Since we are so focused on the question of what tools are made in the USA, we wanted to take a look at what is actually made and assembled here in the USA and celebrate the companies that employ American workers. Of course, we immediately run into two problems: first, it’s impossible to include everyone, and second, the rules are changing regarding when a product or tool can actually be said to be made in the USA.

We invite you to follow us. We’ll go through the list alphabetically. If we missed any companies that make tools and equipment in the USA, let us know in the comments below.

What Tools Are Made in the USA

Now we’ll discuss “What Tools Are Made in the USA”, Before we dive in, we need to back up a bit. In June 2020, the FTC released a notice of proposed rulemaking for “Made in USA” labeling rules.

The proposed rule applies to the labels of products that make unqualified or broad “Made in USA” claims. It generally prohibits marketers from making unqualified MUSA claims on the label unless:

Final assembly or processing of the product occurs in the United States;
All significant processing steps of the product occur in the United States; and
All or substantially all of the ingredients or components of the product are manufactured and sourced in the United States.
We can’t check every component of a product. Therefore, we must trust what we know or can identify, and applaud the following companies that employ Americans to manufacture their products here in the USA:

Check out this Made in the USA Socket Set!

ARIENS

AriensCo began in 1933 when Henry Ariens and his three sons developed the first American-made tiller. They did this at a time when other manufacturers were experimenting with imported tillers. The company has been passed down from son to son for four generations ever since. For nearly 90 years, the company’s zip code and its CEO’s last name have remained the same:

AriensCo is headquartered in Brillion, Wisconsin, a small town of just 3,200 people. What started as a simple idea in a garage has grown into a multi-brand corporation employing more than 1,700 people. And the best part? The company is still owned and operated by the same family that started it all. Classis answer “What Tools Are Made in the USA”!

BRIGGS & STRATTON

Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Briggs & Stratton Corporation is the world’s largest manufacturer of gasoline engines for garden equipment. The company also designs, manufactures and sells generators, pressure washers, lawn and garden, lawn care and construction products under the Briggs & Stratton, Simplicity, Snapper, Ferris, Vanguard, Allmand, Billy Goat, Murray, Blanco and Victa brands. Briggs & Stratton designs, manufactures, sells and services products in more than 100 countries on six continents.

Briggs & Stratton – What Tools Are Made in the USA
But – Briggs & Stratton manufactures 85% of its products here in the USA and sources parts from the USA and other countries. The company has manufacturing facilities in Statesboro, Georgia, and Auburn, Alberta, where it produces the V-twin Vanguard engine. It also manufactures engines and other products at plants in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Briggs & Stratton closed its Murray, Kentucky, plant in 2020, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy the same year.) The company consolidated production of small vertical shaft engines at its Poplar Bluff, Missouri, plant.

Finally, in 2021, Briggs & Stratton opened a new 80,000 square foot advanced battery manufacturing facility in Tucker, Georgia.

CHANNELLOCK

Channellock is a wholly owned subsidiary of George B. DeArment, a blacksmith in Evansburg, Pennsylvania, began hand-forging farrier tools in a small shop.

More than 130 years later, ChannelLock is still run by the fifth generation of the DeArment family. The company has two offices totaling 250,000 square feet in Meadville, Pennsylvania, and employs more than 350 full-time employees. The company manufactures more than 75 different sizes and types of pliers.

What Tools Are Made in the USA? As far as we know, ChannelLock still manufactures all of its pliers in Meadville and ships to more than 4,000 U.S. wholesale and retail customers in 45 countries.

Crescent Tools

Crescent Tools include brands such as Wiss, H.K. Porter, Jobox, and of course Crescent Tools.

What Tools Are Made in the USA include Crescent Wiss Next Generation Aviation Snips, Crescent H.K. Porter 14″ PowerPivot Center Cut Double Compound Action Bolt Cutter, Crescent JOBOX Crossover Truck Box and JOBOX Chest.
Wiss and H.K. products such as Porter are made in Lexington, South Carolina, while JOBOX products are made in Jonesboro, Arkansas.

