What tools does Craftsman still make in the USA?

[hotsho111]

Over the last few years I've been trying fill in some tool gaps with as much Craftsman stuff as I can before it's all made overseas but it seems like it may be too late.

I stopped by my local Ace and Sears store and nearly everything I saw was made in China (some of the random stuff I checked):

Breaker bars, ratchets, flex head ratchets, wrenches, hex key sets, extensions, socket screwdrivers, strap wrenches, and even the damn speeder bars (at this point I got bummed and left).

I didn't look closely at all the regular wrenches but they only had the full polish stuff, which I think are made in China, and the only raised panel wrenches I saw were random old individual stock.

The only things I could find that were made in the USA were some screwdrivers and some pliers.

It looks like no made in USA craftsman tools have the made in the USA logo on the front anymore. I would guess it's because so little is made in the USA if you hide the logo on the back most people wouldn't notice the majority of tools are made in China now (my parents certainly didn't know and my they've been buying craftsman for forever)

One random thing I noticed that was interesting, the made in USA 1/4" flex head ratchet doesn't have a quick release button but the made in China one does.

I guess there's always ebay

 

[PelicanPines]

I'm lucky, my ACE is still stocked with USA wrenches and random sockes i checked are all USA... All the wrenches ACE has here are the raised panel 12 pt made in usa version.

I mentioned it to the owner and she said... all the ace brand stuff is from china and apparently it might be the same place the china craftsman stuff will be coming from.

She said all that is on the shelf is old stock and when it's gone... it's gone.

By the way, I live in the middle of nowhere in New Jersey, in the woods, by the beach.

 

[sonvolt]

It is a shame, they were such an iconic brand passed down from father to son which started your work ethic to be proud of what you do back when tools were made in the USA. Unfortunately they have been going downhill in quality for some time.

 

[csp]

The Industrial line is USA made still.

 

[jcfields]

.

 

[hotsho111]

Ya, my local ace is a super mom and pop shop and most of what they have that's still made in the usa is random single old stock. They even have the individual pieces that made up the craftsman pawless ratcheting wrench sets (42444 and 42445).

I've been locking to pick up the flex head ratchets (mainly the 1/4" one) and was hoping they had it, which they did but it was the China version

 

[d.mcfarland]

Not to be that guy .. but Craftsman (or Sears for that matter) doesn't produce anything. It's all branded as Craftsman but made by other manufacturers. There are some threads on this site that list tool truck equivalents. There might be a Craftsman one as well. I'll try to look for it. If you are interested in USA made tools your best bet is to find the OEM for a particular product and through google find the cheapest price.

 

[hotsho111]

I believe the industrial line is just the old pro line with industrial stamped on them, but still made in the USA.

Interesting about the online stuff. I've pretty much given up ordering some stuff from sears online since they don't list the COO on the website much of the time and I'd expect to get some Chinese stuff

Edit:
Are any raised panel wrenches made in China? I thought that was a US only thing and the overseas stuff got the full polish treatment?

 

[Vegas Painter]

The new raised panels are all china now. I was in Harbor Freight the other day and they now have raised panel wrenches now. They look the same.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[hotsho111]

That's a bummer

 

[ecotec]

The Wilde and Mayhew pry bars are still made in USA. I recently bought the Wilde set.

 

[sonvolt]

Unfortunately you have to read the back of every package to see the COO, I like the days when you didn't have to look. Too bad they didn't keep the entire Craftsman line USA and import the evolve line only.

 

[southalabama]

I'm lacking a few sockets to fill my hansens. Guess I better hunt some of the USA singles before they are gone. I'm so OCD I want them all USA craftsman.

 

[d.mcfarland]

The Wilde and Mayhew pry bars are still made in USA. I recently bought the Wilde set.

The new ones are Chinese clones. Be careful.

 

[hotsho111]

I'm lacking a few sockets to fill my hansens. Guess I better hunt some of the USA singles before they are gone. I'm so OCD I want them all USA craftsman.

Ya, over the last several years I've been scooping up any deals I can find on USA craftsman stuff so I have a "complete" set (although you never really have a "complete" toolset though ) of the hardline tools (sockets, extensions, breaker bars, wrenches and ratchets). I even picked up some RP box end ratcheting wrenches I recently found (and like everyone here says, they aren't the best hah).

 

[hotsho111]

This also ***** in terms of the warranty since I'd rather not trade in my USA made tools for some made in China stuff

 

[Loscaldazar]

The new ones are Chinese clones. Be careful.

No, the Taiwan made set (not Chinese) includes 2 screwdriver handle prybars (ie, the wilde type ones) and then a non handled "s" type prybar. Very easy to tell the two sets apart.

