What will replace Ryobi?

[Groggy]

We have heard that Ryobi are going to Bunnies under an exclusivity arrangement, but whatever the deal is, what are the likes of Mitre-10 going to replace their Ryobi stock with?


Well, if you look here, you just might see the new brand.

[Ron Dunn]

I've never seen anyone write about Xxxxxxxx ... is it sold under another name elsewhere, or is this something new?

[Master Splinter]

I did...

Does anyone else notice an eerie similarity with a certain other Bunnies brand?? Xxxxxxxx must be better - it has more words on its label!

[Groggy]

Well, there is an old company with that name but they were into Aerospace Xxxxxxx-Collins. This mob started in about 1994 I think. I never saw their stuff when I was there but they would have been just starting out then.

I suspect they are in the same genre as GMC.

[China]

Bosch "Green" Mitre 10's are stocking up on them

[weisyboy]

the miter 10 here onle has bosch and only bosch sandpaper that is extreamly dear and bosch drill bits witch are a tad xy and bosch shirts.

[switt775]

Was in my local Mitre 10 mega on the weekend and they had a range of tools branded "Icon", but which looked exactly like GMC except for the paint job.

And at least one had a lower rating on the motor (truth in advertising, or quality control rejects?).

[mic-d]

there's some grey and red tools at the local M10, Icon or eon or something. Had a quick look at them and they look DIY only. They also have the green Bosch stuff.
Cheers
Michael

[petersemple]

Rockwell seem to be a Supercheap Auto brand. The one near me carries thast brand of power tools.

Peter

[Wongo]

Xxxxxxxxxx or Yyyyyyyyyy I don't care. I am not going to miss it.

[petersemple]

Rockwell seem to be a Supercheap Auto brand. The one near me carries thast brand of power tools.

Peter

Actually, I remember seeing in a recent Mitre 10 catalogue a lot of automotive tools. Spanner sets, jacks, etc. One brand prominently displyed was Supa Tool, which I think is also a SuperCheap Auto brand. If that is the case, then the range of Rockwell Tools available in Aus is on the SuperCheap website - http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/sto...=33&Name=TOOLS

Peter

[China]

icon to my understanding is a GMC brand

[gerhard]

Hi all,

Rockwell has re-emerged as a tool name, but a relation with the giant North American Rockwell Industries (active in everything from defense industries to lasers to electronics to metalwares) no longer exists.

Here are some activities from Willard Rockwell's set-up, it contains many purchases, sales and take-overs:

http://www.scripophily.net/rocmancom.html

Rockwell purchased Porter Cable in 1960. P-C made Rockwell rebranded tool models from its own product line until 1981, when Rockwell sold Porter Cable to Pentair.

This is a comment on Rockwell's P-C-purchase:

"Porter-Cable
P-C was bought by Rockwell in 1960. I'm not sure when they dropped the P-C name but I think it was rather immediate. I know by the early 70's all the portable tools were branded with the Rockwell name. Despite that the P-C reputation survived until Pentair revived it in 1981. As we all know it's thrives as one of the better lines and it ain't painted that ???? yellow color.
Contrary to popular belief Rockwell did not spin off a pneumatic tool line based on the P-C electric tool line. The air tools came from a 1963 Rockwell buy out of Buckeye Tool.
In 1973 the bean counting really started with the merger of Rockwell Manufacturing with North American Rockwell. The 14" band saw and 6" X 48" sander suffered the most from this, in my humble opinion. I believe it was at this time that the name Delta was dropped and all tools were branded Rockwell.
Sorry for the big gap but there was very little excitement during the Rockwell years...
Rockwell sold off the portable electric tool division to Pentair in 1981. Pentair renamed this division Porter-Cable and it is as we see it today.
Rockwell sold the machine tool division to Pentair in 1984. Pentair in turn re-names it the Delta International Machinery Corporation.
In 1985 Delta introduces their *consumer market* line of tools and history repeats itself as Rockwell had done years earlier with the Homecraft line though there's considerably less weight in the new line."

It was taken from this link:

http://www.bigelowsite.com/sawdusters/general/faq/rockwell_history.htm

So the vintage P-C-made line of Rockwell tools were made between 1960 and 1981. The older Rockwell logo contained a plain letter "r". In the 70s, the more familiar Rockwell logo (as known from their aerospace products) was applied on the tools. The left pic below shows the old logo on the saw box, the right pic with the band saw wheel hood shows the later logo. After the new purchase of 1981, Pentair revived Porter-Cable under its own name. Here is some history of Pentair:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentair

Rockwell lived on, of course, but for tools the name was no longer in use. In 2004 Black & Decker managed to buy Porter Cable and not everyone is keen about that, as the forum below clearly shows:

http://www.ridgidforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2634

In about the same period, some businessman has obviously bought the Rockwell name and registered it for his own use. The appearance was altered, but the logo carries an "R" for Registered Trade Mark. The product line seems Asian-made. I guess the experience at the end of a day is as with most Asian tools: some are good and some are bad. Here in the Netherlands, the current Rockwell tools are typically sold in shopping mall outlets and DIY-stores, whereas the vintage Rockwell tools were sold solely through quality hardware and tool specialist stores. But when the price and warranty of these current cheaper Rockwell tools are right, they may well be worthwhile for not too heavy use.

regards

gerhard

[artme]

Well The big B is busy rearraning his tool shop.
Went to Browns Plains Bunnies' today looking for ROS. left in disgust and went to Trade Tools and picke up a Bosch PEX 400. Works a treat.
Ran into the Mayor of Munruben on the way out of big B. He wouldn't believe a word I said. Had to verify things for himself!