the Adjustable Clamp Company of Chicago, IL. I have all three styles from all three makers.
I have 9 or 10 original Vise Grip pliers, I may have bought half of them new, the rest from yard sales or the like. No matter how bad they looked, it was easy to recondition them to functionally new. Project Farm reviewed vise grip type pliers twice, the second time they included the original Peterson Vise Grips, and they topped them all. As I recall, here was a mention of Eagle Grip, but they couldn't be found for testing. My point: the best deal for these pliers is to find original Vise Grips for a few bucks and recondition them. They're so simple anyone can do it. I don't always go for American Pragmatic design, but these are exceptional.
Yeah, I have a ton of used Vise Grips picked up from garage sales & flea markets. Hard to justify spending even $30 on new ones when the old ones are still plentiful.
They are really nice locking pliers. I've got every size, but the super rare long nose ones. That being said they were really expensive and Malco screwed up taking as long as they did so all the hype died.
I am one of those that bought Malco pliers when the amnounced the closing of the factory. I wanted to have the best locking pliers of the world for my personal colection. I was wondering why they are still in the market . Thanks for sharing. Saludos from Mexico 🇲🇽
Great video. I purchased a Rivco rivet gun around 1973 or so. I used it for 1/8" aluminum rivets when installing alum. gutters and downspouts. It was used hundreds if not a few thousand times. Nothing could replace this gun to this day. Rivco sold out to Malco I assume because they are identical. I have a couple of other Malco tools, they last!
Thanks for making this vid. I own two pair of Eagles. Probably have 50 pairs of Vise Grips. All different styles and sizes. Probably 75% are Peterson’s with the balance Irwin’s. Own some Malco sheet metal tools as well. I do think they were too expensive. Maybe should have offered a plain finish and the high polish nickel as an option. As far as marketing I would have had the Malco president stand in front of the factory in DeWitt and explain Malco wanted to continue to make the worlds best locking pliers in America, for Americans once again. All buying decisions are based on emotion. Malco should have pitched to that. I still applaud Malco’s effort and glad I have the two pair of Eagles.
1. The Eagle Grips were being marketed in the middle of the government shutdown called the Pandemic. A very bad time to start up a factory and market a new product. 2. The Eagle Grips are wonderful Vice Grips - I own and have used several pliers. 3. Even at Malco prices, the Eagle Grips, if bought new, are too expensive for someone in a trade to use - especially if that trade requires a number of Vise Grips. If a grip is used in welding - the grip will be subject to trough treatment such as weld spatter. Garage Door technicians carry a 5 gallon buck of Vise Grips (I had my garage door repaired when the door lost a cable and the door became angled in the opening. Took a lot of Vise Grips to straighten out the door.)
I first saw these on Project Farm, where they dominated in testing. Fancied a pair but perhaps not at the £40 they're charging in the UK. But I'd hate for the supply to dry up and me not have a pair, perhaps for Christmas! 😅 (I enjoyed the eagle sound)
Super video. I bought one pair before the closing of the plant. Once I heard they were available for a steep discount on Amazon I picked up a few more. I had no idea about the rivet or the power ring until you pointed them out. The finish was amazing, maybe too good considering what the tool is intended for. For some reason, unlike the original USA made vice grips, the Malco version has a hex opening in the adjustment screw, and the screw has a different finish. The only other tool I have with this kind of finish is Nepros. Very expensive Japanese tools. It too bad Malco stopped so soon, and like someone else mentioned, that the other Snap-On sizes weren’t available. Keep up the great work.
Thanks! Yeah the finish on them was maybe 'too nice' I don't think I've ever used the hex in the adjustment screw. There's a bunch of other brands that have that now too, or a hole in the screw so you can put a screwdriver through.
They failed at marketing them..I have many friends that would have bought them. You can still get them through Harry Epstein. We bought close to 500$ worth from them.
