Sears facebook

[Bjkearns]

Here is what I will be getting instead and using a 20% off coupon
http://www.harborfreight.com/8-piece-right-angle-screwdriver-92630.html

 

[Bjkearns]

I always like to make companies aware of good and bad things because I as the consumer decide where I want to spend my dollars

 

[pendragon1998]

What is the point of replying to the bot? They probably glance at each comment and click a button to insert a generic reply for:
"irate customer"
"shipping problem"
"chinese tools bitching"
"happy sheep customer"
"broken product"
etc.

 

[Bjkearns]

That very well could be the case but I feel compelled as a consumer to leave feedback

 

[Kracin]

for me, having been overseas for more than a few years, and seeing the way things are nowadays, the term chinese **** seems more like a line used back in the 90s and shouldn't apply these days.

i worked for a ductile iron pipe manufacturer (griffin pipe) to be exact. and used anything from a full range of tools, electric, pneumatic, hydraulic, a vast assortment of all kinds of things. and what have i found?

some chinese/taiwanese made things break easily, and some american made things break easily. the QC and overall quality of a tool is determined by the factory and the company, not by the location. as i can easily say that working for another company right now that is the pretty much the largest manufacturer of store shelving in the united states, and you will find the mechanics use pretty much every tool. and being professional industrial electro-mechanics, they will tell you the same thing for the most part. and that is, "if it works, and it works good, who cares where its made".


i have used a full set of thinwall sockets from harbor freight to assembly and disassemble machinery with disgusting amounts of dirt and stuck on ****........ with a CP impact wrench, never once split a socket or rounded a bolt.

i have used the same set of newer (supposed chinese junk) craftsman wrenches on a wide variety of things to the point of double wrenching (hook a similar length and size wrench onto the open end of one with the box end of another to make it twice the length). and never had a problem is a bent or broken wrench for years now.





i haven't been a part of these forums for long, but i see its a split between people who use tools that get the job done and people who are absolutely obsessed with where the tool was made regardless of the quality. american quality is only as good as the company who conducts the QC, a lot of tools in HF and northern stores are made in the USA, but that doesn't make them good. the same can be said for car manufacturing now, simply because it was made in the usa does not mean it is of a higher quality than another car.



sorry for the rant, but seeing that someone is up in arms about a location that a screwdriver was made, and then threatens the company on facebook by saying they will just go buy a harbor freight screwdriver is absurd.

 

[mmack66]

I have no sympathy for people who complain about made in China tools at Sears, when they just turn around and go somewhere else and buy made in China tools.

 

[justanengineer]

What is the point of replying to the bot? They probably glance at each comment and click a button to insert a generic reply

Not likely even that. Most of the larger companies have hired public relations companies to handle their FB, Twitter, and other social media sites.

Personally, I leave feedback with my wallet and not with my mouth when purchasing anything.

 

[signcrafter]

Craftsman actually sells a Made in The USA ratcheting screwdriver like the HF one you linked to, http://www.craftsman.com/craftsman-...p-00941716000P?prdNo=3&blockNo=3&blockType=G3. Same ones snap on sells under the blue point name, think they are made by lang or kastar. They have three different ones, a straight one and two different angled head ones.

 

[Kracin]

Not likely even that. Most of the larger companies have hired public relations companies to handle their FB, Twitter, and other social media sites.

Personally, I leave feedback with my wallet and not with my mouth when purchasing anything.

this will say a lot more.

and if people were so worried about the quality of a tool. they should honestly buy it, keep the receipt and use the piss out of it, put it through its paces ya know.... take that cheapass wrench, put it in a vise and stand on it. tighten a bolt with a 3/4 impact, then slap that wrench on there and losen it using a hammer. try everything you can within normal extreme uses of a tool to break it.

if you haven't broken a tool while using it for its intended purpose (within reason, sledgehammer vs 1/2 wrench is not necessary), then is there anything honestly wrong with it?

 

[Zeke]

Sears has been selling chicom tools for over 20 years. Things like jackstands and jacks. I've been saying all along that if I'm going to send money to China, I'm going to send as little as possible. But direct if you buy chicom. Why let the middleman profit?

It was Sears choice and they can live with it. Personally, I have thought Sears to be a pretty low quality store most of my life. I figured I could get a good pair of work boots at Sears 30 years ago and they were the worst boots I'v ever owned. And, at the time, I paid 30 bucks for them. At least.

 

[Conductor562]

Last time I was on Sears Facebook page it was pretty nasty. Lots of negative comments with very few positive.