The Taiwan sets aren't there to replace the 3 piece wilde/craftsman pry bar.

 

[1950mercury]

I wrote sears off all together. If you need misc usa stuff there opwn stock around here has mostly usa stuff but once you break it a year from now good luck.

I think it should be illegal was sears has done..its bait and switch...

 

[TJJP77]

This also ***** in terms of the warranty since I'd rather not trade in my USA made tools for some made in China stuff

I agree, but the only Craftsman tools that have been failure prone in my experience are the sloppy raised panel ratchets. I've never had to warranty a socket or a wrench from Craftsman, so in all likelihood the USA made stuff I've acquired over my lifetime will last me for the rest of my life.

If I do have to warranty something and I get a chinese equivalent, I'll just look on ebay or at flea markets/pawn shops/etc. for a USA made tool and sell the chinese tool.

The Sears outlet stores have the 6-point (and 12-point in some cases) RP combination wrenches that are USA stock for pretty cheap right now. I'd suggest snapping them up while you can. I prefer a 6-point wrench/socket whenever possible.

 

[alpinewhite]

The ratchet/socket set as well as the screwdriver set at Costco are both Made in USA

 

[Redoak712010]

I have been looking at this situation for a few weeks now. At Sears the pliers, adjustable wrenches, and screwdrivers are made in the USA. I also checked all of the open stock sockets and wrenches and they are all stamped made in the USA.

All of the socket and wrench sets are made in China. Except the large 600 dollar set, it was still labeled made in USA on the box. You can take it for what it is worth.

I compared the USA wrench with the china wrench. There was a noticeable difference. I know we are moving into a disposable world, but I enjoyed the thought of hard working Americans crafting a quality product. I will buy USA craftsman for as long as I can find it and then I will have to find something else. It is a sad when you sacrifice quality for quantity.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[zakmartin]

I believe the industrial line is just the old pro line with industrial stamped on them, but still made in the USA.

I realize I'm kicking a dead horse, but I just wanted to bring something up about Craftsman's Industrial Line. Yes, some of it looks like the old pro line, but I don't think they feel the same. The polished wrenches feel less substantial and they don't have that beautiful finish or stamping of the old Craftsman Professional wrenches.

The RP Industrial stuff is just garbage; those wrenches are pressed and bent, not forged. The edges are sharp and they're thinner than the USA RPs from a afew years ago. I've also found that the Industrial sockets are no different than the regular USA sockets you could buy right before they went to China, that is, they're not very good either. They might even be worse, since I've run into several sockets where the miniscule laser etching is too crooked to read.

I was shocked when I saw that Summit Racing was selling a 154-piece Craftsman Industrial tool kit for $450. I purchased the exact same kit at the Sears Outlet store a few months before they showed up on Summit for only $79. After loading up the case, I thought $79 was about what they were worth.

I suppose the good that's come out of this is that I've discovered the Garage Journal and familiarized myself with S-K, Armstrong, Proto, Snap-On and other USA brands that I simply wouldn't have considered before the Craftsman ship sailed.

 

[franzdom]

Craftsman doesn't "make" Anything. They are just a marketing organization. The fact that I can still buy some USA Craftsman is little comfort considering that if a warranty is needed it will be likely replaced with inferior goods. And that is only if Sears even stays in business which I would not bet on, if I were a betting man.

 

[d.mcfarland]

I guess there's always ebay

... or the classifieds section on here

 

[radrush]

Craftsman doesn't "make" Anything. They are just a marketing organization.

Sears contracts for tools to be manufactured whether new or rebranded. Aren't you splitting legalistic hairs if you argue between "causing to be made" and "making"?

 

[MagnumForce]

Screwdrivers, pliers, Pry Bars, Hooks and Picks, Crescent Wrenches, Chisels and Punches are all USA Made.

Many other items as well. The only consistently China stuff is Combination and Socket wrenches and ratchets.

I use Chinese made stuff along with my USA stuff and honestly could not tell the difference between the two unless I looked at them. I have noticed nothing inferior.

 

[Askme42]

Unfortunately you have to read the back of every package to see the COO, I like the days when you didn't have to look. Too bad they didn't keep the entire Craftsman line USA and import the evolve line only.

I kind of enjoy the hunt.

 

[JR 42]

... or the classifieds section on here

Indeed! Or search out lightly used stuff. I'd guess half the USA-made tools I see at salvage, thrift, and pawn shops are Craftsman. Nothing beats buying a handful of sockets for less than five bucks.

JR

 

[hotsho111]

... or the classifieds section on here

I would but it's difficult now with the new 100 post limit (I read the forums a lot, but post a lot less)

 

[d.mcfarland]

There is no limit to purchase, only to sell.