I just heard about them a day ago and I pay more attention than the average bear. So it seems like the marketing wasn't so great. Interestingly I looked up in my financial records from the 90s to see what I paid for my US made Vise Grips and the inflation adjusted price I think was around $35 or so but that's if you believe the federal government's inflation figures. Someone said in the comments they were buying them for $5 in the early 90s but I paid way more in the mid 90s - can't remember what I paid but I think it was $`18 or $19. The old US made ones are better, but just barely. I can see someone who is out on jobsites with rain and thieves around having a hard time justifying paying that much more but it is a non-issue to me. I still have my 1990s ones and they are in great shape - LOL in part because once they were no longer made in the US I started using my newer foreign made ones and 'saving' my precious irreplaceable US made ones only when I really needed to use them- haha.
Thank God I bought a bucket full of Irwin USA manufactured Vise Grips when they were still a quality product. I purchased some Harbor Freight Chneeseum pliers & had about an 80% failure rate due to improper heat treatment or poor quality steel. One of the best sources of quality tools are flea markets selling used American made tools.
I agree Malco should have invested more money in advertising you can't make any kind of profit if you're lurking in the shadows I know some people complained about the price when they were 45 to 50 dollars a pair which really baffles me when Snap-on makes the exact same product for twice the amount and people are okay with that to each their own I guess and also I think of Malco would have invested in Machining other tools especially for the automotive industry and like mentioned earlier actually advertise they would probably still be here today just look how SK has cut back on USA made tools especially Automotive and how they now are owned by great star of China Outsourcing has really hurt a lot of companies it makes it hard for USA companies to stay in business not the case for Malco for which they didn't advertise enough really enjoying your videos thanks for sharing
You're welcome. Thanks for watching! Yeah if they had done more advertising for the pliers it wouldn't have hurt. The pricing wasn't too bad considering what they were.
Unfortunately Snap-On, despite charging 2x or 3x more than Malco, the quality of the models recently launched by Snap-On seems worse. They don't include the solid rivet that reinforces the upper jaw, they press it into the plate like the generic manufacturers do. Nor did I see any mention of AISI 9260 steel.
I just realized that I had a brand new in box set of these in my apartment inside a cabinet and I packed d a disposal company to empty my apartment and toss everything that was in it and these, along with probably 10 grand worth and f tools and equipment have been relocated to a dump somewhere. Never to be seen again. Oh well. I needed a piece, because I was becoming a hoarder
Big box stores could never sell a premium quality American made vise grip at $45 regardless of marketing. Their typical customers are content to pay $17 for a reasonable quality Taiwanese made vise grip.
I have two of these, in the 10 inch size. One with straight jaws, the other with curved ones. They are the best vise-grips ever. Love using them. I also have a pair of Knipex. Those are good too. Vise grips are my favorite tools!! 😊
I never know about them until I heard they were going out of production. They should have marketed them MUCH better. Maybe approach some of the big box stores and see about getting some first hand exposure with on the shelf product placement. Not sure if that would help, but it could have
The combination of millions of old USA made tools still in circulation through venues like eBay, vast improvements in the quality of foreign made tools, and professional tool users needing to find ways to cut costs to stay competitive pretty much destroyed the made-in-USA tool market. It's sad to see it go, but it was inevitable under these circumstances.
Malco’s strength has always been specialized tools. It’s too bad they couldn’t make their marketing work. I have four pair of Eagle Grips. They are the BEST. My old American made Vise-Grips are second. The Chinese copies cannot compare. World War II MADE Vise-Grips. Every shop should have a few. The “second death” of the DeWitt factory is sad.
I still have a lot of genuine Vise Grips. Enough to get me by. Although I do wish I'd bought more when I had the chance. Harbor Freight used to sell genuine Vise Grips pretty cheap. So every order I'd throw a couple in. Vise Grips are a wonder tool. Every hex fastener you're likely to run into is Vise Grip size for instance.
The ORIGINAL Vice-Grips were made, until Stanley (?) bought the company, closed its factory, and sent the production overseas, were ALWAYS made in DeWitt, Nebraska. Other than their use as a clamping device, Vice-Grips were nothing more than an advanced pair of "farmer pliers".
That was definitely short sighted and very very poor marketing ... Specially there pricing. In the early 90's I was buying vise grip pliers for $5, new. Go figure...... Here's a tip for all you sales and marketing losers... ............... The money is in the volume, Sure its hard work, but guess what...... IT works.. Your not going out of business.
