Some just can't seem to look beyond a Great Crusade....however..

I bought this router "kit" when they first came out ( ~ $170.00 or so)  Who made this?   I do know who SOLD them...

Been using them ever since...zero issues....

As for a sander.....I am very hard on these little beasties...go through about one a year...

The DeWalt I use?  ( too lazy to change the collet in the Craftsman from 1/4" to 1/2")

Just an old No. 610......

 

Store the Router Kit came from?    Was down on Piqua,OH...been closed for quite some time. now.   Just like that dead horse....both have been buried....

Edited February 17, 20206 yr by steven newman

3 minutes ago, steven newman said:

The DeWaly I use?  ( too lazy to change the collet in the Craftsman from 1/4" to 1/2")

Exactly, why do I need to fumble with that stuff.  So what I have 5 routers?  

 

4 minutes ago, steven newman said:

As for a sander.....I am very hard on these little beasties...go through about one a year...

 

 

Really?  What wears out on them?  I have had one for 20 years or so, works great.  Never fixed it, and YES it does get used a lot.  My Dewalt RAS now I have changed the Velcro bottom and the dust collection bag.  

Another thing...that "Lifetime" warranty.....was ONLY for their Craftsman branded HAND tools.....if'n it had a cord, sorry about your luck. Unlike the power tools you can buy at Harbor Freight.   There was a rumour going around about tool boxes...never did find out....

31 minutes ago, steven newman said:

Another thing...that "Lifetime" warranty.....was ONLY for their Craftsman branded HAND tools.....if'n it had a cord, sorry about your luck. Unlike the power tools you can buy at Harbor Freight.   There was a rumour going around about tool boxes...never did find out....

Craftsman Brand was honored once on tape measure but they did not give a Craftsman back only a Champion which had no guarantee,

I have this Craftsman table saw that built my home and I still have it yet today. I have two other better table saws but The Craftsman just hangs in there. I don't have the heart to get rid of it... Really got to say it was a good saw. The only thing I remember fixing was one of the turn knobs got broken.

I still have my Sears drill that I bought with my first ever pay check.

It cost me all my check back them $16.00. Drill still runs. Bought in 1967.

 

 

 

 

I'll have to add that someone gave his late father's band saw to the woodworking club.  It didn't seem to work real well.   We opened it up and found the bearing on the bottom wheel was pot metal.  Visibly wobbly shaft and just not worth repairing as we didn't know where else crap like that was in the machine.

 

"There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey."

John Ruskin

 

And believe me, I saw a lot of this when repairing Chinese furniture.  And this was not the "7 PIECE LIVING ROOM  SET, $399!  THIS WEEKEND ONLY!"  (ALL CAPS to indicate the shouting in their TV ads every week)

 

 

9 hours ago, steven newman said:

Another thing...that "Lifetime" warranty.....was ONLY for their Craftsman branded HAND tools.....if'n it had a cord, sorry about your luck. Unlike the power tools you can buy at Harbor Freight.   There was a rumour going around about tool boxes...never did find out....

I was in the store once or twice when I saw a guy come in, wearing what was obviously an auto mechanic's uniform.  He had a handful of a dozen or so dirty screwdrivers that he wanted to replace under warranty.  They did.  Later, if your socket wrench ratchet broke, they'd hand you a rebuild kit with parts. 

 

I got a little pissed at them.  I had a 3/8 and 1/2 metric and SAE socket set in a blow molded box.  It didn't see hard use but the box broke at the hinges, essentially making the box non-portable.   I took it back to see if they'd replace the box.  Even if it would have a few empty spots.  "We don't make that model any more, can't do anything for you."

45 minutes ago, kmealy said:

"There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey."

John Ruskin

The problem with that quote is they make it for half the cost, and sell it for twice the price. 

Took a Snap-on ratchet to the tool truck driver....as the selector wasn't working....instead of replacing the ratchet...he just handed me the required parts to fix it meself......

 

 

 

More beating a long dead horse.

 

 

"plastic case broke.." Then build a new one out of wood.....

 

There was another such "Grand Crusade"  a long time ago......The Great Minwax Crusade.......surprised Mickley didn't claim the stuff hurting his sales of P&L

  was Chinese imports....

Edited February 17, 20206 yr by steven newman

56 minutes ago, steven newman said:

Took a Snap-on ratchet to the tool truck driver....as the selector wasn't working....instead of replacing the ratchet...he just handed me the required parts to fix it meself......

 

Almost all of their hand tools used to be made in Kenosha WI.

But some bean counter decided going offshore was a better deal for the stock holders. 

Now they wonder why their sales have slumped.

"plastic case broke.." Then build a new one out of wood.....

 

Did just that.  Fit the old case into the bottom so I did not need to rebuild areas contoured to fit the tools.

 

Did the same thing with my GearWrench box that fell off the table.  Made it a bit oversized so I could add additional bits (metric hex, Pozi-driv, etc.)