 

[JR 42]

I would but it's difficult now with the new 100 post limit (I read the forums a lot, but post a lot less)

Pretty sure you don't need 100 posts to buy stuff from the classified section, only to sell stuff.

JR

 

[finn]

Sears contracts for tools to be manufactured whether new or rebranded. Aren't you splitting legalistic hairs if you argue between "causing to be made" and "making"?

There is in fact a huge difference between "manufactures" and" markets".
Craftsman has always been a marketing name for a retail sales organization. It has never been a manufacturer of products for sale at retail sales organizations.

Big, big difference.

 

[hotsho111]

Pretty sure you don't need 100 posts to buy stuff from the classified section, only to sell stuff.

JR

You do if you want to post a thread stating what you are looking for (as far as I remember, I haven't tried in a while)

 

[Cato]

I kind of enjoy the hunt.

It seems like Craftsman outlets (Sears and OSH, in my case) seem to sprinkle Craftsman USA sparingly within Craftsman China just to keep buyers in their stores. I know I always look through their inventory to pick up the USA stuff; I don't touch their Chinese stuff. I can get it for less at Home Depot. I like the look and feel of Home Depot's Husky Chinese stuff anyway.

If you're a buyer of Chinese made tools, why would you go to Sears anyway? There are better and cheaper alternatives out there (Home Depot, HF, Lowes).

Sears is a department store anyway. Obviously it doesn't care too much about its tool line. When I was a kid, Sears had a big toy department and even a lunch counter. If they could dump toys and food, I don't see why they wouldn't dump tools too? JC Pennys dumped their tool line, for example.

But if Sears goes, where's average guys going to get affordable American made hand tools? With all Sears sales, American made tools are almost as cheap as Chinese tools. I guess we will all have to pay a lot more and shop online. Maybe that's as it should be since most of us can't fit our enormous tool collections in our boxes anyway!

 

[honcho]

I cruised through the tool section of a local sears yesterday looking for USA made product and was sorely disappointed. Their stock of individual sockets and wrenches had a lot of empty spots and their sets were almost exclusively chinese made.

I won't pay Craftsman non-sale retail prices for chinese made product. However, most of the CM USA stuff I have purchased in the past was on sale or clearance.

I also think most, but not all, Taiwanese tools are of higher quality than mainland china tools. I find it interesting that while many of the current Craftsman line is made in China a great deal of the Evolv line is made in Taiwan and looks to be better finished than the Craftsman line.

Craftsman as a brand will endure no matter what happens to Sears, it will be valuable to someone. Heck, Polaroid has been bankrupt and out of business for years but the owner of the Polaroid name rents it out to all sorts of different photography/electronic products. Same with the McCulloch and Homelite brand names. The same type of thing will happen with Craftsman; however, it's a shame that most of the Craftsman branded items will be coming from China.

 

[jcfields]

.

 

[ganymede]

...I enjoyed the thought of hard working Americans crafting a quality product. I will buy USA craftsman for as long as I can find it ....


Sent from my Chinese made iPhone using Tapatalk

I will buy USA QUALITY for as long as I can find it and Craftsman hasn't been it for a long time now. USA or wherever.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

A few weeks ago the 7-piece SAE and 7-piece metric T-Through Handle Ball End Hex Key Sets were on sale 50% off.

If you click either of lthe inks below you can clearly see the red/white/blue "Made in USA" seal on the product package.

You got to know that Chi-com sets arrived in mailbox. WOW did I feel cheated?! Well rather than return the sets right away, I decided to bide my time and look for USA sets at the Sears stores. No joy, could not find any USA sets. But then the other day I did find them at an ACE. Paid $3 more per set than the regular $39.99 Sears price, took home, removed USA tools, placed Chi-com tools in package, returned items to store for refund. So in the long run I did get both SAE and metric USA sets for $40.

Was that wrong?



Showed your post to my neighbors; the Dear Olde Hjuttenvildensen Sisters... They laughed so dang hard that their sides ached.... Seems the day before you ventured into that Ace Hardware, their Cousin Homer was in there returning some Craftsman tee handle wrenches.... He pulled the same trick you did,,, then you strolled in there and bought the same ones He swapped out!! Do yours actually say USA on the tool itself??
Maybe Maybe Not Maybe Real Crapsman shoot for sure

 

[radrush]

Do yours actually say USA on the tool itself?

Yes, reads made in USA on opposite side of the CRAFTSMAN lettering which is much sharper and crisper.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

Yes, reads made in USA of opposite side of the CRAFTSMAN lettering which is much sharper and crisper.

Definitely worked out in your favor...
Ordering from Sears is something that has dropped out of my comfort zone... Sure isn't like the good olde days..