steamshovel Posted May 23, 2018 Report Share Posted May 23, 2018 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmealy Posted May 23, 2018 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2018 On 5/19/2018 at 11:04 PM, oldwoodie said: I have noticed in recent months that HF has been adding higher priced items along with their cheaper stuff, they send out catalogs, and seem to be operating just like Sears Roebuck did for so many years. For instance: Craftsman vs. cheaper brand tools. I do buy a few things from HF, but not much. It seems that they are trying to reach out to customers that want better quality products, so maybe they are listening to customers and trying to supply goods that work. I get dizzy trying to understand all the private labels of HF -- Chicago Electric, Pittsburgh, Hercules, Bauer, Drill Master, etc. I wish they'd just make it clear Good, Better, Best (or crappy, less crappy, not so crappy ) The other thing that confuses me is they might have two or three SKUs for the same item. The only thing I can figure out why is they have different suppliers for the same item. And of course, you don't know if 447381 is better or worse than 449249. HARO50 and p_toad 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpadave52 Posted May 23, 2018 Report Share Posted May 23, 2018 2 minutes ago, kmealy said: And of course, you don't know if 447381 is better or worse than 449249. Sometimes interesting to read the reviews for the apparent same item but different SKU...usually no more than a 1/2 Star variance, but occasionally a full Star. Most companies still rely on multiple vendors/suppliers for various components especially certain critical components. It prevents a shut-down of sales/lines should one supplier go under, be impacted by catastrophic weather, fire, cargo loss at sea, etc. or even a demand for higher (above fair market) $$'s for their product. Sometimes it may be the same supplier/company/subsidiary but a completely different geographical location either based on a single locations out-put capacity or some/all the above. Ford recently had to shut-down their F-150 line due to a supplier fire...With JIT, Kanban, Lean Manufacturing etc. lead times are pretty short. I have yet to hear what the cost was to Ford for a production stoppage of the F-150 line. steven newman, HARO50 and Dadio 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stick486 Posted May 23, 2018 Report Share Posted May 23, 2018 16 minutes ago, kmealy said: crappy, less crappy, not so crappy HF in a nutshell... HARO50 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HARO50 Posted May 23, 2018 Report Share Posted May 23, 2018 28 minutes ago, Stick486 said: HF in a nutshell... Shhh.... don't tell Herb! John Grandpadave52 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stick486 Posted May 23, 2018 Report Share Posted May 23, 2018 15 minutes ago, HARO50 said: Shhh.... don't tell Herb! John he knows.. ya'd have to be dead not to notice... HARO50 and schnewj 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dadio Posted May 23, 2018 Report Share Posted May 23, 2018 1 hour ago, kmealy said: Good, Better, Best I think this is a better explanation. 50 minutes ago, Grandpadave52 said: apparent same item but different SKU... I noticed that too,I thought it was just different shipments. And also if one is on sale the other isn't and they can charge the regular price, Had that happen. Herb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stick486 Posted May 23, 2018 Report Share Posted May 23, 2018 7 minutes ago, Dadio said: I think this is a better explanation. guess anything can have that rating... even if their best can't come up to or even match other's worse... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dadio Posted May 23, 2018 Report Share Posted May 23, 2018 39 minutes ago, Stick486 said: guess anything can have that rating... even if their best can't come up to or even match other's worse... OK you win,..GO HARBOR FREIGHT!!! Herb Grandpadave52 and HARO50 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldwoodie Posted May 31, 2018 Report Share Posted May 31, 2018 I owned a foreign car parts warehouse some years ago. When the mfg. got a report that a particular item was being warranted, they would rectify the problem, and they would add another part #, especially if the part fit more than one year model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Beitz Posted September 22, 2019 Report Share Posted September 22, 2019 Well Sears Roebuck sold the craftsman line of tools but it was on the news that craftsman is moving back to USA. I guess the tools really got bad the last few years. In the news.... Craftsman announced that many of its tools will be made in the USA Stanley Black & Decker Inc. plans to move production of Craftsman wrenches from China back to the U.S., the latest manufacturer looking to use automation to increase domestic output as tariffs raise the cost of imports from overseas. Stanley is investing $90 million to open a plant in Fort Worth, Texas, by late next year that will employ about 500 people to make 10 million Craftsman wrenches and ratchets and 50 million sockets annually. Robots and fast-forging presses will help boost output about 25% above the older forging machinery now used to make Craftsman wrenches in China, helping keep production costs at the new plant in line with those in China, DuckSoup, Cal, p_toad and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cal Posted September 22, 2019 Report Share Posted September 22, 2019 I really hope that this isn't a case of "to little, to late" for the brand. Unfortunately, reading what you posted seems like the only reason is financial and has nothing to do with quality. DuckSoup and Gunny 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuckSoup Posted September 22, 2019 Report Share Posted September 22, 2019 I would rather be wrong on this, but, I would think that after the automation is in place and running the 500 jobs would dwindle down to a minimum operation & shipping crew. Gunny, HandyDan, p_toad and 1 other 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Howe Posted September 22, 2019 Report Share Posted September 22, 2019 (edited) Ya never know, Bob. There's machine maintenance, operators, stockers, and, somebody has to sweep the floors. My son is on a ten man maintenance crew...one of three crews...who service an automated medication dispensary. It's a VA dispensary so, being a gummit operation, they're probably overstaffed. But, he says they're always busy. Something is always breaking. Edited September 22, 2019 by Gene Howe Gunny, Cal, DuckSoup and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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