CUB CADET

Since 1961, Cub Cadet has been manufacturing lawn and garden equipment in the USA at its manufacturing facilities in Ohio, Mississippi and Tennessee. Cub Cadet also designs and engineers its products in Valley City, Ohio, the headquarters where it now operates globally under the name MTD Products.

DEWALT, CRAFTSMAN, STANLEY BLACK & DECKER

Stanley Black & Decker (or SBD) includes too many brands to mention. Most people know brands like DeWalt, Craftsman, Stanley, Black + Decker, Bostitch, Irwin, Porter-Cable, Mac Tools, Proto, Lenox, just to name a few. In a virtual tour of the country, SBD claims to have 48 manufacturing facilities in the United States. The company maintains these facilities in about 24 states, totaling more than 18,000 U.S.-based workers who manufacture products in the U.S. using materials from around the world.

ESTWING

Since 1923, family-owned Estwing has been developing and manufacturing claw hammers, axes, specialty tools, and crowbars for craftsmen and artisans.

Estwing manufactures most of its hammers and hatchets in Rockford, Illinois.

FOREST MANUFACTURING COMPANY

FOREST MANUFACTURING was founded in 1946 by Albert Walter Forrest and is based in Clifton, New Jersey. The company remains family-owned and operated. To this day, the company’s skilled workforce manufactures all of its blades and groovers in the USA.

FLIR SYSTEMS

FLIR Systems has locations in both Wilsonville, Oregon, and Arlington, Virginia. The company began developing high performance, cost-effective thermal imaging systems for aviation applications in 1978. FLIR designs and manufactures many of its products in the United States. The company is also one of the largest U.S. manufacturers of high quality thermal imaging products.

What Tools Are Made in the USA? FLIR TG275
The company has manufacturing and research and development facilities in Goleta (California), North Billerica (Massachusetts), Bozeman (Montana), Stillwater (Oklahoma), Freeport (Pennsylvania), Oak Ridge (Tennessee), and West Lafayette, Indiana. FLIR employs more than 1,600 people in the U.S. alone. Oh, and in case you’re curious, FLIR stands for Forward-Looking InfraRed.

GENERAC

Generac was founded in 1959 and was the first company to develop an affordable home emergency generator. The company also claims to have developed the first engine designed specifically for the rigorous demands of generator use. Today, Generac claims to be the largest portable generator manufacturer in North America.

In 1996, the company opened a third manufacturing facility in Eagle, Wisconsin, which has since expanded. Three years later, the company completed a 130,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Whitewater, Wisconsin, where it produces automatic emergency generators and air-cooled engines for home, RV and communications. In 2012, Generac bought back its portable generators and moved production back to its Jefferson, Wisconsin manufacturing facility.

GREENLEE

Greenlee A brand of Emerson Electric, Greenlee employs American workers in seven manufacturing facilities, at least two of which are in the United States. The Genoa, Illinois facility opened in 1948 and produces commercial bending and pulling tools for electricians. The company currently employs 73 people, with 80 employed at its Louisville, Kentucky facility. The company supplies metal products, components, assemblies and weldments for all Greenlee products. In total, the plant produces more than 300 different products.

Hardcore Hammers

Hardcore Hammers was founded by two brothers who were frustrated with the quick wear on standard hammers. The company currently manufactures hammers, hatchets and axes in Shawnee, Kansas. Raw materials also come from US factories. The steel for the hammerheads, hatchets and axes comes from foundries and companies in Wisconsin and Illinois. The American hickory handles are made in Alabama and Arkansas.

HOBART WELDING PRODUCTS

Hobart Welding Products manufactures much of the welding equipment at its plant in Appleton, Wisconsin. The company is a sister company of Miller Electric, and both are wholly owned by parent company ITW (Illinois Tool Works).

IDEAL INDUSTRIES

J. Walter Becker founded Ideal Industries in 1916. Headquartered in Sycamore, Illinois, Ideal currently includes brands such as Casella, Anderson Power Products, Wavetek, SK Tools and Cree Lighting.