 

[Stooge]

Ive had mixed results when voicing my grievances/ praise on certain companies' facebooks. When ive posted on a promo Mac was having about coo, i was given a us made equivalent part# they offered. As far as it being a bot on the sears facebook, ive posted pictures on theirs that have been deleted pretty swiftly so who knows. This was the picture with a caption along the lines of , bought this to replace a us made craftsman adaptor i had lost after 10yrs of use, new adaptor lasted half of a bolt"

 

[durallymax]

I have no sympathy for people who complain about made in China tools at Sears, when they just turn around and go somewhere else and buy made in China tools.

They are not complaining about chinese tools.

You go to sears and pay a premium for their service and COO of USA. Neither of which they offer anymore.

Thus people go to other stores to get the same or better product at a much much lower price.


Getting what you paid for, not complaining about COO.

 

[ganymede]

They are not complaining about chinese tools.

You go to sears and pay a premium for their service and COO of USA. Neither of which they offer anymore.

Thus people go to other stores to get the same or better product at a much much lower price.


Getting what you paid for, not complaining about COO.

And yet some people rush to buy the last of the US made stuff as though its so much better than the junk they sell now. The raised panel wrenches are worse but how much more are anything else? When was the last time Craftsmans USA stuff was better than Harbor freight pro line?
I laugh at all the people on Craftsmans facebook page who post that they are "going to switch to < insert truck brand > until craftsman starts making tools here again".
Suuuure you are .

 

[Super Sport]

Ive had mixed results when voicing my grievances/ praise on certain companies' facebooks. When ive posted on a promo Mac was having about coo, i was given a us made equivalent part# they offered. As far as it being a bot on the sears facebook, ive posted pictures on theirs that have been deleted pretty swiftly so who knows. This was the picture with a caption along the lines of , bought this to replace a us made craftsman adaptor i had lost after 10yrs of use, new adaptor lasted half of a bolt"

I have broken several USA made adapters like that.

To the OP, HF really isn't a big competitor to Sears. They have less than half the number of stores, and I'm sure nowhere near the number of customers or the reputation Craftsman has. Yes, Cman and Sears are starting to tarnish that reputation, but most people haven't taken notice.

HF offers tools cheaper than anywhere else, even places selling the exact same tools under different names. They're not really a fair comparison. Once you look at Lowe's or HD, who also sell Chinese tools for the same prices as Sears, you'll see that people still buy this new imported ****.

 

[woody 73]

Not to bad mouth sears, but every time I go it seems like I am the only customer in the tool area, it must cost them a ton of money for the staff, lights,heating,security,overhead, etc. How they manage to stay open is a mystery to me?

 

[rslaback]

Ironically, you contradicted yourself in your final comment. Sears is dwindling and HF is growing. Hmmmm... think about that for a while. You just reinforced their thought that to save their brand they need to go off shore.

 

[durallymax]

Ironically, you contradicted yourself in your final comment. Sears is dwindling and HF is growing. Hmmmm... think about that for a while. You just reinforced their thought that to save their brand they need to go off shore.

No if they want to sell overseas products they need to price accordingly if they want to remain competitive.

 

[MPOWERD]

I posted about their Chicom **** and it was deleted the same day.

 

[ChevyEFI]

Ive had mixed results when voicing my grievances/ praise on certain companies' facebooks. When ive posted on a promo Mac was having about coo, i was given a us made equivalent part# they offered. As far as it being a bot on the sears facebook, ive posted pictures on theirs that have been deleted pretty swiftly so who knows. This was the picture with a caption along the lines of , bought this to replace a us made craftsman adaptor i had lost after 10yrs of use, new adaptor lasted half of a bolt"

That's automatically the weakest point in a breaker bar / adapter / socket setup. Yippee, U.S. ones break too.

 

[vintagefan]

i have used the same set of newer (supposed chinese junk) craftsman wrenches on a wide variety of things to the point of double wrenching (hook a similar length and size wrench onto the open end of one with the box end of another to make it twice the length). and never had a problem is a bent or broken wrench for years now.

Not trying to be nitpicky, but the newer Chinese made Craftsman RP wrenches have been out more like months, not years.

Also, they had to significantly enlarge the open end head (presumably because of weaker steel, this is the only conceivable reason), to the point where it had a major effect on functionality.

This is a big issue for people who need to warranty the USA made version, and get a less usable tool in return.

Even worse, you're much more likely to need to replace your most used sizes, so that means the ones you use most end up getting replaced with a fat-headed turd.

