The buying habits of electricians

Lincolnshire, Illinois-based Klein Tools asked hundreds of union and non-union electricians about their decision-making process when purchasing tools.

Among the findings: 87% of electricians indicate having a high level of performance and being durable are very important or important when selecting a tool to purchase. Further, 20% named performance as the most important factor, and 12% named durability as the most important factor.

The Klein Tools "State of the Industry" survey asked electricians what they look for in tools they buy, where they shop and how they hear about different products.

“This is a tight-knit community and electricians rely on brands and each other to find the best tools available," said Mark Klein, president of Klein Tools. "They don’t have time for anything else. Electricians depend on quality tools that work as hard as they do day in and day out."

The studylooked at where electricians shop for hand tools. Nearly two-thirds of electricians (64%) typically shop at The Home Depot for hand tools. More than one-half of electricians (56%) typically shop at electrical supply houses for hand tools. And one-third of electricians (33%) typically shop at industrial supply houses for hand tools.

Regarding Made-in-USA tools, (83%) said "Made in the USA" is very important or important to them when purchasing a tool, and 19% named it the most important factor. This was significantly higher than importance among non-union members. Three-in-five (59%) non-union members indicated being "Made in the USA" is very important or important to them, and few (6%) named it the most important factor.

The survey results come at a time when more people are considering entering the electrical field. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects 20% growth for electrician employment between 2012 and 2022. This is significantly higher than the 11% average growth rate projected for all occupations.

The construction industry is also on the rise. The U.S. Census Bureau released that U.S. construction spending has risen to a six-and-a-half year high. In fact, the first five months of 2015 reached $382.1 billion in construction spend, 5.9% above the $360.8 billion spent on construction during the same period last year. If this growth continues, it puts additional focus on how U.S. electricians are researching, choosing and purchasing their tools for work.

For more data, visit: kleintools.com/2015survey2.