Ideal branded products include more than 6,000 storage units. The company’s American-made products include WireNut wire connectors, Yellow 77 wire drawing lubricant and T-Stripper wire strippers. Ideal manufactures all of these products at its Sycamore facility. The company also forges Ideal pliers and wrenches at a factory in Colorado and produces a line of heavy-duty “Made in the USA” screwdrivers at plants in Illinois, Colorado and Pennsylvania.

JOHN DEERE

Founded in 1837, Deere & Company continues to provide cutting edge products, technology and services for agriculture and construction. Their products seem to be showing up everywhere people produce food, fuel, shelter, infrastructure and more.

John Deere manufactures Gator utility vehicles and X-series lawn tractors at its Horicon, Wisconsin facility. In Greenville, Tennessee, it manufactures 100-series lawn tractors, S240 lawn tractors, Z300 and Z500 zero-turn mowers.

What Tools Are Made in the USA? The John Deere Z355R engine:
The more powerful Z900 ZT mower is manufactured in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. John Deer manufactures Series 1, 2, 3 and 4 compact tractors in Augusta, Georgia. Additionally, John Deere owns several plants in the Midwest that produce large agricultural tractors, sprayers, and combines. Finally, John Deere also manufactures a variety of specialty equipment for the lawn care industry nationwide.

JOHNSON LEVEL

Johnson Level is based in Mequon, Wisconsin and has been manufacturing leveling, marking, and scribing tools for over 70 years. The company is now part of the Swedish Hultafors group, but has over 70 made-in-the-USA SKUs, including levels, squares, carpenter’s pencils, and laser products.

KLEIN TOOLS

Klein Tools was founded in 1857 and still manufactures the majority of its products in the USA. The company has also invested in four new manufacturing facilities in the United States over the past decade and has made significant investments in new equipment and tooling to increase both the capacity and quality of these and existing facilities.

Which tools are made in the USA? Klein 8-in-1 Insulated Screwdriver Set
Klein is headquartered in Lincolnshire, Illinois, but also has headquarters in Mansfield, Texas, Elk Grove Village, Illinois, Bolivar, New York, and Fort Smith, Arkansas. Klein also plans to invest more than $100 million to expand production in the United States.

Check Out Our Top 3 Tool Boxes

American Knife Manufacturers

We’re not going to list every knife manufacturer in the United States, but let’s take a look at at least a few.

Benchmade Knives
Benchmade Knife Company is based in Oregon and was founded by Les de Asis in 1987. The company may have been the first to use high-tech tools such as high-performance laser cutters and low-tolerance CNC machines in the knife-making process. Benchmade produces all of its knives in a production area of ​​13,000 square meters. Manufacturing facility located in Oregon City, Oregon.

Buck Knives
Buck Knives manufactures its products in Post Falls, Idaho. The company was founded by a young blacksmith apprentice from Kansas named Hoyt Buck. He was looking for a better way to harden steel to keep its sharpness longer. Using his techniques, the first Buck knife was made in 1902. CJ Buck is the fourth generation family member to currently lead Buck Knives as CEO, President and Chairman.

Kershaw & Zero Tolerance Knives KAI USA Ltd., the parent company of Kershaw and Zero Tolerance Knives, manufactures dozens of knife models in its factory in Tualatin, Oregon. Pete Kershaw founded the company in 1974 and started out manufacturing hunting knives in a cement plant in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Kershaw’s American made models include the Leek, Blur, Link, Scallion, Chive and Launch models.

Which knife companies are made in the USA? ZT
The Zero Tolerance or ZT brand first appeared in 2006 as a “Made in USA” line of heavy duty knives for military, police and emergency personnel. Both Kershaw and ZT use high quality American made steels such as 420HC, 20CV, S30V and S35VN.

