bergen tools

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Tue 28 Sep 2004 14:22
bergen tools - anzac
i was looking on e bay for a decent set of spanners when i came across a guy selling a lot of what appears to be quality tools under the name bergen\us pro, i have never come across these tools, however the seller implies they are of german origin any one any knowledge as to whether these tools are worth buying? the prices appear to be roughly half way bewtween the top brands such as facom, snap on, stahlwillie and draper kamasa etc
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Tue 28 Sep 2004 14:24
bergen tools - anzac
sorry! that was meant to say bergen/us pro, two brands
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Tue 28 Sep 2004 14:33
bergen tools - DL
Yes....good tools they are too. Got some myself.
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Tue 28 Sep 2004 16:06
bergen tools - Aprilia
I've worked in Germany using German tools and never come across anything called 'Bergen' - never come across them in the UK either for that matter.
I think they are just using a German-sounding name (it means 'mountains') and you'll probably find they are made somewhere in China or Taiwan.

If you want good tools stick with the known good brands. Cheaper ones tend to slip and/or round-off fasteners, making you wish you'd bought the good stuff in the first place.
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Tue 28 Sep 2004 20:48
bergen tools - none
I have a half inch drive Bergen breaker bar, my mate has a Draper breaker bar, identical Snap on lookalikes apart from the name stamped on them. Must say though, no problems with either so far, and they do get heavy industrial use. As Aprilia says, these things are all made in the same factory with different names stamped on them, to cater for different tastes. By the way, mine cost £15, his cost £12
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Wed 29 Sep 2004 11:01
bergen tools - Claude
Bergen Tool and Machine Co was an American manufacturer whose plant in Hackettstown, New Jersey, was closed in July last year. It was originally called American Saw Works but manufacture of big double ended handsaws declined in the 20's and at some point afterwards the works closed and re-opened later under the Bergen name. I've no idea whether Bergen have now shifted their manufacturing overseas or whether all the Bergen tools for sale on eBay are new stock discounted after the closure of the works.
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Sun 3 Oct 2004 15:20
bergen tools - DL
Very interesting info Claude.

I'm after some deep 1/2" drive impact sockets, 10mm to 30mm if anybody sees any going for a reasonable price (Around £20)
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groups.msn.com/honestjohn - Pictures say a thousand words.....
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Sun 7 Nov 2004 10:02
bergen tools - jag
my son had some bergen tools , air impact wrench failed and breaker bar broke. he now has irax air wrench and sandvik/belzer breaker bar. breaker bar has resisted all attempts to destroy it. jag.
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Sun 7 Nov 2004 14:41
bergen tools - v8man
I agree with Aprilia. Cheap tools are false ecomomy and seem to be made from chocolate!
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\"Nothing less than 8 cylinders will do\"
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Sun 7 Nov 2004 22:48
bergen tools - anzac
thanks for the replies, in the end i bought a full set of stahlwillie spanners from a local tool dealer on introductory offer for forty quid and very nice they are to, cheers
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Sun 7 Nov 2004 22:55
bergen tools - racingkarts
i'd go with teng evertime !!!
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Sun 7 Nov 2004 23:50
bergen tools - Civic8
From a lot of searching..bergen dont exist. apart from town..Would agree with Aprilia. As v8man said..Many a cheap tool on market.Very much doubt it will last long.If it doe`s very light work involved!
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Steve
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Mon 8 Nov 2004 18:58
bergen tools - none
Couldn't agree more about cheap tools, generally unreliable and not worth buying. Not always though. As a 'test' I've stood on the end of my cheap Bergen breaker bar whilst it was attached to a wheel nut via a 27mm socket. I weigh 196 lbs and the bars 2ft long - that's almost 400 ft lbs of torque. Ok, it did spring a bit, but didn't bend or break. (Didn't undo the wheel nut neither). Would recommend to anyone, it's more than capable of any car repair work.
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Tue 9 Nov 2004 00:04
bergen tools - racingkarts
thats no way to measure it, im 13 stone, and can jump on my 2 ft draper bar ( 14.99) whilst its got a 6ft scaffolding pole on the end, and it doesnt break !!!!!!!!!!
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Fri 23 Aug 2013 23:13
Bergen tools - The Caveman

First off, I know this is a very old thread, but I'm interested in the same thing 9 years later!