I think they had the volume. If it's true that they had 100,000 unsold pliers when they closed. They also had a MAP pricing agreement in place, where the few retailers that had them, weren't allowed to sell them for less. Someone else mentioned they could have lowered the price by skipping the high-polished finish, which they didn't really need. Seems like lots of mistakes made all around.
@@vw4x4 what qualifies you to run your mouth to all of the sales and marketing losers? Why would you even call someone you don't know a loser? What secrets do you know that they don't? Can you send a resume? I just wonder if you are actually this genius with bold new ideas or maybe not. I mean your suggestion of "sell a lot of something" is pretty genius. But like, you know, any thing other than that? I have my marketing geniuses taking notes. They loved your part about, they sure don't make TV like the Osmonds anymore, and "new artists could learn a thing or two from _________" I'll bet you could grace us with quite a few amazing insights. Man how did you ever think of volume as a strategy. Wow. Corner office for sure.
No one wants to be a failure. I remember hearing that at the time the head marketing guy left at a crucial moment in creating hype around these tools & I think without the leadership creating hype during the tools actual release, it was hard to move these premium priced pliers. If they would have got them in the hands of tool testers on a broad scale, I think that they could have gotten demand up. But they just sort of made the pliers hoping buyers would come & that didnt end up working out.
@MarkTrades__ absolutely, they basically stopped at hope's and dreams. No big advertising push, no real social media testing, and quite frankly, a huge price to pay. Are they the best vice grips? Yes, but are they 100% better than the competition? Nope imo. For most consumers, the advantages weren't enough to justify the price. To me, the pinch/welded portion has never been a failure point on these.
@MarkTrades__ That explains some things if the marketing guy left. @andrestnt Yeah the 'power ring' seems like something that's cool from an engineering perspective, but was it really needed from a practical one? I've never seen the weld break there either.
@@ballinator Their president of marketing left about a year before they went into production, and the position was not filled until after they stopped production. Apparently their marketing team must have been just that one guy.
They would have never went big box with those due to the discounting required for the box to make a profit.seems to me they wanted to control the profit level directly because they knew there wasnt much to be made off them.
There's been times when I wished I had better Vise Grips. Most of the time the grips I have are good enough though. That asking price for Malcos is pretty prohibitive. I imagine they were not cheap tools to produce. To stay in business a company does have to make a profit. So Snap-on's price is probably more in line with doing that than Malco's was.
@@ballinator what they're doing is just adding job orders to their existing production and using the machines they have. When the order hits the floor the machines are setup to do the ops. The tools, dies and jigs come out. Then they do the run. I can't imagine they're doing a high sales volume at the price they're charging. So they're not going to be in constant production of locking pliers.
I got a pair of these when they came out. Every aspect of them is incredible.
Price definitely wasn't the issue. If it was, there wouldn't be any tool truck brands. These were clearly superior products (I have several of them, and they are the best locking pliers I've ever owned), and worth the price for people who need premium tools. Malco simply didn't market them. Nobody knew about them. I didn't even hear about them, until they were discontinued. They really screwed up. It wouldn't have cost much of anything to create a viral "buzz" about them on social media. All they needed to do was send a few pairs to the Project Farm guy, and they would have sold plenty!
I made an effort to buy these pliers, bringing them to Brazil wasn't cheap, but it was worth it!
A masterpiece, a legacy of American industry.
It would only have been better if Malco had launched the 12LC, 10LW, 7LW and 20R models. Then we'd have an Oscar for them.
Yeah, other sizes and jaw types would have been nice. I suspect if the launch had been more successful, they might have come out with them later on.
People want USA made... "Want" is the key word here. However, people don't want to pay what a USA tool actually costs. It's a failing venture for any company to make something like this in America anymore. It cost too much for labor, tooling and too retool if something newer or better comes out. Snap-On can do it only because they have a unique locked-in customer base that will pay 10x the manufacturing cost. A typical retail customer is only going to pay 2-4x.