KRAFT TOOL CO

Ron Meyer and Shea Kraft founded Kraft Tool Co. in 1981. Thirty years later, Kraft Tools continues to produce American-made tools for professional concreters, masons, asphalt workers, tilers, plasterers and drywallers. Kraft Tool Co. has acquired several companies and brands over the past 39 years, including W. Rose, Sands Level and Tool, Superior Tile Cutter, Inc. and Hi-Craft.

KUBOTA

Kubota Corporation brought its first tractor, the 21 horsepower L200 subcompact tractor, to the United States in 1969. It was a virtually instant success. Kubota Manufacturing of America (KMA) was established in 1988 as the company’s North American manufacturing base. KMA manufactures and assembles Kubota lawn tractors, zero-turn mowers, subcompact tractors, utility vehicles, loaders, backhoes, and other equipment. The company employs more than 1,200 American workers. Kubota Industrial Equipment (KIE) manufactures compact tractors and tractor equipment, such as loaders and backhoes. Overall, over half of the Kubota branded equipment sold in the United States is manufactured or assembled at the Gainesville and Jefferson, Georgia factories.

LEATHERMAN

When ansering What Tools Are Made in the USA, Leatherman is hard to miss. Leatherman began with an order of 500 tools from Cabela’s in 1983 when they released the first Leatherman tool. It was originally called the “PST” (Pocket Survival Tool) and contained 13 different tools in a folded, 140 gram, 10 cm toolbox. Over the next decade, Leatherman sold over 1 million of these multi-tools. Today, the company continues to manufacture all of its tools in Portland, Oregon.

LENOX TOOLS

It started as “American Saw and Manufacturing Company” in 1915 with just 10 employees. Back then, they made hacksaw blades. Now, over 100 years later, Lenox manufactures industrial saw blades, hand tools, power tool accessories, and other products. But the company still designs, tests, and manufactures its products in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, using materials from around the world.

MAKITA

Makita has been manufacturing products in the United States since 1985 at its factory in Buford, Georgia, just outside Atlanta. The Buford facility, officially called Makita Corporation of America (MCA), operates equipment manufacturing and assembly, and produces Makita products for users and dealers in the United States and around the world. To accommodate continued growth here in the United States, Makita recently expanded its sales and training center space by nearly one million square feet with new facilities in Texas and Nevada. MCA is part of Makita’s global manufacturing network, which consists of 10 factories in eight countries.

MALCO TOOLS

Malco Products is founded by Mark W. Keymer, a young steel equipment salesman, decided to build and sell a pipe crimping gun he invented for installing sheet metal ducts. Decades later, Malco’s early crimps, folders, notches and punches have been joined by hundreds of other specialty tools, nearly all of which are manufactured at the company’s Annandale, Minnesota, plant. These include Turbo Scissor Drill Attachments, Turbo Crimpers, Hole Cutters, Andy and Max Scissors, Folding Machines and Mini Brakes. Malco recently expanded into a former Vise-Grip plant in DeWitt, Nebraska, to work on a new line of “Made in USA” tools.

MATCO TOOLS

Matco Tools is a subsidiary of Fortive Corporation and was founded in 1946. Since 1979, the company has sold automotive tools and products directly through a network of independently franchised tool trucks.

MILLER ELECTRIC TOOL CORP

Miller has grown from a one-man business in 1929 to become the world’s largest manufacturer of arc welding products. Based in Appleton, Wisconsin, the company manufactures MIG, TIG, stick and power welders, plasma cutters, generators and wire feeders. Miller is a sister company of Hobart Welding and a wholly owned subsidiary of ITW (Illinois Tool Works).

MILWAUKEE ELECTRIC TOOL CORP.

Milwaukee Tool has been manufacturing products in the USA since 1924 and has a rich history in the country. The company has manufacturing facilities in Greenwood and Jackson, Michigan. In Mukwonago, West Bend and Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, they manufacture a variety of products including LED lights, step drills, corded SawZalls, large drills, SawZall saw blades, hole saws, band saw and multi-tool blades, levels, and more. Squares. Milwaukee also plans to expand its footprint to Cookeville, Tennessee.