 

[Super Sport]

No if they want to sell overseas products they need to price accordingly if they want to remain competitive.

Compared to everybody but HF, they are priced pretty competitively.

When they were USA-made their prices were a steal compared to any other USA-made company. Their prices have always been competitive to Lowe's or HD, both of which went overseas years ago.

 

[byoungblood]

Not to bad mouth sears, but every time I go it seems like I am the only customer in the tool area, it must cost them a ton of money for the staff, lights,heating,security,overhead, etc. How they manage to stay open is a mystery to me?

Much of Sears's problem, in my opinion, is location.

Like some other defunct retailers, they got themselves involved in a bunch of long term leases, or bought their spaces outright. They did so at a time when they were a major force in retailing, and had no reason to believe at the time it would pose much of an issue to them. Now they occupy a bunch of dying or dead malls where they are the only major tenant left. There is no secondary foot traffic at these stores, the only people shopping there are the ones that are specifically coming to shop there. Just think about how many Sears stores you see where they are literally the last retailer left, save for a couple of ethnic boutique stores? They have no means of getting the hell out of dodge in areas where they could still stir up some business and are forced to slog it out in their old, beat up locations that nobody wants to go to.

HFs only claim is that they are super cheap. They really don't have much else to go on outside of their prices. I still can't bring myself to spend more than about $10 in there on things that I would consider the be either consumable or throw-away type items if it breaks.

 

[durallymax]

Compared to everybody but HF, they are priced pretty competitively.

When they were USA-made their prices were a steal compared to any other USA-made company. Their prices have always been competitive to Lowe's or HD, both of which went overseas years ago.

I felt their prices represented their american made quality. The truck brands were better quality on many things and you pay for the service. Other industrial american made brans were higher priced but higher quality.

I could be wrong though, the glory days of craftsman were before my time.

 

[The Ratchet Man]

Much of Sears's problem, in my opinion, is location.

Like some other defunct retailers, they got themselves involved in a bunch of long term leases, or bought their spaces outright. They did so at a time when they were a major force in retailing, and had no reason to believe at the time it would pose much of an issue to them. Now they occupy a bunch of dying or dead malls where they are the only major tenant left. There is no secondary foot traffic at these stores, the only people shopping there are the ones that are specifically coming to shop there. Just think about how many Sears stores you see where they are literally the last retailer left, save for a couple of ethnic boutique stores? They have no means of getting the hell out of dodge in areas where they could still stir up some business and are forced to slog it out in their old, beat up locations that nobody wants to go to.

HFs only claim is that they are super cheap. They really don't have much else to go on outside of their prices. I still can't bring myself to spend more than about $10 in there on things that I would consider the be either consumable or throw-away type items if it breaks.

That's the problem around here. A new mall was built on the other side of town. Nobody goes to the old one. There were only my 3 main stores left before Sears closed its doors. Their outdated business model is crippling them. 2 weeks ago they opened a very small store in a newer area in town. It has one tool aisle...ONE! Kmart down the street has 7 aisles. Update the business model and some other things will naturally fall in place.

 

[Pumpman1968]

Not trying to be nitpicky, but the newer Chinese made Craftsman RP wrenches have been out more like months, not years.

Also, they had to significantly enlarge the open end head (presumably because of weaker steel, this is the only conceivable reason), to the point where it had a major effect on functionality.

This is a big issue for people who need to warranty the USA made version, and get a less usable tool in return.

Even worse, you're much more likely to need to replace your most used sizes, so that means the ones you use most end up getting replaced with a fat-headed turd.

I really don't understand the warranty issue. I've been using Craftsman hand tools for almost 30 years and haven't had to warranty much more than a handful or so. I am not an auto tech but have been in the plumbing/heating/water systems business since 1986........so I swing wrenches everyday.

Is a ratchet that's been used for 10 years on a daily basis that needs a repair kit a warranty issue? Same can be said of a ratchet that's been used as a hammer....or a socket that's been split because its been beat on with a hammer.

Sure, I've seen the quality of Craftsman slip but, that was 10 years before a Craftsman ratchet came from China. I've seen chrome that was sloppy, but when I was taking a flange apart under a foot of water, it really didn't seem to matter....that flange came apart and didn't care if the socket was shiny.

Do you think that some really pretty shiny chrome will keep a socket from splitting when you beat it on with a hammer?

The warranty issue is a bunch of **** IMHO....if you don't use a tool as intended its going to break and I don't care where it came from.