Sounds like a problem that can be solved, if there were the will to solve it. German tools are expensive too but the Germans are buying them just fine. FACOM tools are terribly expensive but Europeans, who do NOT have any more money than we do, prefer the brands made in their backyard and follow up by buying these brands. People in USA have been dumbed down to believe everything must be cheap. This is the problem. I can remember when Made In USA meant the best in the world. Our leadership has ruined that for us over the years.
Snap-On also has multiple existing factories they could roll the pliers into. No need to have a whole dedicated factory just for one type of tool.
@@doofwop Another key difference is also that everyone around this planet A: want and B: lust over German made products, including tools. This helps the Germans out with keeping production within the Fatherland (Germans i.e. Swiss, Austrians and Germany proper) but they too are hurting today, all European tool makers are hurting, as are the US ones. Not their fault, it is the fault of government really, they make it near impossible to run a profitable business no matter what line of profession you are in. I mean it has to stop before all competence (hundreds of years worth of it over here) and tradition is lost and outsourced to Asia.
Added.
Selden, a Swedish manufacturer of sailing boat equipment, standing rigging, masts etc used to be THE best manufacturer on this planet, oh well, turns out they no longer use Swedish steel but Chinese sources steel! Yeah, quality is no longer what it used to be. You can still find quality tools, but you often times have to be a detective to figure out where it is made and what steel was used.
need tariffs
@@StrangeQuark Tariffs just hurt the consumer. It boils down to a first world country problem. Americans can't afford other Americans to work for them anymore. We all want everything and we feel that we should all be equally paid. The only way to create a society where you can have a fellow American work for you and have all the luxuries is to create larger class/wage gaps. You could ban everything made in foreign countries right now and pretty much everything you buy would tenfold in price. Just peruse the Snap-on catalog /Pricebook and see what you're in store for for a USA made society. I have bought countless USA made items that I could have bought for pennies on the dollar and in the end it helps nothing.
I remember when they announced them, I really wanted them to succeed. However, I already owned a half dozen locking pliers from the original Petersen plant, and didn’t need any more. Probably true of a lot of other people. Most people with enough interest in the history or quality already had what whey need, and the typical buyer will just buy the cheapest at a big box store. Unfortunate story.
Yeah I only ever bought one of them. Have too many other pliers from other brands.
The eagle sounds just inspired me to go buy Malco pliers:) I never knew a us company was making pliers:( thanks for sharing
You're welcome! Thanks for watching.
Malco manufactured the best locking pliers ever made. And they did it in America. My hat is off to them for trying.
The sad truth is, even with a deal with a big box store, the end was inevitable. 99% of the population is only concerned with one thing--price. A $50 pair of locking pliers hanging on a peg next to a $9 pair doesn't stand a chance in a box store. The deal with Snap On made sense--they have the customer base for such a product. I own about two dozen Eagle Grips, and they're almost too nice to use.
Yeah the polished finish is so nice on them. I find myself not wanting to use the one I have for the same reason. Tempted to throw it down the driveway a few times to scratch it up, so I don't worry about it...
@@ballinator😅
The sound of that eagle flying past will haunt my dreams.
Too funny
Caw!
This has nothing to do with cost. It has all to do with the fact that they did 0 marketing and that no one knew about them making it until they closed. You can't blame the price when no one knows the product exists.
They didn't appear in any magazine, paper, internet article, or youtube video until after they closed, the only place they appeared or were known about were on a few obscure forums and local news for DeWitt, Nebraska. Many comments, on the articles/videos that appeared after they closed had the impression that you couldn't get them anymore because they had closed.
Yeah, they likely could have made the price point work if they had actually advertised it.
@@J-1410 also, why do I need original style vice grips? This dude bought a factory and came up with the plan later
@@WoodworkingforAnyone Replied to the wrong comment?
I followed the story of these pliers from almost the start of the announcement of Malco making these "Vise-Grips" pliers. Even won a free promotional t-shirt! The only real advertisement I know about is Malco asking RUclipsrs to do a promotional video for them. The product was free if you an agreement with Malco was signed. ( I passed because of all the limitations Malco wanted when making the video.) I did however buy a Snap branded Malco set. They are great pliers and I do wish they would've been successful. thanks for the video.