The company invested more than $100 million in 2020 alone, creating 350 new jobs in the United States. Milwaukee also plans to produce hand tools at a new factory in West Bend, Wisconsin. The work will focus on tools for electricians, plumbers, mechanics and linemen.

M.K. Morse

M K. Morse makes blades. Lots of blades. For just about every cutting application and tool you can imagine. They serve plumbers, electricians, carpenters, industrial manufacturers, and steel service centers. The company manufactures nearly all of its products in Canton, Ohio. This facility has undergone multiple expansions over the years as the company has developed a unique integrated manufacturing approach. This means that most orders for standard products can be delivered within 24 hours.

OCCIDENTAL LEATHER

Since 1980, Occidental has been manufacturing high-quality leather tool belts, bags, and pouches for craftsmen. In our opinion, they honestly make the best tool belts. Aside from the incredible build quality we experienced first-hand, the best part is the fact that Occidental designs and manufactures all of their tool bags, pouches and belts in Sonoma County, California.

PROTO TOOLS

Proto was founded in 1907 as the Prom Tool Company by Alphonse Prom, Jacob Weninger and Charles Williams. It began as a small blacksmith shop making chisels in Los Angeles. In 1933, Proto (then known as “Prom”) introduced what is generally considered to be the first open-end wrench. Today, Proto is part of the Stanley Black & Decker family of companies. Proto’s Dallas, Texas manufacturing facility opened in 1986 and produces Proto and Blackhawk sockets, wrenches, drive tools and torque wrenches. This includes calibration and associated heat treating and coating processes.

RIDGID TOOLS (EMERSON)

Ridge Tool Company was founded in Elyria, Ohio in 1923. It began with the introduction of the Ridgid Pipe Wrench, an iconic tool that is still in use today. In 1966, Ridge Tool Company became part of Emerson Electric. To this day, the company manufactures dies, pipe wrenches, roll grooving tools, tapping dies and cutters, pipe cutters, drilling tools, hand drives, and pipe chamfering machines at its Elyria facility.

Ridgid Pipe Wrenches – Which Tools Are Made in the USA?
Ridgid also manufactures overhead doors, jetters, and FlexShaft pipe cleaning equipment at its Orange, Virginia location.

ROLAIR SYSTEMS

A third generation manufacturer in central Wisconsin, Rolair has been solely focused on building quality compressors since its founding in 1959. All of its belt-driven models, including portable and stationary air compressors and some direct drives, are assembled at Rolair’s facility in Hustisford, Wisconsin. The company assembles over 90% of its compressors in the USA.

Snap-on Tools

Snap-on is almost always mentioned when talking about What Tools Are Made in the USA. In 1920, Milwaukee engineer Joseph Johnson and his colleague William Seidemann created the first Snap-on tools. Over the course of a weekend, they made two 5-handle, 10-socket pattern sets using a simple bending jig and pure muscle force. Snap-on currently produces many of its ratchets, wrenches, screwdrivers, tool carts, sandblasters, and certain diagnostic tools at its manufacturing facility in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

SOUTHWIRE TOOLS

Southwire Company was founded in 1950 as a manufacturing company in Carrollton, Georgia. With locations throughout the country, the company employs more than 7,000 people. The company makes everything from wire and cable to hand tools and appliances. Southwire’s “Made in America” ​​hand tool program includes a wide range of U.S.-made products as part of its commitment to American manufacturing. This includes Sumner Manufacturing Co.’s Seatek product line and most Southwire extension cords and construction equipment.

Starrett

In 1880, Laroi Sunderland Starrett invented and manufactured the world’s first combination square in Athol, Massachusetts. 140 years, thousands of employees and millions of precision tools, measuring devices and saw blades later, Starrett still makes the majority of tools here in the USA.

STIHL USA

Founded in 1926 by Andreas Stihl, Stihl developed and manufactured the first two-person electric chainsaw. More than 90 years later, Stihl markets its products for the professional forestry, agriculture, landscape maintenance and construction industries in more than 160 countries.

