does anyone still care about Craftsman tools?

[p_toad]

I don't work there (well, i apparently don't work anywhere), but I was recently at an Ollie's store and they had some NOS (new old stock) out and it included made in USA phillips #2, a 6" side cutter, a 3-pack plier set.   There were also some made somewhere else sockets and linesman pliers.

 

Not sure if they all got them or not or if only local warehouses? 

[FlGatorwood]

I would guess that they picked up some stock from a closed Sears store.  Nice find.

 

[Ron Altier]

My experience with Craftsman tools was very good for a long time. Then the quality started to fail. My heavy duty half inch drill went bad in 4 months with limited use and they didn't want to replace it. After that I noticed a quality drop off in many of their tools. About the same time others were starting to make great tools and guarantee them too. Then with the entire Sears empire falling, I switched to other manufacturers. It was sad to see Sears fall, but you can't' stand still in a race.

[Gunny]

51 minutes ago, Ron Altier said:

you can't' stand still in a race.

In the case of Sears they dropped out and went home. 

[FlGatorwood]

About 40 years ago, I bought our children's clothes there.  We bought all our appliances there.  I bought all my tools there.  I'll keep what tools I still have.  By the time I check out, they may bring a small fortune to my children as they settle the estate.  

[Gerald]

Don't know about that fortune but I found a neat little set with sockets, ratchet, 3/8 and a driver, 2 screwdrivers and for some reason 2 open ends. All that for $6 and I still have the tool box and wrenches I got while in college. I do have a 1/2 inch drill and a 1/4 sheet sander but all the rest is gone ,

[Fred W. Hargis Jr]

Like Steve, 40(+)years ago if I needed a tool (or anything else) Sears was the first place I went. I still have many Craftsman mechanics tools, all USA, and all very good. Most of my Craftsman power tools eventually went to the great workshop in the sky, and they were replaced by other brands. If I needed something and could find Craftsman USA tools I wouldn't hesitate to buy them....but they are becoming very rare. I understand the lifetime warranty is still in place, but if a USA tool breaks it gets replaced with an Asian import.

[Gene Howe]

I owned a Craftsman router once. Once is all it took.

[DuckSoup]

13 hours ago, Ron Altier said:

It was sad to see Sears fall, but you can't' stand still in a race.

 Thinking how Sears started as a catalog and the advent of the internet one would have believed that they would have been the leader in online shopping. They had greyhound tickets when that boat sailed.

[Ron Altier]

Things started downward when they replaced the Sears catalog with toilet paper.

 

[Kevin Beitz]

I still have my old ones and I still love them....

[HandyDan]

9 hours ago, DuckSoup said:

 Thinking how Sears started as a catalog and the advent of the internet one would have believed that they would have been the leader in online shopping. They had greyhound tickets when that boat sailed.

 

When they got rid of the catalog I figured that was a big mistake for them.  The pick-up department was always busy.   

[kmealy]

My first job out of college was with Allstate (then still a subsidiary of Sears).  I bought a few tools there.  My second job was in a small town where Sears was the only "big" retailer and bought a couple more.  Bought a RAS that was such junk, I returned it.  Then I saw their tools, especially power tools, (as well as other quality in the store) start to decline.  Never bought much more after that.  I sort of snickered inside at people who said, "I buy Craftsman, they're the best."  I thought they were living in the '60s.   Everyone has lifetime warranty on hand tools.   And the major brand power tools are all superior.

I decided to give Sears another shot about 20 years ago.  I got such terrible customer service, I never went back.  If they had kept their quality up and done to the internet what they did to mail/catalog order, they'd be king of the hill now.  They made products available to people outside and inside urban areas.   RIP.  C-level employees with next quarter the only thing that matters besides their golden parachutes.

 

But now, Craftsman is owned by Stanley Black&Decker who needs to figure out where to position them among DeWalt, Porter-Cable, Black&Decker, Stanley and a plethora of other brand labels.  https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gear/a28359/megabrands-tools-graphic/

Interesting that Wal*mart's new "Hart" tools are made by the same company that makes Milwaukee and Ryobi.

 

I just regret not scrounging stores and liquidators like Ollie's when Metabo and Hitachi merged and they relabeled Hitachi tool labelled tools.   Similarly when one of the BORGs decides to change brands and liquidate all of them.

Edited February 15, 2020 by kmealy

[Fred W. Hargis Jr]

10 hours ago, kmealy said:

 

Interesting that Wal*mart's new "Hart" tools are made by the same company that makes Milwaukee and Ryobi.

 

 

I did not realize that...probably doesn't make any difference to me, but it's an interesting piece of info.

[steven newman]

Roh-kay........that router ( electric type) I just used on the Ash table build.....IS a Craftsman.   And still going strong, I might add.

 

The Bandsaw and the tablesaw in my shop are both from Sears...I just rebuilt the bandsaw last year?    Shaft on the drive wheel was worn,,,

 

There is one point always missing in these Craftsman Bash-a-thons.......Sears & Roebuck  NEVER made a single tool....EVER.  They were tool SELLERS, only.    They would let out a contract to tool makers, and whom ever won the contract for that model year(s) would make the tools to Sears' specs...and to Sears' price points. 

 

Soooo, the same factory that made your Proto or S&K hand tools...also would make Craftsman hand tools.   Only difference being the Logo on the wrench's handle.

 

But...go ahead and bash away.....Sears is long gone, and buried.....

 

Over at Honda auto plants....they send a car in 60 piece "lots"   then the next lot is a different model.....one minute it is an Accord....then an Acura might follow....same at the factory that B&D/Stanley uses.....Same tools, just different features/colours/Logos......Might get 60 yellow sanders, followed by 60 Red sanders, followed by 60 gray sanders....and now blue/white sanders...

 

"But, I can FEEL the quality.."     The ONLY thing that feels the "Quality"....is your wallet.   the other saying that always gets me......" I have Brand X,  and LOVE it.."  I buy a tool to do work...not to marry it....

 

used to be a fellow on the old WOOD-online forums.....claimed one can not be called a "serious" woodworker unless they spent "X" amount of $$$$ on the tools.....and always talked about needing to do an immediate upgrade to what ever tool someone had bought.   

 

Sunday Sermon is now over.....

[Gunny]

17 minutes ago, steven newman said:

Sunday Sermon is now over.....

 

Stay tuned next week Folks when The Reverend Newman speaks on, "Shopsmith Addition or Addiction"

 

[Larry Buskirk]

And due to the facts Steve stated, some were better than others.

[Gerald]

All that in consideration I switched from Craftsman battery powered drill to Porter Cable about 20 years ago and yes there was a difference. The key here is different specs and Sears shot themselves in the foot by lowering the specs till they lowered themselves out of business.

[kmealy]

Who made what?

I always get a kick out of people who say, "I have this Craftsman table saw model # 113."  Ummm nope.

 

Not bashing or supporting but just because a given tool was made in the same factory as something else (whether it's Craftsman or DeWalt vs. Porter Cable) does not mean it's the same quality; add a little more money or cut some corners and you have different tools.  

 

You only need to look at the Chinese and they will make anything to any quality level you want to pay for.

[Gunny]

26 minutes ago, kmealy said:

Who made what?

This link was enlightening.  113 was a Emerson Electric, who knew??