You're welcome. Thanks for watching! Interesting about the promotional videos. I don't think I saw any until after they launched.
I never saw any advertising for these either and the only place I saw them for sale was on the snap-on truck
For a time, there was a Craftsman version that was actually made by Petersen DeWitt. I have a couple pairs of them and they are exact copies of the Vise Grip. Sears also sourced locking pliers from Parker Manufacturing of Worcester Massachusetts and from the Adjustable Clamp Company in Chicago, Illinois.
As others stated, that eagle sound is extremely annoying.
I worked at the DeWitt plant the Craftsman and Malco were the same Visegrip only with a different stamp.
@@justinorwen1739 Yes. I have a pair of Craftsman locking pliers with the package and the patent comes back to DeWitt. However, depending on the year and style of the pliers, others had an "I" circle maker's mark and those were made by Parker of Worcester, MA. Also the "laminated" style locking pliers were made by the Adjustable Clamp Company of Chicago, IL. I have all three styles from all three makers.
I have 9 or 10 original Vise Grip pliers, I may have bought half of them new, the rest from yard sales or the like. No matter how bad they looked, it was easy to recondition them to functionally new. Project Farm reviewed vise grip type pliers twice, the second time they included the original Peterson Vise Grips, and they topped them all. As I recall, here was a mention of Eagle Grip, but they couldn't be found for testing. My point: the best deal for these pliers is to find original Vise Grips for a few bucks and recondition them. They're so simple anyone can do it.
I don't always go for American Pragmatic design, but these are exceptional.
Yeah, I have a ton of used Vise Grips picked up from garage sales & flea markets. Hard to justify spending even $30 on new ones when the old ones are still plentiful.
Another cohesive lesson. I appreciate the shared knowledge. 👍
Thanks man.
I just bought a pair of these, thanks to you.
You're welcome! I'm sure you'll like them.
I like to think he made the caw sound himself every time instead of copying it
They are really nice locking pliers. I've got every size, but the super rare long nose ones. That being said they were really expensive and Malco screwed up taking as long as they did so all the hype died.
They made needle nose?? I was waiting for those i use those the most. They should've started with those they are more versatile.
The marketing completely killed the pliers. Didn't know about them until they were gone.
Agreed. Can't sell a product if no one knows it exists.
I am one of those that bought Malco pliers when the amnounced the closing of the factory. I wanted to have the best locking pliers of the world for my personal colection. I was wondering why they are still in the market . Thanks for sharing. Saludos from Mexico 🇲🇽
You're welcome. Yeah they've probably sold more of them now after the plant closed, than when they were in production..
I met one of the great grandsons of the inventor of the original mechanism. He said it was originally to hold parts dipped in acid.
Interesting. I'll have to dig into that further for when I do the full video on Vise Grip.
Great video. I purchased a Rivco rivet gun around 1973 or so. I used it for 1/8" aluminum rivets when installing alum. gutters and downspouts. It was used hundreds if not a few thousand times. Nothing could replace this gun to this day. Rivco sold out to Malco I assume because they are identical. I have a couple of other Malco tools, they last!
Thanks!
Thanks for making this vid.
I own two pair of Eagles. Probably have 50 pairs of Vise Grips. All different styles and sizes. Probably 75% are Peterson’s with the balance Irwin’s. Own some Malco sheet metal tools as well.
I do think they were too expensive. Maybe should have offered a plain finish and the high polish nickel as an option.
As far as marketing I would have had the Malco president stand in front of the factory in DeWitt and explain Malco wanted to continue to make the worlds best locking pliers in America, for Americans once again.
All buying decisions are based on emotion. Malco should have pitched to that.
I still applaud Malco’s effort and glad I have the two pair of Eagles.
You're welcome! Yeah the high polish finish must have added quite a bit to the price tag.
The "corny" presentation style is also catchy...
Thanks!
Enjoyed the video. Thanks.😊
You're welcome! Thanks for watching.
They should've started with long needle nose those are more versatile. I rarely use any other vise grip but would like some USA made vise grips
Dammit, another cool tool I'd never heard of that I now have to go and buy.