In 1974, the Stihl family opened a 1858 square meter manufacturing facility in Virginia Beach with 50 employees. Today, more than 2,000 employees work in more than 90,000 square meters of operating space on Stihl Inc.’s 60-hectare site in Virginia. Stihl manufactures approximately 100 different products from domestic and international components in this state-of-the-art facility. These include gasoline and battery-powered blowers, string trimmers, hedge trimmers, pole pruners and chainsaws, multi-head devices, shredders and sprayers.

TITAN USA

Titan USA is based in West Springfield, Massachusetts and was founded nearly 50 years ago. The company prides itself on manufacturing precision cutting tools from solid carbide, high-speed steel and cobalt. All are 100% made in the USA. These include end mills, micro end mills, thread mills, drills, chamfer cutters, taps and dies, reamers, drills, countersinks.

Vaughan & Bushnell Mfg. Co.

In the 19th century, 18-year-old blacksmith Alexander Vaughan founded what is now Vaughan & Bushnell Mfg. Co., called. Corporation in Peoria, Illinois. The company started as a simple plumbing business but soon moved to Chicago, where Sidney Bushnell joined the company to help out after a major fire in Chicago. The company now produces over 17 different tools at its manufacturing facility in Bushnell, Illinois. These include hammers, picks, mallets, hatchets, claw pullers, and crowbars. In addition, Vaughan & Bushnell acquired Dasco Pro, which produces punches, chisels, crowbars, and awls.

Viking Drill & Tool

Viking Drill & Tool based in St. Paul, Minnesota, has been manufacturing high-speed cutting tools since 1951. From raw materials to the finished cutting product, Viking designs, engineers and manufactures their cutting tools in their 7,000 square foot facility in St. Paul.

WILDE TOOL

Wilde Tool manufactures hand tools, and the entire process from start to finish happens in their manufacturing facility in Hiawatha, Kansas. Maybe you’ve never heard of them? In fact, their primary business is manufacturing private label tools for domestic and international corporations, mass marketers and OEMs. The company was founded 95 years ago in Kansas City, Missouri. Brothers Paul and Otto Froschl had the idea to angle the tips of regular needle-nose pliers at 32 degrees to provide greater leverage and gripping power. Thus was born the Original Wild Wrench, the first patented needle-nose pliers. The rest is literally history.

WILTON TOOLS

In 1941, Czech immigrant Hugh W. Fogle founded the Wilton Vices factory in Chicago, Illinois, naming it after the intersection where the original company building was located. Four years later, production of Wilton industrial vices moved to Carpentersville, Illinois, where the Wilton brand joined JET and Powermatic and in 2014 became JPW Industries. Ask Wilton what tools are made in the USA and you’ll hear the Wilton Combo Pipe & Bench Vise and the Machinist Bullet Vise.

WRIGHT TOOL

Since 1927, Wright Tool Company has been manufacturing quality hand tools for professionals. Wright tools have been made in the USA since the first forge was established in Barberton, Ohio. They continue to make all of their wrenches, ratchets, sockets, and attachments from American steel, and we believe that precise heat treatment and advanced manufacturing techniques allow Wright to offer a limited lifetime warranty on most of their hand tools.

OUTRO

As we wrap up our exploration of what it means for tools to proudly bear the label ‘Made in the USA,’ it’s clear that behind every tool is a story of craftsmanship, dedication, and quality. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a DIY enthusiast, choosing tools that uphold these standards not only supports local economies but also ensures you’re working with the best.

At SocketDigger.com, we’re committed to bringing you insights into the tools that shape industries and hobbies alike. Stay tuned for more articles that delve into the craftsmanship and innovation that define American-made tools. Let’s continue to celebrate the spirit of quality that comes with tools proudly stamped ‘Made in the USA.’

Thank you for joining us on this journey. We’d love to hear your thoughts on American-made tools and your experiences with them. Feel free to leave a comment below!

Until next time, keep digging deeper with SocketDigger.com.

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