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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.

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.

16 minutes ago, kmealy said:

crappy, less crappy, not so crappy

HF in a nutshell...

28 minutes ago, Stick486 said:

HF in a nutshell...

Shhh.... don't tell Herb!

John

15 minutes ago, HARO50 said:

Shhh.... don't tell Herb!

John

he knows..

ya'd have to be dead not to notice...

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

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...

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

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.

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,

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.

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. 

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, 20196 yr by Gene Howe