Many industrial companies are global titans, gobbling up smaller brands to grow their customer base.
Such company is Stanley Black & Decker, Inc., formerly known as The Stanley Works. It was created when Stanley Works merged with Black & Decker on March 12, 2010.
The Stanley Black & Decker now owns these brands in the tools space:
- AeroScout
- Black & Decker
- BOSTITCH
- FACOM
- LISTA
- MAG Tools
- Porter Cable
- Powers Fastening
- Proto
- Stanley Tools
- Vidmar
So what does this mean to an average consumer? It means that certain parts that not available for a particular brand can be “borrowed” from another brand.
For example, let’s compare the pancake air compressor drain valves for Porter Cable and Bostitch compressors.
The beat-up red drain valve in the picture is for the Porter Cable compressor. The shiny brass elbow compressor drain valve is for the BOSTITCH compressor.
Though they look vastly different, these parts are actually interchangeable! That means, instead of forcing me into another “red” compression-type drain valve (Porter & Cable), I can actually choose to replace the failed drain valve with BOSTITCH’s ball-valve drain valve (which allows superior tank draining that is both quick and thorough – and it’s more durable).
It’s important to note that certain technical specifications between 2 products must match. In my example above, I made sure that both air compressors were rated at 150 psi to prevent an unanticipated blowout.
Summary
So the old adage of “don’t judge the book by its cover” is very true in this case.
So don’t give up finding replacement parts if you can’t find what you are looking for under a brand. Just expand your brand horizon to see what is out there.
Well, I hope you found this article to be useful for your DIY project and sign up for my newsletter. The signup form is found on the upper right hand corner of your screen.
Thanks and good luck!