And of course I can’t decide what size I need which means buying every size
And this is what I mean by their lack of marketing. No one knows about them, unless they run across obscure videos, posts, and articles.
1. The Eagle Grips were being marketed in the middle of the government shutdown called the Pandemic. A very bad time to start up a factory and market a new product.
2. The Eagle Grips are wonderful Vice Grips - I own and have used several pliers.
3. Even at Malco prices, the Eagle Grips, if bought new, are too expensive for someone in a trade to use - especially if that trade requires a number of Vise Grips. If a grip is used in welding - the grip will be subject to trough treatment such as weld spatter. Garage Door technicians carry a 5 gallon buck of Vise Grips (I had my garage door repaired when the door lost a cable and the door became angled in the opening. Took a lot of Vise Grips to straighten out the door.)
Interesting. I only bought one of them. Can't imaging buying a bucket full at those prices.
What marketing? They didn't do any.
Plan-Demic...
I have a couple pairs of them I purchased at a second hand tool store just because I have some of their other tools. Thank for sharing 👍👍😊😊
You're welcome!
Harry J Epstein has these Malco Pliers in several sizes for $29. I bought 24 pair and I may buy some more
Thanks. I added a link to Epstein's in the video description. 24 is quite the haul!
@@ballinatoryes sir, I’m a building Contractor, so they will get used. Thanks for your videos
I live about 100 miles from Annandale and I never heard of malco.
I first saw these on Project Farm, where they dominated in testing. Fancied a pair but perhaps not at the £40 they're charging in the UK. But I'd hate for the supply to dry up and me not have a pair, perhaps for Christmas! 😅
(I enjoyed the eagle sound)
Thanks! Yeah the Project Farm video is what got me to order mine.
Ok I've ordered a pair 😂
Super video. I bought one pair before the closing of the plant. Once I heard they were available for a steep discount on Amazon I picked up a few more. I had no idea about the rivet or the power ring until you pointed them out. The finish was amazing, maybe too good considering what the tool is intended for. For some reason, unlike the original USA made vice grips, the Malco version has a hex opening in the adjustment screw, and the screw has a different finish. The only other tool I have with this kind of finish is Nepros. Very expensive Japanese tools. It too bad Malco stopped so soon, and like someone else mentioned, that the other Snap-On sizes weren’t available. Keep up the great work.
Thanks! Yeah the finish on them was maybe 'too nice' I don't think I've ever used the hex in the adjustment screw. There's a bunch of other brands that have that now too, or a hole in the screw so you can put a screwdriver through.
They failed at marketing them..I have many friends that would have bought them. You can still get them through Harry Epstein. We bought close to 500$ worth from them.
Epstein's seems like the cheapest place to get them. I added a link to the video description.
I just heard about them a day ago and I pay more attention than the average bear. So it seems like the marketing wasn't so great.
Interestingly I looked up in my financial records from the 90s to see what I paid for my US made Vise Grips and the inflation adjusted price I think was around $35 or so but that's if you believe the federal government's inflation figures.
Someone said in the comments they were buying them for $5 in the early 90s but I paid way more in the mid 90s - can't remember what I paid but I think it was $`18 or $19.
The old US made ones are better, but just barely. I can see someone who is out on jobsites with rain and thieves around having a hard time justifying paying that much more but it is a non-issue to me. I still have my 1990s ones and they are in great shape - LOL in part because once they were no longer made in the US I started using my newer foreign made ones and 'saving' my precious irreplaceable US made ones only when I really needed to use them- haha.
Thanks. Eagle Claw looks awesome. I have a 10” crescent from Malco that is unparalleled.❤
Thank God I bought a bucket full of Irwin USA manufactured Vise Grips when they were still a quality product. I purchased some Harbor Freight Chneeseum pliers & had about an 80% failure rate due to improper heat treatment or poor quality steel. One of the best sources of quality tools are flea markets selling used American made tools.
Yeah, all the cheap ones the teeth wear out on them right away. No bite. I've been scrounging up old ones at flea markets & garage sales too.