If you have an issue with Craftsman, tell it like it is. You want to support a USA manufacturer......then switch. If the quality has changed........which it has......then switch. I have found that Williams USA stuff is fairly priced and I don't care that I'm buying them from a company in Indiana because I use a ratchet as a ratchet.

Sears' main moneymaker is John Homeowner that gets a 300 piece socket set for Christmas (or Fathers Day) and uses it once a month to change the oil in his Honda........and that guy will never notice that the 15mm socket doesn't say "USA" on it anymore.

People have been abusing Sears' VERY liberal warranty policy for years. There is even a cottage industry built around it. How many of you guys have bought a broken Craftsman tool at a yard sale for $1.00 and returned it to Sears for a new one? There are people on Ebay selling BOXES of broken Craftsman tools.........that have probably been warrantied already.

I'm sorry for the rant and I'm not by any means defending Sears for their decisions....it really is a loss of another American Icon...and they will loose my business completely when the USA stuff is gone. But, instead of bashing a company that is trying to survive in this global marketplace, take a look at what you are doing in your own garage.

What are you going to say when you switch to Snap On and bend a screwdriver while your using it as a pry bar? The Snap On guy is gonna laugh at you. Then what? Bash Snap On?

Oh....wait.....

 

[mrjaw14]

i"ve posted similar comments on Sears's Facebook before. Yes I might turn around and buy a Chinese screwdriver from HTF, but it'll be 1/4 the cost. If Sears wants to outsource that's their grave to dig, but my problem with them is that they are selling Chinese **** at their formerly USA made prices hoping the craftsman name will carry the product. I'll tell you firsthand that their "new" Chinese made stuff is nowhere near the quality of their older stuff.

I don't want sears to go under. I liked their USA tools. I like being able to go in an get a new tool if mine breaks without calling a company somewhere and fighting with them about mailing a replacement, that's why we pay a premium for SO, Matco, Sk, etc right? (that and QUALITY) And I paid a premium over lowes, HD, HTF, etc for being able to do that. I don't do that anymore. I'd rather by Taiwan made Kobalt from Lowes. Taiwan stuff is usually pretty good, but more than that they fought for their freedom and made a place for themselves in the world just like the US did, and I respect that. For that reason I like GearWrench. I say this to show that I'm not a USA made snob....but I am a snob when it comes to expecting quality. no matter what Sears says, their quality has taken a big hit, and they've lost my business because of it. I did just buy a lot of older Craftsman tools off Ebay, paid a LOT more than I could get the same items from HFT...for QUALITY.

 

[Davefr]

Much of Sears's problem, in my opinion, is location.

Like some other defunct retailers, they got themselves involved in a bunch of long term leases, or bought their spaces outright. They did so at a time when they were a major force in retailing, and had no reason to believe at the time it would pose much of an issue to them. Now they occupy a bunch of dying or dead malls where they are the only major tenant left. There is no secondary foot traffic at these stores, the only people shopping there are the ones that are specifically coming to shop there. Just think about how many Sears stores you see where they are literally the last retailer left, save for a couple of ethnic boutique stores? They have no means of getting the hell out of dodge in areas where they could still stir up some business and are forced to slog it out in their old, beat up locations that nobody wants to go to.

I agree. It seems like the big city/mega mall retail model is gradually dying off.

Going to the mall used to be the big thing but I can't remember the last time I set foot in one. All that's left is high priced boutiques and clothing stores like JCP and Macys.

 

[durallymax]

What are you going to say when you switch to Snap On and bend a screwdriver while your using it as a pry bar? The Snap On guy is gonna laugh at you. Then what? Bash Snap On?

Oh....wait.....

I've never gotten any tool declined. Anything but drill bits he always says. I had some extractors I was prepared to pay for but he said they were covered. They were discolored because I put them in a hole that was still too hot which ruined the biting edges. Oh well.

Their price reflects the warranty. I am not saying I or the dealer are "working the system". It is what it is, I am not going to beg him to not warranty my stuff. I like to be honest. The high cost of the truck brands helps offset their warranty rates which are much higher than other brands.

 

[NC-Fordguy]

*** yawn***

 

[Pumpman1968]

I've never gotten any tool declined. Anything but drill bits he always says. I had some extractors I was prepared to pay for but he said they were covered. They were discolored because I put them in a hole that was still too hot which ruined the biting edges. Oh well.

Their price reflects the warranty. I am not saying I or the dealer are "working the system". It is what it is, I am not going to beg him to not warranty my stuff. I like to be honest. The high cost of the truck brands helps offset their warranty rates which are much higher than other brands.

Just trying to make a point that no other tool has as liberal of a warranty.

