Greenlee Tools - A History of Excellence

Greenlee Tools is one of the oldest toolmaking institutions in the United States of America, being barely beat out only by Klein Tools (at least as far we know). This longevity in making tools is of course a testament to Greenlee’s continued tradition of quality. At least in terms of strict toolmaking, Greenlee tools traces its roots back to 1859. At that point and before, Edmund Greenlee had invented a machine used in barrel-making which was fortuitous because in 1859 the sudden demand for oil in Pennsylvania created a huge demand for barrels to store it in. Edmund’s twin sons helped meet that demand and a few years later when the Pennsylvania demand died down, Ralph and Robert Greenlee moved the cooper work to Chicago, IL and this is where Greenlee Tools started as the Greenlee Bros. Company in 1866.

The Greenlee Brothers didn’t just stick to making barrels, using the needs of their customers as a basis for inspiration, the Greenlee Bros. were able to branch out into a catalog of planers, saws and more. This then also resulted in the invention of the hollow chisel mortiser in 1874 (most likely this). This was a huge innovation for making mortise and tenon joints in furniture making and other woodworking. Fittingly, this hollow type drill tool serves as the basis for the logo that Greenlee uses being based on the hollow square piece that houses the special drill. Greenlee Tools continued to expand and grow and the company also changed hands several times, keeping the name Greenlee and they are now a subsidiary of Emerson electric as of 2019. Even in changing hands, though, Greenlee’s quality hasn’t been compromised.

Continuing the tradition of the Greenlee Bros, as Greenlee grew and changed hands over the years, their catalog also grew to meet the demands of their customers and today Greenlee has thousands and thousands of SKUs for everything from light handyman and electrical work up to heavy industrial equipment. Greenlee’s catalog includes professional grade hand tools as well as tools used for bending, cable pulling/fish tape and termination, testing & measurement, shearing, hydraulic tools, knockouts, power tool accessories, general purpose tools and material handling/storage. Greenlee’s catalog has something for every level of tool user.

Greenlee’s longstanding tradition for quality and continuous innovation over the decades has given us confidence that this is a brand that we can trust to have high workmanship standards. Because of this high level of quality, and our goal to be your go-to source of high quality tools, we’re proud to announce that we are now carrying Greenlee! And not just a few things either, but we plan on carrying Greenlee’s entire catalog. At the time of this writing, the primary focus is on professional use hand tools and specialty tools for use by electricians. This includes Greenlee’s screwdrivers and nut drivers, pliers and snips, electricians’ tools, insulated tools, tool storage and so much more. As more of Greenlee’s catalog is listed, we’ll likely have blogs and newsletters highlighting the new and notable products, so be sure to sign up for our newsletter below where you’ll also receive updates on sales and promotions.

If you’ve never heard of Greenlee Tools before, you’re in for a real treat as we add more of their catalog and if you ARE familiar with Greenlee Tools, you already know that they’re a reliable brand that’s synonymous with high quality tools. Stay tuned for more updates about the catalog as well as any upcoming deals and sales for Greenlee Tools.

Greenlee Tools has been an American toolmaking institution for 154 years and this tradition of quality gives us the confidence that Greenlee is brand to trust. We’re proud to add these fine tools to the Haus of Tools.