What You Need To Know Before Buying Matco Tools

When you are in the market for some new tools, you could head to your local hardware store or buy from an online retailer. However, when you have specific requirements in mind, you may prefer to go with a distributor that focuses on those tools. That's where Matco Tools enters the picture. This is a distribution company that allows franchisees to own and operate their own routes for sales, delivery, and service to bring you products that you can use to build a home workshop, although most of their customers are pros, especially auto mechanics.

Rather than purchasing Matco-branded products at a hardware store, you'd contact your distributor to make a purchase and receive a delivery. You can also order from the Matco website for delivery to your location via FedEx or UPS. When you are shopping, you don't have to worry whether Home Depot or Lowe's has better deals on power tools. You can just reach out to your distributor for service or order online from Matco.

Matco offers more than 13,000 products, including tools, storage compartments, and other types of related equipment. Because many of its products are aimed at auto mechanics, they have some specialty products like diagnostic scanning tools, digital tire inflators, and portable jump starters. Matco has traditional manual tools, too, such as screwdrivers, ratchet sets, socket sets, battery-powered impact drivers, and wrench sets.

The Matco Tools company has gone through multiple operational changes in the past several years, including involvement in a few different corporate spin-offs. Currently, Vontier owns the Matco brand name and operates the company. Vontier owns multiple companies and brand names and had more than $3 billion in revenue in 2022. Matco has an approximate annual revenue of $450 million.

Because of all of the changes in the corporate ownership of Matco in recent years, the manufacturing and sourcing process for the company's tools is not completely clear. The ownership company does not publicly acknowledge the sourcing of the products. It appears Matco's products come from manufacturers in both the United States and Taiwan. Some tools have parts made in both countries before assembly. Some of the top competitors to Matco are Snap-on, Mac, and Wright. 

You may recognize Matco distributors from the white box trucks that they drive featuring the company logo, which is a circle with a blocky outline of an eagle in red on a blue background. The circle is inside a hexagon, a shape similar to what you'd find with a nut. You may also recognize the brand name from its marketing partnership with Don Schumacher Racing in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), as it sponsors the drag racing car.

For the average DIYer at home, Matco probably isn't going to be a common selection. Although the company offers hand tools, the company's primary focus is on automotive tools. For an auto mechanic, Matco's distributor model is helpful, as the mechanic can have the needed specialty tools delivered and can call for service whenever needed. For pricey products, the company offers the ability to finance the purchase through a credit application, which provides financial flexibility that some garage owners greatly appreciate.

Online reviews show a mixed bag for Matco products. The Better Business Bureau website has a few dozen customer reviews for Matco, and nearly all of them rate the company as very poor. Most of the review complaints involve unclear financing terms and disagreements over past-due accounts leading to negative credit reports, rather than poor reviews concerning the quality of the actual tools. Matco offers a lifetime warranty for its hand tools. It also promises a fast turnaround for repairs to ensure that you can be working again quickly.

One potential area of concern is that Matco does not require specific experience with using its tools before allowing someone to apply to become a franchisee. The company claims to provide all the training required. Additionally, the franchise opportunities listed on the Matco website indicate that dozens of routes are open across the United States. You, as a customer, may not always have an active franchisee who is available to serve your location.