Own those, & those, & those, & box of those Malco screws… and I don’t even work in hvac/sheet metal… do I have a problem?
Nope. Nothing wrong with having the right tools for the job, even if you don't do that job...
I agree Malco should have invested more money in advertising you can't make any kind of profit if you're lurking in the shadows I know some people complained about the price when they were 45 to 50 dollars a pair which really baffles me when Snap-on makes the exact same product for twice the amount and people are okay with that to each their own I guess and also I think of Malco would have invested in Machining other tools especially for the automotive industry and like mentioned earlier actually advertise they would probably still be here today just look how SK has cut back on USA made tools especially Automotive and how they now are owned by great star of China Outsourcing has really hurt a lot of companies it makes it hard for USA companies to stay in business not the case for Malco for which they didn't advertise enough really enjoying your videos thanks for sharing
You're welcome. Thanks for watching! Yeah if they had done more advertising for the pliers it wouldn't have hurt. The pricing wasn't too bad considering what they were.
I own a set and I LOVE THEM
I absolutely love my eagle grips!
Unfortunately Snap-On, despite charging 2x or 3x more than Malco, the quality of the models recently launched by Snap-On seems worse.
They don't include the solid rivet that reinforces the upper jaw, they press it into the plate like the generic manufacturers do. Nor did I see any mention of AISI 9260 steel.
Interesting. I was not aware Snap-On had made design changes.
Bought the 10 inch curved jay love it so i bought the 7 inch curved jaw pair.
I just realized that I had a brand new in box set of these in my apartment inside a cabinet and I packed d a disposal company to empty my apartment and toss everything that was in it and these, along with probably 10 grand worth and f tools and equipment have been relocated to a dump somewhere. Never to be seen again. Oh well. I needed a piece, because I was becoming a hoarder
Ouch, that had to hurt.
No idea why this popped up on my feed. Very informative and your narration is freaking hilarious CAWWWWW
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed.
Big box stores could never sell a premium quality American made vise grip at $45 regardless of marketing. Their typical customers are content to pay $17 for a reasonable quality Taiwanese made vise grip.
I have two of these, in the 10 inch size. One with straight jaws, the other with curved ones. They are the best vise-grips ever. Love using them. I also have a pair of Knipex. Those are good too. Vise grips are my favorite tools!! 😊
Yeah I love all kinds of vise grips. Of all the ones I've owned the Malco's are the nicest.
3:08 great video - I just ordered a pair. By the way FORESHADOWING in your video is missing an “E”.
Thanks! LOL you're right! I need to spell-check title cards...
I didn't know that the Eagle Claw ever existed. Like you, I never saw them for sale anywhere.
I never know about them until I heard they were going out of production. They should have marketed them MUCH better. Maybe approach some of the big box stores and see about getting some first hand exposure with on the shelf product placement. Not sure if that would help, but it could have
Yeah, just getting a little exposure to the general public would've helped.
@@btrswt35 I'm willing to bet someone there thought of that.
The combination of millions of old USA made tools still in circulation through venues like eBay, vast improvements in the quality of foreign made tools, and professional tool users needing to find ways to cut costs to stay competitive pretty much destroyed the made-in-USA tool market. It's sad to see it go, but it was inevitable under these circumstances.
They didn’t try enough. Not enough advertising. I didn’t even know about this until this video. What a shame.
Yup. Can't sell a product if no one knows it exists..
Malco’s strength has always been specialized tools. It’s too bad they couldn’t make their marketing work. I have four pair of Eagle Grips. They are the BEST. My old American made Vise-Grips are second. The Chinese copies cannot compare. World War II MADE Vise-Grips. Every shop should have a few. The “second death” of the DeWitt factory is sad.
Vise Grip is part of our language. How can they be gone?
I still have a lot of genuine Vise Grips. Enough to get me by. Although I do wish I'd bought more when I had the chance. Harbor Freight used to sell genuine Vise Grips pretty cheap. So every order I'd throw a couple in. Vise Grips are a wonder tool. Every hex fastener you're likely to run into is Vise Grip size for instance.
