Who Makes Tekton Sockets And Where Are They Manufactured?

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Tekton Tools is a privately held, family-owned company founded in the United States in 1963, with its headquarters still in Grand Rapids, Michigan. According to the Tekton website's "About Us" page, Tekton, pronounced tek-tin, is an ancient Greek word that describes "a person of skill, particularly with the hands."

Tekton has a global manufacturing base, with nearly 80% of its products, including Tekton sockets, made in Taiwan. The company also produces almost 15% of its goods in the United States, and claims its U.S. manufacturing presence is growing. Other countries that produce Tekton products include Canada, Germany, Poland, and Sweden. Some tool companies proudly display products labeled Made in USA, while making it difficult to decipher the origin of tools made in other countries. Tekton takes a different approach, prominently displaying the country of origin in the "Specifications" section of each product page listed on its website.

Tekton sockets are available for sale directly from Tekton.com. In addition, Amazon and Home Depot are popular retailers that carry a variety of Tekton tools, including sockets. For comparison, Home Depot and Tekton list the standard ¼-inch drive, 8mm, 12-point socket (SHD02308) for sale, priced at $4.00. The 73-piece Tekton ⅜-inch drive 6-point socket and ratchet set (SKT15311) sells for $182.00 online at Tekton and Amazon.

Tekton's commitment to transparency about where its tools are made and its pledge to grow its Made-in-America offerings are refreshing. However, Tekton's warranty, loyalty rewards, and programs for students and educators make it popular among users.

Many tool companies offer lifetime warranties on their tools today, but it's not uncommon for them to require proof of purchase and limit coverage to the original owner. Tekton Tools' warranty page boasts "No Time Limits ... No Receipts" and promises to "cover the cost of shipping the new product" when they issue a replacement.

Tekton's rewards program lets customers earn 10% back on every order. Simply create a free account on the Tekton website, buy some tools, and within a couple of hours, Tekton will credit your account with rewards that can be used like cash for any future Tekton purchase, except eGift Cards. Rewards stored in your Tekton account expire after 2 years.

Tekton's Student and Educator Program offers a 15% discount on all tool orders, with no minimum order amount and no cap on spending. In addition, the purchase qualifies for Tekton's 10% rewards program. You can visit these links to start your application as a student or an educator.

Unfortunately, Tekton ranks near the bottom among major socket wrench brands. While Tekton compares favorably with brands like Stanley, Craftsman, and Icon, those brands are also among the worst when major socket set brands are ranked.

Tekton tools are among the best alternatives to Harbor Freight tools. For example, the $182.00 73-piece Tekton socket set mentioned earlier is competitively priced compared to Harbor Freight's 54-piece Icon socket set that costs $159.99. Both sets contain standard and deep sockets in metric and SAE sizes, extension adapters, and a ⅜-inch drive ratchet. The Tekton set is a good value, as it includes more and larger sockets, along with a breaker bar.

Ultimately, Tekton sockets provide a good option for anyone looking to fill a tool kit with serviceable tools, backed by an accessible lifetime warranty from a company interested in supporting those entering the skilled trades. They may not be the best tools on the market, but it's probably more important to have all the tools required to do a job than just a few of the best. Any Tekton tool that fails is easy to replace, and any entry-level tool that breaks more than once should be upgraded as your budget allows.