About 8 years ago I boght an Elora 1/2" rachet and a set of Bergen impact sockets. Both were sold to me as highest quality German tools with a lifetime gaurantee. After 8 years of serious abuse, these are still some of the best tools I own. The impact sockets have been beaten onto rusted bolts/ locking wheel nuts with a sledge hammer, I've swung on an 8 foot scaffold bar to undo the crank nut on my Land Rover with them, I've used them daily for heavy industrial work at a power station and they are as good today as when I bought them.

From this experience, I have assumed Bergen to be a high quality manufacturer of a similar standing as Elora, so when I bought a Bergen air tool online the other day and a cheap piece of Chinese junk turned up I was rather surprised and started digging around.

I can't find anything about Bergen tools except the post here from 9 years ago and my opposite experiences are both since then...

So was Bergen a good brand that's sold out and now just adds a sticker to cheap tools, selling on the old name, or have I been sold a fake Bergen tool? (Or has Bergen always been cheap knock-offs and I got a lucky socket set before?)

Interested to know if anyone else has had similar experiences or can shine a light on this.

In the mean time, I would advise anyone thinking of buying any Bergen tools on ebay that they are not the high quality German tool they claim to be, they are a cheap Chinese knock-off with a badly attached sticker on the side and no other company details on the packaging...

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Sun 1 Sep 2013 11:22
Bergen tools - kccautomotive

I have been searching long and hard to find out who actual brands and distributes Bergen tools, i even put a reward up on facebook and nothing, does any body know who the main supplyrer is and why it is so hard to find out where to buy bergen tools direct from the supplier.. I have searched for so longt it would be a great relief to get this one answered. Thanks JC..

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Sun 1 Sep 2013 12:58
Bergen tools - Collos25

They have a full range on UK ebay as well as German Ebay but they appear to be an American firm

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Fri 23 May 2014 16:45
Bergen tools - KB.

Old thread but not entirely irrelevant as you can still get Bergen stuff. Check on Dropshiponline (thats Drop Ship Online but all one word). TBH Whilst I did register with them I only bought one or two items from them and most of their stuff seems to be non known quality stuff and postage isn't cheap. I can see why people use Amazon given their, usually, reasonable prices and reliable service (IMO) as they probably have everything that DSO have and probably cheaper with reliable customewr service. There is mention of Amazon on the DSO site so maybe they act as a seller? Never seen the DSO name on there though.

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Sat 24 May 2014 14:26
Bergen tools - Railroad.
I agree with the above comments about cheap tools. They very often are cheap and do not stand up to the job they're supposed to be designed to do. I have used Bergen Hex and Torx bits and found them to be very good.
Snap On tools are grossly overpriced, and are actually no better than any other premium tool manufacturer, making them not worth the money in my opinion. Even Halfords Pro range aren't bad at all and are very reasonably priced. Facom tools are every bit as good as any other, and the best manufacturer of adjustable spanners is Bahco.
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Sun 25 May 2014 12:33
Bergen tools - injection doc

I agree with railroad. After 38 years in workshops Snap-on are just so expensive and no better than some other brands, infact their chrome plating is appaling and seriously dangerous when it starts to peel !

I used hundreds of Bergen tools for many years and whilst my guys used to take the p**** out of me for buying what they thought were cheap tools they mostly outlasted the rip-off snap on .

Bergen Sockets, spanners and breaker bars were just about unbreakable and all the lads broke many a snap-on breaker bar but my Bergen still going some 20 years later !

so things are not always what they seem and snap-on just rely on a brand name

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