The ORIGINAL Vice-Grips were made, until Stanley (?) bought the company, closed its factory, and sent the production overseas, were ALWAYS made in DeWitt, Nebraska.
Other than their use as a clamping device, Vice-Grips were nothing more than an advanced pair of "farmer pliers".
That was definitely short sighted and very very poor marketing ... Specially there pricing. In the early 90's I was buying vise grip pliers for $5, new.
Go figure...... Here's a tip for all you sales and marketing losers... ............... The money is in the volume, Sure its hard work, but guess what...... IT works.. Your not going out of business.
I think they had the volume. If it's true that they had 100,000 unsold pliers when they closed. They also had a MAP pricing agreement in place, where the few retailers that had them, weren't allowed to sell them for less. Someone else mentioned they could have lowered the price by skipping the high-polished finish, which they didn't really need. Seems like lots of mistakes made all around.
@@vw4x4 what qualifies you to run your mouth to all of the sales and marketing losers? Why would you even call someone you don't know a loser? What secrets do you know that they don't? Can you send a resume? I just wonder if you are actually this genius with bold new ideas or maybe not. I mean your suggestion of "sell a lot of something" is pretty genius. But like, you know, any thing other than that? I have my marketing geniuses taking notes. They loved your part about, they sure don't make TV like the Osmonds anymore, and "new artists could learn a thing or two from _________" I'll bet you could grace us with quite a few amazing insights. Man how did you ever think of volume as a strategy. Wow. Corner office for sure.
that eagle sound is sooo annoying...
I'm laughing every time.
😮how does Jerry Springer fit in just asking?
Couldn't think of a celebrity "Gerry" to act as an avatar, so went with that "Jerry" instead.
Sad story, not really. In reality, it's all their fault. Bad decisions all around, luckily snap-on bought the eagle grip.
No one wants to be a failure. I remember hearing that at the time the head marketing guy left at a crucial moment in creating hype around these tools & I think without the leadership creating hype during the tools actual release, it was hard to move these premium priced pliers. If they would have got them in the hands of tool testers on a broad scale, I think that they could have gotten demand up. But they just sort of made the pliers hoping buyers would come & that didnt end up working out.
@MarkTrades__ absolutely, they basically stopped at hope's and dreams. No big advertising push, no real social media testing, and quite frankly, a huge price to pay. Are they the best vice grips? Yes, but are they 100% better than the competition? Nope imo. For most consumers, the advantages weren't enough to justify the price. To me, the pinch/welded portion has never been a failure point on these.
@MarkTrades__ That explains some things if the marketing guy left. @andrestnt Yeah the 'power ring' seems like something that's cool from an engineering perspective, but was it really needed from a practical one? I've never seen the weld break there either.
@@ballinator Their president of marketing left about a year before they went into production, and the position was not filled until after they stopped production. Apparently their marketing team must have been just that one guy.
Everyone has multiple old pairs and they shall keep getting passed down no need for new ones
True. I could only bring myself to buy one of the Eagle Grips, since I have so many other locking pliers lying around.
They would have never went big box with those due to the discounting required for the box to make a profit.seems to me they wanted to control the profit level directly because they knew there wasnt much to be made off them.
True. They would have had to come down in price quite a bit for that to happen.
There's been times when I wished I had better Vise Grips. Most of the time the grips I have are good enough though. That asking price for Malcos is pretty prohibitive. I imagine they were not cheap tools to produce. To stay in business a company does have to make a profit. So Snap-on's price is probably more in line with doing that than Malco's was.
Yeah, plus Snap-On already has the factory infrastructure, they're probably just adding a few stations in an existing plant.
@@ballinator what they're doing is just adding job orders to their existing production and using the machines they have. When the order hits the floor the machines are setup to do the ops. The tools, dies and jigs come out. Then they do the run. I can't imagine they're doing a high sales volume at the price they're charging. So they're not going to be in constant production of locking pliers.
I’m not sure what Was worse, that damn eagle sound or the narrators nasally voice
A small price to pay for the lore.
If you buy snap on you’re a complete knob.
Eagles only sound like that if ya fast enough to get a "pinkie" in their egg hole
LOL.