 

Beating a dead horse even more: There were a string of local hardware stores that slowly slid into oblivion in town since I moved here 40 years ago:

- Western Home Center (insulting to women who tried to shop there, my wife refused to go there)

- Swallen's (local department store that went bankrupt when the kids took it over)

- Furrow (chain out of Kansas or somewhere)

- Central Hardware (larger store that disappeared)

- Contractor's Warehouse (went broke, dwindled inventory, then out of business)
- HQ (a subsidiary of KMart?)

- Another local one I can't remember the name of but went out of business

- A large one that sold Delta and other commercial power tools, near downtown, and now closed.

 

 

 

There were few within about 8 miles of my home.   There was one that was about 4 miles from where I was working at the time, but it was two aisles wide.   They seemed to have what I needed, but you might have to ask and they'd dig out a cardboard box from under the shelving and sort through it.   A similar one down the street from several of my regular customers, that in the last 5 years closed shop.  Many of them were either in the urban parts of town (near downtown) or way out in the country.   At my prior home, there was a Do-It-Best that I frequented and I liked them.   But I was really glad when Lowe's and Home Depot started building stores, and in the last 5 years Menards has joined the crowd.  We also got maybe 20 years ago both a Rockler and a Woodcraft store.  Woodcraft, after starting in an outlot of a failing mall, moved right down the street from Rockler, who is next to Lowe's , and Harbor Freight moved into the strip mall with Woodcraft.

 

Thankfully, I have bought all my big equipment from a commercial dealer that is still in business.  Between my shop and the furniture bank, I've probably spent $15K there.  They still sell Festool, Sawstop, Jet, Powermatic, DeWalt, Kreg, Whiteside, Freud, Safety Speed, and all the way up to commercial equipment that I think you stick a log in one end and a chair comes out the other.  They also take trade-ins and consignments, so they have a big "used" area in the back of the store.

 

I've also found two good repair shops.  One also sells Makita, mostly, and the other Milwaukee.   But they service most all brands.

I miss the Mom/Pop style of hardware stores. 

We had 1 that if they didn't have it they'd either get it for you, or know where you could get what you were looking for.

My Late FIL  had such a Hardware store....Downtown DeGraff, OH.   Started by his father as Kinnan's hardware.....then John Doak Kinnan and a WW2 buddy of his took it over, while Win Kinnan concentrated on publishing  Huff's Fair Directory.    Kinnan & Armstrong Hardware lasted quite a while....until Mr. Armstrong started up the Bellefontaine radio stations...WOHP.    

 

then Win died, which left the Directory to John Doak to publish...got to be too much, between the store and the book....sold the store....and that was that.

19 hours ago, Kevin Beitz said:

I still have my Sears drill that I bought with my first ever pay check.

It cost me all my check back them $16.00. Drill still runs. Bought in 1967.

 

 

 

 

Man, the patternmakers must not have realized they needed to reverse the pattern for the "Craftsman" lettering???

I was reading an electric book this morning.  Is there a chance this this is not "double insulated?"  If not, then you could be subject to shock if there is an internal short.

 

7 minutes ago, kmealy said:

Man, the patternmakers must not have realized they needed to reverse the pattern for the "Craftsman" lettering???

 

10 hours ago, steven newman said:

Took a Snap-on ratchet to the tool truck driver....as the selector wasn't working....instead of replacing the ratchet...he just handed me the required parts to fix it meself......

I work in the auto industry.  As in we BUY those tools to make our money.  For 6 years we have had terrible Snap On dealers.  For 5 of them it was a guy hired by the actual dealer to run the route.  Then a year of one of those who thought he was ready to be a dealer.  It is fundamental you have to show up to sell tools.  Not one every 3 months either.  New guy, meh still not really impressed. Tried to sell me new toolbox.  Have yet to see why I need one, old one has Lifetime warranty and everything works, had the drawer slides replaced few years back couple at a time.  Good for another 25 years.  

 

As for your ratchet what a slime ball.  It is HIS job to rebuild it, and he has what he needs to do so.  Never would fly on a route as a regular customer.

 

We could beat Snap On to death, suffice to say they do make good tools but the prices = rapidly getting out of reach unless you like eating dirt. 

This morning, I was reading a FWW from last year.  They reviewed ROS.  One of each brand, except Festool, of which they tested three.  One of them came out on top.  Now mind you, almost all the brands have a low end and mid-range sandeer.  All the rest were $60-80, the Festool was either over $500 or $600.   Second place went to a $55 Craftsman.  Things that make you say, "Hmmm."

For those wondering why SnapOn gets beaten on here ya go. This week's ad at the shop.

 

2 ton Jack, I call it the OMG factor.

 

Well, here's an alternative. Only $138 AND you might get a free flashlight! 

Edited February 18, 20206 yr by Gene Howe