 

[Kracin]

Not trying to be nitpicky, but the newer Chinese made Craftsman RP wrenches have been out more like months, not years.

Also, they had to significantly enlarge the open end head (presumably because of weaker steel, this is the only conceivable reason), to the point where it had a major effect on functionality.

This is a big issue for people who need to warranty the USA made version, and get a less usable tool in return.

Even worse, you're much more likely to need to replace your most used sizes, so that means the ones you use most end up getting replaced with a fat-headed turd.

these are raised panel wrenches., the rough finish, with the flat section with lettering that is raised higher than the rest of the wrench right? it's the same exact style that is being sold right now. i cant see any difference, in fact the same exact wrench set is being sold. and i only didn't get a metric set from craftsman for work because i am very big on trying new brands to see how they hold up. so throwing 30 dollars to a wrench set to see how well it fairs to give a fair review on it, is no big deal.

so far, the most used sizes havent even gotten a nick on the working end of them, they are holding up great for being used in foundry work and industrial applications where tools see stupid amounts of abuse.

 

[Kracin]

I really don't understand the warranty issue. I've been using Craftsman hand tools for almost 30 years and haven't had to warranty much more than a handful or so. I am not an auto tech but have been in the plumbing/heating/water systems business since 1986........so I swing wrenches everyday.

Is a ratchet that's been used for 10 years on a daily basis that needs a repair kit a warranty issue? Same can be said of a ratchet that's been used as a hammer....or a socket that's been split because its been beat on with a hammer.

Sure, I've seen the quality of Craftsman slip but, that was 10 years before a Craftsman ratchet came from China. I've seen chrome that was sloppy, but when I was taking a flange apart under a foot of water, it really didn't seem to matter....that flange came apart and didn't care if the socket was shiny.

Do you think that some really pretty shiny chrome will keep a socket from splitting when you beat it on with a hammer?

The warranty issue is a bunch of **** IMHO....if you don't use a tool as intended its going to break and I don't care where it came from.

If you have an issue with Craftsman, tell it like it is. You want to support a USA manufacturer......then switch. If the quality has changed........which it has......then switch. I have found that Williams USA stuff is fairly priced and I don't care that I'm buying them from a company in Indiana because I use a ratchet as a ratchet.

Sears' main moneymaker is John Homeowner that gets a 300 piece socket set for Christmas (or Fathers Day) and uses it once a month to change the oil in his Honda........and that guy will never notice that the 15mm socket doesn't say "USA" on it anymore.

People have been abusing Sears' VERY liberal warranty policy for years. There is even a cottage industry built around it. How many of you guys have bought a broken Craftsman tool at a yard sale for $1.00 and returned it to Sears for a new one? There are people on Ebay selling BOXES of broken Craftsman tools.........that have probably been warrantied already.

I'm sorry for the rant and I'm not by any means defending Sears for their decisions....it really is a loss of another American Icon...and they will loose my business completely when the USA stuff is gone. But, instead of bashing a company that is trying to survive in this global marketplace, take a look at what you are doing in your own garage.

What are you going to say when you switch to Snap On and bend a screwdriver while your using it as a pry bar? The Snap On guy is gonna laugh at you. Then what? Bash Snap On?

Oh....wait.....

this is a very well written and thought out response. and it covers a good section of why sears has gone downhill.


it isn't the company, it's the people honestly, everybody wants affordable, so they try to buy the cheapest product, and in order to compete with the vast majority of people that would rather buy a cheap product that works, than an expensive product that works extremely well for an extremely long time. they had to adapt.


the OP has no room to bash sears on their facebook page about a tool not being made in the USA, the USA caused this problem with the amount that factory workers "need" to be paid in the U.S. compared to the price of the product that goes out the door. you can't have both, you either need a high priced product with american workers making it (because lets face it, the average american requires a much higher yearly income to survive than the average chinese worker), or you can get the low/mid priced product with overseas help in production because they wouldn't last long with a costly production with low sales numbers.




as far as i see it, this thread shouldn't even exist unless the sole purpose was the throw mud at sears for the simple fact that they are catering to the larger number of people that need tools that work well for the given application. if you want a ridiculously high quality product (or rather should i say, an expensive product that does the same thing for 99% of the users who buy it), then buy snap-on, cornwell, or whatever else and leave sears to their sales to the average consumer.




cliffs for anyone who doesn't like to read : if you are worried about the stamped country of origin, and if the price is too low. buy from somewhere else from now on, why even bother going to sears if you don't agree with their business model?